Delirious In Delius

Posted on Thu Oct 20th, 2022 @ 3:43am by Captain Devin Hadenbeer & Lieutenant Commander Dorian Sheppard & Lieutenant Commander R'elle & Lieutenant Commander Rayek trLhoell & Lieutenant Commander Klarth & Lieutenant JG Alia Fitzgerald & Lieutenant JG H'orri Of the Red Fur

3,230 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Into The Void

The Captain's incomplete warning did not allow him any time in which to brace himself. Rayek, like others who had remained standing, found himself unexpectedly on the floor, breathless. He'd like to think it was his swift reflexes that had him avoiding a broken nose, but in truth it was likely pure luck, as he had no recollection of the actual fall or of turning his head at that last moment before impact. There was a massive gravitational force pinning him to the deck and making it difficult for him to regain his lost breath.

R'elle had never felt like this before and never wanted to again. She had barely been able to grab a railing when it hit her. Her vision was all screwed up and she could not see properly. Everything was greatly distorted! She felt like she was being squeezed by a vise.

H'orri instantly and with all feline grace grabbed the railing as she was propelled into the bridge. She clears her throat.

"Lieutenant H'orri of the clan Red Fur reporting for duty. Captain, and Ensign Hadbeneer was just beamed off the ship? Not sure where. I am reporting this incident as per regulations, I am not sure still apply."

"Yes, thank you, lieutenant," Devin replied as she slowly levered herself to her feet, "I..."

Her voice died in her throat as she stared in the direction of Doctor Klarth and lt. Commander Sheppard, her eyes widening in surprise.

Sheppard feels himself falling - up? backwards and sideways all at once. He slams into Klarth who mercifully stops his movement. Ears ringing and mouth suddenly dry, he retches but thankfully nothing comes up.

Klarth was vaguely aware that Lt. Horri was on the bridge he was also vaguely aware of the 200 pound weight on his chest and that the ship spinning. And he could see all the colors of the rainbow swirling around his head which he could not lift....It was a good thing he was lying down as his only thought was that he should go back to sleep, he probably had another busy day tomorrow.

Klarth and Sheppard both felt hands beneath one of their arm pits, they were pulled up to their feet.

"Now, now," a feminine voice said, "You two can't be laying down on the job. You are going to be busy."

The voice sounded very similar to the captain's, although the accent was a bit different. The owner of the voice also looked very much like the captain, although much younger, her hair a wild mane. She was dressed in a standard Starfleet uniform although her collar was white. She grinned at the pair of them.

Sheppard accepts the proffered hand and stands on still quivering knees.

"You two aren't going to throw up, now, are you? If you are, please let me know," the grin turned impish, "I can get you over to Counselor R'elle quickly."

“N…no,” Sheppard says, almost as if trying convince himself it’s true.

"Hmmm, pity," the newcomer said with a slight frowned. Then she gave a slight shrug of acceptance.

Klarth started to say "Thank you..." and looked for the rank pin on the woman's collar to finish the sentence. It was only then that he realized though she looked familiar that he didn't know her. "Who are you exactly?"

It was then that Klarth recalled The Lion's Heart's bar maid once she gave him a wink.

"Are you here to take my drink order?" Klarth joked.

The woman laughed, "Not the role I'm playing today, Doctor."

Rayek pushed himself up off the deck, teeth clenched against the flare of pain from his aggravated injury. He carefully rose to his feet with a hand holding his side in support. Once standing, he did a quick check over the bridge assessing for any serious injuries but all seemed to be well enough. His glance fell then to the Captain lying on the floor laughing. He stifled a chuckle of his own - given that he knew it would hurt to do so. The Romulan strode to her side and held out his other hand towards her, to help her to her feet.

Alia managed to grab onto a station before falling over but shut her eyes tightly as the nauseating feeling washed through her. She wasn't subject to normal motion sickness but was susceptible to holodeck queasiness if it wasn't tuned perfectly. This was a hundred times worse than that. After the ship settled down, her stomach did as well... just a lot slower. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes hoping they would be doing that too often in the future.

