Christopher Gone?

Posted on Mon Nov 8th, 2021 @ 4:21pm by Commander Alexis Agrax (*) & Petty Officer 2nd Class Halla Dezom (*) & Commander Adamya Ryon & Commander Christopher Mitchell & Commander Maxun Spello & Lieutenant Asher Davis & Major Levi Drake

Mission: Cosmos
Location: Rannadus Prime
Timeline: January 2397
1364 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Halla winced as the tricorder was run across the eyes for what felt like the millionth time. She had been blinded by the light from the cube but now that she could see again she was annoyed by people fussing over her whilst she sat on the floor in her pyjamas. She looked up at the faces of the senior officers who had come from tents at her yelling in search of the commander.

“Look I have told you all for the millionth time what happened. The cube came from the sky, crash landed. We came out here to investigate and then there was a flash of light and the Commander was gone.” She snapped, batting away the tricorder. “My eyes are fine.”

Feeling defensive of Halla in spite of himself, Levi couldn't help but take her side. "No signs of struggle. Nor any remains; even a disruptor on disintegration setting would leave some trace, but there's nothing to say that happened. Looks like he's just gone."

“People do not just go poof.” Alexis said feeling sick to her stomach.

“There was literally a flash of light. It left me blinded.” Halla snapped before she realised it was Levi and chastised herself mentally. The last hour had been testing as the medical officers worked on her sight as she tried to explain what had happened.

Maxun was busy investigating the cube in question, while keeping a safe distance from it. "These readings make zero sense!" He smacked the side of his tricorder.

"Woah, easy there. Maybe try giving it a little love. I imagine that tricorders never get sweet nothings whispered to them." Asher said, not wanting the equipment to get broken in case it did start working correctly.

“Everyone take a deep breath. I am the one I charge here.” Alexis said firmly. This was a security issue and she was the security chief. “What are the readings saying Commander?” Alexis called from her position with the petty officer who had been with the executive officer.

If the Bajoran were honest with himself, Ryon had never seen anything quite like this. Sure, in his time he had seen people vanish or some other mystery but there was always some thing that they could track. "Is there anything that we could trace, maybe tacyons or some form of energy signature?" he added with the calmness of a former starship Captain.

Maxun glanced over quickly, then back to his, clearly malfunctioning, tricorder. "Well, for one thing, I'm picking up power and radiation levels that are through the roof. Except, I can't detect where this power is being generated from. Secondly, I do not recognize the material that this...whatever it is, is made of. Nothing in it's design matches anything that Starfleet Intel has ever encountered."

“Ms Dezom? Are you okay to stand now?” Alexis demanded and watched as the woman defiantly got off the floor and looked at everything that was going on despite how vulnerable she felt in her PJs. “Will take that as a yes,” Alexis commented as she rose.

Levi removed his field jacket and draped it over Halla's shoulders to keep her warm. "Do we need to keep our distance?" he asked, motioning to the object.

“Thank you Major.” Halla said professionally but offered him a thankful smile.

“Without a doubt.” Alexis snapped as she took the tricorder from Maxun and looked at it herself. It did not make much sense to her security mind but it could not be completely useless. “Davis?”

"Hey!" Maxun cried out. "I would've handed it over, had you asked, Commander."

"Don't. It was not taken like that Commander." Alexis said shooting him a not the time for dramatic look. "Davis... what could this all mean." He was the brains that they had with them right now. Most of them were brawn other than Demoz and the man Alexis was hoping would be able to explain what was going on and how they could fix it and find the man.

"All we can say for certain is that this is either a phenomenon or technology that our technology doesn't know what to make of. The tricorder seems to be working in the way it was designed. It just doesn't have the reference to understand what it's picking up." He took a deep breath, " but I'd hazard a guess to say it was technology as I've never seen that kind of power produced in nature. I could be wrong." He wished he had answers for her. "

“It would have to be very specific to pick the commander over me we were practically within a meter of each other.” Halla spoke up trying to help.

“So we have no idea where Commander Mitchell is?” Alexis said feeling a sickness rising in her belly at the thought of losing her friend. He was one of the few men who looked deeper into her and who Alexis Agrax and whose company she enjoyed and valued.

"Doesn't look like it. But we won't stop looking, right?" Levi responded. He could sense the mood - particularly from Halla and Agrax - was low. They needed a little encouragement. "Never leave a man behind."

"Of course we won't Major. We will not be leaving him or anyone else behind," Alexis assured quietly as she started to look around and took a step closer to the cube to look at it better. "If this came from the sky... how does it look so perfect? Comets or meteorites do not come down looking so perfect." Alexis asked trying to ask the questions that were outside the box.

Maxun was still crouched along the outer perimeter of the...whatever it was. And yet, something about it seemed vaguely familiar somehow, he just couldn't figure out what.

He stood up and started to slowly circle the object, trying to make out the markings on it. Finally frustrated, he decided to perform an experiment. He took two steps inside the blast radius of the object.

Levi frowned. "Hey, maybe don't-" He moved forward to intercept the other man, but before he could get even a step, there was a bright flash of light and a sudden wave of force that knocked everyone nearby sprawling; Levi and Maxun seemed to take the brunt of it, almost knocked up into the air and down to the ground again.

As the flash dissipated, and the dust settled, the blinking eyes of the landing party noticed that their number had grown by one: unconscious on the ground lay Christopher, still and unmoving.

Halla winced as she was hit by the force for the second time but at least this time she could still see after it. She crawled over to Levi wincing at what felt like she had been run over by a shuttle. ”Are you alright?” She asked watch sitting up as Alexis noticed that Christopher was there.

"I'm good. Just...winded..." he grunted, not wanting anyone to see his discomfort. He rose back to his feet, brushing off dirt and checking the surround by habit.

“If you are unhurt check on someone down.” Alexis ordered. “Christopher? Hey Mitchell?” She called rolling over to see the man lying on the floor properly. She crawled unable to get her bearings enough to stand from where she had been sent sprawling.

There was no answer from the XO; he remained completely unconscious and unresponsive.

From several meters away, Maxun groaned from where he had landed. He tried to get up, but collapsed back doen to the ground.

“Stay down.” Halla called as medical alerted by the commotion started to move around everyone.

Maxun grunted his agreement with her commands. He was in no hurry to stand.

"We should get him back to the ship for examination," Levi urged, motioning to the XO.

Maxun rolled onto his back and accepted the medical assistance.

“Anyone who was swept up in the shock wave needs to return to the ship, even you Major.” Alexis nodded standing up as the medical officers came over to them finally allowing Alexis to stand up. Her order gave no one a chance to argue as medical agreed with her.