We're Not Alone!

Posted on Wed Mar 9th, 2022 @ 4:03am by
Edited on on Thu Mar 24th, 2022 @ 12:52am

Mission: S1 Episode 2: Caretaker, Part II
Location: Delta Quadrant, Indigo Prime, Alexandria II
Timeline: Mission Day 6 at 1435
1366 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Micheal, Kaleigh and Daphne were relaxing outside the ship, enjoying the day.

"How are are you feeling, my love?" Micheal asked as he looked over at Kaleigh, as he busied himself cooking steaks over the bar-b-que grill he had positioned a few meters from the hatch.

Kaleigh was studying the scans Rebecca had taken at Ocampa. "I am feeling fine." She said. "Micheal... did you and Rebecca ever investigate the energy pulses she recorded when you rescued us?" She asked suddenly.

Shaking his head, Micheal replied. "Didn't have time to then. I was too busy saving two beautiful angels from hell." He gave her a playful wink as he finished speaking. Then he turned a bit more serious. "Why do you ask?"

Kae brought up the image. "The pulses are coming from deep space but there has to be something making them and the strength of them... " she waved a hand. "The source of the Ocampa's power?"

Micheal looked at the readings, remembering when he had first seen them. "Rebecca couldn't pinpoint the origin of the energy pulse. However, she did calculate that there was enough collected energy to power Spacedock One for nearly week."

Kae nodded. "Such power would explain why other races are after the Ocampa. I would suggest we investigate it."

Micheal considered what Kaleigh said for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. But, with the stipulation that, when we go to investigate the source, if I feel there's a danger to you or Daphne, we turn back around without any discussion." He would not do anything to jeopardize their safety.

"Of course" She replied. "You did mention a cloak?"

"Yeah," Micheal replied. "Though, it's not a traditional cloak system. Unlike ours, that uses a massive amount of energy to mask the ship, mine is from the Andromeda Galaxy, from the species that saved and put me and the ship back together."

"When I activate shadow mode, as I call it, a dozen different hat has open in the exterior hull and a few million nanites deploy along the hull. Once they are in position, they activate and mirror what is seen around the ship, essentially making the ship seem to vanish. However, if one were to look closely enough, they would see a very faint outline of the hull."

Kaleigh nodded. "Well is it worth a shot?" she asked curiously.

Micheal considered the situation again, then nodded. "Knowing a little bit of something, is better than nothing." He said as he started to plate up the steaks. "Dinner time!"

After carrying the meat inside to the table, where the rest of the dinner ingredients were, he continued to speak. "We'll eat, and after, while you and Daphne start to prep the inside of the ship, I'll break down everything outside, recycle what we can, bury what we can't. Then, we'll all get a good night's sleep and set out at first sun rise."

"Hmm smells good" Kae said with a smile as Daphne joined them and dug into her meal. "And agreed. We should be able to reclaim most of it and the fence can be stored for future use."

He nodded, then moved to the replicator and brought back a couple ice cold beers. He handed one to Kaleigh as he sat next to her. "The engineers back at Utopia would never believe all the changes and upgrades that have been done to the old girl." He reached out and lovingly patted the nearby bulkhead.

Kae placed the beer beside her plate. "Yes well, one day You will be able to show them."

He chuckled softly. "Let those barbarians get their meat hooks into our home?!" Micheal asked with mock shock. "My good woman, just who do you think you are, to suggest something like that?" He then gave Daphne a side grin and a wink, so she knew that he was just being silly.

Kaleigh gave him a look "I was thinking of how it would show them what a great Engineer you are, a smart person."

He smiled loving at her. "And ruin the image of the beast I can be?" He chuckled softly as he reached out and took her left hand into his right, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it gently, his right eye shining full of love for her.

"hmm you are more than a beast Mike" she said with a smile back.

He smiled warmly at her, then responded. "To the two of you, I am. But the rest of our countrymen and enemies, they have only ever seen the beast, the killer, the cold warrior."

"They need to get to know you" Kaleigh said with a smile.

His smile faltered. "There are many that wouldn't care. Remember, I was the personal bodyguard and bloodhound for an Admiral that turned traitor and fled to the Alliance. The only reason I wasn't executed immediately, was because I was off-world, hunting down someone who had threatened Admiral Petrov's wife and children. In the end, I was stripped of my rank and position, then dishonorably discharged and sent on my way. It took every last credit I had saved and hidden, to buy this ship and outfit her."

"Did-- did he really turn traitor?" Kae asked curiously.

Micheal took a drink from his beer, the happy self that Kaleigh and Daphne had known, replaced by something darker. "It's what the Colonel who presided over my court martial said. Vice Admiral Petrov was accused of being incompetent. But instead of taking the possible reduction in rank and loss of position, he chose instead, to flee the Empire, and went straight to the Alliance!" His right hand slammed the top of the table. "He even left his wife and children behind, to take the burden of his dishonor!"

Daphne's head shot up and she scrambled back from the table.

Kae's head turned and she stood to grab Daphne. "Daph! Its ok." She said softly.

Seeing the look in both Daphne's and Kaleigh's eyes, Micheal knew he had messed everything up. "Kae, Daph...I..I'm sorry! I didn't...I didn't mean to scare you!" He gently reached out for the both of them.

Kae ignored him for the moment focused on the child she had raised from the age of two. She spoke softly and calmed the child down before sending her off to her room. Then Kae stood and turned to face him, crossing her arms. "I do not mind you being upset, but there will be no slamming of fists Micheal," she stated firmly to her husband. "She may seem like she is fine but 5 years in a small room where men yelled and beat people daily, she remembers a lot. If you need to yell and throw punches, I suggest Becky replicate you a punching bag,"

Micheal stood there, speechless. He felt like he had let them both down. "I..I'm sorry." He turned to head out the front of their shuttle. "E-excuse me." He then went outside. He couldn't stand to see either of the angels in his life fear him or look at him like that.

Kae watched him go. "Rebecca, keep a transporter lock on him please." She called out and began cleaning up their dinner.

"I shall do my best, Mistress," the AI's disembodied voice replied. Then, her avatar appeared, a look of concern on her face. "Is everything alright, Mistress?"

"Just a disagreement over someone's temper." Kae replied. "Rebecca, love, please keep an eye on him and Daphne has gone to bed."

The redheaded AI nodded. "Of course, Mistress. If you wish, I can use my transporter to clean up the kitchen, The food, I will store in a special replicator file, if you wish it."

"That would be great, thank you Rebecca. I'll be in the cockpit" Kae said softly.

Rebecca's avatar bowed her head once, then vanished. Then, the items on the table started to be beamed away. In seconds, the room was neat and tidy again.

Outside, Micheal was sitting in his lounge chair, brooding over what just occurred. He loved both Kaleigh and Daphne. To see the reaction he had caused was hurting his heart deeply.

~OFF~