So It Begins Again
Posted on Fri Oct 10, 2014 @ 7:40pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson & Fleet Captain Rhea Kennit & Lieutenant AJ Taggart
2,118 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
All this has happened before...
Location: Sickbay- USS Victory
Mission: All this has happened before...
Location: Sickbay- USS Victory
Timeline:
ON:
Lieutenant Taggart rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat in the cockpit of a Danube Class Runabout en route to the USS Victory. Reaching down, he removed the PADD containing his orders from his duffel bag, he was still incredulous as to how quickly he was reassigned to the Victory. It had been a quick three weeks aboard, then the Fleet had sent him off on some cushy billet in Starfleet Intelligence aboard Starbase 900 working on tactical plans. After that, there was some sort of shake up then he was ordered to report back to the Victory as her Chief Security and Tactical Officer. There were some people that he was looking forward to seeing- one being a certain medical Lieutenant. There were so many opportunities that he had missed and it was time to make up for that.
The computer beeped a warning that signified that the runabout was nearing the Victory's initial security zone. Each ship docked at a Starbase had them since the alert condition was raised. Composed to three layers, they required rotating communications and clearance codes. If you failed to have either of these, you would get a polite warning at the first layer, a stern one at the second, and blown away by an automated security system if you passed the third without transmitting. AJ brought the runabout to a full stop and opened a channel to the Victory.
"Victory Flight Control, this is the runabout Rickover requesting priority landing clearance."
The Victory responded almost immediately. "State your personal authorization code and transmit orders.
Complying with the command, AJ spoke up. "Taggart-Four-Tango-Beta-Nine-Omega." Using his index finger he removed a blue isolinear chip containing encoded orders to allow him access to the ship. Inserting the chip into a small slot beneath the console and tapped a softly pulsing 'Transmit' button.
There was a palpable silence then the Victory responded. "Clearance confirmed. Stand by for transport."
AJ froze in place. "Hey, wait-" he was interrupted as a blue light surrounded him and plunged him into darkness. When the light returned, AJ found himself on a transporter pad staring awkwardly at a female Petty Officer Third Class in a gold uniform.
"Can I help you with something, sir?" the petty officer asked gingerly. AJ waved his hand noncommittally as he tried to shake off the disorientation and illness that came with a sudden transport. It was an unpleasant mix of nausea and jitters that could only be cured by a strong dose of anti nausea medication. Regaining some of his composure, AJ walked out of the transporter room.
-----Sickbay, Five Minutes Later-----
AJ's nausea was worse now and his hands were shaking to the point that he could barely hang on to the PADD that was clutched in his hand. Collapsing against a biobed, AJ slumped to the floor, the PADD clattering to the deck.
Rhodes was closest and called out first. "Maggie!"
Maggie rushed over and took the man's legs while Rhodes grabbed him under the arms. They counted off and lifted him onto the biobed. "Doctor!" Rhodes called, grabbing a tricorder.
Nicole came out of her office and moved swiftly over to the biobed, taking the proffered tricorder, but stopping short when she saw the green face.
"Doctor," Maggie said slowly, "is that the guy who scared--"
"Yup," Nicole said.
"And the one who asked--"
"Yup," Nicole repeated, scanning him slowly.
"And then he--"
"YES, Maggie," Nicole snapped. "Return to your station."
Maggie nodded and turned back to her station as Rhodes stepped in, grabbing a hypo and slapping it into Nicole's outstretched palm. "I'll leave you to it," he said, moving away as well.
Nicole programmed the hypo quickly and pressed it against AJ's neck. She scanned him again while the medication coursed its way through his veins and folded her arms as his eyelids fluttered. "What the hell did you do?" she said when he focused on her. "Beam out in the middle of a turn?"
AJ smiled weakly at her as he felt a cooling sensation that steadied him. "If only. I don't think your transporter compensated properly." Looking deeply at Nicole, he couldn't contain himself as he allowed a stream of consciousness to spew forth. "You know, it's good to see you. I didn't mean to leave so suddenly, the fleet just called me away and I wished that I could have gotten back but there wasn't a billet open for me and so I came back and took the first position I could but I guess the jokes on me, huh?"
Nicole raised an eyebrow. "I'll pretend I understood that and assume that was your apology," she said, growling slightly. "At least you have a reason to stand someone up, of course a note would've been polite."
AJ steadied himself and raised his hands in defense, sighing slightly. "I didn't mean to leave you like that and I would do anything to make it up to you. I'll even cook dinner every night for the next month- whatever you want." If there was something that AJ was good at, it was bargaining and he hoped that this time tested skill came in handy now.
Nicole rolled her eyes a bit. "There's a fine line between cute and pathetic begging," she said. "We'll see how my schedule works. Now, how are you feeling?"
AJ smiled slightly. "Like I got hit with a ton of bricks. Although, I'm feeling a lot better with you around." he couldn't help but notice that she was being extremely harsh about this whole thing, failing to realize that the whole business was out of his control and he simply went where he was told.
"Cheap line," Nicole said, but couldn't quite hide the uptick of the corner of her mouth as she turned to put her tricorder down on the instrument tray. "Do you dance, Mister Taggart?"
"Of course, Doctor Anderson. What self respecting officer doesn't know how to dance?" AJ jabbed back. His dancing skills were quite renowned at Recruit Training Command. He had been known to do a rather proficient tango and an even better waltz.
