by Avery Breaux and Salvek
80604.0100
Concurrent with Alive and Kickin'
-=Medical Complex, Stra II=-
80604.0100
Concurrent with Alive and Kickin'
-=Medical Complex, Stra II=-
Salvek heard the roar of impending chaos, as the crowds from the street began to penetrate the building.
"Come on!" Dret shouted. He ran to the nearest emergency stairwell and pushed the door open.
Salvek, O'Sullivan, Hok, Dane and Breaux each hoisted one of the smallest children to carry, and shepherded the others behind Dret towards the stairs.
The sound of footfalls echoed inside the small stairwell as the group ran down towards the lower level.
"Commander," Avery shouted over the ambient noise in the stairwell. "What exactly do we do once we reach the safe rooms? Are we going to secure the children there or attempt to take them through the tunnels with us?" Breaux was angered with the way the entire mission had gone. More than once his thoughts of his work with Maquis came to mind-less bureaucracy, more tangible results. This mistreatment drew his ire and he was having a great deal of difficulty suppressing his feelings for the operation.
"One goal at a time Doctor. We will have to reassess the situation once we reach the safe rooms." Vulcan speak that basically meant, I don't know and I have not thought that far ahead yet.
"Is the safe room where I get my Wire?" One of the children asked Salvek, innocently enough.
"Not just yet, please keep moving." Salvek answered.
At the front of the pack, Dret reached the lower level and opened the door to the basement.
"This way!" He implored, ushering the group into a large room with a heavy, thick security door. Salvek brought up the rear of the group and looked around.
"This is the safe room?" He asked. The walls were covered with communications equipment of all kinds.
"We can run the whole complex from here." Dret said proudly. "Safe behind this door and still fully connected to the grid."
O'Sullivan set the child he was carrying down, and his shoulders slumped.
"Commander do ya see all this? If the people up above have any idea all this is here...."
"It will be the first place they come, and the last place we make a stand." Breaux said, finishing O'Sullivan's thought. Again Breaux simmered with disdain for those that had been in control of these people. It was also about money, land or greed, he thought to himself.
Salvek knew his crewmates were right. They could not stay here. Even with the security door in place it would only be a matter of time before the mob of Strasa found their way to this place and demanded entrance. Chances are if even one hospital employee was among the group, they would have the security code to open the safe room.
"Where are the tunnels?" Salvek asked.
"Out through the rear of the room behind the wall. There is a door that opens to a shaft and a 20 meter ladder climb down to the tunnel." Dret said.
"DREEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"
The voice of one of Dret's men reverberated down the corridor and into the room.
Dret stepped away from the conversation and out of the room entirely to see who was calling him.
The soldier running full speed, skidded to a halt inches from Dret's face.
"What is it?" Dret asked, as if he wondered what else could go wrong.
"There are troops from Stra Major amassing in the street. They are demanding we turn this complex over to them."
"Like hell!" Dret shouted angrily. "You're with me."
Dret took off back for the stairwell from which he came, O'Sullivan took a step towards him. "Now wait just a damn..." Salvek gripped O'Sullivan's shoulder to halt him.
"Let him go."
Salvek turned away from Dret and back towards the room full of children. About two dozen sets of eyes stared back at him, as if awaiting some sort of input.
"What's our next move Commander?" O'Sullivan asked.
"Options." Salvek prompted.
Breaux fumed, "Well our collective demise will make us martyrs and may help the cause down the line." He continued, "Splitting up we'll find us hunted down like dogs...if we barricade ourselves we might be able to hold out for some time...but the eventuality..." He let his thought hang in the air.
"There's strength in numbers." O'Sullivan said. "we should make for the tunnels and try to find the other away team."
"They may need our help as much as we need theirs." Dane said.
Salvek knew Dane was right, but he also had a room full of children to consider.
"We must be responsible for them, there is no telling what will happen if they get left behind." Salvek's statement was more of a request. He knew if Arie was one of these children, he would hope someone would watch out for her as well.
"Agreed." Each man said in turn.
Salvek walked to the rear of the room, where the access door to the tunnels was located. He opened the door and looked down. The 20 meter climb Dret had promised looked more like 25. It was an imposing drop for a grown man, let alone a small child.
