The Silence Within
Posted on Mon Jun 30th, 2025 @ 10:26pm by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen & Lieutenant Commander Hermia O'Rourke & Lieutenant Junior Grade Anzhelina Walker & Ensign T'Ket & Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Edited on on Mon Jun 30th, 2025 @ 10:30pm
2,315 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Bridge - Deck 1 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD010 0745 hrs
Tyler leaned on his hand as he sat in the command chair. The usually comfortable chair felt somewhat uncomfortable, as if someone put broken springs into the chair. He thought that this was most likely due to a large portion of his crew committed to defending the Silence against the unknown. He looked around at the skeleton crew on the bridge. Walker manned the helm with little to no trepidation. Engineering, Science and Security were vacant as they had all been committed to the mission at hand. Ensign T'Ket stood stoically at the Operations station, and the Marine station stood empty at the moment. Tyler knew that Neil would have someone assigned there and they would be up shortly. "Ensign T'Ket keep active transporter locks on our people. Also, keep your fingers on the shields button. I want them raised in case something happens. However, in order to transport any wounded up to the ship we are going to need them lowered..." Tyler snapped his fingers and then added. "Which reminds me. Bridge to Sickbay." He said while he tapped his comm badge.
"Sickbay here, what can I do for you, Skipper?" Hermia said.
"Doctor keep your medical teams on standby. The Cure is going to transport directly to Sick Bay if needed. If the casualties get become too many activate Bones." Tyler spoke to the air essentially. Using the comm system was still a little strange at times.
"Understood, sir." Her voice taking on a more professional tone. "Standing by."
Hermia knew that no matter how careful the Marines were, injuries happened. She'd experienced it first hand on Marine Base Diamond, and more recently here on the Pioneer.
Addressing her staff she said. "Okay people, The Cure's going to be engaging hostiles on the planet, which means we're going to have injured. You've trained for this, you been through the drills, you know your stuff. Make me proud."
"Yes, sir, I understand how transporter technology works, Captain," T'Ket said as he adjusted part of his operations console to display the shield activation controls. He did not look up, choosing to remain focused on the task he had assigned.
A feed on Tyler's chair began blinking and then a foot high image of Rommie formed using the display. "Commodore," she said formally. "Colonel Tremble's regards and apologies. Given the deployment orders, he needs all of the Cure ground side and has detailed me to assume Marine Ops. Permission to enter the bridge sir?"
Tyler turned his head to watch the message. There was a small grumble within him, but those on the bridge should not be able to detect it. Tyler truly detested artificial intelligence. He had studied too many of the missions where AI went haywire while he was in the Academy. However, there was nothing for it at the moment. He needed someone to man the station and it looked like Rommie was it. "Granted Warrant Officer."
Flowing up from the armrest display, her data stream sparkled until she was fully formed and she appeared, dressed in her normal skant. Presets kicked in and her outfit changed to the more traditional charcoal jumpsuit and green undershirt, her hair dropped to it's just below the shoulders length, then automatically twisted into a bob. "Thank you sir," she stated formally and stepped over to the marine Ops station, bringing it online deftly.
"Welcome to the Bridge Warrant. However, in the future please use the door." Tyler was not pleased to have the AI here. But, if he was forced to have an AI crew member than it will act as a crew member. "Keep me informed of the Cure's progress."
Rowena was a little distracted to notice the warrant officer appearing on the bridge. Her memories have been slowly coming back and that wasn't pleasant as expected. She had increased the frequency of meeting Vura.
She was staring in the distance holding a padd. She tilted her head. She heard a voice. A voice foreign to the bridge. She looked around to see where the voice was coming from. She stood op from her chair and called out. "Who is there?" In a flash she was suddenly no longer on the bridge.
Rowena collapsed to the floor unconscious.
Tyler watched slack jawed for a moment as Rowena fell from the XO's chair and onto the floor. He tapped his comm badge. "Bridge to Dr O'Rourke. Report to the Bridge medical emergency." He knelt next to her and began to check her vitals as best he could.
"Bridge, I'm on my way." Hermia replied grabbing a medkit and heading for the turbolift.
Turning, Rommie's uniform piping switched from marine green to medical blue and she moved from the Ops console to kneel next to Tyler, laying two fingers on Rowena's wrist. "Pulse thready. Heartbeat is regular heightened. Breathing shallow, indicating shock sir." Placing her other hand on the Commander's forehead, she continued, "Brain activity shows alpha waves in the four to twelve hertz range, indicating REM sleep. Findings inconclusive but I believe she is in no immediate danger." Pulling a medical kit from her belt, withdrawing an emergency blanket and she covered the second officer. Then she stood and moved back to her station, her uniform piping shifting back to marine green.
Rowena walked through the dark space. She remembered this space. This was where she and Malificus met with Kavicus. She heard a voice echoing around her. She tried to make out what this new and strange voice was saying. She could tell they weren't speaking to her. It almost felt like this entity didn't know she was there.
Yes... Fear the galaxy. Fear all those that would come here to take all you have built and destroy you. Your fear will make us strong. It is delicious to us. The voice was enjoying everything that it had wrought. There was nothing that could stop it. Soon, it would have to move on but not before it enjoyed the sweet fear of these people.
