Episode 104. Things Are Blowing Up
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Thursday, November 14, 2024 - 17:48
- Location
-
- Tellar Prime
- Zorek Spaceport
- USS Enterprise
- Engineering
- Timeline
- Schak'Irra Timeline
- Previously
-
Days have passed since the mission at Zorek Spaceport. Thanks to the latinum they gathered, repairs on the Enterprise have finally begun under the supervision of Gornok, a Tellarite mechanic. Meanwhile, Agnes Rodriguez gathers her officers for a decisive meeting: should they colonize Proxima Centauri, return to fight on Earth, or travel back to 1954 to repair the temporal contamination? Just as the vote is about to seal their fate, Q's appearance brutally reminds the captain that the stakes reach far beyond humanity's survival.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank | Species | Original Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agnes V. Rodriguez | NATO / Special Fleet | Captain | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| T'Met | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Captain | Vulcan | Prime Timeline |
| Charlene Savea | NATO / Special Fleet | Lieutenant | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Lingua | Starfleet / Temporal Division | N/A | Artificial Intelligence | Prime Timeline |
| Gornok | Zorek Entrepreneurs' Assembly | Chief | Tellarite | Schak'Irra Timeline |
Manifest
| USS Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO |
| Location | Docked at Zorek Spaceport |
| Captain | Agnes V. Rodriguez |
| First Officer | Angie Chen |
| Artificial Intelligence | Lingua (Unofficial) |
| Pilot | Eric Corda |
| Communications | Emilie Flores |
| Operations | Charlene Savea |
| Tactical | Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi (Unofficial) |
| Science | T'Met (Unofficial) |
| Advanced Weapons | Eros Vitos |
| Security | Robert Gomard (Unofficial) |
| Sickbay | Victor S. Calpel |
| Counselor/Consultant | Manu |
| Custodian | Manu |
| Passengers |
Robert Gomard's squad 4 Vulcan survivors from Schak'Irra Emmanuel Macron K'hoka Khol'a |
| Detainees | Vladimir Joseph Putin and his bodyguards |
TL;DR
As Gornok finishes the Enterprise repairs, a violent explosion shakes the spaceport: his workshop has just been destroyed by the Orion pirates, allied with the Ferengi he was supposed to repay. The attack spreads to the ship itself, where Lingua tries to secure the access points. But the saucer, deprived of power, remains vulnerable. With T'Met and Gornok at her side, Agnes rushes toward the bridge to repel the intruders. The Enterprise has been boarded.
Story
Leaving the officers' mess, I take the turbolift directly to engineering. When the doors slide open, I spot Gornok, T'Met, and Charlene in the middle of a heated discussion. As I approach, I realize their exchange is especially lively.
Lt. Charlene Savea (Operations)
No, Gornok, you cannot cut that power feed! We need it on the bridge!
Gornok
Take it however you want. As for me, I am paid to spruce up your freighter, so I spruce it up, whether you like it or not!
Capt. T'Met
Cleaning the EPS network interface modules is not necessary as long as they remain functional.
Gornok
You, Vulcan, are irresponsible! You do not realize what you are saying! Gornok has built an impeccable reputation throughout the sector, and there is no question of letting it be tarnished because you decided otherwise! Gornok is a professional, and he always does good work!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Hello, everyone. I hope I am not interrupting your fascinating discussion.
Lt. Charlene Savea (Operations)
Captain, you arrived just in time. Gornok wants to cut power to the saucer so he can wipe down the EPS network interface modules! This is pure madness, Captain!
Gornok
So what? Gornok is meticulous!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Savea, grant Gornok everything he asks for.
Lt. Charlene Savea (Operations)
But Captain, this concerns the ship's security!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I understand your concern, Savea, but the Enterprise is docked. Apply standard protocols as if we were docked at the NATO starbase.
Lt. Charlene Savea (Operations)
Uh, all right... aye, Captain.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Well then, Gornok, you and I... Where do the repairs stand?
Gornok
As agreed, my workers threw your junk in the trash and replaced the entire propulsion system. The spare parts you supplied are of exceptional quality. I have never seen anything like them. And what about the intermix chamber? A little gem that can reach colossal power I have not managed to calculate... Where did you find these things?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
It is equipment recovered from a Vulcan ship. T'Met can tell you more.
