Message #316022

[Flipz]

***(Story Post)***

==Bridge==
Flipz sat in silent thought for a considerable amount of time.  So long, in fact, that Pavlov and Williams got an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu.

Suddenly, the cadet at Tactical broke the silence.  “Sir?”

“Yes, Mr. Hikari?”

“I’m picking up a signal.”

“On screen.”

“It’s encrypted, sir.”  He tapped at several controls, to no effect.  “I can’t crack it.”

“Let me try, I hacked Starfleet Intelligence before we left and picked up the latest cracked codes for hostile powers.”  Ignoring the assorted looks of disbelief, disapproval, and some amusement from around the bridge, Lieutenant Sulu moved to a nearby console and entered in a few commands.  “Got it!”

An unfamiliar yet instantly recognizable visage appeared on the viewscreen.  One of the cadets gasped.

“Empress Sela...”Flipz breathed.


“To all Romulan ships: the homeworld is under attack.  All forces are to return to Rator III to defend our home and our people.  This is a direct order from your Empress.  The Empire depends on your courage and skill.  Life and glory to the Empire!  To all Romulan ships…”

Sulu muted the transmission.  “It just repeats after that,” he said, uncharacteristically solemn.

“Captain, based on these debris patterns it would be a logical conclusion that Empress Sela’s signal of distress is genuine.  The debris indicates a Romulan vessel fleeing some unknown assailant.”

Cadet Cho piped up from Science.  “Energy readings from the Neutral Zone log a match to the Romulan Plasma Weapon.”

“That would explain the ‘gaseous anomalies’...” the captain murmured.

Pavlov replaced Cadet Hikari at Tactical.  Hikari walked over to the cadet at Ops and whispered, “Hey, Rakoua, I thought Empress Sela was dead?”

“Clearly, Kaze, the rumors of her demise were greatly exaggerated.”

“What do you think, Midori?”

Cadet Cho looked up from her console.  “Captain, I’m getting readings here I’ve never even read about.  Whatever’s going on over there, it’s big.”

Captain Flipz’ brow furrowed.  The bridge went silent.  No one knew what to do.  Flipz’ expression became grim.  “Helm.  Set a course for the point of origin, Warp 6.”
 
The bridge of the Nuparu stood frozen in shocked silence for a solid three seconds before exploding into a cacophony of competing exclamations.  Finally, Flipz raised his arms, and the bride crew’s attention turned to resisting the pulse of telekinetic energy he sent out.  He pointed to Sulu.

“That’s an order, Lieutenant.”

The blonde-haired helmsman nodded somberly, too stunned to exhibit any of his ordinary buoyant flair.

“Captain.  A word.  Your ready room.”  Commander Williams belatedly realized her tone had not been one of request.  “Please,” she added half-heartedly.

“I must concur with the commander, Captain,” T’Sing added.  “A brief conference before we determine any further action would be most beneficial.”

Captain Flipz nodded tersely and led the way to the double doors leading off the bridge.  Counselor Riker surreptitiously followed them.

Cadet Rakoua swiveled around in his chair to face Pavlov up at Tactical.  “Sir, should we relay a message to Starfleet?”

Lieutenant Norton furrowed his brow.  “And tell them what, exactly?”

Cadet Cho muttered something unprintable.  Cadet Hikari nodded in agreement.  “She’s got a point.  It’s--er--a valid tactical assessment of this--er--situation.”

“No need to worry, Cadet, protocol’s been shot to Erebus, as the Romulans would put it.  I think Cadet Cho speaks for all of us.”  Pavlov let his breath hiss from between his lips.  “Tell them...we’ve intercepted a distress call originating from a dangerous anomaly.  That the captain has decided to answer it, and that response is taking us...into the Neutral Zone.”

A tense silence filled the bridge, interrupted only by Sulu’s hands at the helm controls, inputting course corrections.  Whatever was going on in Romulan territory, it was affecting space itself.

As Williams and T’Sing returned to the bridge, Cadet Rakoua silently wondered what had transpired in the ready room.  He distinctly heard Williams mutter something about “suicide mission” as she replaced him at Ops.  He saw that T’Sing had taken his position at Science as well.  Everyone looked at each other uneasily, each wondering who would break the silence.  Finally, Sulu checked his console, then tapped his commbadge.

“Bridge to the captain...we’re here.”

-==IC: Flipz==-
In the instant between Sulu manipulating the controls on the console and the Nuparu dropping out of warp, a thousand thoughts raced through Captain Flipz’ mind, primarily those regarding the choices that had led them here.  HIS choices.  Chief among his thoughts was the one that slipped out in a horrified whisper upon seeing the sight that greeted the Nebula-class ship:

“What have I done?”

Space was in chaos.  Green beams of light lanced out in all directions, and it took a moment to realize they weren’t witnessing a civil war.  One set of phasers came from the Romulan fleet, stunning in its magnitude considering the recent conditions in the sector.  The other set came from a different enemy, one every Starfleet officer knew and feared…

Suddenly Pavlov spoke up.  “Sir, we’re receiving a trans--”

Before the tactical officer could finish, a face appeared on the screen.  Mutilated, mechanical, if there had been any doubt as to the identity of the Romulans’ attacker, it was gone now.

“We are the Borg,” the creature droned.  “You will be assimilated.  Lower your shields and surrender your ships.  Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own.  Your culture will adapt to service us.  Resistance is futile.”

One of the cadets shouted something defiant, but Flipz didn’t notice.  His stunned gaze held fast to the image of the Borg armada that had returned to the viewscreen at the conclusion of the message.
He had failed his duty as a captain.  He had just led his crew to their deaths.

==Bridge==
Captain Flipz lapsed into a shocked reverie.  It was Pavlov's voice that finally reched him.  “Sir?  Sir, is everything--I mean, are you alright?”

Flipz shook himself to clear his head.  “What is it, Pavlov?”

“We’re being hailed.”  He swallowed nervously.  “Empress Sela wants to speak with you.”

Flipz hesitated only a moment.  "My ready room.  Commander Williams, Mr. T'Sing, come with me."

As soon as the captain left the bridge, everyone looked around in wonder and fear.  At last, Midori broke the silence.

"Some training mission."