Planned Escape

Posted on Mon Apr 1st, 2019 @ 8:06pm by Reessem Nubohn KIA (*) & Jeassaho Kea (*) & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers & Mazzin Vayri

Mission: Mission 8 - Shattered
Location: Grotto
Timeline: MD03 - 05:30
2008 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

"So, needless to say, we are in a bit of a bind."

Through some miracle, a remainder of their misfit crew had themselves holed up in the grotto. She would have thought it the first place anyone looked, what with the mysterious gaping hole in the wall. Perhaps they were lucky, but she didn't expect that luck to last for long. "And I know we're still in the dark, but I do know some of our own are on one of two different vessels. Has anyone managed to figure out anything on the way here?"

"Alternate Universe," Jeassaho spoke up holding her head as she sat on a desk on top of the work that was being done to try and catalogue the place. Her head was hurting from tripping over several items when she had come in. "I've seen a version of Selina, not pregnant and dressed like a whore and I am pretty sure I've seen a version of that transport operator with the bright blue hair."

Eden shivered, she'd heard of the alternate universe and she wanted nothing to do with it, nor did she want to know how her duplicate lived, if at all. She didn't consider herself a strong person and if their upbringings were similar she had no doubt that her doppelganger would already have been killed. Well years ago now that she thought about it. She wasn't even supposed to be in this time so unless some other transporter had saved her counterpart . . .

Mazzin chewed on her fingernail, her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail. "I thought alternate universes was just a crazy myth made up to make people feel better about their lives... cause there is always a version with a life worse than yours." she made a face, She was likely someones worse in that case.

"There were some incidents where certain spatial phenomena caused ships or people to be transferred to alternate universes," Kendra started. As she had been quiet through most of this, she sort of shocked herself by speaking up, "We had to learn about a few in my communications classes at the Academy."

Mazzin was always green, but she looked a little extra green now. At the same time that did mean her former master would never find her again. Not that she was certain he wanted to, he had abandoned her that day, leaving her to distract the attackers in the house.

"Most of the more severe encounters were kept under wraps," Valiyi explained. "Only to those with higher level clearances, but I'm sure if it's possible to be thought of, it exists in some universe or another."

"That much I think we can all agree on," Valiyi spoke quietly, but with firm resolve. Her conversation with Tucker flickered back to his reveal of another version of herself wandering about. There were questions she had. So many questions. "I do know they have taken quite a few of us to see what they know. I'm not certain what they've been after, but I do know that whoever they are will eventually come to find the grotto. So we have little time to formulate a plan. Get in, get our people out, and leave without too much fuss. Or as little fuss as we can make it. The issue is, even those of us with experience on a highly secure vessel cannot assume these ships are set up the same, so we have no idea where on the ships they are, or if they're on both ships. There are quite a few variables, so I would much rather us go in with a plan. A very solid plan. Any ideas?"

As the Betazoid fell silent and no one suggested anything a figure slipped into the room wearing an Imperial Uniform. "I think I can help." It was Reessem looking so much older and more mature than her 18 years. The uniform hugged her figure and her hair whilst normally down was up in a high ponytail.

Jeassaho stood up pointing a phaser at the woman. "How do we know you aren't one of them?" She demanded without hesitation. She wasn't naive especially when the woman was stood there in one of the uniforms she had seen.

Hal's eyes bulged. "Hate to butt in." He began. "But we start pointing fingers, we get nothing done." He said, hand on his own phaser.

"At this point, it doesn't matter who's from where," Kendra added to agree with Hal. "We have to find out why we are here and how we get back home," the mention of home gave her pause. She was born over a century before anyone else from her universe. "You are all from an alternative universe from where I'm from."

"It does not, both Mr. Deltan and Ms. McIntyre are correct." Valiyi pointed out, before she gave Reessem a look up and down, her mind reaching out for any sort of odd information she could have gleaned from the young woman. "What we need to know is that everyone currently in this room can be trusted. Please, sit. Tell us what you know."

Jeassaho lowered the phaser and looked the woman over, still not trusting her and she didn't want to look into another one of their minds at all. She still felt tainted from the one she had searched through in Engineering. "Well, I know a lot of stuff now. We are in an alternative universe that much I do know one where humans are not peace-loving but they control the majority of this area of space/ It's a long story but the gist is... it seems I am actually from this universe. I was born here and stolen away but I managed to get onto one of the ships with a stolen ID." She admitted thinking on the woman who had died but no one had considered to take her from the crew roster.

