[Epilogue] Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie - Ode to a Sonic Shower

[Addison MacKenzie]

//

Captain's Log, Stardate 240303.07

According to the nearest Starfleet stationary beacon, we've only been trapped on Callis 1 for just over a week, but in many ways, it feels like an eternity. The Karnack - or what's left of her - and the crew of the Artemis will complete its mission to deliver this ship to the shipyard where it was originally intended to be delivered, though I think the engineers will have a much harder time figuring out what to do with her, short of scrapping her for used duranium. 

The ship seems to be holding up so far, even if the trip is louder and rougher than I'd like. Long range communications are still offline, so we've been unable to advise Starfleet of our situation, but we are limping toward the shipyard at warp one on a trip that should take us no more than two days at this speed. I'm hopeful that once Starfleet has us on sensors, they'll dispatch a ship with crew to relieve us and take us back to the Artemis.  That they've not managed to send a search party - or one that found us, anyway - is an issue that can and will be brought to Fleet Captain Rainier on Deep Space 224.

After reading initial reports from the senior officers, I am disturbed by the discovery that it appears that the creatures we affectionately referred to as the dark things were in distress and attempting communication with us, despite their propensity toward violence. It is a shame that the remaining creatures on board died suddenly when we passed through the magnetosphere. We will turn over the deceased creatures to Starfleet for study, and I will be recommending that a team be sent to make more formal contact with them and try to render aid.

In the meantime, I have asked the crew to join me on the bridge for a moment to exhale.

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(( Bridge - Deck 1, USS Karnack ))

MacKenzie sat in the captain's chair in the center of the bridge, her posture more relaxed than it had been since the Karnack was sent careening toward the surface of Callis 1 over a week ago. She watched with relief as, one by one, the crew started to make their way out of the access hatches and onto the bridge. It was with great certainty that she knew none of them would ever take a turbolift system for granted ever again.

She watched as they engaged in idle chatter with one another, able to enjoy the respite from the chaos that had been their lives, and be able to catch up with each other. When the final crew member crawled through the hatch, MacKenzie cleared her throat and stood.

MacKenzie: Now that we've made it off Callis 1 and things are relatively quiet, I wanted to take a moment to gather us in one place. Aside from a brief reunion when we found the Karnack, we haven't all been in the same place to be able to appreciate what we've been through. (beat) And the fact that we're all still here.

She took a moment to look at each of them. They were tired. They were dirty. They were likely hungry. Sonic showers weren't functional, and they'd need to make do with ration packs for another few days.

MacKenzie: After everything we've been through together, there is no doubt in my mind that this crew can do absolutely anything we put our minds to. (beat) I have a surprise

She moved to one of the disabled consoles on the side of the bridge and brought over a tray of glasses filled with champagne. Two at a time, she started to pass them out.

MacKenzie: I managed to get a replicator up and running long enough to get these.

Addison waited until everyone had a glass before she held hers up in an offering.

MacKenzie: To a good meal, a sonic shower, and to being off Callis 1 for good.

(Or are they?!) 

(OOC: There aren't any tags in this sim, but you can and should assume that all your characters are there, and you can use it as an opportunity to expand what goes on after this and leave future tags if you so choose. Shore leave will take place on Rylor - a small, newly-established Federation colony on the edge of the Borderlands dedicated to wellness and recovery. This is a new world that doesn't exist yet, so this is a great opportunity for some world building and I look forward to seeing what you come up with when you have a blank slate to work with! Of course, the Artemis and our usual other familiar locations are also fair game for this leave as well. Remember that time has no meaning in shore leave, so you can participate in multiple scenes in multiple places concurrently, and it doesn't mean they're actually occurring at the same time. Let's assume 4(ish) weeks of shore leave, with a new mission to start mid-April.)

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Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie, M.D., Ph.D., FASFS
Commanding Officer
USS Artemis-A

Executive Council Member

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