Lurker In The Void, Part 5

Posted on Mon May 3rd, 2021 @ 9:50pm by Gunnery Sergeant Philibert "Fender" McCord

Mission: S2:3: Snow Drift
Location: Karank System

Gunnery Sergeant Fender McCord had left the four marines to guard 2nd Lieutenant Sternwald in the brig. Fender then had Sternwald doff his vacuum armor suit. The suit was now in marine custody at main engineering. The marines there are to fry the suit should Sternwald somehow escape.

The bridge was active as Fender entered. "Give me a status update on the Gorgon, Petty Officer."

"The ship's communication system, weapons systems, and most of the sensors are out. Somehow, the navigation system still works. The crew had done some scouting of Messier 4. They were probably looking for a Class M planet to settle on." Garcia reported.

"Yeah, they knew they would never make it home." Fender added. "If we do get the engines up, can you set in a course for Canopus Station?"

"Canopus Station? No. I can set course to the Carpathia System." Garcia replied.

"Good, Corporal Taz, what have you found out?" Fender asked.

"Petty Officer was correct, the crew of the Gorgon was looking for a place to settle down. Before that happened, they found a small wrecked craft. Inside were eight skeletons, four human females and four aliens. One of the aliens was the horned one we found in the lab." Taz reported.

"Normally I could care less about old bones, but one of them seems to be good at taking us out." Fender replied.

"I was not done." Taz continued. "The chief science officer, Lieutenant Commander Chang, became obsessed with the horned skull. Somehow he developed psionic powers. He could control the minds of other crewman. Well, except he could not control one of the junior science officers. She was a Vulcan and she is the one that alerted Captain Desoto to Chang's erratic behavior."

"Alright, thank you for the report, Corporal." Fender told Taz.

"There is a recording of Chang's voice. It is a bit unnerving. Shall I play it?" Taz asked and Fender replied with a nod.

"Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Commander Chang reporting." The voice sounded almost hypnotic. "This creature was the apex of intelligent life. A god living among the mundane. If he was only here to guide us lesser creatures."

"I've heard those exact same words." Fender motioning Taz to cut off the recording. "Fender to Plumbata, how are the four marines we sent over from First Squad doing? Are they acting odd?"

"This is Plumbata." Morgav's voice come over the comm. "What marines are you talking about? There is no one from First Squad here."

"Thanks Plumbata, keep me posted if they arrive. Lance Corporal Wong, how is it going down in the brig?" Fender asked.

There was no response. Fender let out a few profanities. "Hotchkiss, have the sappers burn Sternwald's suit and then take your two fire teams to the brig. I think Sternwald has escaped."

He then turned to two of the marines on the bridge. "You two will stay here and keep Garcia company. Lock the doors and don't let anyone in. The rest of us will head down to the brig."

As Fender, Taz, and the other two marines sped down the corridor, they could hear the distinctive sound of phaser fire. Moving down the corridor that ran down the main hull of the ship, they could see Sternwald calmly moving walking towards them. Four other marines were firing back at Hotchkiss' squad as they moved back. Fender motioned Taz and the others to hide in an open bulkhead. As Sternwald approached, Fender quickly jumped out and put his rifle at the Lieutenant's head.

"Tell them to surrender or you die." Fender warned Sternwald.

Sternwald only smiled as he crushed Fender's rifle. He then grabbed Fender's armor and lifted him off his feet.

"Ah, hell." Fender stated in an exasperated voice.

Sternwald threw Fender into a bulkhead like a large ragdoll. Pin shot through Fender's body as he slipped down to the deck. Taz stepped out and shot Sternwald center mass. Sternwald howled in pain. He then turned to Taz as energy erupted from his hand. The blast threw Taz and the other marines back into the corridor. They only lay twitching on the deck, stunned.

Sternwald walked past Fender as he tried to get up on his feet. Three of Sternwald's marines continued to fire as they covered Sternwald's escape. The forth of Sterwald's marines screamed and charged at Hotchkiss and the pursuers, pulling the pin on a hand grenade as he reached their positions. The suicidal blast let Sternwald get into the shuttle bay.

Fender gave chase as he finally got to his feet. He caught up to Sternwald and his marines as the reached the edge of the bay. They still had their backs to Fender but as he tried to take a shot he remembered that he was no longer armed.

"Stop!" Fender shouted. "You don't have a suit!"

The foursome stopped and turned around. Sternwald gave a sly smile. "Kill him." He ordered one of the marines as he leapt out into the void. Two other marines followed and the straggler turned his rifle on Fender. Before he could fire, a fusillade of shots put the marine down. Fender turned to see Taz and several other marines aiming their rifles.

