[END ACT 2] Lt Cmdr Wil Ukinix - Time

[Wil Ukinix]

((Type-10 shuttle(R2), Gravity Well Anomaly))


(OOC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr0-7Ds79zo&t=8s)


Barberra(R2): You’re not my commanding officer.  ::Gesturing to Annamae:: You hers.  And this isn’t your shuttle.  Which means I outrank all of you on this decision.  ::Pointing at everyone:: Now get off my ship, that’s an order!

Barberra: ::Wide eyes, slight smile:: Woah, that’s amazing.

Barberra(R2): ::Wicked smirk:: Trust me, it felt good.  ::Turning to Annamae, pointing:: That includes you too, weirdo! ::pointing to door:: Get out!

There was a noise as the Type 18’s docking interface connected with the outside of the Type-10.  Wil turned over his shoulder to look at the door that would soon be opened, before turning back to Annamae (R2) and studying her for a moment.

Ukinix: Thank you, crewman.  This is a nice thing you’re doing for us.

The reflection Annamae(R2) was crazy for putting herself forward to pilot the vessel away from the Indy. She had previously stated she wasn’t afraid of death, but in fact intrigued by it - however it still made him feel concerned.

Barberra(R2): ::Looking left:: Stop it, you’re making me feel all sick inside.

Dread washed over Wil as the memory of the missing-presumed-dead Ensign on the Miombo washed over him – again.

The door to the type-10 shuttle opened, revealing the temporary hallway that connected the shuttle to the Type-18 shuttle that was positioned alongside them.

Wil temporarily regained his composure, and put the tragedy of the Miombo to the side.

Wong: Oh I’m glad to see you guys! It’s nice to have you back. But what the hell happened out there? And why do we have two Barberras?

Reade: Hello Wil, Bec, and Richards! :: pauses:: Am I seeing two Annamae’s?

oO What’s worse than one Annamae on board a small, cramped Type-10? Two Annamaes! Oo

Ukinix: G’day Ikaia.  Scotty.  ::To Bec, David:: Follow Wong’s instructions, let’s get Ensign Richards on board so Lieutenant Wong can take him back to the Indy for treatment.  ::To Annamae:: Go with Wong to assist him.

Barberra: ::Looking at Ikaia, slight wicked yet pleased smirk:: Aye Commander.

Annamae(R2), who was already sitting at the helm console, turned to look at Ikaia.  She gave him her own wicked smirk.

Barberra(R2): ::wicked smirk:: Hello, Lieutenant Wong from the future.

Wong: Okay. I don’t know which one of you is supposed to be assisting. But I’m going to need you over here. ::At Richards:: Aloha, Ensign. It's me - Lieutenant Wong. I'm going to be helping you today. How are you doing?

Annamae moved over to Wong and Richards, once again admiring his injuries – especially his injured arm.

Richards: ::Cough:: Oh... Hey, Doc... Good to see you... I’m fine! How have you been?

Bec… snorted? If the scenario wasn’t so tense, Wil would have burst out laughing.  But that fact that he didn’t even chuckle showed that the events of the Miombo were playing on his mind…

Ukinix: After Richards has been evacuated, we’ll get our helmets on and head down to the Indy to get the subspace antenna and interfaced with ours.  But let’s get Nathan out of here first.

Barberra (R2): Approaching six minutes until the probes reaches us.  Hurry up and get off my shuttle!

Wil followed Wong’s instructions as best he could to help get Nathan aboard the Type-18.  In the process, he overheard Flint talking to Annamae(R2).

Flint: ::To Barberra(R2):: If you’re going to do this – which I still question – then at least let’s give you a fighting chance of escaping alive, shall we? ::Indicating the console:: Let me help you boost the output of the nacelles. They can be pushed harder when you’re not dragging the subspace antenna.

Annamae, in a seemingly stunned almost silence, was lost for words.  She instead just moved to the side to let David do his work, and with that now trademark wicked smirk just looked at David and his eyepiece. 

Barberra(R2): Anything you say, sir.

After that she just kept looking at him… oO how can she be so calm in a situation like this? Oo

Wong: Alright. We can at least knit your leg and I'm going to slow down the bleeding as best as we can until we get you to sickbay.  Just hang in there. ::to Barberra:: As for you, take a medical tricorder and keep it on Richards. I also want you to make sure that his arm stays above his heart. And no funny business. His life depends on it.

While Wong continued speaking, Annamae visibly rolled her eyes at the “funny business” instruction, before grabbing the medical tricorder she had already been using to monitor Nathan and began, once again, to monitor Nathan with her medical tricorder.

