Lafitte

Posted on Tue Aug 16th, 2016 @ 3:36am by Second Mate Quinton Beck & Master Steward Othor Jaxz Ghost of the Second Star
Edited on on Mon Oct 31st, 2016 @ 3:24am

3,105 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Tenuous Grasp on Destiny
Location: Beta Ro Scrapyard
Timeline: May 10th 0449 2393

-Start-

{Aerowing}

Tasco looked at the star system and charts of the area, a regular pulsing sweep went out over the half light year radius set. Nothing returned of any value, no trace signatures, no signals, no heat even. Cursing this turn of events he kept pouring over the data returned by this small crafts sensors, trying to find them.

He had thought the spatial charges left on the Warp Core would breach containment and seal off the headache of the Second Star, but the lack of massive explosion even hours later confirmed the worst case for Tasco. They were still alive.

As he was scouring the sensor grid a communication was sent, he had been waiting for this, a cry for help in the dark. He marked the ping location, though it was very well disguised and hard to pinpoint. Nonetheless he was armed with a heading, the rest would follow.

The Second Star had advanced deflector grids, with stealth systems if they needed to hide, but this made it easy. He saw the heading was for a gravitic anomaly far outside the system's Oort cloud, an untethered scrapyard adrift in the wastes as best he could make out. He certainly could appreciate the choice, if he had no warp drive, that was a prime spot to hide. Scorched earth so the Dominion didn't just smoothly take over the system.

It was a perfect place for them to hide, possibly even make repairs. The small ship he was in lacked refined sensor tech for the details he needed. He knew they were running two phaser banks still somehow, but by the time he caught up to the Scrapyard and made it to the portion of the yard whre the message was sent...

Nothing.

The message they sent was encrypted, but the recipients were not so well protected. A simple reference search yielded all teh data he needed, though it wasn't helpful. Two D'rak class escorts and their home D'kora Cruiser, due in 12 days. Starfleet also got a hail, though it was two weeks away fro. the nearest star-base given message lag.

That was his window then, he had to get the kill and get out within ten days or so, fuel and resources withstanding. If the Ferengi's defenders got too close they’d track him and overtake him. He would be forced to leave, and that… wasn’t going to happen..

An incoming message came over one panel on his display, an aquatic vista and a mountain silhouette with "Barzan Republic" emblazoned around it.

"Tasco"- I cant hold off your contacts much longer, where are you? Have you covered your traces?”

The message lacked data, and a morphed voice. He may not even have ten days.

He replied in kind to the shadow,
“I have the package, imminent closure. Need ten days.”

“No. Negotiations with stakes pending this data are already in progress. Interception confirmed, close mission and deliver immediately!”

{NXS Second Star: Sensor Suite- Deck 1}

It appeared as though a thorough scavenger had already charted this whole yard, there was largely nothing of value, certainly nothing that could help them. Terrence, Akio, Vollad all sat and watched data come in from the low power sweeps they dared to perform when they could. Optical data was all they could use if they weren’t totally hidden, sensors were detectable.

"Methane!"
Vollad practically shouted, and it startled the hell out of everyone. It had been two long and tense days, the extreme measures they had gone to for hiding had taken its toll. Low power, no emissions, not even heat from the engines. The captain had made a comment about spectographs in jest but that was what Vollad had resorted to.

Akio ran over, he seemed like he never slept, it only became apparent to Vollad as he considered that Akio had been in the room going over scans the last two days straight. His burns from the explosion chafed his work suit so he stood shirtless despite the cold.
"Vollad! Where? Mark it!"

The grid was super imposed by a simple lamp behind translucent projection screen onto the printouts of the Asteroidal topography below. Vollad indicated as best he could by pointing.

"There. Organic deposits, there is something to explore there. Dure may be right about the dampening field, but visual readings show the deposits along that magma tube."

Akio poured over the same data, and after a moment leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief. This was salvation, this was a sign of something under the surface worth hiding. Terrence had come out of hiding, the fear of actually going close to sickbay where Lui was dying had been a solid reason to stay the hell away from the whole front half of the ship. He had been silent and largely unhelpful up to this point.

He brought with him something however, that absolutely redeemed him. Yum-Yum Jum-Jum bars. A whole box of them, easily the tastiest snack ever made. The Bajoran sensation somehow hit the pleasant tastebuds of a thousand species who loved them. They were also a days worth of everything a body needed in a single strip of jellied tack five inches by one.

Vollad grabbed three, handing only one to Akio. for just a moment the crackling of wrappers and sounds of fierce chewing raged as Akio silently worked the data. Without ceremony he suddenly tapped his collar, signalling to the bridge.

=0= Akio to Beck- We have a landing site. Our orbit will carry us over in eighteen minutes, will you be ready by then?

More chewing ensued while they waited, Vollad made rude noises and dribbled as his mouth watered at the rich flavor of both bars in his mouth. He reached for the box to grab more, fully aware of their caloric value when Terrence pulled away and the two briefly chased around a console.

