Walkabout

Posted on Thu May 16th, 2024 @ 5:11pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Warrant Officer Arlan Harlan & Petty Officer 3rd Class Keith Potter

1,365 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Long Hard Road Ahead
Location: DS18 Various
Timeline: 24 August, 2396- 0200 Hours

[ON]

Keith Potter held up a hand, indicating that Harlan should stop. The corridor they were walking in was one of the more narrow side passages that snaked between different habitats. They'd been moving through the huge starbase for an hour, taking their time and checking every corner and door. Keith had no intention of getting himself killed or young-ized like Harlan. He'd probably turn into a baby. He craned his head around the corner and pulled it back.

"Looks like a housing block. This place is so huge," Keith whispered to Harlan.

Harlan grunted softly into the dark, but it still did not feel right; youth really shaved the rougher edges off and he did not like it just yet. "You have a map, right, Potter? I'm sick of these twists and holdups. Let's get to a spot and start digging for developments."

"Yeah, Lieutenant Baxter game me the general layout on my PADD," Potter said. He'd long ago had his uniforms tailored so that a standard PADD would fit in a pocket on his left leg pant. It wasn't strictly regulation but nobody had ever said anything to him. He pulled the PADD out and brought up the schematics. They weren't complete at all but it had given him a path to where they were. He zoomed in on the map and scrolled around.

"Looks like there's a plaza with an overlook not far away. I think that we're about a quarter of the way to the Command and Control Center," he said and then sighed. "This place is so big!"

"Indeed," came the response. "I hate how big this place is. It's got too many places to hide. Even finding a place to start our work is concerning given the numerous areas someone can come at us. But I guess we are close to where we should go. Lead the way, Potter."

"Aye, chief," Potter said and moved down the hallway. He found himself slowing down so that Chief Harlan could catch up but realized the younger Harlan was having no trouble keeping up and moved more quickly.

The two of them darted around the corridor into a wide expanse of space. It was clearly meant to be something like the Promenades on DS9 and Empok Nor but much much larger. He spied the access to the second story and made his way up. The two nestled behind a support column and caught their breath. Below them, there was a junction where multiple hallways came together, with many shops standing ready to receive what would come. He caught his breath and kept a lookout.

"So, you're about the same age as me now, Chief. You feel different on the inside too?"

This was the first chance someone had really asked Harlan about his new situation. "You know," he started. "I do. It is hard to describe though. I'm still me; I have a powerful urge to gripe at people and I don't want to be around them most times, but I have lost an edge. I don't creak as much like I did after years in the tubes. It is also impossible to grouch at people when you look like a teenager again. I still have all my knowledge, stories, and preferences, but as though I'm getting a second chance so that I can reapply all that in a new way. Hrmph, it almost feels like I should be doing more than skulking around here."

"It's such a cool opportunity," Potter said. "You've basically been given another lifetime. I hope when I get that old... I mean older, that I get a chance like that. More than likely though, I'm going to get shot and killed on one of these crazy missions. I'd rather just be hanging around the transporter room, sipping raktajino and reading. Never seems to work out that way though."

"Hrmph, I liked being old though. I had my stories that reflected my inside, which looked like I felt on the outside. Looking like I do now; I don't know if I can reconcile what I look like with my past in Starfleet anymore."

Potter laughed. "I don't always know why I am in Starfleet, to be honest. But the food is free and I get to go to some cool places. Almost dying kinda sucks but I know there are worse jobs..." He trailed off as he caught sight of a cluster of four shapes coming down one of the corridors. They were short and stout and wore square-looking EVA suits. The suits themselves appeared to be weathered and patched. Definitely not Starfleet standard.

"Chief! Look!" Potter hissed.

Harlan looked up from the shadows where his gaze had drifted to see the four suits. They were pretty far away, but something about them stirred up memories of old, OLD videos of 21st-century United States EVA suits, but that made no sense. It had been literal centuries since anything that cumbersome had been in action. "Eh, not sure what that's about," came his reply. "But we best get ready for some company. Good thing we've got our usual protection, right?" Harlan reached for what minimal armament he had on him.

Potter nodded. "Maybe they'll just walk on by," he whispered, whipping his hands on his legs to get rid of the sudden perspiration. It annoyed him that before a fight he felt so scared but once things kicked off, a calmness came over him and the fight was, almost, enjoyable. Unless he got shot.

No sooner had the words left Potter's mouth, the four square shaped figures stopped and began moving their heads in a slow left and right manner. One of them looked up to where the two Starfleet Officers were hiding and then pointed. Four snub nosed tubes extended from the inner part of their right arms.

"This is about to get ugly," Potter said and threw himself to the ground.

"Good lord!" came Harlan's startled reply as he did the same; his eyesight being finally like it used to. "When did old EVA suits get guns built into them?"

Harlan immediately drew his armament and looked around for an opening to start firing. "Potter, is there any way we can get backup if this escalates?"

Potter laughed. "Backup? Chief, you're not used to..." he began and then four green beams lashed the air above their heads. "Being on the ass end of things and getting shot. There's no backup. We're on our own." With that said the transporter specialist crawled down the walkway, being careful to keep himself plastered to the floor. He could hear a strange, mechanical, alien conversation happening below them.

"Potter, where the hell are you going?" whispered Harlan. "We are in bad enough shape for you to be shimmying around like this. Jeez, should I be following you?"

"Unless you want to end up in sickbay with that sadistic EMH, you better follow me," Potter hissed as he continued to low crawl away from the aliens below. "Those guys outgun us two to one and I am not going to help them kill me. We gotta get..." There was a clatter of metal on metal and, against his better judgement, he peeked over the edge. The four aliens had dropped their weapons to the ground and had their arms raised in the universal sign of surrender.

"What the hell?" Potter said.

"Our Coalition has arranged a cease-fire with the United Federation of Planets. We surrender to you," one of the boxy aliens said.

Harlan looked at Potter with a very befuddled expression. "Did they just surrender after shooting at us? Maybe you should go out there and talk; I'll cover you."

"Oh yeah, everyone loves to cover me," Potter muttered and then went on loud enough for Harlan to hear. "Aye, Chief. I'm on it." He sighed and slowly stood up.

[OFF]

Warrant Officer Arlan Harlan
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Petty Officer 3rd Class Keith Potter (NPC by Llwyedd)
Transporter Specialist
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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