The Arrival pt I

Posted on Tue Jan 4th, 2022 @ 8:03am by Game Master
Edited on on Fri Jul 5th, 2024 @ 4:15pm

2,636 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Interdimensional Archives
Location: Federation Space (hostile territory)
Timeline: Day 13

Day 13

A fine sheen of sweat covered Talrian’s face all the time now. Corvus had to adjust the splints on his leg as it had swollen to the point where the pieces of broken struts the medic used were pressing into the swollen flesh. He had to change the bandages twice already and it was barely into the afternoon according to the chronometer.

At least the pain was mostly abated.

The time for amputation was a day past and now there wasn’t any choice left. It had to be done. Talrian lie on his sweat soaked rack knowing that saving his life by taking his leg was a pyrrhic at best. Their resources were nearly used up and the engines were on the last dregs of fuel. Every trick and scrimp they used to save fuel wouldn’t do much more good for them now.

Jeremy sat on the bench next to Talrian’s rack, having set out the tools he needed. He had a covered syringe in one hand. He put his free hand on Talrian’s arm. “This is a sedative, it’ll take a few minutes to take effect, longer if you fight against it.”

Talrian only nodded. He didn’t want to speak. He didn’t trust himself not to tell Corvus that he changed his mind, that he wasn’t going to consent to becoming mutilated; to losing everything he ever wanted out of life by becoming crippled. He grabbed the medic’s hand and squeezed it hard. Jeremy nodded, understanding what Talrian thought just from the way the fevered and sweat soaked officer looked at him.

Jeremy swallowed. He’d already explained what would happen. Once Talrian was under the sedative, Jeremy would amputate just above the worst of the injured and infected tissue. He’d then cauterize the wound in a manner that would allow SA medical to stimulate Talrian’s own stem cells to regrow the limb but also would, hopefully, remove the worst of the infection. Then the meager supplies of antibiotics Corvus had left would have a chance to save the rest of Talrian. They both ignored that neither one of them would see SA medical ever again. They kept from acknowledging that truth. If they acknowledged it, neither would do what had become necessary to do.

“Ready?” Jeremy asked as he used his free hand to flick off the cap to the syringe and insert it into Talrian’s upper arm. He only just started depressing the syringe, injecting the sedative into his commanding officer when the ship’s alarms came to life, blaring out a single warning.

The proximity alarm. Something had found them.

Jeremy pulled the syringe out of Talrian’s arm and, with practiced ease, recapped it. Most of the liquid inside the cartridge was still there. It might have a slightly numbing effect, but without the full dose intended, Talrian wouldn’t lose consciousness. At least not from this dosage.

Talrian was already trying to pull himself up while dragging the bloated, blackened and useless leg out of the rack so he could get the rest of him out. “Help me out here,” he grumbled to the younger man, the effort costing him energy he couldn’t provide at the moment.

Corvus shook his head but arguing the point would just waste time. While he threw Talrian’s arm around his shoulder and heaved both to their feet, he realized he could have just walked to the cockpit alone. But the effort it took to help the captain stand indicated just how bad a condition they were both in. While no means starving, they spent the last two weeks on decreasing rations and not enough room for either to really workout the way they used to. They hadn’t lost so much weight that either was in danger of malnourishment, but what they had lost was noticeable.

It was a short walk to the cockpit, something that before they arrived at the Federation station and their disastrous mission, neither would have thought anything about…unless one of the four on the shrike were attempting to move about at the same time. Now it was just the two of them but Talrian was already wheezing. He indicated he would take the navigator seat, leaving the pilot’s area to the sergeant.

Corvus started operating the panel as he turned the chair to face the controls, the large plasteel windows in front of him. Past the windows was nothing but endless, space empty but for the small, glittering dots of distant suns.

The origin of the alarm wasn’t visible in front of them, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. The windows only showed an unobstructed visual view ahead of them. That left either side and their rear open for invasion. Except, before they started prepping for the amputation, they stretched their sensors as far out as they could to ensure they weren’t going to come suddenly onto a patrol while Jeremy was performing the field amputation. They were clear of anything that would have set off the alarms. How did something come up on them so suddenly and from seemingly nowhere?

