JP: Ensign Josh Herrick, Lt. TK Cabrillo, Ensign Lhandon Nilsen, Nurse Rox: Remnant of Chaos Pt. 8
Thomas Sanderson
((Planet Paradiso))
Nilsen: =/\= Oh sweet it’s working both ways. Nilsen here. What was that shriek? =/\=
Carbillo: ::softly to Nilsen:: What was that?
Herrick: =/\= We don’t know what that is, but we’re suspecting it’s not friendly… we’re heading back to you now. =/\=
Lhandon looked at Carbillo as if to say, “here we go.”
Nilsen: =/\= We hear ya, I’ll get the kettle on =/\=
Rox: =/\= Maybe get the ship in the air first. =/\=
Cabrillo looked at Nilsen and then looked to the ceiling. Although he could not see through the freighter's hull he knew the weird birds were still up there and hoped that they were not what was shrieking in the background behind Rox and Herrick. Otherwise they could be headed right to more trouble.
Carbillo: =/\= If you think it’s not friendly then I might suggest an increase in speed you two. =/\=
Herrick: ::turning to Rox:: Thoughts on a full-out run to the shuttle; loser gets a date with the shrieking Sheila back there?
Rox: ::taking a deep breath:: Let’s do it.
They broke for the shuttle with both of them running as fast as they could.
Their footfalls thumped loudly against the ground as they bounded towards the Foxy Lady. In a less stressful scenario, the thought of him bounding towards a lady in any sense would have been humorous, but staying out of danger was today’s main agenda item.
They were only a few hundred meters away from the shuttle when an ear-piercing shriek rang out above them, it felt almost on top of them. The young engineer looked up, and it was hard to describe what he saw. A man… no… a beast… or a hybrid of the two?
Rox heard the shriek and worse the beating of wings just overhead. She kept her head down running as fast as she could.
Flying above the crewman and ensign was what looked like a hybrid of two individuals; like a monster had broken through the skin of its host. Patches of what almost looked like a human body were stretched and broken with a reptile body beneath them. A virus? A warrior race that wears the skin of its enemies? Josh didn’t want to stay to find out.
Herrick: Rox, don’t look up.
Rox: ::turning around to look up:: Why? Holy Shit!!
Herrick: Okay, we’ll at least we’re now doubly motivated. All or nothing, let’s go.
Josh could feel the burn in his calves as he pushed them even harder. His arm was getting tired from holding the heavy pan, but he tried to keep a decent grip on it while his hands grew sweaty. They weren’t even sure the Talaxian Freighter would offer them any safety. In the distance, he saw the ant-sized figures of the other two away-team members. Then, the figure swooped down at them.
Rox could feel the air rush down on her and dove forward. A searing pain shot through her back. She stumbled forward and was momentarily glad it was likely just a grazing blow. The beast was rising back into the air preparing to dive again. Rox pushed her body to run forward despite the searing pain in her back.
As Lhandon saw the other two members of the away team running towards them, he opened the hatch, staying with the switch at the threshold of the door. Trying to hype himself up and hiding the fact that Lhandon hadn’t needed to fire a phaser since his time in the academy, he said to Carbrillo
Nilsen: You remember how to fire one of these
TK looked over at the Ensign and smiled.
Cabrillo: Yeah, remember to lead your target and squeeze the trigger. Don’t jerk it.
As Carbrillo responded, the two of them saw this large flying hybrid that for our gold shirts broke all rules of nature. With Cabrillo’s nod, the two of them opened fire, Lhandon’s first and second shot just missed but the third one hit its target. But this wasn’t enough.
TK along with Nelsin sent covering fire into the sky at, well whatever this approaching thing was. TK had certainly seen his share of weird and bizarre creatures but this one was a monster with wings right out of a bad book. Both Nilsen and TK hit the creature but the weapons apparently lacked any real strength to penetrate the reptilian hide. This was going to call for something with a little more significant punch than these small pirated phasers.
Rox and Herrick rejoined the group, and Herrick doubled over for a minute to catch his breath. The run had taken almost everything out of him and he was trying to get his second wind. Another shriek cut through the air, and seemed enough for another shot of adrenaline to run through him.
Cabrillo: ::stepping back:: We need something with more kick than these.
