Happiness is a Warm Phaser

Posted on Friday, 25 February 2022 - 2:07am by Lieutenant JG Jodon Joral & Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt & Lieutenant JG Ethan Connelly & Lieutenant JG Jarin Alexander MD

Mission: Operation: Crimson Kaleidoscope
Location: Borg Cube?

Jodon Joral had retired to his quarters several hours prior to the strange experience plaguing him, a nightmare that he could not seem to wake from. The same place for the past few nights had cone to him in his sleep. At first if was fleeting glimpses as though he were only loosely there, but this time was different. This time he could hear the sounds, the low humming of circuitry, and the distant agonizing screams.

When he reached out to feel the bulkheads, they were cool to the touch. He had even hit his head on on something metallic and felt the bruising forming. It did not take him long to figure out where he was or at least where him mind that taken him - A Borg Cube or sphere, whatever geometric shape it was, that didn't matter.

He felt as though he were being watched. As he walked acrossed a catwalk he could look down to a technological abyss. He had made it safely to the other side and navigated through a maze of empty alcoves. The Borg were not a threat, not any more. They had bit been for years. J.J. nearly screamed when he collided with something that was much softer than metallic and had made noise back.

"Good gawd, Lieutenant," Adrianna hissed, "it's only borg. You'd think we were on a ghost ship."

He let out a bit of a sigh of relief. It wasn't a Borg - dream or otherwise. It was one of his shipmates. "Why am I dreaming of you being here," he pondered out, not expecting a sentient response.

"What makes you think this is a dream?" Adrianna looked curiously at the man, raising a brow, "do you not remember how we got here? Should I get a medic?"

“Of course he knows,” Ethan Connelly said confidently as he rounded the corner while staring intently at the tricorder in his hand. “Don’t you, Lieutenant?”

J.J shook his head. "No, I do not, and I thought you had to be a dream because..." The Trill shrugged. "I'm not telepathic. Neither of you are, so how can we be having a shared dream. I don't remember anything except getting into bed and cuddling my pillow."

"This isn't a dream!" Adrianna rolled her eyes before looking at Connelly, "can you use the tricorder to ensure he's not actually losing it, before I shoot him? This mission was supposed to be simple and I can't deal with morons on this little sleep."

"Aren't you supposed to be more maternal or something?" J.J. sighed. "I was never this cranky as a woman." The Trill looked at Ethan. "So, let's say it isn't a dream what exactly is it? Because last I checked The Borg were out of commission."

“Then someone didn’t send them the memo,” Ethan commented, turning his tricorder to face his fellow science officer, “there’s energy readings near the central node, but besides that it is just … odd. As if there is interference. Nothing on your ship is ever easy is it? Anyway, I vote for leaving them be and making a strategic exit.”

Jodon looked at Adrianna. "If this isnt a dream then we will need to find a waybto contact the ship let alone figure out how we even got here."

Adrianna was still narked at the maternal instincts comment, but quick retracted her hand from her weapon. The paperwork for 'accidentally' killing an officer just seemed like too much hard work. She sighed, looking around a moment, thinking, "if we get to the core, we may be able to relay a message through their systems. Only short, but ships will be able to pick it up. Last time I was on a borg ship I wasn't starfle-... Never mind."

"I would say I've never been, but that isn't entirely true," commented J.J. He looked apologetically at Adrianna. "I didn't mean to be a brat. I'm still getting used to being joined. It's like going through puberty all over again."

Adrianna snorted, "Gawd. Puberty is a swear word."

“You can say that again,” Ethan agreed, closing the tricorder, “there’s too much interference, thing is useless.”

"We best find the main controls then," Adrianna nodded to the gangway.

“I was so hoping you weren’t going to say that,” Ethan sighed, eyeing the gangway. “What are we supposed to do when the Borg find us? And no offence but if this is someone’s dream, it’s a bad one, clearly.”

J.J. grumbled. "I don't know, but I have no plans on being assimilated. Not now, not ever. Let's just find our way to the main controls. Lieutenant Eberhardt is the ranking officer...so, guess that puts you in charge."

"So I'm the responsible one for a man who believes this is a dream and - - never mind," she sighed, "stick together, if one goes, we all do. Let's go." Adrianna started walking along the gangway, in a careful and vigilant manner.

“I’m sure that was a good never mind,” Ethan grumbled as he trailed after her.

Adrianna smiled, teasing, "I couldn't think of anything bad, if that's what you meant."

“I wish my ex felt the same, she wrote a list. On paper. Both sides,” Ethan confided.

"The fact that she wrote a list meant that she's a toxic person," Adrianna commented, "not someone worth your time." Adrianna stopped a moment and looked around, "do you hear something or is it just my paranoia?"

Ethan stopped just short of running into the Lieutenant, looking around as he strained to listen to anything above the sound of his own heart racing and the breathing of his companions. One might think, with his heritage that he’d have better heating than your average bear but sadly not. Although right now he took that as a blessing. He didn’t want to hear too much. Not on a Borg cube or sphere or whatever this was.

