Fanfiction: Starship Elyssa MS AU Episode 3 part 1
Starship Elyssa
Episode 3 - The Flood
With her feet propped up on the table, big large boots, long thin pale legs, Dana Hood pulled out her last cigarette and lit it between her lips. A whisper of smoke floated into the air, and when it cleared, a green Orion woman was giving her a mischievous look.
“It’s against protocol to smoke on the ship,” informed Alyssa Blair, the Orion. The woman with dark curly hair smoking the cigarette gave a woeful sigh, but continued her habit.
“I know, I know,” Hood said before inhaling again.
“I could have you court martialed,” Blair warned her, now serious. Hood stopped as they both looked at each other with anger at first, then they both cracked up laughing.
“But seriously, you need to watch out,” Blair warned her again. Hood grinned with the cigarette between her lips and nodded in agreement.
Woosh.
In walked Teixiera with a bag full of yarn and needles.
“Morning,” she stated. Teixiera plopped into the seat next to Hood and began pulling out her knitting. “Oh god, Dana, you know this is no-smoking right?”
“The whole ship is goddamn non-smoking, where am I supposed to smoke, in space?” asked Hood.
“David Bowie did it in space,” offered Texiera. “And if you don’t quit now, I’m about to shoot you into space.”
“Very well,” said Hood as she snubbed his cigarette out. “I’ll just have to smoke Astroturf.”
“Whatcha making now?” asked Blair, leaving over Hood to get an eyeful. Teixiera gave her growing product some observation before clarifying.
“Er, I think a hat, But I’m not entirely sure, yet. I’ll let you know when I’m done,” explained Teixiera. Blair smiled and looked up when a tall man joined them. He came in, hands tucked behind his back, his curly hair combed to be orderly, but not quite obedient. He immediately took a seat at the far end from the girls. They all but Teixiera looked at him. He stared at them, his hands now together on the table in front of him.
“Hello,” he simply greeted quite monotone.
“Hey Eli,” they said in unison. Another woosh, and shortly they were joined by CMO Leonard, Lt. Cannito, and Physics Officer Konei. Cannito and Leonard were talking casually accompanied by attentive short responses from Konei. They filled in a few of the last remaining spots.
“Anyone noticed the replicator stopped making chicken biscuits?” asked a man as soon as he entered. He was holding a biscuit in one hand and a cup of what was presumable coffee in the other. The man with the curly dirty blonde hair and an annoyed look on his face moved to sit down next to Eli over at the far end, still chewing.
“Hey, Johnathon,” greeted Blair. He gave a short wave.
“Hey.”
And last but not least, in came Captain Catherine “Roads” Watson of the Starship Elyssa.
As soon as she came in, the whole air in the room changed from jovial to nauseous. Dark circles were around her eyes, bloodshot. Her nose was red as if having suffered a night of constant dripping and her hair was not the least bit contained as it usually was. In general, she looked like shit. This was not a pleasant way to start a crew meeting.
“Hey guys.”
It must’ve been a bad fight, thought Blair as she watched Roads sigh and slump into her chair at the head. She tapped some things on her PADD.
“Start off with saying this is a case of up most importance. We are due for a pick up over in the Vega system. Starfleet has ordered us to transport and protect the item known as MERCY.”
“What does it do?” asked Teixiera. Roads silently opened files on her PADD.
“MERCY, classified information. It appears not even we are allowed to know its purpose. Anyway, we are moving it from the Edorian planet in the Vega system to the Titan system, Planet Kjht’la, Starfleet Station X466. There are three stages to this mission. First stage: Relations and retrieval. Second stage: Transport. Third stage: Deliverance. It should be a pretty uneventful mission, but as stated earlier, it is still a case regarded as A-list, and by some Admiral Pike-like miracle, we got it. We can’t fuck this up. Hood. You, two others, and I will go over to securely transport the device on to the ship. As soon as we know the size and mass of the item, we‘ll secure a storage compartment for its keeping. The rest of you? Man your stations well, and I’ll see you all in an hour. Sorry to make this such a short visit.”
With that, most of them stood up and left to go bout their routine while Roads sat there for a moment, going over documents. She felt an hand rub her back gently.
“Catherine? Everything okay?” asked Cannito. Catherine sighed and buried her face in her hands. She did not feel the eyes of Leonard and Blair on her.
“Roads?” They bother started in unison, and Catherine gave a weak smile behind her hands.
“I’m alright guys. I just has a rough night,” she explained.
“Is it that douche, Jack, again?” asked Blair, turning around to sit on the table. Catherine bit her lip, and seemed to be choking back something before she swallowed and nodded.
“Yeah, uh, Yeah, um, just, he just uh,” Roads swallowed again and gained some vocal control. “You know, I don’t even know. He’s just not the same anymore. He keeps being like a real asshole. I feel nothing I do can change the fact that none of his friends approve of me, not even his parents. I don’t know what’s with him but he just doesn’t care anymore. Like I thought the whole ‘man’ situation was weird, but it’s been happening before that….”
Roads broke off. She stopped, then leaned back in the chair and breathed.
“Oh god.”
“What is it?” asked Leonard, quietly.
“I don’t know,” she sighed.
Blair furrowed her brows and folded her arms, glaring at nothing. “His friends are fucking dumb-asses, and they’re on-world anyway. His parents? Fuck ’em. They’re always going to disapprove unless you’re wealthy, white, and earthbound having twelve of his babies.”
Roads chuckled. “Yeah! You’re right.”
Blair and the rest of them smiled.
“Catch some sleep,” ordered Leonard.
“But I have-”
“That’s doctor’s orders, Captain,” restated Leonard with a finger in her face. Blair patted Roads on the shoulder.
“Yeah, I’ll cover for you for an hour. That leaves you two hours nap time,” she encouraged. “You know my combination. You can sleep on my couch.”
“Oh my God, Blair. Best First Officer in the fleet! I have the best fucking crew…” sighed Roads with relief this time instead of worry. The sound was comforting to the other women.
With her red hair pulled back in a loose hold, the green woman began going through the motions of Road’s work. It was not so much troublesome, along with her own work on her plate, but after the first hour it was not so difficult. Because the crew was so good at their respective professions, the Captain was not left much to attend to. Blair was working on a few aptitude tests when Roads came playfully strutting onto the bridge, yawning and nursing a cup of coffee.
“Heeeeeeey,” she smiled in Blair’s direction. She leaned her butt against the console next to Blair. She looked up and smile.
“Feeling better?” she asked. Roads shrugged, her smiled fading a little.
“Maybe? Sort of,” muttered Roads quietly. Blair gave her a sympathetic look.
“I know. Well, we arrived early. We’ve just gotten the go ahead from the Ishitos to land and greet us. We have a team assembled to go, and Teixiera is ready at the beaming station,” explained Blair.
The beam down there was effortless and easy. Hood had two men ready for the beam down, and when five disappeared on the pad, they reappeared on the cold metal floor of the cargo bay of the Vega Edorian planet. Immediately the people known as the Ishitos greeted Roads and her small landing party.
“Captain, it is a pleasure to meet you,” greeted the first Ishito of the two most finely dressed. They both did a special bow which was equally returned by Blair and Roads. They smiled, but Blair quickly whispered to Roads that smiling at a meeting was a sign of disrespect and instantly it fell before the ambassadors could react.
“Ambassador Jisho, Ambassador Keisho, it is an honor to meet you,” said a stone cold Roads. The monotone look was returned by the Ishitos. She continued, “My name is Catherine J. Watson, and this is my First Officer, Alyssa Blair, and my head of Security, Dana Hood. We have been sent by Starfleet command to see that your project reaches it’s destination.”
“Excellent, this way please,” said Ambassador Keisho. They led the party past the workers toward a long hallway of glass, chrome, and cold metal. On their way, Blair watched the worker ants tirelessly continue their productivity. Ambassador Jisho’s voice spoke in their quiet march.
“It is very rare we get visitors here. I must implore you to stay for recreational consumption,” asked Ambassador Jisho.
“We accept. But first we must procure the item in question,” answered Roads.
“Business before pleasure,” finished Blair.
“Of course,” affirmed the other ambassador, the entered a lift, and when he Ambassador raised his hand, a light quickly formed around it and the lift soon shot downward abruptly. Their whole bodies lifted in the air for a split second, and as the lift slowed they landed on their soles with a sudden sound. The landing party faltered as they landed, not falling down, but almost. Roads was pretty sure the ambassadors were amused by their reaction, but they failed to show it. Protocol, she supposed.
“This way please,” repeated Ambassador Keisho. Not much later, did they find themselves in a well lit, hospital clean laboratory, surrounded by pipes, computers and gadgetry. They found a humanoid in white overlooking results when they entered. He looked up and licked his lips.
“Oh they’re here already. Well done,” he said in a brititsh accent. Then he looked them over and gave a bit protest. “I don’t mean to sound sexist, but only two of you are male. According to what I’ve studied of your species, they most strong of you are undoubtly male is that correct?”
Captain Roads opened her mouth about to say something incredibly harsh, when Blair stopped her hand with hers and the Ambassador’s spoke.
“This is the engineer who created MERCY, Doctor Waili of the Himalas. He will be instructing you of the caretaking of the object,” explained Ambassador Jisho. The Engineer Waili took no regard of how they spoke of him but turned rather to the large cold fridge behind him. Jisho finished. “Now Captain that I have shown your men the location of MERCY, we can resume our plans for tea, yes?”
Roads looked at him with a sense of curiosity, as she looked back to the engineers workings.
“Well, yes, I suppose, but I’d much rather watch and make sure the transaction takes place fluidly-”
“Of course, we insist.” The Ambassadors gave the Captain and her First Officer a serious expression which confirmed their insistence. Roads turned to the Orion woman with her hands entangling behind her back nervously as she rose her eyebrows in surprise. Roads turned to Hood.
“Hood, make sure it gets on the ship safely. Report back to me in an hour,” stated Roads. Hood nodded, and soon the women left behind the alien ambassadors.
The skinny girl with dark curly hair turned back to see the Engineer Waili hard at work. He had began entering combinations, turning a few levers, and adjusting levels. He began his instruction.
“Well, I trust that Starfleet has sent it’s finest warriors,” interjected Waili.
“Why would Starfleet need to send warriors?” asked a confuse Hood as she folded her arms over her chest. Waili looked at her and then shook his head as he turned back around and began turning the valve again, a heavy task it seemed.
“MERCY is a temperature sensitive device. It must stay at 12 degrees Kelvin. Any temperature below or above is unsafe and could potentially destroy MERCY. Even at that tempertaure, I’ve only been able to prepare it to last for 72 hours, and only 72 hours, any time after that and you’re on your own. We’ve prepared a mobile refridgerating unit to transport it aboard,” instructed Waili.
Hood’s intuition was calling, and the phone was going off the hook. If she could bother to pick it up, she would’ve left the item where it sat in the bottom floor on the lonely Endorian planet. But because Road’s voice was ringing in her ears, “It is still a case regarded as A-list, and by some Admiral Pike-like miracle, we got it. We can’t fuck this up,” Dana put the call on hold and helped her men transport the device in its proper care on a over cart toward the ship. While they were pushing, Hood walked alongside her men.
“If this device is so hard to transport, why are we risking it?” asked one of the men. Hood raised a brow in interest. Then after a moment or two of thought, Hood spoke.
“We’re a species known for our suicidal tendencies.”
_+_+_
Tea was not delicious, but certainly unique, and it was the first thing Roads had learned about diplomacy which was to pretend everything tasted tolerably. Blair had to constantly remind her not to lie but to not show your distaste to the full extent. Vomitting, for instance, would be against the rules of diplomacy, but swallowing hard and admitting it was unusual to your taste buds would be within the lines of protocol. In the end, the meeting was successful, and Roads and Blair found themselves talking on the way to be beamed up.
