Carpathia V: Episode 5 - Survivor
Polaris Sector, NCCS Chrono Blade
Ivy had a quick look around her bridge while she considered her next task. It was already considerably tidier than it was before, though she still had to watch her feet to avoid tripping over anything. With her chair in pieces, all she could do was stand near her command post.
Ivy: Time to see if we'll be able to have any engines in the near future. Kau, get me Engineering.
Kau: Contacting Engineering, Captain.
Ivy took a step back and immediately kicked her heel on something. A quick turn revealed a substantial chunk of her command console laying on the deck. She picked it up and gave it a toss to the corner, where it landed with a clatter. Just as it settled, Sauron appeared on the viewer.
Sauron: Hello, Captain. Looks like you've had plenty of trouble on the bridge.
Ivy: The good news is that the battle is over. What's your status?
Sauron: Backup core is almost ready. We'll be able to give you around 85% induction, depending on what the ship can handle. I don't recommend using the engines until Operations has done a full inspection of the hull damage. It seems severe from where I sit. Nacelles are toast. No Q-anything until we get the nacelles replaced.
Ivy responded with a grim nod, confirming her expectations.
Ivy: Over a hundred years to the Andrast Shipyards on induction. Once we confirm structural integrity, I'll ask one of the tokki ships for a tow.
Sauron: Security kept the Vashta from penetrating Engineering. We're banged up, but otherwise fine here. From the little I see, the bridge wasn't so fortunate. I hate to ask, but is Sena okay? I can send Atsuo up to coordinate with him on the structural integrity analysis.
Ivy: Sena is fine. Send Atsuo as soon as you can. Teren is in the shuttle bay waiting for medical and repair teams from the Neptunus, so you'll be getting extra help down there soon. As for the rest, let's get the ship sorted for the living before we move on to casualties.
Sauron grimaced as she touched her claw to the bridge of her glasses, pushing them higher on her face.
Sauron: That bad, then. With the beating we took, I'm not surprised. Oh, and I did send the vashta kittens to the brig. If there's nothing else, I'll send Atsuo up and get back to work.
Ivy: Nothing else, Commander. Tyler out.
The screen went dark and Ivy turned her attention to Sena.
Ivy: Sena, I presume you heard that. Start coordinating with the rest of the ops department to get a structural integrity report.
Sena: Already on it, Captain.
Ivy: Revenant, see if you can cobble together some info about the fleet status. It'll probably be at least a week before we have the full picture, but every bit helps.
Revenant: I'll see what I can find out.
Ivy: Kau, start asking around the tokki ships to see who might be able to give us a tow in a couple of hours.
Kau: I can see at least three on my comm ports, Captain. I'll start there.
Ivy: And Riku... Don't bump into anything, I guess.
Riku: Not to worry. We won't take any more damage than we already have.
Polaris Sector, NCCS Chrono Blade, Several hours later
Hours later, the bridge was finally clean. It was slow-going at first, but the influx of hotoh from the Neptunus was just the injection of energy they needed. Ivy, unable to leave since she was the only senior bridge officer left, helped with much of the grunt work, getting the dead Vashta off the bridge and putting the debris into proper trash receptacles, and, most importantly, ensuring that her own deceased crew were sent off with some dignity.
Even now, some hotoh remained on the bridge, with one, who Ivy came to know as Kerith, actually managing to get her seat back together and was currently set to analyzing the computer core for any damage to the code.
Atsuo and Sena did fine work diagnosing the Chrono Blade's structural integrity and finished far quicker than she expected. This gave Atsuo some extra time to cobble together a functional command console for his Captain.
Now, the bridge team found themselves face to face with the radiant glory of a tokki ringship sitting directly in front of them. While the ringship maneuvered into position, Ivy had a little time to have a quick chat with Kerith as she tested out her repaired chair. All was quiet, aside from the hum of the engines, the button bleeps of the crew doing their jobs, and the rather annoying squeaky sounds coming from Ivy's chair. Quiet, until a frantic shout came from Kerith's direction.
Kerith: That's Phobos!
Ivy jumped a little, sending her chair into a flurry of little squeaks. She turned in the direction of the shout to find Kerith looking back with a mortified look on his face.
Kerith: I'm so sorry, Captain! It's just... I was looking into the sensors and I picked up Phobos's core. Very weak. I built it so I know exactly what his signature looks like. It's very faint.
It took a moment for what Kerith told her to click in her brain. Unusual name, but she could swear that she had heard it before. Then a face popped into her head to go with the name.
Ivy: Wait, the android from Shadowdancer?
A rhetorical question, as Ivy already knew the answer. Nevertheless, before Kerith could respond, her new console beeped and Teren's voice came through.
