JP - Ensign Nera Ay and Lt Commander Hartmann - Lost and....Still Lost
Jonathan
(OOC - for continuity, this is set just before the Gorkon gets zapped into the alternative timeline))
((OOC2 - big thanks to Alora DeVeau* for helping me with this one, and for writing Roger Hartmann, her no nonsense mission specialist :) ))
((Comm Link - Gamma Flotilla to USS Gorkon))
There were some tasks Roger hated. The worst was telling a person that someone they cared about had just died. Just below that was telling a person someone they cared about was so seriously injured, they would never be the same again. While some considered that to be the job of the Medical chief, it often fell to the First Officer or Commanding Officer. As a Mission Specialist, that job no longer fell to him, but since he had taken on a particular task, that of both gleaning information about the ships that had disappeared in the Gamma Quadrant, the particular notification he was about to make had fallen on his shoulders.
To be fair, he didn’t have to tell this Nera Ay, a Bajoran Starfleet Medical Officer, that one of his kin had died. Instead, he got to tell him that they had found a piece of a mission ship upon which one of his kin had gone missing. To him, that was worse, because years after the fact, he had a tidbit of a lead, but one that didn’t go anywhere. Yet, it was irresponsible not to notify the family - and he had questions he wanted to ask as well. With that in mind, he chose a time when, according to his profile, he would not be on duty and would most likely be awake. Soon enough, the computer made use of the Uhura array and a connection was established. When the image of the young man sprang upon his screen, Roger affected a seeming that was somewhere between genial and serious.
Hartmann: Ensign Nera, thank you for taking my call.
Ay didn’t know exactly what he was expecting when the call came through. Maybe any old friend from the academy looking to get back in touch? Not that he had any of those to speak of especially.
He most certainly wasn’t expecting a particularly serious man in his 60s with neatly trimmed hair and beard and an immaculate red uniform. His day was either going to become very interesting or was about to be turned on its head.
Nera: Of course, though you seem to have me at a slight disadvantage here ::noting the pips:: Commander?
Hartmann: I’m Commander Roger Hartmann, a Mission Specialist of the Gamma Flotilla Expeditionary Task Force.
Nera: Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Sir. Is there something I can help you with?
Ay didn’t recall there being any joint operations between the Gorkon and any of the ships assigned to the Gamma Flotilla, upcoming or historical. It was possible something had been classified of course, but it still seemed a little strange that a Mission Specialist, of all people, would contact him so suddenly.
Hartmann: I’ve contacted you because we’ve found something.
That was the part he hated. The part where he had to tell that young man what he found, and likely it wouldn’t give him any closure, even if it was the right thing to do.
Nera: I’m sorry, I don’t quite following what you mean
Of course he wasn’t following, because Roger hadn’t come right out with it, which was his mistake. This was his last duty before he was going to be transferred to the Butler, but he also knew he wouldn’t be able to let go of this, or of the other things he’d been looking into. Regardless, he owed it to the Ensign to give him what he got.
Hartmann: I understand your sister disappeared some time ago along with the rest of the crew on the USS Suesser.
Nera: Yes…that’s correct ::pausing, taking a breath:: 9 years now
What was this Hartmann driving at, Ay wondered. The disappearance had been looked into over and over again, with no results. It was as if the ship was there one moment, then gone the next.
Hartmann: There’s no easy way to tell you this, so I hope you’ll forgive me for being blunt. I understand this will be hard to hear, but its your right to know and my duty to tell you.
He hated how that sounded, even though Roger did his best to sound sincere and sympathetic - which was true. He was sincere. He was sympathetic. Yet the entire situation just out right stank.
Nera: Like a bad diagnosis, easier just to say it straight. Ripping the bandaid off, I think you call it
This would be the crux of it then. With a delivery like that, Hartmann must have found some new piece of information. Reports of sightings, maybe the Suesser itself, a distress beacon, maybe bodies and a grave….Ay brought that train of thought to a screeching halt.
They’d already held a service, sung the death chant. What else could they have done, after so long.
His day was to be turned on its head then. So be it.
Hartmann: We have not recovered the ship. I’m actually stationed out in the Gamma Quadrant. In the course of the new Flotilla’s exploration of this sector, one of our ships came across fragments from the Suesser. Although it disappeared years ago, it seems that it must have somehow made its way here.
How, they didn’t know. No one did. It was yet another of the mysteries surrounding its disappearance.
Nera: Fragments? How..how much? Little bits, like fragments of hull plating? ::pausing for breath:: Or a whole nacelle?
Ay’s mind began to race, too quick for him to keep up with it properly. Fragments could mean anything right? The Suesser might still be out there somewhere, with a patchwork repair, stuck and awaiting rescue. Or the Commander was being circumspect, and fragments was actually a nice euphemism for “whole recognisable shipwreck”.
Logically, something Ay was having some trouble with at this moment, if the ship had ended up anywhere intact, it would be the Gamma Quadrant. With the wormhole so close Bajor, how could it be anywhere else.