Terrence was ducking behind one console and holding the box in the farthest hand from him.“Vo! Stop! You’ll fart up the cabin as it is- Stop!”

This was all over an open line as Beck replied without comment,
=0= Akio, send it to my helmet display, we're wet testing the diving bell.

{Othor’s Quarters}

In the silence of his quarters, Othor sat in deep meditation with a sort of circlet on his head. It was a slight grey artifact, no larger or or sturdy than a laurel of of olive branches. Within his hands he held a rich milky crystal that was smooth as alabaster and white as ivory. He engraved slight writings upon with a grey instrument not dissimilar from the circlet he wore. He found himself chanting in Bajoran, however, something he had never experienced before. He would have to contemplate how he could suddenly speak a language he had never spoken before but it would have to wait Lui’s story was at risk. The patterns and energies he poured into their carvings came from him in a torrent and he feared to lose the thoughts.

=0= Othor come in. Can you hear me?”
=0= “Ri ah’panyu Bajorai?”

This translated into a confusing statement as Othor basically said “I dont speak Bajoran” but as a question. He had heard of Othor performing a special procedure on Lui to calm her and ease her pain, he wondered if that had affected him. Either way, it was best to let Othor be alone, he had been weird like this many times before around death, it just did something to him. After a few days he came out, same as always.

=0= Get some rest O, we got a long road.

{Airlock}

Beck waited for Dure and Oothor in the workbee, as they maneuvered to the docking latch where both he and Avor held several large bags of their tools. Kas was still with Akio, the two of them doing all they can to keep Lui stable, but there was no replicator or synthesizer for them to make what she needed. Quinton knew she was too far gone at this point, but he held hopes there would be a solution, he knew there was a way out he just had to make it. Vicente had recovered, his vitals improving, and no lasting damage. He needed another course of that drug that Akio kept on about to be back on his feet any time soon, but he would live from this at least.
Avor was staying strong, but their time together had taught Beck to watch for his sullen self, it could get gloomy. It was easy to cheer up Avor, the man smiled quite easily.

"I know you'd probably like Kas to be with us, just think to yourself I'm her and that my antennae and shapely form are hidden by this suit.”
Avor grinned, "Alas, tis the unrequited love for your shapely form twice denied to me now that-”
Beck was fast, also grinning "Thrice, now. Its not personal, don't let it get you down."

Avor laughed, it was deep and rich, making the Captain smile as well as well. It was a good moment for them, a rare private time when Avor dared to be himself. He was loyal to the core to Kas first, and then Dure and family. Kas had needed escape, Dure wanted to go , but Avor was there with her from the moment she declared her intent. In the end her two men followed her, leaving their family and Ina to raise their three kids.

Kas Shar’ zhen was as a family member, Avor Yi O’ thaan and Duren were brothers by proxy and he treasured them deeply as well. He knew they would make it, they just had to work hard, something he knew Dure and Avor could deliver. Even now with things so desperate they worked hard, this mission to the asteroid was just more of the same..

Both men looked to the door as the airlock sounded and the workbee turned impromptu shuttle docked. Cycling open revealed Dure and Terrence inside the cramped and small studio ship. three more seats remained. The four chairs oriented at right angle to one another. Vollad joined Avor and Beck, with a message for Avor.

"Kas is asking for you in sickbay. She said Othor won't be coming, I'm taking his place." He had worry in his eyes, they all realized they were avoiding sickbay when they saw the stricken expression.

Avor began to undress from the spacesuit immediately, her wish his command. Vollad began to dress immediately, the items not touching the ground for the speed of the trasfer. He was wincing as the burns came into contact with stiff canvas material. These were very basic space suits, not meant for anything but the simplest of journeys in soft areas. Mostly a last ditch survivial tool if the ship lost air, something nobody had needed until now.. These had been in storage for a year, and stiff as hell.
Plasma burns didnt simply regenerate, since they continue to burn for so long only grafting becomes suitable. He bore it in silence, Lui and Vicente were dealing with far worse. Lui had slipped into a coma after Oothor had performed some kind of ritual with her, least he could do was deal with simple burns. All four of them were ready, but Vollad was in minor distress.

A novel attempt to rally found Beck talking to Vollad directly, "You're doing great, definitely talking to the the commissioner for a full time billeting, we have work to do, but we will come out on the other side better for it." They entered the workbee, taking their seats and buckling in. From their orientation they could see the horizon of the asteroid, and the gravity it exerted artificially slowly pulling the smallest items to it over time.

It rained ship parts on this rocky place far from anything, and when they heard Akio and Judah coordinating the launch, they all silently took the time to appreciate their beating hearts. The wait ended with a short countdown as they dropped without ceremony or sound, becoming one more piece of jetsam falling to the asteroid.

