Drifting Away
Posted on 22 Sep 2024 @ 6:41pm by
Edited on on 22 Sep 2024 @ 7:33pm
845 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission: Stranded
ON
Allen always looked forward to the weekly duty of needing to inspect and sign off on all the sensor and communications equipment in the Cygnus' pod that sat on top of the ship. It gave him the opportunity to be alone with Meiman, to be able to have all of her focus, well, outside of the work that needed to be completed, but that work wasn't really a whole lot of effort or mental power needed. The systems were still pretty new, having been installed on the Cygnus prior to the events with the Crystalline entity. Even during that engagement, the defensive systems of the ship well-protected the equipment they were inspecting. He hoped that she also liked to spend time with him, and it seemed she did.
However, about two hours after everything seemed to go very wrong with the ship, where the deck somehow ended up being the bulkhead, and the ceiling ended up being the deck. Both he and Meiman were tossed about violently. All lights and power were completely extinguished. The darkness was total. And artificial gravity was also completely disabled, so both of them, their equipment and anything not bolted to the deck plating were floating around. It had been a significant challenge to find a palm light not knowing the orientation of the deck, everything floating about, and nothing where it should be. It was also a challenge to find a tricorder. While both he and Meiman had been holding one when the ship, when things went wild, both had lost grip of them, and who knew where they had gotten off to.
"What is it telling you," Meiman asked Allen, referring to the readings the one tricorder they had found. They were standing at the air-tight doorway that led to the atrium, which then led to the turbolift, and on to the rest of the ship.
Allen was frowning at the readings. "Nothing good," he said.
"Nothing good? Like, do you mean the door is sealed?"
Allen shook his head. "No, more than that. I'm reading nothing but vacuum, and debris beyond that."
Meiman developed a confused look on her face, then shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. There is a whole rest of the ship down there," she said, pointing at the hatchway.
Barry shook his head too. "Not anymore. If this reading is correct," he said brandishing the tricorder a bit, "then the Cygnus has been destroyed." He looked to her with wide eyes, not sure what to do with the information.
Tears began to well up in Meiman's eyes. "Uh...what do we do," she asked him, looking for any leadership or advice, or anything. "If this pod is all that is left of the Cygnus, there is no way for movement, no additional power, no life support system, no nothing."
Floating in mid air, Allen thought for a moment. "I, uh....there is nothing we can do, I don't think."
For several moments, Meiman wept while Allen floated, unsure what to do.
"No," Meiman stated, then more forcefully, "NO!"
Allen attempted to get her to come to the realization that there was nothing they could do. "We have plenty of oxygen, but its the carbon dioxide we have to worry about. I think with how big the pod is, we would probably die of thirst before we dealt with oxygen or carbon dioxide. Maybe we can...."
"NO," she said again. "We have all of this communications equipment, all of this fancy technology. There has to be a way," she pleaded.
Allen looked a Meiman, with sorrow in his eyes, and upon his face. "Not without power. The pod doesn't have it's own warp power, or even auxiliary units of power to allow the sensors and communications equipment to work. With the Cygnus destroyed, we have no means to access power. And I do not think our communicators can reach across light years."
"I....no....this can't be happening. Can't we at least try?"
Allen thought for a moment. "I don't see how. Do you have expert knowledge on this equipment like Lieutenant Ahmad does? Or Lieutenant Commander Stovek? Or Lieutenant Hartley?"
Meiman shook her head.
"Neither do I. I never went to college. I never went to the Academy. Im just a poor, dumb country kid from Indiana."
Meiman sniffed. "Admiral Janeway is from Indiana."
Allen laughed, despite their situation. "Yes, she is, isn't she." Several moments passed. "I'm glad I got assigned this duty with you. It has always been the highlight of my week."
Meiman didn't respond at first, but though better of it. She was about to die, after all. "I tried to get off this detail. I know you like me, Barry, but I've never wanted anything to do with you beyond being professional. And now I'm going to die with you."
Both were silent after this. There was nothing else to say.
OFF
Petty Officer 3rd Class Barry Allen
Astrometrics
and
Crewman Rebecca Meiman
Stellar Cartography
RSS Feed