Teren: Teren to bridge. The last hotoh shuttle is ready to leave.
Ivy: Cancel that, Commander. Close the shuttle doors immediately and send the hotoh to Engineering, then get yourself to the bridge. We have a rescue mission. I'm headed down there.
A slight pause, during which Ivy could already imagine Teren's ears standing up pert and straight.
Teren: Acknowledged. Teren out.
Ivy stood, giving a tug at her uniform, and turned to Kau first.
Ivy: Kau, contact the Elai ringship first and tell them there will be a delay. After that, tell Sauron we're bringing an injured android to her. Finally, see if you can locate Dr. Leingod and let him know we found his son.
Kau: Yes, Captain.
Ivy: Kerith, relay position to helm and the signature to the science station. Get to the shuttle bay when you're done.
Kerith: On it, Captain.
Ivy: Riku, head to the coordinates as soon as you have them, fast as you like.
Riku: Awaiting coordinates.
Ivy: Revenant, relay all data to Sauron. Once we have Phobos on board, head to Engineering.
Revenant: Yes, Captain.
Ivy: Atsuo, you have the bridge until Teren gets here.
Atsuo jumped from his chair and rushed to the command station.
Atsuo: Understood.
Kerith: I have relayed all information.
Ivy: Good. You're with me. Riku, go.
Shuttle Bay, NCCS Chrono Blade, 20 minutes later
The ship stopped and the shuttle bay doors opened again, revealing a canvas of starry space beyond. This starry canvas, however, was more than stars and space, but also carried with it drifting glitter that sparkled in the ship's lights. A small pocket of debris from the battle that took place here, and Phobos was right in the middle of it.
Rather, it was more accurate to say that he was all over the middle of it. The closer the Chrono Blade came to the site, the more they found that Phobos was scattered in bits over several kilometers of space. An arm here. A leg there. A finger elsewhere. Revenant locked on to the largest fragment, the chest cavity, and the Chrono Blade moved in to focus on that first.
Ivy stood at the far end of the shuttle bay, just behind the force field that separated her from space. With tablet in hand, she read Revenant's scans in real time and relayed micro corrections to the helm.
Ivy: I see it! Kerith, are we close enough for the grappling arms?
Kerith: Another 20 meters will do it.
Ivy went straight back to her tablet, tapping out a new course correction for Riku. Moments later, the muffled sound of firing thrusters echoed through the shuttle bay.
Kerith: Perfect. One moment.
Kerith activated one of the grappling arms. With a hiss and a shudder, it telescoped straight out of the back of the shuttle bay into space, extending to its full 100 meter length. Once ready, Kerith leaned into the console, focusing on the grappler controls like a cat stalking a mouse. With precision and deftness, he swung the grappler arm around and gently took Phobos's body into the clamp.
Kerith: Stand back. I'm bringing him in.
Ivy did as she was told, backing up several meters into the shuttle bay while Kerith swung Phobos's body back inside, placing it gently on the ground. It was then that she realized that his head was missing.
Ivy: Take that to Engineering right away!
The engineering team was already loading the chest cavity onto a gurney, ready to rush him downstairs. More awaited the next parts.
Ivy: Is it a problem that his head isn't attached?
Kerith: As long as his core still functions, no. I'll explain later. I found his head. Reposition to 275 mark 014, thrusters astern by 316 meters.
Ivy: I'll relay that to helm.
The ship moved again, first re-orienting to a new angle and then thrusters astern. Soon, Ivy saw their quarry, Phobos's head floating in the inky maw of space, eyes closed. What would have been a grisly sight indeed if he hadn't been an android. With the same skill as he demonstrated before, Kerith took the head into the clamp and brought it into the shuttle bay, this time, dropping it dead-on center on the gurney.
Ivy: Get him to Engineering!
Ivy didn't need to say it, for the gurney was already on its way. When she turned, ready to hunt for the next piece, she was surprised to find Kerith stepping out of the control booth.
Kerith: I have more than enough to get him running now. Someone else can get the rest. When Phobos wakes up, he can decide if he wants his other parts repaired and integrated or if he would prefer new parts. With your permission, I'll head to Engineering.
Ivy: Granted. I'll go to the bridge and send Revenant and Atsuo to assist you.
Kerith: That would be ideal. They should know how to work on him and I can teach them.
Ivy: Let us know if you need anything. We'll make it happen.
After a nod, Kerith darted off to the lift while Ivy took a more leisurely stride on her way back to the bridge. Her mind was awash in thoughts of the trauma that they all endured, and yet, she couldn't help but manage a little smile. A little bit of good news amidst the destruction around her.
Commissioned art in Carpathia from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Colourbrand
Falke2009
Nalaxa Art
