A Moment of Silence

Posted on 01 Nov 2013 @ 9:31pm by Commander Norvi Stace & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Ensign Natalie Chevalier & Commander Luke Wyatt & Alexander Iella & Lieutenant JG Tykhin Vess & Lieutenant Asahi Kita & Petty Officer 1st Class Taryn Galepsie

1,113 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 04 - Exodus
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 05 - 1930 hours

[ON]

Word had filtered out the day before, and come time, people started to filter into the Mess Hall. Slowly, more showed up; some under their own power, some with the help of Galileo's medical staff who volunteered their time.

Luke entered the mess hall, everyone that he did know or had spent time with on the Galileo were either dead or MIA which meant the entire Marine detachment he was deployed with. He took position at the back of the room, leaning against the wall.

Asahi felt a little out of place here. The Galileo was the ship he was assigned to after all. However, it didn't mean he wasn't going to at least attempt to know the Venture's crew. Burying his hands into his pockets as he entered, he nodded toward a few of those present, but kept himself silent.

Stace stood, hands clasped behind her back and a solemn, pensive look on her face. She lowered her head and inhaled. She'd seen a lot of death in her time. Both personal and professional. But these situations never got easier.

Tykhin nodded somberly to some he knew, and exchanged quiet words with others.

Taryn didn't want to come, she doubted that anyone really wanted to come to a reading of the lost. She spotted the Marine she had met a few days earlier and moved to stand near him by the wall. She didn't say anything but simply nodded her hello.

"Thank you for coming, Counselor," he said quietly to Delainey, almost whispering. It seemed wrong to speak any louder. "I thought you should be here."

"Thank you for keeping me in the loop," Carlisle whispered back. "This whole thing was good of you."

After the arrivals slowed to a trickle, Tykhin cleared his throat. It seemed coarse and too loud among the whispers. As the room went quiet, he shifted uneasily. Somehow, this felt like crossing a line, admitting that it had all really happened.

"Thanks for coming," he settled on. "I'm not a chaplain... I'm not even one of our senior officers. So I don't know what to say other than... They were our friends, our Venture family, and we'll miss them. Gunnery Sergeant Luke Wyatt will read the names of those who died, and we'll have a moment of silence after."

Luke walked to the front of the group picking up the PaDD before turning around and trying to break a smile. Although the Mess hall was full but their was little left of the crew. "Before we start I Just want to say that although we have lost many good people to a fate that they didn't deserve, we shall let their legacy continue through us and through the Galileo." He raised the PaDD and began reading through the Names "Lieutenant Chamberlain, Ensign Garcia, Ensign Stohl, Warrent Officer Swatton..." Luke was battling back sobs though as each name passed his lips he couldn't help feel that a large whole was slowly forming in his gut.

So many names. Asahi may not have known many of those that passed, but there were just so many there. The Venture's crew was torn into a fraction of what it was before because of the Borg's attack. Something of this magnitude was difficult for a ship's crew to recover from. Silently, the engineer wondered what was going to happen to who was left. Whether they deemed themselves lucky for their own survival or cursed for losing so many of their crew (and potentially their family) was not something Asahi could have taken into account. He made absolutely certain not to connect with anyone on the Venture simply because he was en route. He didn't see the point in connecting with people he was only going to know for a few months tops.

The engineer's stomach churned at the realization that he had very little idea of who these people were. Maybe he should have gotten to know someone. Too late now.

"And finally, Lieutenant Tu'Nak." Luke lowered the PaDD "Some of you may have realised that not all the names were said and that's because through the information we have gathered from each other and the Borg we believe that they are being assimilated into the Borg Collective." He let the information sink in. "We will get these people back.... Hope is not just in one man or a group of men but in all of mankind, carrying on is not an option! It is what we must do, what we must do to make sure that we never forget the people who have died, the people who we have lost and the people we are yet to loose. Together we have to unite and stand side by side watching the person to their right and their left, front and back. We will not only remember these people but we shall make them proud and have them know they did not die in vain. Living and fighting is not how hard you can hit but how hard you can get hit and stand back up again! I will follow any of you to the end of the universe land sea, space and air and us the people have the power to make what we want happen! No matter how bad things go my heart my mind will carry my body through limits and weakness So now I ask that we take a moment of silence to remember them and pray for them." He nodded to Tykhin before stepping down and returning to the group.

Tykhin nodded to a crewman beside him. The ship's whistle sounded in the Mess Hall. Tykhin lowered his head and closed his eyes. Some of the names struck memories with him and the idea they were just gone was surreal; it was hard to make sense of. There were so many.

Taryn listened to the name being read off. She had known many people that were no longer with them . It brought her back to a time not too long ago that she wanted to leave in the past. She didn't speak to anyone but simple looked off into space as she let the enormity of the moment wash over her.

[OFF]

LTJG Tykhin Vess
Intelligence Officer
USS Venture

Gunnery Sergeant Luke Wyatt
Marine First Sergeant
USS Venture

LTJG Asahi Kita
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

PO1 Taryn Galespie
Security Officer
USS Venture

LTJG Norvi Stace
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Delainey Carlisle, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Chief Counselor/Doctor
USS Galileo

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