By Her Side
By: Jadeblueafterglow17
Chapter 3: Late for Dinner
Summary: The Crushers' and Captain Picard have arrived on the planet's surface just minutes before a polarity shift causes magma to shift the planet's tectonic plates violently out of alignment.
The three figures materialized in a large vaulted room as their streams of atoms congealed to form their human essence. They were startled when they collapsed to the floor, the sudden jolt from the intense ride through the transporter system more than they were use to. Wesley was first to stumble to his feet as he stood and grabbed his mothers arm, as the captain gently lifted her to her feet.
"Well...that was the worst transporter ride ever."
"Somehow I think the transporter is the least of our problems." Captain Picard started walking through the dark room. The only light came through the massive windows and sky lights.
"Hello?" he bellowed and was rewarded with the sound of his deep echo.
They were in a large open room, a palatial setting with large ornamental fixtures, enormous vaulted ceilings, and a total absence of activities.
"Wait...Where is Counselor Troi and Lt. Commander Laforge?" Wesley asked flipping open his tricorder as he ran his hands over the solid wall and walked away.
"A very good question." Beverly tapped her insignia eliciting no response.
"Where is the welcoming committee?"
"This is rather peculiar, Picard added staring at the large empty room.
"I don't think I'll be making it back in time for that dinner I promised."
"I'm sure the lovely Ensign Lefler will understand Mr. Crusher. Beverly shoved Picard in the ribs." Wesley smiled.
"Oof! What was that for?" he whispered.
"I'm finally going to meet this girl. We'd better be home by dinner." Picard cleared his throat and decided it was in his best interest to find a way to make contact with the Enterprise for a multitude of reasons, the least of which was a growing Crusher mutiny, the worst, a growing sense of dread stewing in his stomach that he could see on the faces of his companions. He noticed that Wesley had disappeared down a corridor.
"Mr. Crusher, any sign of life?"
"No sir...not even a stray animal."
"Wes, stay with us. I don't want you getting separated from us. " she said pulling him back towards the center of the room.
"Picard to Enterprise?" the only reply he received was static. Beverly tapped her badge and it made an audible chirping noise but nothing more.
"Sir, the tricorder is going absolutely haywire. I can't read anything other than our own biorhythms and oddly enough even those are faint. There is a significant magnetic force surging from the planets iron and nickel core." Wesley walked back towards them and his face paled as he looked into their eyes.
"What is it Wes?"
"The gyroscope in the tricorder has gone haywire, there is no magnetic north or south sir. The amount of energy surging towards the surface indicates..." a roaring sound building in intensity could be heard in the distance.
"Something very bad is about to happen." Picard finished. He glanced into Beverly s eyes as the ground beneath them began to shake violently.
"Cover your head!" was the last thing Beverly and Wesley heard before the ground beneath them shook as if by hand.
Something large smashed into Wesley's back and skull simultaneously - dropping him to the floor. His hand was snatched from his mothers as a scream died on her lips. The ceiling collapsed on them in large shards of jagged rock. Picard did his best to cover Beverly and shield her from the onslaught of falling rock but lost the battle when a rock and ornamental decor sliced through his shoulder before they were covered with kilograms of dust and debris.
It was more than five minutes before the initial tremors stopped. As the dust began to settle, all that could be seen were a few streaks of dusty red hair, a bloodied hand clutching a bald head and a twisted broken limb jutting out at a very wrong angle.
I was done after chapter one. You shape this story...so what comes next?
Picard demands a secret be revealed. Please review.