MISSION START - And it was all going so well...

Posted on Sun May 21st, 2017 @ 3:54pm by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Alika Mahone

Mission: Mission 4 - Combustion
Location: Deck 4 - Main Crew Quarters
Timeline: MD 01 :: 03:00
699 words - 1.4 OF Standard Post Measure

A tick tick tick was heard echoing through the cargo bay. The watchkeeper walking through stopped looking around, he had been hearing the noise on his passes through for the last few times but he hadn’t been able to find it. Ever since the Aradana’s had come onboard he had been finding them in the Cargo Hold. He was relieved that this time there was no one trying to get into whatever box they needed something from, it had been we need this hat for this, or this book for that every time he had been through that compartment. He had reported it to the Quartermaster but he hadn’t been concerned as Security had checked the Cargo.

“Hello?” He called hearing the ticking sound getting closure and then stopped. As he turned the sudden realisation of the silence hit him, many questions flashed through the watchkeepers mind but the most important one was why? Why a bomb…

Silence descended throughout the ship as most of the crew mostly slept. It was broken by a sudden bang and the ship lurching violently. Any lights that had been on suddenly went dark for a split second before they returned much dimmer than before. The yellow alert lights flashed throughout the ship as the computer announced an issue on the ship.

"YELLOW ALERT! YELLOW ALERT! All CREW REPORT TO YELLOW ALERT STATIONS." The computers feminine voice announced over the hidden speakers throughout the ship.

Rueben awoke with a start as the computer systems went straight to yellow alert without any warning. He sat up grabbing a tee shirt pulling it over his head as he pulled on a pair of trousers shoving his feet into boots that he kept close to his bed just in case. He didn’t think they were under attack so it had to be the computer automatically increasing preparedness upon detection of certain system malfunctions. He charged into the corridor nearly bumping into his First Officer as he did.

Alika, clad in the comforts of her red tank top and dinosaur pyjama pants, stopped short of colliding with Rueben as he came down the hall. She put her hands on her hips, frowning at him and shooting a look upward to the source of the blaring alarms. "Is this a drill? What happened?!"

Rueben looked at her mouth open for a moment thinking he hadn't really heard the voice of the computer properly before his head snapped back to the here and now. "Why would I do a drill at zero three hundred and not inform my 'Executive Officer'?" He demanded quickly.

"Ya gotta quit calling me that, or I'll be calling ya Captain Starfleet again." Alika pointedly complained.

"Not the time, or place to discuss that." Rueben just looked at her and frowned going to the nearest console screen. He pulled up what was going on, on his ship. "Da major problems. Deck 6 has a fire." He pressed a button next to the display screen. "All hands to Damage control stations... Fire Deck 6, Converted Cargo Holds." He announced calmly over the intercom.

Alika folded her arms against her chest, squinting at the display. "Isn't that where we caught that one guy nosing around? Nothing in that cargo should have been touched enough to burst into flames - unless it meant to en route."

The big man nodded, the converted Cargo bays held nothing flammable and was just used for storing luggage and anything not used day to day. "Nothing in there to cause a fire. You go to the bridge, I will go to the Cargo Bay." The Captain said going towards the nearest turbolift before changing his mind remembering basic fire procedures for this old ship and went to the nearest emergency ladder.

"Smartest thing that's happened all night." Alika mock-saluted Rueben, making her way to the next turbolift. Maybe everything would magically straighten itself out and she could get her beauty rest.

Somehow, she doubted it. And it had been such a quiet month.

OFF::

Alika Mahone
Ship Ops Chief/First Officer
SS Mary Rose

Rueben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose