Ensign Shaken Narr sat hunched over the Ops station, an expression of sheer boredom on his face as he monitored each console with his eyes. Each blip on his screen was in the same position it had been in ten minutes ago, and ten minutes before that. He glanced nervously in the direction of the man in the centere of the bridge. Caotain Becker was seated casually, his arms crossed in front of him, eyes taking in the stars as they streaked past them at full impulse.
He didnt look crazy. He wasn't shouting or drooling or acting at all the way he pictured an insane person would act. He wanted to ask someone about the things he had heard--that the Captain was hearing voices, seeing things, that they'd left crew members to freeze on a planet, that they were flying to Aries on the Captain's whim. But there was noone on the bridge he felt he could ask. Commander O'Conner sat rigidly in his chair with such a forbidding expression that Shaken didn't even dare look in his direction. Ensign Kovos kept his eyes downcast, shoulders slumped, unhappily monitoring their course and trajectory. He was too far away to whisper to. At the security station, Ensign Tasha Fenway had her elbows on her consoles chin propped up by her hands, her lids half closed. Also too far, and falling asleep.
"You look like you need a break. I'll take over. You're relieved." A hand came down gently on his shoulder, and Shaken glanced up, startled, into the face of his supervisor.
His skin turned a deeper shade of blue, partly out of embarrassment at not hearing her enter the bridge, but mostly at the proximity between them. HIs antennae quivered.
"Yes, S-sir." he stuttered. Naeve Sevril had that effect on him (as she did on a lot of people in her department), especially when she smiled....like she was doing right now.
He clambered clumsily to his feet to allow her to take his seat and adjust the console configurations to her liking.
"Anything on sensors?" she asked the Andorian. "Vessels? Anomolies we may not have picked up in previous scans?"
"N-no, sir. N-nothing unusual."
Naeve seemed vaguely disappointed with his answer. Shaken was tempted to ask her about the Captain--surely she would know what was really going on--but she seemed distracted and preoccupied. Anxious to leave the bridge and its oppressive atmosphere, he stuttered a goodbye adn made his way with some relief towards the turbolift.
When he exited onto the deck which housed his own quarters, he heard a shout from down the corridor.
"Hey!" It came again.
As Shaken came closer, he recognized P.O. Thomas Vashowski, kneeling overan open panel of exposed circuitly, tools scattered sloppily about. He sighed inwardly. Although he didn't particularly like the engineering tech, they had mutual friends, and it was easier to tolerate than to ignore him. Vashowski was a first rate complainer--about everything--and one of the prime upholders of the Prometheus gossip mill.
Thomas put down the scanner he had been holding and asked, eagerly, "You just came from the bridge, didnt you?"
"Yes. So?" the Andorian responded warily.
"So, give me the truth. What's going on up there?"
Shaken shrugged. "I dont know."
"Come on. Dont be so tight lipped. What's the deal with the Captain?"
Shaken's antenna twitched in exasperation. "How should I know?"
"You saw him. What'd he look like?" Thomas persisted.
"Like he always does. He was just sitting there, that's all. He didnt look particularly crazy, if that's what you're getting at. Just quiet."
Thomas frowned. "Quiet, huh? That doesnt mean anything--he could've still snapped. What's the rest of the bridge crew think?"
"I didn't get a chance to talk to them. There wasn't an opportunity."
"I wonder what they're waiting for." Thomas grumbled angrily. "They should just relieve him of duty."
"Keep your voice down." Shaken glanced worriedly down the corridor, afraid they might have been overheard.
"What for?" Thomas demanded. "Everyone knows I'm right. Starfleet had no business puting him on this ship." Now he was warming to his subject. "As far as I'm concerned, once a nut, always a nut. Craziness can't be cured."
Shaken furrowed his brow and sighed unhappily. He didn't like what Thomas was saying, but he didn't know that he disagreed with him either.
*******
"Sir?' Delor Kovos broke the long standing silence as he spoke up from his station.
"Yes?" Colin murmured, keepin ghis eyes on the object in the distance which was growing larger by the moment.
"We should reach Aries within 15 minutes."
"Very good, Mr. Kovos. Proceed." Colin still hadn't decided on his next course of action. He did, however, know that he was on the right track. The urge to reach Aries had increased in intensity during th etrip, and now that they were almost there, it was nearly overwhelming.
*OK, I'm here. Now what?* he silently demanded, willing the silver eyed woman to hear him. Aside from the driving urge to return to Aries, he hadn't sensed her presence. She was remaining suspiciously silent.
Colin was well aware of the bridge crew's covert scrutiny, that every move he made--every gesture, every word--was being observed and judged accordingly. He also sensed Mark O'Conner's distrust and palpable hostility--and he was more than a little irritated that the others seemed to look to him for guidance on how to react to thier Captain.
Colin knew now that he wasn't going mad. Or hallucinating. The Iridan had abused his mind, almost destroying it in the process, and it had been a long time before he had been able to distinguish between illusion and reality. But now he bitterly regarded himself as something of an expert on mental health and he knew the white haired woman wasn't a projection of his own making. There was just no way of conveying this to the others.
