Point of No Return

Posted on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 3:50am by Captain Nycolas Temple & Sasha Vieers (Deceased) & Crewman Ian Milkovich
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 6:02pm

Mission: The Evils Within
Location: Deck 15 - Shuttle Bay

ON:

Three Security officers stood in a line, weapons drawn and a fiercely disapproving look upon their faces. Nyx had recorded their official protest against his actions, and it would likely lead to a very interesting discussion with Commander Griffin, but the plan was going ahead regardless. He had reached his point of no return - Sasha Vieers was standing at the ready, the offer discussed and tentatively agreed upon. She had been escorted to the shuttle bay and Nyx found the course of action was already in motion. It had been quick, but he wanted it this way, feeling the need to decisively act.

In front of them, Sasha Vieers was pulling on equipment to help navigate the volatile atmosphere of Hesiod Green. Protective clothing, gravity boots, rock climbing equipment, ventilators and oxygen inhalers. In this moment, although she was already getting ready to leave the Pandora, she still found herself with many questions.

"What makes you think I won't just run off?" She asked nonchalantly. "You open that big door down yonder and I just high-tail it out of your lives?"

"The planet's atmosphere is thick with toxic air." Nyx replied with a shrug. "You'll be dead in an hour."

This caused Sasha to stop. She had been drafted into Nyx's plan to infiltrate the Pithos station after the original Away Team lost contact with the Pandora. He had promised her recommendations for her upcoming court marshal trial, though she held no actual hope that Temple would follow through. He had no real reason to. He could just as well leave her to die on Hesiod Green and in truth, she was mostly expecting that to be his real plan. But she was emotionally exhausted after learning of her parent's death and in a desperate mood to do something other than sit in a cell in the Brig. She actually liked the thought of being useful.

"How are the others surviving then?" She sighed, continuing to get ready.

"Well, I gave them breathing apparatus." Nyx answered plainly.

"And me?" She asked pointedly, looking to the small vials of oxygen that had been afforded to her. "Is this all I'm getting?"

"Yes." The reply couldn't have been more matter of fact from the Captain.

Sasha looked to him and shook her head, a curse word falling easily off her tongue at him. The Security guards took an inch closer.

"I need an insurance policy, Vieers." Nyx explained. "You'll be able to make it to Pithos with the small inhalers I gave you. You will only be able to reach Pithos. Once inside, you will make contact with the Away Team."

Sasha let out another sigh, and shook her head again. It was a non-verbal reminder that she was a criminal in their eyes; even as she prepared to risk her live for others, they still didn't trust her to actually do it. Of course, she didn't have anyone else to blame but herself. After a moment, she continued with her questions, "Why haven't you heard from them?"

"They were supposed to check in half an hour ago but we had to move the Pandora and I fear we may be out of communications range. I can't move the Pandora back as we're still in repairs and I cannot take a shuttle while there's risk of contaminating the planet's inhabitants. The facility is deep underneath the earth's surface and we can't beam there. So, I need to send someone that I know can reach them."

"That someone being me." Sasha more stated, then asked.

"You." Nyx nodded. "You have the skills to reach the station quietly."

"What if they're dead?" Sasha shrugged this time.

"Then you will need finish your mission objectives and return to the Pandora." Nyx replied firmly.

Sasha smirked, "Tell me about those again. I like hearing it."

Temple didn't want to involve the Security officers in this information, but he had no choice. They were literally at the precipice of this action and he had no time left to question or doubt. He could only tell himself that others had forced his hand. "Infiltrate the base and secure any confidential information you have regarding its purpose, activity, and authorisation. I need a full crew manifest, including the researchers."

"That won't be easy." Sasha stated, "I could get caught."

"That's not all." Nyx added, ignoring her comment, "You will need to find evidence that shows if Pithos have violated the Prime Directive. Whether they were aware of a native species on the planet, if they have made contact, or if they have exposed their presence. Knowingly or unknowingly, it doesn't matter. If they have tainted this planet, the Federation needs to know."

Sasha and Nyx stared at each other for a long time, the intensity of the moment falling upon them. Despite what had happened on Paradise, she had still graduated from Starfleet Academy, she had still been filled with the same ethos of the Prime Directive for years. It was the original sin of a Starfleet officer to violate the first general order. For an entire research facility to knowingly do so was beyond criminal. Of course, the irony that she, a traitor and murderer, would find the evidence to prove the crime, was not lost on Sasha.

The moment was interrupted by the squeaky heels of a junior officer. His first-issue, just-been-worn shoes made a terrible sound against the grated metal floors of the Shuttlebay. The young man had smoothed back, bright ginger hair, clean and crisp Ops uniform, and the apprehensive smile of a nervous crewman.

