"Tick Tock"

[Garnoopy 0]

Lieutenant Commander Garnoopy

Chief Engineering Officer

USS Manticore, NCC-5852

Stardate 50809.19

 

“Tick, Tock”

 

So rhythmic. The clock counted off the seconds marching into the future. The one unstoppable force in the galaxy: the future.

 

Garn sat on the floor of the shuttle with his back to the wall. Eyes closed but unable to sleep. There was an eerie silence that had passed over the crew. Each one sat with their own thoughts wondering what was next.

 

Tick, tock.

 

He wondered how much time had passed. Minutes, hours, days could have gone by. It would have all been the same. This crew had been through so much together. Time had passed and they had gone on. He couldn’t remember how many lives had been lost.

 

And now two more may be gone. Ensign Redshirt and Lieutenant Rowan may be gone for good. Their lives given up for no reason.

 

Tick, tock.

 

Each beat the clock made pushed them into the future. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. What had Atragon expected? Here they were again on a planet they couldn’t scan with limited power supplies. Now two people may be dead.

 

He had wondered before what would become of these orders to explore this planet. He had protested, loudly, that death and heartache would be their only discovery. A wash of sadness was seeping into his skin as he realized his prediction was coming true. No one had heeded his warnings. Why wouldn’t they listen?

 

Tick, tock.

 

Home wasn’t any treat either. Romulans, Borg and half a dozen other hostile species. But at least there they knew what they were up against. Here was a place that was a pure example of the unknown. Unfortunately, the unknown was biting back and it was winning.

 

Now more lives might be lost as they went out searching in the morning for the two missing crew members. They were venturing into the unknown again. Despite what careful protection measures there was no guarantee any of them would come out alive.

 

Tick, tock.

 

At what point did they draw the line. The measure of a mission can’t always be taken in lives lost verses information gained. At some point you have to say any life lost isn’t worth the information.

 

How far were they going to go? Their grave was growing larger and if not careful they might all end up climbing in. Death was just around the bend and they were rounding it quickly.

 

The clock went tick, tock.