Where Am I? Part II
Posted on Thu Apr 18th, 2024 @ 3:41pm by Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen & Lieutenant Commander Hermia O'Rourke & Lieutenant Vura & Captain Edmund Merrick
Edited on on Mon Apr 22nd, 2024 @ 9:22pm
1,649 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Location Unknown
Timeline: MD004 1500 hrs
"Okay, its not a static warp bubble, that would've occurred more slowly." Hermia said aloud.
She grabbed a medical tri-corder and scanned herself. The results were normal for someone who had suddenly found themselves alone on a Intrepid Class starship.
Retrieving the type-2 phaser she kept in a lock box beneath her desk, she headed for the Bridge.
Hermia heard a familiar voice calling her name. Was it a trick? or was Vura really here?
Hesitantly she made her way to the voice reaching out with her mind.
"Hello?" Vura called out again, wondering if she really heard Hermia's voice. The entity that was pretending to be Rowena, or was dominating her, or something, did say that she was not alone. Was it a trick? "Hermia? Is that really you?" the Deltan asked.
Just before seeing Vura, Hermia made contact with the woman's mind.
"Hello, Vura." Hermia said as she laid eyes on her. "I'm so glad to see you."
"You're glad to see me? I'm not certain whether I should be glad to see you or not. I'm not even certain where we are," the Counselor replied concerned.
She scrunched her nose upwards and thought that given the situation, perhaps she should get verification regarding who Hermia said she was. "I'm not even sure that I know that you are you. Tell me something that only I would know about you."
"Well, I told you I only speak Irish when I'm drunk and we made a promise to get drunk together, next time we were both off duty." Hermia said. "But, if that's not enough, one thing I know about you, that no one else does, is that your lips taste like wild berries."
"OK," Vura replied with a small giggle. "It is you, Hermia. Though, I have to ask, what kind of wild berries?" she asked with an amused grin. "And where in the universe are we?" She chastised herself, "I should have known that you were not avoiding me. I should have gone to the Commodore with all of my suspicions."
"I'm no astrophysicist, but my guess is we're in some kind of pocket universe." Hermia said. "As for you're lips, a mixture of uttaberries, raspberries and strawberries." Hermia added with a smile, happy to no longer be alone.
"I'll take your word for it," Vura replied with a warm smile. "I've never really been able to taste my own lips in great depth." She took a deep breath and sighed. "So, do you think that there is anyone else here with us? And how in the universe do we get back to the ship and warn anyone?"
Down the hallway the sound of a door swooshing open then it closing. Then the sound of someone whistling, could be heard. Measured steps which sounded like they were approaching near to where the ladies were at. A familiar looking blonde-haired man came into view. It was Merrick, and he was at a cross section of the corridor getting ready to step into another room.
"Edmund!" Hermia called out recognizing the newcomer.
Vura sighed, grumbling at herself. "I knew that we should have investigated together rather than separately." She then smiled at Edmund and told him with a bit of wimsy, "Guess you could not convince the possessed girlfriend to keep you in the same place as her."
Edmund raised his hand in greeting towards Hermia, then answered Vura. "I don't have girlfriend, Vura. It's not set in stone, and guess she decided to keep me here safe and sound. Who knows what is going on the ship."
"You know I adore you, Edmund, but that's really naive, even for you," Vura told him with an exhausted sigh. "We need to find a way out and get Rowena back to herself."
"Keep away from him, Vura." Hermia shouted. "That's not Edmund." When she spotted Merrick, she'd reached out her mind to probe his thoughts. All seemed well, but a gut feeling made her probe deeper. She's an enveloping darkness, and felt intense feelings of anger, hate and an almost overwhelming thirst for revenge. "Where is Edmund she called out to the thing?"
Edmund looked at Vura, "Well, she isn't my girlfriend, not yet anyway. It will happen sometime maybe, Vura."