Temple swivelled to see who approached, not recognising the officer. "Who might you be, Crewman?"

"Ian, sir." He answered immediately then realised his folly of only saying his first name. "I mean, Crewman Malkovich, sir. From Operations, sir."

"And what do you have for us?" Nyx smiled patiently.

"The b- b- b- badge, sir." Crewman Malkovich said as he extended his hand to show a small device to the Captain.

The Ops officer had sent a message through his department indicating he was working on a prototype communicator to help the Away Missions, and the Captain had immediately put him to work on the project. Nyx reached for the device and took it out of Malkovich's sweaty palm. The crewman immediately snapped his hands behind his back as if at attention, looking nervously to the ceiling. There was something endearing about his skittish nature.

"At ease," Nyx smiled, "You did good work to whip this up so quickly."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Malkovich replied, his voice breaking up an octave or two, causing Nyx to smile again.

"How did you come up with the concept?" Nyx wondered. "And so quickly?"

"I.... wanted to help, sir." Malkovich replied, eyes locked to the ceiling.

"Glad you did." Nyx replied as he turned back to Sasha. He took a step closer to her, holding up the communicator to her.

"What's this?" She asked as Nyx got closer. The security officers made no movement, their phasers trained directly on her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at them.

"You shouldn't get too close." One of the officers warned, his tone disapproving and warning in equal parts. "You know what she is capable of."

"Noted." Nyx replied. He sighed, "May I?"

Sasha calmly nodded.

"We've modulated a comms badge with a stronger filter and receiver, to help break through the planet's weather conditions." Nyx replied as he pinned the badge to her shoulder. "We'll be able to keep better track of you. You are to hand this over to Commander Griffin once you make contact. It also contains a data chip that will relay a message to him explaining why I've chosen this course of action, and give you all a better chance of getting home."

"Griffin will shoot me on sight. Or Brennan will!" Sasha complained. She looked across to the young Ops crewman, who was trying his hardest not to appear to be listening, though the beads of sweat were obvious across his brow.

"Then you better duck." Nyx commented, pulling her attention back to him. "If you try to go rogue, he will have permission to stop you with lethal force. If you try to betray us, he will have permission to stop you with lethal force. If you try to abscond from - "

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Lethal force." Sasha interrupted, now freely rolling her eyes. "If I'm so untrustworthy, why don't you send sweat-rag over there and the security goons?"

Temple took a step back and indicated to the crew to open the Pandora's shuttle bay. An alarm sounded and the door started to raise up. The sounds of the violent winds of Hesiod Green started to pour into earshot. Crewman Malkovich swallowed so hard and full of panic that it still echoed around them.

"Because you're the only one left on board that I know, can infiltrate Pithos and find the information we require." Nyx answered. "And I can't afford to lose any more of my crew."

The answer was honest and expected, but it still stung Sasha. She was expendable, useable for now but otherwise due to be discarded into a Federation prison for the rest of her life. She just had this one moment to prove that her skills could still be used for the benefit of the Federation and potentially gain some reprieve. If Temple upheld his end of the bargain, that was. But Sasha knew she had no choice; and she knew that's why Temple had chosen her. Nothing to lose, no one to miss her.

"You will find route markers left by the first away team once you get into range of our original landing location." Nyx explained, "Use the oxygen inhalers every twenty minutes or you will lose consciousness. Find my team, bring them home."

Sasha nodded, realising her point of no return had arrived. Once she stepped off the ramp and onto the planet's surface, she would be on-mission and unable to turn around. She would be expected to follow through with the parameters set and, at the very least, make it to Pithos. She started to feel regret and apprehension in the pit of her stomach, and now she was sweating more than that Yellow Shirt.

"Can you do this, Sasha?" Temple asked, seeing her perplexsion turning distinctively pale.

"For my parents, I will." Sasha said. At first it just seemed like the right thing to say, but then she pictured her mother and father looking proudly at her and she started to actually believe it. She looked to Nyx with a firm stare. "I will."

"Find them, and you all come home again. Got it?" Temple said, though there was a hint of gentleness in his tone, like he actually believed it.

With a nod, Sasha Vieers turned on her heel and ran across the shuttle bay then down the ramp. She was soon engulfed in the thick dusty storm, unable to be seen. Nyx nodded and the doors closed behind her.

He turned to walk away, giving Malkovich a firm tap on the arm. "Let's hope your prototype works, kid." He said nonchalantly as he headed towards the Turbolift.

The yellow shirt just gulped again.
OFF