“I don’t know about that whole trilobite cake bit-”
“Yeah, I was pretty sure our translators were fucking up around that part…”
As they posed to be beamed up with the assistance of another Ishito, they reappeared with all the color and lights of the technology. Funny thing, being beamed. Your vision blurs into the same colors that transport you, then blurs again forming the shapes and focusing into a clear picture. When Roads’s vision cleared, she hoped the colors were still bluring, but as it became more focused, she recognized the face at the controls.
Jack.
It was known on the Starship Elyssa that Roads had a turbulent relationship with Jack Habenicht, one of the Ship’s Engineers. He often worked with the beaming technology and remained second in command of the Chief Engineer Teixiera. They were in a constant cycle of love, hate, heat, cold heartbreak, and eventual reunion. The cycle was commonly known to the crew, so no one had doubts that they’d get back together as soon as they would break up.
“Hey,” spoke the young man with light brown hair in a short pony tail. He had cold blue eyes, was thin and lanky, and was as tall if not an inch taller than Roads. He watched her march down from the beaming pad like a man marching down the steps from his trial. She passed Jack as silent as the grave, with Blair close behind, glaring at him all the way.
Roads gave a weak “hey” as she attempted to walk by, but Jack stopped her with his limp chatter.
“How was the meeting?” he asked quietly. Blair stopped when Roads stopped. Roads didn’t look Jack in the eye as she uncomfortable switched her weigh from one foot to the other.
“Um, okay,” she admitted. “You probably wouldn’t have liked it.”
Roads attempted to continue on her way but he stopped her again this time with his hand on her shoulder. Blair flinched their way, but Roads gave her a look to move on. So she did, but with concern in every step away from them. She looked out of the corner of her eye to see Jack quietly talking to her, both their heads hung. She sighed heavily, a weight heavy in her stomach as she got on the lift toward the bridge.
When Roads reappeared on the bridge, she looked a ton better. She was smiling, not strongly but contently. Her eyes seemed red, but hopeful. She smiled at Hood who was waiting for her.
“Status Report,” ordered Roads.
“Successfully stored in the cargo bay in a refrigerating unit. I’ve placed two guards to watch with a cycle of another two. It’s advised that we get it to the Titan System within 72 hours,” Hood stated with concern in her eyes, but not toward the subject she was speaking about. Roads nodded, feeling her worry but choosing not to comment.
“Then let’s get going. McQuarrie set coordinates for Planet Kjht’lan in the Titan System. Kissel, prepare for departure,” ordered Roads as she stepped down to take her seat in the center.
“Aye Aye Captain,” said the two men at the helm in unison. Hood followed Roads to the chair and crouched down to her, bending her knees. She leaned forward on her forearms on the arm.
“Catherine, is everything alright?” asked Hood. Roads gave her a calm smile.
“Yeah, everything’s okay,” she said.
“You’d let me know if something was wrong?” asked Hood. Road’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I’d let you know,” she lied poorly. Hood suddenly turned angry.
“Permission to hug you, Captain.”
“Permission granted.”
Hood stood up and gave Roads a strong hug that nearly crushed her head. This didn’t surprise the bridge so much as made them aware something was going on and that’d they’d all be gossiping about it in the cafeteria sooner or later. When Hood released her, Roads smile broadened into a genuine grin, and Dana returned it with a serious look.
“I’ll be in the gym if you need me,” she told her. Roads nodded, trying to hold down her smile as she turned to Hassenmuller who had a PADD ready for her to look over.
“Yeoman,” said Roads, comfortably as she took the PADD.
“Captain. Dr. Leonard sent me to tell you, and I quote,” Robert Hassenmuller began, with his brown curly hair and leaning back into a Leonard stance with his finger in the Captain’s face, “‘she better be fucking eating this time or she’s gonna get the funnel.’”
Roads stared at him with the most frightened look Hassenmuller had seen yet.
“But.. What?” she asked with a perfect blend of confusion and fear.
“Look, that’s what she told me, so in an hour, I’ll be bringing you a salad or something from the replicator,” answered Hassenmuller.
“Oh sweet baby G.”
“Well, that’s what you get.”
_+_+_
PADD MESSAGES
TEXIERA(16:33:12): Hey. Jack just tried to neautrilize one of the dillithium crystals. What happened?
ROADS(16:41:23): What? What does that even mean?
TEXIERA(16:42:09): Woman, answer the question.
ROADS(16:44:11): …We made up. We’re back together again. I’m relieved.
TEXIERA(16:58:01): I knew you’d guys patch up. However, Habenicht seems to be out of it.
ROADS(17:01:55): I don’t know what to tell you. He seemed okay when I asked him to try again… he seemed resistant tho. But I’m not sure where it comes from, maybe not wanting to hurt me again or something. I’m not sure. I’m not sure at all. I do know that I love him.
TEXIERA(17:05:53): He loves you, too, right?
ROADS(17:09:30): He says I love you back to me. It’s just lately, I don’t know, he seems irritable. He comes back from every message from home bitchin like nobody’s business about what everyone is talking about.
TEXIERA(17:13:00): People talk shit all the time.
ROADS(17:14:17): Jack says there’s rumors at the academy about how “hard I studied“ really to get into my classes. They’re saying that Pike only promoted me because I laid him or something! Can you fucking believe that?
TEXIERA(17:16:51): It could not be.
ROADS(17:17:02): You type incredibly slow.
TEXIERA(17:18:33): A minute later is not slow. Look, at least you only slept with one dude, and that’s Jack. You remember that one dude who slept with half the freshman class?
ROADS(17:20:39): Oh yeah. Also people are rumoring that I’m a huge bitch.
TEXIERA(17:21:44): His friends are always going to have his side. As for the school? Fuck ‘em. Jealousy drives people crazy.
