Ensign Nathan Richards - Head Reeling
Travis St. John
((“Engineering, USS Independence-B” - Holodeck 1, Level 5, Copernicus Center))
He heard the sickening sounds of the parasites detaching from the ceiling and slapping into walls as they pursued Ikaia from Engineering. He busied himself at the terminal, beginning to flood the section with radiation. He locked onto Wong’s signature and engaged the transporter. Once the signal read green, he did the same for himself. He was surrounded by the light, and next thing he knew, he was back on the bridge.
Richards: Well, that was fun!
Hopper: ::To the new arrivals:: I take it you met our new Borg friends? How did you escape?
Barberra: Are you sure you haven’t been assimilated, and just don’t know it yet?
Nathan raised an eyebrow and shook his head.
Iko: ::not looking up:: Borg are efficient. If they’re gonna assimilate you, they’re gonna do it ASAP. These guys are fine!
Wong/Reade: Response
Richards: Well it worked didn’t it?
Nathan crossed his arms and looked around. They were all alive, so yes. It did work.
Hopper: ::Turning back to her console:: =/\= I hate to ask, but have either of you considered a warp core detonation? =/\=
oO Who is she…Oo
Mivik: ::To Hopper:: =/\= Now you’re talking my language… But the core of a Deviant Class is too small to initiate the kind of cascade we’d need to close that large a rift. =/\=
oO Is that…Kivik?Oo
Nathan moved over behind Robin’s chair after Barberra had taken her quick look. Sure enough, there were two Kiviks on Robin’s screen. Well… two versions of Kivik, that is.
Brivik: ::To Mivik:: =/\= A what class? =/\=
Hopper: =/\= Hear me out. I have a risky, crazy, likely to kill us all idea…=/\=
Nathan didn’t like the sound of that…
Barberra: Oh, great. You want me to fail? Sure! Let’s detonate the ship, shall we?
Wong/Reade: Response
Iko: Look, we have four more Borg on the way…
Barberra: I was *kidding*, geez.
Richards: So what exactly did we miss down there? Sounds like it was a lot.
Wong/Reade: Response
Barberra: Bec, erect a force field to the bridge. That should delay them for at least a little while, should they make their way to level 1.
Iko: Aye sir. Except I don’t have enough fingers to modulate that one as well…
Hopper: ::To Barberra:: Captain - I might have a solution. It will either save our butss or blow up half the sol system.
Barberra: Again with the blowing up? ::slight eye roll, concessional tone:: Okay, what’s your idea…
Hopper: All three of us - the Independence, the other Independence, and the Northumberland would need to eject and simultaneously detonate our warp cores along the event horizon of the spatial rift that is enveloping Nereid.
Barberra: You mean, plug the main hole?
Iko: One that’s definitely not meant to be there.
Wong/Reade: Response
Richards: It…could work…
Hopper: If we get it right, it should close up the spacetime rifts and deactivate the Borg cube. If we get it wrong… Well, I think you get the idea. It’s a big risk. A Captain’s Seat decision…
Nathan shuddered at the thought of Annamae having such an important decision. But, this was her test…
Iovianus: =/\= Iovianus to Independence. Since the Borg are focusing on us you need to use the time boght to sort this out, but we cannot hold them off forever. Go on Captain. =/\=
Barberra: =/\= Understood, Commander Iovianus. As soon as you can’t hold off the Borg, or at the first sign of major trouble such as, oh I don’t know, local reality collapsing in on itself, I want you to make a bee line out of here and raise an alert to Starfleet command as soon as you can. Is that clear, Ensign? Commander? =/\=
Iovianus/S’Raga: =/\= Responses =/\=
Barberra: =/\= We are going to try and seal the rift. Good luck, officers. See you on the other side. Barberra Out. =/\= Lieutenant Hopper, coordinate with other vessels so that we all release our warp cores simultaneously. Give them the exact coordinates and timing for detonation.
Nathan was impressed with Annamae’s sudden seriousness and command.
Hopper: Response
Barberra: Lieutenant Reade, take the ops station, reroute all available power to shields, on my mark. We only get one shot at this.
Reade: Response
Barberra: Lieutenant iko, on my mark fire anything you can at that Borg vessel. I want to attract their attention from everyone else.
Iko: I’ll try my best.
Barberra: Richards, get ready to eject the warp core on Hopper’s mark.
Nathan moved over to the engineering station and readied the ejection.
Richards: Aye, sir.
Barberra: Wong, stand by with a phaser rifle, or any other defensive measure you see fit, in case Borg do try to capture this bridge.
Wong: Response
Barberra: Officers. This is going to be like a symphony orchestra, and I am your conductor. We’re either going to produce beautiful Brahms, or awful ABBA.
Nathan glanced over at Robin, knowing that ABBA was one of her favorites.
Richards: Ready on the…what would the warp core be…percussion? Kinda looks like a flute…Ready to eject the core.
Reade/Hopper/Wong: Response
Iko: ::To Barberra:: A bar in please?
Barberra: Hopper… now!
Hopper: Response
Richards: ::Tapping at his console:: Warp core away!
Barberra: Reade! Reroute all power!
Reade: Response
The bridge started to dim, and the forcefields came down as the sounds of clunking feet could be heard approaching the bridge.
Wong: Response
Barberra: Hold them off, Wong! Iko, fire everything!
Iko: You got this Wong.
The hull shuddered as Bec fired everything she could at the Borg cube, followed by the intense light of the warp cores detonating. As the light faded, the aftermath became apparent. The Northumberland had taken a big hit, and was tumbling towards a large chunk of Nereid that had broken away. The Borg cube seemed to be holding strong as it fired on the ISS Independence-B. It hadn’t quite worked. The sound of klaxons began to fill the bridge as their own situation appeared to have taken a turn.
Barberra: Report!
Iko: We have currently got 63 Borg on board… and that number is rising…
Richards: We’ve been rocked by the shockwave from the detonations. Electrical systems are going down one by one.
Hopper/Reade/Wong: Response
Barberra: ::Slight shrug:: Oh, well. ::Pressing button on armrest console:: =/\= Bridge to all hands. Abandon ship. I repeat, abandon ship. =/\=
Nathan turned to look at Annamae, confused. He dropped his arms to his side. She was in charge.
Barberra: ::Twirling finger:: Escape pods, let’s go.
Nathan didn’t see any point in arguing or trying anything else. He stood and moved to an escape pod, strapping in and holding on as the holodeck faded back to the orange and black grid.
Barberra: Well, that went well.
S’Raga/Iovianus: Response
Barberra: Thank you. I wouldn’t have lasted more than 5 seconds if it wasn’t for all of you.
Iko: That was alot…
Richards: I need a drink…I’ll see you guys later.
Hopper/Reade/Wong: Response
With that, Nathan left the holodeck, his mind still reeling over everything that had happened. He really hoped that he wasn’t on board whatever ship Barberra captained one day.
END
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Ensign Nathan Richards
Engineering Officer
Amity Outpost
A239905NR1
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