Away Team IV - Regaining Temporal Control
Posted on Tue May 11th, 2021 @ 12:36am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lieutenant Commander Tyroh Vantic & Major Kaden Ross & Lieutenant Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Lieutenant Freya Savette & Lieutenant Dean House & Lieutenant Thriss Kla'ren
Mission:
Trapped in Time
Location: Alla
Timeline: Current
Alone and afraid that she had made a mistake, Bonnie prepared to make another by approaching the rustling noise coming from a dark corner of the cargo hold. She moved with the grace of a cat as she approached, only to step on a discarded wrapper on the floor. The crackling sound was just loud enough to cause a small panic attack.
From the darkness emerged a squeal and a moment of silence where only heavy breathing and fast heart rates could be heard. Bonnie reached out with her voice, "Whoever you are, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not armed and I am only here to help you."
For a moment there was no response, but then the light over their heads flickered on, illuminating the darkness. Huddled into a ball, rocking her fear away, sat a young girl of about 12 or 13. Her hair long and matted, dirt and blood-encrusted upon her face. Bonnie crouched low, smiled, and held out her hand to show she was kind. "Hi. I'm Bonnie."
Kaden got to his feet pulling off his helmet clearly pissed. "Okay, that's it...I am tired of these temporal musical chairs shit I say we just fire a torpedo and call it a day." He didn't mean it just all the stress and frustration was getting to him.
Rhenora's head snapped around at the use of language on the bridge.
" I beg your pardon Major?" Her eyebrow arched towards him, almost daring him to repeat it.
Shaking his head Kaden took a seat on the floor his nerves were shot. "Sorry, Captain, I didn't mean it just..." He trailed off honestly he didn't want to confess to the fact he was scared.
" I understand, it must have been very stressful. Please join us and discuss what you experienced, it may give us a different insight as to how we proceed" She motioned the frazzled Marine to join the huddle.
Nodding Kaden stood up and came over to join the others.
Meanwhile, Commander Savar had joined the team at the Ops station and were reviewing the temporal readings and aligning them with what the away team had experienced.
"Here is the problem Captain the phase variances for the ship and away team are not in alignment. The ship is trying to counter the phase of the armbands Lt. Durnell came up with."
"What about those aliens on the ship? Where did they come from?" Kaden asked setting his helmet on the console resting his arm on top of it.
" They're unlike anything I had ever seen in person, however, they do bare a remarkable resemblance to an old children's book my parents used to read" Rhenora reviewed the footage again.
"What the hell kind of books they read you? Children's books are supposed to help you sleep not keep you awake fearing some boogeyman." Kaden retorted.
"They're also used to stop children from wandering off with tales of monsters in the dark" Rhenora smirked. Truth be told Bajoran children's tales were darker and had very specific agendas.
She eyed Bonnie with odd curiosity even as she reached out her hand to touch. The fear in her eyes was clear as she guessed the young girl had been alone and or terrified for quite some time. But then as they touched, she spoke. "You're not of Bajor. I remember you said you'd come."
Confused Bonnie helped the girl stand to her feet. She was skinny, well underfed. "What else do you remember?" Bonnie asked while keeping her voice calm and collected despite this strange piece of news.
"I found your box and the shiny broach and Ma told me your voice gave her hope." She looked away into the distance. "That was before."
"Before what dear? Can you tell me what happened here? I remember the old man over there was alive the last time I had seen him."
She looked back to Bonnie, "Bernoff passed many sleeps ago. Many sleeps." She said repeating herself. Bonnie could tell by her speech patterns that while she was intelligent, her learning suggested limited growth, placing her around a 3rd or 4th-grade reading level. This brought Bonnie back to the book of children's poems she had picked up.
Back on the bridge the Ops and transporter teams accompanied by the expertise of Major Ross and Commander Savar worked on retrieving the remainder of their away team. Both Bonnie and Lt House were still unaccounted for - their life signs and signal locks flittering so quickly it was hard to transport them when they were in the right temporal location.
"Most frustrating," Savar commented as he tried repeatedly to get a transporter lock on Lts. Durnell and House. He stopped and studied the readings. "Captain, I'm picking up three life signs on the Bajaron ship."
