Taking On A Cube
Posted on Sun Feb 14th, 2016 @ 8:40pm by Major David Lorenz & Marine Captain Quentin Harrison & 2nd Lieutenant Jordan Holbridge
Edited on on Sun Feb 14th, 2016 @ 8:42pm
Mission: Further Challenges
BRIDGE
USS MONTEZUMA
JD Holbridge sat at the helm of a starship his father had designed. As he guided the experimental ship through the stars, he knew his father had made several innovations to the astrogation and interface controls, giving a 19% increase in response time. His dad was damned good at building ships, but JD knew deep inside that his father was a combat pilot and he sorely missed the thrill of a dogfight.
Lieutenant Quentin Harrison sat in the command chair, monitoring the bridge activities, especially those of his adopted nephew. JD was one of the youngest officers aboard and had a lot left to prove, but nobody on the bridge doubted the young man's courage, especially the large man in the command chair. Quentin had vowed to teach the boy what he needed to know, no matter what.
"Status, JD?" Quentin asked from the command seat.
"We are hot on the trail of our transport. I estimate twenty-four minutes until we overtake her." JD reported after consulting his instruments. "Correction, sir, transport has increased speed to warp 6.335 and accelerating!"
"Confirmation?" Qentin asked, looking at the tactical officer.
"Confirmed, lieutenant! Sensors show massive modifications made to the MARA intermix chamber and dilithium crystal chamber....now showing modified injector patterns and new hardware!"
"Major Lorenz to the bridge." Quentin said loudly.
The doors parted to admit Dave Lorenz, who looked excited as he took his seat. "Helm, accelerate to Warp 7."
"Aye, sir!
The Montezuma smoothly accelerated, gradually beginning to overtake the smaller craft.
=/\=Engineering to Lorenz,=/\= Franklin called.
"Go ahead!"
=/\=You might want to think about taking it easy up there, I have an inexperienced skeleton crew down here...=/\=
"Acknowledged, captain!" Lorenz cut Franklin off before he could finish. "We'll take the bumps nice and slow. Lorenz out!" Dave turned to the Tactical officer. "Keep monitoring the transport and let me know if..."
"Subspace fissure forming dead ahead! Range is 650 million KM" JD reported
"Adjust course, lieutenant...."
"BORG CUBE DEAD AHEAD! BEARING 013 MARK 005! DROPPING OUT OF WARP NOW!" Holbridge called, slowing from war and steering the ship hard to port.
"Transport has come to a halt 350,000 km from the Cube!" Tactical shouted
"Prepare to beam Sakkath's body up! When we get him back aboard, lay in a course for home, max warp!" Lorenz ordered.
"Course laid in, major!" JD replied coolly.
=/\= Tranporter Room Four to Bridge, I can't get a lock on the commander's body! There's an unknown energy shield around the transport, originating from the Cube..."
=/\= WE ARE BORG. LOWER YOUR SHIELDS AND SURRENDER. WE WILL ADD YOUR BIOLOGICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DISTINCTIVENESS TO OUR OWN. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!=/\=
Lorenz simply glared at the transport as it was swallowed by the Cube. “Not gonna happen, assholes!"
Before Dave could issue further orders, a surge of energy shot from the Cube, savagely impacting the Montezuma's stardrive section. The bridge crew were thrown violently from their seats. JD Holbridge struck his head on a console and slumped to the deck. Harrison scrambled to take the helm.
"Engineering, can we go to warp?" Lorenz said as he fought his way back to his chair.
No reply.
"Computer, status of Captain Franklin?"
Captain Franklin is deceased. was the reply. There is a warp core breach in progress. Recommend ejecting the warp core
"Eject the core! Authorization: Lorenz alpha-bravo-2-1-1-Baker!" Lorenz said anxiously.
"Warp core ejected. Thirty-eight seconds to detonation. Warning, the saucer section is not at minimum safe distance
.=/\=
"Computer initiate emergency saucer separation maneuver now! Harrison, once we are clear of the stardrive section, full impulse!"
The arrow-shaped "saucer" of the Montezuma drifted away from the stricken stardrive section. The Borg Cube made no move to intercept, seemingly content to monitor the situation. The weapons array flared to life, then died as the Cube suddenly turned and vanished into transwarp space. The Marine transport was nowhere to be seen.
Harrison guided the saucer section away from the core with gentle inputs to the thruster quads., hoping that they would clear the devastating explosion. The core suddenly exploded, sending a shockwave towards the saucer.
"All hands brace for impact!" Lorenz yelled as the pressure wave enveloped the crippled ship.
Harrison fought the controls managing to keep the nose of the ship pointed towards open space, trying to harness as much potential momentum as he could. The ship righted and cruised faster than impulse at warp one, then slowed as the wave dissipated.
Lorenz looked at Quentin sitting at the helm, steering the crippled ship, coming to a quick decision that made sense. "Mr. Harrison, you're now the XO. I'm also granting you a promotion to captain. Keep us at full impulse. Tactical, send out a general distress call. Bridge to corpsman, we need a trauma team up here now! Multiple percussive and burn injuries.”
=/\= On the way, major.=/\=-
Lorenz leaned back in his chair and sighed. A brand new ship and it gets fucked up on her first cruise! General Thompson is gonna have my ass in a sling He rubbed his temples as a trauma team arrived to care for the wounded, including JD. The boy had whacked his head on the control panel, giving himself a goose egg on the forehead, but nothing life-threatening. The techs took the boy with them to Sickbay.
Lorenz got up and went into his ready room, leaving Quentin in command of the slowest Marine ship in the Delta Quadrant. How in the name of God was he gonna explain this fiasco to the general?
FIVE HOURS LATER
LORENZ'S READY ROOM
Harrison, now wearing captain's bars, sat across from his friend and CO. "...33 dead, 17 more wounded, and 22 unaccounted for," he sighed, his voice weary.
Lorenz nodded. "Given the fact that we were hit by the Borg, we should thank our lucky stars we are still in one piece. How soon until the tow ship arrives on site?"
"They said 34 minutes, Davey. Relax, those Borg bastards are long gone." Quentin took a sip of his orange juice. "My question is how the Hell are we still alive??"
"I have no idea, Q," Lorenz answered quietly. “We should be dead or Borg stooges, but here we are, alive and bitching about our good fortune!”
=/\= Incoming hail from USS Atlantis=/\=
“On my viewer,” Lorenz ordered.
=/\=Good morning, Major, this is Commander Bates Morgan. Stand by for a tow back to Starbase 900=/\= A severe looking man with greying hair said in crisp fashion. The
"Wilco, commander! Thank you! Lorenz out!" David turned back to Quentin. “Better get the bodies ready, XO. I’ll stay here and coordinate with Morgan.”
“You look like hell, Davey...I mean, Major, sir.”
“We’re still a long way from home and have a lot to get done during transit. Carry on!”
Major David Lorenz
Weary Leader
Captain Quentin Harrison
New Second Banana
&
2LT JD Holbridge
Knocked-Out Newbie