ROADS(17:23:28): I know I know but honestly? I kinda figured his friends was better than this. I mean when I tell you stuff, do you guys go blab? Shit.
TEXIERA(17:24:51): They just ain‘t got no balls, okay? Nothin but chatty cathys.
ROADS(17:25:02): I know.
TEXIERA(17:26:59): Then don’t worry about it.
ROADS(17:27:30): I’ll try.
ROADS(21:58:45): …wish I knew which side he’s on.
_+_+_
“Wouldn’t you miss this?”
Soft lips pressed against his ear as a hand slid across his collarbone. She breathed on his neck as his hands circled her waist holding her close. He buried his face in her naked shoulder.
“Probably.”
Her hands found their way, buried in his hair as she pulled his face back to look down into his eyes.
“Then why do you always want to leave?”
Her question made him hold her tighter, squeezing her to him like a pillow of embarrassment and shame. Her finger tips traced his long eye brows and down his cheek bone. Her lips pressed against his forehead again and again, making small kisses.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I don’t know.”
She furrowed her brows as if she was in pain, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him to her as she breathed in his scent from his hair.
“Why don’t you know?” she muffled, but he could hear it. He responded by pushing her off him on to her back on the mattress and proceeded to make lover to her again. It was a slow, painful kind of love, harsh like the wait before a test score, beautiful like the first glimpse of sun after a week of rain. Beautiful, but harsh.
The next morning, she was gone. She left a voicemail saying she was needed on the bridge immediately.
_+_+_
It was midnight when Cannito picked up the signal. Although the line between morning and night didn’t really exist in space, a late night felt like a late night no matter whether the stars were out or not. Cannito had gotten up for the late night shift. She was nursing a cup of coffee when the distress signal came. She almost spittake all of her hot coffee over the computer screen.
“Commander!” Cannito yelped from her post. Blair turned to her from the chair abruptly.
“I’m receiving a distress signal. A ship has been stranded. They claim they’re just a private ship, of Andalasian descent,” she explained.
“The ship is minuscule. It couldn’t be much bigger than a shuttle,” reported the science officer in the place of Konei.
“Hail them immediately, put them on the screen!” ordered Blair in Road’s absence.
“Commander, I can’t get a visual, but I can get sound,” reported Cannito.
Immediately, static came in.
“S.O.S.,” a desperate, tired female voice cried out. “This is Morgan Fatima. Our ship was attacked. We jettison in an effort to escape. We are stranded. No power, and we’re running low on supplies. There are 14 of us. Please assist us. Any assistance at all would be welcome,” she exclaimed. Blair nodded.
“This is Commander Blair of the Starship Elyssa. We’ll lock tractor beams onto your ship and have your ship tended to immediately,” ordered Blair. She cut communication, then turned to Cannito.
“Alert Medical to be ready to receive survivors.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Blair hit a few buttons on Road’s chair. “Roads.”
A groggy reply. “Hey, what’s up.”
“You’re needed on the bridge. We have are rescue situation.”
“…on my way.”
_+_+_
Roads was sleepy, but on the bridge within the next fifteen minutes, tired, but awake. She arrived on the bridge only to have to turn around and head to medbay. The medical bay was crowded, with several nurses, Leonard, and Jacobs tending to the patients. Roads weaved through the traffic and was directed by one of the nurses to the one who reported the S.O.S.. She came face to face with a bruised young woman, Earthian in appearance.
“I am Captain Catherine Watson of this ship. I know this is a lot to ask of you, so please forgive me. I need you to fill me in as much detail as possible about what happened here,” explained Roads as she pulled up a seat to where Jacobs was wrapping the patient with a bandage. The young woman had holes in her ears like there were once round earings in them. She had long brownish red hair and pale skin with freckles. She looked like she had been through a bar fight, with the exception that she had never come and contact with a bottle. A large bruise around her left eye, bruises along her fore arms and a bloody lip. No cuts, but a few minor burns on her right arm.
“We were just a civilian ship. It was a cruise. We were just touring Hilac when they came out of nowhere. I was having dinner with a friend, and a whole lot of them just came into the ballroom shooting up everything… God, I don’t even know. It was just….” the woman swallowed hard, struggling with words, her eyes darting all along the ground. “Explosions and fire… one of them came at me, but I managed to get away. One of the crew found us, and escorted us to the escape pods. We were so crammed….”
“How long have you been drifting?”
The woman turned a pale color, as if there was a paler color than white.
“Maybe…a week. At the most. I’m guessing the supplies were supposed to last us for a month, but with only six passengers. We had almost twice that much, we ran low so quickly…”
“Can you describe to me who attacked you?” asked Roads. The woman closed her eyes and began to shake her head back and forth.
“I’m-I’m-I’m not sure, it all really happened too fast, within the span of muh-minutes. I can‘t even believe this even happened to me,” she stuttered closing her eyes and holding her head.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to come back later. She‘s no condition for questioning,” explained Jacobs, gently closing the clasps on the bandage on her arm. Roads nodded.
“Of course. I apologize. Get some rest. We’ll talk in the morning.” With that, Roads stood up and headed over to Leonard.
The short light brunette in glasses was testing a patient’s reaction to light, and judging by her patient’s pupils, he was fine. Roads called her name, but she didn’t have to turn around to answer.
“Over here, Roads,” she responded, still examining her patient. She took down the calculations and began to test her patient’s blood pressure. Roads slid up beside her, her arms folded in a rollaway chair.
“What’s the damage?” asked Roads, quite casually.
“I assume you talking about the situation like it was a broken toy car,” began Leonard as she wrote her observations down on her PADD, “is your way of handling stress.”
Roads nodded in a way, shifting in the seat. “Anyway.”
“Okay, well ten out of eleven suffer from burns and lacerations, all of them suffer from malnutrition, and a five due are in still in physical shock,” Leonard told Roads in one long sigh. “There people seem to have been through a lot.”
“Great. Well, I’ll inform the crew to make room for the refugees. I guess someone can have my room, and I’ll shack up with Blair for now.”
