The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 1: Eye of the Beholder
Scene 11: Kicking Sand
1.11
Kicking Sand
Captain Yui Song sat bolt upright in her bed. She had no clue how Skip Howard had gotten into her quarters: "Song! Get to the bridge! Get dressed! Move!"
The holographic image of Skip Howard vanished. To be immediately replaced by the whooping howl of the red alert klaxon. But Yui Song was already dressed and moving. She had no idea how a hologram had gotten projected into her quarters where there was no holomatrix to support one, but she had been a starship captain more than long enough to know when to act no matter how weird things might appear.
The captain's quarters were located directly beneath her ready room and in the most recent re-design of Intrepid class ships, a dedicated, high speed lift had been installed, which carried Captain Yui to her ready room before she had her left boot pulled on. She strode onto the bridge of the U.S.S. Mako less than a minute after the klaxon started sounding. 48 seconds faster than expected response time: "Report!" She took her seat at the center of the bridge.
.
Lt. Commander Gabisile Natal, a lean South African woman who had the 4th shift command duty, responded from the tactical station behind the captain's chair to starboard. "Escort has gone rogue - warp 6 toward the star system against your orders. Beagle is hailing."
"On screen," Yui ordered.
Captain Howard was evidently not on the Beagle's bridge. He appeared to be in one of the three engine rooms. "Mako, I'm getting Escort back, but I need you to look away.
"What are you talking about, Beagle?"
"A miracle, Song, but I need you to kick sand in the ferengi's eyes. Do everything you can to keep them from seeing what I'm about to do. You have two minutes."
Captain Yui bristled at the use of her given name in an official communication, but she didn't have time to worry about that. "Two minutes to do what?"
"Sing a song, do a dance, flood their systems with radiation - anything to keep the ferengi sensors from getting a clear read on me. And tell your people to avert their eyes - top secret. One minute forty-five now." The transmission from the U.S.S. Beagle's engine room cut out.
.
Captain Yui took a quick breath. "Gabby, how far to the nearest ferengi ship?"
"300,000 kloms."
"Helm, hard about, bring us to face the ferengi," Yui ordered. "Gabby, Four photon torpedoes 45 degrees nadir port, zenith port, nadir starboard, zenith starboard - we're not shooting at them. Detonate when they hit 50,000 klicks."
To her credit, Lt. Cmdr. Natal had the first two torpedoes away before her captain had finished the order.
Captain Yui looked over her left shoulder at the communication station. "Ensign Broras, broadcast with every sensor we have between us and the ferengi - every channel. Tie in the deflector array and feed them static."
The bolean ensign responded as quickly: "All sensors projecting, communications pushing static through the deflector array. We are 100% blind and all deflector screens are down except emergency navigation screens."
"Acknowledged, Ensign," Yui responded. "Helm, all stop."
"Helm responding to all stop, Captain," reported Chief Flight Specialist Ho River, a middle-aged Vietnamese man seated at the pilot station directly in front of the captain.
Captain Yui looked over her left shoulder again. "Ensign, can we talk to the ferengi?"
"Affirmative. We're screaming our head off - we can definitely modulate that signal."
"Initiate," Yui Song turned toward the viewscreen (currently displaying only static.) "Ferengi vessels, do not approach. Repeat do not approach. We have lost control of one of our ships and cannot guarantee that the same will not happen to you if you get within range. Repeat - this region of space is dangerous. Recommend you pull back from our position at least double your current distance. Ensign, set that message on repeat." Yui looked over her right shoulder. "Lieutenant Commander - how long do you think that will hold them off?"
Lt. Cmdr. Natal responded immediately. "Two minutes, maybe, under most circumstances."
Captain Yui dropped her fist to the arm of her chair, activating shipwide internal communications. "All hands, do not look out the back windows. Disobey my order under potential of court marshal. I need as many eyes looking out the front windows as possible. Contact the bridge as soon as you can see the ferengi approaching. Director Pel to the bridge."
.
Moments later, a distorted hologram of Captain Skip Howard appeared on the bridge of the U.S.S. Mako. "Song, open your eyes and get your shields up. Escort secured. Ferengi coming in hot! Retreat to rally point #1, warp 8, configuration Lambda, then Xi!"
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