"Three?" Rhenora replied before her brain caught up and realized they may not get another chance to beam the team back again "Lock on and beam them directly to the bridge, security teams standby""
"Engaging transporter lock, transporting..... " A moment later three figures appeared on th bridge.
Bonnie no more than blinked before she felt Naprem cling to her in fear. Naprem, a pre-teen with a child's mind had never before experienced a transporter, let alone a room full of Starfleet officers. Bonnie was her only bridge to the outside and right now Naprem had been tossed into the deep end. They hugged each other tightly as Bonnie looked around, everyone appeared to be back.
Dean was just about to read the note he'd left for himself from the past. Just in case that continued, or if they never got out of it. At least someone would have an idea of what not to do. The blue of the transport stream was a blessing but where was he...Oh! The Bridge, "Thank god.."
Phasers were drawn as the three appeared, the security team converging on the center of the bridge as the three figures rematerialized. Rhenora could see Lt. House, Lt. Durnell, but the third seemed to be a younger girl.
Kaden instinctively put his hand on his sidearm stepping between the girl and Freya using his body to shield her should anything go down. But he kept his weapon holstered until he had a better idea who or what the kid was, he was not going to pull a gun on her.
Last he checked, Dean, didn't remember them leaving with a child over onto the ship. This should be interesting to see what happened.
"Captain." Bonnie defended, "This girl is not a threat. She was just about to tell me what was going on, but I'm not sure she will at gunpoint." She stood between Naprem and the raised phasers, ready to take the shot if she had to.
"Lower your weapons" Rhenora ordered, realizing this child wasn't a threat to them, more an unfortunate victim of happenstance.
Freya appreciated her husband’s response wanting to protect her, she nodded politely and offered a warm smile as she sidestepped and moved slightly forward. “Hi” She smiled at the young girl as she crouched down to make herself less scary. “I’m Freya Ross, there’s no need to be afraid you’re safe here.” She offered Bonnie a smile as she stood up again.
Bonnie released Naprem and came down to her level. "Listen. You know me, my voice anyway. I need you to trust me when I tell you that we are only here to help. These are my friends." Naprem didn't say anything, just looked around, then back to Bonnie and nodded. That was the best it would get. She refused to let go of Bonnie's hand though as Bonnie stood and faced the Captain.
Rhenora couldn't help but hold her breath, she had no idea if they rescue the rest of this young woman's crew and or family. Would she be a refugee from a different timeframe with no home and no family?
"Captain, I trust you've received my tricorder and now have a better understanding of the temporal anomaly on that ship. Just in my short time over there, I came to understand what was going on, and if Naprem can fill in the details I may have a way of saving everyone. That is unless you feel it violates a temporal law or something." She looked around at the number of people on the bridge. "Maybe we could go to the conference room?"
Remembering the note he still had in hand, Dean looked down to read it. "Oh no! Captain, we've got to get out of here. I went back to leave myself this. The age and stress and probably the temporal eddies put to much strain on the core."
Rhenora felt torn, the urge to protect her ship warring with the urge to rescue those still possibly trapped on that freighter.
"Dean...show me that note, and your data" the Captain ordered.
Dean moved over to show the note on the Bajorian PADD. It read - 'We..amusing isn't it..turned off the inhibitor and started going back through different periods. After scans on the core since we were in Engineering, if I can read this right. I'm not sure about this display. It might be heading towards a breach because of the stress and age and all that. Reminder to study Bajorian Engineering systems if we get back. The data is on your Tricorder.' - He reached down to get the Tricorder out and give it to her as well.
Rhenora took the padd and the tricorder, reviewing the readings displayed as well as the data stored within both units. The engines did show a state of decay and instability however she had an inkling they would be able to stablise them before they did infact breach.
"I think we can stablise them enough for now, however get Engineering on the job to see if they can come up with some ideas as to how." Rhenora handed the padd back to Dean. She turned back to Bonnie and their new arrival.
" You're safe here, and we'll do everything we can to rescue your ship. I'd like to have one of our doctors look you over to make sure you're ok" She addressed the young woman. "Bonnie, can you take her to sickbay, I'll have Aurora meet you both there"
As they left the bridge the Captain breathed a sigh of relief. Her crew were safe, they just had to rescue the Bajoran ship now.
