Silence of The Hitchhikers

Posted on Wed Oct 11th, 2023 @ 8:37am by Lieutenant Dasha Fedorovich

Mission: The Return
Location: Ship/Shuttle
Timeline: Current

Dasha noticed the comms channels were fluctuating like someone was jamming them eventually they went dead “Sir we have lost all communication from the away team” Dasha explained as the captain nodded and continued his business. She stood there monitoring a strange phenomenon outside the ship. It seemed weird but started when we left the mirror universe like something followed us out of the rift or even a cloaked thing hitching a ride on Chuck Norris. The signals got stronger as something was wrong as she sped across the console trying to understand the readings alongside other things even if our uninvited guest was hanging around or even to go and check it out.

“Sir permission to go outside and investigate strange readings on our hull believe we might have picked up a hitchhiker or something after we left the mirror universe” Fedorovich explained watching the captain nod.

Dasha left the bridge and headed down to the locker room near the airlock and suited up grabbed the phaser and a tricorder and entered the airlock tightening the gloves and adjusting the helmet she closed the inner door and waited for the pressure to equalise wondering what the hell was part of our ship. She stepped out onto the hull hearing a thud as the magnetic boots came online and moved to the top of the Defiant class, the readings getting stronger and stronger before she was thrown back onto the floor by something she had hit standing back up trying to catch her breath she scanned further. Something shivered into view like a shimmer on a pond then disappeared. Dasha moved around the ship hitting her head once on something watching it do the same thing time and time again as Fedorovich moved around the top of the ship eventually petering out and revealing the entire type 11 shuttlecraft.

Fedorovich moved to the back of the shuttlecraft when something made a loud bang onto the hull as the ramp opened to reveal the inside of the shuttle. Dasha moved up the ramp phaser drawn noting nothing major, just a few crates bearing terran empire logos and a pad set down on the main console. Dasha was startled as the read door closed unexpectedly and the shuttle shook as it let go of the hull she moved into the left hand chair and took the helmet off noting the tricorder recommended it was safe to do so her hands scurrying across the console moving the shuttle away from the Norris the pad crashing to the floor with a thud. She picked up the pad and read what was displayed on the screen. Apparently this was a gift for her and the contents inside the crates in the back. Another interesting notation was that only Fedorovich print could operate the shuttle and only hers a weird feeling came over the body.

She stood up and paced wondering what next should she inform the ship or should she go help the away team trapped on the station sill silence on the com bands from the away team didn't make the situation any better Dasha felt guilt spreading and the fact the situation she was in did not help the Chuck Norris one bit. She heard the ship make chirping noises and returned to the seat taping commands into the console with her slender fingers

“Unknown shuttlecraft this is the USS Chuck Norris identify yourself or you will be fired upon” the voice commanded worrying Dasha even further “This is the shuttlecraft Lieutenant Fedorovich speaking everything is good here” she responded “what the hell is going on lieutenant explain yourself” The captain demanded

Dasha sat there trying to get her composure back and tried to explain it to the captain. With every breath she explained the entire story and how this ended up here and what was next for the shuttlecraft explaining everything, even what was written on the data pad. The captain was super confused but in the end calmed down from the angry voice and explained it was alright telling Dasha to keep an eye out for anything unusual and to be on hand if we finally got contact back with the away team and to assist them in any way possible. He explained she was to see him later when this was all over to explain her actions and other things involved with this little episode. It seemed frustrating to Dasha to be told this but nothing was more lip biting than being in trouble for something that wasn't her fault but her mirror self's doing.

She moved away from the ship trying not to cry or get angry but moved to the replicator, ordered a drink and sat in the back staring at the 3 terran empire crates wondering what lurked inside the space contained in them or what stuff her other self left for her. She sipped the juice and stared into the void looking a the containers and her own life putting her head in her hands and sighing why am i here or what the hell did she do with this shuttle after this was over it wasn't going to be destroyed but it was still useful to the crew of the Norris. She stood up and got super frustrated kicking over one of the containers. She was so frustrated now watching a bunch of various weapons and books spew out with the contents onto the floor. She picked up the contents and placed them back into the container returning to the front of the ship when it beeped or rather the console beeped loudly indicating something or someone had entered the system she also noted the Chuck Norris had moved off to investigate leaving the station exposed Dasha hypothesised the ship had gone to investigate the strange readings that entered the system. Fedorovich stood up, ordered a sandwich and returned to her seat noticing more of the strange reading entering the system, her fingers scurrying across the consoles sleek lines and functions trying frantically to determine the readings as things got worse.