Sternwald and the other two marines entered the Plumbata through the airlock. Four marines stood over the bodies of Ng and the rest of his squad. In the pilot's chair, a beaten Morgav sat.

"They would not see reason." A marine reported to Sternwald as he looked over the corpses.

"And the pilot?" Sternwald indicated Morgav.

"He knows how to fly the runabout, but he will not cooperate." The marine replied.

"I can persuade him." Sternwald's hand lit up in energy as he waved it over Morgav's head.

The warrant officer laughed as the display did nothing. "That is a neat trick. Maybe you can show the rest of the inmates at the prison colony you will be sent."

"Interesting. Despite your lower intellectual level, your kind are immune from mental persuasion. It is probably due to your species argumentative nature. Sadly, it will not save you." Sternwald told Morgav. He then put his fingers together and as if using a knife, drove his hand through Morgav's skull. "Piloting this primitive vessel will be an easy task."

After calling the medics to help the wounded, Fender and Taz convinced Garcia to let them back on the bridge.

"What happened?" Garcia asked.

"Sternwald escaped to the Plumbata. We have a lot of casualties." Fender answered.

"If it helps, the main view screen is functional." Garcia offered.

"No it doesn't, but good job anyways." Fender replied, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Khatri to Gunny. I have the engines back on line. There will not be a lot of power, but we can help the Plumbata tow us back to the station." Khatri reported.

"There'll be no tow. Sternwald has the Plumbata." Fender told him before returning to Garcia. "Did you get the weapons up?"

"The panels are burned to a crisp. It'll take time to replace everything, not to mention the systems are two hundred years out of date." Garcia informed Fender.

"Gunnery Sergeant, you and your marines are in a hopeless situation. That is nothing to be ashamed of. You cannot defeat a god." Sternwald's voice came over the comm.

"You're not a god, just an advanced being. And I'm not an impudent mortal. I'm a simple grunt. You killed too many people. Starfleet will catch you." Fender replied.

"Your kind are just flesh puppets, to be used when the act needs them and their strings cut after the scene." Sterwald coldly told Fender. "I do not have to request your surrender. You are powerless. I am, however, a reasonable god. I offer the gorgon and your marines for your obedience."

Fender's first reaction was to tell Sternwald to procreate with himself. He thought better of it. As bad as it was for him, at least it gave Taz and the others a chance. "How do I know you won't go back on your end of the bargin?"

Sternwald chuckled. "You do not."

"You can not do that!" Taz told him in a lowered voice.

"Do you have a better idea?" Fender retorted. "Alright Sternwald, I'm heading to the transporter room. Garcia, you can operate the transporter from our side."

When Fender arrived at the transporter room, Khatri had arrived there first. "You know Gunny, he'll just kill us anyways."

"No he won't. I have a stick of explosive block stashed in my armor. After I go over, I'll detonate it." Fender explained.

"If you energize the micro shielding on the suit, that should scramble the signal. They'll know that the suit is activated but not that you're armed." Khatri informed the senior NCO.

Khatri then looked over the marines guarding the transporter room. "I have a better idea."

Sternwald was growing impatient on the Plumbata. "That fool is taking his time. Remember, I want him to be alive and looking out over the Gorgon before I destroy it." He told the marines.

"Your Worship, we have an incoming signal." The marine operating the transporter reported. "It looks like he energized his armor."

"Going out in a fight, Gunnery Sergeant?" Sternwald rhetorically asked. "More honorable than groveling but ultimately as futile. My followers will strike you down before you get a shot off."

A beam of energy materialized on the transporter pad. A suit of marine armor appeared and toppled over before the marines surrounding the pad could react. One of the marines went to the suit and pulled off the helmet. A loud whining noise filled the cabin as phaser rifles and a block of explosives spilled onto the pad.

"Those weapons are on overload! Beam them out now!" Sternwald shouted.

From the bridge of the Gorgon, Fender and the rest of the marines watched as the Plumbata exploded. The fiery explosion lingered over the gas giant.

"The sensors aren't working but I'm sure the Plumbata is no more." Garcia reported. "Should I take us out of orbit?"

"Not yet. I want the horned skeleton put in a box and sent down to that gas giant." Fender pointed to the planet.

"Don't you think the science guys will want to see it?" Khatri asked.

"I don't care what the eggheads want. We lost twenty six people, among them a good pilot and two squad leaders. I'm not going to risk any more deaths for the sake of science." Fender grimly explained.

"And we saved eighty seven people." Taz added.

"We don't know if they are still even in there or if they can pull them out. Even if we are on the right side of the math, this still feels bitter."

"Cheer up, Gunny. When we get back to the station, I'll buy you a drink." Taz tried to comfort Fender. "For what it is worth, I think we performed well."

Fender looked over at Taz. "Consider your pressed latinum spent."