Wong: ::Back to Richards:: Okay. I'm going to be picking you up and carrying you. We're going to be heading back to sickbay.

Richards: ::$^@# eating grin:: Oooh...Big strong Doctor...

Iko: Want some help with carrying him Doc?

Reade: Aye, acknowledged.

In the meantime, Lieutenant Flint was still setting up Annamae(R2) for her piloting of the shuttle.

Flint: ::To Barberra(R2):: There, we’ll shift powerflow regulation to improve your acceleration factor – speed up your ‘getaway’ as it were… ::Concerned expression:: How do you plan to dump the probes once they’re tailing you, though?

Barberra(R2): With my dazzling helm skills.  ::slight wicked smile:: If that fails I’ll just hiss at them. ::preening hair:: Besides, they’re going to struggle once I take them through the debris field of one of the destroyed Indys.

Flint nodded, although Wil could sense his doubt in Annamae(R2)’s plan.

Wong: Barberra, we need to make sure he's comfortable. There should be some extra blankets in the large medkit in the back. I need you to grab that and bring it over.::to Richards:: How are you doing?

Annamae nodded, and quickly raced to the medkit to grab the blankets.

Richards: I’m...so tired...

Iko: stay awake…

Reade: Everyone on? I am going back to the shuttle bay.

Wong: Right here, Reade. Time is of the essence. So any chance you can punch it, I'd appreciate it!

oO ::slight grimace::  “Time”… Oo

Richards: ::In a terrible attempt of impersonating Admiral Picard:: Engage...

Wil addressed Scotty to make sure he stayed with his group.

Ukinix: ::To Scotty:: Oh, no you don’t mister engineer.  You’re staying with us to get the second subspace antenna attached to the Indy hull.  Get an EVA suit on, tiger, quick sticks.

Barberra: ::To Bec:: My counterpart will make sure your group gets the antenna on the Indy okay.  You’ll be fine.

Iko: Thank you…

Flint: ::To Barberra(R2):: Right then. Good luck to you.

A broader smile cut across Annamae(R2)’s face, which made Wil almost die from shock.  Her eyes glistened, as her only focus was on the xB David Flint...

ex-Borg…

The macabre feelings that Wil had been sensing from the two Annamaes suddenly made sense.  She (they?) *liked* him, in her (their?) own weird way.  For a moment, Wil once again wished he wasn’t empathic, and wished he hadn’t sensed any of that.  David was slightly dour, and obviously pained from his time in the Borg collective which Wil thought understandable.  Not only did the Annamaes seemingly agree with that assessment, they found that… attractive?

Annamae(R2) leaned in a little as if to tell a secret to David.

Barberra(R2): You should talk to my counterpart, your Crewman Barberra. She has lots of questions for you.  You’re interesting to me.

Wil momentarily closed his eyes and centred himself with a quick, calming breath.  The weird courting display by Annamae(R2) was somehow a dark reminder once again of the loss of the Ensign on the Miombo…and time was ticking away.

His eyes snapped open when he heard Reade’s voice.

Reade: Ship docking now. Where do you need us Wil?

Ukinix: ::Confused:: Now? Oh, you mean they’re ready to go dock in the Indy?  Yeah, the sooner Ikaia can get Nathan back, the better.  Once they’re gone, we’re onto the Indy’s hull to weld the second antenna onto it.

Iko: On the hull it is… ::biting lip::

Sensing Bec’s nerves, Wil for a split second he observed Scotty and the entire crew.  This time he couldn’t push away the dread of the Miombo’s events aside.  What if the same thing happened again to one of them?  He swallowed for a moment, not wanting to let anxiety of a potential loss of another fellow crew member pollute his thinking.  So far they had been successful, the Type-10 and a second subspace antenna had gotten back to “their” Indy.  But it wasn’t over yet…

He looked at Annamae(R2).  While the Reflection counterpart of the Starfleet liaison wasn’t technically his crewman, she may as well have been for the short time that she was on the Type-10 with them. And she was about to potentially sacrifice herself to take the ten probes that were bearing down on them away from the Indy in a selfless act.  He’d likely never see her again, regardless of her fate.  He was about to lose a crewmember, whether he liked it or not…

Rade: Response

Wong: Right. Barberra, you’re with me. Keep that tricorder on him. I want to know what’s happening. ::To everyone else:: I’ll see the rest of you later! Stay safe and healthy!

