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ASR: ORIGINS | ASR: ORIGINS | ||
==[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Always Save the Girl== | |||
===by Brian V. Mansur=== | |||
SD 2262.053 | |||
MD 2.2111 | |||
Scene: Metron Sphere | |||
Sean and Stile both heard Kiska's faint little cry and as one instinctually | |||
turned towards the distressed feminine sound. What they saw froze their blood. | |||
There on the dirt lay Kiska's collapsed body with the massive Gorn XO, Gilo, | |||
hovering over her, his fists rising to deliver another blow. | |||
"Security!" Sean instantly began yelling as both men took off at a dead sprint | |||
for the menacing Gorn. But Sean could see with soul piercing horror that no one | |||
could make it in time to deflect the beast's next several punches. | |||
Then a glimmer of hope arrived in the form of two sharp cracks which resounded | |||
from behind them. Zade had just returned with Steele and Bray. She was firing | |||
the Colt that somehow had never made it back into the doctor's keep. The shots | |||
whizzed high; she didn't want to risk hitting anyone friendly. But the noise | |||
sufficiently alarmed the crazed Gorn to make him pause and look around. | |||
"Romulan assassinsss!" the creature shouted. "I'll kill you all firssst!" Then | |||
he turned back to Kiska. | |||
It was at that moment which Kiska roused as a shifting foot from Gilo nudged | |||
her. She didn't know what had happened, only that she had a new headache the | |||
size of Alaska's Norton Sound. Clutching at her head and neck, she rolled onto | |||
her side. The Gorn's fist slammed into ground right in front of her nose. | |||
"Romulan whore, you won't kill us in our beds!" Gilo hissed angrily. Kiska | |||
turned to see another fist getting ready to swing down at her. She had just | |||
enough time to gasp in terror before a blur of motion erased the Gorn from her | |||
view. | |||
Both Merrick and Corbett flew in from the side hollering ferocious battle cries. | |||
They field tackled the murderous Gorn at the legs and torso, toppling him off to | |||
one side of the startled Kiska. The pair then proceeded to pummel the alien XO | |||
with a fury of elbow shots and kicks. Sean dislodged a few large teeth from | |||
Gilo's head when the Gorn tried to snap at him. Corbett nailed the monster | |||
solidly in the crotch. | |||
By incredible luck, Stile got him at just the right angle and depth to hurt | |||
almost as much as it would have a human male. Abruptly all the fight evaporate | |||
from Gilo who doubled up, moaning. | |||
By the time Steele and Zade slid in, Sean was already fireman dragging Kiska | |||
several feet off and away from the ward area just in case the insane Gorn | |||
recovered sufficiently to have another go. By now, however, all the rest of his | |||
compatriots, at least those with any strength, had roused and were on their | |||
feet. | |||
"What is thissss?" Bray demanded coming up from behind Steele and Zade. She | |||
hadn't the stamina much less the innate speed to keep up with their mad dash to | |||
assist with rescuing LTjg Saxman. She looked none too happy that Zade had the | |||
Colt pointed right at Gilo. | |||
"Delirium, I'm guessing," Corbett said, not at all convinced. "He kept calling | |||
us Romulans." | |||
"You not quite that ugly doctor," Bray replied, manner softening. Then she | |||
asked the question Corbett was wondering. "He was in best condition of us. Why | |||
he so sick now?" | |||
Corbett bent down touch the groaning XO's forehead. He isn't especially | |||
feverish. Maybe the virus is affecting him in a way we just haven't seen | |||
before. | |||
Bray seemed to accept that for the moment. They all turned in the direction of | |||
Sean who was fretfully cradling Kiska's concussed head in his lap. They all | |||
distinctly heard him tell her, "You're alright darling. You're safe now. He's | |||
down for the count. Corbett will be over with an analgesic in a minute. Do you | |||
need a wet cloth? I can get you one." | |||
"My apologies for what my officer did to your mate Commander Merrick," Bray said | |||
with real humility. "Nurse Saxman, words are inadequate to express my gratitude | |||
for your aid to us and my regret over this incident." | |||
Sean and Kiska looked a bit like a couple of teenagers who had been caught | |||
making out. They looked at each other wondering how exactly to reply to the | |||
somewhat premature designation of being mates. Fortunately, Sean found his | |||
voice before their silence could begin to make Bray think that they weren't | |||
about to be magnanimous. | |||
"Your words are appreciated Commander," he said. "Um, if we could get Nurse | |||
Saxman over to the comfort of a palate by the lab, we need to talk." | |||