_+_+_
Episode 3 - The Flood
With her feet propped up on the table, big large boots, long thin pale legs, Dana Hood pulled out her last cigarette and lit it between her lips. A whisper of smoke floated into the air, and when it cleared, a green Orion woman was giving her a mischievous look.
“It’s against protocol to smoke on the ship,” informed Alyssa Blair, the Orion. The woman with dark curly hair smoking the cigarette gave a woeful sigh, but continued her habit.
“I know, I know,” Hood said before inhaling again.
“I could have you court martialed,” Blair warned her, now serious. Hood stopped as they both looked at each other with anger at first, then they both cracked up laughing.
“But seriously, you need to watch out,” Blair warned her again. Hood grinned with the cigarette between her lips and nodded in agreement.
Woosh.
In walked Teixiera with a bag full of yarn and needles.
“Morning,” she stated. Teixiera plopped into the seat next to Hood and began pulling out her knitting. “Oh god, Dana, you know this is no-smoking right?”
“The whole ship is goddamn non-smoking, where am I supposed to smoke, in space?” asked Hood.
“David Bowie did it in space,” offered Texiera. “And if you don’t quit now, I’m about to shoot you into space.”
“Very well,” said Hood as she snubbed his cigarette out. “I’ll just have to smoke Astroturf.”
“Whatcha making now?” asked Blair, leaving over Hood to get an eyeful. Teixiera gave her growing product some observation before clarifying.
“Er, I think a hat, But I’m not entirely sure, yet. I’ll let you know when I’m done,” explained Teixiera. Blair smiled and looked up when a tall man joined them. He came in, hands tucked behind his back, his curly hair combed to be orderly, but not quite obedient. He immediately took a seat at the far end from the girls. They all but Teixiera looked at him. He stared at them, his hands now together on the table in front of him.
“Hello,” he simply greeted quite monotone.
“Hey Eli,” they said in unison. Another woosh, and shortly they were joined by CMO Leonard, Lt. Cannito, and Physics Officer Konei. Cannito and Leonard were talking casually accompanied by attentive short responses from Konei. They filled in a few of the last remaining spots.
“Anyone noticed the replicator stopped making chicken biscuits?” asked a man as soon as he entered. He was holding a biscuit in one hand and a cup of what was presumable coffee in the other. The man with the curly dirty blonde hair and an annoyed look on his face moved to sit down next to Eli over at the far end, still chewing.
“Hey, Johnathon,” greeted Blair. He gave a short wave.
“Hey.”
And last but not least, in came Captain Catherine “Roads” Watson of the Starship Elyssa.
As soon as she came in, the whole air in the room changed from jovial to nauseous. Dark circles were around her eyes, bloodshot. Her nose was red as if having suffered a night of constant dripping and her hair was not the least bit contained as it usually was. In general, she looked like shit. This was not a pleasant way to start a crew meeting.
“Hey guys.”
It must’ve been a bad fight, thought Blair as she watched Roads sigh and slump into her chair at the head. She tapped some things on her PADD.
“Start off with saying this is a case of up most importance. We are due for a pick up over in the Vega system. Starfleet has ordered us to transport and protect the item known as MERCY.”
“What does it do?” asked Teixiera. Roads silently opened files on her PADD.
“MERCY, classified information. It appears not even we are allowed to know its purpose. Anyway, we are moving it from the Edorian planet in the Vega system to the Titan system, Planet Kjht’la, Starfleet Station X466. There are three stages to this mission. First stage: Relations and retrieval. Second stage: Transport. Third stage: Deliverance. It should be a pretty uneventful mission, but as stated earlier, it is still a case regarded as A-list, and by some Admiral Pike-like miracle, we got it. We can’t fuck this up. Hood. You, two others, and I will go over to securely transport the device on to the ship. As soon as we know the size and mass of the item, we‘ll secure a storage compartment for its keeping. The rest of you? Man your stations well, and I’ll see you all in an hour. Sorry to make this such a short visit.”
With that, most of them stood up and left to go bout their routine while Roads sat there for a moment, going over documents. She felt an hand rub her back gently.
“Catherine? Everything okay?” asked Cannito. Catherine sighed and buried her face in her hands. She did not feel the eyes of Leonard and Blair on her.
“Roads?” They bother started in unison, and Catherine gave a weak smile behind her hands.
“I’m alright guys. I just has a rough night,” she explained.
“Is it that douche, Jack, again?” asked Blair, turning around to sit on the table. Catherine bit her lip, and seemed to be choking back something before she swallowed and nodded.
“Yeah, uh, Yeah, um, just, he just uh,” Roads swallowed again and gained some vocal control. “You know, I don’t even know. He’s just not the same anymore. He keeps being like a real asshole. I feel nothing I do can change the fact that none of his friends approve of me, not even his parents. I don’t know what’s with him but he just doesn’t care anymore. Like I thought the whole ‘man’ situation was weird, but it’s been happening before that….”
Roads broke off. She stopped, then leaned back in the chair and breathed.
“Oh god.”
“What is it?” asked Leonard, quietly.
“I don’t know,” she sighed.
Blair furrowed her brows and folded her arms, glaring at nothing. “His friends are fucking dumb-asses, and they’re on-world anyway. His parents? Fuck ’em. They’re always going to disapprove unless you’re wealthy, white, and earthbound having twelve of his babies.”
Roads chuckled. “Yeah! You’re right.”
Blair and the rest of them smiled.
“Catch some sleep,” ordered Leonard.
“But I have-”
“That’s doctor’s orders, Captain,” restated Leonard with a finger in her face. Blair patted Roads on the shoulder.
“Yeah, I’ll cover for you for an hour. That leaves you two hours nap time,” she encouraged. “You know my combination. You can sleep on my couch.”
“Oh my God, Blair. Best First Officer in the fleet! I have the best fucking crew…” sighed Roads with relief this time instead of worry. The sound was comforting to the other women.
