Until it's over

Posted on Mon Dec 2nd, 2024 @ 12:42pm by Captain Rovak & Lieutenant Alph & Commander Alex Flynn & Lieutenant Rune Thul & Doctor Intharia T'Zor & Lieutenant Commander Atna & Ensign Abra Akzhouri & Ensign P'Lar & Dalek Muul & Navigator Korusca & SubLieutenant Attania Viren
Edited on on Mon Dec 2nd, 2024 @ 1:09pm

1,276 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: DownTime [1]
Location: Shuttlebay, USS Excalibur
Timeline: 1440 - MD02 - After 'The limits of diplomacy'

The team in the shuttlebay followed Alph towards the exit, satisfied at their victory over the strange, deadly bronze object. A few meters from the door, an odd phantom breeze suddenly kicked up in the room, catching the attention of the team. At the central point of the shuttlebay’s turntable, where the quantum borer they had banished the object with had sat, the space itself seemed to twist and crystalise. Arcing bolts of energy began to discharge from the central point of the distortion, sparking from the points they touched. A blinding light flashed, and when it abated, the object had returned, floating above the turntable.

“YOUR SCHEMES HAVE FAILED. DALEKS ARE SUPREME! EXTERMINATE!” The object aimed its gunstick limb at Alph and discharged another bolt. The blast passed directly through the Android, boring a hole in his chest and sending him limp against the floor with a thud.

"Nooo! Alph!" Rune called out, though he held his rifle across his elbows it was now useless since his hands were burned. He couldn't defend his fellow officers. He wanted to go and retrieve Alph's body, but the remaining team members were top priority. "Go into the corridors, run." He stressed and half ordered, though knew full well that it was Commander Flynn's call, but he figured running might be the best option as their weapons appeared useless.

Thari charged clouds of biotic energy in her hands, ready to deploy another barrier to keep anyone under fire safe. She walked briskly backwards, watching the object carefully. She hoped Alph's mechanical nature meant there was still some chance he could recover when they could safely return for him. If.

Viren fired bursts of phase-disruptor fire as she ran for the door. Her accuracy was impressive, but her shots harmless against whatever shield protected the thing. Hatred burned in her for what it had done to Alph. She wanted to crack that bronze trash can open and set fire to whatever was inside.

"EXTERMIN-" The object shouted again, but was cut off mid-syllable as a thick pillar of phaser energy impacted it from behind, fired from the Hou Yi's dorsal emitter. The low energy burst did not generate a great deal of heat, but it was enough to pin the object against the large starfleet delta above the shuttlebay door. The beam continued until the emitter reached its safety limit.

Almost as soon as the phaser had dissipated, a blast came from the object, exploding directly into he emitter. The object flew across the room, over the top of the runabout Hou Yi to the very edges of the outer door. With its beam it carved an opening just big enough for it to fit through. It shunted the disconnected piece of metal out of the way and passed through, then up out of the shield barrier into the ocean above. It was gone.

After a silent moment of surprise, Korusca's voice came through their combadges. "The object is departing the planet. Please proceed to your intended locations, I will put Lieutenant Alph in stasis." As he said it, a transporter beam consumed and dissipated Alph from his position on the floor.

Viren felt a sting of sadness as Alph beamed away, but there was nothing more she could do. She holstered her weapon and followed the others.

"Thank you Navigator, beam us up as well?" Rune asked.

"Aye, sir. Beaming yourself and Lieutenant T'Zor to the sickbay." With a blue shimmer, the pair disappeared. "Beaming remaining team to the bridge." Korusca advised in his distant, almost imaginary voice.

By the time Thul had been treated and returned to the bridge with Atna, communications had been restored to DS13, and the command centre appeared on the screen, with Rovak in the centre. There was no time to appreciate the aesthetics of the perfectly preserved 2360's style bridge.

Atna took the science station by instinct, wondering what she might learn from the ship's sensors.

"We did not detect any distress calls from the Gascoyne or either of the support shuttles." Rovak explained. "But we are not detecting them, either. Do you think it is likely that this object left the system?" The Commander asked, but before anyone could respond, there was the sound of an explosion within the CIC. All in view ducked with surprise, and looked up to something that had appeared there. Rovak backed away from his position.

"I am Commander Rovak of Deep Space 13. I believe you have encountered my crew on the 25th moon of the fifth planet. You know that we are peaceful explorers and we mean you no harm. Our Federation would be honored to learn more of you and your people." He told whatever it was that seemed to be suspended near the roof of the command centre.

"YOU ARE A FEDERATION OF INFERIORS. YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!" The Object's shrill staccato voice came unmistakably back through the Excalibur's bridge speakers. Before Rovak could respond, a spear of blue-green light struck him, illuminating his skeleton briefly before he fell limp. Across the CIC the assembled command staff either opened fire with their phasers or began to flee, but one by one their bones became visible as a shot from the object's weapon struck them. "EXTERMINATE!" It continued to shout, even once only corpses remained in the command centre, and it had moved out into the hall, continuing its massacre.

The feed from the station's CIC to the Excalibur stopped, only the close-up view of DS13 was visible on the viewscreen. Small explosions seemed to emerge from the outer edges at progressing points across it as they watched.

"Flynn to DS13. DS13 come in." Alex repeated into the silence. "Akzhouri, get them back."

"Signal is terminated from the other end, ma'am. If nobody pushes receive, we can't force them." Akzhouri explained, though she knew Flynn knew that already.

"Damnit." Alex whispered under her breath. "We have to get back over there." She said to nobody in particular.

"The station's crew is better armed and far more numerous, ma'am. I do not believe our presence would make a significant difference to their tactical situation." P'Lar gave her assessment, and Alex knew she was right.

"Let's go," Rune urged on. "Would transporters lock on to it?" He asked the group. "When we get there, we could put it in the transporter buffer."

Intharia felt a fear she hadn't felt in her time in this universe, perhaps not even since the war. "By the goddess..." Was all she could manage.

Atna said nothing, but quietly recalled all she had known of their Commander. He was a good man, and an honorable Vulcan. None of them deserved this.

On the screen, explosions continued to burst from the outer edges of the station's main sphere. A long particle beam emerged and cut across the surface, causing a sequence of secondary explosions along where it had cut. Moments later, the entire station was consumed in a massive explosion from within. The space where it had occupied the screen sat empty, the twisted remains of the outer docking arms floated off into oblivion.

The sight did not make Atna emote, but it was enough to make her stand and move towards the railing. Intharia's hand went to her mouth with shock.

"Imzadi... Kids!" Rune cried out as he watched the station get consumed by the conflagration that blossomed outwards. He just stared at the screen in utter shock.

"That's enough." Alex said. "Screen off." Alex hadn't moved or made any expression since the station had gone up in what she assumed was a multi-reactor breach. "We're getting some answers. Now."

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