Shielded - Moving along

Posted on Sun Sep 19th, 2021 @ 8:20pm by Commodore Keiben Haistro & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Connor Horn

2,095 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 3 - Fear Is Fear Itself
Location: ???...???...???
Timeline: Mission Day 4 @ 1700 Hours

ON

Lothian looked back at where they had been and noticed that they had a shadow. "Erm Captain, is there a reason why that woman is following us?" pointing back towards Yelena "Didn't she die? I saw the memorial of her."

"News of my death has been greatly exaggerated. See I am here. Can't you feel me, Lothian?" Yelena coming up and licking the side of the operation officer's face, leaving a trail of slimy black substance on her cheek.

Lothian went to shove Yelena away and her hand went right through her. "What the heck! That is vile!" Lothian said, scrubbing the side of her cheek with her sleeve. "Just eewww"

Keiben was pushing back with his telepathic ability and he so wished that Ileyana was here right now. She would have found this childs play where as he and Osil, although not weak in the telepathic senses they certainly weren't as strong as their sister. The effort was taking a toll on the Captain but he had to protect his crewman and the child against the invasive nature of this being, whatever kind of being it actually was he still couldn't tell but she, for lack of a better term, was held within the stations computer, that much he was certain of.
"I think she is a hologram.... Look!"

The Captain pointed up with his free hand, the other having lifted the boy so he could carry him to help keep the pace up, at a square devise at the peek of one of the corridor arches, and another on the next and the next. "This entire station has been retrofit with emitters throughout. But there is a psionic component to it.... I can see Doctor D'BrooNi looking less than herself"

"I can walk," Connor said, sensing the captain nearing exhaustion. He did stay close to the man, putting on a much braver face than he really felt. "I can run too..you can put me down sir..." He followed the Betazoid's gaze, but saw nothing. At least...not the Trill doctor in question.

"Awww he's so adorable. Trying to pretend he's not scared and run with the big boys," Mel said appearing next to Keiben again. "I can do this if it makes you happier?" the apparition of Mel informed him changing to wear a revealing negligee. It didn't hide the zombieness though.

"I am pushing back with everything I have but it is taking a toll on me... We need to get to the Computer core and shut her down, delete her. Whatever it takes!"

The Captain had this situation sussed already but it really was battering him psionically and he didn't know how long he could hold it back from overwhelming him.

"What's your next play then?" Zombie Mel asked running a finger down his cheek. "Try take out the emitters? Its not that easy."

Keiben stopped and put the boy down, not through wanting to but through a need to. He was starting to feel light headed and somewhat sick as the psionic attack continued and even building in strength the closer to the central computer they got.
"Shailyn... Do you have a weapon on you?"

He could see her searching briefly before shaking her head as she took a step closer to the Captain, his solid muscular frame starting to feel heavy, one of the disadvantages of being of his frame.

"I need you to take out some of those holo-emitters.... Perhaps they are helping to project the psionic effects of whatever this is... I need you to do it now.... Please!"

The Captains voice was almost pleading as the assault continued for which he only had a few more moments fight left in him. Something needed to give and it needed to give now.

Shailyn checked her pockets one more time then noticed that the object she was looking for had slid down inside her trouser leg through a hole in her pocket. She could feel it resting just right above the top of her boot. The phaser had been the one that was given to her before she was transported away from Junjie and the others. She dropped to one knee, yanked up her pants leg, pulling out the phaser and shot towards the holo-emitter. And shot at another one as well.

Yelena's image disappeared from behind them. "Sorry, hole in my pocket." she stated, rising up from the floor to stand next to Keiben.

White-faced, Connor tugged at Keiben's arm. "Don't faint on us," he implored the man as he anxiously looked around. "Where did she go? Is she gone now?" Yet he couldn't help but feel this utter sense of dread wash over him, and he shivered. "Something's not right," he whispered, "something's not right at all. I don't know why, but I feel it."

"He's perceptive," Zombie Mel said circling round the younger male who couldn't see her. "Yes you better not faint on him. Or me. Mind you it doesn't matter if you do. I will invade your dreams forever," she said locking eyes with him.

He held her focus for a moment, his teeth clenching and his fist tightening into a ball, her words fueling his anger, his rage. Something he didn't normally feel. Perhaps this was what the machine did, and he was close to losing control and that frightened him.
"The Telepathic assault hasn't stopped but its not as strong!" he hissed at the others, still forcing his anger to one side and not very successfully. "We need to move... Shailyn, I need you to protect the boy... I'm not sure I can!"

"I can protect myself," Connor said bravely, "I'm smart, and fast..." even though fear tugged at his consciousness too. Where was the rest of his family? His little brother, his parents? And who were they so afraid of? What was there, that he couldn't see, but which the captain was clearly seeing?

Shailyn looked at Connor, "Yes you are smart, and fast and brave. Its not a matter of my protecting you, we're going to team up, sound good? You watch out for me and I watch out for you. If you can spot some of those things for me I can get rid of them."

