"Bad News"

[Avery Tynte 0]

Avery’s Promenade stroll quickly turned to standing. Standing in a bar in the middle of the station, looking on in horror as Captain Moose was arrested for the murder of the Station Commander. Then, just as quickly, standing turned to running. Running towards a restaurant called Martin’s. Screams and cries were filling the sir as Avery neared the restaurant with Sam, Naara, and Ariago. And what he saw, he could hardly begin to make himself believe.

 

Lieutenant N’Dak was running along the Promenade, firing at anything that moved. A phaser in each hand, N’Dak spun, rotated, and dove. Through all of this he never quit firing. Then he was gone, around a corner, out of sight.

 

Avery considered going after him. That was not his place though, and the cries from within Martin’s called to him. When he reached the door to the uptown restaurant his shock turned to a ghastly feeling in the depths of his stomach. “By the…” Avery said in no more then a mumble. Figures where laying everywhere, the wounded, the dead, and the dying.

 

Among the last group was Commander Dacotah. Avery rushed to her side, and quickly began assessing her injuries. “Is this what you call fun?” Ensign Sans asked. Avery remembered making the comment Ariago was referring to earlier, but could not think of a suitable response. He replied to Ariago, but could not even remember what he said.

 

He asked Sans and Naara to find a medkit as Doctor Porter came up beside him. “We need to get her to sickbay, Miranda.” Avery said. Miranda nodded her agreement and after a brief round of conversation with all in the room, the three were transported. At least, it should have been three, but Naara, the Orion who had clung to Avery ever since his shopping stroll had clung once more and was caught in the beam.

 

The four rematerialized in sickbay, Naara in an obvious state of shock after the experience that was the transporter. “Have a seat.” Avery said, motioning towards a biobed. She nodded and sat down. “Wh-what was that?” She asked. “Just calm down, I will explain later.” Avery replied as he moved trays of equipment, fired up the scanners and prepared for whatever Miranda may have to do to grab Dacotah back from death.

 

Miranda worked on Dacotah’s injuries while Avery worked on keeping her conscious. The conversation between the three focused mainly on what Hayden was going to do to Koshic when she found him. Ultimately the conversation culminated into one rather large crustacean. “Then I want a twelve pound lobster. Twelve pounds! Have either of you ever seen a twelve pound lobster?” Dacotah asked. Miranda and Avery both admitted that they had never seen such a creature as Miranda stood fully up. “I think that is it.” She said. She handed Avery the Dermal regenerator and motioned for him to finish.

 

As Avery worked, he began to remember he was in civilian clothes. This realization came from the fact that his feet were killing him. Starfleet standard issue boots were made for this type of thing. But the civilian boots on his feet now were not, and after running, knelling and all the other exertion on the station, they dug hard into his ankles, heels, and toes. “Ok, I believe I am done.” Avery said looking up at Dacotah. Miranda and Hayden nodded and then Miranda spoke. “Contact Aaron, see what is happening on the station.” Avery nodded and walked slightly away from the group now forming in sickbay.

 

He noticed N’Dak talking to Dacotah, and Lieutenant Marx standing there as well. Avery tapped his combadge. “Tynte to Westler.” There was a long pause, then Aaron spoke. “Westler here, go ahead Avery.”

 

“Give me some good news Aaron.”

 

“We believe there is a changeling aboard the station, we are trying to locate it now.”

 

Changeling, the word hit Avery like a physical blow. Emotion rose in him like lava in a volcano. He closed his eyes as he started to tremble. To everything it’s proper time and place he chided himself. He forced himself to realize that this was neither the time nor the place. The anger and hate stilled swirled in him, but he forced it down, forced it back into the place inside himself where he kept it hidden. The time will come he told himself, but this is not it. He regained his composure and opened his eyes.

 

“I said good news Aaron.” Avery only sighed in exasperation.

 

“None to be had, Avery. What about on your end?”

 

“Commander Dacotah is still alive and stabilizing. See how easy that was?” A small grin slide across his face.

 

Aaron only chuckled. The two traded any other relevant and then ended com transmission. “There seems to be a changeling on the station. We are at full lockdown, no one on or off the station without blood scans.” Avery announced to the group before him. They turned towards him, each with there own look of worry or thought. Avery looked back at them, with a thought of his own crossing his mind, a thought of an unavoidable cycle: Shoreleave comes, and shoreleave goes.