Status Report (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 07 May 2024 @ 5:55pm by Commander Scarlet Blake & Commander Morgan Tarin & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lamar Darius & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexion Wylde & Petty Officer 1st Class Ember Locksley & Petty Officer 3rd Class Constantin Vansen & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant JG Rafe Caradec & Lieutenant JG Serran & Ensign Amanda Turell & Petty Officer 2nd Class Donald Andrews & Master Chief Petty Officer Toren Vral
Edited on on 07 May 2024 @ 6:07pm

2,976 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 19 - Tomorrow's Galileo
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 1, Bridge
Timeline: MD 03, 2254 hrs

Previously, on The Battle of Sector 189 (Part 5)...

=^= Blake to bridge, I take it we're clear to return? =^= Scarlet's voice was strained with the effort of clambering back onto her feet, from where she'd been thrown to the floor down on deck 4. She looked across to Turell, who was in a similar state, while she tested out the movement in her body.

Squinting at the viewscreen in an attempt to eliminate her blurry vision, Tarin recalled the recent events of the battle then simply replied, "Yes, Number One. Your torpedo configurations were successful and," she exhaled a tired breath, "we're in the clear."

Scarlet let out a long, tight breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, looking across to Turell with an expression that said 'see, no sweat', but with a healthy dose of sarcasm laced with the silent comment. =^= Great work...we'll make our way back, let us know if you need us anywhere else. =^=

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

"Medical team to the bridge," had been Commander Morgan Tarin's last call over the ship-wide comm channel before she woozily leaned her head back against her chair's headrest and momentarily closed her eyes. A tranquil breath escaped her nostrils while she silently thanked whatever deity existed that she and her crew had managed to survive this encounter. Not just intact as a starship, but also alive as a crew. Except for Hollenday...who'd been reported KIA aboard the Galileo-B.

The red-collared captain wanted to open her eyes to look back out through the main viewscreen and deal with the post-battle situation reports but she felt more comfortable with her eyelids closed. Perhaps it was the surge of adrenaline still coursing through her veins, but her body felt numb and she didn't register her uniform top which was quickly dampening from the droplets of blood methodically dripping from the dark curly hair adorning her left temple. She inhaled then exhaled again, feeling discombobulated yet strangely serene as her thoughts began to fade into obscurity.

Serran had been tossed against the console. He wasn't exactly unscathed, but he knew he was better off than some of the other crew. He winced slightly as he pushed away from his station. Two, maybe three ribs were cracked, one of them may have been broken.

He pushed through the pain and crossed the bridge to where the Captain was standing, or more accurately leaning.

Taking her by the arm, he helped her into a sitting position. "You've got a nasty gash there," he said, "and you might have a concussion."

"What are your symptoms?"

Symptoms? Tarin listened to a distinctive yet familiar Vulcan voice addressing her before becoming slightly annoyed at the question. "You tell me, Mister Serran. How do I look?" Self-diagnosis was way beyond anything she was currently capable of and her response was devoid of sarcasm.

"If I were human, I would say you look like shit," the operations manager deadpanned.

"You have a very concerning goose egg on your head. Without a tricorder, it's difficult to ascertain the extent of your injuries. But I would safely say that you have a concussion. Possibly a skull fracture. You're going to need to sit down, or at least limit your movements."

A rare smirk tugged at the corner of the Tarin's lips. She probably did look terrible, but she could push through it for another hour until she finished administrating Galileo's current operational status. "I'm not going anywhere right now. I promise." For better or worse.

It took a couple of different routes to get from engineering to the bridge, with a stop for a medical kit in the sick bay. Allyndra had called on anyone with any medical who was not overly injured to report. Since the holodecks had gone offline, that meant triaging in the corridor.

She had collared Wylde, and the two headed for the bridge. Stepping onto the ship's control center was a sight. She made her way over, swiping at her bleeding nose. "All right, captain, let's take a look. I only hit a wall. You look like you wrestled with the wall and lost." She tried to put some humor into the situation to relieve the tension as she started a quick scan to see if it was safe enough to give an analgesic and or sedative.

"Captain along with your other injuries, you have a concussion. I can't give you anything. Come on," Allyndra snapped her fingers. "Stay awake, please. I can give you something for the pain. Can you hear me?"

Tarin registered the familiar voice of the winged doctor and unpleasant snapping then opened one eye to look at Warraquim. She just wanted to rest for a few moments and not be interrogated. Was that too much to ask? She would be fine... fine. "Yes I can hear you," she quietly replied before closing her one eye again. "I'm not in pain. Tend to the others first," was her directive.

"Are we going to have an argument on the bridge again, captain? Sorry, but you're now in my realm. You close your eyes, and we might not get you awake ever again. We've lost enough. Now then, let's take a look at that temple." Allyndra gently moved Tarin's head so that she could work on staunching the blood. She knew damn well that there were plenty of injured, but the concussion and indications of brain swelling were immediate. "As soon as I can stabilize you, captain, I promise to get to everyone else." She got the bleeding stopped but the swelling was the most concerning to her. She turned to Serran. "Get Tarin to sickbay, high priority site to site. If she resists, pick her up and carry her."

