Chapter Two of the Story Part 2/2

Posted on Wed Aug 17th, 2022 @ 6:21am by Lieutenant Commander Lochlan Noir [GM] & Lieutenant JG Thaddeus Quint MD [GM]
Edited on on Fri Jul 5th, 2024 @ 4:10pm

2,010 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Interdimensional Archives
Location: Starbase 616, Medical Center
Timeline: After "Wakey Wakey Jeremiah"

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Jeremy walked through the corridors alongside Captain Bran, amazed to see that as he spoke, Talrian forgot to limp. Which showed that it was just a holdover from the weeks of needing to do so. The corridors they traversed looked the same - minus the addition of the extra people surrounding them. He felt squirmy around the Master Warrant and other security personnel but he put his trust in his captain who seemed to trust the lieutenant commander and doctor.

Talrian gave him a quick report on what he knew since being woken and treated. It wasn't much. The station appeared where a starbase should have been and the Righteous came to investigate. Forcefields leading teams to the cargo bay where they found the stasis pods. They woke Talrian who then insisted they wake Jeremy next. One other security guard was physically attacked by the unseen perpetrator that Jeremy saw before he went into stasis. He was still being treated in the medical center where they were headed.

But the upshot was that they were home. Jeremy was ambivalent about that news. It was good to be home and he wanted to contact his family as soon as possible, but that also meant contacting the families of the rest of the team. And the crew of the Atlantic. That was not something he relished. Nor the inquest that Starfleet was sure to impose as soon as they could on the ship's disappearance from their own space.

But as they entered the Medical Center, he went to the indicated biobed and used the manual arm controls that opened the armor and then allowed it to return to it's storage state. He sat on the bed, clad now only in the armor's baselayer and his boots then waited for more instructions from the doctor.

"Welcome back Sergeant," Thaddeus said as he began his scans of Jeremiah. "As you are uninjured this won't be long." The Doctor got to various other types of scans, a few blood extractions and examining of said blood samples in a variety of methods.

Lochlan smiled. "Yes welcome back to the land of the Awake Sergeant."

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Jeremy said, looking down. "And you too Doctor, sir. I was okay. I had a few cuts and scratches from our escape, but I was able to take care of those. Captain was the one i worried about. The infection and damage to his leg was more than I could deal with with what I had. In a way I'm almost grateful we got brought here and put into suspension. It saved his life." Jeremy kept back the part about being ready to amputate when they were taken in by the station. How they both knew Talrian wouldn't survive it and even with that, Jeremy himself only had a few days of life support left. "Other than not being Starfleet level, medical in that other universe wasn't too bad. Helped heal us up and keep us healthy." He gave a weak smile to those gathered around. It wasn't until he heard the rifle blasts that he looked outwardly worried.

"You did well with what you had Sergeant," Lock said with a smile. "Can you walk me through your experience on this station?"

Jeremy spoke quickly, relaying mostly what Talrian said about the experiences that led them to the station. Hs story only began to deviate on the station, however. He spoke about a shadowy figure trailing them, as if a cattle dog making sure the herd went where they were supposed to go. "After I got Captain settled into the stasis pod, hoping that would also inhibit the infection killing him, I was determined to do what I could to get us out of this situation. The figure never really showed itself, and stayed behind the force fields. The gas started to lose efficacy but they sent it in again, apparently knowing my suit's systems were low on power and eventually I'd have to take it off or die inside it." Jeremy shrugged. "I decided that being the case, I had a better chance if I put myself in stasis as well and wait for them to come for us."

"Next i know," Jeremy concluded, "all your faces are looking down at me and...well..."

Dae stepped over and picked up the rifle Jeremy leaned against the bed. He looked it over and wondered. He gave a nod of the head to the two security that remained telling them that they were to keep an eye on the two strangers then stepped into the hallway.

"It won't work," Talrian said stepping up behind the Master Warrant. "They're programmed to specific users. Anyone on the team can pick up any weapon dropped by a teammember and use it, but we wouldn't want to give an advantage to our enemies." Talrian held out his hands, a silent demand for the rifle.

With reluctance, Dae handed it over. There was only two possible results that could happen now. Either nothing would happen or something would happen.

Talrian moved a step away from Dae and seated the rifle into his shoulder. "Force field?"

Dae nodded. Talrian raised the weapon and three short phaser bursts erupted from the end of the barrel. They raced down the corridor and smashed against the force fields. The fields shimmered then settled and became transparent once more. Talrian was sure that somewhere a weapons fire alert was igniting on a security panel.

"So not yours," Dae said.

"It appears not," Talrian answered. "All of yours?"

"All that I could test so far," Dae answered. "I imagine there's a connection there to Noir's command codes giving him limited command over the station."

"Possible," Talrian said. It would reinforce the idea of multiple factions. "Which could mean the station itself is under attack even as we are."

Dae sighed. "Do you have more of those rifles and can they be programmed so my teams can use them?"

