USS OBERON: A Question of Command
Author: Matt Hydeman
Email: voyage@falcon.cc.ukans.edu
Date: 1996/03/03
SD: 80303.7
Adam Crown's chest burned with the pain of fractured and broken
ribs as his voice cut through the air of the Battle Bridge.
"Computer, activate Auxillary Sickbay protocols
Crown-Nine-Six-Kappa." Pain evident in every note of his words.
<Awaiting final authorization>
"Recognize...Crown, Adam Trennell, Commander," Adam gasped out,
feeling the sickening rasp of bone against shattered bone. The cyborg,
"Richard," had done a fine job of taking the CMO unawares with his attack.
Not to mention the explosion of the shuttle containing the Fataloxin.
<Authorization confirmed. Auxillary sickbay has activated.
Awaiting Medical staff,> spoke the computer's voice again, as Adam sagged
against the wall of the back of the Battle Bridge.
"Commander," came the words of Gwenyth Cochrane, as the Operations
Officer, reached out to Crown. "Let me help you--"
"No," Adam managed to get out. He looked up at Gwenyth, his aqua
eyes full of pain and -- amazingly, thought Cochrane to herself -- savage
determination. "There's a MedKit under the Science console. Get it for
me. There's a vial of Adrenstim in it," he said quietly, his mind
attempting to channel the pain of his injuries as Cochrane swiftly moved
to the console and pulled the MedKit from its housing, moving back to
Adam. "Iona...what's the status on the Fataloxin?"
"Still spreading," murmured Lt. Iona Zinoviev, as the emergency
turbolift's doors slipped open to reveal a stern-faced -- but red-eyed --
Commander Thomas Edward Lawrence, XI. He walked onto the Battle Bridge,
stopping suddenly as he saw Adam. "Adam!"
"Forget me," hissed Adam, as Gwenyth opened the MedKit. "Separate
the Oberon, Thomas. It's our only hope right now." He nodded to Cochrane
as she slipped the drug into the housing of a hyposprayer and pressed it
against the CMO's neck.
Lawrence hesitated a moment, then gave a quick nod. "Iona, sound
the separation alarms. Prepare for saucer separation." And God help
those people who haven't made it, he silently amended. Even though a
majority of the Oberon's crew was on SSE1, there were still some skeleton
crews on board the starship, and hopefully they had all been evacuated.
He looked at Adam. "Are you all right?"
Adam nodded weakly. "Thank you, Lieutenant," he said to Cochrane.
"I'll be fine." He got from his hunched-over position and stood up
slowly, wincing as he felt the broken and fractured ribs shift a little.
"I'm heading to the auxillary Sickbay. When we're separated, I'll--"
"Commanders!" cried Iona Zinoviev, as she looked back from her
console to the surprised faces of Adam and Thomas. "One of the docking
latches has frozen into place. We can't separate completely!"
"What?" demanded Thomas, moving alongside Iona to view the
schematic of the Oberon on her console.
"Lieutenant Zinoviev is right, Commander Lawrence," replied Gwenyth
Cochrane quietly, her hands moving across her console. "Docking Latch
Four has frozen, most likely due to the explosion of the shuttlecraft in
the main shuttlebay."
"Can you reroute?"
"Attempting to do so," replied Cochrane smoothly, her fingers
pressing buttons and examining a swiftly scrolling data window on the
Operations console. She shook her head. "The latch system subroutine has
activated, but the computer still registers that three-quarters of the
latch is still embedded in the saucer section's housing." Her voice was
oddly cool and calm.
"We cannot separate from the ship," murmured Iona, as Thomas
shook his head.
"No. I refuse to believe it." Lawrence's voice was sharp as he
looked at the schematic of the latching system. "Use the docking
thrusters to shift the stardrive up and over. That should slide the latch
out."
Adam's hand reached out to grab Thomas' arm. "You can't do that.
Too strong a motion on the thrusters and we'll smash into the saucer--"
"Do you have a better idea?" snapped Lawrence, shaking off Crown's
arm. "If we don't disconnect from the saucer, we'll have the Fataloxin
here. Go to your sickbay and treat those people." He looked at Iona.
"Iona, start the thruster sequence--"
"No, Iona." Adam Crown's voice was stronger as Iona Zinoviev
hesitated, turning to look at the CMO. "Don't do it."
"For God's sake, Adam! This is the *only* way." Thomas Lawrence's
voice was harsh as he looked from Adam to Iona. "You have your orders,
Lieutenant. Activate the sequence."
"No!" cried Adam.
"As you were, *Doctor*!" snapped Lawrence, as Iona stiffened
slightly. "Lieutenant...activate the sequence!"
"Fataloxin spreading to upper decks and towards separation plane,"
said Gwenyth Cochrane, her voice cutting into the tension between the two
seniormost officers of the Oberon and the young woman whose next actions
would determine the fate of the starship Oberon. "Estimate crossover to
stardrive in seven seconds."
"Iona..." warned Adam.
"Iona!" called out Thomas.
And then Lieutenant Iona Zinoviev made her decision....
**********
NRPG:
Ahhh...nothing like a little tension, eh? <G> Oh, and a
cliffhanger of the worst kind, too. ;)
Susan: You get to decide.... <G> Hope it's the right one....
Jeff: What's a little argument among friends? :)
Jason: I'm really hoping I'm playing Gwenyth okay. Please let me
know if I need to be working on anything.
Kurt: Fantastic post! I'm really enjoying it.
Greg: And here 'Lanni thought she had everything fixed. ;)
Brian: <G> Nothing much...just a grin. :)
Judi: I'm sure everything will be fine by the time Lexia gets
back...or at least I hope so. <G>
There's more on my side to do, I know. I hope to do it
later...sickness can really take it out of you. :( I'm pooped...and this
is nothing like my usual posts.... *sigh*
Commander Adam Crown, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
USS Oberon, NCC-0111
Director, Starfleet Medical (on leave)
--
Matt Hydeman |***Copyright 1996, Stormchaser Endeavours***
voyage@falcon.cc.ukans.edu |************All rights reserved*************
University of Kansas |**** http://falcon.cc.ukans.edu/~voyage ****