Left Behind II - Ensigns Have Feelings Too
The news had spread quickly through the ship
until by mid afternoon everyone knew that three of the senior officers
were missing. The mood of the ship became immediately subdued once the
word was out. When many of the crew gathered in the mess hall the evening,
the chief topic of conversation was their missing comrades, not surprisingly.
Ensigns Mayweather, Sato, and Cutler gathered at a table together to talk
over the events of the day.
The two young women looked very down as they
picked at their meals, but Mayweather, always the tough and space-smart
boomer, told them, "Look, Commander Tucker is an excellent officer, and
Sub-commander T'Pol is a Vulcan. They can handle any situation, trust me."
"What if they aren't in a situation, Travis.
What if they're dead." said Hoshi, voicing the collective fears of many
of the crew.
"I don't believe that for a minute. What would
have killed them?" asked Travis, scoffing at the very idea.
"What if it was some kind of malfunction."
"Then there would be evidence, bodies, signs
of something happening. When this is all over, everything will be back
like it ought to be and it will make sense." argued Travis.
"But you don't know that." said Ensign Cutler.
"You'll see." said Travis confidently.
"Sir, I think I found something in the sensor
logs from last night." Lieutenant Reed told his commanding officer, presenting
him with yet another data pad.
"What?" prompted Archer.
"It appearances to have been a very small
temporal anomaly or disturbance, sir. The ship passed right through without
anyone being the wiser."
"And our missing officers?"
"It is my suspicion, sir, that this was the
cause of their disappearance, but as for getting them back ... I wouldn't
begin to suggest a way to do it."
"Have the helm plot a course back to the disturbance.
It shouldn't be far. And have them keep a safe distance, lieutenant. We
can't afford to lose anyone else."
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