With her red hair pulled back in a loose hold, the green woman began going through the motions of Road’s work. It was not so much troublesome, along with her own work on her plate, but after the first hour it was not so difficult. Because the crew was so good at their respective professions, the Captain was not left much to attend to. Blair was working on a few aptitude tests when Roads came playfully strutting onto the bridge, yawning and nursing a cup of coffee.
“Heeeeeeey,” she smiled in Blair’s direction. She leaned her butt against the console next to Blair. She looked up and smile.
“Feeling better?” she asked. Roads shrugged, her smiled fading a little.
“Maybe? Sort of,” muttered Roads quietly. Blair gave her a sympathetic look.
“I know. Well, we arrived early. We’ve just gotten the go ahead from the Ishitos to land and greet us. We have a team assembled to go, and Teixiera is ready at the beaming station,” explained Blair.
The beam down there was effortless and easy. Hood had two men ready for the beam down, and when five disappeared on the pad, they reappeared on the cold metal floor of the cargo bay of the Vega Edorian planet. Immediately the people known as the Ishitos greeted Roads and her small landing party.
“Captain, it is a pleasure to meet you,” greeted the first Ishito of the two most finely dressed. They both did a special bow which was equally returned by Blair and Roads. They smiled, but Blair quickly whispered to Roads that smiling at a meeting was a sign of disrespect and instantly it fell before the ambassadors could react.
“Ambassador Jisho, Ambassador Keisho, it is an honor to meet you,” said a stone cold Roads. The monotone look was returned by the Ishitos. She continued, “My name is Catherine J. Watson, and this is my First Officer, Alyssa Blair, and my head of Security, Dana Hood. We have been sent by Starfleet command to see that your project reaches it’s destination.”
“Excellent, this way please,” said Ambassador Keisho. They led the party past the workers toward a long hallway of glass, chrome, and cold metal. On their way, Blair watched the worker ants tirelessly continue their productivity. Ambassador Jisho’s voice spoke in their quiet march.
“It is very rare we get visitors here. I must implore you to stay for recreational consumption,” asked Ambassador Jisho.
“We accept. But first we must procure the item in question,” answered Roads.
“Business before pleasure,” finished Blair.
“Of course,” affirmed the other ambassador, the entered a lift, and when he Ambassador raised his hand, a light quickly formed around it and the lift soon shot downward abruptly. Their whole bodies lifted in the air for a split second, and as the lift slowed they landed on their soles with a sudden sound. The landing party faltered as they landed, not falling down, but almost. Roads was pretty sure the ambassadors were amused by their reaction, but they failed to show it. Protocol, she supposed.
“This way please,” repeated Ambassador Keisho. Not much later, did they find themselves in a well lit, hospital clean laboratory, surrounded by pipes, computers and gadgetry. They found a humanoid in white overlooking results when they entered. He looked up and licked his lips.
“Oh they’re here already. Well done,” he said in a brititsh accent. Then he looked them over and gave a bit protest. “I don’t mean to sound sexist, but only two of you are male. According to what I’ve studied of your species, they most strong of you are undoubtly male is that correct?”
Captain Roads opened her mouth about to say something incredibly harsh, when Blair stopped her hand with hers and the Ambassador’s spoke.
“This is the engineer who created MERCY, Doctor Waili of the Himalas. He will be instructing you of the caretaking of the object,” explained Ambassador Jisho. The Engineer Waili took no regard of how they spoke of him but turned rather to the large cold fridge behind him. Jisho finished. “Now Captain that I have shown your men the location of MERCY, we can resume our plans for tea, yes?”
Roads looked at him with a sense of curiosity, as she looked back to the engineers workings.
“Well, yes, I suppose, but I’d much rather watch and make sure the transaction takes place fluidly-”
“Of course, we insist.” The Ambassadors gave the Captain and her First Officer a serious expression which confirmed their insistence. Roads turned to the Orion woman with her hands entangling behind her back nervously as she rose her eyebrows in surprise. Roads turned to Hood.
“Hood, make sure it gets on the ship safely. Report back to me in an hour,” stated Roads. Hood nodded, and soon the women left behind the alien ambassadors.
The skinny girl with dark curly hair turned back to see the Engineer Waili hard at work. He had began entering combinations, turning a few levers, and adjusting levels. He began his instruction.
“Well, I trust that Starfleet has sent it’s finest warriors,” interjected Waili.
“Why would Starfleet need to send warriors?” asked a confuse Hood as she folded her arms over her chest. Waili looked at her and then shook his head as he turned back around and began turning the valve again, a heavy task it seemed.
“MERCY is a temperature sensitive device. It must stay at 12 degrees Kelvin. Any temperature below or above is unsafe and could potentially destroy MERCY. Even at that tempertaure, I’ve only been able to prepare it to last for 72 hours, and only 72 hours, any time after that and you’re on your own. We’ve prepared a mobile refridgerating unit to transport it aboard,” instructed Waili.
Hood’s intuition was calling, and the phone was going off the hook. If she could bother to pick it up, she would’ve left the item where it sat in the bottom floor on the lonely Endorian planet. But because Road’s voice was ringing in her ears, “It is still a case regarded as A-list, and by some Admiral Pike-like miracle, we got it. We can’t fuck this up,” Dana put the call on hold and helped her men transport the device in its proper care on a over cart toward the ship. While they were pushing, Hood walked alongside her men.
“If this device is so hard to transport, why are we risking it?” asked one of the men. Hood raised a brow in interest. Then after a moment or two of thought, Hood spoke.
“We’re a species known for our suicidal tendencies.”
_+_+_
Tea was not delicious, but certainly unique, and it was the first thing Roads had learned about diplomacy which was to pretend everything tasted tolerably. Blair had to constantly remind her not to lie but to not show your distaste to the full extent. Vomitting, for instance, would be against the rules of diplomacy, but swallowing hard and admitting it was unusual to your taste buds would be within the lines of protocol. In the end, the meeting was successful, and Roads and Blair found themselves talking on the way to be beamed up.
