Cmdr. Josh Herrick: Two's a Pair
Mark P
((Stairwell Between Levels 5 and 6, The Syren’s Song))
Dazed, disoriented, and (thankfully) barefoot, Josh was now back aboard the vessel where all this had started. Previously swept away by a magic rainbow, he and three others -- Alora, Saeihra, and Vitor -- were slowly making their way upward to the bridge. Being a cruiseliner carried the added benefit of having access to a staircase, given that disrepair the turbolift was in.
Now, they were just at the edge of deck six when Josh heard several shouts.
Herrick: Can you make out what they’re saying?
Tito: (kneeling down) Not me
DeVeau: There’s too much of an echo, it’s masking the actual words.
Vharo: Perhaps we'd have better luck going down.
Tito: There’s some sort of argument… Maybe we can see what’s going on?
Josh wasn’t inclined to go hunting down problems, which could be some isolated argument when they had bigger photons to fry. He’d already been set on ascending to the bridge and getting a handle on the situation. He wasn’t alone in that desire.
DeVeau: We need to find a way to re-establish communications with the other ships, or find out where they are, and where our people are.
Vharo: I'm inclined to agree with Commander DeVeau. We have larger picture needs that require our attention.
There was a small thought that tugged at the back of the Terran’s mind.
Herrick: After we confirm they’re in no immediate danger.
A glance at Tito was a not-so-subtle order for the science officer to investigate, and following a shrug and rise, he stepped to the mouth of the lower stairwell exit. Alora was quick to tow, with Josh and Vharo holding back in case things took a turn for the worse.
Tito: (raising his hand) Hey… What's going on here?
But, there was now a void of silence.
DeVeau: Hello?
Curiosity seemed to pique their intel officer, who raised an eyebrow as she descended and joined Vitor. Josh could make out a portion of the corridor as he watched Orion press forward and knock on a door.
Vharo: Hello. Just want to make sure everything is okay, sounded like it was getting heated is all.
Still nothing.
Tito: Response
Herrick: We did hear someone, right?
DeVeau: There were definitely people arguing.
Vharo: (stepping back, glancing at the stairs) There is something off about this presentation, don't know if going looking is going to be the better option.
Well, either the situation resolved itself, there was an embarrassed party, or a body. He prayed to the gods it wasn’t the latter. A press of the door control didn’t yield any joy.
Herrick: Override?
Tito: Response
DeVeau: Careful.
But there wasn’t time for any type of mcgyvering, a beam of fire shot just above the XO’s shoulder in the top-right corner of the door. Falling back, the group made their way behind the door and punched the panel to shut it.
Vharo: Gods, why can't anything on this boat be nice. ::she took a beat, hand ghosting her empty holster.:: I suggest we go a different way unless someone wants to try and have a conversation.
DeVeau: That door isn’t going to hold them for long, whoever it is. (finger pointed toward the door) And we have no firearms to defend us.
There was a level of detail Josh was missing: what exactly had happened during their trip ‘abroad’?
Tito: Response
Saeihra looked over a railing and then rejoined the group.
Vharo: Looks like we are standing in a big circle, we can go around the otherside. Though unless one of you has developed phaser immunity in our time apart, I'm not sure trying to cut off our shooter is the correct decision.
With a shake of her head, Alora moved toward the panel. Prying it open and removing several components, it was rendered inert.
DeVeau: That will keep them from coming this way. (jerking her head to the opposite side) But not that way. If we could get a hold of weapons, that would be ideal.
Josh wasn’t familiar with the ship’s layout, and with an unresponsive computer, that meant that they’d be left to their own genius on how to locate or procure one. All while avoiding getting shot.
Tito: Response
Behind the door, there were two more pulses of phaser fire and the metal appeared to be heating up with an audible hiss.
Vharo: Genuine threat, panicked diplomat or crewmember. Who is not relevant right now, those rounds are live so either we continue to try and talk them off the ledge or we double back to the security station and find something to stun them with.
There’d been training simulations that the first officer had been part of; focusing on the good of the many over that of the few. This was an isolated incident and there was no telling if the Syren’s Song was safe or in danger.
It may not have been a popular order but they had a goal to achieve.
Herrick: Whoever they are, they seem to be holding their own. We need to continue on.
Tito: Response
Then, there was a different sound; a sob. Alora glanced at the door, and then back to the group.
DeVeau: And that changes everything.
She wasn’t wrong; clear danger was much different than working assumptions.
Herrick: Agreed, we’re not leaving someone to get executed.
And hopefully, they’d have some answers.
Vharo: Response
DeVeau: (lowering her voice) If we aren’t careful, we’re going to get killed ourselves. Levels always have more than one access point. We can go around and get to them from other directions.
He lowered his voice before responding.
Herrick: Splitting up… not ideal. ::chewing on it:: But, I don’t see another option.
He cast a glance at the other two officers, lobbing out an invitation for a plan B.
Tito/Vharo: Response.
They could go up or down, but not straight out unless the door's circuitry was replaced. And the observation wasn’t wrong either, doubling their chance of securing weapons.
DeVeau: Vharo, you and I will double around and come in front of them - distract them. Tito, Herrick, you two, try to sneak up from behind and take control of the situation.
Once this mission was over, Josh was debating how he’d broach the subject of her action-oriented approach to high-stakes situations. There were pros and cons, mostly a shake of the dice, but that was what the GQ called for more often than not.
While Josh had his reservations, it wasn’t ultimately a bad plan, and he gave it a nod of approval.
Herrick: All else fails, you can bust out those pipes again.
Tito/Vharo: Response.
Herrick: Let’s just saw that a talent night on the Thor will be added to the social calendar sooner than later. ::looking to Tito:: Right, with me.
They took several steps upward, arriving back to where they’d been several minutes earlier.
Tito: Response
Herrick: Slim pickings, that’s for sure.
In fact, there were zero actual weapons. They could pull off some of the wall panels and find some stiff tubing, but that wouldn’t hold up long. But leave it to their science officer to find the diamond in the rough.
Tito: Response
Herrick: (taking the object) Perfect… now where might we find a… ah!
He pointed to a familiar access ingress, similar in style to a Jefferies Tube.
Tito: Response
Herrick: (climbing into the tube) It might be a good idea to get ourselves a touch of distance wherever we come out rather than literally dropping in on them.
Tito: Response
[Tags]
OOC: We can rejoin the group after the next set of tags.