Rowena was a little frozen in place as she listen to the voice. It took her a few moments to realize what was happening. She really wanted to wake up. But this was the first time she was out here without Malificus. On the other hand maybe she could learn more till she wakes up.
Hermia arrived on the Bridge. Seeing Rowena lying on the floor. "Commodore, what happened?" She asked as she attended to the 2nd officer.
"She collasped."T'Ket thought. He didn't see the need to check on the 2XO, there were enough people doing that already and he didn't have any medical training bar the basic first aid they get taught in the Academy.
"She asked who was there and then collapsed to the floor. Could this be something residual from the incident with Malificus?" Tyler did not want to admit it but if it was something from the previous mission he would have to turn over command of the ship.
Hermia scanned Rowena with her medical tri-corder. "Her heart rate is a little fast, but that's to be expected, with the high concentration of neurotransmitters and natural simulants racing through her circulatory system." The CMO said. "There is definitely some sort of struggle going on in her psyche. The best I can do for now is to keep her hydrated and her blood sugar up." She said inserting dextrose saline drip into Rowena's blood stream.
With our army this will be the perfect place. The perfect breeding ground for our invasion. There was an attempt and it was thwarted due to lack of reinforcements. That is a mistake that will not happen again. Not now, not now that the Silence has fallen. the voice continued to speak not knowing that Rowena listened in. Fear everything. Your fear makes us strong."
Rowena's eyes widened as she took in every word that was spoken in this empty void world. And then she could feel herself being pulled back. She sat up straight on the floor. She looked to the doctor who was scanning her. She then turned to Tyler. "Captain, I know what...or rather who is attacking the Silence." She pulled herself up and sat down in the chair she had fallen out of trying to gather herself again.
She took a deep breath. "But this is a different one. And I don't think the Pioneer or the Silence is where they will stop."
Tyler turned to the viewscreen and the planet that it revealed. He knew full well that on that planet a good number of his crew, his family was down there attempting to save a species that wanted nothing to do with the galaxy. He snapped his head to Rowena. "What do you have? We need the information and pronto." He spoke loud enough for the whole bridge to hear. There was no use in concealing anything at this point.
Rowena took a deep breath. "They...they have no name. But since I am no longer possessed my memories have been coming back slowly. What happened just now, happened before. The first time I witnessed and, for some reason, at the same time spoke to the entity known as Kavicus, or rather Malificus did. I think they were from the same species, and the enemy we're facing down on the planet, is also from the the same species. I think they're planning an invasion. Malificus and Kavicus failed in this new, for lack of a better word, player's eyes. I don't know their name, or if they even have one, but...they are probably not the last either."
"Frak..." Tyler very rarely if ever used obscene language on the Bridge however, this seemed like a time that was warranted. "Very well Commander Mc Gowen. If you receive any more information I want to know it. Dr O'Rourke will continue to monitor your condition and should they deem fit remove you from your duties..." He was about to say more when Rommie interrupted him,
Rommie saw the laser wink up from the surface and quickly established a link from the Comm's. Her connection with that part of her that was running the Major's suit made the message routing even faster and she said, "Commodore. Message from Colonel Tremble."
Tyler stood up and straightened the tunic of his uniform. "Put the Colonel through." He sat in the command chair. "Colonel, please tell me you have some good news."
Even through the direct laser comms link, the message came in with static, "“Tremble to Pioneer. Team Fleet has engaged bugs. This planet crawls. We’re moving to engage.”
"Acknowledged Colonel. Advise all teams that we are dealing with the same species as Malificus. Take extreme precautions. More information to follow. Pioneer out." Tyler turned to Rowena. "Commander I know from our previous dealings that these beings feed off of emotion. Is there any way that we can confirm what this being is gaining
from eliminating the Silence?"
"The silence are a hive minded race. They are connected through their mental prowess. And that is their downfall, cause fear, anxiety and paranoia are shared collectively, making it a valuable food resource for this entity. And I suspect it would give this entity immense power, which would make it difficult to fight this creature." Rowena was in thought. Somehow she retained some knowledge of Malificus in her mind. And it did make sense, even if she didn't.
They had to act quickly and get The Cure a weapon they can use, and Tyler knew it. "Rommie, relay this new information to the Colonel and your teams on the ground. I want them to know who or more accurately what they are up against. Doctor if Rowena is fit to remain on the bridge I would like you to return to Sick Bay. We need a weapon that can counteract fear itself. Use the medical data from myself and Rowena as starting points."
"Commander McGowen can stay on the Bridge for now, but I want to be informed immediately of an change in her condition." Hermia said. "As for a weapon, I'll require some assistance from Sciences."
Rommie reviewed the ships comms and all of the data flowing back. The Cure were now mostly all engaged and she was having a tougher time piecing it together. If the MARVEL suits hadn't all been woven together on a net, passively sharing information on their, her task would have been even harder. The drones helped to and she continued weaving that together to give the Captain a clear picture of what was happening while another part of her used the ships sensors to find the causes of interference.
Rowena rose to her feet and took the XO's seat. Her eyes steeled at the sight of the planet that they orbited. She hoped that the teams on the planet could get their mission completed before any being like Malificus could get a hold on anyone.
A Joint Post By
Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Ensign T'Ket
Operations Officer, USS Pioneer
Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Artificial Intelligence, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Hermia O'Rourke
Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Junior Grade Anzhelina Walker
Flight Control Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen
Chief Intelligence Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
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