Reality (Part 2 of 3)

Posted on 17 Jan 2016 @ 9:46pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Lieutenant Min Zhao & Jynn & Commander Luke Wyatt & Ensign K'os Beaumont & Lieutenant JG Cyrin Xanth & EMH Mark X-C "Shirley"
Edited on on 17 Jan 2016 @ 9:50pm

3,046 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: Sector 053 - USS Galileo
Timeline: MD 01 - 0530 hrs

Previously, on Reality (Part 1)...

Gyce was very much awake. Weak from a fair about of blood loss. But not that the EMH had plasma flowing into her, the Bajoran watched in intrigued silence as the medical department handled the crisis.

When Allyndra returned she began to help the rest. Gyce needed a transfusion and she was about to start that when there was the distinct sound of transporter activity.

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Deck 7 - Astrometrics Lab

As the ship bucked and heaved around him, in those brief seconds where the sensors began to register a familiar energy pattern, Cyrin activated every memory buffer he could. He even reached for the tricorders he'd had on his work station for the likely loss of power. This was it, and he wasn't going to miss it this time. Data began to pour across his screens, glorious data that was being backed up in a number of places, but as expected soon his station shorted out and the room went black. The tricorders continued to function for a few seconds longer before they too went offline from the surging energy field they traveled through. Despite the chaos, and despite the fact that Cyrin had forgotten to strap himself in and had to cling to his chair in desperation to avoid being flung against a bulkhead, the Trill was laughing.

Fortunately the patches in the hull in the room held this time and there wasn't a repeat of pressure loss like their first trip through the vortex. Cyrin wasn't eager to ever experience that again. Emergency lighting snapped on, casting gloomy shadows across the room, but it was enough for him to see that the others were faring well enough. This time things were going to be different for them. They were better prepared, knew what to expect, and they were going to come out on the other side with even more data. Cyrin smiled as he pulled himself back into his chair and buckled himself to it, seeing that just one of the tricorders had actually kept running. That was worth all the turbulence in the universe to him.


Deck 1 - Main Bridge

It took much longer than was ideal, but finally the vessel's emergency generators came online. The overhead red ambient lighting began to flicker before it solidified, and all areas of the starship were now illuminated in an eerie, smoke-filled hue. Consoles began to come back online, and on the main bridge, the rear entrance was slowly pried open by a pair of green hands.

"Captain...!" huffed Lirha, who had somehow managed to make her way through the Jeffries tubes and up to Deck 1. Her dark hair was desheveled and strewn wildly across her face, with long locks stuck to her sweaty forehead and cheeks. "I believe Mister Beaumont and I have managed to restore power. He is down in Engineering assessing our current state," she reported as she finally wrenched the door open and almost tripped over a piece of metallic debris when she entered the bridge.

Holliday was surprised to see a flag officer with dirty hands - that said, he had been through his fair share of arguments with Lirha wanting to get in harm's way when he was First Officer, so really it should have been expected.

"Admiral on the Bridge." He replied with a nod to his superior officer.

"Not that there is much of a Bridge for you to be on ma'am. We seem to be adrift, still triangulating our exact position in space, but the fact we're not being fired on makes me think that we at least have escaped our previous predicament."

Adrift with no power, or a barely limited version of it, at least. Lirha continued to stumble her way into the central command chamber and finally stopped near the center chair next to Holliday to take a knee and regain her breath. "What about the subspace receivers...?" she managed to ask, hoping that the Starfleet relays were still intact and would be able to provide and transmit a long-range signal.

"We have short range comms back on line it seems. As soon as sensors come online and we are able to locate our exact coordinates we can begin transmission. I felt broadcasting if we are still in enemy space would be a poor tactical decision."

Jonathan replied. Having comms online was at least an option for them to get help, rather than being left disabled and mute in the middle of the vastness of space.

Luke still battling with the tactical system's nodded as the admiral explained that emergency power and as if on cue Tactical systems began popping back to life reporting damages and giving off tactical readings.

"Sir, Tactical systems online. Scanning for enemy ships"
He moved his hand effortlessly over the console sweeping away bits of debris as he did.

"Sir... There's nothing out there. No enemy signatures, not even the station either they all cloaked, destroyed each other or they've just disappeared" Luke didn't want to say the other reason, that being the best possible chance of survival and they're only hope.

"That's a good sign Lieutenant." Holliday replied as he returned to his chair to examine the limited sensor readings starting to filter into his display.

"Lieutenant Nicholas - open a wideband subspace channel and prepare to transmit the following."

"To any allied vessel within range. This is Captain Jonathan Holliday of the USS Galileo. We are badly damaged, adrift, and require immediate assistance. Please respond."

Looking towards his Ops chief he signalled to close the channel by drawing a single finger across his throat in the typical "kill" gesture.

"In the meantime let's see how bad things are."