Aries now took up a significant portion of the view screen, it's upper atmosphere looking even more turbulent if possible.
"Full stop." Colin commanded. "Mr. Sevril, do a full sensor sweep."
"If I may ask, Sir, am I looking for something specific?" Her tone was cautious, filled with hesitation.
*Good question*, he answered silently. Now that he was here, he was unsure of what to do next. Or what the white haired woman wanted of him now.
"Anything out of the ordinary. A vessel, an escape pod, an anomoly." Colin assumed the woman was somewhere nearby--injured, perhaps trapped, her vessel disabled.
After a slight pause to check her display, Naeve shook her head. "There's nothing, Sir."
"That can't be. Try again. Boost sensor sensitivity. Perhaps there's some kind of interference." Colin said shortly.
"There's nothing here but Aries and several planetoids. There's nothing to indicate interference is affecting my ability to scan." Naeve was adamant.
Colin said nothing for a moment. Why had he been brought here? And what the hell was he supposed to do now?
As if sensing what Colin was thinking, Mark spoke for the first time in two hours. "What are your orders, sir?"
"When I decide, I'll let you know." Colin answered tersely.
"Sir, need I remind you that the away team is waiting--"
Colin interrupted him with a cold glare. "No, Commander. You need not remind me. I am very much aware that we are on a time schedule."
Mark pursed his lips angrily but did not reply.
Impossible as it seemed, the tension in the bridge increased by several notches. Colin had no choice but to ignore it an dhis crew as he stared at his viewscreen and opened his mind, willing the silver eyed woman to speak to him once more.
Mark scowled and glanced at his chronometer. They still had time before tehy would have to turn around and go back to Kaled. But he was growing tired of humoring Colin Becker. The man was clearly unstable--he had dragged them halfway across the Baudelier system to hover over a gas giant they had already scanned. He had insisted on bringing them here and now what was he doing? Absolutely nothing; except staring at the veiwscreen. Perhaps it was time to end this farce and assume command.
Colin shifted suddenly in his chair, his expression indicating he had come to some sort of decision.
"Mr. Kovos." he said, his voice calm and steady. "Bring the ship into Aries' atmosphere."
Mark snapped his head up in alarm and disbelief.
"Excuse me, sir?" Delor's voice cracked with anxiety.
"I repeat, bring the ship into the atmosphere. Slowly, please."
"What are you doing?" Mark demanded tautly, dispensing altogether with protocol regarding the address of those of higher rank.
When Colin didn't answer, he persisted. "There's nothing down there! It's a sea of liquid nitrogen!"
The ship began to tremble as Prometheus descended into the swirling mass of clouds.
"Continue your course. Slow and steady, Ensign." Colin commanded, not even bothering to respond to Mark. The trembling increased significantly as streaks of blue lightning flashed alongside the ship.
"If we continue much farther, we'll be trapped by the planet's gravity." Delor said, nervously, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.
"Understood. Descend a further 2000 feet and hold our altitude." Colin remained calm, his eyes never leaving the screen.
Mark could remain still no longer. He found himself on his feet, shouting, "Ensign! Belay that order. Pull up and get us out of the atmosphere!"
"Mr. Kovos, maintain our current altitude!" Colin snapped.
The trembling of the floor beneath made it difficult for Mark to remain on his feet. He grabbed the console before him for support.
"Captain, as per Starfleet regulation Article 8, Section 15, paragraph 4, I am hereby removing you from duty. Computer, transfer all command codes to Mark O'Conner, voice authorization Delta Pi Kappa!" Mark said hoarsely, trembling with rage.
Before this new turn of events could even register with the bridge crew, lightening cracked loudly and whipped the ship, bathing the bridge in blue light. A crackle of electricity appeared to emerge from the floor, forked and made it's way from console to console until it had circled the bridge. It then leaped at a nearby wall and seemed to explode out from the ship in a shower of blue sparks visible on screen.
Every member of the bridge crew felt a slight tingle in thier fingertips and collectively they heard a soft feminine voice in their minds.
*HOME. THANK YOU.*
************
"You were lucky, Mr. Ryan." Mirana's tone brooked no argument as she ran the tricorder over his body again. The science officer had mild frostbite an dsome cellular damage from exposure to the cold. With medical intervention, however, he would be fine.
"I suggest you remain in your quarters for the next two days to recover. And drink plenty of fluids." she cautioned firmly.
"What about Ariada?" he asked, anxiously glancing at the biobed to his left. The Deltan lay still, her eyes closed, but her chest rose and fell in easy rhythm. The color was beginning to return to her pale cheeks, and now she slept peacefully.
Ariada had fallen asleep for a second time on Kelad, and had refused to rouse again despite the away team's best efforts. Her core temperature had fallen dangerously low, and there had been some concern over her ability to survive. Luckily, the storm ended shortly thereafter, and now she was safely aboard Prometheus.
"She's even luckier than you are. " Mirana said wryly. "Another hour and there would have been nothing I could do."