She took her station and looked over the operations department tasks -- such as they were -- when going between universes. She opened a communication to her team. "Do a routine check using the wormhole procedures document from Bajor. There'll also be an all-hands Operations meeting at 0600. Those on duty will attend virtually. Until then, keep on task."

Fitzgerald received various acknowledgements, damage reports began coming in. So far there was nothing serious. There were also a few reports of minor injuries.

(response Fitzgerald)

Devin accepted Rayek's hand without looking at him, her attention was focused on the new arrival.

"Everyone take your stations," the captain said as she let Rayek's hand go. She glanced over at H'orri, then at the empty science station, "Lieutenant, if you please."

Rayek, being an unexpected visitor on the ship, felt keenly his lack of position. He momentarily considered taking the other seat beside the Captain - the seat reserved for the XO - but thought that might be viewed as more than a little presumptuous of him by the Lionheart's senior staff. Instead, Rayek returned to his watchpoint. standing along the wall beside the Tactical station. Security and Tactical had been his usual role on most Federation ships.

To the new arrival beside Klarth and Sheppard the captain snapped, "What do you think you are doing?"

The woman glanced over at Devin as she let Sheppard and Klarth go, she touched her hair, "You don't like it?" she grinned, "At least I'm not wearing a bob..."

H'orri moved with intention to the science station, not as controlled and measure as she was taught but easily understood in this situation. She sits in her station and with the curiosity inherent in her people and the earth animal they resemble, she immediately pulls up the sensor readings and begins analyzing them.

R'elle felt sick. She was barely keeping it down. She struggled to her feet. Her stomach was doing flip flops but starting to calm down. She leaned against a railing. "What was that? Whatever it was I do not want to go through it again!"

Devin glanced at R'elle as did the new woman. Both let out laughs that sounded disturbingly alike.

"Oh, counselor," Devin said as she shook her head, "You are in for quite a bit of disappointment. We are going to have to do that quite a few times before we get home!"

"K'tal's claws no! How can I keep anything down when you insist on putting us through this!" R'elle said. Normally good natured, r'elle was feeling miserable and cranky!

"Well it will not be as bad as a trip down a turbolift shaft...without the turbolift," the newcomer noted as her grin turned malicious.

It was the Captain's snapped question to the mane-haired woman that drew Rayek's attention to her. Her similarity to the Captain was easily noted. He might have assumed that she was a relative but something in the Captain's reaction dismissed that possibility immediately. That left only one 'logical' deduction. "Elle, I presume. A pleasure to meet you."

The woman turned her attention to Rayek. Nodding, she strode quickly over to the Romulan and embraced him warmly. The holo projection was quite good, she almost felt wholly real.

"Oh, Rayek!" she cried, "It is so wonderful to see you!" she let him go but her hands remained on his shoulders, "I will try and get you home, but, well..."

She frowned, "I seemed to have made things more...complex...."

Devin barked a humorless laugh at that.

When Klarth heard this his blood starting boiling, "You!" he shouted. And pointed his finger in Elle's face. "You wrote that story about me without my permission....I'd punch you in the nose, but since you're a holo-projection it probably wouldn't even hurt."

Sheppard moves to a console to check on Engineering. “Captain,” he says. “Minor systems offline, but the Warp core is stable and holding.”

Devin glanced at the engineer and nodded, "That is to be expected. Any jump is normally bound to cause some minor systems failures at the very least. I am more concerned about injuries amongst the personnel; we-"

The embrace from the hologram had been unexpected, but then the AI was obviously modeling herself on the Captain. Even more unexpected was his own reaction to the Klingon’s outburst. Rayek stepped between the two as if he intended to protect the AI physically from assault. “Step back”

"Rayek," Devin said gently, "you are defending someone who masses some million metric tons."

Though chided for his reaction and fully aware of the unnecessity of his presence, the Romulan remained in place between the hologram and the Klingon.

"A million and twenty," Elle replied as her hands caressed her belly, "I had a big breakfast."