At feeling the mental touch of Hermia's mind, "What are you talking about, Hermia? I am Edmund. And perhaps you shouldn't be doing such. If you will excuse me ladies." Giving an impish smile, "I'll be on my way back to my job."
"Which is?" Hermia asked.
"I am the Executive Officer of the Marines. Are you sure you are alright, Hermia?" Edmund replied, a concerned expression showing. "Look it is great to see you two, but I've got to get going back to work."
"Wait right there, Captain." Hermia said. "I didn't dismiss you. As the ranking officer here, you will obey my orders, understood?"
"True, you are the ranking officer for the moment. I do though need to get back to what needs to be done. What are you needing to be done?" Edmund replied, waiting.
"What I'd like to know is what work do you have to do?" Hermia asked. "There are no other Marines here right now."
"Look, not only do I take care of the marine business side of things but, I used to be chief of security at one time and that is what I need to do, check to make certain the ship is secure," Edmund stated rather firmly.
"How can you make sure that the ship is secure in this place?" Vura asked, now starting to get suspicious. She also wondered how Hermia knew or suspected that this was not Edmund. The entire situation was rather confusing.
"Don't listen to him, Vura, it's a trick, I scanned his emotion, and I have never felt such darkness and anger." Hermia explained.
"Do you truly know who I am, Hermia? I am angry, and yes I have darkness inside of which I have not even shown you. Now that you've wasted my time, there is still the matter of the ship that needs to be seen to. Good night ladies." Edmund turned around and started to walk off. "You only know me as the happy go lucky sort of man. Everyone has a dark side to them." He turned to look back at both Vura and Hermia, "Eveyone, which includes me." He turned his head and proceeded down the corridor. "And as far as I am concerned, you are just figments of my imagination."
"I know about your dark side, Edmund," Vura told him. "This is not it. You're not a rude person, nor are we figments." The Deltan started to have her eyes water slightly. She cared about Edmund more than she had cared about anyone in a long time. "So stop playing around Kavickus. You will have to do better than this."
"I am not Kavickus, you are mistaken." Edmund's voice echoed back towards Hermia and Vura, as he rounded the corner moving from their view. "Good luck, figments of my imagination..." his footsteps fading away. " I hope I wake up from this dream..."
"Who's Kavickus?" Hermia asked.
"Kavickus is the amorphous creature that has taken control of Rowena. Apparently he has been sitting inside her for years just waiting to take her over. Now, whatever its plan is, it includes taking the two of us and placing us where we cannot be found. I'm afraid that it is likely my fault. I suspected that something was wrong with Rowena when she told me that she was experiencing time loss. I asked her to get scanned by you. No doubt that if you had scanned her, you would have blown Kavickus' cover. So, you had to be eliminated. You were taken here. In the meantime, I launched my own investigation with Edmund. I tried to get more information out of Corporal Shy during our sessions, as he had been taken over by Kavickus on a prior mission. My nosiness must have been noticed and well, so here I am."
"Thanks for bringing me into the loop, Vura." Hermia said. "Also, thanks for looking for me," she added with a smile.
"Well, I seem to have gotten you into this mess but hopefully we can both find our way out. Now tell me what you sensed about Edmund that was not Edmund."
"I know Edmund's feelings, guilt, regret, but also happiness and kindness. This being with Edmund's face, its surface emotions are similar, but just below there is immense hatred, and a lust for vengeance and death." Hermia said. "It claims not to be Kavickus. If that's true, perhaps it's just a fragment that can act on its own."
"Are you saying that you believe that Kavickus can separate itself somehow? Have multiple versions of itself?"
"Its just a hypothesis I'll need more data to confirm it." Hermia said.
"I'm not certain that hypothesis needs to be tested. We have to figure out where we are and how to get back to the ship. It is likely in danger."
"Agreed." Hermia said. "Let's start with the Bridge."
A Joint Post By
Captain Edmund Merrick
The Cure Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Hermia O'Rourke
Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen
Chief Intelligence Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
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