The Wreck of the Hesperus

Posted on Mon 11th Jun, 2018 @ 10:16pm by

921 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Brushfires
Location: Samurai, Repair Dock
Timeline: MD 9, 1925

The ceiling in the room Hikari had offered as Riko's new home was not all that interesting. No matter how much time she spent looking at it, nothing changed; not even an insect crawled across it. She used it as a focal point as she pondered the session with Dr. Graves earlier in the day. He hadn't told her anything she didn't know, and he also hadn't told her what she wanted to hear. Of course, if he had, it would have been lying, and he didn't seem the type.

She sat up and stared at the computer sitting on the desk. How had he put it? "Don't try to choose from among ten flavors; limit yourself to three or even two." Good advice, but who could she talk to in this vast city called Starbase 109? She'd already talked to Captain Suzuki ... Hikari, and Riko didn't want to burden her with more. She had her own grief over the losses, and she had a new command to plunge into. She still didn't feel confident enough to call home. Who else, then?

And then she knew. She got up from the bed and sat down at the desk. "Computer, power up."

The screen lightened and the symbol for the United Federation of Planets filled the center. =^= How may I be of assistance?=^=

"Commander Henry Perry. He's still on base?" McCord felt a stab of guilt. She'd been so taken up with her own problems, she hadn't thought about Henry ... or any of her other friends. She needed to look at the casualty list as soon as she could make herself do it.

=^=Checking for Perry, Commander Henry ... Commander Perry is staying aboard USS Samurai in Repair Dock ---.=^=

McCord thought that over. Could Henry be living in the same quarters? She hadn't looked at the wounded Samurai, either. There was a lot she hadn't done.

"Contact Commander Perry. Face-to-face on screen," she said.

=^=Contacting Commander Perry.=^=

Henry hummed to himself as he worked on some consoles of Samurai's engineering section. There weren't many people in engineering due to the mandatory break he had issued everyone. As he worked, he heard a chime from one of the nearby terminals.

=^=Incoming transmission from Starbase 109,=^= the computer stated.

"Go ahead with transmission," the Chief Engineer yelled as he got on his back to work under the console.

=^=Henry, are you there somewhere?=^= Riko's voice came over the computer. =^=I need to talk with you. Do you mind if I come over to -=^= she paused a moment and then went on briskly, =^=to Samurai. It looks like you're somewhere in Engineering. Can you take a little break?=^=

Henry stopped working as he heard one of his best friends' voices coming from the ship's speakers. He could tell something wasn't quite right with Riko's voice. He quickly wiped some grease from his hands onto his uniform pant leg.

"Yeah Riko, I can take a break, or you can come free to help me over here. Are you OK?" he asked, not quite sure what answer he was going to receive. He knew Riko had been feeling some kind of way since the incident with Samurai. Heck, he still didn't even know how he felt about the whole incident. But he did know that he wanted to be there for his friend. And whatever it took to get her where she needed to be, he would do it.

=^=Okay? Debatable. I will be, though. Everyone from Hikari to the psychologist tells me it just takes time. Anyway, I'll be over shortly, but I doubt I'll be much help. I'm a scientist, not an engineer.=^= As she disconnected, Riko thought that had a familiar ring to it, but she couldn't quite place it.

Already, she felt better. Hearing Henry's voice was like a cooling spray of water on a hot day. She pushed her feet into the first sandals she came to in the closet and headed in his direction. Of course, the lifts were packed, and the tram out to any part of the docking ports was high. Finally, she was on Deck 205, and walking toward the docked Samurai. Looking at the damage with clear eyes, she didn't know how they'd ever made it. We went into warp with that? It was a frightening miracle they'd every come out of warp in one piece.

The hull was connected to the base, and Riko walked up a ramp and into a cargo bay that hadn't been vaporized. It was completely empty. She'd never seen it that way. Steadily, she walked toward Samurai's turbolift system, hoping it was working. The idea of taking Jeffries tubes was not appealing today.

"Riko!" Henry called out as he rounded a corner and entered the cargo bay. "Hey friend!" he said as he reached out to give her a warm hug. "What's the good word with you?" He asked.

She hugged him back, one of the few people she allowed close to her, and then drew back. "I don't know if I have any good words yet," she said, making a face. "I'm still struggling with everything that happened, the losses, especially the Winters Sisters. I feel so guilty that I didn't somehow keep it all from happening. How are you doing? I haven't really talked with you since we arrived here. I don't even know how much of your department survived. Hikari told me you were okay, and I didn't look beyond that. So, now I'm asking. How are you?"

 

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