Guarding Nothing

Posted on Mon Jun 15th, 2015 @ 2:54pm by Lieutenant Commander Ciaran McIntyre & Lieutenant Commander Horatio Hawke

Episode: Orphans
Location: Colony Site
Timeline: MD30 - 15:27hrs

The fledgling colony, temporarily abandoned by its new residents, had a certain post-apocalyptic feel to it. Half built structures, tools left laying alongside uncut metal supports, chairs left knocked over in the street, doors swinging in the breeze and the silence, the eerie silence lingering over all of it was the worst.

Horatio Hawke watched as a pair of the security detail trod a well-worn path around the perimeter. One was obviously Petty Officer Ropata, judging by his hefty size, but Hawke wasn’t sure who the other one was. They had just emerged from behind one of the large storage sheds that were among the first structures to be erected but also served as excellent reference points for the security teams’ rounds.

After briefly returning to the ship and reporting back to the captain, Hawke had elected to return to the planet and make sure everything was secure. He didn’t have to – Mac was beyond capable – but he felt like it was his obligation. All of this had started under his watch and he wanted to see it through.

"You alright Hawke?" Lieutenant Ciaran McIntyre asked as he approached the centre of the abandoned village. He was wearied by hours of peering into the underbrush, protecting lumps of alloy. Pointless, in his considered opinion.

"Mmm?" Hawke said, turning to the security chief while still half absorbed in his thoughts. His brain clicked into gear and he shook his head, "Oh, yes. Yes, fine. Just watching your guys do the rounds. Anything to report?"

"Sweet eff-ay." Mac's unofficial report was damning. He motioned to the surrounding buildings, now just husks. "We're risking these guys' lives over some hulks of metal. They should be out there combing the forest for this fella."

The first officer nodded and followed his friend's gesture toward the empty, half-finished buildings. It struck him as being somewhat absurd to stand guard around mere buildings. There were no people in the colony to defend, save for the defenders themselves. Nonetheless, he had a job to do and would do. "I know what you mean," he said, turning to face the security chief. "I'm hoping they turn up something useful at the lab that will help us stop these things. Until then, it might just be more dangerous sending our guys into the bush with the creatures."

"That's one way of looking at it I suppose." Mac grimaced at the thick undergrowth he could see through the small streets. "At least we'd actually be doing something rather than just waiting around to be killed."

Hawke nodded in agreement but was cut off by movement down at the perimeter. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ropata raise his rifle to his shoulder and gesture to his partner in a chopping motion. "What's going on down there?" he asked, taking a step forward and peering along Ropata's line of sight. Then he saw it, a violent shaking of foliage about twenty metres from the security personnel. He turned to McIntyre and pointed, "We got trouble."

"Looks that way." McIntyre lifted a hand in the air and made a series of subtle gestures to his team and before they knew it, a group of security officers formed up around them, rifles drawn.

"No readings on the tricorder, sir." Ropata said quietly.

"Looks like it's one of our friends then." McIntyre replied, bringing his own phaser rifle to bear. "Fire on my mark."

Hawke ground his teeth as he held his hand phaser in a ready position. He subtly deferred to Mac's expertise in this situation, knowing he was far from his comfort zone.

The shaking in the bushes grew closer, accompanied now by the sound of heavy footfalls. Or hooffalls. Or clawfalls, whatever these things possessed. Closer and closer, louder and louder, until suddenly a ghastly, primordial, blood-curdling shriek emanated from the trees and a great, grey beast launched itself out at the group of security officers.

"Fire!" Mac cried out as he unleashed a volley of phaser fire into the thorax of the creature. The high level beam tore through the carapace of the creature sending its shriek into such a high pitch that they could no longer hear each others' phasers.

Operating on nothing but instinct, Hawke joined in the cacophony of weapons fire and thumbed the trigger of his phaser. Really just hoping to hit it. He had no idea whether he hit it or not but a moment later it flopped to the ground, gurgling and making quiet hissing noises as it lay dying.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Mac shouted again as he slowly rose to his feet and dealt a final, decisive blow to the creature's skull with his hand phaser. "Get a team from the ship down here to take it back up. Drag it over there."

While four of the security guys dragged the carcass away, Hawke stepped forward and peered into the bush, now eerily calm. "Is it just me," he said to Mac, "or did it seem like that thing targeted us?"

"It certainly didn't run." Mac mused as the sound of dragging and gurgling disappeared behind them. "I think we should get the team back up to the ship until we have some news from Ethan and the Cap'n. If those things are coming for us, I doubt they're going to come one by one."

Hawke considered this for a moment and then nodded. Of course, Mac was right. If they were to come for the colony sight in force, rather than one at a time, the team would be quickly overwhelmed. Best to pull back. "I agree." He turned back and watched the security guards dragging the beast. "Get your team back to the ship. I'll let the captain know."