Off To The Bridge We GO

Posted on Thu Jul 16th, 2020 @ 9:03am by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Crewman Timothy Richardson & Lieutenant Aurelius Davis & Lieutenant Samantha Leyton & Lieutenant JG Mattias Constantine & Gunnery Sergeant Billy Rhodes

Mission: Mission 3 - 100
Location: Various
Timeline: Day 35, Month 2, Year 0 04:00
2241 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

The engineer who had joined the officers earlier when they had been attempting to get Lexi to sickbay looked back at his companions. They had barely seen anyone since they had left sickbay and barely anyone had spoken. Timothy did not want to say anything to anyone especially not the man who was covered in the woman they had left-behinds blood. He just hoped she pulled through, they did not need to lose anyone else.

"It is like two parties fight each other for resources, but there's no hint of which side will win. I am Timothy by the way." He added realising none of them would know who he was thanks to working the night shift.

"Timothy, call me Matt," the ship's communications chief shook himself out of his thousand-yard stare. Out of habit he began to reach for a handshake, only to recoil when he saw the dried blood that stained his right sleeve and hand. Instead, Constantine took his other arm and bumped elbows with the engineering crewman. "Thanks again for saving my bacon back there. Life has a way of putting people in the right place at the right time."

"Sometimes," Timothy answered ignoring the recoil from the older man. It was impossible not to when so much blood was on him. It would haunt the crewman for a little bit even if the woman survived the operation to save her.

The group continued towards their end goal of making it to the bridge, uncertain of if the lack of Vrav activity in their immediate vicinity was a good or a bad sign.

"Give me a second." Lieutenant Constantine disappeared into one of the lavatories attached to the corridor. As the doors closed, the sound of running water followed by the vigorous scrubbing of hands could be heard by the group that remained on alert in the hall. Inside, Matt stood with his back to the door and collapsed in a heap to the floor, overcome with the shock of what he had seen. He wept openly, knowing he needed to let go so he could regroup and contribute to the team. Matt fought his way back to his feet, opened the door, and caught up with the others just as they rendezvoused with some MACO personnel.

As the doors opened Rhodes instantly pointed the rifle he had at the parting metal. "Motherf-- I almost shot you!" he yelled at him. Billy had had an altercation with the Vrav not so long ago where he lost a young Private but made up for that by beating the Vrav to death in a tussle for life. His uniform was speckled in blood not of his own species, his demeanour grizzled from losing a man and his temper fired for the same reason. Matt just got a little bit of the brunt of it. "We need to get to the bridge, now." he stated as he signalled Corporal Young and Private Benning over.

The adrenaline rush of having a weapon pointed in his face surged through Matt's veins as he quickly fell into line with the others. His body's autonomous response shocked him enough to wake him from his numbness. So too did the feel of cold steel in his still damp hands as he took the phase pistol one of the Marines extended to him. "What's the plan, gunny? Turbolift? Access hatches?"

"Lifts?" Rhodes looked at him oddly. "Hell no! I'm not getting stuck in one of those. We use the access hatches and make our way to the bridge. We won't get caught with our pants down by using old fashioned modes of moving. Just keep an eye out for movement."

"Creepy ship at night, possible alien invasion. What could go wrong? I know what you're thinking, the guy is supposed to be the brave one right?" Aurelius asked. "If I jump behind you and scream, don't take it personally." He was joking, mostly.

Samantha chuckled and smiled at Aurelius while listening to the MACO troops. "You know, you're lucky you're cute." She really wished he hadn't mentioned the ship being creepy. Now that he did, she did see the ship as a little spooky. She couldn't wait to get to the bridge and to her station, then realizing how odd it will look with her on the bridge in her PJ shorts and "Voltron" t-shirt but it was too late for changing now.

That was the second time she'd made a comment like that. It might have put a little spring in his step. It had been an eternity since anyone had liked him, not that he thought she did yet. Things were still really early and they were in the oddest situation.

"Ship ain't creepy," Timothy commented on with a small smirk. He was not much better in trainers, running shorts and a tee but at least his shirt did not have some obscure old school program. "This is the most alive and active I've ever seen it on a night." He was normally night shift but with the change over of Chief Engineer, he had been allowed to shift to mid-shift for a little while.

"The ship wasn't designed to be comforting though, you have to admit that. It was designed to fly through space and not implode or explode or whatever it is Starships have a danger to do. It wouldn't have hurt them to paint it a bright yellow but they just weren't thinking of that when they built it." Aurelius remarked back.

"I am not even going to answer that Sir." The Engineer said with a small smile. He would have to remember that one. Bright yellow space ships just like the old song yellow submarine. McManus would get a kick out of it.

"Oh geez. Bright yellow? That would give me an instant migraine," Samantha replied with a chuckle.

"It doesn't have to be yellow, just an example." Aurelius shrugged.

An unresponsive keypad refused to comply with the command to summon the turbolift. Nearby, Constantine tapped into the diagnostic panel and grimaced as soon as he saw the condition of the system. "Well, even if we needed them in an emergency, the lifts are dead. Either the Vrav disabled it or whoever is on the bridge is trying to limit the mobility of the intruders. Either way, it's Jefferies tube time." The tall communications officer scowled, remembering the amount of time he had spent in the past week crammed into subfloors, access hatches, and other small areas of the ship.