The earlier investigations hadn’t found anything on the other side, not in the immediate vicinity at the very least. This must have been further out then anyone had ever thought to look.
Hartmann: Enough to discern what ship it was from - some hull plating, the registry number.
More, he could not say. While Hartmann had been given permission to share that they had found something, Intelligence insisted that details remain vague. That wasn’t exactly fair to the family, but he had no choice.
Nera: The fragments…could you tell much about what happened? Evidence of spacial distortions, battle damage?
He was reaching, he knew that. Fragments only told so much of a story. It was like trying to diagnose a condition, and only having a page of half-burned notes to work with; too much guessing and conjecture.
Hartmann: I’m afraid I am not authorised to go into details, but Starfleet wished to inform the families of crewmembers.
Including him. Roger had other people to call as well, but he would not simply brush him off. If anyone had a right to ask questions, he did, even if he couldn’t answer them. He would share what he could.
Nera: The Suesser, well, what you found at least. Where was it? Sorry, I don’t know if you’re allowed to tell me that
Ay’s only guess was that wherever the fragments were, they were so far out of the original search zone that no one thought anything would be there. Or someone had made a colossal mistake.
Hartmann: I’m afraid I’m not authorised to say, but it was not near the Bajoran wormhole.
That had surprised more than a few people, and now people began to wonder if there would be further evidence of other ships that had vanished.
Nera: Not near the wormhole…that makes sense. I can’t have been close, or else it would have been found sooner. Were there…? ::stopping mid-sentence:: Classified, of course. Sorry.
The politics and red tape area of Starfleet had never been Ay’s strong suit. Usually, he tried to avoid it where possible, though it seemed like this might drag him right into it if he wanted to find out more.
Harmann: I’m sorry Ensign Nera, I wish I could tell you more.
He spread his hands apart, a gesture of openness, but one that also spoke to his inability to convey further information. It wasn’t what he would like to tell him, it was what he had to tell him.
Nera: I wish you could as well. Lost, and still lost, it seems.
Hartmann: I can assure you this, however, Starfleet is still investigating. If we learn more, we will share.
As long as that information wasn’t classified. Roger knew that there were too many questions and too many things that pointed to too many variables. Suspicions ran rampant, but they didn’t have enough to confirm anything just yet.
Nera: Unless it’s classified, right? ::shaking his head:: I get it, you’ve got a job to do, and there are certain restrictions that happens to entail
He understood it, he dealt with doctor-patient confidentiality all day long, and ensured it was kept to and enforced. But now he was on the other side of it, he could understand why so many people because frustrated when they couldn’t get the answered they wanted or needed, all because of a little bit of legislation.
Hartmann: You are correct. I’m sorry I can’t give you more at this time, but perhaps I will in the future.
If Roger knew about what they found, he would call himself and make sure he got it.
Nera: I’d always hoped, you know? That some scrap of the ship, or a piece of information would be found. I think I’d given up, 9 years is a long time with no developments.
Nodding gravely, the mission specialist studied the man a little more closely. He was young, but nine years was a long time to wait, even for someone his age.
Hartmann: I hope we will find something sooner than that.
Nera: Thank you for telling me, I appreciate it. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s something. Means the search is back on.
Leaning forward, the commander’s expression remained serious, and unwavering in its resolve.
Hartmann: And with this discovery, efforts will be renewed.
He did not mention the other ship that had been lost a year or so ago, but perhaps they would have answers to both ships, and for all the families impacted.
Nera: I’ve got a question for you Commander, if you don’t mind? ::taking a breath:: What are the chances, do you think? Of actually finding the ship.
Ay wanted to ask if the Commander thought there was a chance of finding survivors, after all these years. If maybe the Sousser wasn’t completely lost, and somewhere sitting out there in the Gamma Quadrant was a makeshift settlement, living out their live as close to normal as they could.
Just far enough out of reach that no one from Starfleet had been able to find them.
Roger took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. Honestly, he wished Nera hadn’t asked him that, but he wouldn’t lie to the man.
Hartmann: I can’t say they certainly will, for nothing is certain, and truthfully, I don’t really have any way to tell you. Not even a percentage.
It wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear, not by a long shot. But Ay wasn’t so irrational to think any other answer would have been possible at this stage. The investigation had only just started up again, and with very little to go on
The question had to be asked, regardless, and Ay was happy he’d asked it.
Ay glanced at the small framed picture he kept next to the terminal in his quarters; it was an old Bajoran piece and rotated a series of images over time. It was currently displaying a picture of Ateh, digitally aged to show an approximation of what she would look like now.
She’d been 23 when she disappeared. She’d now be 32.
Nera: Nothing is certain except death and taxes. That’s what the humans say, isn’t it? ::glancing back at Hartmann and sighing:: Sorry
Hartmann: However, this is more than Starfleet had before, and they are taking the matter seriously.
He wished he could give more, but Roger didn’t always have the answers.