"I'm quite comfortable here actually, sir," Kiska mischievously volunteered. | |||
Sean suspected that the snicker he heard came from Steele because a moment later | |||
the captain said, "Carry her on over Sean. Zade told us that Corbett had | |||
something urgent to share." | |||
That little reminder killed the moment for Sean. And if Kiska hadn't seen the | |||
flash of worry in his eyes, she certainly felt the anxiety in his tightening | |||
grip on her hand. What did he know that she didn't? But as he hefted her in | |||
his arms, she was determined to enjoy the chance at putting her arms around his | |||
neck. Sean in turn took comfort in her smile and warmth as he carried her back | |||
to the lab area. | |||
NRPG: Almost done with the mission unless anyone has a powerful need to prolong | |||
it. | |||
Respectfully Submitted, | |||
Brian V. Mansur | |||
LCDR Sean Merrick | |||
FO, USS HOOD, NCC-1703 | |||
ASR ORIGINS | |||
Sent from my iPod | |||
==[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Repercussions & Decisions - JP== | |||
===by Brian V. Mansur and Lena Rose=== | |||
SD 2262.054 | |||
MD 2.2115 | |||
Scene: Metron Sphere | |||
*** | |||
Kiska's POV | |||
Kiska Saxman felt slightly dizzy as Sean Merrick gently lifted her and slowly | |||
headed to the lab area. In that moment Kiska realized that things had happened | |||
so quickly that she never had a chance to reflect on any of it. And the day | |||
wasn’t even over. | |||
She began to shake from head to toe. Her brain felt like it was overloading on | |||
all the recent events. Her mind screamed, "You were almost murdered by a Gorn!" | |||
Her psyche demanded that she flee but her body couldn’t respond even if she | |||
had wanted it to. The only thing she found she could do was tighten the hold of | |||
her draped arms around Merrick’s neck. | |||
Sean felt Kiska trembling as he carried her. He looked into her face and he saw | |||
her lips and teeth had begun to chatter as if she were freezing. He forced a | |||
smile, squeezed her into him, and softly whispered, “It’s okay. I have you. | |||
You're safe now.†| |||
Her ice-blue eyes stared back into his, searching for reassurance that his | |||
statement was true. “You trust me?†he asked. She swallowed, took a deep | |||
breath and could only nod an affirmative. Then she buried her face into his | |||
chest. The masculine scent on his shirt began to sooth her. Despite the fact | |||
that none of them had taken a shower for more than a day, she thought he smelled | |||
wonderful. Eventually, through his loving smile, firm grip, and tender words, | |||
she was no longer shaking by the time he laid her down on a palate at the lab. | |||
*** | |||
Sean's POV | |||
Inside, Sean was a roiling mess of anxiety. He had come within an inch of losing | |||
this lovely woman to a freak attack. It seemed the universe was out to kill all | |||
the pretty girls he met, Jeri being the most obvious. | |||
But oddly enough, it wasn't his dead ex's face that hovered in his mind just | |||
then. He kept seeing that asian girl's terror stricken look in the ground car | |||
on Monil IV. The darling little communications yeoman, whom he only knew in | |||
passing really, had died right in front of him from dissident gunfire. Her | |||
almond eyes had haunted both his dreams and waking thoughts for weeks afterward. | |||
Now, carrying Kiska, he felt threatened by that same sense of helplessness he | |||
had endured on and after the Monil mission. | |||
It didn't help that the danger to Kiska was not yet really over. He had only | |||
been able to affirm her safety with honesty because she *could* say no to the | |||
risky operation needed to extract the Gorn's cure. But, he knew she would do it | |||
and that scared him. He wanted to see her happy. He wanted to get to know this | |||
delightful, energetic, kind young woman. He wanted to love her, laugh with her, | |||
and drink up life with her. If she did the noble thing and submitted to the | |||
operation, no one could guarantee that she would live out the next 72 hours. | |||
Presently Corbett began outlining to the group what he had in mind. Sean, who | |||
had not left Kiska's side, felt her reach for his hand and grip it tightly. | |||
Again she was trembling, almost as badly as before. She stared at him, a look | |||
of desperate fear etching her graceful features. Her ice blues seemed to be | |||
asking, "What should I do?" Sean forced a reassuring smile for her that he did | |||
not at all feel. | |||
"About what I told you earlier," he said. "I was wrong. *This* will be the | |||
most important thing you have done and may ever do. Not just in your career but | |||
in your life. No one will blame you if you refuse and if they do, they can talk | |||
to me. But whatever you choose, you know you have to decide quickly." | |||
