Ensign Natasha Cole - Haunted but Unbroken

[Natasha Schell]

(( Holodeck 3, Deck 222, DS 224 ))

They made their way to a Jefferies Tube, which seemed to be their chosen path. Turning to check on Lieutenant Storm, she looked like she might have been sweating profusely. Then why did Natasha feel cold? It had to be another symptom of radiation poisoning. When this was over she definitely needed to commend Bergmen on his handy work.

Storm:  =/\= Five levels ::comms static:: ly five min ::comms static:: =/\=

Cole: =/\= Comm…see…be impr…somew… =/\=

Bergman: =/\= Good. Ladder ahead. =/\=

As they climbed she could feel her hand tremble, another symptom. She took it one rung at a time.

 

Solan-Hallucination: You think they can’t see your hands shaking?

 

Cole: oO He’s not really here, just focus Oo

 

Hearing the sound of something below her, she glanced down and saw Lieutenant Storm catching herself on a rung. Was she being affected by the radiation too? All of them had to be at this point.

Storm: =/\= ::comms static:: fine. Let’s keep go ::comms static:: =/\=

Natasha pressed forward even with the tremble she was starting to get in her hands she was on Bergmen’s heels. They were almost at their destination.

 

Solan-Hallucination: Bergmen’s the one with the brains. Storm’s the one with the guts. What’s left for you? Tell me Is this the best you could do with your life? A background player in someone else’s plan?

 

Cole: ::ignoring Solan:: =/\= How’s the air up there Bergmen? =/\= Trying to add some levity.

Bergmen: =/\= Breathable. =/\=

Storm: =/\= That’s encouraging.  As is the fact I can understand your comms.  It must be that we’re further from the source of radiation.  =/\=

Bergmen had positioned himself to help Natasha fully onto the decking, after what felt like forever on the ladder. As she reached for his hand her hand was shaking enough that he had to have noticed it. Even though it was shaking, her grip was firm.

Cole: =/\= I’m real… feeling the Rad…Bergmen. I won’t lie…is rougher than…expected. But we…got a job…do, and I’d …limp beside…u than si…on the sidelines. =/\=

Bergmen turned his head away so she couldn't see his face as she reached the edge of the ladder. Turned away entirely when she was on deck. She turned to help Storm up.

Cole: =/\= ::to Storm:: What’s the next step of the plan? =/\=

Bergmen: ::gasping:: =/\= We.. continue. =/\=

Storm: =/\= Bergman’s right.  We climb.=/\=

Bergmen did not wait and continued forward, he seemed to struggle forward after a few steps his legs collapsed under him. He was looking as if he was at the extreme edge of radiation poisoning. Before either of them could move to help him to his feet, Bergmen pushed himself up using the wall. If Natasha had been made of weaker stuff she wouldn’t have been able to stomach what she saw.

 

Storm:  =/\=We’ve got four more levels if we can muster the strength to do them.  We are going to try to eject the core from the Antimatter loading ports.=/\=

Bergmen: ::gasping:: =/\= I’m…okay. =/\=

 

Storm:  ::Shaking her head inside her helmet.:: =/\=  No, you’re not, but I’m not going to force you to sit this out.  If you want to keep going, do.  Otherwise, Cole and I will do what we can. =/\=

Cole: =/\= There’s no judgment if you do. =/\=

Bergmen shook his head dismissively.

Bergmen: ::gasping:: =/\= No. I can…continue. Mission… Mission comes first. =/\=

Storm:  =/\= We’ve got your back.  Lead us to victory, Bergman. =/\=

Cole: ::nodding:: =/\= We do this together. If need be I’ll carry you and you can be my hands. =/\=

 

They fell into the same order as before with a bit of renewed energy. Natasha paid close attention to Bergmen’s movements just in case she needed to play catcher really fast

 

Storm: =/\= It’s easier to eject the core from the antimatter loading ports than from the what the team in engineering is attempting, but it’s much further away.  

 

Solan-Hallucination: You think they’ll come running to save you? Don’t fool yourself. People don’t fight for pretenders.

 

Cole: ::glancing at the hallucination:: =/\= How complex is that considering our time frame? =/\=

 

Bergman:  Response

 

Natasha was finding it harder and harder to ignore the hallucination of her father. It was sad in a way how even in this simulation the hallucination was freighting accurate to how her father was.

 

Storm:  =/\= If they complete their task before we do, we don’t have to complete ours, but if they run into a sticking point in theirs, we are the last failsafe.=/\=

 

Cole: =/\= No pressure though, right? =/\=

 

She continued one rung at a time, following on Bergman’s heels matching his pace. Hands still shaking, but she wasn’t giving up, she wouldn’t give up.

 

Solan-Hallucination: Look at you, trembling like a child caught in a lie.

 

Bergman: Response

 

Storm: =/\= The ship is counting on us.  Let’s make them proud.=/\=

 

Cole: =/\= We’ve got this team. =/\= ::mostly to boost herself but also to help rally the two officers flanking her.

 

Bergman: Response 

 

Natasha coughed and instinctively tried to cover her mouth. She saw some specks of blood on her visor. They just needed to make it to the antimatter loading ports.

 

Solan-Hallucination: All that training, all that fighting to be ‘her,’ and here you are, crumbling like paper.

 

Natasha clenched her jaw so hard her teeth hurt, forcing herself not to scream. She didn’t have time for her father’s rhetoric in her head manifesting thanks to the radiation induced hallucination.

 

Cole: ::with a bat of her hand:: You’re not real.

 

Storm/Bergman: Response 

 

Cole: =/\= I don’t know about you two, but after this ice cream and desert is on me. =/\=

 

She was still trying to keep things light, in spite of her shadow. Of course things were dire, but sometimes a little light heartedness can make the difference between giving up and taking that next step. By her estimate they were coming up to where they could access the antimatter loading ports.

 

Storm/Bergman: Response 

 

As her and Bergmen staggered to their feet off the ladder they exchanged a tired but determined look. Meanwhile the ‘Father’ was leaning smugly against a bulkhead staring at her with a smirk.

 

Solan-Hallucination: That’s my stubborn kid in there somewhere. … Shame you killed him.

 

Instead of reaching down to help Lieutenant Storm, something snapped and she spun fueled by blind rage and was in mid swing when she stopped herself from hitting the bulkhead behind the figment of her radiated brain.

 

Cole: ::to the hallucination loudly and pointedly:: You’re wrong. He’s not dead, he’s still a part of me. He’s the part that endured you, that learned how to survive you. I didn’t kill him. I saved him by giving her a chance to finally live.

 

Storm/Bergman: Response 

 

She closed her eyes, willing all she had to push through everything the radiation poisoning was throwing at her. Her palms were sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy. She looked between the two officers who also looked worse each passing moment.

 

Cole: =/\= We’re all fighting our demons here. Mine just likes to run his mouth. ::composing herself:: Which way are the antimatter loading ports? =/\=

 

Storm/Bergman: Response 

 

Tags / TBC

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Ens. Natasha Cole
Security Officer
USS Artemis-A
Writer ID A240205NC4