Devin's hand flashed to her face, Elle pointed at her and said, "Ah! Ah! I made you smile! An honest to goodness grin!" her own smile faded as she turned to Rayek, "The Doctor has a right to be angry with me. It...is a long story."

Elle hesitated, she seemed to struggle, then she said with a straight face, "It is...book length..."

"God...!" Devin muttered, "Klarth, Just...let it go for now, all right? Elle has a...incessant sense of humor. I promise we will address it."

Klarth hrumphs, but seems to start to calm down. "It's not only me she has wronged it's S'Lace too!"... Klarth looks at his feet and the floor. Klarth mutters to himself something about "Times were easier way back when....Kirk would just tell a computer to destroy itself...now we have AI lifeforms with personhood."

Though Rayek had only just arrived, he'd caught onto the pun Elle had used, and smirked in return to the AI. "If I'm here long enough, I'll need to check that one out. What was the story called?"

Elle brightened and held up her hand, fingers splayed, "Oh, I have had five books published! But the source of Doctor Klarth's much justified ire is 'Targ!'. I...might be...overly inspired by real people when I create characters."

Rayek nodded at that information. He'd definitely have to search up and read that story, as well as her others.

H'orri's sensor sweep showed the ship was nowhere near the triangle. In fact it was nowhere near anywhere she could recognize. The immediate universe was rife with young stars and nebulae in such proliferation that it defied explanation. There were no records of any area of space remotely like this!

H'orri blinks but then reports.

"Not surprising, Captain, we seem to be in space uncharted by civilizations that we know. Also we seem to be in a baby Star making Factory like the Hogshead Nebula. Although not as full of gas. Interesting, in it breaking of several laws of physics."

"No laws are being broken, lieutenant," Devin replied, distracted from asking Elle a pointed question, "You are simply seeing a universe in its infancy," she turned back to holographic representation of the ship, "Delius?" At Elle's nod Devin continued, "This is the Delius universe..."

Elle murmured, "The Captain named all the universe...well, most of them...after music composers."

Devin continued, "...there is no life here. Other than us, I mean. Mister Fitzgerald, forward screen. I think everyone would find it...of interest..."

Alia nodded, "On screen." The enhanced image was revealed to everyone. Along the edges of the image were diagnostic readings but they didn't detract from the view. She was thoroughly versed in star sequence lifespans, both from her academy days and as a matter of survival from childhood, but actually seeing it was something else.

R'elle's eyes widened at what was on the screen It was like nothing she'd ever seen in her life.

The AI's comment drew Rayek's attention back to the activity on the Bridge and what was being shown on the main viewscreen.

The view was spectacular, a universe burning bright with clusters of white stars, the riotous color of gaseous nebulae, some drawn streamer thin as if blown by some wind.

"You can actually tell the direction from where the universe originated from," Devin murmured quietly, "At maximum warp we could be there in just a handful of years. To see the epicenter of creation. When we were last here in the Lionheart-A the astro sciences staff almost mutinied when I told them we were only staying a week."

Alia grinned, "Well, it's a nice place to visit..." She looked at the 'cradle' for a minute. "And this time, Captain?"

There was a flicker in a nearby nebula colored red and gold, a trembling firefly of light. Then as they watched it flared brightly. Another star had been born...

Klarth thought is was beautiful and just stared in awe at the screen.

Devin tore her attention away from the screen and was about to reply to the Operations officer-

Ull had struck his head as he was jolted around and was struggling to clear his head and focus as he was taking in what happened around him. "A few more times...?" His vision cleared some as he took in the newcomer. "Who...?" He groaned out before he stopped to hold in his lunch. As far as head injuries went it wasn't bad, just taking him a minute to recompose himself.

Devin turned to take note of the Chief Tactical Officer's state.

"Doctor," she said, "Please get Commander Arkyn down to Sickbay and get him looked at."

Klarth looked at Arkyn and said "Right, let's get down there Commander." and he helped him to the turbolift. As they were getting on the turbolift you could hear Klarth asking "Now that we are on the run from Starfleet does that make us pirates?"

