Station Post #25. The return

Posted on Sat Apr 27th, 2024 @ 9:58am by Captain Shauna Callaghan & Lieutenant Isabelle Veran-Dallas & Lieutenant JG Ellie Kees-Odak (Veran-Dallas) & Commodore Sureth & Lieutenant Commander Ramvek Williams M.D. & Lieutenant Commander David Wallace & Lieutenant Salem & Lieutenant Hiri & Lieutenant JG Nic Covenant & Lieutenant JG Heidi Stone

Mission: TALES FROM THE MIDDLE STARS
Location: Starbase M69
Timeline: Concurrent

— Previously on Starbase M69 —

David kept looking at the readings, he found something, "The neutrino patterns from the wormhole aren't affected, but what's happened is the mines detonating has saturated local space in a way that the wormhole won't open, there's a massive anti-proton build-up essentially clogging the exit point of the wormhole, so we need to unstop the opening," pausing as he looked up "and find out who sabotaged the deflector arrays." David said coldly.

“A saboteur?” Shauna gave David a worried look. “Okay So our job is two fold, we need to find a way to reopen the wormhole and find a saboteur...”

— And Now —

Lt Salem continued to use the harmonic codes but to no avail as he and Lt Nic Covenant manned their Operations Station posts.

" Commander Wallace Lt Myar reports his team is ready to do an EVA to realign the subspace antenna." Salem reported.

David looked up, "Have them do a full inspection before starting their work and check in on regular intervals." he looked at a reading, the neutrino readings were still strong as if the wormhole was present, they hadn't diminished, changed intensity, but the wormhole had just closed, he inputted some new parameters into a simulation, "The mine detonation has a scattering effect on our efforts, we're going to need to get up close and personal to reopen the wormhole."

David filled the main display with his results, "The deflector has been tampered with, but it appears to be unrelated, there's a scattering effect from the byproduct of the explosive, we might be able to pop open the blockage with some photon torpedos at close range."

“If you’re sure it’ll work Commander” Shauna nodded. “I don’t plan on Starfleet assigning this station over to a new Captain, I’m not ready to give up on our people that easily.”

David kept looking over the calculations, "Six torpedos in a specific firing pattern with specific yield settings fired at near precision locations, with a seventh to trigger the reaction we need, there is a catch." he said then added, "The seventh will have to be fired at almost point blank range."

" Sir won't we have to send a ship to gire that 7th torpedo?" the junior Lieutenant Nic Covenant asked.

"I'm going to pilot a runabout to do it, the seventh torpedo has to detonate at a specific location just inside the event horizon of the wormhole to force it open, this isn't one of those stand back and hope for the best situations." David said as he stood to walk toward the turbolift.

“Commander...” Shauna looked towards David. “Are you sure this will work? I’m not going to lose you as well.”

David turned not sure of context he just smiled, "This won't be the first time I've blown something up." he said as he back stepped into the turbolift.

Exiting one section over from the hangar David moved from a fast walk too a partial run, the runabout was ready and waiting, the remaining deck crew giving a thumbs up as they indicated the small ship was ready, as he took his seat in the cockpit the low hum of the power coming on filled the enclosed area, "Wallace too ops, starting preflight now, I've also loaded the firing program into the computer, it's highly recommended that any areas facing the wormhole be cleared, the flash will be intense and the secondary explosion will likely beat the snot out of the runabout, when I fire the seventh torpedo I'm going to try and angle my flight pattern so at worst the runabout will drift into transporter range."

Shauna nodded. “Take pattern enhancers with you, that way if anything happens we can guarantee getting a lock on you. Ohh and be careful.”

David completed his preflight. He looked at the displays, as the runabout left the bay he pushed the throttles to full he squared his flight path with the wormhole he put the firing pattern up on the heads-up display and looked at the hexagonal pattern, six torpedoes launched. As the runabout slowed he looked around, the neutrino readings that indicated the presence of a wormhole were still there, he looked at the firing plot one final time and adjusted the firing program one final time, he looked at the load out, he had eight torpedos and needed to his seven targets, so there was next to no room for mistakes. "Firing initial volley."

Six torpedos in rapid succession launched along their planned flight path, he started a mental count down as the seventh torpedo launched, the launcher cycled launching the torpedo, David pushed the runabout to it's limits, as the runabout turned to make it's return flight the seventh torpedo vanished followed a massive discharge of light and static electricity, "Starbase this is Wallace the wormhole is open, the shockwave is a few seconds behind me and closing."

Seconds later the shockwave hit the runabout violently rocking it, the control station to David's left exploded in a hail of sparks and plastic "Ops did the ship make it out?"

Shauna looked towards Salem. “Any sign Lieutenant?”

" Scanning debris along that flight path Captain. Transporter pulled him out though. Commander Wallace is safely aboard." Salem replied.

“Thank you Lieutenant, but I was referring to Commodore Sureth and the others. Is there any sign of them?”

Salem scanned again and then smiled, " A beautiful Runabout Ocoee has just exited the opening Captain. Commodore Sureth is hailing us."

Shauna’s smile said it all. “On screen please Lieutenant” she smiled as she greeted Sureth. “It’s good to see you Commodore! It’s good to see all of you!”

=/\= For us too Captain. Was the station damaged when the worm hole closed?=/\= Sureth asked. He then looked at his ravished crew to offer support.

" Is everyone alright? In all this rush I forgot to make sure. Doctor? Isabella? LT Odac?" Sureth asked.

Williams spoke up first "Yes Commodore, thankfully I am fine" then he paused looking over to his crew mates "And you Commodore, Counselor, and Lt. Odac...how are you feeling after all that."

“How am I feeling?” Ellie looked at Williams. “I have absolutely no idea! How do you explain something like that?”

“You don’t, you just try to make sense of it” Isabelle offered a wry smile. “It was crazy, and I don’t know how to explain it either.”

Ramvek smiled "What I meant to say is how are you feeling physically" as he paused "One thing is for sure If I never see that place again it will be too soon" then he gave a light chuckle.

“We’re fine” Ellie offered Ramvek a smile.

“I’m...processing” Isabelle offered a brief smile. “I can’t explain it better than that.”

Flying the Ocoee out of the worm hole Sureth quickly guided it back to the station.
" Starbase M-69 Runabout Ocoee requesting permission to dock?"

“Permission granted Sir!” Shauna responded. “Welcome back!”

At her station Ellie’s fingers absentmindedly ran over her console, almost in a daydream...
* The Prophets are pleased with you Ellie. Your unborn child will serve the role of Emissary well* a voice inside her head promised.

==Sickbay==

A medic was busy trying to scan David as he was attempting to leave, "I'm fine damn it!" he snarled at the medic as he tried to walk away.

Hearing the commotion the Head Nurse walked over to David "Lieutenant, please have a seat and let the medic do his job; obviously you're not fine" Heidi stated sternly looking David right in the eyes.

Dr Hiri over heard his snarl and then joined the commotion.
" Is there a problem Commander?"

David stood up, "I'm fine, I got singed when the console exploded, I feel fine."

Pulling out a hypo sprayer Hiri injected it into his arm which would immediately seize his pain. She then grabbed a dermal regenerator and while purring gently healed each injured area.

" Let me know how that feels Commander and come back for additional treatments if necessary." Hiri purred.

"I will." David said as he exited, he hated doctors, he made his way too his quarters to change uniforms he'd had enough fun for one day.