"Surreal Challenge"
(Previous post: Tiffany's 'True Dedication')
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Stardate: 60324.2035
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
(excerpt from Sabrina's Post, 'Fixer Upper')
"Lt. Dawson… report." The CO demanded as she mentally braced herself for what she expected to be a very bad news. Not being as knowledgeable in the field of engineering as she might have liked… or as she might have required to be, the redheaded woman had to heavily rely on the expertise of the man who had more than once proven himself at ease in that same domain.
"The ablative armour took the greater part of the impact force… which is both good and bad. The good part is that it likely stopped that Cardassian Destroyer from reaching the inner sections of the ship, the bad part is that the bent ablative plating are now acting as hooks making sure that neither them or us are going anywhere. All hull breaches have been sealed by force fields, but it's going to take several hours to just figure out a way to get the 2 twisted masses of metal separated." David reported as he read the reports that were now flooding his console.
"Need I remind you that we have another GALOR-Class ship out there that might just see this as the perfect time to strike against us?" The young woman inquired, not at all liking the idea that the 2 ships would be intermingled for *hours*.
"Yeah… I know… and once again it's going to be up to me to find a solution to get us out of this mess. I know that I'm not getting paid for this, but I think I am due for one heck of a raise none-the-less." The CEO announced in a half amused and half annoyed tone of voice as several possibilities to resolve their current dilemma began to form in his mind.
"Lt. Dawson… I am sure that I speak for us all when I say that we have the utmost confidence in your abilities of making the impossible happen… and that in record time." The ExO offered in such a way that everyone knew that the hybrid had been entirely serious in what she had said.
"With all due respect… Sirs… Damage control is easy… dealing with a Cardassian pile of junk that is now attached to us, that's hard! But you all know me… I'll get it done, somehow… even if I have to get out there and push." David announced sounding as confident as he could in regards to meeting the expectations of his fellow crewmembers… as unrealistic as they might have been.
The young woman grinned… despite all of his complaining, Rikar knew that Dawson was the right man for the job and that he would be able to make it all work out… as he had done so many times before.
(end excerpt)
As the lift sped its way to deck 10, David's mind went into engineer's mode. There was a ship... attached to his ship that needed to be removed quickly before the other Cardassian ship arrived. If it wasn't one thing with the Cardassians, it was another.
"God damned Carddies" David mumbled, "wasn't bad enough you killed my brother, *now* you want to become intimate with my ship as well..."
The lift doors opened and David felt as if he walked into one of his nightmares. Damage control teams were scurring trying to mend the ship as best they could, but the true test would come from his staff and department. Ken approached.
"Boss... saying its a mess would be the understatement of the century."
"No arguments here" David said as the acting aCEO handed him a PADD, "how deeply inserted are they?"
"Right now, hard to tell. I'm coordinating with Firestein and Lopez on deck 9, Tayson and Parker on 11, and T'Reni and Tu'Lol on 12."
David's brow shot up. "T'Reni? Has she been cleared?"
"No" he grinned, "I spoke to a med tech briefly and she said the lieutenant said something 'Dawson-like'"
David looked at him. "'Dawson-like'?"
"Yeah... saying she had to return to duty and nothing and no one was keeping her from it."
David harumphed. "I guess. Get back to M.E. I'll handle things from this end and if these bastards try something tricky I'll need you to back me up there."
"You got it Boss" he said and hurried off. David opened his kit and took out a tricorder.
"Dammit" the CEO hissed and tossed it back in. Not only could he get a reading on how much damage that has been caused, but it was next to impossible for him to determine what his next course of action was... until he heard a shreik.
The CEO spun on his heels and listened for the noise again. He walked past a opening, heard voices. He squeezed his frame through the small opening.
"David!" Susan exclaimed, "help me. I'm loosing him."
David quickly crossed the room and knelt by the counselor's side. "He's pinned under the beam."
David rolled up his sleeves. No time. As he reached for the beam, Susan grabbed his arm.
"Shouldn't you wait? I mean... you don't know if it'll come down on our heads..."
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Setting: DREAMSCAPE
The smell of smoke. The acrid smell of burnt wiring. Moans and groans in the dark. The smell of death burned the nasil passages of the CEO. He shook his head and Susan looked at him evily.
"I told you David... thee's no escaping death"
She had *his* voice. How?....
"What is your preverse love of death?!" David asked, "what pleasure is there in people you care for that are dying?"
"It is the natural order of things David!" Susan hissed as she rose from the young man's side, "just look at him. Minding his own business... just like our brother... and where is he..."
"STOP!" David snapped, "this is *completely* different from Jordan's death..."
"How so? Wasn't it Cardassians that killed him?! And here we are again! A Cardassian ship aling with a beam from this ship sitting atop this poor wretched soul... who's inches away. Isn't it a *beautiful* sight!"
"NO!" David bellowed...
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Setting: Reality
"David... NO!" Susan pleaded as the CEO reached for the beam. Susan covered her ears as the screeching sound of metal rubbing metal bounced off the walls. David strained and got some motion. He grunted and strained.
"Susan... get... him... free... I... can't..."
Susan wrapped her arms under the young officer's arms and as quick as she could freed him. His leg was torn but at least he still had it. David lowered the beam as the entire room started rumbling. David quickly scooped the injured officer into his massive arms.