Herrick: (hoarsely) Yeah… did you see anything else when you guys were doing repairs?
Rox: That SOB got me in the back.
She reached behind her and found her uniform had indeed been torn and some blood was present. She thanked the stars that it was most likely a small wound. She wouldn’t be standing upright if the creature had done any deeper spinal damage.
Nilsen: Phasers are useless. We’re barely scratching it.
Looking back and into the freighter, TK hoped something would have been overlooked. Or something magically appearing would have been nice too. As TK looked back into the freighter the creature let out another long ear piercing screech. Jerking his head back around TK raised the phaser and released another volley at the menace.
Cabrillo: ::lowering his phaser:: Nilsen, I have an idea. Get to the cockpit. Open all the coms and when that thing screams again you record it. Then play it back at a higher and louder tone. Maybe we can scare him off with his own screeching.
Nilsen: On it.
Lhandon grabbed the screech that came right after and flicked every switch he could. Moments later, the Lady emitted the screech back, everyone had to cover their ears and while it had an effect of the creature and made it pause its assault for just a moment.
Rox: Can we lift off? There’s a tractor beam too. Does that help us?
Josh thought it was a good idea; the team was trying to find every angle to save their souls. If it worked, they could at least get the ship to hover off the ground enough to get some movement on the ground or provide some assistance to the thrusters to lift off. The controls seemed somewhat responsive, if not sluggish, to the engineer’s commands as he navigated and adjusted settings to have the tractor beam repel the ground beneath them.
The crew wasn’t aboard yet, but he’d make sure they’d be able to climb on, should the idea work. Now, he was at the last keystroke that could get them out of here. The ensign closed his eyes as he pressed the button, praying to every god he could think of to make this work. But… there was nothing. Not even the slightest sense of moment.
Not all prayers are answered, he thought as he reopened his eyes and saw the warning on the screen. The emitters were burnt out from this attempt, so the team would need to explore another avenue.
Herrick: ::yelling so his companions outside could hear:: Computer says No.
Cabrillo: ::turning towards Herrick:: What do you mean No?
The quartet scrambled into the ship and scrambled off in different directions. Rox pulled herself into the pilot seat and began to push the ignition button. The Foxy Lady offered only the weakest of moans from the engine. A load pound told everyone in the ship that the shrieking beast was still nearby.
Rox: Come on. Mamma needs medical attention.
Nilsen: ::Yelling:: Another blast, cover your ears
That gave a small amount of space for the group, but not enough to drive the stubborn creature away.
Cabrillo: Rox, do I need to get out and push?
TK’s question was filled with more sarcasm than humor but the situation was a little tense, more so than he had bargained for on this shore leave run anyways.
Rox pushed the button again and in a moment of frustration slammed her fist down on the panel before her. It might have been dumb luck or some passing Kardashev Tachyons, but the engine roared to life.
Rox: ::shouting:: Hang on!
Herrick: oO Or, maybe some subspace delay in my prayers being answered but I’ll take it Oo
Nilsen: I’mma hangin’ on.
Cabrillo: Just go, punch it!
The freighter began to lumber forward. She was not yet high off the ground and scraps could be heard on the underside. Rox fought against the burning in her back to open more fuel channels and haul back the flight controls. Slowly the Foxy Lady began her ascent. The creature outside could still be heard shrieking and once again the ship was slammed on the port side. It listed starboard.
Rox: ::loudly:: Everybody hold on to something!
Cabrillo: Now what? ::his voice yelling over the shrieking creature outside the ship::
The Foxy Lady hit a large tree dead center. The tree splintered and exploded in all directions, showering her and her pursuer in debris. The ship trembled for a moment but was soon ascending once again, Rox carefully maneuvering the ship between the rocky islands.
TK lunged forward under no control of his own and slammed into the bulkhead and then bounced off to the side. He could taste blood in his mouth and his right knee felt like it had been hit by a runaway lift. It would be sore for a while, at least until they go back to the ship but he did not think anything was broken.
Josh had slammed forward in his seat, he was a split second too late in bolstering himself before they connected with the object, and he was painfully aware that he’d likely broken a rib. For now, the adrenaline coursing through his veins would have to make due as he continued to monitor the status of the engines that were continuing to hold.
Rox: ::to Lhandon:: Take over.