Wong gestured for Annamae to follow him.  She kept the medical tricorder pointed at Nathan as she interpreted the screen’s results as best she could.

Barberra: I get to go back to sickbay? ::Eyes open wide:: *Exciting*.

She stopped briefly to turn to her reflection counterpart.

Barberra: Good luck, reflection Annamae from the past.  I hope your near death and/or actual death experience is thrilling.

Barberra(R2): ::To Annamae:: I will try to tell you what it’s like? ::shrug:: But I also might be dead.

Wil sucked in air to his chest.  He couldn’t understand how the Annamaes could talk so easily about death.  The loss of the Ensign from the Miombo was weighing heavily on him again…

Ukinix: ::Crossing Arms, to Annamae:: Just, go.  Do what Wong says.

Annamae looked over her shoulder as she followed Ikaia on to the gangway that led to the Type-18 shuttle.

Barberra: Aye, Commander.  ::Slight smirk:: I’ll try.

With that, the Type-10 shuttle closed.  Richards, Wong and Barberra were gone.  He stared at the doorway for a moment as he nervously licked his lips.  He hoped Nathan would be okay, the last thing he wanted was *another* Ensign being lost.

He swallowed for a moment.  He wondered if he’d ever set foot on the Miombo again.  He also realised their tasks weren’t over.  Any of the crew with him could be in peril, especially with ten angry Class-6 probes on an intercept course with the reflection Type-10 they were on.

Reade: Response

Iko: Next step, something something… antenna.

Flint: ::Attaching his helmet:: This day keeps getting better and better.

Barberra(R2): It’s gonna get worse for all of us if you don’t *hurry up and get off*.  ::looking at console:: Four minutes forty seconds until intercept.

Ukinix: Right.

He made his way to the back of the shuttle, and handed each of Bec, Scotty and David a welder, the ones previously used to jury rig the subspace antenna to cable attached to the shuttle’s landing gear.  He then also retrieved two Type 3 phaser rifles, and two type 2 dolphin phasers.  He gave a type 2 phaser to Scotty, kept one for himself, then gave a phaser rifle to David.

He then subconsciously slung the other Type 3 phaser over his own suit.

Ukinix: Let’s get down there.  Two parallel, competing priorities – welding the antenna to the hull, and disconnecting it from this shuttle so Annamae can get away.  Understood?

Reade/Flint: Response

Iko: ::placing on helmet:: Lets do this so we can get back home…

Ukinix::Checking Scotty’s suit:: Agreed.  ::To Annamae(R2):: Depressurise and open the door. 

The feeling of dread washed over him again.

Ukinix: And good luck to you, Crewman Barberra.

Barberra(R2): Thank you, sirs, it’s been an honour and will you just *leave*! Geez.

Reade/Flint: response

((Hull, USS Independence-B))

Now in the darkness of the space in the anomaly again, the only things lighting up were their EVA helmet lights, the welders, and the reflection Type-10 shuttle above them that was now indirectly tethered to the hull of the Indy.

Time was against them.  Time was playing with their lives.  Time was either going to spare them, or claim some or all of them.

oO *Time* took the Ensign on the Miombo… Oo

He looked up from his welding spot to address the others.

Ukinix: =/\= We’re running out of time, how’s the antenna looking? =/\=

oO “Time”… Oo

Flint/Reade: =/\= response =/\=

Iko: ::to Wil:: =/\= What’s the plan sir? =/\=

Ukinix: ::Looking up at shuttle:: =/\= We’re gonna have to start severing the cables, and hope the antenna doesn’t float away. Crewman Barberra needs all the time she can get. =/\=

oO I said it again! Oo

Flint/Reade: response

Iko: =/\= I vote we… do that. =/\=

Flint/Reade: response

The clock was ticking, and he knew it. oO Just like time ticked away on the Miombo… Oo

Ukinix: ::Resuming welding:: =/\= I wish we had more time. =/\=

oO Stop saying it! Oo

Iko: ::shrug, jokingly:: =/\= Or we cut everything with a 20th century saw… =/\=

Flint/Reade: response

Iko: =/\= okay for real though, hand me a rifle. =/\=

Ukinix: =/\= What?  I thought you had it – ::looking down, flustered tone:: Oh Wil, you *idiot*!  ::Exasperated sigh:: Sorry, Ensign, here- =/\=

He reach to his chest with one hand, and as fast as he could in the zero-G environment got the phaser off of him.  He then reached over to hand it to Bec.