“I don’t know about that whole trilobite cake bit-”
“Yeah, I was pretty sure our translators were fucking up around that part…”
As they posed to be beamed up with the assistance of another Ishito, they reappeared with all the color and lights of the technology. Funny thing, being beamed. Your vision blurs into the same colors that transport you, then blurs again forming the shapes and focusing into a clear picture. When Roads’s vision cleared, she hoped the colors were still bluring, but as it became more focused, she recognized the face at the controls.
Jack.
It was known on the Starship Elyssa that Roads had a turbulent relationship with Jack Habenicht, one of the Ship’s Engineers. He often worked with the beaming technology and remained second in command of the Chief Engineer Teixiera. They were in a constant cycle of love, hate, heat, cold heartbreak, and eventual reunion. The cycle was commonly known to the crew, so no one had doubts that they’d get back together as soon as they would break up.
“Hey,” spoke the young man with light brown hair in a short pony tail. He had cold blue eyes, was thin and lanky, and was as tall if not an inch taller than Roads. He watched her march down from the beaming pad like a man marching down the steps from his trial. She passed Jack as silent as the grave, with Blair close behind, glaring at him all the way.
Roads gave a weak “hey” as she attempted to walk by, but Jack stopped her with his limp chatter.
“How was the meeting?” he asked quietly. Blair stopped when Roads stopped. Roads didn’t look Jack in the eye as she uncomfortable switched her weigh from one foot to the other.
“Um, okay,” she admitted. “You probably wouldn’t have liked it.”
Roads attempted to continue on her way but he stopped her again this time with his hand on her shoulder. Blair flinched their way, but Roads gave her a look to move on. So she did, but with concern in every step away from them. She looked out of the corner of her eye to see Jack quietly talking to her, both their heads hung. She sighed heavily, a weight heavy in her stomach as she got on the lift toward the bridge.
When Roads reappeared on the bridge, she looked a ton better. She was smiling, not strongly but contently. Her eyes seemed red, but hopeful. She smiled at Hood who was waiting for her.
“Status Report,” ordered Roads.
“Successfully stored in the cargo bay in a refrigerating unit. I’ve placed two guards to watch with a cycle of another two. It’s advised that we get it to the Titan System within 72 hours,” Hood stated with concern in her eyes, but not toward the subject she was speaking about. Roads nodded, feeling her worry but choosing not to comment.
“Then let’s get going. McQuarrie set coordinates for Planet Kjht’lan in the Titan System. Kissel, prepare for departure,” ordered Roads as she stepped down to take her seat in the center.
“Aye Aye Captain,” said the two men at the helm in unison. Hood followed Roads to the chair and crouched down to her, bending her knees. She leaned forward on her forearms on the arm.
“Catherine, is everything alright?” asked Hood. Roads gave her a calm smile.
“Yeah, everything’s okay,” she said.
“You’d let me know if something was wrong?” asked Hood. Road’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I’d let you know,” she lied poorly. Hood suddenly turned angry.
“Permission to hug you, Captain.”
“Permission granted.”
Hood stood up and gave Roads a strong hug that nearly crushed her head. This didn’t surprise the bridge so much as made them aware something was going on and that’d they’d all be gossiping about it in the cafeteria sooner or later. When Hood released her, Roads smile broadened into a genuine grin, and Dana returned it with a serious look.
“I’ll be in the gym if you need me,” she told her. Roads nodded, trying to hold down her smile as she turned to Hassenmuller who had a PADD ready for her to look over.
“Yeoman,” said Roads, comfortably as she took the PADD.
“Captain. Dr. Leonard sent me to tell you, and I quote,” Robert Hassenmuller began, with his brown curly hair and leaning back into a Leonard stance with his finger in the Captain’s face, “‘she better be fucking eating this time or she’s gonna get the funnel.’”
Roads stared at him with the most frightened look Hassenmuller had seen yet.
“But.. What?” she asked with a perfect blend of confusion and fear.
“Look, that’s what she told me, so in an hour, I’ll be bringing you a salad or something from the replicator,” answered Hassenmuller.
“Oh sweet baby G.”
“Well, that’s what you get.”
_+_+_
PADD MESSAGES
TEXIERA(16:33:12): Hey. Jack just tried to neautrilize one of the dillithium crystals. What happened?
ROADS(16:41:23): What? What does that even mean?
TEXIERA(16:42:09): Woman, answer the question.
ROADS(16:44:11): …We made up. We’re back together again. I’m relieved.
TEXIERA(16:58:01): I knew you’d guys patch up. However, Habenicht seems to be out of it.
ROADS(17:01:55): I don’t know what to tell you. He seemed okay when I asked him to try again… he seemed resistant tho. But I’m not sure where it comes from, maybe not wanting to hurt me again or something. I’m not sure. I’m not sure at all. I do know that I love him.
TEXIERA(17:05:53): He loves you, too, right?
ROADS(17:09:30): He says I love you back to me. It’s just lately, I don’t know, he seems irritable. He comes back from every message from home bitchin like nobody’s business about what everyone is talking about.
TEXIERA(17:13:00): People talk shit all the time.
ROADS(17:14:17): Jack says there’s rumors at the academy about how “hard I studied“ really to get into my classes. They’re saying that Pike only promoted me because I laid him or something! Can you fucking believe that?
TEXIERA(17:16:51): It could not be.
ROADS(17:17:02): You type incredibly slow.
TEXIERA(17:18:33): A minute later is not slow. Look, at least you only slept with one dude, and that’s Jack. You remember that one dude who slept with half the freshman class?
ROADS(17:20:39): Oh yeah. Also people are rumoring that I’m a huge bitch.
TEXIERA(17:21:44): His friends are always going to have his side. As for the school? Fuck ‘em. Jealousy drives people crazy.
ROADS(17:23:28): I know I know but honestly? I kinda figured his friends was better than this. I mean when I tell you stuff, do you guys go blab? Shit.