Nilsen: On it.
Nilsen grabbed the controls the second Rox told him to and brought the Foxy Lady further up into the atmosphere, the Lady was struggling but rising to the challenge.
Cabrillo: ::holding onto the cockpit doorway and sarcastically:: You guys gonna hit anything else?
Painfully Rox made her way back to the jumpseat.
Rox: TK. Please tell me we can warp out of here.
The group continued to ascend, and as Josh engaged the port visual sensors, the horrifying beast wasn’t far behind. It wasn’t until they reached past the cloud line that it finally resigned itself to the fact that it wouldn’t make a meal out of them today. A final, more muted shriek, rang through the cabin as it turned away.
With one crisis now over, the pain in his midsection was becoming more prominent. He spotted a med kit beside Rox in her jumpseat and sauntered slowly over to her.
Herrick: ::pointing to the kit:: You mind, if I get in on that?
Once the ship had begun ascending less erratically Rox had opened her medkit to begin trying to treat her back. She had used several hypos and a dermal spray.
Rox: ::looking up at Herrick:: Yeah sure. Analgesic’s all around eh?
Herrick: Thanks! ::injecting himself with an analgesic:: Can’t wait to get home and get properly fixed up. I’m going to check on the engines.
Nilsen: Let me know what state they are in. I don’t want to hit warp six if she only wants to do warp one.
Cabrillo: ::leaning against the wall:: As long as you didn’t blow the bypass she’ll be fine. ::beat:: Well, should be ok.
TK let out an uncharacteristic chuckle and slid down to the floor, taking a seat right where he was.
Rox: ::trying to sound pleasant:: See guys. Wasn’t that fun. Told you the ceiling of the galaxy was great.
Josh slowly made his way to the back; while onboard diagnostics reported that the propulsion systems could get them back to the ‘Oumuamua, he’d prefer a second check with his own eyes. Stopping in front of the engine compartment, he engaged the actuators to reveal the small warp core. There was a lot of patchwork make-shift engineering and jumbles of wires that were bound to give any engineer nightmares.
As he moved some of the wires out of the way, he saw a small sprinkling of what he thought looked like party confetti. It certainly didn’t belong there, and he had heard rumours of several confetti-related incidents that a certain nurse on board had been around. Sometimes, 1 plus 1 does equal 2 and even though Rox had brought them here, he was glad to have her on board. He gently swept away the confetti, and popped it in the recycler.
Herrick: oO JOPA… Lower decks stay together. Oo
He made his way back to the front compartment of the Foxy Lady, and as he bended to sit down, another shot of pain rung through him.
Herrick: (wincing) Well, the engines are doing better than me… take that as you will.
Nilsen: I’ll get us home as quick as she’ll allow.
TK suddenly felt extremely tired and light headed, surprised by the sensation and a little confused since only his knee seemed to hurt and the cut inside his mouth.
Cabrillo: Hey Rox ::beat:: I think I might skip the next field trip and just stick to a squall thing ok?
TK would be happy to get back to the Oumuamua but this little adventure had been fun. He of course would not let on to that right away but he couldn’t wait to tell Nijal about the crazy stuff they saw.
Rox’s back was by now feeling numb, and she found herself staring out the window at the field of stars.
Rox: Yah next time maybe remind me about this. ::looking at TK:: Still, you wanna grab dinner when we get back? I know a place.
Slowly the world, if it could be called that, of Paradiso was becoming a speck in the rear view monitor. Lhandon had found an undramatic route back to the Oumuamua and set a course. He was a little more gentle with the inputs, treating the lady like a fragile vase out of an abundance of caution for the ship's current state.
Nilsen: That’s two. ::Lhandon muttered to himself::
(END OF JP)
—-
Ensign Josh Herrick
Engineering Officer
USS ‘Oumuamua
O240005JH3
he/him/his (player/character)
&
Lieutenant jg TK Cabrillo
Engineering Officer
USS Oumuamua
T239901JK1
&
Rox
Nurse - Crewman 2nd class
USS Oumuamua NCC-81226
T239811VK2
He/Him (player)
She/Her (character)
&
Ensign Lhandon Joseph Nilsen
HCO
USS Oumuamua
O240007LN1
He/Him/His (Both player and character)