LTJG Josh Herrick: Are you the blob I'm looking for?

[Mark P]

((Grove of Trees above Glyrshar Canyon, Bajor))

 

After Josh had rather undiplomatically dispatched the first aggressor with his cricket, another one popped up like a gopher, issuing demands.

Calamir (goon): You will hand both to us… now!. ::firing out several rounds in succession between Avander and Josh’s feet, significantly more deftly than his companion:: Or, you will die.

Sherlock: Cover me!

Promontory: On it!

 

Josh was momentarily frozen. His hair continued to smoke, singed from the weapons fire. Just a few centimeters lower and he would have had a rather permanent end to his holiday.

 

Sherlock: On me, Lieutenant!

 

The security officer’s call broke him out of his trance, and he pivoted, zigzagging his way to avoid getting shot and increasing his speed to catch up to her.

Promontory: Remember, we want him alive and awake for questioning. (beat) If possible!

 

Josh called back as shots nipped at his heels.

 

Herrick: I’ll try to remember that Lieutenant!

 

Sherlock was only a few meters ahead of the engineer when she pointed out a spot.

 

Sherlock: There! Cover me!

 

Josh lunged in, taking position, and decreased the power setting on his phaser to ‘annoying burn’ and started firing towards the aggressor — it looked deadly enough.

 

Avander had also found his way to a safer spot, and the duo were providing enough coverage to keep the Bajoran from popping up to get a shot at Aine, or even see what she was up to.

 

Sherlock took the opportunity to kneel and level her rifle. In the chaos of continual firing from both men, she was the juxtaposition; a calm and collected air about her.

 

In the moment before she took her shot, it was almost as time stood still. The wind picked up lightly, catching some errant hair, and as she squeezed the trigger, a flash erupted and hit its target.

Promontory: Nicely done! (beat) Now let's go see if the Glider can offer any helpful clues!

 

Herrick: ::standing up:: If not awake… ::flashing a grin to Avander:: It looks like we’re good to make way though.

 

Sherlock stood up, and without a word, let the trio forward towards the Gamma Glider. She wasn’t letting her guard down for a second, her eyes scanning and looking for possible threats. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the damaged shuttle, pieces strewn apart, and the body had been dug into the ground from the collision.

 

The hatch hadn’t been secured and as Josh looked inside, he could see grime from fire and smoke. While she’d be salvageable, a must given her importance to the crew, she wouldn’t be too helpful in aiding their rescue attempt today.

 

Promontory: Response

 

He saw Avander by the door as Sherlock’s voice from outside entered the cabin.

 

Sherlock: Find anything?

 

Promontory: Response

 

Herrick: ::shouting out of the shuttle:: Still working on it! How about you?

 

Sherlock: Tracks. Lots of them. Which tells me there was a quick pursuit.

Promontory: response

 

Josh tapped the console, which lit up, and gave a system readout. Almost every system reported a critical failure or malfunction. The only three items that were in some working order were the replicators, the lavatory, and the comms system.

 

Herrick: We could reroute power from what’s available and try to push the comms past max. It would only hold for half a minute, but if it works, it’s better than where we’re at.

 

Sherlock: It's all we've got to go on right now.

Josh rerouted the power supplies, and after some grief from the distribution system, it came back green. A slowly increasing whine started coming out from the panel behind him.

Herrick: Sirs, it’s now or never.

Promontory/Sherlock: Response

The comm conversation with the Oumuamua was cut off by a loud bang, followed by all the instrument panels going dark. The lieutenant was smart with their request for a shuttle. Even though they didn’t know what state the chief science officer was in, they weren’t making much progress without sensors and by foot.

He stepped out of the shuttle, and each of them took points on opposite ends of the body. There was no room for surprises. Now, they waited.

((Slight time warp, Shuttlecraft Nichols, hovering about the crash site on Bajor))

Josh materialized onboard the Nichols, where he saw an ensign he’d never met at the helm. He grabbed the engineer’s seat and dialed up the display.

Herrick: We should be able to overclock the comms system more safely, given the redundancies are online.

He tapped several commands in and worked his way through several safety warnings. The Gamma Glider seemed to be more ‘lax’ in its concerns, and as he bypassed the final warning, crackling erupted from the speakers.

Katsim: =/\=Katsim to…to…someone. Please…=/\=

 

She was still calling out for help, whether that was a good or bad sign remained to be seen.

 

Promontory/Sherlock: =/\=Response=/\=

 

There was some noise on the other side of the line, it was hard to make it out through the static. Was it the wind, was it her? Then, she spoke again.

 

Katsim: =/\=I’m in Glyrshar Canyon, on Bajor. The flyer crashed, and we were pursued. Etan headed East, toward the monastery. I headed West and…=/\=

 

Herrick: The commander…? ::looking between the three officers on the shuttle:: =/\= We found the glider… are you nearby? =/\=

 

Promontory/Sherlock: =/\=Response=/\=

 

Katsim: =/\=I’m not sure how far from the crash site. =/\=

 

Promontory/Sherlock: =/\=Response=/\=

 

Katsim: =/\=Have you been able to locate Commander Etan? Is he safe?=/\=

 

Promontory/Sherlock: =/\=Response=/\=

 

Katsim: =/\=I need to get to Etan, and we both need to get to the monastery.=/\=

 

Behind the scenes, Josh had been trying to get the scanners to work. It was clear that the dampening effect was not natural given the sensor array on the Nichols would have made quick work of any magnetic interference. Instead, he’d have to rely on infrareds again.

 

He switched the scanning mode and looked at the overlay. Not too far away, he saw two horizontal blobs somewhat close together. He casted the screen to the other’s monitors.

 

Herrick: =/\= I think we’ve got her location. ::tapping the panel:: and I can use the thermal lock to beam her… and maybe our first officer aboard, if that’s who’s near you Commander Katsim? =/\=

 

The process wasn’t safe, but it was likely safer then her current position if she’d run into goons herself. The shuttle’s computer would attempt to pull in the biological and synthetic components (her uniform), while leaving the dirt, gravel, and stone behind. He looked to the senior officers for their approval.

 

Promontory/Sherlock/Katsim: =/\=Response=/\=

---

Lieutenant JG Josh Herrick

Acting Chief Engineer

USS ‘Oumuamua

O240005JH3

he/him/his (player/character)