"You three go first." Salvek said to the away team, "Dr. Breaux and I will stay here and make sure we talk each child into remaining calm for the climb."
Dane, O'Sullivan and Hok each disappeared down the shaft to the tunnel. Breaux turned towards the children.
The crowd noise outside intensified, and Breaux motioned for the kids to come in closer. "Gather in close and take a knee," he offered as he went down on one knee in front of them. "Look at me...nothing...nothing is going to happen to us, if we all stay quiet and follow instructions. I am going to be the last man out here, so I am counting on you to lead the way."
The kids looked on in amazement. Breaux continued, "When I was on the Erasmus, a starship with immense weapons and a courageous fighting crew, we were cornered like this, pinned down by phaser fire from the Dominion forces...we did the exact same thing we are going to do now...we found an escape route and there was a huge ladder that led to freedom. Many of the crew on the Away Team were scared of heights,"
A small child interrupted, "A Starfleet officer scared of heights?"
Breaux smiled, "You know Starfleet officers are just people, they have fears and things they struggle with, just like any other person. Just like you, just like me." Breaux's words couldn't have been more true.
"Here's what we're going to do. We're going to start with one person, an older child and they'll go first, then a younger, smaller Starfleet officer."
The smaller children smiled when he called them Starfleet officers.
He continued, "...then a larger officer and then a smaller. That way the smaller of us can look either up or down, and see a leader they can count on. Know that you won't fall, always keep one hand on the rungs of the ladder. Any questions?"
A small girl pushed her way to the front, "Do we get phasers?"
Some of the kids chuckled, Breaux answered her directly, "A tough one like you...doesn't need a phaser." The girl smiled in a shy way, and leaned closer to one of the larger children.
"Alright then...let's go...who's the first Away Team Member to lead us?"
A boy that Avery had suspected might, stepped forward and made his way to the ladder. Quickly a line formed in the manner Avery described, one large, one small...Avery saluted each one as they headed down the ladder.
Salvek nodded his approval to Avery. He had dealt with the children well, and one by one they made their way down into the tunnel. As the last child disappeared, Salvek heard the echo of voices approaching, and realized the saferoom was about to be overrun by rioters. Avery decended to the tunnel, with Salvek coming up last just as the Stra flooded the room.
Once in the tunnel they met with no resistance as they traversed the city underground to the location of the central power station. Dane and O'Sullivan lead the way as the children followed like perfect little officers. It took twenty minutes of walking before they reached their destination.
"Do you have any children?" One of the small girls finally worked up the confidence to ask Avery and Salvek after walking in silence for nearly the entire trip.
"Yes."
"No."
"Shhhhhhhh." Salvek looked up to see O'Sullivan, who was trying to get everyone's attention and to ask them to stop talking. Salvek approached the Chief.
"What is it?" He whispered.
"Voices up ahead."
Salvek placed his hand on Dane's shoulder. "Stay with the children Ensign. Keiran and I will scout ahead."
Dane nodded, and reiterated to the children to be as quiet as they could while the Starfleet men went ahead to make sure it was safe. As they reached the entrance to the central power station, Keiran peered slowly around the corner into the dark corridor beyond. In the distance he saw the unmistakable yellows and blues of Starfleet uniforms. "It's the other away team!" He said, relieved.
Salvek waved back to Dane, indicating it was safe to bring the children forward. The children began laughing and cheering as they poured out of the tunnel, which was not exactly the disciplined finale he had hoped for, but he was satisfied they had kept in line as long as they had. Ahead he was February Grace, Dabin Reece, Rada Dengar and of course his wife Lair Kellyn. He squeezed her arm, indicating his relief at seeing her alive and well.
Taking survey of the room, his relief turned to confusion as a small robot rolled up to him, turned up its mechanical eyes to look at him, and asked ever so politely....
"Excuse me. Are you my builder?"
Of all the things Salvek could have anticipated encountering here, a robot looking for its mother was definitely not on the list. And Vulcan's were know for keeping extensive lists. With a small amount of trepidation as to what the reply would be, Salvek gave Rada Dengar a simple order.
"Report."
*****************************
Lt. Commander Avery Breaux
Chief Medical Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
Commander Salvek
First Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Lt. Commander Avery Breaux
Chief Medical Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
Commander Salvek
First Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012