Falling in line with the MACOs, the others all covered the necessary distance to the nearest Jefferies tube access panel. Lieutenant Constantine popped open the hatch with ease, quietly placing it on the floor as to not draw and unwanted attention.

"Timothy," he addressed the engineer. "I know the tube comes out behind the bridge somewhere, but do you remember the path from here on E deck to there? We've gotta get up there and figure out how these bastards got aboard and how to get them the hell off of our ship."

Timothy raised his eyebrows at being called by his first name but came to attention instantly despite the almost friendly tone of the address. "Yes Sir. We go up two decks. Along a junction and then up." It was the easiest route that everyone knew from Engineering to Bridge.

"Well, then, here goes nothing."

Hand over hand, rung by rung, Mattias began to climb up the network of Jefferies tubes and ladders that the ship designers had built into the frame between different sections of the ship. It was cramped, hot, and not all designed for efficiency of travel, but it was their best option at that point. The metrical sound of boots on metal echoed through the long passageways as they reached the junction that was exactly where Timothy said it would be. Constantine shot him an appreciative look as the engineer emerged into the junction, offering him a hand as they waited for everyone to reassemble for the last push towards the bridge.

"Fun fun, ladies first." Aurelius made a swooshing movement with his arm. This was going to be interesting.

Samantha climbed behind Timothy as they made their way up the tube. She hated these maintenance tubes and counted herself lucky she didn't often find herself in one.

The Engineer just held up his thumbs in as he got an appreciative look and took the offered hand leaning back to help the next person through which was Samantha. "Listen." He whispered hearing something unusual just beyond the junction.

Aurelius stopped when they did. There was nothing wrong with his hearing. He just didn't know what he was hearing. Was there another Vrav on board? Was someone in trouble, the possibilities swirled in his head but he didn't want to say anything out loud, in case whatever it was heard him.

"What?" she whispered, raising her acquired Vrav weapon and looking around.

Quickly lowering himself to the floor, Lieutenant Constantine motioned for the others to remain still as he put his ear to the ground and listened for more information. Years of listening to the minute details and differences in spoken language had given him a good ear, but now he was trying to discern the number of individuals that were just out of sight beyond the junction. The vibration of heavy boots on the deck plating was unmistakable.

"Two," Mattias spoke softly as he heard the syncopated rhythm of two sets of boots against the floor. The magnitude of the sound seemed to increase. "Get ready, they're approaching."

Billy looked at the MACO he could see and signalled them to prepare themselves for what was to come. Billy patted the knife on his belt, ensuring it was still there and he smiled. Maybe he'd get to use it.

The panel was opened and Beth stood there weapon raised at the group inside. It was not the strangest part of the meeting as Sloan stood silently next to the woman as if he was protecting her. "I hope you are not going to shoot me or use that knife." Beth said lowering her weapon.

"You startled us Ma'am," Aurelius explained really wanting to get out of this spot as his hands were aching from crawling around on them. "Apologies. We thought you might be the Vrav."

Beth stepped back a little to allow everyone out looking them all over noticing the blood but chose not to comment. They all had a strange look about them that she could not place at all. "How many of you are there in there?" She wondered relieved to see a Marine and Mattias in the group as they all started to clamber out.

"Five. We came from E deck - from sickbay. Ensign O'Connery has been wounded. The crewman here joined us along the way," Constantine clasped Crewman Richardson's shoulder, "and saved us with a well placed shot on one of the intruders. Gunny Rhodes joined us shortly thereafter. The lifts are down, so we had to improvise a bit to make it here. Our intent was to continue towards the bridge."

Beth frowned realising just who’s blood was on her Chief Communications Officers clothes. It would have to wait to think on it more, they needed to move to save more lives if the Vrav were willing to suit Lexi of all the people on the ship. She just had to hope that the small blonde was wounded and not fatally.

“We shut the lift down after Sloan saved my life.” Beth glanced back at Sloan and nodded to him. Now was not the time or place to have the conversation or attempt to put him back in any type of custody. He was working with them after all and that was enough in the Officer in Charges opinion right now. “That is where we are heading,” Beth confirmed, Sloan and herself had a plan from the conversations they had been having as they tried to make sense of what was happening on the ship.

Billy would apologise for nothing, a good marine is always prepared and never reacts without just cause or out of fear. He would have used his weapons only after a quick assessment of the situation and when he noticed Beth and Sloan he placed the knife back in his holster. He did keep a closer eye on Sloan though, just as a precaution whether the Commander said he was helping or not. "Major King is in Engineering ma'am. He is giving the Vrav second thoughts down there I'm sure." he said with a grin, an almost uncomfortable one.

"So just how many of those bastards do we have on the ship anyways? Who is on the bridge then?" Samantha asked, wondering as she tried to make sense of the situation.

"If the Vrav are flying the ship now, I'm retiring." Aurelius joked in his usual manner when he became nervous. "I didn't sign up for that."

Beth offered a smile to the morale officer before turning to look at the corridor that would lead them to where they needed to be. "I do not know. There is no communication from there. Why I am heading there now." Beth said figuring they should more than likely move on as the group was large and obvious now.

"Sounds good to me, ma'am," Samantha replied.