LTJG Josh Herrick: I have a question

[Mark P]

(( Null-Time Sphere, Ancient Outpost - Interior, Alpha Brenkelvi II ))

While Josh had worked to carefully separate the power port from the console, he was listening, or eavesdropping if you will, on the conversation between Na’Shaala, the commander and Maxwell. It wasn’t lost on the engineer that the being’s name sounded quite close to another term for ‘god’s will’.

 

As the commander struggled with the topic of procreation, the acting chief severed the last link and tried to help by changing the topic.

Herrick: ::striding to Toxin, power port in hand:: Special delivery.

 

Arlill: Thanks chief!

 

(OOC: Removed the commander’s line as it wouldn’t be in earshot for Herrick)

Maxwell: Response.

Herrick: ::looking over at Toxin:: How’s it going?

Arlill: Working as quickly as I can! 

It came out a bit more terse that Josh had expected, but he could appreciate the feeling of being down to the wire. The ship displayed above them, the lack of control the men had on the situation, and the fact that this was only communications and may not help the danger the entire crew faced.

Ribbons of red and gold crossed each other as fire was exchanged. Small matter/anti-matter detonations as defense systems worked to prevent torpedoes reaching their targets. With the deft maneuvers, he wondered if it was Lhandon at the helm.

Arlill: ::to Herrick:: Sorry about that.

Herrick: (more warmly) I get it, don’t worry.

 

He genuinely meant it; that, and he couldn’t afford to have yet another officer hating him onboard. He debated placing a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder but decided against it; they weren’t that familiar yet.

Na’Shaala: Your friends on your ship are resourceful. ::her tone was unmistakably impressed.:: The Scourge are… were  a formidable foe.

Etan: :: he was smiling, full of pride. :: Yes they are.

Maxwell: Response.

 

Engineers often attributed personalities to equipment; he wasn’t exactly sure why. Perhaps spending so much time alone with bulkheads, relays, and conduits, created a bit of insanity. When the console the chief ops officer was working on beeped, it sounded shrill and unsatisfying.

Arlill: Well that’s going to complicate things.

 

Another shrill tone. Then, interestingly, Arlill’s words went on screen and were translated into Federation Standard. 

 

Herrick: oO Shrill… but helpful. I can live with that. Oo

 

Arlill: I guess not ::looking at Etan:: what would you like to transmit?

 

Etan: A standard hail should be enough. Encode it with a Starfleet transponder code.

 

Maxwell: Response.

Arlill: Yes sir. ::turning to the console and punching in a command:: =/\= Away Team to ‘Oumuamua respond please. =/\=

 

Sherlock: =/\= We're here. =/\=

Arlill: =/\= Stand by for Commander Etan. =/\= ::looking again at Etan::

 

It was hard for Josh to imagine the difficult position Sherlock had been put in. She’d only been recently transferred to the ship, and now she was in charge of its safety while also multitasking to handle the commander’s hail. It must be a lot for one to handle, he thought as he reflected on his own command ambitions.

Etan: =/\= Lieutenant Sherlock, status report. =/\= ::his tone mostly steady:;

Sherlock: =/\= We're in the middle of trying to disable some sort of defensive system on the moon. =/\=

Bridge Crew: =/\= Response. =/\=

 

Maxwell: Response.

Arlill: Well at least we know the bridge crew is alive.

Etan: ::he looked at Na’Shaala and wondered where to possibly begin. :: oO You can fill Aine in on the details later. :: =/\= We have come to learn that the emplacements were left by a hostile species a quarter billion years ago as… as some sort of security system to keep the inhabitants on the planet. =/\=

Arlill: ::Cutting into the conversation:: =/\= There’s not much we can do from here. =/\=

Sherlock: =/\= That's unfortunate to hear. This thing is something else. =/\=

Bridge Crew: =/\= Response. =/\=

Maxwell: Response.

Etan: =/\= What is the Commodore’s condition? =/\=

Sherlock: /\= Stable, and currently in contact with some sort of temporal beings. =/\=

Bridge Crew: =/\= Response. =/\=

Arlill / Maxwell: Response.

There Commander paused, and then gave the order Josh didn’t want to hear.

Etan: =/\= Aine, if the battle turns against you, I want you to take the ‘Oumuamua out of the fight and leave the system. 300 people on the ship need protecting. That’s an order. =/\=

Josh had no intention of taking permanent residence on the planet; while ascension sounded a bit fascinating, the engineer’s vanity wasn’t quite ready to lose the flesh and bones.

Bridge Crew: =/\= Response. =/\=

Sherlock:=/\= Aye, Sir. We'll talk when I get you back here. Sherlock, out. =/\=

Arlill / Maxwell: Response.

Something had been bothering Josh since they entered the room. If his brain continued to be this itchy, he’d need to administer an antihistamine.

Herrick: ::looking to Na’Shaala:: What is the right question?

Maxwell / Arlill / Etan / Na’Shaala: Response.

That was a rather unsatisfying answer. Arlill had been possessed temporarily, and even if the possessor didn’t enjoy his body — whatever the reason — it still happened.

Maxwell / Arlill / Etan / Na’Shaala: Response.

---

Lieutenant JG Josh Herrick

Acting Chief Engineer

USS ‘Oumuamua

O240005JH3

he/him/his (player/character)