Ariada had not regained consciousness yet, but her damaged tissues had been regenerated, and she would be well enough to leave Sickbay in a few days. Beth Lear was groggy but awake, and ready to be released as well; the Klingon on the biobed next to her had been least affected--she had nothing more than a case of mild hypothermia. Seyla's hardy physiology had served her well in Kelad's inhospitable climate. In fact, she was the only member of the away team fit to return to duty immediately. She seemed uneasy in sickbay, surrounded by medical personnel, and Mirana took pity on her.
"You may go now, Lieutenant. You're cleared for duty."
"Thank you, Doctor." Seyla said with evident relief. She nodded gruffly at Beth Lear, wished her a swift recovery, and beat a hasty retreat for the sanctuary of the doors leading to the corridor outside.
Mirana watched her go and sighed heavily. Before she could bring the entire matter to a close, she would have to dictate her medical log. For that, she would need a full pot of coffee and some quiet time in her office. Maybe even two pots. There was a lot to explain.
*************
IV
Colin read through the report displayed on his computer screen a second time. It was still difficult to believe. Dr. Keset, Daniel Ryan, and Rhianna Jorrell had somehow been able to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The silver eyed woman had not been a woman at all. She was a non-corporeal being who lived in Aries' atmosphere.
The sensors originally had not recognized it as a life form (not to mention a sentient being) because of its unusual composition. The entity was composed entirely of polarized atoms, its 'body' held together by complex bonds never before seen by Federation scientists. Once Daniel Ryan had analyzed Aries again using this new knowledge, they had discovered, to their amazement, the entire atmosphere of Aries was alive with these beings. Millions of them.
When Prometheus had been unintentionally hit by a lightning bolt, one of the lifeforms was transferred into the ship's circuitry. Why it had chosen Colin to communicate with, he would never know, but it had contacted him telepathically, pleading for help and instilling inhim the urge to bring it home.
In retrospect, Rhianna Jorrell had discovered the entity had found its way to the holodecks, using the holographic imaging system to briefly project an image Colin would find familiar--a humanoid female-- to help it convince him to return. The entity had been successful, although it had caused him to doubt his sanity, and damage his relatiionship with the crew, possibly permanently.
Aries was immediately reclassified as an inhabited planet, with a notation warning ships to steer clear of teh atmosphere. Someday, a science team would undoubtedly be sent by Starfleet to study these telepathic lifeforms further, but Colin, for one, was glad to see the last of Aries.
His musings were interrupted by the buzz of his door chime.
"Come." he called distractedly.
Mark O'Conner entered, crossing the room in long strides, and coming to a stop directly before Colin's desk. For a moment, he said nothing, and the two men watched each other warily. Mark cleared his throat and spoke first, with hooded eyes,
"I've come to apologize."
"Apology noted, Commander." Colin quietly replied. He would have said more, but he decided to allow the other man to stew in his discomfort.
"It appears I was wrong." Mark continued, his voice devoid of inflection.
"So it seems." Colin agreed.
Mark's facial muscles were taut, the only indication of the tenseness he was obviously feeling. "I've transferred the command codes back to you." he offered.
"Thank you." Colin sat back in his chair, hands clasped across his chest. "Is there anything else?"
"I don't believe so, Sir." Mark said stiffly, turning to go, but Colin stopped him with a word.
"Commander."
Mark slowly turned back to face Colin, his stance rigid.
"Sir?" he said guardedly.
"We're not finished here."
"Yes, sir."
"You obviously find it difficult to work with me. A man with a psychiatric history bears watching does he not? He can't be completely trusted." His comments were statements, not questions, and Mark chose to remain silent. He did not deny or refute the Captain's words.
Colin leaned forward over his desk. "We don't know each other, Mr. O'Conner. Our command styles differ and we've had several disagreements. I don't mind. I find it refreshing, in fact. but all rocky roads must eventually run smooth." Colin paused and met Mark's eyes. The man was an impenetrable mask. Not for the first time, he marvelled at his first officer's ability to keep his thoughts to himself.
"I need a first officer who has some faith in me and my decisions. I cannot and will not work with someone who will undermine me and doubt my every move." he said quietly. "Nor will I tolerate repeated questioning of my ability to captain my ship. I am long past the point of having to prove myself."
"Yes, sir."
"Don't think I am unaware of the crew's apprehension towards me as a result of what occurred with the Aries entity. I need someone I can trust at my side, who will support and reinforce my authority and my decisions to them. Anything less is unacceptable."
"Yes, sir." Mark repeated, shifting his gaze to a spot on the wall directly above Colin's head.
"Think carefully, Commander. If that person isn't you, feel free to put in a request for reassignment. Am I making myself clear?"
"Perfectly, sir." Mark responded, without emotion. A Vulcan couldn't have put in a better performance.
"Good. Now you may go."
Mark turned and left wthout another word. Colin sighed. That went well, he mused. What had the Admiralty done to him? They'd given him a first officer brimming with animosity, a Betazoid doctor, an engineer who had been rejected and foisted on him by a contemporary, and a crew that didn't trust him. He was beginning to wonder if perhaps he was the one who should request reassignment.
"Maybe I am crazy." he said to nobody in particular. "If I were in my right mind, I'd pack my bags and be on the first shuttle back to StarBase 182."
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