Nera: Good, it needs to be taken seriously….ships don’t just disappear, something happened
Ay hadn’t intended for that to be delivered as forcefully as it had been. The original search had been taken seriously, and no doubt this one would be as well.
Though the speed of it was another matter altogether. Would it be a priority, and would they give up if no traces were found after a few months, like last time? Ay wasn’t sure he had faith in the bureaucracy to see it through to its end.
Ay had always thought, perhaps foolishly, that all it would take was for him to get on a shuttle and go out looking himself, and that by doing so he would magically find all the answers. There were no leads to start with, so he’d never had the chance.
Now though….there were fragments. In the Gamma Quadrant.
If he could find out where, and get there, perhaps there would be a chance. Ay exhaled again, longer this time, as if the energy had completely left his body. He was lightyears away, with no way of traveling that far either.
No way to get a shuttle, no way to get a crew. Damnable logistics.
Nera: Is there anything else I can tell you? Or any way I can help?
Hartmann: Not unless you have anything to add to your last interview. Otherwise, no, but I will be in touch should we find anything. I will reach out personally.
That was all Roger could really offer, even if it wasn’t much. He stared at the man on the screen. Had it been him, he likely would have had a much worse reaction. Nera was taking it well, all things considered.
Nera: I wish I did ::shaking his head:: Like I said in the original report, they were just running some training exercises. Nothing odd, nothing out of the ordinary….just a typical day.
As far as he knew at least. Ateh had also been open with him about her duties and anything going on onboard the Sousser, no doubt breaching some form of regulation. Maybe there had been something else going on, some secret project that only the command structure knew about.
Or maybe that was just Ay grasping at straws, looking for some hint of logic. He wasn’t anywhere near as put together as he might seem.
Hartmann: If you do, you know how to reach me. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you better news.
Better news would have been more concrete information about the ship. Better news would have been an explanation for the disappearance. Better news would have been that the man’s sister had been found. Unfortunately, Roger found himself the type of bearer he hated to be. But he also knew they couldn’t give up hope. With more than one ship missing in the Gamma Quadrant, Starfleet’s attention was caught, and now that the flotilla was there, he had a feeling that meant their odds were better than before - though he wouldn’t say that to Nera. Sometimes, one could say too much.
Nera: Thank you again Commander. Really. If I think of anything else, I’ll reach out.
Hartmann: Then I wish you well.
And with that, it was the end of a painful conversation. Roger was not immune to the emotion that plagued those who suffered due to the disappearance of their loved ones. If nothing else, conversations like that only made him more determined to find out what the missing pieces meant, so that the families could find some sort of closure.
The comm link cut and Ay was left alone in his quarters. Normally he’d have music in the background, or have someone over for a bite to eat and drink. Now though, it was all too quiet, particularly when he had things like “classified” and “ship fragments” floating around his brain.
It brought back too many old feelings he’d tried to bury and move on from. He briefly considered visiting the holodeck and booting up a program he was working on, a recreation of a bar he used to frequent.
But no, that would be seen as an “unhealthy coping mechanism”. Better to complete some medical reports, and familiarise himself more with the crew. Much healthier.
He stared at the terminal, making no move to resume working. Instead, on a whim, Ay used his terminal to bring up the roster for the Gamma Flotilla. He began scrolling through it, starting with the flagship.
The computer read out the names, department by department, slowly and methodically with its usual level of mechanical inflection. By some unimaginable miracle, the computer read out a name he was familiar with, someone he’d been close with at the academy, who’d graduated a year earlier.
That troubled guy with the messed up pagh who needed help with biology, now assigned to Ops on the USS Octavia E Butler, flagship of the Gamma Flotilla. As Assistant Chief, no less.
A surprise in its own right. His academy time was tumultuous, from what Ay recalled, peppered with fights and some disciplinaries. He’d done well for himself since graduating. Ay smiled, it was good to see.
Taking a chance, Ay began typing out a subspace message. They hadn’t spoken since graduation, each going their own ways, but perhaps he might know something, or be able to access information Hartmann wasn’t willing or able to share.
He’d always had a talent for acquiring things.
Ay lost track of how long he spent rewriting it. Not too formal, not too casual; could you just pick a friendship up after a year like nothing had happened? He was halfway through a version he liked before the Gorkon began to shake around him.
It was like the ship was being manhandled by a giant, and shaken from side to side. He lurched up from his desk and stumbled over to the window to look out into space. It seemed normal, the same endless darkness and twinkling points of light that were always there.
Then came the light, blindingly bright and all-encompassing, it blotted out everything within Ay’s field of vision. He recoiled from the window, bringing his arm up to cover his face.
He heard the red alert begin to sound throughout the ship, followed by the order for all personnel to report to their duty posts.
Ay stumbled towards the door, his half-finished letter forgotten and unsent.
Finish
Ensign Nera Ay
Medical Officer
USS Gorkon
G240106NA2
Lt. Commander Roger Hartmann
Mission Specialist
USS Octavia E. Butler
M239008AD0
* https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=User:Alora_DeVeau