The Lonely prt 4: Why?

Posted on Friday April 14th, 2023 @ 8:52pm by

Mission: The Lonely
Location: Oberon & Derilict

‘ It is a lonely life to travel the universe alone.’

[ ON ]

-Ancient Derelict Colony ship-

Steven felt a wave of nausea come over him. Shaking his head he put his hand out on what he thought was a section of wall. Instead, he almost fell through an archway. The space beyond had been so dark it looked like a wall. There was a musty smell in the area. Like something had died in here long ago.

“ Well hello, little one. Have yer come to see yer old dar have you now?” Said Steven’s long-dead father.

“You're an image of my late father projected by whatever that huge square thing on the bridge is?” Steven said

“ The AI. Yer very clever indeed my boy are yer not? Yes. Now if yer do not wish to become like this image. I strongly urge you to bring Jason on this vessel.” His late father said

Steven turned and left the image. He had to find the XO and fast.

Niali kept moving slowly through the darkened corridors looking for a way onto the bridge. She stumbled and her palm beacon went out "where the hell are the lights" she thought. She yelped as someone touched her on the back. “Thank God,” she said thinking it was another member of the crew. She turned to see Korial’s eyes burning into hers. Niali swallowed, pressed herself against the wall, and shut her eyes. “No you’re not real, go away” slowly she opened them just as his lips closed on hers. She began to struggle as his arms held her. “Now we can be together in every way Niali girl,” he said. She began to fight in earnest.

Jo for her part followed the voice, according to her tricorder she was moving towards increased energy amplification.

"Where are you", Ja asked.

~ Jod my mother you are here but Ja is not with you. The child has been bad and hidden him from us. Come it’s me…..oh it’s been so long, so long. Why did you not bring Ja? Then he was always so stubborn for I remember oh how I remember once……once…..haze long have I been alone much forgotten much lost oh so much loss come come to me ~ The AI called out to Joanne.

"I have always been stubborn, however never insolent, I am coming," JoAnne said following the voice.

Niali was fighting for her life when she realized why the hell she was. She closed her eyes and stopped. Balling her fists she breathed slow and measured. Then opening her eyes she saw….nothing. Korial was not there. She tapped her comm =/\= Deval to away team where are you?=/\= she asked.

Hearing her voice twice once over the comm and out loud. Steven stumbled towards the XO. She looked just as bad as Edgeware was feeling.

“ Ma’am….are you ok?.. I had to find you. It’s clear the AI wants Lieutenant Elliot here and will hurt us until it gets him. Where is Ensign Grant? We must keep her away from the Bridge. There’s some kind of large machine there which seems to be in control. It must be using some kind of telepathy. We……we…..sorry it’s playing with the old brain pan…” Steven said

“Yes, I’m okay thank you. These things really creep up on you. I haven’t yet been able to determine where the bridge is. You found it didn’t you?

Steven nodded. He was about to speak when an image of his father appeared. Not the usual smiling image up till now. But the image of a man who had been drowned at sea. His limbs were all at strange angles due to the heavy current of the Irish Sea where he drowned.

“ NO GO AWAY YOUR NOT MY DAR!” Steven said then seeing the alarm on the XO’s face he shook his head.

“ Sorry ma’am the AI is showing me an image of my drowned father. Not very pleasant. Yes I found the bridge and saw what we are up against. Ma’am the AI is insane and very dangerous it wants Jason and when it realised he was not here. I was thrown out of the bridge on my rear and it locked us out of the bridge.” Steven reported

Niali hit her comm =/\= Bridge can you hear us, it has been reported that the AI here is insane, we are falling back and will require immediate transport. Oberon, can you hear me this is Niali Deval we are in danger please respond=/\=
She tapped it again =/\= Ensign Grant fall back to our entry point, we are going home=/\=

=/\= Acknoledged =/\=

Jo fell back as ordered.


- Bridge -

Penny did not know what was going on. But one thing was for sure there was something wrong with Edgeware.

“ Sir. There is a strange energy wave coming from that beastie out there.” She reported again.” It’s entered towards the bridge.”

“ Not now my child. Ja you must go to them can’t you hear them? Why do you delay? Please go to them.” Edgware said

Penny secretly pulled out a tricorder and scanned him. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the readings. She sent Elliot a text warning. Telling him that was not Edgeware.

Jason looked at the message, all this did was confirm his suspicions, he looked over to Gen and shrugged.

Doctor Trywhitt-Duffy was still trailing after Captain Trensu. “Sir I must insist you return to sickbay.” There was obviously something wrong with him as he was just standing there, not taking charge.

Trensu has been angry before but binding challenged him over the command of his ship. This AI had gone too far. "Get the away team back!" ordered Trensu. "OK AI I played nice, now I will show you what happened when I am ignored." Trensu when to his chair and touched the communications panel. =/\= Caption to engineering I know we can't move. but I want you to push the core to the max existned warp bubble over the AI ship and let the ships shake. =/\=

There was silence for a moment.

=/\= Sir, I.... will have to put it into maintenance mode to get control, not recommended Sir. =/\=

Trensu thought about what engineering said.

=/\= I know what could happen Just do it. =/\=

Tag Engineering

Trensu needs the vibrations from the ship even if it would cause damage to the ship. Trensu knew it would be like revving a race car engine. Now for the finishing move.

"Operations place deflected shield maintenance mode run High-frequency harmonics program and focus on the AI ship," Trensu ordered.

Trensu knew the frequency would interfere with the telepathy and that maintenance mode made the crew do things manually. The AI would lose control. it would look like a smoke screen to the AI. Now worn the crew he thought.

