Glowing Like the Metal on the Edge of a Knife

Posted on Sun Jan 29th, 2017 @ 7:28am by
Edited on on Sun Jan 29th, 2017 @ 7:34am

Mission: Another Day in Paradise
Location: USS Arctice - Bridge
Timeline: Concurrent to Red Alert!

Without thinking about what he was doing, Bran shoved his way in front of the tactical station, edging out the young chief petty officer. “Confirming sensor readings, Captain,” Bran said as his fingers began dancing across the station’s inputs. Already he was pulling what limited resources this ship had tactically while simultaneously sending orders out to his personnel, as well as anyone else aboard the ship that might have security training.

“That can’t be-“ Hannah replied staring at the viewscreen where Bran put the number of cubes and spheres on display.

“Projections have them heading straight for SB900, but their course projections will put them here, at the Gateway once they roll over the starbase.” Bran sighed. It was a transport, their armaments were more for show.

“We’re not a battle ship,” Hannah said, confirming what Bran was seeing. “My security crew is comprised of three people.” It seemed the young captain of this ship was talking more to himself. Finally, as if deciding, he began issuing orders. “All stop, reverse course and get us back to the Alpha Quadrant, we need to sound the alarm.”

“No can do, Captain,” the helmsman said as he turned in his chair, trying to ignore that one of the spheres altered their trajectory to come toward them. “The Gate’s security protocol has been activated. It won’t accept our transponder codes and open until the all clear is given.”

“Override them!” Hannah yelled, panic beginning in his voice.

Bring me the crate and package to the bridge, get the team ready. Borg. Bran was thinking while he continued issuing orders. People were now being pressed into service. His primary weapons dependability now will have to be on shields and phasers, untested and unqualified personnel trying to help load torpedo tubes was going to slow down their responses considerably.

Aye, came the telepathic response from his second, the Betazed senior chief petty officer. Breaking out guass rifles.

All of them, arm the crew and anyone else capable. We’ll be boarded soon enough.

“What are we going to do?” Hannah asked.

Bran didn’t have any answers, but a blipping on the station got his attention. “The station is scrambling fighters and response. General evacuation order has been given. They’ll never get everyone off in time,” Bran answered as the door to the bridge opened. Aide rushed through, carrying a small carrier along with a tac vest, complete with pistol, and an extra rifle. He deposited each at the station before taking off again. Bran watched him leave before returning to the station.

“We’ve got a Borg sphere headed directly for us,” Bran warned while he donned the vest and slung the rifle in a position that made it easy for him to grab in case he needed it. If they were lucky the Borg sphere would just destroy them, rather than try to assimilate the crew.

“They’re never going to get all those people out of there in time,” Hannah mused as he took the chair again. “All those people…escape pods, ships…all of them…” He covered his face with his hands. “We have to do something.”

“It’s suicide,” Bran heard himself saying. “You don’t have the firepower on this ship to take on even one of them, much less all of them. They’re converging on the station but I’m willing to bet that force isn’t just to take out a single station. Two, three of them would be sufficient for that. Twenty? They’re trying to get back to the Alpha Quadrant through the Gateway.”

Hannah nodded. “We can’t let that happen either. Lee,” Hannah said turning to his helmsmen. “All that time you spent joyriding when I wasn’t on the bridge?”

Lee blushed at that, obviously he thought it was a secret.

“I hope you learned some maneuvers in the meantime, we’re going to need them. Open internal comms, please,” Hannah said. Bran indicated they were open.

Hannah took a deep breath, “By now you are aware that we are at red alert.” Bran had to give the junior lieutenant credit, his voice was steady even when the man himself wsan’t. “To fully inform you, we came through the Gateway into a Borg invasion fleet. The Gateway is sealed against us because of the emergency, but I hold no illusions that the Borg won’t be able to override those seals.

“I hold no illusions about our chances on survival but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to make attempts. Starbase 900 is the first under attack. We may not be a warship, but we do have some capabilities. To the passangers, I ask you now to come on duty, report to duty stations to your specialties, if not, then seek out any of the security officers aboard, they’ll get you armed and assign you to sectors. Borg that beam onto the ship are to be destroyed on sight. To the crew of the ship, all those milk runs were we were bored and drilled? All the fancy flying of our helmsmen, the practice at dumping cargo, at running? This is where it comes into focus.

“We may not be able to take on Borg vessels, but we’re not about to leave those people – our Starfleet brothers and sisters to die. We’re going to do everything we can. To that end, I’m ordering every cargo bay be emptied – dump it all people. Everyone else, prepare for tight quarters. Those with expertise on transporters, get ready, you’re going to get to put your skills to the test. Further orders will be forthcoming. I’m implementing Protocol Phoenix.”

“Protocol Phoenix?” Bran asked as soon as the comm line went dead.

“This ship doesn’t have the firepower to take on the Borg,” Hannah said, turning to face Bran. His posture and stance stated he was resigned to what was going to happen now. Bran felt it from everyone else on the bridge crew. They were resigned. They knew they were going to die.

They knew it was preferable to what was coming.

“We’ll do what we can to keep others from becoming Borg while trying to survive. The Borg are going to have to kill us and in that, we’ll have at least spared all these people from that fate worse than death.”

Bran nodded as he donned another garment that Aide brought him, then opening the crate, he pulled out the fuzzy gray Husky puppy and put him into the carrier. While the puppy had been asleep, he was waking up now. Bran was sure that the puppy would stay in the carrier, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to leave Meetok in their quarters for the Borg to either kill or assimilate. If the puppy died, it would be, quite literally, over Bran’s dead body.

“What’s the gameplan?” Bran asked.

“Well, Mister Bran,” Hannah said, “I hope you’re as good at that station as your rank suggests, because most of this will depend on you and Lee at flight control. And my transporter chief.”

“Transporter chief?” Bran asked before realization dawned on him. “You’re absolutely nuts. Certifiable. And I would know.” But he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. It was nuts. It was crazy. But if it worked…it would be awesome.

"I maybe crazy," Hannah said smiling, "but I'm not the one going into battle with the Borg wearing a puppy."