Connor nodded mutely, glad to have something to keep himself occupied and be somewhat of use.

He (Keiben) pushed away from the wall, unclasping his collar and unzipping it as well as discarding his black and grey tunic after removing the combadge and placing it on his red undershirt.
"Come on, we need to find a terminal interface... Find out where we are and how close the computer core is!"

Shailyn nodded, "Definitely sir." and continued on. Gazing around at first, she then commented, "If we head in any direction we're bound to find a place where we can tap into something. Even a turbo lift. Keep a look out for an entrance into the Jefferies tube as well." she remarked. "Doesn't this look like DS9 in some aspect?"

"They are the same class Chief" Keiben said through clenched teeth, trying hard to soften his voice and maybe ease the fear he could feel radiating from both of his rag-tag team.

"What's a DS9?" Connor asked as he drew small circles around the group, trying to look for the little things Shailyn had pointed out.

Keiben tuned the boy out, turning his full attention to his efforts to protect them but also quickening his pace slightly to cover more ground before he couldn't push back the encroaching cold of whatever this thing was.

"Then on that note, where do you want to go, Captain, to the core? Or find sick bay. Once I know what level we are on we can make our way to where we need to go." Shailyn replied, then she stopped as they turned around a corner to see Sidarov waiting. Shailyn frowned. "Okay I am just so sick of seeing her!" locating another hologram emitter and destroying it. "Whose crazy idea was i to make it for holo people to walk around!"

"Oh wouldn't you like to know," Zombie Mel appeared again. "You know Hal did warn me. Opening that box. The T'Kon. It was never going to be good. But you were so excited. Its your fault we are in this bind now Keiben."

"Get out of my head" the Betazoid roared, his voice dropping down into a primal baritone register, his fists balling once more as he wheeled around to look the ghostly apparision directly in the eyes. If she had been real he would have been able to feel her breath in his cheer, the touch of her finger as it traced along his jawline... but she wasn't real and he barrelled forward, passing through her in one step, his pace now unrelenting.

"Here... this is a conference room" pointing at a door a short distance away. Taking the lead he moved with direct intent until he entered the room. Connor and Shailyn close on his heels. Once in the room there was a bank of consoles on the inner wall and three large oval windows opposite. The long severe architecture of the room a stark contrast to the curves and warm colours they were used to on Copernicus. He started calling up a schematic of the station.

“Hideous colouring don’t you think?” zombie Mel said completely ignoring his frustration. In fact it was like she was feeding off it. “Oh you can keep walking through me. I keep coming back Keiben.”

"I see you, you can't get rid of me" Yelena laughed as she reached out to touch Keiben.

Shailyn stepped between them. "leave him alone." she said to Yelana.

Connor kept circling the group though he felt very much on edge. Occasionally, he pointed at one of the emitters that had been pointed out to him to find.

Shailyn turned and fired the phaser at each emitter that Connor pointed out. "Thank you Connor, you are a big help!" giving him a smile and laughed when the image of Yelana disappeared.

"Good she can't see what we are doing." she turned towards Keiben.

"We are here.... Central core, level sixteen section five. We need to get to the computer core.... I think that is the source of all of this. The core main access is five levels down on level twenty one section nine..." he continued looking at the schematic but a wave of cold claws at his throat took him and he had to galvanise himself for a moment to defend against the assault. "We won't be able to use the turbolifts or the transporters.... Not safely. We need to get here!"

“Of course, that’s where we want you to go,” Mel said simply. “The dark hearts down their ready to devour you all. Shame …” she sighed running an arm over Keiben’s muscles.

"Ships have stairs," Connor pointed out, seeing the captain shiver, "would the station have them too? Those tube things? Can we use those?" He studied the captain. "Can you even crawl? You don't look so good."

"We can crawl, and he can as well, Connor." Shailyn responded. She was actually feeling a bit calm at the moment. Just the fact that the image of Yelena wasn't in the room, she felt better. She looked at Keiben. "We can make it, I know you helped me... would there be a way I can help you?"

"Move quickly... I can't do this much longer!" he said quietly through gritted teeth, feeling his strength leaving him and the cold slender grip of this T'Kon entity tightening its grip around him.

"It's T'Kon... The stronger it gets and the weaker I get the more I can feel it... Its the same... The same as the feeling from the.... from the planet!"

Every word a visible effort for the Captain now.

"Then Captain, we will get there." Shailyn actually placing a hand upon Keiben's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze, also sending some strength to him. "I will pull you with me, I will carry you, whatever it takes."

The zombie apparition of Mel smiled at her actions. Even though only Keiben could see and hear her she said …. “Yes yes carry him to the Lions den. All of you. We have plans for you all.”

Keiben stepped forward, pushing through the apparition, ignoring her words be feeling her clawing at his skin, pushing the boundaries of his defences. Was this a fight he could win?

END

 

RSS Feed