"Yes," Talrian said, turning to head back into the medical center.

"Do you know how to make this armour?" Lock asked Talrian as he re-entered the Medical Center after he had been talking with Jeremiah.

"Make it, Commander? No. I'm not a tech weenie. We got it issued to us and if we needed more than the basic repairs we could do to it, we gave it to tech weenies."

"Squints?" Dae asked. It was probably the first time Talrian smiled at something the Master Warrant said. "Yes, exactly. Squints." He turned back to Noir. "But being the type of cautious guy that I am, we should have detailed specs on the shrike's data core. Along with weapons and a few other things. Their phasers really are superior and easier to handle. Not to mention their gauss/phaser combo firearms."

"Pitty, maybe you are willing to allow Engineering to see if they can reverse engineer the armour and the phaser/gauss weaponry as well?" Lock asked hopeful. "They could be useful in the future."

"Yes, Commander. It is a shame, however, that my shrike is secured by your security teams and not a priority." Talrian said it as if it were merely conversational.

Dae rolled his eyes at the not at all subtle jab regarding the shrike. "I'm going to go check on Garber," he muttered.

Lochlan smiled. "Yes, they aren't. But we will before we leave." He nodded to Jeremiah. "Would you two like some 'rest' before joining us for the next awakening?"

"I think I've rested long eough," Talrian said, casting a glance toward the doctor.

"I'm good to go?" Jeremy asked, quiet. Then he slid off the bed and stood in front of Noir. He came to a position of attention. "Commander, I'm submitting myself for charges."

"Corvus," Talrian breathed, shaking his head. "No one is-"

"Their security chief is," Jeremy said, his eyes flicking to find Dae. "And sir, I did point weapons at authorized security personnel and superior officers, that is a chargeable offense under Starfleet UCJ. And, if you are correct and we're back home, I have faith that the process will be fair. Commander, I'd take myself to the brig, only I don't know where it is."

Talrian sighed, rubbing his forehead. Times like this he had to remind himself he genuinely liked the kid. He liked the kid. It was a mantra to repeat several times.

"Sergeant, if you wish to 'brig' yourself, it will make it difficult for you to assist us with investigating this station and ultimately getting all out of stasis and off this station in a timely manner. Your immediate superior Captain Talrian Bran included. Do you wish to be a complication to our goals?" Lock asked. "In any case, I put your offence into self defense under stressed conditions that anyone in your place would have acted the same, myself included."

He gestured to the exit. "We have much to do and not a lot of time, who knows when the station might jump again. Will you help us?"

"No," Jeremy said, frowning.

"Excuse me, Sergeant?" Talrian barked. To not only deny what should be considered the equivalent of an order from a superior officer, it was completely out of character for the young man to be less than helpful.

"I mean to wanting to be a complication," Jeremy said, turning immediately to his captain and speaking quickly. "Of course I'd like to help in any way I could. I mean, if I can get med kits, I can help triage as we release others from stasis. Or," he stopped to take a breath, necessary as he'd spoken too quickly. But he suddenly turned a shade of pink as he realized he was standing in front of so much heavy metal wearing nothing but the undersuit for his armor. "Sirs," he asked, muttering now, "any chance I could get something to wear first?"

Lochlan chuckled. "Of course Sergeant," he turned to Thaddeus and gestured back at Jeremiah. "When he is ready, I'd like you two to look into this station's medical inventory. It seems that this station is more advanced then ours, perhaps they have medical advancements that we could learn while it is here."

"Yes sir," Thaddeus replied and nodded at Jeremiah. "Once you are ready, return here and we can begin. In the meantime I will check on those in medical care, excuse me sirs." He said and headed into other areas of the Medical Center, he went to see Garber and a few others who had encountered harm while exploring.

"Captain, accompany me back to the Command post in our docking bay terminal please." Lock requested and turned to leave.

"Pants first, Sergeant," Talrian said with a smile. "Running around near naked, and to a ship's commander at that. We'll have to discuss this impropriety at a later time."

Corvus shook his head and gave a brief smile, "Certainly, Captain." He spoke with a sense of relief. His unit captain was okay and they were back home. Back into a situation that was dangerous and uncertain, but what else was new for them? "Do you think it'd be okay if I used a replicator on their ship?" He asked as he folded a blanket from a biobed around himself.

Talrian nodded. "I'm sure it would be. You heard the commander, as well, help out in Medical until or unless I tell you otherwise. But be sure to keep me updated."

"Something wrong, Captain?" Corvus asked, scowling. "They seem alright."

Talrian only gave a quick, short nod. "I'm sure they are, but, just to be sure."

"Yes, sir," Corvus said, starting forward, only to realize he still had his rifle to retrieve and, well, at the moment he and Captain Bran were going the same way. At the docking bay, however, Corvus left Talrian to find Ops and the quartermaster.

Talrian went to find the ship's CO and, as he'd been informed, the station acknowledged him as CO as well.

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