Checking On A Friend

Posted on Thursday, 17 September 2020 - 6:48am by Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Dreamweaver
Location: USS Standing Bear
Timeline: 2393 - MD 03

{ON:}

Max had heard about Soral, he’d been helping with the search and the investigation that revealed that five crew members were missing. All had complained about sleeping problems and all had been restless and grumpy. He ran his fingers through is hair frustrated at the whole situation.

He’d just finished his end of the report and had sent it up to the CO. He’d not be happy when he read this, hell, even Max was on edge.

He closed down his terminal and headed to Alex’s quarters…which were also Soral’s. She had to be freaking out.

It took him no time flat to get to the door and he chimed waiting for her to reply.

Sitting on the floor, Bones curled up and asleep on her lap, Alex glanced up from the reports which littered the floor around her. Every sensor reading from the time around the last known sightings of the missing crew as well as the data from Soral’s office lay before her yet the numbers had begun to blur into a meaningless jumble. When the door chime rang out she let out a startled yelp which had Bones bolting to his bed before barking at the door.

“Come in!”

He entered and sighed when he saw her. “Are you alright?”

She didn’t answer, instead asking a question of her own. “Where is he?” She asked quietly, her worry seeping into her voice.

He sighed and sat by her. "I don't know Alex. We have five more missing." He scrubbed his hand down his face and went to sit by her. "I just...I wish I knew what happened."

“You and me both,” she whispered as she glanced at the reports scattered around her on the floor. “He’s hurt... there was blood on his uniform... and I don’t know how to find him.”

Max's investigative brain started going. "Okay let's go to his office. I still haven't had a chance to look around properly. Being that you are his wife you'll know what's out of place and what is not."

She wanted to point out that a team had gone over every square inch but the idea of doing something - anything- was a welcome one. And it had been a little while, maybe looking over it again would help. It couldn’t hurt. “Okay,” she nodded.

He held out a hand to her and when she stood he hugged her tight. "We'll find him."

"I know," she assured him, stepping back.

He let her lead the way. He could see how this was affecting her and if he was truthful it was affecting him too. His friend was gone. He wanted to find him.

Entering Soral’s office, Alex stopped just inside the doorway as she studied the room. “Everything should be exactly as it was,” she told Max. She had been very specific about that when the room was being scanned.

He wandered around a little stopping at his computer terminal. "Has anyone reviewed his logs?"

Alex frowned, because the thought had not even crossed her mind. “No...” she admitted, with a heavy undertone of guilt. It seemed such an obvious thing to do, now that Max had suggested it.

He smiled. "Don't worry usually you don't check those unless..." he let the thought trail off. "But let's see the last couple that are work related, shall we?"

She knew where his sentence had been heading and paled at the thought before nodding. “Let’s.”

Max sat down at his friends desk and cracked his knuckles. His hands flew over the console and at the double beep he had to smile. "Still same password as the academy."

“Wait, password? Max, is this legal?” Alex asked him.

He snorted, "Probably not but Soral is missing. I'm gonna do what I have to, to get him back." He laughed. "Surak's Folly. He finds it delightfully illogical and thinks nobody could break it."

Alex let him speak, pacing the small patch of carpet behind him. Hopefully the logs would give them some kind of clue...

"Okay I have it." He turned on the log,

Soral's voice came filtering through in a ghostly fashion, "XO's log Stardate 302310.7, I have noted a restlessness in the crew. Several have spoken to me in confidence about nightmares and lack of sleep. Others of crew members acting in a peculiar manner, being short tempered and angry. I must confess that I too am afflicted by those symptoms...perhaps not the short in temper ones but lack of sleep and nightmares. I have noted that after my most recent nightmare I awoke with a puncture wound that I cannot explain as if a needle had been used in my neck...then there have been bruising. The crew members I spoke with have also had such experiences. I have an idea as to what is happening but to be honest I have no certainty. ...."

“Oh Soral...” Alex breathed, frowning. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

Max sighed. "He doesn't want to upset you. He loves you too much Alex. This is all new to him. You know he told me the other day that he doesn't understand what someone as wonderful as you sees in him."

Alex rolled her eyes, “keeping things from me upsets me. And how he sees me is sometimes insane.”

Max laughed. "Actually I think he sees you as the Vulcan fire goddess." He ducked his head knowing it would earn a smack.

“I doubt a goddess would have lost her husband,” Alex quipped as she glanced at the monitor, “any more recent logs?”

"Two work and one personal." He paused. "With your permission I think we should start with the personal."

She groaned, "in for a penny and all that. Do it."

There was a moment of silence as Mac cued up the log. It wasn't lost on him that this was an invasion of Soral's privacy. Soral's voice filtered through.

Personal log, Soral,

It has been a long day. I have just spoken with Severine and have, for the first time, met with Soval. He was...less then enthusiastic to meet me. I have confirmed, through my conversation, that my condition has passed to him. Yet another way I have failed my family. Perhaps my father has always been right and I am nothing more then a waste of space a Vulcan, that will add nothing to our planet and way of life." Soral's voice paused.

"But that is now what I wish to speak of. I wish to speak of the nightmares. More and more my mind sees other images, alien faces, devices. I cannot make sense of anything. I feel as if....I live in two words the one of the nightmares. In them I see...crew members. Ensign Polins, Chief Thomas...all in cages with devices hooked to them. It almost seems like one of those ancient Earth alien abductions scenes...absurd really, quite illogical.

Mac paused it. "Bingo!" He tried to ignore the first part of the log where Soral talked about his past and how he was quick to dismiss himself and all he'd done.

Having been so focused on listening to her husband's voice, trying to digest all that his log revealed, Alex almost jumped out of her skin at the sudden declaration. She frowned, "bingo? What does an old Earth game have to do with anything?"

Mac smirked despite himself. "Your husband is rubbing off on you. I mean bingo as in perhaps we have something to work with."

“Oh,” Alex said with a small nod, before adding, “how so?”

"Cages, alien abductions...what if those aren't nightmares. What if they are memories?"

“Memories? As in you think he left the ship before? And the others who have had nightmares?”

"Maybe...A flash his mind brief but out of reach." He sighed. "Alex we need to find him. I have...a bad feeing that this will get worse."

“We will find him- he found me when I needed him.”

He stood and took her gently by the shoulder. "And I know you will find him."

She managed a small smile, “I just need to figure out how before it is too late.”

{OFF:}