1MC: "Crew of the Uss Oberon, prepare for the ship shuddering secure stations, it's going to be a bumpy ride"

Tag all!

-Ancient derelict colony ship-

A new sensation came to the AI and it did not like this. Pain. The children had learned how to hurt it. Why? It..it only wanted to cherish them like a parent would their child. How could this be? Punish them! NO. YES. NO.YES, NO.YES.

-Warning-error-in-AI-matrix-disruption-to-power-storage-gathering-AI-must-shut-down-or-power-nodes-will-be-dissapated- Warned the system control.

~No yes no yes no yes no yes......YOU ARE HURTING ME WHY?~ The AI called out.

The away team was having problems getting to the beam-out point. It seemed like the ship was shivering, great clouds of steam erupted from ruptured pipes and blocked escape routes. A great whining noise had begun that was increasing in pace and volume. Niali put her arm out as she fell and felt it crack. The pain was immense but she managed to get to her feet. She looked at the other members of her team worried for their safety. “Ensign, Lieutenant are you alright?” She shouted over the noise.

"I'm having a hard time concentrating, I don't think I'm alone," Jo responded. "Thoughts that aren't my own," Jo added.

" I don't know what they are doing on the Oberon. But it seems to be affecting this place." Steven reported

The vision of his drowned father seemed to be getting more menacing. Limbs broken by the current of the Irish sea seemed to twist and flail. But then Steven realized something. His father's body had been found quite quickly before any damage could be done. This was all wrong.

Niali touched Jo on the arm, “Ensign, look at me…try to clear your mind of all this. Go to a memory which you loved, that made you happy. Think about that. I promise you we WILL get out of here.” Niali’s broken arm was agony but surprisingly it focused her mind on the pain instead of the cacophony being wrought around them.

"Fine, help me clear my mind, thinking of the family farm on Axanar, my parents taking care of the animals", Jo said.

" Yes. It's not real. My father never looked like that when he was found. The Oberon is fighting back and the AI is attacking us." Steven warned

~ My children you have hurt me and you must be punished. No, I can't hurt you please stay so I will not be alone. Yes, you must be punished for your errors. No, I cannot hurt you. Yes, you must. No, I cannot they are just children. Bad children must be punished. No no, they are my companions. Yes, hurt them hurt them. No no. ~ The AI screamed.

" Commander we have to get back to Oberon. Before the bad side of the AI split personality wins. I have a medic pack do you wish me to work on your arm? " Steven asked.

It was a problem for Niali to hear Steven as the AI screamed. “Yes, please, if you can immobilize it.” She looked at Jo, “Ensign stay with us, we are going home, soon.”

"I am barely able to control myself, it's overpowering," ..."Can't think," Jo screamed.

~ Come to me. Come to me for punishment. No, come to me for joy. Punishment. Joy. Punishment. Joy.~ The AI called out.

Steven’s hands trembled as he tapped his comm. Badge

=/\= Edgeware to Oberon…Emergency beam out of away team please hurry…..=/\=

The transporter effect gripped them all as they fizzled away from the Derelict.

~NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~ Screamed the AI.

- Transporter room -

They solidified on the transporter pads. Steven felt his knees buckle he put his hand to his head. His nose and ears were bleeding. Suddenly everything tilted and his legs buckled as Edgeware fell to the floor.

-Bridge-

The captain looked and studded the viewer as it faded in and out. Trensu could see the damage as the AI ship buckled. "Engineering, disengage the warp bubble," Trensu ordered.

"Ops, disengage as well." Trensu paused. "Damage report," asked Trensu.

Jason looked at a readout "Minor life support issues on decks five, six, seven, and eight, ODN coupling blew out on deck four, minor injuries so far, and my coffee is spilled."

Trensu gave a grin at the coffee remark.

On the view screen, the Derelict began to come apart. However, the bridge section containing the AI still seemed intact. But red vanes appeared on its surface. They glowed a fierce red then started to fade.

The false image of Steven that had manifested on the Bridge began to fade. But one word rang out. A hollow sound that was so sorrowful, it brought tears to the eyes.

~ Why?~

Jason looked at the faded image, then up to the main viewer. "This isn't over just yet."

[Tag] Oberon,
Niali dragged herself up to the Bridge despite the doctor's disapproving look but Dr. Trywhitt-Duffy and the team had their hands full with calls of injuries from all over the ship. Entering the bridge she could feel the tension ramp up to the maximum. She went over to the Captain. “Sir it’s good to see you up and about what is happening?”

"Doctor Trywhitt-Duffy, good to see you too. I am currently sparing with an AI what it does not know about me is I am used to dealing with AIs. long story and one day I will explain that."

Trensu tapped the panel on his chair. =/\= Transporter room do you have everyone? =/\= asked Trensu

Jason called out from the tactical station "Board shows green, I can't detect anyone aboard the derelict ship."

"Helm get us out of here warp 8," ordered Trensu. The ship turned the viewer the started streeked by as the ship dropped into warp.
Trensu could feel the crew's relief as the ship traveled through space.

Trensu looked around at the bridge crew that was close though. there was no guessing they had to return to SB 116 for repairs and to get the crew to heald up. Captain trensu was ready to relax a little.

[OFF:]

End of Mission.

Captain Ahkhsu Trensu
Commanding Officer
USS Oberon

Lieutenant JG Luna Winters
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Oberon

Ensign JoAnne Grant
Chief Operations Officer
USS Oberon

Lieutenant Lisa Creed
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Oberon

Lieutenant Jason Elliot
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Oberon

Lieutenant Jordan Chase
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Oberon