"MOVE!" he bellowed at Susan as the counselor headed for the exit. As she got out, David quickly followed and just as he cleared the doorway two beams fell in its place, blocking enterance to the room.
"Where's Lea?" David asked through baited breath.
"She's assisting others. I told her to go and I'd stay with him..."
Susan's eyes narrowed as she caught a glimpse of the CEOs eyes... they had that eerie red ring around them again, which chilled her to the bone.
"Let me get him to Sickbay..." Susan said as David placed the body on the floor.
"Its too late" he said closing the souless eyes of the young crewman and as he stood, Susan could see the CEO trembling.
"Damn Carddies..." the CEO hissed and as Susan tried to console him, he shrugged away.
"The harder we try the more they take!" he growled, "no more!"
"David... what do you..." and he held up his hand.
"No more" he said and stormed off.
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Stardate: 60324.2100
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
David stormed onto the bridge. Sabrina, from her chair and Serenna from her post followed the CEO with their eyes to the engineering station.
"Computer, give me a estimated time to total SIF failure."
=/\= At present rate, the structural integrity field will collapse in 3 hours 12 minutes. =/\=
"Dammit" David hissed, "With damage and hull breeches to decks 9-12, how long would it take to repair damage?"
=/\= 2 days 9 hours 14 minutes and 25 seconds is the alotted time in compliance to Starfleet Engineering. =/\=
"Not if *I* have anyhting to do with it!" David hissed and rose from his seat.
"Um... Lieutenant?" Sabrina said. David looked at his CO and her skin felt cold. The look... those eyes... they were back.
"Report please."
"You heard the computer Captain. And if you'll excuse my french, its a god damned mess down there."
Didn't sound french to me." Serenna said.
"Apologies Commander, but I am *extremely* pissed."
"Talk to me" Sabrina said coming down from her chair.
"There're people trapped down there Captain. One was pinnded under a beam. Susan was there and I helped to free him...." and Sabrina could see David was a boiling cauldrom waiting to explode but was surprised at his even temperment.
"Not only did those bastards ram us, but had to add more murders to their plate. Well I for one am sick and tired! Those Cardassians have killed their *last* Starfleet officer."
"Lieutenant" Serenna said, "if that be the case, then how do you plan on seperating us from them?"
David turned away from Sabrina. "We'll have to blow the decks Captain."
"David, there has to be another way." Sabrina said.
"There are few and none Captain" David said sounding defeated. This was something he didn't need Sabrina thought to herself. One of the playful things she always teased him about was his ability to make a way out of no way. But it seems that all magicians run out of spells.
"If we take the painstaking time to cut the Cardassian ship away from the ANUBIS, then we're looking at total SIF failure before we could even clear *one* deck. At least this way we can save the SIF and I could simply put up armour plating over the exposed areas, but its gonna play hell with the AAGs Captain."
**Good thing I have him as my CEO** Sabrina said. "I'm thinking we can't activate it with the missing plates?"
"Yes ma'am" David replied, "Those areas of the outer hull will be exposed. Unless you plan on flying the rest of this mission from port."
"Actually, the Ablative Armour could still be used Lieutenant. It would only take 2.13265 hours to fit the outer hull with the necessary plating for minimul usage" Annie said from Ops.
David smirked. Sabrina looked at the CEO.
"Well?"
"Well what?" David asked, "that means at least half my department performing a space walk and using every replicator on board to replace..." and he grew silent, "over 200 plates."
"276" Annie replied.
"Your honor, the defense rests" David said eyeing the ANUBIS' avatar.
Elan, who had retuned to the bridge and assumed his post at navigation swiveled in his chair. "Forgive the intrusion sirs," and he looked at David, "if you use the Exo-Comps, you could cut your work time in half. Simply replicate the needed plate and beam it into place. They can handle the rest."
"Either way, we're gonna have to replicate them as well. You only brought 20 on board Elan."
"Replicating 20 more or so should only take 30 minutes." the Oltarian replied.
"30 minutes we might not have" Commander Serenna added.
Sabrina ran her hands through her long red hair. "Has this ever been done before?"
David nodded, "The ENTERPRISE-E Captain. They came into contact with a rogue Reman ship. Captain Picard ordered all forward decks in the saucer section blown and it freed them. But we still don't know how many people are trapped down there. Tricorders don't work and the internal sensors are offline."
"We could use bio scans" Maya added, "that should provide some help."
Sabrina paced slightly taking everything she heard into consideration. They were running out of time.
"David, get to work on replicating the Exo-Comps. Coordinate with your staff on long hand cutting us away from the Cardassian ship. We need to keep in mind that Prav and his Marines are on board the Cardassian ship and we don't want harm to befall them. I'll get back to you on... blowing the hatches."
David nodded, "Aye ma'am... and you can bet I'll have the ANUBIS ship shape enough for Koneki to picnik on the hull and never know what happened." ashe headed for the lift and the doors closed.
"Well I'll be damned" Serenna said.
"Me too" Sabrina added with a smile, "he didn't talk bad about her."
"I wonder what made him change his mind?" Serenna added.
The thing that Sabrina thought about were his eyes. They had the errie red ring to them and she noticed that his breathing was erratic. Just what in the hell was going on with him?
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Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
as
Lieutenant David Dawson Chief Engineer USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer...that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #310
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