*** | |||
Kiska's POV | |||
Kiska glanced furtively from Sean to Steele and finally to Bray. The large | |||
matronly Gorn kept silent. After what the alien executive officer had done, | |||
Kiska supposed honor would not allow Bray to speak. But Kiska couldn't help | |||
imagining what the creature must be going through. Her very life hinged on | |||
Kiska's next words. She thought too of the sentient lizards laying down several | |||
dozen feet away on their own palates. If Bray and the others were anything like | |||
her, they were very afraid. They would be afraid for themselves and any loved | |||
ones they might leave behind. She didn't want that for them. | |||
Kiska looked back to Sean's handsome, patiently smiling face. She wanted to | |||
please him. But she was so scared of dying. There was so much more she wanted | |||
to do in life. So many things she wanted to do with him. | |||
Then she remembered how he had offered himself to the Metrons without | |||
hesitation. Despite what he had said about not judging her, how could he not be | |||
disappointed with her if she said no? | |||
*** | |||
Sean's POV | |||
Kiska pushed herself up to a sitting position. Alarmed, Sean moved to put a | |||
hand at her back and lifted her unsteadily up. She stared deeply into his eyes | |||
for several seconds. He felt her conflict, the same war of emotions inside | |||
himself: the desire to help battling the urge to run away. Which would she | |||
choose? | |||
She put her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. He felt her sharp | |||
intake of breath followed by a shuddering exhale. She was crying silently. In | |||
a broken whimper she said to him, "I'll do it." Then regaining control of | |||
herself, she sniffed and said more firmly so that everyone could hear, "I'll do | |||
it." | |||
Sean did not trust himself to let her see his face then. It was the answer he | |||
feared she would make and he, by necessity, had helped drive her to it. If she | |||
died from it, he did not know how he would live with himself. | |||
"I'll stay right here with you the entire time," he promised. She touched his | |||
cheek with her hand, and lay back down onto his lap. | |||
"Thank you," she whispered and shut her eyes. | |||
Respectfully Submitted Jointly, | |||
Lena Rose | |||
LTjg Kiska Saxman | |||
Nurse, USS HOOD, NCC-1703 | |||
ASR ORIGINS | |||
and | |||
Brian V. Mansur | |||
LCDR Sean Merrick | |||
FO, USS HOOD, NCC-1703 | |||
ASR ORIGINS | |||
NRPG: Almost there. 2-3 more posts and that'll be a wrap for this mission. | |||
We'll have to write some explanation of the goings on with the WAYFARER | |||
derelict. Maybe the Metrons didn't like the trader and blew him up. Maybe | |||
another Gorn got him. | |||
Sent from my iPod | |||
==[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: New Arrivals To The Party== | |||
===by Andy Catterick=== | |||
SD: 2262.054 | |||
Scene: Station Interior | |||
“Captain!” Gene Lowl’s excited voice broke through the silence of the moment. Jack looked over to see Lowl pointing off into the distance while the Gorn beside him stared in the same direction. Jack looked over to Sean. “C’mon.” | |||
The two officer’s double timed it over to the top of the hill where Lowl and his Gorn counterpart had stationed themselves as lookout. “Captain look at that!” Gene said exuberantly as he pointed once again. Off in the distance Lieutenant Ngyuen jogged along a path with a large security detail behind him. Suddenly he stopped and Jack relized the young officer had spotted them. He waved frantically for a few seconds before resuming his pace. | |||
“More visssitorsss.” Bray said as she finally arrived at the hill. | |||
Jack nodded. “From my crew. I wonder if the Metrons have granted some mercy.” | |||
“Then where is my relief party?” Bray asked. | |||
Thirty seconds later the rescue party had arrived. Nguyen was about to speak but Jack waved him silent as he pointed to a blue shirted crewman. “McMaster is your tricorder working?” | |||
The young man gave Steele a puzzled look and then flipped it open and waved it over the captain. “Yes sir it does…” His voice trailed off. “Captain I picking up some sort of…” | |||
“I know.” He looked to Sean. “Get him to Corbett.” | |||
Sean grinned. “On our way. Come on Tim.” | |||
Jack watched with a relief he hadn’t felt in what seemed like weeks as they raced off. “Ok lieutenant, give me the highlights for now.” | |||
HOOD is still frozen but we noticed a merchant ship that had crashed into the side of this station. It appeared to have power so we EVA’d over as a rescue party. Once we got there we found a hole cut through the hull that allowed us entry into the station. I thought it best to come looking for you sir.” | |||
“Believe me there’s a whole bunch of people down their that owe you one. Where’s the merchant ship’s crew?” | |||
