Beyond the barrier, Pt 4

Posted on Wed Feb 26th, 2025 @ 5:32pm by Commodore Finchley Kerr & Commander Shr'Nesh Karadis & Lieutenant Commander Kevin Kilbane & Lieutenant Jock McCrudden & Commander Alec Hunter & Lieutenant Commander Isabelle Savette & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T'ghann-Dex. Doctor

1,905 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Voices of the past
Location: USS Blackeagle, Bridge/Sickbay.
Timeline: Current.

[1 hour later]

"Mr Drevas, can you join us on the bridge please" Finchley called into his COMM.

"Of course, sir." Drevas looked marginally less dead when he stepped out of the turbolift about two minutes later, at least. He'd chosen to return to his office and catch a brief nap (after finding suitable candidates to follow the away mission, if need be) - though he hadn't expected to be needed again so soon.

"Reporting as ordered, Commodore. How may I assist?" He asked, smoothing a barely noticeable wrinkle out of his uniform.

"We've received coordinates to beam down to from Mr Monroe, apparently it'll take us right to his office" Finchley replied. He stepped towards the viewscreen, pondering on what to say next so it didn't sound overly dramatic.

"There's just something off about all of this, it's too smooth, too clean, too...nice!" he carried on, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'm going to beam down with Commander Savette, I'd like you to beam down with a second away team, but I want you to beam down to coordinates two clicks away from where I'll be. Have a nosy around, try to find out what you can about the Monroe's from anyone you meet. Try not to make it sound like an interrogation though, try to keep it casual."

"Of course, sir. I think I have just the ones to bring with me in mind." Good thing he'd done those interviews before the brief nap he'd managed to have, then. Drevas' mind went immediately to the few he'd thought might be suitable for such a mission. He hated to have to pull them out in the middle of lunch, but such was the nature of their work.

"When do we leave, sir?" He added.

"ASAP Lieutenant" Finchley replied.

"Understood." Drevas replied. "I assume we will be maintaining minimal contact with you and the counsellor, then? So as to not arouse unwanted attention." It made sense to him, anyway. Imagine receiving an update while in the middle of a meeting. Wouldn't that be strange? "Rest assured we will maintain contact with the ship, within reasonable parameters."

"You won't be contacting myself or the Counsellor at all" Finchley replied, "what you find out you can report back to Commander Hunter when you return back to the ship. Once the Counsellor and I are finished with the Monroe's we will also return to the ship and Commander Hunter will then report your findings to me."

Isabelle watched as Finchley and Drevas talked, it was obvious Finchley had some concerns, who wouldn’t? Right now she had questions that would require damn good answers.

Finchley turned and walked back to Isabelle. "We have the coordinates for meeting Mr Monroe at his office Commander, whenever you're ready, we can beam down."

I’m already ready” Isabelle offered the best smile she could muster.

Karadis approached Finchley and nodded to the side to show she wanted to speak to him. He walked over to stand by her and asked, "You have concerns, don't you."

"Well, yeah!" Karadis answered, "You're going down with just Isabelle, no support. I think that's stupid, but then, you're kind of renowned for being like that."

"If we go down there heavy handed, that could spell danger" Finchley replied, "whereas if it's just the two of us, Isabelle and me, they're more likely to be receptive and answer a few well thought out, but probing questions."

Karadis screwed her face up in an 'are you kidding me' look, "You have well thought out but probing questions?" she asked incredulously.

" I do" Finchley answered confidently.

"Like what?" Karadis asked.

Finchley opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, almost spoke, then blinked a couple of times, "I don't have to share them with you!" he finally blurted out.

"As I thought, you have nothing" Karadis replied, throwing her arms up in the air, "you're just going to bluff your way through this!"

Finchley smiled and said, "Yes, I'm going to bluff my way through it, but, it could yield results. Munroe will probably know we're not regular Starfleet anyway, I have a sense he's not as friendly as he seemed onscreen, so I'll be careful. Now, if you have no other questions or concerns, can you please just go back to your temporary Executive Officers duty and take care of my ship and the crew."

Karadis hummmmphed and turned round, walking back to the centre seat, Finchley in turn went back to Isabelle.

"Let's go then, time to meet your 'possible' third cousins twice removed, aunties, mothers, brothers, twin sisters, daughters, grandfathers descendants" Finchley smiled at Isabelle, trying to create humour about the situation.

“I guess” Isabelle nodded, grateful for the calming shot Shon had given her previously.

Shon appeared once again on the bridge looking spick and span, clean and in a new uniform with her medical instrumentation with her. "Commodore I need to be on the away team, I need to monitor Lieutenant Commander Savette and I would also like to get some readings on these people. Commander Hunter is resting in sickbay and I am waiting for the results of a parietal lobe scan and a deep visual cortex run."