"So going back and forth between these places is... common?" Mazzin asked curiously. She suddenly began to wonder if there was a Mazzin here. Was she powerful? Was she totally a different person than she was? Could she decide she liked this universe better than the last and stay here?

"No," Jeassaho said quickly. It wasn't common in the slightest and hadn't happened according to Starfleet for twenty years or so and before that, it had been a completely different universe and it could be counted on one hand the incursions that had occurred.

She frowned, "Why were you stolen away? Why you?" Mazzin suddenly asked wondering what was so special about her.

"Not important right now," Reessem said softly. It wasn't a big problem, the big problem was trying to get everyone back in one piece and back to their own universe.

"How do we get out of here?" Kendra asked. She was completely out of her element here, she would be relatively lost on most of the technical aspects of everything. Even this universe seemed so far beyond her own time.

"We keep calm and come up with a plan. There are a lot of intelligent people sitting here, surely someone has an idea." Eden didn't but it didn't help to make sure no one was being shy.

Valiyi sat silently for a time, as she began to go over the information in her head. "As the old addage goes, easier said than done. We are currently in the presence of two different vessels, and at least one has a high-level telepath aboard. I would not be surprised if the other has one as well. Most, if not all of our crew are upon one, which I feel is a bigger vessel, which means even if we do get on and get our people out, we will be dealing with what is likely a ship that is equipped with major weaponry. What we need is more information first."

"So that means somebody has to go out, get the lay of the land? Maybe bring back some tech that's not nailed down?" Hal asked.

"If we are dealing with Telepaths I can tell you, it's better to keep me away. I don't know how I will react and that's a risk not worth taking." Mazzin said trying to be self-aware of her fear. Being the slave of a telepath most of her life left her in paranoid fear of telepaths. Healing was slow.

"It may not be wise to have you go in either way." Valiyi stroked her chin in contemplation. "And I am against taking technology from either vessel we are dealing with. If we take anything, they may have a means of tracking it. No, what we need are people -mostly human, I believe, who are not connected with what we believe is current time - to go in and see what we can discover. If this is an alternate universe, we cannot risk being seen by being from the current era. This leaves Mr. Deltan, Ms. Bowers, and Ms. MacIntyre, as well as Reessem to split up and investigate." Valiyi did not give anyone time to protest, her expression solemn, "Mr. Offermans would be among the group, but I need him with myself and the rest of us. Our job is to find a way around the Rose, and see how we can remove our captors from the vessel. We can worry about returning home after we have our people back."

"What about me?" Cassie pipped up. She was mostly Human apart from her ear but that was easily covered by hair.

"Actually I think Cassie needs to come if that is okay Valiyi. I need help getting into the labs. I've found our crew members I think but I need help getting one of them out." Reessem piped up. She wasn't going to go into which one but it was a top priority.

"I guess I've found my use," Kendra nodded. Not exactly knowing what to look for, she asked, "What exactly should I be trying to find? A piece of technology, an escape hatch, what?"

"Cassie stays with us," Valiyi reinforced. "I would much prefer we keep anyone who has a hint of non-human in them - myself included - aboard this ship. If what I've gathered is true about Betazoids, then I do not want to know what they would do to members of other races. And, Miss Nubohn," Valiyi continued bluntly, "Details that you've been keeping to yourself should be out in the open. Out with it."

"Have you seen who the Captain is of one of those vessels?" The French woman asked as she looked around the small space. It was a simple question to the group and it would change everything if they were smart and would allow them to fully understand the situation.

"Not me," Hal said. "But truthfully I was just trying to get here."

"Miss Nubohn." Valiyi cut off her statement, calm demeanor slowly fading. "It appears you've been keeping just enough information from us to make it impossible for anyone to coordinate any sort of plan, which makes you appear rather untrustworthy. So I repeat, come out with the knowledge you know. Now."

"Gregnol is in charge of one of the ships," Reessem said simply as she let out a sigh. She couldn't blame the woman for being suspicious at all, she was dressed in the uniform of the alternative Starfleet and she seemed to have more information than all of them between them.

"Is there anything else Miss Nubohn?" Valiyi asked as calmly as she could.

The teenager shook her head quickly seeing the shock echoing silently around the room. Hadn't she already said enough?

OFF::

Reessem Nubohn
Secretary
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Cassie Anderson
Biologist
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Valiyi Uhin
Executive Officer
SS Mary Rose

Mazzin Vayri
Accountant
SS Mary Rose

Eden Bowers
Helmsmen
SS Mary Rose

Hal Detan
Security
SS Mary Rose