"Yes, ma'am," Serran replied to the doctor.

"You heard her," he continued, this time to Tarin. "You need to get off the bridge."

The forsaken words 'off the bridge' snapped the captain from her tranquil place of peace and back to the present reality. She opened her eyelids again then squinted in an attempt to compensate for the blurriness in her vision. She suddenly felt nauseous but kept her gaze focused on the calming star field projected through the bridge's large holographic viewscreen. "Denied. Tend to the others first, Mister Sera." Two Vulcans, one name. She didn't register that she'd just confused him with the chief engineer. "That's an order."

There was the briefest of pauses before the operations officer responded. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I can't obey that order. At this point, you're not thinking clearly. You're dealing with neurological issues and your self-denial is evidence of how severe they may be."

"For your safety and the safety of the ship you are leaving the bridge."

The safety of the ship? Neura..cologicalal...issues? Absurd. Tarin studied him again through bloodshot eyes then frowned after a brief professional inspection of his appearance alerted her to a most alarming form of deception. "You're not Vulcan...they don't possess blond hair or blue eyes," her compromised primal instincts deduced. "Security, escort this Romulan spy off my bridge...and to the brig," she closed her eyes then rubbed her sore and swollen temple,
"immediately...!"

Serran's left brow rose above his hairline. He hadn't expected this from his commanding officer, yet given her condition, he shouldn't have been too surprised.

There was one way he could both diffuse the situation and prove he was Vulcan at the same time. He just hoped it wouldn't make things worse.

He leaned closer and applied a Vulcan nerve pinch to her shoulder.

Tarin reached up to try and swat the imposter's hand away but she was too slow. Her upper torso briefly stiffened when her primary nerves became compressed, then her eyes suddenly closed while her head and torso drooped forward. She was now unconscious.

Serran caught her before she fell to the floor. Then he picked her up and carried her to the Galileo sickbay.

"Who needs assistance!" Wylde called across the bridge, his voice carrying over the din of murmurs, crackling consoles, and complaining systems. Somehow, his voice already managed to hold a note of exasperation. He knew the strain on their tiny Sickbay was going to be problematic, and he didn't relish the chaos that was about to ensue. Well, not that he would ever admit anyway.

Bringing the ship to a full stop, Rafe waved Chief Wylde over while keeping his head back, unsuccessfully trying to stem the flow of blood from his nose, and barely able to see out of his left eye.

"Let's take a look," Wylde moved to his side, lowering himself onto his knee rather than loom over him. Undeterred by the blood, he carefully felt down the man's clearly traumatised cheekbone, his other hand sweeping the medical tricorder close. "Okay, sit tight for a minute," he pressed a tricorder to his neck for pain relief before urging him slowly to tilt his head forward rather than back to avoid the risk of choking. The regenerator took care of soft tissue damage, slowing the bleeding up, but it was all he could do with his medkit. "We need to get you to Sickbay, to get an osteo-regenerator on those orbital fractures and breaks."

"No problem, Chief. Thanks for the meds.", Rafe said. He tapped the badge on his chest, "Caradec to Darius, I need you on the bridge immediately for relief." He waited only a couple minutes and CWO3 Darius relieved him as ordered. "Thank you, Lamar.", Rafe said. "I'll be in sickbay if you need me."

It didn't take long for the dark-skinned conn officer to reach the bridge from where he'd been stationed in the main shuttlebay following the comm request. When he finally arrived and stepped onto the bridge, he realized Galileo's bridge crew had taken a hearty beating. Doctors Warraquim and Wylde were tending to several injured crew members, including his direct supervisor, and the captain was absent. Blood was dripping down Caradec's face and a multitude of wet, crimson spots on the nearby carpeting revealed he probably hadn't been the only one.

"You look worse than I ever did after fighting the Jem'Hadar," he teased the lieutenant before giving the slightly taller man a light slap on his upper forearm. "I'll tell you about that another time."

Rafe managed a slight grin for the chief. "I bet I do Lamar, I bet I do. Thanks for getting up here so quickly. We're at full stop. Navigation is good, just make sure to check the impulse drive to verify it is ready for anything." As Rafe moved away he couldn't help but be thankful for a great ship and such a great crew.

Toren leaned heavily against his station, unable to muster a word. His breathing was heavy, but not much air was making it inside. He thought he was drooling. Unbecoming of a man of his experience. But a wipe of his mouth onto this arm revealed a streak of icy blue blood. His vision began to blur and he slowly slid to the floor.

Allyndra moved on after the captain had been taken care of. She moved toward Torren. She could hear the raspyness of his breathing. As he started to slide, she hurried and caught him. "Last thing we need is for you to bang your head," she quipped smiling. That hurt but she didn't show it. She didn't even need to use a scanner, the blood and heavy breathing told her all she needed. She fetched an oxygenator out and placed it in his mouth. "This will get more oxygen into your system. I will get you stabilized but you sir are going to be transported out to sickbay. Nod, if you understand."

Toren could not respond. He leaned into her heavily, his consciousness ebbing. After a few laboured breaths, he managed to shift his eyes to the Akkadian's, giving a slow nod before coughing up more electric blue blood.

She finished her scan. "Broken ribs, punctured lung." She had limited resources here but she stripped off her outer tunic and then wrapped it tightly around. "This is to stabilize things for the moment and prevent further problems."

She touched her comm, "Site-to-site transport for one. Punctured lung and broken ribs. Need immediate osteo regeneration. Blood loss also. You'll need to check for aspiration into other lung." She touched him gently. "You'll be fine."

"Acknowledged," Locksley's voice sounded over the comm, only a few moments before the telltale shimmer appeared around the patient.

The doors to the bridge opened and Blake finally stepped back onto the bridge with Turell in tow. She clearly hadn't been unaffected by the turbulence herself, but one glance around gave her a pretty solid picture of how the bridge had fared. And most notably, the Captain was not on the bridge. "Status reports!" she called out as she made her way to her seat. Not only did she need to get a handle on the situation, but it would also tell her which stations needed staffing.

At the lone forward helm station, Darius finished wiping the final droplets of Caradec's blood from the large LCARS console with his uniform jacket's forearm then began a prudent assessment of Galileo's current spatial situation. "We're at full stop, commander. Holding position approximately..." he double-checked the navigational system's readings, "54 million kilometers from the Galileo-B. No other contacts on short or long-range sensors. Impulse propulsion is online and available; warp power is..." This can't be right. He paused for several seconds to verify the status of the starship's propulsion systems as his fingers danced across the console, then turned back to look at Blake with a healthy dose of confusion present in his dark brown eyes. "Commander, the warp core's gone. System logs show a manual ejection sequence initiated and completed in main engineering approximately four minutes ago. We're...stuck at impulse power."

Blake stared back at Darius with equal astonishment at the bombshell. They were dead in the water? How long had she been gone from the bridge? Her jaw tightened and she hit her commbadge. “Bridge to Engineering…we’re reading that you ejected the warp core…” She wasn’t so much seeking confirmation as answers.

"Yes Sir I did, command authorization from Commander Warraquim." Donald's voice came over the comm system, it was evident he had been running around frantically.

Allyndra looked up as she caught what was being said. "Yes, we did. It was under the command of Commander Tarin, so we could ride the shockwave away from the quantum blackhole the Romulans used when that was exposed."

Blake met Allyndra's eyes with an unusual amount of surprise on her features, taking the troubling news in. If ever they really were up the creek with no paddle... "Engineering, any other bad news?" she asked, praying to a god she didn't believe in that the answer was somewhere between 'mediocre' and 'been better'.

"I'm still checking a couple of systems but all things considered we're in good shape," Donald said but quickly began to add a more thorough report. "Primary systems are online but we're running only on our fusion reactors so don't tax them too hard. I've not made a full scan of the hull yet but there's a few microfractures, mostly in the aft area. I could use an extra hand here if you can spare anyone."

"I'm sending Vansen down to you," Blake assured before closing the comm, motioning to the somewhat dazed looking Operations petty officer to get moving.

Vansen blinked, still reeling a bit from what had happened. He gave a nod to acknowledge the order, a slight frown coming to him as his jaw tightened. He left his station and headed to the turbolift. At least he knew his way enough to be useful to Donald.

Allyndra continued to move across the bridge, but she was fairly certain the worse injured had been sent off. She turned to Blake. "Commander, I should probably head to sickbay. Thus, I request permission to leave the bridge."

Blake nodded firmly to Allyndra, bringing her screen to life to scroll through any reports coming in from across the ship. "Granted. Send me a casualty report as soon as you can," she added, needing to know just how understaffed they truly were for the moment.

Allyndra hated to use precious resources but the faster she was to sickbay the better with the injured they had. "Computer site to site, me to sickbay." There was a shimmer and she vanished off the bridge.

Amanda quickly moved to the tactical station, it had taken a beating but was still active. "Dorsal aft phaser array's are down, rest are intact, shields are still available but running on limited power. No sign of the remaining Romulan vessel."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

CWO3 Alexion Wylde
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

PO1 Ember Locksley
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

PO3 Constantin Vansen
Operations Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

CWO3 Lamar Darius
Conn Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Tarin]

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lt. JG Rafe Caradec
Senior Conn Officer
USS Galileo-A

Ensign Amanda Turell
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

PO3 Donald Andrews
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

MCPO Toren Vral
Chief of the Boat
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vala]

CMDR Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Serran
Operations Officer
USS Galileo-A

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