"Well, so long as Commander Savette is ok with you being there, but I was actually thinking that it would be just the two of us going so as to minimise the thought the Monroe's would have that something's up" Finchley replied. He wished that Commander Hunter was there, he could do with him on the bridge as Karadis was an unwilling replacement fir him. Not that she couldn't do the job, she was more than qualified and experienced enough, she just preferred her own role.

"Speaking of Commander Hunter" he continued, "what's going on with him, I can't have my XO having visions of who knows what, speaking about aura's and such like?"

"Commander Alec Hunter is fine." A strong, steady voice came from the rear of the bridge to reveal Alec standing there in a clean uniform. He looked to Isabelle, Shon and Kerr. "I can handle this. I plan on sitting in that seat until you come back. You being the away team by the way."

Isabelle offered a relieved smile seeing Alec back on the bridge.



Finchley looked round as Alec spoke, "Actually, that's for the Doctor to decide Commander, and then myself as to whether or not I feel you're ok to do so 'if' the Doctor clears you."

Karadis literally launched herself out of the centre seat and over to Finchley, "He's breathing, standing upright and can speak...what more do you want, give him the centre seat back so I can get back to my own work!"

Finchley looked at Karadis, "Nice try, unfortunately no cigar chum."

"Oh come on you chump, he said he's ok, give him the benefit of the doubt" Karadis shot back.

"It's for the Doctor to decide first" Finchley replied, "then I'll make a decision based on what she says."

Karadis fists clenched and unclenched, "FINE!" she said through gritted teeth, then both she and Finchley looked at Shon.

"I think the Commander is fine to continue his duties Sir, He is better here doing what he does than hanging around in sickbay, I am, however monitoring him." she said looking boldly at Karadis.

Karadis just smirked back, thinking how much of a teachers pet Shon sounded in her reply.

Alec remained silent as Shon made her recommendation. He turned his head to look at Finchley.

Finchley looked between Shon and Alec, he wasn't convinced his Executive Officer should have been out of Sickbay, he would need to find out if he was released by someone there or if Alec had signed himself out, either way, he'd get to the bottom of it.

"Well" Finchley began, "so long as you don't suddenly start getting these visions of aura's again or you start seeing pink elephants on parade marching around the bridge, take your post Mr Hunter."

Karadis gleefully grinned, "Yesssssssssss!" she hissed.

"I don't know why you're so happy, you're now going to be temporary Second Officer on the bridge, you're more than qualified and experienced enough" Finchley said.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!!!!" Karadis answered, her joy now cut short and replaced by seething anger again.

"I'm just kidding Karadis" Finchley said, starting to move towards the turbolift, "but I did have you going there."

"That wasn't funny Bird" Karadis replied, relieved that she no longer had to be on the bridge.

"Just keeping you on your toes..." cam back from Finchley as he entered the now open doors of the 'lift.

Alec nodded and was now sitting in the center seat. as Isabelle, Finchley and Shon entered the turbolift. "See you all when you get back." He replied, glad to be out of Sickbay and back on the bridge where he belonged.

Shon turned, "Keep on comms with me Commander?" Once in the turbolift Shon turned to Finchley and Isabelle. "Sir I have some information on the Lieutenant Commander's situation."

"Yes Shon." Alec replied in an indulgent tone sounding very much like a small boy talking to his mother.

Finchley was now concerned, Shon had waited till they were in the 'lift before she said anything, to him, that wasn't a good sign.

"Ok, what's the information?" Finchley asked.

"Halt," Shon said as the lift stopped. "I wanted to get you both alone, I have been monitoring the Borg implants during this time. It appears that because of Isabelle's augmentation the dormant Borg artifacts are beginning to enlarge and replicate, they were dormant but because of what they perceive as a threat they are now a threat. " Shon turned to Isabelle. You can only have one, or the other. I would suggest you keep the Borg implants, we can deal with those. We need to remove the augmentation. Questions?"

"Yes, I have one" Finchley replied, his hand raised as if he were in a school room, "The augmentation has most likely always been in Isabelle's body, ever since she was born, and the Borg implants have been in there for quite a while now. So why are they only reacting against each other now. I mean, surely the Borg implants would have recognised and seen the augmentation as a threat straight away, but yet they didn't react, so as I ask, why are they reacting now?"

"From a medical point of view, and this is only conjecture I think the nearer we got to this planet the more the augmentation reacted?"

"Is that you asking me a question, or you telling me the answer?" Finchley asked.

Shon shrugged, "as I said it is just conjecture, that is why I wanted to be included in the away team, I need more readings from the people on the planet, then I might have an answer to give you." She looked at Isabelle, "you are very quiet?"

On the bridge, Alec looked over to Karadis, "Commander Karadis?"

As she was just about to enter the turbolift, Karadis heard her name being spoken by the XO, and she turned to face him, "Yes Sir?"

"Thank you." Alec replied simply. Hoping she knew what he was making reference to.

Karadis nodded her head, understanding what he was referring to, "You're welcome...Alec" she replied in a rare personal moment.

 

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