=^= Holliday to Engineering - Mr Beaumont, give me the worst. =^=

"Sir, this is Petty Officer Malachy. We've a lot of damage sir but we have minimal power. Essential systems only sir, we need to shut down anything non-essential to conserve power."

K’os stuck his head back out from a console and began putting the paneling back in place before pushing his communicator to add to Malachy’s statement. “Sir, the upgrades we made to the structural integrity fields held up better than our first trip. Still extensive damage to most decks, but hull breeches have been kept to a minimal impact on hull structure. Propulsion systems are still online, but we’ll be depending on backup power for the time being. We’re working to restore main power now.”

"Understood Mr K'os. Continue your efforts." Holliday replied with a nod before returning to his own assessment of the damage.

Luke's console buzzed to life as the targeting sensors picked up something "Ship! Bearing 270 Mark 45! Port side coming in high" He added to save people working it out completely. "Reading's are a bit off but from the size of it were dealing with a Nebula... Or maybe a Galaxy class starship unknown origin. One second sensors didn't see it the next they did, no sign whether it de-cloaked either it might be Terran. We have minimal weapons and shields we might be able to go toe to toe with a Galaxy ship on a really good day but not like this" He warned reading all systems and signalling security to battle stations through the communications on his console.

With Luke's words Jynn became on edge once more, feeling the tension throughout the bridge. It was beginning to be a common occurrence. His hands hovered mere millimeters over the conn, ready to make the ship jump in any direction at any moment once ordered.

Holliday took a sharp intake of breath and narrowed his eyes as the sensor readings appeared on the console beside him. They still had not received confirmation that they were definitely in their own universe again or not, but at this point it didn't seem to matter what exactly he did, they were either about to encounter a friendly vessel or not.

"Transfer emergency power to shields. Stand by to..."

"Sir. We're being hailed. Standard Federation frequency." Min reported.

Johnathan took a moment to think on the matter. The fact that they were being hailed indicated that perhaps they were not in enemy territory any longer. That said the communication could simply be an order to surrender with an aim of subjecting the crew to a swift execution. Steadying himself in his chair, he gave the order.

"On screen."

The bridge's large forward viewer flickered a few times, and finally a distorted image appeared on the screen. An indecipherable voice began to speak, but after a couple seconds, the transmission cleaned its up and a dark-skinned Starfleet captain appeared on the screen in plain view

"Unidentified vessel, this is Captain Chibwela of the USS Copernicus," he said with a deep West African accent. "Transmit your identification and hold your current position." His eyes surveyed the Galileo bridge crew with scrutiny, and waited impatiently for a reply.

Holliday. Breathed a sigh of relief at the ship's prefix. USS was a far preferable phrase to here than ISS. Sitting back in his chair, content enough in his belief they were back on home turf, he nodded to Ops to transmit the ship's IFF confirmation.

"Captain Chibwela this is Captain Jonathan Holliday aboard the USS Galileo. You have no idea how glad I am to hear a friendly voice. You should receive our identification momentarily. We're not in the best of shapes and your assistance would be greatly appreciated."

"Stand by," said the other captain who looked down towards his own personal display on his chair's armrest. His dark eyes flickered across the screen and took in datalink information now being shown to him.

Chibwela's brow finally furrowed, and he looked back up into the large viewscreen with even more severe features this time.

"I am not sure who you really are, but USS Galileo was reported destroyed with all hands lost several weeks ago." He stared at Holliday and the rest of the Nova-class bridge crew in an attempt to ascertain their identity.

"Explain yourself," he added.

Holliday held up his hands in an apologetic fashion to the man on the viewscreen. He could completely understand why the ship would have been reported lost and indeed destroyed by Starfleet.

"I can see why that would have happened. Our ship was the victim of a technical malfunction with our prototype deflector. We found ourselves pulled through a tear in space time, and into an alternative universe. I would be happy to share our sensor logs with you if that would help corroborate our story. Whatever Command may have said, we are indeed the Galileo and very much alive Captain."

"Stand by," said Chibwela once again, this time for a much longer pause while he muted the comm and motioned towards his operations officers on his bridge.

Silent words were exchanged which the Galileo crew couldn't interpret, but then the fellow captain eventually motioned towards the screen to resume communications.

"Your vessel's signature and profile match that of USS Galileo," he conceded with a slight nod. "Stand by and prepare to be boarded. Deactivate all of your weapons systems and propulsion...I expect you to meet me in your Ready Room captain."

Jonathan nodded as he accepted the orders given to him. Whilst they might have been equal in rank, the ship would not be receiving support from Chibwela until he was confident they were who they said they were.

"I await your arrival. Holliday out."

As the comm channel closed, Jonathan turned to his centre console and inputted a series of commands, locking out the helm and weapons consoles with his own level ten access code until their inspection was complete.