“I don’t hear anything,” he replied quietly.

Jodon breathed a small sigh of relief. "That's the last thing you hear before it's too late," the Trill said. He was usually a lot more chipper, but the Borg gave him the heebie-jeebies. "Next thing you know an assimilation tube is injected into your neck."

The Trill shrugged. "I suggest we try to think positive thoughts...sorry."

"Yes Tinkerbella," Adrianna muttered, continuing their walk.

“Maybe if we think happy thoughts we will be able to fly,” Ethan quipped, peering down over the edge towards the levels below. It seemed a long way down. “Why aren’t they bothering with us? Are we really so insignificant to them?”

"Perhaps we should not question that and just get on with finding our escape," Adrianna answered, "I'm happy to be insignificant in this context."

"That would be appropriate for Borg," J.J. noted. "Three of us, no back up. Though this doesn't look textbook Borg ship, something just doesn't seem right about this...any of this."

"Well, the sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can stop with the uncomfortable feelings. Also, we can get warm. Why are both ships so cold?" Adrianna asked.

J.J. shrugged "Because you recently had a baby?" he offered though did not really care to get into the discussion. "If we take a left at this junction, I think we can get directly to the core. Once there, we can try to send a message to the Standing Bear, or at least do something that they can detect. The last thing we want though is to set of any sort of Borg homing beacon, I do not want to be here if more Borg arrive."

Suddenly, several alcoves they were passing sparked and two drones fell out. "Shit!" the Trill shouted, and practically jumped back nearly into Connelly's arms. The drones continued to flail on the decking until another drone came and just ripped things from the two downed drones, collecting parts and pieces, paying no attention to the trio of Starfleet Officers before heading down a walkway.

"I know that Borg will take things from damaged or deceased drones, but that was just...barbaric," Jodon said as he let his nerves mellow out. "I don't think those two were even that damaged, but this ship might be? Those alcoves just exploded in front of us. Maybe that's why we are not a threat? A bigger threat is taking care of them from the outside."

"I am not willing to find out," Adrianna groaned before ordering, cautiously, "let's pick up the pace, ladies."

"Jokes on you," Jodon quipped. "I was one for several years," he added and chuckled. "At least my symbiont's previous host was, but I remember all the experiences."

When they had finally reached their destination, the trio had been quick to work. They tried desperately to get a message out, something that the USS Standing Bear or any Federation starship would detect and hopefully come to their rescue. Then it happened. Something that felt like tension against his neck, small like a mosquito bite - more irritating than painful. The Borg he thought as he reached upward expecting to feel assimilation tubules, instead nothing but the Borg ship and the other two started to fade as though he were about to pass out.

However, it was a wake up call from a loaded hypospray. When he came to Jodon found himself in a familiar place. It was the Standing Bear's Sickbay and her was on his back. Gently, he began to sit up and caught a glimpse of Connelly and Eberhardt on nearby biobeds before a somewhat forceful arm came about his chest to keep him in place.

"Take it easy" Doctor Alexander said calmly as he kept Jodon from getting up.

On a nearby biobed, Ethan awoke with a start, his hand coming up to his neck where his dream had registered something which had sent his imagination into Borg fuelled overdrive. Which was odd, since he’d never given the Borg much thought since his Academy days. Maybe it was Kingsley’s research… it was then that he noticed his surroundings and his companions. “What’s going on?”

"The three of you" Jarin was pulling up all three bio bed readings on a near by console and a few nurses were rushing in to help him out. "Were brought in back to back" he paused and looked over "we aren't exactly sure why as of yet, but you were cationic and seemed to be dreaming."

Adrianna awoke and took a moment to come to her senses. A dream? No. She began to sit up on her elbows, looking around. Under her breath she muttered something in her native tongue before swinging her legs around and going to leave. She'd had enough of torture for one lifetime but to be an experiment with trance like dreams- no.

"Shared dreaming among three individuals, none of whom have abilities?" J.J. ever the scientist was invested and intrigued. "It wasn't just me, right? Everyone remembers being on a Borg ship and us moving about it?"

Adrianna paused before getting up and demanded in a cold and rather murderous tone, "who did this?"

“It wasn’t just you, it was definitely a Borg ship. A creepy Borg ship,” Ethan confirmed as he looked over at Joral. “As for who I’d also like to know that. And why.”

J.J. looked at Jarin and then at Ethan. "I don't think we are going to find our answers here. Counselor Vali may be better suited for this. No offense, Doctor."

"None taken" Jarin gave a nod.

The Trill continued. "The Captain should know about everything we experienced at the very least. Vali may be able to help us remember small details."

"I'll write a report, but I'm leaving," Adrianna cussed in her native tongue again, " I need to breathe, first."

"I'd quite like a drink before writing anything," Ethan admitted. "Something strong."

"Why do you think I want to go home?" Adrianna offered a small smirk.

Jodon nodded in agreement.