A Short Existance (Part 1)

Posted on Mon Dec 11th, 2023 @ 2:39am by Captain Kagami Izumi & Lieutenant JG Nico Yazawa & Ensign Eyosa & Hatsune Izumi & Commander Tormek & Lieutenant Nash Winters & Lieutenant M’ress Fer’ran & Lieutenant Maki Nishikino 'Bones' & Lieutenant Ashreth "Ash" Th'Raanin & Lieutenant Perlin Amor & Lieutenant Vep Ka of the Empire & Lieutenant JG Ki'ana & Lieutenant JG Twyla Fox & Chief Warrant Officer Firax & Tadao Yoshikawa
Edited on on Mon Dec 11th, 2023 @ 2:40am

1,746 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Lockdown
Location: MD02 12:10

[Deck Four]

Kagami sat on the floor by the jeffries tube's entrance. They had located a tube which would take them upto Main Operations. However the hatch was still sealed by the lockdown. Plus with the self-destruct now engaged, and with no way of telling how long they have left; it was a race against time to regain command and dearm the system.

The last thing that Kagami wanted was for them all to become nothing but space dust. She was trying to hold back the tears, for the first time in a long time she had no control. She couldn't control the situation and they would all perish from this. What really annoyed her the most was that there was no reason, no justification and absolutely no warrant for what was going to happen.

"Just get up to Operations and de-activate the self-destruct! Leave me here!" Kagami said.

Her Klingon first officer moved over to his captain's crippled lower body then glanced down at her broken and bleeding leg once again. "It is time, Kag'mi. I will not leave you behind, and your injury will kill you if I attempt to carry you through the maintenance corridors. I must take your leg. Here and now." He pulled his d'k tahg from its holster once again, then showed it to her so she could prepare herself for what needed to be done.

"It will be painful at first, but you are a strong captain who will not scream. You must become a warrior while I take your leg," he instructed as he pressed his hand down firmly on her lower thigh just above the compound fracture within her shin bones. "Prepare yourself."

"There's no time for that!" Kagami snapped back. "We don't know how much time is left on the self-destruct! You need to deactivate that first!" she told him sternly. "And I'm sorry, but I would rather have someone else ampitate my leg if it comes to that!"

He scowled, his cranial ridges creasing inward with disdain at the Starfleet captain's incessant orders and lack of self-preservation. Yet, inside his mind, he understood the sacrifice she was asking him for - the lives of all of those on the station versus her own. He pushed his knife in between her small breasts then unholstered his disruptor from his waist and put it atop the sharp blade. Then he pulled the leather gloves from his hands and deposited them on her collar.

"I will go, as you command. But you must save yourself too. I have now given you the tools...do not be a coward and sacrifice yourself! Do what you know what must be done," he instructed her, then looked further down the empty corridor and to the nearest Jefferies tube. "I will return shortly."

Tormek left Kagami behind and disappeared into the station's dark corridor. He quickly located the appropriate vertical Jefferies tube from memory layout of the starbase, then manually pumped the hatch open on the side panel before entering.

"Gee thanks..." Kagami replied simply as she watched him leave.

Somewhere between Intel and the nearest air lock, Twyla Fox was putting on her EVA suit. Her plan was simple. Get to a location close to the nearest ship, space walk to the ship and await whatever was going to happen. Problem was she had no time reference and she was damned if she wanted to be present when the base went boom. Her site to site transport was not working or this would not be a problem. What was a girl to do? In the meantime this was the best opinion. So she continued down the corridor.


[Firax's quarters]

Chief Warrant Officer Firax had just unpacked and prepared to meet the command staff and report in. His hair done in proper Starfleet regulation, his uniform was immaculate and boots highly shined. He tried to exit his quarters, but the door did not slide open. Is this some kind of prank? he wondered. He again tried but the door would not open. He could feel the anger rising in him, he instantly went to the calming mental exercises he was taught. Okay, think this out Firax. Suddenly the station wide comms system opened up "WARNING! Self-Destruct Activated... WARNING! Self-Destruct Activated..." By the Four Winds, what is going on?

[Jefferies Tubes]

Many long seconds passed while Tormek furiously climbed the ladder up to main operations while the computer counted down its destruct sequence. He soon climbed closer, but the countdown was advancing faster than he could move his hands and legs up the ladder. "Twenty seconds...eighteen...nineteen..."

The first officer let out a furious growl as he approached the hatch to the starbase's main operations bay and opened it. "Ten...nine...eight...seven..." He crawled out through the Jefferies tube then sprinted toward the primary command console.