“I don’t understand what I’m reading here,” Corvus said staring at the control panel. “It’s less than a thousand kilometers off the port side. No way the sensors failed until we got this close to it.”

“Is it Federation?” Talrian asked, leaning against the bulkhead in the navigator seat.

“It’s…not in the computer’s database but…” Jeremy suddenly turned, confused and excited at the same time. “Judging from the sensor data, Captain, it is Federation. Starfleet Federation, sir, not this universe’s Federation.”

“What?” Talrian asked, forcing himself to sit up and turn to his panel. “That’s not…that’s…”

Jeremy shook his head. “I’m not completely certain, but readings are consistent with a watchtower class station. It-” He suddenly shifted as the shrike rumbled and shook. “It’s locked onto us with a tractor beam, Captain. We don’t have the power to even try to break free.”

Talrian nodded and wiped in vain at the sweat on his brow. “Get weapons and into your armor, Sergeant.”

“But sir,” Corvus said, turning to his captain. “It’s Starfleet!”

“Is it?” Talrian asked. “Do we know that for sure? And even if it is, what version of Starfleet? If it’s friendly, we’ll find out soon enough.” Talrian took a deep, wet breath. If it were friendly, then Starfleet medical could save him. If not…what did it matter? He was only days away from dying as it were. “Get into your armor and grab weapons.”

“Is it a good idea for you to be armed?” Corvus asked, standing to carry out the order.

“What are they going to do? Kill me? The Federation did that weeks ago. Go, get arms for us and armor up.” They could feel the ship being pulled toward the station. Jeremy nodded and moved past Talrian and out of the cockpit. “If they’re Starfleet, Captain, should we go looking to invade?”

“They very well could be Starfleet,” Talrian responded, “But let’s see from what universe before we go looking for salvation.” His fingers danced over the control panel as he felt the ship turning, the front plasteel cockpit windows showing the turn. The station was small at this distance, but large enough that Talrian, with his lifetime and a half of experience, saw that it did look at least like a Starfleet installation. Shaking his head as he turned back to the panel, he ordered the last commands to be executed.

“I sent the data,” Talrian said as Corvus came back to the cockpit, armored except for the helmet. His rifle was slung over his shoulder and his sidearm seated in its side holster. He had a second rifle in his hands with a pistol hanging from the belt.

“But you said…” Corvus trailed off.

“Exactly,” Talrian said, shifting so he could lumber up to his one good leg. He didn’t even try with the bad leg at this point. “Doesn’t matter anymore. Whoever’s on that station, they’ve got us. It’s either damnation or salvation, but either way, the Federation hunting us down is no longer a concern. And, either way, Command has to know about those stations.”

Corvus nodded as he helped Talrian buckle the gun belt and strap down the holster. Fortunately he was right handed and so wore the holster on the right side. They both watched out the window as the station’s size grew by increments. The shimmer of energy that indicated the tractor beam sparkled every so often. When the station was close enough they could see the bay opening to which they were being drawn, Corvus turned to face Talrian. “Still no response on all frequencies. But,” he shrugged. While neither knew exactly what frequencies Starfleet used, they were sure the SA operated on different frequencies. It was a problem in the early days, when the Atlantic was first drawn into this universe.

Talrian didn’t like the lack of response. Starfleet protocol was to always answer hailing communications. If, remarkable as it might seem, this station were from any version of Starfleet like the one both men originated, they should have responded. That they didn’t answer didn’t bode well for the two of them.

Corvus stood and placed his helmet, sealing the combat armor. He stopped at the navigator chair but Talrian waved him away. “I’m going to slow you down. If it’s hostile, stay on the ship and come back here, we’ll make our stand together. If they’re not hostile, then…surrender yourself and if it feels okay, send help for me. Your top priority right now, Sergeant, is your survival, understood?”
“Captain-” he started.

“Understood?” Talrian asked again, his tone hard edged and his feverish eyes boring into the sergeant.

