KIRKS POV
DEEP FRONTIER SPACE
THE STARSHIP FARRAGUT
Just like the Captain promised a boarding party was waiting for us when our shuttle boarded. The air locks hooked together with a loud CLANG and the pressure was instantly stabilized. The doors parted and two deck officers approached us. One of them had their right arm in a sling while the other was covered in his own blood. "Thank God you came." The one in the sling replied as he sealed the doors behind us.
"Where is your Captain?"
"On the bridge, hiding with the rest of our crew." The other officer replied. "Many more are scattered. We need to head to sick bay. Many of our doctors are trapped inside with zero gravity and little oxygen."
"Captain, our first objective should be to retrieve the wounded, along with any remaining survivors. Then we can retrieve the Captain on the Bridge.
"I think you're right Mr. Spock. Where's your Chief Medical officer?" I ask as we make our way to the next terminal.
"Trapped in sick bay with many others."
"Are you able to contact engineering from here?"
"The singles patchy but it works…why?"
"Tell your Chief engineer to divert oxygen to the ship. We'll need it to keep the medical staff alive."
"Roger that, I'm on it." Parts of the ship were badly damaged. Sparks flew from electrical servers that had been cut to pieces. Every so often the Ship made this unsettling creaking that stopped everyone in their tracks once they heard it.
"Here…take these." One of officers handed Spock, Sulu and I rebreathers which he retrieved from an emergency cabinet on the wall. We were quick to reach the medical bay, but frustrated to find that the doors were sealed shut.
"Damn it." I mutter.
"Engineering should have got basic functions back up again by now."
"Either way we have to get this thing open." Our feet were already at least two feet off the floor, already we felt the effects of the zero gravity taking over. "C'mon give me a hand." Soon all five of us were pulling at the doors. I felt a jerk from my side and pull harder. Finally, the door gave way. Lights in the bay were flashing indicating that the pressure of the bay had dangerously shifted. Crew member's lifeless forms floated around the weightless room, there was no way to tell if they were breathing or not. "Where's the CM?" I ask gripping the door way to steady my floating self.
"Right there." Lieutenant Jones points over to a woman's body. A brunet with a long braid. "Follow me." Jones propels himself up to the celling, pushing himself over to the other side of the bay. I'm quick to follow him while Sulu, Spock and Argos check on the other unconscious crew members. "Doctor Zemrez? Can you hear me?" James lightly jostles the Doctor when we finally manage to reach her.
"I've got her. You help him." I order pointing to the nurse floating near one of the damaged gurneys. I gentle grip the doctor in my arms as I place a rebreather in her mouth. She was very beautiful, light skin, brown hair, freckles and small light blue tattoos on her face and hands. "C'mon." I whisper sharply. "You need to wake up, your crew needs you and you can't help them when you're dead. I need you to start breathing." I grin when the rebreather makes a faint raspy sound and the doctors emerald eyes slowly inch open, focusing on me. "Hey…you ok?" She instantly begins to panics as she suddenly pulls away from me. "Whoa whoa easy. We're here to help."
"Who are you?" She asks settling back in my arms.
"Captain James Kirk. Your Captain sent out a distress signal. We picked it up."
"Oh my god." The doctor gasps frantically looking around at the now confirmed dead bodies in her medical bay.
"Easy….easy. Take deep breaths….. What's your name?"
She stutters for a moment as she tries to stay calm. "Qaria….Qaria Zemrez…Friends call me Qari."
"Alright." I smile, relieved that we managed to save her and a few of her staff members. "Qari I need you to take us to the bridge to get your Captain. The rest of my crew is retrieving the wounded along with any other survivors. Can you get us to the bridge?"
"Are those things still out there?" A female nurse with red hair shivers in fear
"Don't worry, Doc." Argos smirks. "We'll keep you and your staff safe."
"We have a job to keep the crew of this ship alive, Railes." Doctor Zemrez informs her terrified nurses. "I'll send a link to the Captain to see if she's still alive."
"No good Doctor. We just lost communications." Mr Sulu reports.
"Did one of you tell Eric to do his job right?"
"We tried Doc." Jones replied handing some of the Nurses firearms. "We lost contact with him 10 minutes ago."
"Work on getting a signal. I'll work on making contact with the Captain"
"You got it Doc."
"Doctor, I don't think you understand what we mean by lost communications."
"And I don't think you understanding recognizing specific alien species and what they're capable of." The doctor laughed sweetly. "I'll need everyone to stay quiet."
Argos and Jones move to the doorway weapons locked while Qaria…..I'm not actually sure what she was doing. Next thing I knew she was just floating, legs folded, hands placed on her knees, breathing deeply as we were forced to stay quiet. "What the hell is she-"
"Captain." Spock whispered to me. "I believe that Doctors Zemrez's request for concentration is logical."
"Why?"
"Your lack of knowledge on her species is disconcerting captain."
"If you don't wanna tell me Spock that's fine."
"She is a Lucidian. A race that is considered as the distant cousin to Vulcans, though they do not share our beliefs, they do share our ability of telepathy."
The brunet was a literal physic…..man that's creepy. I suddenly felt like an idiot for not realizing it just from the face tattoos. It was a defining trait for all lucidians. I suddenly felt like I had somehow offended her, but I wasn't sure how. It was moments later that the Doctor came out of her trance, the glow from the tattoos on her body slowly faded until they returned to their normal shade of blue.
"Sweed is alive along with six other crew members." She reports as she makes her way to the door. "But they're being held captive by twelve pirates. I just got a wire from Eric, he and his staff just got on a shuttle."
"We have to get to the bridge." I jump in. "Mr. Sulu escort Doctor Zemrez and the others to the shuttle. We'll meet you back on the ship once we retrieve the Captain and her officers."
"I'm coming with you Captain." Doctor Zemrez speaks boldly. Fire burning in her eyes.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that doctor."
"You don't have a choice sir." She argues fiercely already making her way to the bridge. "Until we establish basic communications, I'm the only one with an active signal to the Captain. Besides even if we get basic coms back online they've no doubt been confiscated by our attackers."
"The doctor does make an excellent point Captain."
"I'm aware of that Mr. Spock." I glare
"Tony, Gabe get the others to the shuttle. I'll see you all there."
"Please be careful, Cari." A male nurse replies to his Chief.
"I'll be fine. Now get moving." It didn't take long for the survivors to reach the shuttle safely while Sulu, Spock, Zemrez and I made our way to the bridge. I could tell that the Medical Chief was still shaken up from what had happened. Her entire body was trembling. "We never saw them coming." She finally says, breaking the silence. Her eyes focused on me. "You a thought that we'd be dead didn't you?"
I reply sharply. "Did you read our minds?"
"No…Just a guess. Besides my people are not permitted to read another person's mind without their consent. Where I'm from its considered a very serious crime." Doctor Zemrez was an interesting individual. Hard to tell how she'll impact this rescue mission.
