Talking Over Options (part 2)

Posted on Fri Feb 7th, 2020 @ 4:04am by Commodore Samantha York & Lieutenant Commander Damion Wolfe & Major John Kayhill & Lieutenant Aenar Torek & Lieutenant Dwight McCabe & Lieutenant JG Teenah Spartacus

1,522 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Food for the Gods

[CONTINUED]

[OLD]

Aenar nodded and chipped in, 'the machine may be running on autopilot for all we know, and there's nobody beneath the surface anymore. Or they've forgotten how the machine works and have tripped a switch that's sent out the signal.'

[NEW]

The doctor nodded.

"I have a team ready to provide support as needed", John said. "We do have appropriate tech for either situation."

Sam nodded. "All good suggestions. We don't know what's underground, only that the people on the surface are sending goods--and people--down there. And if there's nothing but a pile of rotting food, it's more important than ever to get our people back."

She pulled up the original message for the others to read. "It looks to be an automatic signal from the machine itself. Unfortunately, whatever is in or around the pyramid makes it impossible for us to scan it. We'll have to go in at night, guided by the team on the ground, and slip into the pyramid, then see what's underground. We can take transporter enhancers to transport back to the ship to prevent contamination."

"Do we have a count of natives from the away team?".

"Not an exact count. In the town are about 65,000 people," York replied. "Any other suggestions?"

The Bajoran shook his head, 'at this point ... it's do or die I reckon. No sensor intel, and sporadic contact on the ground,' Aenar nodded in Wolfe's direction, 'now is as good a time as any for us to go in and retrieve Caly's people.'

Sam gave the new chief of science a half smile. "That's what I think."

"Nothing is going to change if we don't", John said with a nod. "We can improvise when we get down there if need be."

Sam chuckled. "Improvise, adapt, overcome," she said, quoting an old war vid. "Even if we don't plan it, we'll probably end up doing just that."

The commodore looked around. "I'd like the team to be small as we don't know what we're getting into. Kayhill, Torek, McCabe, and Spartacus will come with me." She looked at Damion. "I'd bring you, too, but with Hans on the surface, I need you on the bridge. And if we get in trouble, you'll be the one to pull us out."

"Captain..." Damion said, looking to the Captain, before looking around the room at everyone else. He paused, taking in a deep breath to reflect on everything that was said and how he was feeling through all this, before picking his words carefully. "I understand why you would prefer me up here, even though the Captains job is to remain on board, but my wife is down there. My daughters mother. Any adaptation, or improvising, suggested could get one of them killed." He paused again, feeling is was treading the line again. Damion looked down and clenched his fists before looking back up and continuing. "I know you don't want to lose them, as well as I do, but this is still my family. I'm a person who acts and can't sit around doing nothing." He stopped again, feeling he was only making things worse, but he cleared his throat and blurted out. "It's not that I don't trust everyone else to do their jobs, I just don't like being on the sidelines when my family is in danger. Its my family, Captain. If I lost Ronnie... I won't know what I would do." He said softly as a tear formed in his eyes. "My daughter needs her mother." Damion finally gave up and closed his eyes, leaning his head back, trying to focus his thoughts and not get pulled in by his frustrations for the situation.

"I know how you feel," Sam said. She almost lost Damon once. "But what if something did go wrong, do you want your daughter to lose both parents? I won't order you to stay if you insist, but I am not sure that you shouldn't stay here with Elsa."

"You're right." Damion said softly before adding. "But I also can't raise Elsa without her. I don't know how. I'd be lost without her." He stopped and looked to Sam, who could feel her hurt and confusion were so strong they surpassed all his other feelings. "It's confusing... I know, but... the only way to describe it is... I'm a better person with her. Without it, not only would I be a single parent, but I may get pulled into a direction I don't want to go."

Sam couldn't overlook his emotions. "All right, but you have to follow my orders. No running off on your own, even if you think it's best."

"Nothing without authorization." Damion replied. "Captain, I just want to give Ronnie the best possible chance of coming back. I want to give all of them the best possible chance. I can't help feel, me being there, will do that somehow."

"Alright, we're a team of six. Meet me in the transporter room in twenty minutes, dressed for the surface. Anything technological should be hidden until we know what we're facing."


"I hope I have something to wear?" Spartacus said as she rose. "I hate 'off the replicator actually. She groaned . "I will adapt something , I have time."

"You don't have time, sorry," Sam said. "It'll have to be replicated. Twenty minutes, or you stay behind." She smiled at the other woman. "I'm sure you'll make do."

Spartacus blew Samantha a Raspberry. "Wanna bet on that?" She said just before a little louder echo of her heels left the Conference Room.

"Twenty minutes," Sam called after her. "Otherwise, you stay behind."

She smiled as she looked at the others. "Anything else before I let you grab your gear?"

Damion remained in his seat, staring at the table, deep in thought. He wanted to be on the planet, helping to find Ronnie, it made sense to him. However, the decision to keep him on the planet because of the risk is also reasonable. He could over react and this situation could get worse and, worst case scenario, Elsa would be without both parents. Was he a better father for going after Ronnie or a worse one for leaving her behind?

Aenar got to his feet as the others left. The plan was the obvious one, and he had felt little need to propose obscure avenues of thought that would only take them round in circles. He was ready for action, he thought as he left the room.

John said, "No further questions ma'am."

His gear was ready, so he just needed to go get it. He glanced at Commander Wolfe. He was glad he wasn't in the man's shoes.

"Commander", John said. "I don't envy you as I know the importance of family and the impossible physics of being in multiple places at once. If you decide you want to stay here with your daughter, I guarantee you that I won't leave the planet until after your wife does or I am dead."

Damion sat there, focused on the table, silently before finally speaking aloud. "Major... When I served on board the Nightstar, we developed a soldier like mentality. Pushing ourselves. Moving as an efficient unit. Speaking in lingo." He paused slightly, smiling a bit, as he remembered his old friend Thy'ren. "I got really close with a pair of Andorians Thy'ren, the Chief Security Officer, and his sister, Thy'las. Ren had a Spartan like style to him. He used to say to me, before every mission, 'Brother. We will come home with our shields or on them. Should you fall, before me, I will carry you to safety. No matter the danger. Should I fall? Carry my home and bury me with my people, because I would have died with honor and among my honorable brother. Protecting him from death and hell itself.'" Damion laughed slightly, looking to John, adding with a smiie. "He was often drunk at them time, but he always meant it, because he knew no other way to be but a solider protecting him fellow soldiers and making sure they came back home. No matter the cost. That's how I know you mean that, because like Ren, you know no one deserves to be left behind. Alive or dead." He stared at the man before concluding. "If it's all the same to you, Marine... I would prefer her to return with her shield and not on it. If that's okay?"

"Damion," Sam said quietly. "I won't leave Ronnie behind, either. I won't make the choice for you. However, I will leave in eighteen minutes. It's your choice."

"She will be holding her shield like a warrior Commander", John said and he left the man with the Commodore.

Sam nodded to Damion and then she, too, walked out so she'd be ready in time.

____
OFF

Commodore Samantha York
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Aenar Torek
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant JG Teena Spartacus
Counselor

Lieutenant Dwight McCabe, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant Commander Damion Wolfe
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Major John Kayhill
Marine CO

 

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