Out Of Time

[DrDMatthews 0]

Log presented with permission from Captain Michaels.

 

 

"Whoa! What's that?"

 

The pilot's question snapped Deborah Matthews out of her maudlin reverie. It seemed to have a similar effect on everyone else in escape pod 612. Suddenly, he had everyone's attention. The young engineer who was manning the helm looked behind him.....directly at Debbie.

 

Why wouldn't he, she thought silently taking another quick glance around the pod. She was the senior officer aboard.

 

"You need to see this, Ma'am." By now, he had turned around and was again studying one of the instrument panels.

 

See what? she wondered as she slowly unbuckled her safety restraints. More death and destruction?

Deb pushed her negativity aside and carefully made her way forward. "What is it, Ensign?" she asked as she leaned over his shoulder.

 

"Look at this!" he whispered.

 

He was pointing at a small navigational console that clearly showed they were not alone. There were indications a huge vessel or multiple smaller ones were headed in their direction. There seemed to be one smaller blip a little ahead of the others. "Who are they? she asked cautiously.

 

"Can't tell...not with these limited scanning capabilities."

 

"Romulans?" she asked forcing the pessimistic tone from her voice.

 

The Ensign shrugged. "Could be but they aren't the ones we've been dealing with. They're over here." He pointed toward the lower quadrant of the screen where seven clearly identified bogies appeared to be at full stop. "They're the ones who blew us to bits," continued the engineer, his voice barely above a whisper. "They're probably scanning the escape pods and beaming the survivors over to their ships as we speak."

 

Of course they are, she mused as she straightened up. But she opted to keep her thoughts on that subject to herself. She knew it was just a matter of time before they became prisoners of the Romulan Star Empire. What time they had left on the escape pod should be used to attempt to identify whatever it was heading their way.

 

"Are they approaching from the neutral zone? Can you determine their velocity?" She asked the questions in rapid succession.

 

He looked up at her again and she could see the spark of hope in his eyes. "They're approaching from the neutral zone. I don't think they're Romulan.....but I can't be sure." Turning back to the screen, he continued. "I can't tell what speed they're traveling. But they're coming in fast....warp seven at least."

 

Warp seven.....from the neutral zone.....could it be the cavalry.

"Maybe it's the cavalry," added the young engineer causing Debbie to wonder if he'd read her mind.

 

So what if it is. They're too late. The damage has been done.....the lives have already been lost....the future snuffed out for hundreds of her shipmates.....and for the survivors.....their futures have been irrevocably altered.... nothing would ever be the same. "That would be nice," she quipped ,her voice steady but less than positive.

 

She stepped around to stand beside the Ensign chair. "What's your name?

 

He looked at her, surprised by the question. "Mark DeFalco, Ma'am."

 

Debbie smiled gamely. "Mr. DeFalco, you know we don't have much time. See if you can figure out if that's the cavalry or Romulan reinforcements." She patted him on the shoulder and hurried on. "And make sure our beacon is active."

 

"It is, Ma'am," came the immediate reply. "I still can't confirm who or what is incoming but they don't seem to have the type of signatures we're picking up from the Romulans."

 

Debbie was about to assure DeFalco that she knew he was doing his best and urge him to keep trying. She never had the chance. She felt the familiar yet peculiar tingling of a transporter beam and knew they'd run out of time.

 

A moment later, she, DeFalco and all of the passengers on escape pod 612 found themselves in an alien transporter room, starring down the barrels of Romulan disruptors.

Edited April 22, 2009 by DrDMatthews