Ukinix: =/\= OK, point that thing at the cables and sever them.  ::To David:: You  too, Lieutenant. =/\=

Flint/Iko: =/\= Response =/\=

Reade: =/\= Response =/\=

Wil looked up to see a dot heading towards them that was slowly getting bigger.  Behind it were nine more dots.

Ukinix: =/\= @#$% here they come!  Sever those cables! =/\=

Flint/Iko: =/\= Response =/\=

Reade: =/\= Response=/\=

Ukinix: =/\= ::To Scotty:: Keep welding mate!  Enough to keep the Antenna in place! =/\=

The antenna raised on one side when the Type-10 above them began to bank and roll slightly.  After a few seconds, Annamae in the shuttle above them lowered the antenna back down.

Flint/Iko/Reade: =/\= Responses=/\=

Ukinix: ::Moving to new spot and beginning welding:: =/\= Quick, Scotty, quick! =/\=

Reade: =/\= Response =/\=

Most of the cables were now disconnected.  Wil looked up.  The incoming probe was much bigger now, and moving fast towards them.

The subspace antenna momentarily raised a little again, then lowered, as the almost untethered Type-10 spun in it’s X-axis, pointing away from the direction of the incoming probes in a seeming attempt to get ready for a getaway.

Reade =/\= Response =/\=

Ukinix: =/\= It’s gonna have to do!  Just keep going! =/\=

Flint/Iko: =/\= Responses=/\=

Wil pulled his own dolphin phaser and pointed it at the last of the cables, to help the others to burn through it as quickly as possible.  He looked over his shoulder, the probe was much larger now.  He felt his heart in his chest.  Wil uncharacteristically raised his voice.

Ukinix: =/\= C’mon! Break you stupid cable- =/\=

Finally the last cable came apart.  With deftness the shuttle, now freed from its tether, banked to port and began to speed away – with the first probe chasing fifty metres behind it.  Annamae banked and rolled the shuttle as she accelerated away from their Indy.  Above them the shuttle turned, seemingly towards the path of the probes which seemed counterintuitive at first, until she banked again, this time right past the Indy to loop around it.  The probes took a long route and followed her in an arc they seemingly didn’t expect, giving her more time.  It wasn’t long though before in a sweeping motion the probes regained their original target, one of them gaining rapidly on the Type-10.  Annamae seemed to have put as much as she could into the shuttle’s engines, the vessel speeding away to become a small dot, followed by ten dots behind her.

Flint/Iko/Reade: =/\= Responses=/\=

One of the dots caught up to the Type-10 dot, and they touched.  It wasn’t long before a small line of vented plasma formed a straight line behind the dot.  A probe had hit Annamae(R2)’s shuttle, how bad was anyone’s guess given the distance it was from them now.

Wil shouted into space.  Well not really, it was into his helmet, and into the ears of his fellow crew members through the EVA suit comms.

Ukinix: =/\= Nooooooo!  Not another one! =/\=

Thankfully though, the Type-10 dot seemed to regain speed and once again led nine smaller dots behind it away.  A tenth dot, the probe that must have impacted the Type-10 shuttle, sped off at a completely different angle.

Flint/Iko/Reade: =/\= Responses=/\=

It wasn’t long after that before the dots became one.  Just a spot in the distance, no longer discernible as separate spacecraft.

Wil sighed in the silence that followed, before finally speaking.

Ukinix: =/\= ::Glumly:: I hope she’s okay.  ::Quietly quoting line from a song in his collection::  “Shorter of breath, and one day closer to death.” =/\=

There was no denying it now.  Wil was rattled, the thought of losing any more crew was disconcerting.

And like another line from the song he quoted, he indeed felt that he was hanging on in quiet desperation (although why the English had a monopoly on that feeling he was uncertain of, and would be sure to ask David later).

Flint/Iko/Reade: =/\= Responses=/\=

Wil looked back at the subspace Antenna.  It was fixed to the hull, now a temporary part of the Indy. 

Ukinix: =/\= ::Sigh:: Alright.  Let’s not make whatever Crewman Barberra’s fate is in vain.  We have the secondary antenna, let’s begin interfacing it with our primary antenna that’s inside the hull. =/\=

oO And hope to hell that it works. Oo

(OOC: The interfacing of the antennas will happen off screen and will have been completed at the beginning of Act 3, ready to attempt communications with the Kitty Hawk)

Flint/Iko/Reade: =/\= Responses=/\=


[Tags/End Act 2]

 

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Lieutenant Commander Wil Ukinix
Starfleet attaché and First Officer
Amity Outpost
V239511WU0