Dasha moved the shuttlecraft closer to the station trying to protect it as best as she could and tried hailing the away team with no response she tried again still noting the readings from the console indicated the same interference pattern was present blocking any attempts to either communicate with the team or beam them out if they got into any serious trouble. She was super concerned the clammy hands showed as she frantically rushed around the shuttle between the various stations trying to comprehend the madness going on. She could see the station on the map and the position of the captain now stationary near the last known location of those disturbances that entered the system they now surrounded the ship. In the meantime communications could not be established between either the ship or the station worrying Dasha further getting her worked up flustered her pulse rising with every moment all the while thinking why would anyone want to do this or want us for that matter she felt alone confused and scared will she be the only person alive if things go pear shaped and the crew are lost. Fedorovich stood up frantically pacing back and forth trying hastily to think of anything even the tiniest idea that might even work or get through to anyone,

It wasn't long before things got interesting the starbase had inadvertently activated its shields something was now scaring Dasha the Chuck was still holding in the same position on the system map it seemed weird what the hell was going on why was someone subjecting the crew and the away team to this sick or stupid game or why was it Q playing games with us or why or was this someone else's sick game a fantasy or something Dashaa didn't like this it was doing her head in and she didn't like it. It seemed strange that the starbase would just come online which was the first port of determining the problem and understanding it from the beginning. She stood up and paced yet again wondering if the shields are up on the station and the fact communications are unavailable between the shuttle and the away team was there a way to penetrate the interference causing the blackout and reach the away team or could the shields be penetrated in a way to drop them long enough to try and open one of the shuttle bays or would the defensive stance the starbase had taken fight back automatically and damage the shuttle. The thoughts rushing through her head were complex and overwhelming but she continued the thought process out aloud again and again running the scenario over and over yet nothing new proceeded the data Dasha had in front of her the frustration getting to her more and more. Dasha decided to try something “Computer fire a single burst of the phaser at the starbase” the computer responded but the response was the station fired back a single shot in anger like it was possessed by a being or computer virus.

The shuttle rocked as the phaser shot hit the shields but did no damage so she was curious as to why it retaliated or why it would attack but gave her more data to work with. She could see that the unknown readings that had entered the sector had now engulfed the ship but now 2 unknown ships had appeared behind the station, one Starfleet one of alien origin. The nova class starship started to move into an attack pattern like it was going to attack the shuttle but did not retaliate. She wondered if the crew were possessed by some alien being and started to scan for this anomaly getting better and better results and another few of the small alien ships appeared behind the starbase when the computer chirped to indicate the Udine were present on the nova class ship perhaps inside the crew. Dasha was more and more concerned that she needed to get to the away team as soon as possible to figure out what was going on with their findings and mine we could get to the bottom of this, The computer chirped about an incoming transmission

“This is the captain lower your shields and prepare to be boarded if you do not comply we will be forced to fire upon you” explained the nova commander in a threatening tone

Dasha took no notice and wondered if she could piss them off enough for them to miss and end up hitting the station to allow it to open fire and possibly do something to the shields, The captain of the nova asked yet again same threatening tones which Dasha ignored and took a defensive pattern noticing the ship taking a defensive pattern and opened fire. The ship was hit several times but she managed to evade most of them when one stray shot hit the station she noticed the same reaction with the same retaliation pattern also noticing the nova class now taking a defensive stance against the base rather than bothering with the small shuttle continuing to exchange fire between each other causing more and more damage. The stations shields collapsed as the battered nova class turned its attention to Dasha and the shuttle trying yet again to disable to all the while missing without the help of the targeting computer it was futile attempt to even try manual targeting with phasers but she could see that end trying it wasn't working but with the shields down on the station it was now a chance for Fedorovich to try hailing the away team again or even bean someone out.

She stood up and moved to the rear console on the wall taping a few buttons and trying a few variables even if it was futile she turned to look out the front window as the nova class was just floating there lifeless like something had overloaded the systems and caused it to be on emergency backups.

“Shuttlecraft to away team is anyone hearing this the Chuck Norris is in trouble and there been some issues out here if you're there pick up there's a nova class up here that's been infected and has attacked both myself and the station are there any casualties” Fedorovich asked over comms trying frantically on all frequencies to get a response