346: What is Going On Down There?

by Dabin Reece
80618.2300
Concurrent with First Strike and Playing Catch-Up

"Are we EVER going to get to Vulcan?" Reece whined from the Command chair.

"We'll get there when we get there," February said.

The Trills had lucked into the duty of minding the ship while the rest of the staff took the evening off. That was the price to be paid for Liis' mercy shown to them after they had fallen asleep in the arboretum. They had gotten extra time together to unwind from the last mission, but tonight they had to pay the piper.

Other than the bizarre set of malfunctions plaguing the ship, everything else was running as smooth as one could hope. Rada and his men were working on those problems, which left Reece free to do... nothing.

He drummed his fingers aimlessly on the armrest of the Command chair.

"How does Liis do this? Just sit here?"

February spun around from the helm. "Usually when she's there that means some action is happening."

Reece glanced over his shoulder. There were only three other people on the bridge and they were all facing the other direction, preoccupied most likely with helping Rada fix whatever was wrong with the ship. Seeing no one was looking, Reece slouched down into the back of the Command chair and patted his knee.

"Reece!" February hissed.

Reece stuck out his lower lip and she rolled her eyes. February thought the words *one second,* to him and stood up from the helm. Very lady like, February tiptoed to Reece, and sat gently on his knee. She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then sprung back up. As soon as she sat back down, the doors to the bridge opened, revealing Rada Dengar. *Damn good thing he didn't talk in 10 seconds ago.* Reece thought.

"Commander." Rada greeted him.

"Yes Danger," Reece said, invoking the Captain's nickname for the young engineer. "What can I do for you?"

"Sir I can't track down the malfunctions going on with the ship without a functioning computer and sensor array, and I can't get a functioning computer and sensor array without fixing the malfunctions to the ship."

"Sound's like you've got a busy night ahead then." Reece observed.

"With your permission I'd like to use the Alchemy. The gateway is down but whatever is effecting our ship doesn't appear to be effecting the Alchemy itself. If we launch her and use her sensors and computer to diagnosis the Sera we can make repairs in no time."

"Well that sounds like a plan Mr. Dengar."

"Of course that is assuming the problems can be repaired once we find them, and we aren't all doomed already."

"A minor concern." Reece said, waving his hand. "We'll have to pull a skeleton crew together though. I can't send you out on that thing without adult supervision on your learner's permit, especially not after dusk."

"What about the Captain and Salvek? Shouldn't they be informed?" February asked.

"No, they've earned a night off. This is just a simple scanning mission, we won't even be using the warp drive. We don't need to bother them. Though knowing Pointy and Liisy, they are going to notice the instant we drop out of Warp and demand answers. Put your team together and run a thorough pre-flight to make sure it's safe."

"Lair Kellyn had the guidance systems torn apart as of yesterday," Rada warned, "It's going to take me a little while to put them back together before we can launch."

"Estimate?"

Rada's eyes widened. One could never estimate how long it might take to clean up after one of Commander Lair's 'projects'.

Reece knew that look. After all, he'd been cleaning up after Lair for years. "Let me put it another way. Keep me posted, and I'll handle the dynamic duo of Wonder Woman and Spork if they ask what we are doing."

"As you wish sir. Lieutenant." Rada nodded to Grace and prepared to leave. Before he made it off the bridge, Tenney, who was watching the COMM, spoke up.

"Commander, picking up a lot of COMM traffic suddenly. Calls for Security to Illusions."

"That's odd. Maybe Salvek is table dancing again. Give them a call."

Tenney nodded and adjust her settings to open a channel. "Illusions, this is the bridge, please respond. Tenney to London, please respond."

Rada took the engineering station to make sure the malfunctions hadn't claimed the COMM system, but they appeared to be normal. "They are getting us Commander, they just aren't answering."

Reece bit his lip, "What the hell is going on down there? Can you give me visual Tenney?"

"Yes sir." She replied. "Security monitor on line."

Reece turned to the viewscreen, as did Grace and Dengar. What unfolded before him was a blur of red, yellow and blue jerseys engaged in a free for all unlike anything Reece had ever seen. And he had seen enough.

"Holy flurking schnit!!" Reece exclaimed.

"You got that right." Rada replied.

"Eh, it's been done." February said, sounding unimpressed. She turned towards the men to explain herself. "Deveral." Rada and Reece nodded knowingly, recalling February's previous host of that name. The rock star who loved nothing more then liquor. . . except women.

Reece considered replicating a championship belt for the last man... (or woman, he thought, as Lair Kellyn appeared to be "winning"), left standing. However, their view was cut short as a bottle hurtled through the air, past the outstretched arm of one Trick London, and directly into the security camera.

"Well." Reece said, clapping his hands together. "Mr. Dengar, continue with your pre-flight. I don't think the Captain is going to care if you take the Alchemy all the way to the Delta Quadrant now because I'd say her hands are full."

-=Illusions, moments later=-

"I'm very disappointed in you." Liis said, staring daggers into Jariel Camen.

[[That makes two of us.]] He signed, not particularly caring if she had or had not seen it. He set about clearing up the room, as the Captain had asked. From the corner of his eyes he saw the concern in her face for the fallen O'Sullivan.

How stupid he had been. O'Sullivan was tall, rugged, dignified and strong willed. What did Camen have to offer? A garden?

He shook the thought from his mind. He owed Liis so much more than to think that. Still he knew there was a war raging inside her, and the man laying on the floor was the focal point.

Camen felt the room begin to spin. The anger in him threatened to boil over, and he knew he just could not be in this place an instant longer. He struggled to hold his eyes open in the corridor, as he nearly bumped into several security and medical officers, who were far too preoccupied to pay him any mind.

The Sera dissolved around him, and he slipped into another time.

*************************
Commander Dabin Reece
Chief of Science
USS Serendipity