TEXIERA(17:24:51): They just ain‘t got no balls, okay? Nothin but chatty cathys.
ROADS(17:25:02): I know.
TEXIERA(17:26:59): Then don’t worry about it.
ROADS(17:27:30): I’ll try.
ROADS(21:58:45): …wish I knew which side he’s on.
_+_+_
“Wouldn’t you miss this?”
Soft lips pressed against his ear as a hand slid across his collarbone. She breathed on his neck as his hands circled her waist holding her close. He buried his face in her naked shoulder.
“Probably.”
Her hands found their way, buried in his hair as she pulled his face back to look down into his eyes.
“Then why do you always want to leave?”
Her question made him hold her tighter, squeezing her to him like a pillow of embarrassment and shame. Her finger tips traced his long eye brows and down his cheek bone. Her lips pressed against his forehead again and again, making small kisses.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I don’t know.”
She furrowed her brows as if she was in pain, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him to her as she breathed in his scent from his hair.
“Why don’t you know?” she muffled, but he could hear it. He responded by pushing her off him on to her back on the mattress and proceeded to make lover to her again. It was a slow, painful kind of love, harsh like the wait before a test score, beautiful like the first glimpse of sun after a week of rain. Beautiful, but harsh.
The next morning, she was gone. She left a voicemail saying she was needed on the bridge immediately.
_+_+_
It was midnight when Cannito picked up the signal. Although the line between morning and night didn’t really exist in space, a late night felt like a late night no matter whether the stars were out or not. Cannito had gotten up for the late night shift. She was nursing a cup of coffee when the distress signal came. She almost spittake all of her hot coffee over the computer screen.
“Commander!” Cannito yelped from her post. Blair turned to her from the chair abruptly.
“I’m receiving a distress signal. A ship has been stranded. They claim they’re just a private ship, of Andalasian descent,” she explained.
“The ship is minuscule. It couldn’t be much bigger than a shuttle,” reported the science officer in the place of Konei.
“Hail them immediately, put them on the screen!” ordered Blair in Road’s absence.
“Commander, I can’t get a visual, but I can get sound,” reported Cannito.
Immediately, static came in.
“S.O.S.,” a desperate, tired female voice cried out. “This is Morgan Fatima. Our ship was attacked. We jettison in an effort to escape. We are stranded. No power, and we’re running low on supplies. There are 14 of us. Please assist us. Any assistance at all would be welcome,” she exclaimed. Blair nodded.
“This is Commander Blair of the Starship Elyssa. We’ll lock tractor beams onto your ship and have your ship tended to immediately,” ordered Blair. She cut communication, then turned to Cannito.
“Alert Medical to be ready to receive survivors.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Blair hit a few buttons on Road’s chair. “Roads.”
A groggy reply. “Hey, what’s up.”
“You’re needed on the bridge. We have are rescue situation.”
“…on my way.”
_+_+_
Roads was sleepy, but on the bridge within the next fifteen minutes, tired, but awake. She arrived on the bridge only to have to turn around and head to medbay. The medical bay was crowded, with several nurses, Leonard, and Jacobs tending to the patients. Roads weaved through the traffic and was directed by one of the nurses to the one who reported the S.O.S.. She came face to face with a bruised young woman, Earthian in appearance.
“I am Captain Catherine Watson of this ship. I know this is a lot to ask of you, so please forgive me. I need you to fill me in as much detail as possible about what happened here,” explained Roads as she pulled up a seat to where Jacobs was wrapping the patient with a bandage. The young woman had holes in her ears like there were once round earings in them. She had long brownish red hair and pale skin with freckles. She looked like she had been through a bar fight, with the exception that she had never come and contact with a bottle. A large bruise around her left eye, bruises along her fore arms and a bloody lip. No cuts, but a few minor burns on her right arm.
“We were just a civilian ship. It was a cruise. We were just touring Hilac when they came out of nowhere. I was having dinner with a friend, and a whole lot of them just came into the ballroom shooting up everything… God, I don’t even know. It was just….” the woman swallowed hard, struggling with words, her eyes darting all along the ground. “Explosions and fire… one of them came at me, but I managed to get away. One of the crew found us, and escorted us to the escape pods. We were so crammed….”
“How long have you been drifting?”
The woman turned a pale color, as if there was a paler color than white.
“Maybe…a week. At the most. I’m guessing the supplies were supposed to last us for a month, but with only six passengers. We had almost twice that much, we ran low so quickly…”
“Can you describe to me who attacked you?” asked Roads. The woman closed her eyes and began to shake her head back and forth.
“I’m-I’m-I’m not sure, it all really happened too fast, within the span of muh-minutes. I can‘t even believe this even happened to me,” she stuttered closing her eyes and holding her head.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to come back later. She‘s no condition for questioning,” explained Jacobs, gently closing the clasps on the bandage on her arm. Roads nodded.
“Of course. I apologize. Get some rest. We’ll talk in the morning.” With that, Roads stood up and headed over to Leonard.
The short light brunette in glasses was testing a patient’s reaction to light, and judging by her patient’s pupils, he was fine. Roads called her name, but she didn’t have to turn around to answer.
“Over here, Roads,” she responded, still examining her patient. She took down the calculations and began to test her patient’s blood pressure. Roads slid up beside her, her arms folded in a rollaway chair.
“What’s the damage?” asked Roads, quite casually.
“I assume you talking about the situation like it was a broken toy car,” began Leonard as she wrote her observations down on her PADD, “is your way of handling stress.”
Roads nodded in a way, shifting in the seat. “Anyway.”
“Okay, well ten out of eleven suffer from burns and lacerations, all of them suffer from malnutrition, and a five due are in still in physical shock,” Leonard told Roads in one long sigh. “There people seem to have been through a lot.”
“Great. Well, I’ll inform the crew to make room for the refugees. I guess someone can have my room, and I’ll shack up with Blair for now.”
_+_+_