Go and Relax
Posted on Tue Jan 19th, 2016 @ 5:56pm by Captain Jurue Soroca
1,056 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4 - Parallels
Location: USS Perseus
Timeline: Day 1 - 0754
"Are you sure Bryanna?" Captain Jurue Soroca asked Commander Morgan.
"Yes," She smiled at the Captain. "Go and relax. I know your shift doesn't end for another 2 hours, but I was bored, and I ran out of reports to write." She laughed.
"Fine. But I will be in my quarters finishing some of my own reports. Though I suppose I could have given them to you to finish." Jurue laughed. She left the bridge, leaving Commander Morgan in charge.
Jurue Soroca had been Captain of the USS Perseus for around a year and a half. Commander Bryanna Morgan has been the XO for more or less the same time. They had worked together for quite a number of years before that too.
The walk to her quarters was quick, only a minute or so. She sat at her desk, and checked the duty roster. Commander Morgan, Lieutenant Commanders Thoria th’Shavalr and Syrrak and Lieutenant Anton Weyer were on duty now, with various other officers. But those 4 officers had been on the Perseus about as long as she had.
She sat at her desk, and pulled up the report. A comm signal beeped.
"Bridge to Captain Soroca. We are receiving an odd transm…." The comm channel closed.
"Soroca to Bridge. Report." The comm channel was closed again. Closed from the bridge. Something was up. She stood, exited her quarters and headed down the corridor for a turbolift back up to the bridge. When it arrived, she stepped in. Major Nicola Peaks was inside. Soroca nodded to the Major. The Major nodded back, but moved her hand to her holstered phaser.
This raised red flags for Soroca immediately. She opened her mind, and mentally brushed through the Majors mind. One thought was going through it repeatedly, Soroca just repeated it. "Pity is treason." Major Peaks instantly relaxed. Her thoughts calmed. The turbolift came to a halt, but before the doors opened Soroca scanned the bridge. Something terrible had happened. She began to calm herself for the scene that she suspected was coming. The doors opened.
Lieutenant Commander Syrrak was lying still, eyes open, next to the Security station, a phaser burn visible on his chest, phaser in hand. Lieutenant Weyer was slumped over his Operations console and Commander th’Shavalr was in a crumpled heap in front of the viewscreen. There were other members of crew lying in various positions, phaser burns on most. Major Peaks walked over to Commander Morgan, who also held a phaser in her hand and stood to attention.
"I have disabled the long range transmitter. and locked out the the engineering consoles. Non essential personnel have been sealed in whatever locations they were in. The remaining senior officers are unaware of what has transpired. Lieutenant Ryda is in a science lab, and Commander T’Sai is in sickbay. Captain Soroca accompanied me to the bridge."
It was at this point Commander Morgan beckoned Captain Soroca over to her. "Captain, I assume you are aware of what's going on here. And you must be aware that I am now in command of this vessel."
Captain Soroca read the bridge minds as quick and subtly as she had ever done before. "Yes, Captain, Pity is treason." She noticed something different. She sensed another presence. Commander th’Shavalr was alive. Barely, but he was still alive. She reached out to him. He was conscious enough to talk back.
"Thoria, what happened?"
"Bryanna, Anton, took everyone by surprise." It took most of Soroca’s strength to hold it together at this revelation.
"Do you have a phaser?" Her thoughts filling with anger, her stony face hiding it all.
"Yes, give me the word Captain."
The Major was still talking to Commander Morgan as Soroca walked over to the Ops station. She picked up Anton’s body, feeling disgust. She placed his body on the floor and began tapping the console, on the pretense of getting the ship back to normal. She grabbed the phaser and leaned down to place it on Anton’s body. She filled her every fibre with every painful thought, every angry thought every bad feeling she ever had. She looked to Morgan, who happened to glance at her. Instantly she directed every thought at Morgan and Major Peaks. Momentarily stunned, Soroca took her chance, raised her phaser and hit Morgan square in the chest.Commander th’Shavalr fired from his position and hit Major Peaks in the back. They both hit the floor.
Soroca ran to Thoria’s side. The phaser burn to his upper shoulder was still oozing his blue blood. She tapped her comm badge. "Bridge to T’Sai, medical emergency on the bridge. Code 979 protocols. Bridge out."
A few minutes later the turbolift arrived on the bridge. Soroca scanned the inhabitants. Commander T’Sai was in there, with 2 security officers. She raised her phaser, before tapping a console and unlocking the lift. The 3 people in the lift started to move before seeing the raised phaser. "Don't move." She scanned all 3 of them. Scanned, searching their thoughts for the phrase ‘Pity is Treason’. There was no trace. One of the security officers gasped, visibly distressed by the scene before him. The Vulcan doctor showed no emotion, but a look of confused was apparent on her face.
"What happened Captain?" The Vulcan asked.
"Commander Morgan, Lieutenant Weyer and Major Peaks attempted to mutiny. Something about Pity is treason. Having had a quick browse of the logs, it appears subspace is currently being flooded with transmissions of those 3 words ‘pity is treason’. It appears to have some sort of reaction in some people, and they attacked those on the bridge." She gestured to Commander th’Shavalr. "Thoria took a shot to the shoulder, but he managed to survive. We need to get in touch with Gamma Command. There's no telling how widespread this is."
"We need to secure the ship, and locate any other potential mutineers." T’Sai responded.
"Agreed. Computer, lock all command functions, my voice authorisation only. Any and all attempts to break it, I am to be notified immediately."
"All command functions are now locked to your voice authorisation."
"One problem down. Our nearest Starbase is Unity. I'm setting course, maximum warp. Let's get this ship moving."