Something feels out of place (Part IV)
Posted on Fri Sep 21st, 2018 @ 11:30am by Lieutenant Commander Larim Myles & Ensign Dana Wakefield
Edited on on Fri Sep 21st, 2018 @ 4:20pm
2,000 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4 - The Sum of Our Parts
Location: Briefing Room Warship Pioneer
Timeline: MD002 1100 hrs
"I spent some time this morning briefing Dana on the status of our task force, as well as what we have been able to ascertain regarding the temporal anomaly. We are agreed that we need to take it out, with specific modulation." She looked at the Captain, saying, "What I haven't told you yet is that I am convinced this reality, as we know it, will collapse upon closing the anomaly. I understand there are several different effects at play. Some different quantum realities are affected by having people injected in them or exchanged with others, all those who were close to the anomaly in the reality in which it was first formed. We are not one of those. Ours is a small bubble that is unstable, and that needs to be re-integrated with the whole. The bad news is, once we've done that, there will be very few traces left of our efforts here, maybe none. The good news is, in the other reality we're not losing a war against the Dominion. The Federation, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, they're stable and relatively amicable towards each other." She raised her hand to prevent any protest. "We should not attempt to preserve this reality, it cannot last. Someone will collapse the anomaly and we will simply vanish, but if that someone doesn't do it right, the primary reality might be damaged. We, in our other forms, might come back mentally or physically deformed, as out of a bad transporter accident."
May 28 2394 1100 hrs (relative time)
The briefing, arguments and counter-arguments continued for at least another twenty minutes. Although they were not on good terms, Dana had been completely honest with her father about the importance of this mission.
“I know you don’t believe that I can lead a crew, or specifically that I can lead your crew.” She said while giving out a loud sigh, she looked at her father, her passion and determination showing, “But the fate of the Federation rests on this mission, I…” she paused for a moment “I will succeed… or I will die trying.”
Wilfred’s eyes broke away from Dana’s, he looked towards Sophia. He was a proud man, he knew what he was capable of, what this crew was capable of and indeed what the Federation itself was capable of, the problem was he did not know what his daughter was capable of.
“And that’s the problem my dear. The fate of the federation, of this war, rests squarely on your shoulders.” Wilfred stood up, pulling at his tunic, looking at both Sophia and Dana, concern both on his face and in his eyes. “I’ve said it before and I will say it again, you are an excellent strategic planner, but Dana my child, you are not a natural born leader, you have never had command responsibility, you do not know how to handle people or the responsibility of command…” Again, he paused for a moment, he had to be honest. “You're asking me to step aside, yet a good leader knows when to delegate, when they are not the best person for the job, they seek the opinions of those closest to them and then they make an informed decision. I am the best person to lead this charge, the best person to ensure that this mission is successful.”
Dana turned and glanced out at the stars, her mind wandering while her father’s voice blended into the background. This was turning into a pissing match, but she was the superior officer and although she might lack certain qualities, she knew deep down that she would do and give her best and that as a Captain, he should be respecting the chain of command, then a gentle cough focused her attention back into the room, she glanced at Sophia.
"We need you in engineering in case our plan fails", Sophia explained to him. "And we need you to prepare our plan B with your engineering crew with as much secrecy as possible. If our torpedo doesn't do the job, we'll need to try a short-range deflector pulse. The ship will not survive that, nor anyone aboard, but it is the only other way. I've run the simulations several times and they all say it's the only way to be sure. The torpedo has a chance of only 35 per cent. You're the only one we think has the ability to see this through and keep your team together and focused." She tapped a few buttons and displayed what information they had on the anomaly on the viewscreen behind her, while a three-dimensional holographic image of it appeared above the table, slowly rotating. "The purpose of this operation is to get this ship close enough to the anomaly. All the other vessels are here just to make sure this happens. If we succeed, we'll all wake up in a timeline as it was supposed to happen, though I doubt we'll remember any of this."
Dana signed as she watched her friend trying to convince her father, this was what Sophia was good at, she remained level-headed and calm and Dana appreciated it, but she raised a hand. “I think you have come to understand, Sophia, that my father is as stubborn as me, you are not going to convince him.” Taking a deep breath she nodded at him “Captain, return to your station and get us underway to rendezvous with the rest of the task force.” The Captain nodded back with half a smile on his face, Dana had indeed succumbed for the moment, noticing the simile she thought to herself ‘I may have lost this pissing match, but the contest wasn’t over’ Dana then turned her focus to Sophia “Now the work starts, friend, coordinate with the fleet, inform them we need to get underway, I want ship status conditions and confirmation of readiness before we arrive."