Capt. T'Met
In theory, with all these components, the warp factor can reach 9.975.
Gornok
By the horns of the great Määnyak! Ridiculous! Vulcan ships are not that fast! Besides, no one has ever reached such a speed!
Capt. T'Met
Correct. These components come from an experimental Vulcan ship we found abandoned on a planet in the Beta Quadrant.
Gornok
Strange. Your kind are not usually the type to leave their little secrets lying around. The Andorians are quite right to distrust your species.
Capt. T'Met
I remind you that I am independent and have no connection to the Vulcan High Command.
Gornok
I don't give a damn about your stories. All I know is that at full power, the carcass of your freighter will not hold. At the very most, you can reach warp 5, but beyond that, Gornok does not guarantee anything.
Capt. T'Met
We will not need to push the engines to maximum to reach our destination within a reasonable time frame. Warp 5 is an acceptable speed.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
For my part, I am delighted, because the Enterprise has never been this fast. In short, Gornok, what do you still have left to do?
Gornok
Clean, sweep, polish, and your ship will be spotless, Gornok's word...
At that moment, several jolts are felt. The walls of engineering vibrate, and red indicators briefly flash on some consoles. T'Met and Charlene look at me with concern, their worry palpable. The vibrations are strong enough to shake the control panels and make the tools belonging to Gornok's workers wobble on the tables.
Lt. Charlene Savea (Operations)
Did you feel those tremors?
Gornok
Must be my stomach. Gornok is hungry. Besides, it is practically supper time.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
No, it is something else. Lingua, have you identified the origin of the jolts that just occurred?
Lingua
[beep] Yes, Captain Rodriguez. The Enterprise hull was struck by a blast.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Display a view of the dock on the engineering screen.
Lingua points the Enterprise's external cameras toward the docks and sweeps the area. On the screen, we see panicked people running in every direction across the dock. Not far away, a cloud of smoke is rising from a burning building, and metal shards litter the ground.
Gornok
By the sacred name of an Andorian miniole! My workshop! A life's work! Destroyed!
No doubt about it, Gornok's workshop has just exploded. The camera zooms in on the debris, revealing broken equipment and sparks bursting from destroyed machines. The perpetrators of the attack soon reveal themselves.
Capt. T'Met
Look. Those are the Orion pirates who were pursuing K'hoka Khol'a the other day. They are accompanied by the small Ferengi, who appears to have allied himself with them.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What a coincidence. Why did they do that, Gornok?
Gornok
Uh, well, let's say Gornok had a few disagreements with the big-eared primate.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What kind of disagreements?
Gornok
Gornok borrowed latinum from him, and the repayment deadline has passed.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Is that why you asked me to pay for the Enterprise repairs in latinum? To repay your debt?
Gornok
Grr... Yes. I wanted to repay him with Tellarite credits, but the primate did not accept them.
Capt. T'Met
A strange practice for launching a new currency.
Lingua
[beep] Captain Rodriguez, I inform you that individuals are coming to visit us.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What do you mean, coming to visit us? Who, Lingua?
Lingua
[beep] About fifty Orions and one Ferengi.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Trigger the intrusion alert immediately and retract the Enterprise access ramps!!!
Lingua
[beep] I am sorry, Captain Rodriguez, my protocols forbid me from retracting the ramps while they are in use.
Capt. T'Met
Lingua, override standard protocols, apply Schak'Irra protocols, and secure the ship with the means at your disposal.
Lingua
[beep] Security protocols resetting... Schak'Irra mode activated... Intrusion Alert... Access ramps retracted... Crew protection... Force fields and sealed bulkheads deployed...
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
How many are aboard?
Lingua
[beep] 36 Orions and 1 Ferengi. They are currently heading toward the saucer, which I do not control.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Savea, restore power to the saucer immediately!
Lt. Charlene Savea (Operations)
Captain, I will need half an hour to reconnect the circuits.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
As fast as you can, Savea. T'Met, Gornok, follow me! We are going to throw out these unwanted guests...