{Asteroidal Station "Vega Tierre"}

There were no power signatures anywhere inside the tube. For all they could detect it was rock with traces of organic materials far to the interior. after several minutes of exploring dead ends and split tunnels, a peculiar fear began to creep into them Beck felt that sixth sense fall over him that told him he was in danger, kept him in line when he sometimes least expected.

It was Dure who spoke his mind.
“This is a path others have walked.”
There was no need for anyone to comment it was evident. Though evidence was lacking each of them had seen their share of bunkers, tombs, mausoleums, foxholes…

They journeyed through the unremarkable caverns when Beck dared to take a small scan. They saw a simple end to the path, no deviations or signs of a trap door. Walking to it in person only confirmed to the touch what the scans told him. There was nothing here, just a dead end.

“Wait.”
Terrence was wide eyed, he saw through the ruse, and with excitement followed his order up with more.
“So, the color of that end tube isn’t the same as the striations along the path.” they all looked but he didn't wait, “ We walked through it already… sir we are in a holographic projection, that may be a real wall-”

Beck smiled, “but other things around us may not be so real.”

Vollad was on point and began testing items around him. “Holographic projections cannot image properly if they can't fully paint the projection. Use the insulation cloths for the drills, see what loses color when you cover it.”

Dure had already begun sifting the sand through his fingers, “Replicated, the silica structure of the grain is finite, I’ve detected only four thousand roughly different variations of the grain shape.”

Terrence was tapping randomly, but it didn't seem to tell him anything. Vollad was making progress trying to block imaging on anything being projected, only a few hundred rocks and other small items to test in their vicinity. So far all the rocks and sand was detectably fake.

Watching them all try to find the projectors or the true arch made him worry at first, this sort of trap was generally meant to delay intruders and confuse them while help was sent for. He also worried if there were other traps, but as he felt the anxiety roll over him, he also began to let the energy drive him. This was a good energy, this nervous knot in his stomach. It also let his distracted mind work on the problem.

They were in a holographic projection. They likely were on forcefield floors that affected their motion. They couldn't throw rocks because they were part of the same projection and wouldn't “hit” the walls.

They needed to map out the true shape of the room, and where they were standing.

They needed rope.

“Avor get the belay cables from your pack, everyone face Avor, stop moving. Avor, throw one cable to each of us, and hold the other end tight.”

Each did as they were told, the cables thrown and held. Avor was at the center, and Beck spoke again.
“For every step you take, drop or pull rope, depending on your perceived distance to Avor. do not drop it to the floor, just hold it in your other hand. Everyone walk towards Avor.”
Three men walked towards Avor, each pulling the rope with no difficulty and walking towards Avor just fine. They all three pulled all the way to Avor, confusion in their eyes.
Beck explained, “The floors will not let you interact with elements outside the projection. We can map out where the true walls and obstacles are by seeing where we cannot walk. If your rope doesn’t give or take when you move, the floors are moving you.”

Realization dawned and Avor and Dure exchanged a relieved look, tenderness between the two of them apparent despite their earlier argument.

It took only moment of careful motion to find an open space where the rope didn't pull correctly. They explored around it, Terrence getting the idea to pull the rope in long sweeps, and they saw the rope bend around a circular bubble of nothing in the air and then vanish beneath the projection. Vollad used the insulator cloths and sure enough as the projection faded a console was seen just beneath. It was in Yridian, Vollad did as best he could to shroud the projection but it was still only barely visible.

There was one command they could make out, and it was “Unlock Entrance.”

Dure looked to Beck for permission, “Should we?”

Avor and Terrence looked at him as well, Beck tried to think logically but really, what choice was there?

He nodded, pulling up a phase pistol. “Be ready. Do it.”

They all checked their sut integrity lest the room be airlock evacuated, When Dure reached through the projection it resisted slightly and crackled, but he hit the toggle, and they waited. By virtue of where they stood, all facing Vollad and the shimmering console, none of them noticed the projection failing behind them until golden blue light illuminated them

{Yr’zz Temple of Light}

“You must be friends of Yr’zz, how delightful to have company.”
A holo projection greeted them, one of the defunct EMH prototypes, the bald one. It seemed genuinely happy to see anyone. The room had largely stayed the same, through now a faint hologrid patterns was evident on the floors and walls, and the control console was no longer disguised. There was now a window where once was a smooth obsidian wall. The other side of the window revealed a cavern more vast than the eye could see.

It also revealed more, though the treasures of a lifetime lay perfectly still in the zero gravity, a larger unthinkable prize lay before them as well. Tattered and hulled, scarred and pitted, they gazed in wonder at the unthinkable majesty and depth of character. Despite the years, the wars, the countless times brought back from the brink, they were now party to the culmination of a lifetime's work. They stared in wonder, lost in awe.

Despite how impossible it was, despite the fact there was no reason to believe their eyes, there was an Excelsior class starship inside this asteroid.

-End-

Quinton Beck

Othor Jaxz

Fala Gaz

 

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