"Well you're banned from it for the next 24 hours while your internal systems give themselves a reset," she said, smirking slightly. She reprogrammed the hypo and pressed it against his neck again, albeit a bit gentler this time. "But maybe we can talk tomorrow," she said.
AJ shrugged. "As you wish, Doc. You know where I am if you need me."
"Good to know," Nicole said, her tone softening a bit. "You're free to go."
[Transporter Room Two]
The female petty officer was still incredulous as to the scene that she had just witnessed. Some sick Lieutenant had just beamed aboard and walked out. Tapping her combadge, she opened a channel to the bridge.
"Transporter Room Two to the bridge."
An officer on the other end spoke up. "Go ahead, Transporter Room."
"The Captain said that she wanted to be notified of any new arrivals. There was a Lieutenant that just beamed aboard, he was really ill but he headed off somewhere."
There was a brief silence as the officer, an Ensign in Security thought over what to do. "Very well, the Captain will be informed and I'll send a security team to look for this Lieutenant. Bridge out."
Ensign Wilcox began to rapidly tap out commands on his station, a flurry of beeps emanating from his direction. Finally finding what he was looking for, he ran a bio scan for newly beamed aboard life forms and found a massive 'ping' in sickbay. Hitting a few more buttons, the life form was identified as a human- someone named AJ Taggart. Running a search for the name, it came back in a flash as the name of a newly re-assigned officer- his new Department Head, in fact. Stepping down from his station, he briskly walked over to the Captain's Ready Room and tapped the door chime.
A muffled "Enter!" granted entrance to the Ready Room where the Captain was trying her best to get to drink a cup of coffee while it was still hot.. Looking over as Ensign Wilcox entered, she swallowed another quick sip of her drink then asked, "What is it Ensign?"
Ensign Wilcox was sweating slightly at this point. "Ma'am, a Lieutenant Taggart has just beamed aboard. Apparently he was acting strangely and he made a beeline for sickbay. Did you want to respond?" Wilcox asked while attempting to hold his military bearing.
That got her attention, she cocked her head at Wilcox with a sharpened expression. "Would that be Lt. AJ Taggart?" she asked.
Ensign Wilcox nodded. "Yes,ma'am. He transmitted orders to report as the new Security Chief just a few minutes ago."
"Ah." She said, setting the coffee mug down with careful deliberation. "And..he is now in sickbay you say?" she nodded to herself. "Well then.. It would appear that I need to go find out exactly what is going on in sickbay doesn't it?"
Ensign Wilcox nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Would you like me to have a Crewman Frame escort you?"
She shook her head, "I think I can manage Ensign but thank you."
Rising, she locked her computer screen and then waved for the Ensign to precede her out of the Ready Room. As she walked across the bridge, she said to the current duty officer, "Lieutenant, I'll be in sickbay for a time checking on a report I've received. If you need me, just give a shout."
"Aye Captain," he answered.
Entering the turbolift, she turned as the doors slid closed and said "Sickbay."
[Sickbay]
AJ shrugged and moved into a standing position. Walking over to the sickbay threshold, he stopped for a moment and turned to look at Nicole. "Meet me tonight at 1800. My quarters."
Nicole opened her mouth to accept, then felt her mind immediately reject it, then realized she was staring at him with her mouth half open. She snapped it shut quickly and nodded. "All right," she said.
The main doors to sickbay opened, and the Captain entered. Pausing, she looked around to locate both the Doctor, and Lt. Taggart.
AJ was on the verge of the threshold when Captain Kennit entered. Backpedaling, he addressed the superior officer. "Good to see you again, Captain. It's been too long."
"Lt. Taggart," she answered. "I understand you're ill?"
AJ nodded. "It was just a bit of radiation sickness, ma'am. Doctor Anderson gave me a quick shot and aside from being off my feet for the next 24 hours, I'm right as rain."
"What have I told you about self-diagnosis?" Nicole said as she walked up, handing the Captain a padd. "My report, Captain. Mister Taggart is indeed going to be fine, but he'll need rest first. Whatever first-year cadet was piloting his transport could have done serious injury."
AJ raised his hand sheepishly. "I was piloting that runabout, ma'am. However there was a lot of background radiation inside of the berthing. Were the nacelles, external plasma conduits, or the matter compensators damaged recently?"
"And then some..." was all the Captain said by way of response. "It got a little frisky around here for a bit."
"Thankfully we got out of it before anyone got too thoroughly frisked," Nicole said, walking up to them, then immediately realized what she said and initiated an about-face. "Okay that sounded better in my head." She walked back to her office, trying to figure out the best way to subtly beam herself into space.
AJ nodded slightly. Trying to dispel the awkwardness of the moment, AJ snapped his fingers and removed a black isolinear chip from his pocket and handed them it over to the Captain. "I was instructed to give this to you and your Chief Intelligence Officer before I left. It contains intelligence reports and updated information on a few places and cultures here in the quadrant. It requires a three step verification- yours, mine, and your Chief Intelligence Officer."
Accepting the chip from his hand, she glanced at it and then nodded slightly. "Thank you Mr. Taggart. We'll take care of it.."
"Aye aye, ma'am. Is there anything else you need from me?" AJ asked, feeling a sense of intense fatigue wash over him. At this point, he wanted nothing more than to take a nap.
"No, nothing comes to mind. You're free to go.. I think the quartermaster has you in the same quarters you were assigned during your last stay aboard." she told him.
AJ nodded. "Outstanding. Thank you, ma'am." He quickly made his exit and a beeline towards his own bed.
RSS Feed