Sophia nodded. "I'm still convinced he can coordinate his engineers from the bridge just as well as from down in engineering, and your position coordinating the task force should be a lot easier this way. But I'll try to convince him again of what I don't think is the best course of action, if it just keeps you, two hotheads, actually cooperating. This issue is too important for family quarrels, and once resolved they won't matter anyway." Sophia was already resigned to the idea that nothing they did mattered except getting the job done, the primary reason she hadn't pursued any hobbies since learning about the anomaly, even if that meant Dana thought she was now a dull woman. She'd seen similar traits in others before, mostly extremists and fanatics, but this time the science data was clear, and there were no other possible interpretations. She was determined, and it showed.
"The other ships, they're all as ready as they're going to be. I've spoken to each and every skipper personally over the past three days, one-on-one and not over the comms. They know what's at stake, and they will not even consider retreat. We must not fail, Dana." Sophia wasn't entirely certain Dana had fully grasped the magnitude of what they were setting out to do, though she hoped she had. "I will be on the bridge if you need me." She felt she'd better keep an eye on what the Captain was doing.
Dana turned back to gaze at the stars, she didn't need to respond to the comments Sophia had just made, all she needed now was some sound advice from Lieutenant Myles on her options and a reassuring smile from Aiden, but that didn't stop her. "Thank you Sophia, your guidance and opinions are always appreciated." she said with the weight of the world on her shoulders, "and could you please send Aiden and Lieutenant Myles in on your way out.”
Sophia nodded and limped out of the room. Once outside, she turned to Larim. "The Admiral is ready to see you now", she started, then in a lower voice, "Tell her what she needs to know, no more. No speculations, long-term trends in strategic objectives beyond this mission. She needs to focus on this, worry about the rest later."
"Right." Larim nodded.
"Oh, and she asked for you as well", she told Aiden. Sophia still didn't like him much, and she was beyond caring whether it showed. He was a distraction, one Dana wanted but could ill afford, in Sophia's opinion.
For a moment Dana was alone, her shoulders sank and she slouched, she was never one to doubt or question herself, but just what was going on here. Something was out of place, her feelings, her emotions, this alternative reality/timeline theory, what if this was the right timeline and reality. For a moment she pondered what she would be doing if she wasn't an Admiral, would she be in Starfleet, would she have a child and a husband?. Then the sound of the briefing room doors opening made her spring back to attention, raising her shoulders back into a commanding position, she gently raised a smile and turned to face the two young men. "Gentlemen, please come in, take a seat." Dana gestured to the table in front of her.
Aiden knew Dana so well, he saw the forced smile, the conflict and doubt in her eyes, he wanted to just take her in his arms and give her a cuddle, but that would have to wait until later, for now he gave her a big warm, loving smile and a little nod of his head as he took a seat.
Larim nodded. "Admiral." he said. All the while his empathic side tingled. Something seemed off, but he didn't let on. Like a conflict of sorts. He'd have to investigate
Dana looked at Larim, he seemed awfully young to be a legal advisor, but then again she must have looked awfully young to be an Admiral.
"I need counsel, I have come to relieve the Captain and take command of this vessel as the Flag Ship for a Classified Mission, but he is reluctant to stand down and yield control, he thinks he is better suited and qualified to execute the mission" she explained without giving too much away
"Reluctant, or just plain stubborn?" Larim half asked. "I've heard about a stubborn streak. But that's beside the point. Admiral, I don't need to know the "Classified details." But, you are his superior officer, per regulations you can assume command. You have every legal right." he began.
"The Captain is in the wrong here. As I see it you have several options. Confine him to quarters. Offer him the post of your XO for the duration of the mission, whatever that is. Or if he gets to "reluctant" brig him for insubordination."
Dana shook her head, this was turning out to be like the Kobayashi Maru exercise at the Academy, she felt as though she was in a no-win situation.
"Very well, I'll consider my options, you both dismissed," she said quickly glancing at the two men, before turning her attention back to the matter at hand, just what was she going to do?
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Larim Myles
Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Junior Grade Dana Wakefield
Chief Operations Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Junior Grade Sophia Meridha
Chief Counselor, Empok Nor
PNPC Niall
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