"Five...four...three...two..."

Tormek furiously tapped away at the console but to no avail. Time had run out.

"One...Destruct."

He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the inevitable and preparing himself for his hopeful journey to Sto-vo-kor. But one second passed, then another, and then another, and the station was still intact.

[Corridor]

Kagami had also braced for the explosion. The computer had counted down to one and she had clenched her fists in preparation to die. However she found herself still alive and the station intact.

"Attention All Hands. Lockdown Procedure Cancelled." The computer called out.

All over the station the bulkheads retracted, forcefields dropped and hatches unsealed. Turbolifts resumed and doors began to unlock as people were released from where they had been locked in.

"Captain Izumi to Medical. I need an immediate site to site transport to the infirmary!" Kagami said as she tapped her comm badge. "Oh and make it quick, before... Well, I'll explain in a moment."

=A=Captain?=A= the voice of the CMO radioed back. =A=What's going on down there? How did you manage to-?=

"Just do it Lieutenant. I've got a badly broken leg here and if I stay here much longer, Commander Tormek is talking about cutting it off with his knife!" Kagami replied. "Frankly, I don't want to lose it today!"

=A=Alright,=A= the CMO sighed, evidently skeptical that the Captain had managed to pull some sort of miracle and shut down the self-destruct sequence. =A=Stand by to transport...=A=

It only took a few moments before the medical transporter beamed Kagami to the main infirmary.

No sooner had she arrived than she was immediately descended upon by a team of medical personnel, who helped her up onto a gurney and fastened her in.

"Status report," Maki ordered as she stepped into the room, tricorder in hand.

"Looks as if we've got a compound fracture in the right patella," a Doctor reported. "Also observing a couple of closed fractures on both the tibula and fibula. There's some mild redness and swelling around the wound area, but nothing excessive that would indicate an infection."

Maki proceeded to run the tricorder over Kagami's leg.

"Any unusual symptoms, Captain?" she inquired calmly. "Severe or throbbing pain, the wound site being warm to the touch, pus or other unusual discharges, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, the like?"

"Well it bloody hurts..." Kagami said. "Doctor, just fix it quickly please. I've got work to do."

"Hold up there, Cowboy," Maki interjected. "One step at a time, here; I know that you'd prefer to get back to work as soon as possible, but even with the latest in surgical advances, there's only so much we can do before you have to let the body's natural healing process take it's course."

"Fine," Kagami huffed. "How long."

"The operation itself shouldn't take more than 10 minutes, tops," Maki explained as the doctors carted her off to the operating room. "But even still, I'd advise you give it at least 24 hours' rest before returning to active duty."

"24 hours?! Honestly? I've got places to be and do..." she stopped upon seeing the doctors face.

Maki sighed. "Do you want me to make it a Doctor's order? Because I will."

"Fine. Just fix it, before our Klingon exec tries to cut it off or something!" Kagami said as she crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.

"You're in good hands, Captain," Maki assured her. "Just be patient and do as I instruct you to, and this'll all be over before you know it.."

[Conference Room]

Vep Ka has two Tholians trying to all but claw their way out, her options are few and this Comm system has finally gotten the frequency Wave of the jamming and a channel cycle to allow Vep Ka some ways to do something.

=^= Master Izumi.-^- She transmit. =^= Vep Ka here. I have our Tholian representatives downright ready to claw their way out. I have a comm channel now would there be someone I can call to connect a party line to the computer Remote channel, I do not have the codes with me as I am here and... you are there?=^= She asked.

"Have them return to their ship if they want. Tell them we will have to reschedule." Kagami replied simply from the infirmary. "Commander Tormek should be arriving into Main Operations shortly."

[Elsewhere]

Twyla opened her eyes. Something did not smell right. As she gathered her faculties, she realised she needed to return to her quarters and change uniforms. This one was now unserviceable and an embarrassment. So she tried the sight to sight transport again. This time it worked. She took off the EVA suit and got into a fresh new uniform. It was now time to find out what the hell was going on. As she left her quarters.

[Firax's quarters]

Firax exited his quarters, palatable anger rolling off his body. He struggled mightily to bring it under control as he strode down the corridor towards the nearest turbolift. If someone had been playing a practical joke at his expense, he was not amused. Those in the corridor made due haste to get out of the almost eight foot tall Nausicaan’s way. All that saw him were shocked by the sight of seeing a Nausicaan in a Starfleet Uniform, and that he was a Chief Warrant Officer to boot.

To be continued...

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