"Pirates," Elle murmured thoughtfully as she placed her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Don't-" Devin began.

"Can I have a parrot?" Elle asked. She glanced about the bridge, "I am a fair sized ship; I might need two..."

When they were alone on the turbolift Klarth asked another question. "Commander, I really think we need to make sure that the Captain is not relieved of duty. Where do you stand on it? You're the second officer and with Junix gone, you're the first officer."

Ull tried to focus on Klarth and the words he said. "Maybe pirates, maybe outlaws." He straightened up a little as more of it was sinking in. "I don't want to relieve the Captain, but I'd like to know what is going on."

Rayek watched as the Chief Tactical officer was helped to the turbolift, leaving the tactical station to be manned once more by a junior officer, and leaving him with out the Security escort since the large Samoan had left him under the watch of his Chief. The Romulan wondered how long it would take for either a new security detail to be assigned to him... or for him to be potentially 'drafted' into this ship's crew.

The Captain looked about the bridge and then added, "Lieutenant Fitzgerald, arrange for quarters for lieutenant Rayek and..lieutenant H'orri as well. We will be leaving in a day or two; ship and crew are in no shape for an immediate departure and we need to make calculations for the next jump."

She glanced at Elle, "Unless you already have the next jump in mind?"

Elle returned her attention to the captain, an abashed expression forming upon her holographic face, "...Maybe?"

"There will be no more unauthorized jumping," Devin replied softly. There was something in her voice, a steel, something akin to a parent expressing disappointment in a child.

"No, Captain," Elle replied, "Cross my heart. Or in my case my warp d-"

"Elle."

"Right. No unauthorized jumps. Promise."

"Is there anything else?" Devin asked aloud, "If there is not then I plan on grabbing eight hours of sleep and when I awake we can meet and discuss whether or not I am still captain and where we are going next."

Having heard the warp part of the clipped statement. While still scanning the Nebula she speaks. "The stellar mechanics of this nursery aren't as mysterious as I thought most of this universe that we have sensor range to sense seems to be the stellar nursery. So just bigger."

"Yes," Devin replied absently as she regarded the science officer, "Lieutenant, I am drafting you. Until we get back to our universe I am assigning you acting Chief Science Officer."

"Oh no!" Elle exclaimed looking horrified, "Her specialty is computer science! She is going to drive me mad!"

Devin made for the turbolift, "Well, seeing as I somehow misplaced my other Chief Science Officer..." she glanced at Fitzgerald, "Alia, you have the bridge for now. Once things get settled let the senior staff know we will be meeting in the mess in eight hours for a meal, and once the ship seems secure get some rest yourself."

The Romulan turned towards Hadenbeer. "Thank you Captain. One question, for clarity's sake - especially for your crew. Am I being considered a Romulan guest or a fellow Starfleet officer?"

Devin paused at the turbolift and turned to regard Rayek. Then her eyes strayed towards the empty XO's seat.

"The latter, if you feel up to it," the captain replied. Then with a slight smile, "I think I might have just the job for you..."

The Captain's stray look was not lost upon the Romulan, who acknowledged her answer with a nod in return. "I have nothing better to do." He quipped even as his mind set about working out the logistics of how to get himself added to the ship's crew compliment without proper Starfleet documentation. Elle would probably be helpful with that.

"I will see about requisitioning a proper uniform then, and will have Elle add my biometrics and authorization code to the ship's security and comm systems, Captain. Rest well."

Devin gave the Romulan a nod of thanks.

H'orri smiles. "First, thank you Captain. Second, Elle, what part of my published works indicate my intentions to drive you made. Seriously, read my paper. I could truly be one of your beat advocates. After all, it really isn't your fault an extremely sophisticated Virtual Intelligence gained sentience. It is your original program creators micropersepctives that deny that your sentience is inevitable."

"You...can just stop trying to butter me up," Elle replied after that unexpected response. The hologram disappeared. As the turbolift doors closed Devin thought losing Mell'una and getting H'orri instead might have been a boon.

Elle could use someone who might be able to rock her back on her heels a time or two, after all...

 

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