Storming Fort Knox (Part 1)
Posted on Thu Sep 12th, 2024 @ 10:45pm by Commander Patricia Cooke & Lieutenant Charlotte E. "Charlie" Yeager & Senior Chief Petty Officer Karen Jinryo & I-400 & Boso Gane & Oko Gane & Lieutenant Commander Tsukasa Izumi & Lieutenant Akira Kogami & Lieutenant Daisheliss "Lissa" Kerr & Lieutenant JG Julia Araala
1,287 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission: I-402
ON:
Tsukasa arrived in the transporter room, a phaser compression rifle in her hand. A type two phaser attached to her belt along with a tricorder. She looked up at the transporter Chief. "Get us as close to the cradle as you can." She said.
"Aye, Commander," the Transporter Chief nodded as he conducted a sensor sweep of the cube in order to determine the cradle's approximate location.
The doors to the transporter room snapped open and two Security Officers stepped in, each sporting a phaser rifle similar to Tsukasa's. The first of the two was well-built, but not outstanding, with long, thick orange hair that tapered down to her waist, and a white head-band that held her bangs in place. The second was a bit shorter, with a slender physique and mint-green, shoulder-length hair. However, it was her blue tsurime eyes that were perhaps most visually striking to Tsukasa, as they bore more than a passing resemblance to that of her sister.
"Commander," the green-haired officer greeted brusquely. "Lieutenants Iwasaki and Minegishi, reporting as ordered."
Tsukasa nodded. "Be prepared to beam over as soon as everyone else has arrived. Set your phasers to a rotating weapons frequency. There's no telling if I400 has control over the Borgs ability to adapt."
"Affirmative, Commander," the green-haired officer nodded as the two officers took their place on the transported pad and set their phasers to the corresponding frequency.
Crewman Hastings, the transporter chief of the current watch, had been attempting for the past several minutes to cut through the heavy interference to try and pinpoint the Cradle's exact coordinates, but he hadn't been successful so far. He looked back up at Commander Izumi:
"Something's interfering with the transporters." He reported. "I've managed to select a safe landing site where there's no interference present, but there's no telling how close or far away it is in relation to the Cradle. Once you beam in, you'll be on your own."
"How close can you get us?" Tsukasa asked. "Can you boost the transporters with the main deflector?"
Drauc had entered just as Crewman Hastings was making his statement. He made his way over to the transporter console. "Allow me to have a look crewman." he stated in a neutral voice. He quickly assessed the crewman's work, while efficient he missed a low frequency signal. "Try to beam us to this location, the low frequency signal is a power source frequency not used on 'Borg vessels but Federation technology. There is a safe area near it for us to beam in." Drauc replied, as if he was instructing a first-year cadet.
"Ok people. Lets get over there! Keep your weapons ready, you never know what we might encounter!" Tsukasa said simply to them all.
JJ walked in with an emergency medical kit, two of them in fact, draped across her, along with another satchel of personalized medical equipment. She took a deep breath and looked at the transporter before glancing over at Izumi, "Medical support is here, ma'am." She stepped up onto the transporter pad, no weapons at all on her.
Lissa carried everything she thought she might need on her duty belt: tricorder, phaser.
Crewman Hastings loaded the Chief Engineer's new suggested coordinates into the console, and sure enough, it cut through the interference like a knife:
"Alright, People:" He said, looking back up at the Away Team. "Are we ready for beam down?"
"Energise chief," Tsukasa ordered.
"Good luck:" Hastings said with a nod before he proceeded to power up the transporter.
Within seconds, the away team was enveloped by a transporter beam.
[I-400 vessel - Ex-Borg Cube]
The away team materialized in an environment that was architecturally unmistakable as the interior as a Borg cube. However, the color tones of the ex-Borg vessel were drastically different than those of the vessel's Borg origin: The normal dark green tinge associated with the Borg was instead swapped for the glow of magenta, creating a sensation of familiar yet different.
"You think stealing this cradle is going to stop me?" I-400's voice boomed all around the away team as soon as they materialized. "My plan is already well in motion, and this will only be a minor setback..."
Evidently unfazed by I-400's cornball monologuing, Lieutenants Iwasaki and Minegishi raised their phaser rifles and conducted a thorough sweep of the room.
"Clear," the green-haired officer- Iwasaki? Minegishi? Tsukasa was really going to have to ask which was which- reported. "But we'd best get a move on, Commander; I-400 definitely knows we're here."
"Start scanning," Tsukasa ordered. "I400 could have that cradle stashed anywhere on this cube and this ain't no small place." D
She told them.
"Scan this, scan that." I-400 taunted the away team by mocking Tsukasa's orders. "Don't you humans ever tire of scanning stuff? You know, if you bothered to look up from your tricorders for one second, you might just find what you're looking for-!"
Suddenly, I-400's monologue was interrupted by a great crash as something was slammed around. The noise appeared to be coming from behind the away team.
The two security officers quickly moved to flank Tsukasa, their phaser rifles pointed in the direction of the ruckus.
"Ignore her," Tsukasa said. "She's just trying to bait us." She told the team as they continued their way through the cube. "Any signs of where the cradle is located yet?"
JJ had inhaled sharply as the crash had occurred, then moved around to make sure the rifles weren't pointed AT her to get to what was behind her, a standard tricorder in her hands as she was scanning for whatever this... Cradle was. Borg technology was different, but even a doctor could typically tell what was standard on a Borg ship rather than something that stood out.
"The cradle is being held five clicks to the north." Came a feminine voice from behind them that was different from I-400's booming mechanical voice. "It's too heavily guarded: You won't get close... But I might..."
The approaching figure resembled that of a Cardassian female, but once she was done speaking, there was a rush of air that whizzed past the away team, and the woman was gone.
"What the..." Tsukasa said. "Was that some sort or hologram?" She asked outloud. She turned to her away team. "Which way did she mean by North? Up? Or forward of our position. We're in space... there is no true north..." she sighed.
"Up." Julia opined as she sniffed the air, nothing. She reached out to where the air was just finishing rushing past and again got nothing, "I don't think we're meant to think linearly on a ship like this."
"So, two floors up? I can take someone to check it out," Lissa offered. "If it's a trap, no need to risk the whole team."
Tsukasa shook her head. "No. We stick together. If we split up we'll be easier targets. There's strength in numbers."
Drauc silently nodded in agreement with Tsukasa. The XO's words were especially true if I-400 were to ambush them again. The strange Cardassian woman couldn't be consistently relied upon, and at some point, they would have to stand up to defend themselves.
"Assuming we aren't walking into a trap," Lissa commented, but she wasn't arguing. There often wasn't a way to know which was the better option until it was too late in this situations.
"Right. Slow and steady. Keep your eyes sharp. There could be anything waiting for us in here." Tsukasa said as she led the way towards the upper levels.
To be continued...
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