The Secret Facility (part 1)

Posted on Mon Jan 25th, 2021 @ 4:07pm by 1st Lieutenant Kara Melo & Lieutenant Aenar Torek & Ensign Chevy Tuff & Private 1st Class Trent Kushner

1,116 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Storm
Location: Dark Side of the Moon
Timeline: MD01

[Transporter Room]

Kara was the first to arrive in the transporter room with her go bag. As a Marine she was trained to be ready at a moment's notice. She nodded to the transporter chief and stood ready for the others.

Private Kushner stepped into the room a moment later with a bemused smile on his face. "I wanted to beat you here." He said, regarding the Lieutenant. "I would have, too, except the Fleeties get really anxious when they see Marines running through the corridors in full gear."

"They do. SFMC doesn't look too kindly on it, either, if it's not an order." She smiled at Kushner. "You got here second, and that's good enough. I'm supposed to lead by example."

Aenar was adjusting the strap of his kit as he stepped in. Unusually he had opted to take a phaser with him for the trip. It was one of the few times he had beamed in to a manned, possibly hostile, facility and he didn't want to be completely useless.

He smiled at the two Marines already in the room, 'Lieutenant, Private. A pleasure to have you along.'

"Hello, Lieutenant," Kara said. "Happy to join you for this little party."

Trent reached his hand out to the dark haired Bajoran. "Haven't had the opportunity to meet you yet." He smiled. "Name is Trent."

Smiling warmly, Aenar took the Marine's hand, shaking it firmly. 'Torek Aenar. Glad to have you along.' He addressed them both, 'let's hope it doesn't get to rough, eh?'

"Thats the hope." Trent responded. "But the LT and I have your backs in case it goes pear-shaped."

The door behind Aenar opened with a hiss, and he turned his head, 'Calith!' he called out in genuine pleasure as a Benzite in gold walked through the door.

'Comrades,' replied the Engineer evenly as they regarded the room, 'this should be an agreeable assignment.'

"It'll definitely be interesting," Kara said, nodding to the new arrival.

Another engineer entered the transporter room. He was bald, mostly blue skinned but he had an area by his mouth and the area where a human nose might have been, was brown in color. More striking was his height, a tall seven feet and five inches in height. He was Betalgeusian, as evidenced by his two mouths: one for eating and one for speaking. Starfleet members would know that his nostrils were somewhere behind his ears.

Despite his large size, his voice was soft, although it reverberated in a deep bass. He told everyone, "Ensign Tuff reporting for away team duty."

'Ensign Tuff, good to have you along - with you and Calith I'm sure we'll deduce the purpose of this secret facility before too long.' Aenar turned to the two Marines, 'I can shoot a phaser, but I'd appreciate if you take the lead in organising us down there - you have far more experience of combat than the rest of us.

"Yes, sir. We'll be happy to do that."

Trent nodded in agreement.

The ensign thought for several moments and said, "Thank you for your welcome. Please tell me what we know about the facility so far."

'That it exists, and has been there for a while, and there are numerous lifesigns aboard. The facility appears to be split between a subterrenean structure, and a structure above ground.,' Aenar smiled and tapped his chest, 'the exciting stuff, we get to find out.'

Tuff nodded, considering the information. While it was not much, as Aenar stated, there would be much more to learn and he would consider it all in due time.

'Everyone ready?' asked Aenar as he double-checked his kit and phaser charge one last time. Stepping on to the transporter pad he waited for the others to do the same.

"Yes, sir," Kara said. She was as eager as the rest to see what was down there.

Chevy was the last person to respond, having stayed in place, considering the Lieutenant's question about whether he was ready. He gave a short nod and walked onto the transporter pad. Despite his misgivings of going down to a place where nothing was known, he stood on his position and waited for himself to be beamed down.

TAG ANY

'Alright then, interference is still enough that they've opted not to beam us into the building - transporter techs,' he nodded at the crewmembers assembled at the transporter station, 'are worried we'll fuse with whatever material makes up the building. So we'll be transporting down outside the facility near to what we're certain is an entranceway. A three-dee map has been provided from sensors, but it's sketchy, so be careful as we go. The atmosphere is thin so get your breathers ready.'

Calith merely tugged at a mouth tendril, and adjusted his own breathing apparatus.

"Interference?" Chevy asked. "What kind of interference?" Chevy asked, wondering if this might carry a clue to the facility down below.

Kara pulled out what she needed and looked to Aenar. "Anything we should be aware of going in?"

'Interference from the ion storm is strong enough to disrupt our sensors,' explained Aenar evenly, 'There could be sentries, there's plenty of life signs down there, so we should be ready for the worst, really.'

"Ahhhhh," Tuff mused, adding the information to his mental dataset.

The Marine nodded. "We're set. Lead the way."

Trent followed the Lieutenant's lead and rested his combine in the nook of his shoulder. The rifle was pointed to the ground, as he was trained to do. It was a non threatening stance, but one that prepared the Marine to act in the event they were attacked. He lined up beside Kara and waited for instructions.

Calith stepped on to the transporter pad, and nodded that she was ready.

Aenar nodded to the transporter techs, 'Alright, five to beam down.' He fingered his phaser in its holster nervously as he waited for the tell-tale whine. He inhaled as the transporter around him and his team dissolved into static.

The Bajoran exhaled as he reappeared on the surface of the moon, the facility looming over him. Blinking in the thin atmosphere and crouching, he pulled his tricorder out, and began scanning the building in front of him.

He opened an encrypted channel. 'Away team check in.'

Calith's phlegmy voice crackled over the channel, 'All body parts accounted for, Lieutenant,' she observed dryly.


(To be continued...)

Lieutenant JG Mira Jayna
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer

Ensign Chevy Tuff
Computer Specialist/Engineer

Lieutenant Aenar Torek
Chief Science Officer

Ensign Clitheroe
Engineering Officer

Private First Class Trent Kushner
Marine

 

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