Star Trek: Horizon
Prelude:
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow…Creeps in this petty pace from day to day…To the last syllable of recorded time" -- Macbeth 5.5 18-20
"All hands brace for impact!"
Alexander wrapped his arm around the last rung of the Jeffries Tube tunnel and closed his eyes. The slow vibrations quickly increased in intensity rattling the bars and bringing more chaos above. The Captain lost his footing on the rungs and screamed out as his arms pinched along the top rung. He knew not to let go no matter how hard the ship was shaking or it would be a long trip down.
The violent shudders of the ship finally eased and passed on, causing the top rung to loosen a little. Alexander gritted his teeth and lifted his hands to the carpeted floor of the bridge, pulling himself to the deck.
"Their torpedoes are ripping right through our shields as though they aren't even there!"
"We have decompression on decks 12, 14, and 15!"
"Phasers are offline, Warp engines are down!"
"Torpedo bays 1, 3, and 4 are destroyed. Torpedo bay 2 is exhausted of all payload!"
Smoke poured around the rear weapons panels, brushing into Alexander's eyes and causing him to cough with several other officers still manning their stations. Two bodies lay on the floor spread out nearby. Panels behind him were blown and exposed wiring flashed and sparked from above, dripping bio-neural gel to the floor where it began eating through the carpeting.
Alexander turned to face the screen, watching as it flickered and snowed, looking as though the ship were passing through a nebula.
"Shut up! Shut up! All of you shut up and focus!" the red-haired Commander from before screamed. "Get Phasers back online and get a hold of engineering, I don't care what it takes! We need emergency thrusters!"
"Captain on the deck!" a young Lieutenant shouted from behind Alexander. Alexander brushed at his eyes trying to keep the smoke away, pursed his lips together and stepped forward. All eyes on the bridge turned to him.
Alexander took deep breaths for a moment as he looked around the room. Exposed wiring, smoke rising to the roof, dead and injured throughout the room. His pulse rised for a moment as flashbacks of Locutus calling out over the intercom swept through the back of his memories. He looked down and rubbed at his temples.
"Captain?"
"Clear the bridge of all non-combat personnel," Alexander said, barely above a whisper.
As more than half of the bridge personnel cleared out, carefully hurrying past the debris and bodies, a thousand questions came into his mind at a thousand miles per hour. Who was attacking? Why were they attacking? Where was Captain Sulanic? How many enemies were there?
"Helm?"
"Sir."
"I don't care if you have to get out and push, get me evasive maneuvers," Captain Alexander Dorsey called, moving past the end seats and sitting in the Captain's chair. "Engineering is in worse shape than the bridge, so you'll have to work out the repairs yourself."
"Captain…" the red-haired commander hissed at his side.
Alexander ignored her and turned to the young Andorian behind him. "Weaps?"
"Sir?"
"Is the enemy firing on us?" he asked.
"No sir, they fire salvos of three before their cannons have to recharge," Weaps answered. "I estimate thirty seconds before the two ships open fire again."
"Shields?" Alexander asked.
"Down to thirty percent, sir, but their pulse torpedoes are passing through them as if they weren't even there," Weaps answered.
"Captain, with all due respect, I know you're higher--" the commander started again.
"Helm, what about the warp engines?" Alexander asked, again ignoring the Commander.
"Online, sir, barely," Helm answered. "I can give us warp 4, maybe 5. We're venting coolant all over the place, though."
"Sir, I have 25 Impulse power."
"Move us!" Alexander shouted. "2349.5, down bubble 90 degrees."
"Sir!" helm responded.
"Keep the impulse engines venting!" Alexander called.
"Sir!" the red-haired Commander hissed. "I was in command, here! You had no right--"
"Now is not the time or place, Commander," Alexander hissed as he stood, straightening the top of his uniform. He moved to the Helm and knelt next to the young Lieutenant furiously pecking away at the command monitor in front of him. Sweat fell from his forehead down onto the soft black screen before him.
"Easy, son," Alexander said, putting his hand on the Lieutenant's shoulder. "We'll get through this."
(Just a taste…much more to come!)