Task Force: Gamma

Cory Drake · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:14 am Post subject: The Trip Back Home

April 2012

Smoke rose from the console next to the young science officer, a senior officer lay at his feet on the ground, half of the face of the middle-aged man torn off from a control panel blowing up.
Sparks and flames shot out from portions of the ceiling of the bridge, crew members from all departments ran in different directions, trying to repair what they could, trying to keep focus on their jobs as their friends and fellow crewmates suffered from injuries around them.
"Cadet Drake, take the helm!" barked out Captain Roger Schroeder of the USS Elroy. "Our helmsman is too badly injured!"
Cadet Drake swiftly moved from his science post at the side of of the small bridge to the helm position.
"Aye, Captain," Drake answered.
Drake had only basic piloting skills that he had picked up in the academy and had only kept fresh on his basic skills that he needed to maintain his rank.
Drake could smell the ops console next to him burning, the operations officer was now working out of the commanders chair next to the captain's post.
"Captain," yelled out the security officer at his console. "The Klingon vessel is opening the time rift directly in front of themselves!"
Captain Schroeder -- a 50-something year-old man with thinning gray hair and still built like a body-builder in his 20s -- gripped his command chair tighter, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Stay course, Mr. Drake," Schroeder ordered. "Stay with that damn bird."
Drake didn't have time to acknowledge, he just punched on the helmsman's console in front of him -- hoping it was functioning as it was supposed to.

The long week
It has been a long week. After being ordered by Starfleet Command to respond to a distress signal at the edge of Klingon space, the USS Elroy -- a deep space vessel -- found itself in the middle of a Klingon-Romulan battle.
The Klingon vessel -- of a new configuration -- had fired a strange weapon that opened up a time rift that also pulled in the Elroy and the Romulan vessel.
The Romulan ship -- a warbird -- was destroyed in the process and the Elroy sustained heavy damage in its trip back to the year 2012.
After repairing the vital functions of the ship, the USS Elroy -- Nebula Class -- began its search for the Klingon vessel playing havoc on the timeline in 2010. Already having altering a Klingon-Romulan peace treating signing attempt, the Klingon vessel was enroute to Earth to destroy the planet before any peace on the planet would become a reality.
The Elroy succeeded in avoiding the destruction of the planet, but not before a group of Klingons disguised successfully triggered the start of World War III.

The Trip Back Home
"Staying course, Sir," Drake spouted out as the Elroy sputtered after the Klingon vessel as the time rift opened in front of the massive vessel.
The Captain had a plan -- fire nearly all of the remaining photon torpedoes at the cripple Klingon vessel before it entered the rift, hopefully destroying it with the help of the pressure from the rift.
"The Klingons are entering, Sir," the security officer calmly said.
Captain Schroeder glared at the viewscreen.
"Fire!" Schroeder yelled, knowing he was taking a chance that he and the rest of the crew could be trapped in the year 2012 if the rift closed as an effect of the attack on the Klingon ship.
An array of photon torpedos launched from the front of the Elroy.
The weapons followed the Klingon vessel into the rift, followed then by the Elroy.
"Captain, she's going to be a bumpy ride, intertial dampers are off-line," Drake yelled. "Helm is only partially responding."
Drake looked up at the view screen, just as the torpedos struck the Klingon vessel ahead them. The screen then filled with a bright white light.
The cadet could feel the Elroy starting to spin.
"We're out of control captain," Drake said. "I have no helm control!"
Captain Schroeder held tightly onto his chair.
"All hands, brace for impact, all hands brace for impact!" Schroeder yelled.
Just as quickly as it all began, it was over. No more bright light, the spinning was beginning to stop.
"Ops, viewscreen on," the captain said. "Now."
As the viewscreen opened, the only view if front of them was debris and stars as the vessel stopped spinning.
"Helm response is returning sir," Drake turned to the captain. "No warp though or impulse, just thrusters."
The captain stood and turned to his ops officer next to him.
"The date, Mister," the captain ordered.
The rest of the bridge crew -- Drake included -- also turned their attention to the operations officer tapping on the chair console.
A small smile appeared.
"2373, Sir. We're back home," the operations officer said with a sigh of relief.
The captain stepped between the helm post and the operations post, still smoldering and looked down at Drake.
"Can you get us home anytime soon, Cadet," the captain asked.
Drake looked at the helm.
"Even though we're close to Earth, Sir, at thruster speed it'll take us about an hour," Drake said, pressing on the helm console.
The captain nodded, giving permission for the cadet ot proceed with the course.

A New Mission
With the USS Elroy back at home at space dock orbiting Earth, Cadet Cory Drake sat in his quarters -- walls now bare, all of his photos and academy awards sitting in boxes.
The chime to the door rang.
"Enter," Drake acknowledge and looked around the corner to see who was entering his room.
In came engineering cadet Vanessa Wires -- a red headed young woman who graduated just a year after Drake.
"Hi Vanessa, what brings you by?" Drake asked as he drank some of his water from the replicator. "Want something to drink?"
The young woman shook her head.
"No thanks, Cory, I just came by to say good luck in the future and to say good bye," Vanessa said.
Drake looked puzzled. Sure, the Elroy was being decommissioned because of the heavy damange, but he figured the crew would just get a few months off until a new vessel was available.
"Good bye? Where are you going?" Drake asked as his PADD sitting next to him chirped, indicating a new message.
Vanessa looked down, as Drake took his PADD in his hand.
"Cory, I am getting reassigned to Deep Space Nine space station near the Bajoran Wormhole," Vanessa said. "I'm going to be serving in ops over there."
Drake looked up at Vanessa with a confused look.
"Don't give me that look, Mister," Vanessa said. "I requested it. After our last voyage back in time, starships just aren't my thing. I want to be at a place that is a little quieter."
Drake nodded and extended a hand to wish her good luck.
Vanessa shook her head and gave him a hug instead.
"We're better friends than that," she said as she hugged him.
As they hugged, Drake read his PADD behind her back -- a small smirk appeared.
"Looks like I'm leaving too, Vanessa," Drake said.
She stepped back and looked at him.
"Just got orders, I'm getting reassigned to the USS Charger NX-10123," Drake smiled. "She's heading to the Gamma Quadrant to deep space exploration and to meet new life primarily."
Vanessa smiled. "That's the ship that is taking me to DS-9."
Drake was thrilled about the news, he continued to look at his PADD.
"I'm also getting a promotion to ensign and will be serving as science officer," Drake said. "No more medical."
The two hugged again.
"Looks like we depart in 24 hours," Vanessa said.
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