Ensign Tho’Bi - Yurum Alone

[Tobi]

((Sub-Levels, Boraxian Vessel ‘New Hope’))

The room was familiar. The once out of sync rhythms now purred in sync. There was, of course, no Dariell to meet them this time. 

The Andorian Engineer snapped open his Engineering Tricorder. It chirped and beeped. 

Tho'Bi: Ship's systems are stable

Meris: Does this chamber appear to be the same as you previously left it?

Thank you Ensign Tho’Bi. Yes Ensign Meris, this is one of the rooms we already visited. Tho’bi see if you can access their system and find out which doors and access points were used since we were here.

Storm: Good thought.

Tho'Bi: ::to Silveira:: Aye, Aye, Sir. 

Dark blue eyes spied an hexagonal set of seven individual transparent hexagons embedded into the wall. The seven hexagons glistened in an ever-shifting blend of metallic light. The Andorian Engineer withdrew his PADD from its tunic pocket. It took but a moment to key it back into the Boraxian systems.

Ping! The PADD synchronised with the ancient vessel's twin core computer system. Paler, but better, fingers danced across the PADD.

A Master System Display of the Boraxian vessel appeared on the PADD display in electric blue. Across the shimmering blue line schematic, doors and access points pulsed red. Beside each pulsing red marker, a counter displayed the number of minutes since activation. 

Tho'Bi: ::pointing at the pulsing red:: These are all the doors and access points that have been activated since we beamed back to Artemis, Sir.

Meris: There's so many of them...

Silveira: Well there goes that bright idea…

Lieutenant Storm patted the Chief on the shoulder.

Storm: Let’s see if we can come up with another idea.

The Andorian Engineer listened as the others talked around him. Paler, but better, fingers flexed upon the PADD screen, grabbing and enlarging areas of the Master System Display. 

Meris: Perhaps we should split up. Tho'Bi and Storm can investigate the chambers and doors on the port side of the vessel while the Commander and I can investigate the chambers and doors on the starboard side of the vessel.

Silveira: Strength in numbers Ensign. I am not comfortable splitting us up. We have another thing we can look at. ::He turned to Tho’Bi:: Ensign Tho’Bi can you find our way to our last position?

Storm: Another brainstorm already?

Access points to seldom used maintenance shafts or engineering subsystem flashed, enlarged, electric blue, reflected in the dark blue of the Andorian’s eyes; so engrossed was he in his work, it took a moment to register the Lieutenant Commander's question. 

Tho'Bi: ::to Silveira:: Apologies, Sir. ::beat:: Yes, I can find our way back to Main Engineering. 

Meris: Response

Silveira: I am curious to see if the debris from the repairs are still where we left them. ::Still looking at Tho’Bi:: I assume you can access the scan Ensign Cole did on them before we leave?

The scans sat safely on the young Andorian's PADD, along with his own Tricorder scans and those of the Artemis DOT. 

Storm: Because if someone has moved it, that could be rather telling.   

The Tactical Lieutenant nodded.

Tho'Bi: ::to Silveira:: Yes, Sir.

Meris: Response

Silveira: Good, Ensign Meris, scan for any lifeforms along the way. Lieutenant Storm you take the rear and cover us. No phaser drawn yet, we are on a peaceful mission.

Storm: Right, Tactical honor guard to the back. Living the glamorous life. ::beat:: Commander.  

((Corridor - Sub Level, Boraxian Vessel 'New Hope"))

The Andorian Ensign led the way. His antennae twitched, his senses exploring the hexagonal corridor, stretching out in front of them. His one meter ninety centimeter frame ducked and stepped with every outcrop of bulkhead. The ever-shifting liquid metal colours casting their lustrous tones across deck and alien visitor alike.

Tho'Bi: ::quietly:: We must make our way past the computer core, to the Transport Capsule. ::beat:: Dariell said it would be… ::quoting:: a long walk to the Warp Core.