“One man crew sir.” He looked uncomfortably over at the Gorn. “I’m afraid he was killed sir.” | |||
“Killed?” | |||
“Ripped to pieces.” | |||
Respectfully, | |||
Andy | |||
CAPT Jack Steele | |||
CO, USS HOOD NCC 1709 | |||
STARFLEET: ORIGINS | |||
==[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: Last Call For Mayhem== | |||
===by Brian V. Mansur=== | |||
SD 2262.055 | |||
MD 3.0821 | |||
Scene: Metron Sphere | |||
(Shortly before Andy's "New Arrivals") | |||
The operation on Kiska had been every bit as gruesome to watch as Sean had | |||
feared. But in the end, he had stuck by her side as he had promised her. And he | |||
had not thrown up or fainted as he had promises Corbett. | |||
Fortunately for them all, the doctor's skill had carried the day. A mere nine | |||
hours after the procedure and Bray was already showing renewed strength, as were | |||
the other four Gorn they had treated. The day's heroine, Kiska, was sleeping | |||
comfortably under the miracle drugs of 23rd Century medicine. | |||
Exhausted, Sean had just minutes before woken from a nap when Lowel's call came | |||
down. The sight of Nguyen's rescue party filled his heart with an indescribable | |||
hope. Perhaps the Metrons had ended their disruption of the away team's | |||
technology. They could get Kiska and the Gorn back to safety and proper | |||
medical facilities. | |||
But as Corbett ran the tricorder through some scans, he found that one more | |||
surprise was left in store for them on the Metron Sphere. | |||
NRPG: Anyone wishing to cause more trouble for our characters this mission, | |||
write now or forever hold your peace. Personally, I'd like to see Zade and | |||
Corbett hook up. | |||
Respectfully Submitted, | |||
Brian V. Mansur | |||
LCDR Sean Merrick | |||
FO, USS HOOD, NCC-1703 | |||
ASR ORIGINS | |||
Sent from my iPod | |||
==[ORIGINS] USS HOOD: We Don't Rip== | |||
===by Andy Catterick=== | |||
SD: 2262.055 | |||
Scene: Station | |||
“Alright lieutenant report.” Jack ordered once the rest of the landing party had moved on to join the main group. | |||
As hard as he tried not to Nguyen looked first at the Gorn captain before turning back to Steele. The Gorn made a sound which startled the young lieutenant but which Jack had learned was a reptilean laugh. “You have trained your people well Jack. Your young officer doessss not want to ssspeak sssecretsss in front of the enemy.” | |||
“This Captain Bray of the Gorn Navy, she is a friend and ally. Report.” | |||
“Uh yes sir. As I said we noticed the federation merchant ship and we made our way over. We found a passage way and made our way here.” | |||
“Ship status?” | |||
“Soon after your team left all major systems shut down and we were contacted by someone called the Metrons. Apparently they had taken you hostage and you were to be placed in some sort of competition with the Gorn. I’m afraid I don’t have all the details to that captain as I was not in the bridge.” | |||
“And you said the merchant captain was ripped apart.” | |||
Nguyen shuddered. “Yes sir. Into very small pieces. It wasn’t any sort of energy weapon. Somehting with a blade.” He turned to Bray. “Or a claw.” | |||
Bray made the laughing sound once again. “We do not rip lieutenant. We pound and squeeze but generally we just use our weapons. And we do not kill unarmed civilians. Perhaps your captain took aboard something dangerous before he was captured here.” | |||
Nguyen shook his head. “I don’t think so. The captain survived being pulled down to the surface. He made several logs. His last log was after he opened a passage way into this station.” | |||
Jack nodded. “Potentially he could have had something nasty aboard that took its time. But I think you’re right it probably entered his ship from here.” | |||
“Which meanssss whatever did it is roaming around here.” | |||
“I never did get around to asking you Bray, do you have any information about this station?” | |||
The big Gorn shook her head. “No. It crossssed into our ssspace and we came to invesssstigate asss you did.” | |||
“We whatever our leaders say about who owns this sector it is on course for one of our more populated regions.” | |||
“Then when we essacpe our two sssshipsss sssshall destroy it.” Bray promised. | |||
<<<NRPG>>> | |||
There you go heading for a classic TOS ending, enemies become friends when they work together. As Brian said we’re nearing the end so tidy up where necessary. Once Steve makes some medical prouncements we’ll journey back to our ships after what I’m sure will be some smug comments from the Metrons about how they knew we could work together and maybe in a million years we can hang with them ;-) | |||
Respectfully, | |||
Andy | |||
CAPT Jack Steele | |||
CO, USS HOOD NCC 1703 | |||
STARFLEET: ORIGINS. |