“Aye, sir,” he said. Talrian wasn’t sure how much he could depend on the sergeant following those orders, but he had to hope he would. Trying to do what he could in order to save Talrian was a poor choice at this moment. Especially if they were as hostile as the Federation in this universe.

Corvus moved through the crew quarters to the rear port side where the access hatch was located. Just prior to leaving the cockpit, he felt the ship slowing and watched as it was brought into the docking bay. He waited until all sensation of movement ceased and the ship settled onto a docking pad before working the access that would cycle open the door.

As the door split open and began extending the ramp, Corvus squatted, bringing the rifle up and sighting along it.

The area beyond him was well lit but empty. There were a few other ships of designs he didn’t immediately recognize, but they seemed as empty of any life as did the bay itself. Under any protocol he knew, security would have been in place before the ship was brought through the shields separating the interior of the bay from the space outside. While most of them might be concealed under some form of cover, he should still see someone, even if it was just part of them, and heard orders being communicated. Along with the radio silence when they tried to contact the station, it increased his sense of unease.

He waited, working on keeping his breathing soft and relaxed to help bring down the natural anxiety he always felt as he waited for combat to start. Once the weapons fire started, however, his entire focus was on staying alive and keeping his teammates alive as well. He shifted after only a few minutes, watching the bay and trying to find anyone hiding. The bay doors failed to open despite how he knew the docking doors were already closed. No one entered.

Cautiously he rose from his own concealed position. Moving quickly he went through the door and moved to the side, taking it slowly down the ramp while looking all around him. Everywhere he looked was emptiness and silence. He made it to the bottom of the ramp and ducked below a line of docking crates, continuing to scan the bay. The only thing he saw was the LCARS panel by the door. It flashed an arrow indicating the door.

Someone had entered a navigation command. But where would he be led if he followed it? He waited another few minutes but, aside from the arrow flashing on the panel, nothing. He stood, moving the rifle to low ready but otherwise keeping his combat readiness in place. He stared at the panel for several long seconds, then glanced back to the shrike and the opening of the rampway. With a sigh he made his decision and made his way up the ramp and back to the cockpit.

Talrian listened to Corvus’s report on the situation and shook his head. The system pulled them in with a tractor beam, as well as operated the docking bay. Which indicated someone had to be present to operate those controls. The interior was consistent with Starfleet technology and design. But Corvus was right, protocol demanded some sort of security presence, even if it was just there with a command level officer to make contact with the passengers on the craft that was pulled into the station.

He didn’t like the lack of response anymore than Corvus did. But…at least at the moment, the danger of running out of life support or supplies was non-existent. “If we can find a way to connect the shrike’s power supply to the station, then you can transmit visuals back to me here. I don’t like the idea of sending you out into the station by yourself but-”

“Captain,” Corvus said, tapping the top of his helmet. “If this station is set up like our Starfleet stations, it’ll have a gurney stored on the starboard side for medical emergencies. Hell, it should also have a basic medical kit there as well.”

Talrian shook his head. As much as he wished it was otherwise, he was sure his condition was too far gone for a basic medical kit. They were designed to stabilize in order to get the injured patient to Medical as quickly as possible. Not weeks later. He was about to say so when Corvus shook his head.

“With you on the gurney, you could come with me and we can find our way to Medical. Then we can see what can be done when we get there. If there’s friendlies out there, I’m sure they’ll help. If they’re not friendly, they should stop us before we get to Medical. Even once we get there, we should be able to access the systems to find out more about this station.” Corvus squatted next to his captain. “If they’re like our Starfleet, then Medical can get you fixed up in a few days.” He said the last like a bribe, an obvious bribe but one nonetheless.

Talrian considered. It was a good suggestion, but as he looked out the windows he grinned. Starfleet. Which meant transporters and quick movement about the station. He explained what he wanted, but kept the gurney suggestion as a back up idea. After Corvus acknowledged what was said and replaced his helmet, Talrian went back to staring out the window. Still no signs of activity on the station. He didn’t like it. Not at all. There was too much wrong with this situation.

 

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