The Door That Would Not Open
Posted on Mon Nov 26th, 2012 @ 7:19am by Commander Patrick Leroy
Mission:
Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: SB900 Main Laboratory
Samara ran down the corridor stopping right in front of Science Dept. doors to straighten her uniform and to recover breath. That was the easy part, a particular degree of mental effort was required instead to force herself showing her best smile upon entering and dealing again with her department head.
In the last two days Commander Leroy had rescheduled all the staff shifts requiring increasing presence in the main labs following some sort of important project, that rumors had having to do with the disappearance of Admiral Wegener and Commander Hawke.
In the end he had recalled also the staff on shoreleave on Archadia. Namely her.
Samara had already killed him a hundred times in her own mind, and not by using a simple phaser, as the memories of her long-waited-for vacation already started to fade in the light of future endless shift-hours.
The doors hissed open revealing an amazing view of the department. In her time on SB900 she had never seen the full complement at work at the same time and now everywhere she looked there were flocks of crewmembers busy around consoles and bringing padds from one station to another with data ready to be processed and theories to be verified.
“At last.”
The voice froze her where she stood. Turning she could see Commander Leroy offering her a Padd.
“Quantic algorithms. Verify integrity of calculation. One hour.”
More authoritharian than usual huh? Slave-driver… She thought, even if the answer coming out from her mouth was one of very different kind: “Of course Commander, I’ll be on it at once. You’ll have it done as requested”
Leroy watched her scuttling away to one of the few free stations. Breathing deeply he returned to the console he shared with Rutheridge who gave him a slightly concerned look.
“Have you considered to take some rest, Sir?”
“Not now. Have to see this thing through.” Patrick responded checking the monitor. His mind already revolving around the flurry of data scrolling on it.
Then, feeling to have been somewhat rough to his assistant, Patrick corrected himself “This is too important. I have to find the way to recreate the conditions causing the rift that sucked away Admiral Wegener and Commander Hawke. I have also to inform Commander Sakkath on progress but I don’t want to go to him just with ‘Perhaps’… ‘If’… ‘Maybe’… I need sound information if not a solution.”
Rutheridge nodded slightly. He knew that was impossible to convince the Commander once his mind was set. “The containment chamber is ready, Sir. Force field up at maximum level as requested.”
“Good.” Patrick replied scratching his brow. Few hours of sleep agains many of hard work were taking their toll on him as showed by his tired eyes. Moving away from the console he walked in front of the ample circular chamber of containment set in the middle of the main lab: an open space delimited by force field projectors on roof and floor, a slight hum the only hint that the powerful field was in effect.
Hands draped behind his back he stood there a few instants, considering the best course to follow. Then, decision taken, he made a bee-line to his office to return half a hour later with a tricorder.
“Message-bottle in the ocean.” He told answering to Rutheridge puzzled look “Deactivate the force field.”
Walking in the center of the chamber he left the tricorder on the floor and started walking away. On second thought, though, he took it back opening and activating it before returning to Rutheridge.
“A working tricorder, Sir?” Rutheridge inquired looking at the object on the floor.
“I don’t know if the test will be successful. Should it be, I hope they can get their hands on the tricorder one way or another. I’ve included a copy of last Science diaries and a message from Commander Sakkath with an encrypted code so that only the Admiral or XO can access to them. Leaving the tricorder active will also record all the data about this test.”
“Do you think they are in a condition to make use of these informations?” Rutheridge asked casting a sideways glance to him.
“I don’t know. I hope so.”
Gesturing to the staff at the various stations Leroy ordered to start the experiment: The chamber was
flooded with charged positrons then bombarded by tachyons to trigger a reaction similar to that occurred in the malfunctioning disruptor.
The light formed inside the chamber, a tiny one at first, then becoming larger by the second. Also the humming sound increased as the force field was starting to be put under stress by the rip in the continuum fabric.
“The readings are the same as those recorded on the rifts caused by the defective disruptor, Sir.” Rutheridge stated “It’s definitely a fissure albeit a small one. Some microns and growing.”
The light grew stronger becoming as big as a human head. Under everyone’s eyes the tricorder on the chamber floor became transparent and vanished from sight.
“Good luck.” Patrick murmured while checking the progress on his terminal. “Let’s see if we can stuck a foot inside.” He added then to the address of his assistant “How’s the force field?”
“Force field 74% and decreasing. That thing is pushing hard, Sir” Rutheridge responded a bit louder this time as the noise kept increasing.
The light grew again inside the chamber but at the same time began to ebb and flow like flame. “We’re losing control of the flux Sir.” Rutheridge cried out “Force field to 41%. It will collapse in a few seconds.”
“We have to keep that rift open!” Leroy yelled to make himself heard above the noise as he frantically acted on the console’s commands to compensate “We’re so close now.” One by one all the lights on the LCARS started flashing red.
“I’m losing it, Sir. Force field to 17%. It is collapsing now!”
“I’ll use the Dilithium reserve that engineering delivered us.” Patrick replied quickly typing the security code. “C’mon…”
The sound almost unbearable now, Patrick hit the dilithium crystal release button. He shielded his eyes dazzled by the sudden flash of light as a high-pitched whine announced the agony of the apparatus before dying slowly down.
Sparkles erupted here and there on various consoles before the rift slammed shut plunging the entire lab into darkness.
“Damn!” Patrick snapped slamming his hand on the console.
**** Onboard USS Pericles closing for docking on SB900 ***
“Hey lookie there!” The helmsman said smiling “The lights went out on at least fifty decks on SB900.”
“Wow. Wonder what they’ve been doing…”
**** SB900 Main Laboratory ****
“Is everyone ok?” Patrick asked aloud in the half-shadow of emergency lighting. His heart was relieved when all the responses came positive until a moan got his ears. Strangely enough it was coming from the chamber of containment zone…
Even in the scant light he was able to make out two figures present on the floor inside the ring that delimited the former chamber. A woman wearing a ragged Starfleet uniform and a girl that seemed no more than two years old.
The woman moaned again bringing a hand to her head then, suddenly realizing her surroundings, crouched in protection of the little girl.
“Look… You’re safe here. we mean no harm…” Patrick told her moving closer to the ring of projectors gesturing the woman to be quiet “The light will return in no time.” He ended with a smile.
“P-Patrick?” The woman stammered, incredulous. Her voice strangely familiar to him.
“Yes, I’m…” He started to say abruptly interrupted by her flinging herself into his arms.
“Oh! I knew! I knew that you would have saved us!!.” She said stamping a deep kiss on his lips.
Taken aback Patrick took hold of her wrists and gently, but firmly, he dislodged himself from her passionate embrace. In that moment the light returned and he, and all the others, were able to fully discern the woman features.
Her unkempt hair, dirt covered face and torn uniform would have misled anyone but when their eyes met his heart jumped. He could have never mistaken those piercing blue eyes:
“Aleksa??”
“Yes love. It’s me. I never despaired, I’ve been hiding for days in the Jefferies tubes, hangars for days… I knew that you would have found a way to save all of us.” She replied going again for a kiss that Patrick managed to get on the cheek. She was so happy that tears formed in her eyes.
“Please wait a second…” he said dumbfounded.
“Here.” She turned to sweep up the little girl bringing her close to him. A nice blond girl with deep green eyes. “C’mon Faye…” Aleksa urged the girl.
“Daddy!” Faye smiled outstretching her little arms to him.
***************
Lt Cmdr Patrick Leroy
Having a big surprise
Ensign Samara
Mental killer
Aleksandra Levkova Beta
Rescued Princess (with a gift)
Faye Leroy
The gift
