Their Last Hope
Posted on Fri Jan 5th, 2024 @ 12:18am by Ensign Aaron Soong & Xavier X-1
Edited on on Fri Jan 5th, 2024 @ 12:19am
682 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Short Treks
Location: SS Dynamo
Timeline: Interlude
Aaron was reaching his 36th hour sitting at the helm of the awful piece of shit that he and Xavier had been forced to buy to track down the USS Intrepid. The way Xavier saw it, Captain Culver owed him the opportunity to seek out his people and their sovereignty.
Aaron wasn’t too sure about that. What he was sure of was that he had been at the helm too long. He needed a shower, a shave, a change of clothes, and a bed. At least a good twelve hours of sleep. Fortunately, Xavier needed none of that, just some charging time every day.
“Hey X! Your turn at the wheel,” he shouted as he put the old Kaplan class into autopilot. “Chop, chop!” he shouted at the android.
"Don't think I didn't notice what you just did," Xavier said as he slipped behind the wheel. "I'm assuming that chop chop is some idiom to hurry up?"
“Here’s to hoping we are rescued by the Intrepid and not something worse,” Aaron answered back. The Klingon/Reman warfront, the Orion Syndicate, the Romulan Free State and a half dozen raiders. That’s what awaited them in the darkness of the Beta Quadrant. That and who knows what else.
“Unless you want me falling asleep behind the wheel, then yeah. I’m tired and this crap freighter we bought has a barely passable autopilot,” Aaron responded. “At this rate, we will have to power down in eight hours and stay powered down unless we find some significant source of power soon after. I suppose we can shut down life support for everything but my quarters while you run the ship…might but us 2 hours and a prayer.”
"I certainly don't need life support and if it gives us more time, then that is a very good idea. Our sensors are in the same shape, shitty, as the rest of the ship. Should we try sending out a distress signal?"
“To be honest, if we don’t find some kind of support soon, I will probably die and you’ll deactivate in the cold of space. A distress signal may find us in bad hands, but without one, we’re likely to both die. It’s a shitty way to look at our options, but dumb luck has gotten us this far,” Aaron was forced to agree with Xavier.
"I'm not sure what death would mean for you if there is life after death, but I know there is nothing for me if I am deactivated. You should go and get some rest."
He moved over to the communications console and transmitted a distress call on all channels.
“Hmmm. I not sure I believe in all that mumbojumbo about anything after death, but the universe never destroys energy and that all you and I are is energy. I’m sure our energies will remember all of this and so, you and I will remain endless energy in the seemingly endless universe.”
Aaron ran his fingers through Xavier’s hair, straightening it away from his face, so he could count down their few hours together. If Xavier even woke him up. Probably better to freeze to death in the arms of sleep.
“Bed it is. Eight hours and no more, you understand?” Aaron told Xavier who would wave him off and away, meaning Aaron would get no less than twelve…unless they just didn’t wake up.
With a yawn, Aaron entered his room and laid in the fresh sheets. They weren’t too tight and an extra blanket had been added to the bed. No doubt that with power draining, the blanket would keep him warm.
He kicked off his boots and slipped under the covers. There was no sense changing his clothes only to be caught out in pajamas. He slipped a disruptor pistol under his pillow and a knife under the spare pillow.
For now, the thrum of the warp drive lulled him to sleep. Something warm and familiar in that lull of a repetitive sound.
RSS Feed