Meris: Response

As they neared the Computer Core, a tremor spat across the still messy peripheral of the Andorian’s spatial perception. It felt like movement. It felt like it was behind them. He could not be sure.  

Storm: So what is it you’re hoping to find in the debris, Commander? 

Silveira: Response 

The hexagonal doorway to the Computer Core tracked into view. Still the twin cores purred, happily aligned; content in their shared purpose and unaware of the various dramas unfolding around them. The young Engineer smiled. A job well done.

The Andorian Ensign spoke over his shoulder, without turning his head.

Tho'Bi: The Transport Capsule is up ahead ::beat:: beyond the computer core. 

Meris: Response

Storm: So you’re convinced that we’ll find evidence there leading to a saboteur?

Thud. A burst of movement, pressure, and reaction shunted through the shimmering vibrations of sensory space behind them. The Andorian's antennae flexed. Seconds later a fluid, controlled, well drilled, motion closer to them. Lieutenant Storm had drawn her phaser.

Instinctively, paler, but better, fingers went to the holstered phaser, but the Andorian did not draw. His senses stretched out to the hexagonal room up ahead that housed the Computer Core. He could not sense anyone within, but he could not be sure.

Meris/Silveira: Response

Storm: Who’s there? Hey, we’re just here to help.

Another well drilled motion cut through the sea of vibrations. Lieutenant Storm signaling, presumably to Lieutenant Commander Silveira. 

Silveira: Response

Tho'Bi: ::over shoulder:: Aye, Aye, Sir ::beat:: Checking the Computer Core.

The Andorian did not look back, but drew his phaser and advanced quietly toward the doorway to the Computer Core.

Meris/Silveira: Response

Even with care, long legs made short work of the meters to the doorway.  

A slight movement, a shudder no taller than the Andorian’s knee; tucked into the flanking corner of the doorway, just the overside of the wall. His one meter ninety centimeter frame contorted to hug the hexagonal splay of the corridor, as best it could.  

Movements and motions took place behind him to the rear of the party, but the Andorian‘s attention was fixed to his own task.

Silveira/Storm/Meris: Response 

As he advanced, the shudder fell back. Countless centuries of violence, cast on that distant frozen moon, welled up in the young Andorian. The world slowed around him; as though existence bowed to the pace of the glacier.  

((Computer Core - Sub Levels, Boraxian Vessel 'New Hope'))

He swung around the doorway, his phaser trained and centered upon the shudder. Paler, but better, finger ready to squeeze the trigger. It felt so natural. As the snow fell, as the wind stung, so did the blood spill. Ka leshra sharneth, ka felketh thlekra, ek shral shrenuth.

Frightened eyes stared up at the Andorian. Knees pressed to their small face, with one pair of arms wrapped around those knees, and a second pair of arms wrapped around their shins.

The mess of movement and motion continued out in the corridor, but the Andorian Ensign's attention remained with the quiet hexagonal room of the Computer Core. 

Silveira/Storm/Meris: Response 

Paler, but better, fingers holstered the phaser. A steady deep breath pushed the frozen moon back down, deep inside of him. The Andorian crouched, trying to appear smaller to the Yurum child, but, in truth, still towering above them.

Tho'Bi: ::softly:: It is okay, little one. I am Tho'Bi ::hand to chest:: 

The Andorian projected his voice out into the corridor as quietly as practically would allow, so as not to alarm the child. 

Tho'Bi: Sir, there is a Yurum child in here.

Scared eyes looked back at the Andorian, but the child did not speak and did not move. They clung to themselves, as though their whole world had slipped away, and they could find no firm ground to which they could anchor; though perhaps it was not their world that had slipped away, but that they had slipped away from it.

Silveira/Storm/Meris: Response 

TAGS/TBC

((OOC: New Andorian Phrase:

As the snow fell, as the wind stung, so did the blood spill.

Ka leshra sharneth, ka felketh thlekra, ek shral shrenuth.

I'll add to SB118WIKI. ))

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11