"You heard the man. Everybody stay calm and we can get this dealt with. Stay at your posts, I'll be in my Ready Room.'

Standing from his chair, Holliday said not another word, and simply disappeared into his office as expected and awaited the arrival of his guest.

On Decks 1, 3, and 7, Federation boarding teams materialized aboard Galileo in the most strategic of positions. The main bridge was suddenly filled with a large team of foreign Starfleet officers who held their weapons to the Galileo crew under standard protocol, and they began to sweep the area for any signs of subterfuge.

Hands off the conn and remain motionless. It was pretty much standard operating procedure for the Deltan pilot at this point. He was just happy that this time the phasers were being held by less loathsome individuals.

The door to the ready room swished open and in stepped Chibwela. He was not a tall man, but his thick stature and veteran facial features made him seem more intimidating than he was. His red-collared uniform looked crisp and pristine, and under Galileo's dark red alert lighting, he was quite the imposing figure.

His eyes settled on the taller brown-haired captain who was standing in the middle of the room when he entered, and he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Captain Holliday?"

"Captain Chibwela. Welcome aboard." Jonathan replied, secretly seething that he was meeting a fellow captain under this circumstances, and with his uniform in less than perfect condition.

"I trust your teams have had no trouble finding their way around? Thank you for responding to our distress call."

"...Yes...it is our duty..." said the African man underneath his breath. With a heavy sweeping arm around the disheveled ready room, he proceeded to get straight to the point and ask, "What has happened here? Where have you come from? Why did you disappear?" Patience was obviously not one of the man's strengths.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow at the comment, he had already established this with the Captain over subspace, so why he would be asking again was simply beyond the Martian.

"As I explained Captain, we suffered a malfunction of our deflector during the NIMBUS exercises and ended up in the mirror universe. Suffice to say it was a rough ride back and not one that I would care to repeat any time soon. You are more than welcome to have your officers examine our sensor logs - you will find enough evidence there as well as confirmation that they have not been tampered with. I am not sure what else to tell you other than to let the data speak for itself"

"So! You mean to tell me...your vessel disappeared during your training exercise into -- of all places, the Mirror Universe -- and then you have...magically reappeared?" Clearly it appeared to be somewhat of a fabrication to the captain.

"And all I have as to your evidence is your own ship's logs?" Which could have been fabricated, he thought to himself.

"And my word as a Starfleet captain." Jonathan replied, pulling himself up to his full height as he realised his counterpart was going to be more than a little stubborn regarding the situation.

"You can stand here and argue with me until the stars all go out, but the fact of the matter is this is quite clearly a Starfleet vessel, these people are my crew and we are in need of assistance. You can either carry on with this interrogation or you can help my people. Throw me in your brig if it makes you feel better, but that won't change the truth from what it is, no matter how fantastical it may sound."

Chibwela continued to study Holliday. Continued to judge and evaluate each of the man's facial expressions and subtle body movements, as if it could give him better insight into what was really transpiring.

"For now, we will assist you," he conceded. "Your warp reactor is damaged and Starfleet will want to speak with you immediately. So! We will help you with your repairs, and tow your vessel back to Starbase 84. Unless you have any objections?"

Holliday simply shook his head. He knew full well the ship was effectively crippled as far as getting anywhere fast was concerned and wasn't about to turn down a ride home. Starfleet security could go through the ship with a fine tooth comb for all he cared, but at least his crew would be home first.

"A fine decision captain - no complaints from me. I will have my ship configured for towing at warp speed upon your return to your vessel. Can I presume my crew are free to return to their duties?"

"Yes, Captain Holliday. They may. If what you say is true...I have no desire to impede your efforts. 'Business as usual', as you say?" Chibwela replied while displaying a tiny smile for the first time. "Welcome home, to you and your crew."

"Thank you." Holliday acknowledged.

"Computer - deactivate systems lockout. Authorisation Holliday 4-7 Delta Kilo."

Acknowledged. Propulsion and Tactical systems returned to standard operation. came the reply from the computer.

"Thank you again for your assistance Captain Chibwela." He replied with a wry smile as he turned to head back to his Bridge.

Chibwela nodded and swiftly turned towards the exit, and after the doors swished open then shut, he was gone and on his way to attend to the next important operational matter.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

CAPT Obiura Chibwela
Commanding Officer
USS Copernicus
[PNPC Saalm]

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Tyrion Faye
CIO
USS Galileo

Lieutenant j.g. Naois Mercy
Counsellor
USS Galileo
pnpc Tyrion

PO Rheneas Malachy
Engineer/archaeologist
USS Galileo
pnpc Tyrion

Lieutenant (J.G.) Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Cyrin Xanth
Astrophysicist
USS Galileo

LCmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Lt Min Nicholas
Chief of Operations
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Luke Wyatt
Asst. Chief of Security
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Benice Gyce
Chief of Security
USS Galileo

+ others

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