The Memory Remains
Posted on Sat Oct 25th, 2025 @ 7:14pm by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble & Bones EMH Mark V & Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Edited on on Sun Oct 26th, 2025 @ 12:20am
3,404 words; about a 17 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Main Computer Core Level 1 - Deck 10 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD011 1000 hrs
Tyler Malbrooke was a man on a mission. He had a task that needed to be done, it was something that he did not want to do. Worse yet he had to hurt his friend to do it. However, the mission and the crew were at stake.
He walked into Sick Bay and without so much as a hello he ordered the room cleared of all personnel. As people left the room Tyler noticed his best friend laid out on a bio bed, leg missing. The tones from the scanners were almost melodic. "You have given so much and now I am going to have to ask you to give even more."
Tyler looked around the room and confirmed that Sick Bay was empty. "Computer seal the room authorization Malbrooke-omega-3-1-1-5" A moment later the computer responded that Sick Bay has been sealed. "Activate the EMH."
A swirl of light and photons could be seen in the center of the room as Bones came into existence. "Now, what seems to be the problem." Came the southern accent and usual greeting of the Pioneer's EMH. The hologram's look changed to one of surprise when he saw Tyler standing there. "Commodore! I did not expect to see you here. Are you alright? Where is everyone?"
"Bones ole friend I am going to have to forgo answering your second question. As to your first question, yes I am alright. I need you to wake the Colonel and share your holo-emitters." Tyler's tone was one of quiet contemplation. But it was one that also did not bilk argument. Before Bones could respond Tyler continued. "Computer transfer Rommie into Sick Bay using the EMH emitters."
Rommie had been assisting in the Hawkeye as the other wounded were being triaged and moved by the Pioneer's crew at the same time she was reviewing logs from the MARVEL-EAS suits and Hawkeye so she could put together a comprehensive packet for when the Colonel awoke and went looking for a briefing on the Cures status (including the Fleet personnel who had been with them on Wren IX). She knew he would use that record against the briefings from those personnel to compile the most complete report possible.
The AI also had all the data from the drones that had made it off the planet and could use the Pioneer's own sensor logs to collate and fine tune it. When the summons from Medical reached her the AI actually froze while her uniform piping sifted through back to marine green, the summons twitching up what could best be described as her spine before she immediately faded from the Hawkeye's flight deck and stepped out of a cascading data stream within medical. Taking stock within the space of a heartbeat, Rommie double checked on the Colonel's status and that of the other wounded, updating herself as she came to attention and said simply, "Sir?"
Tyler turned almost expressionless to Rommie. "Warrant. You are going to have to be here for what is about to happen. I cannot go into it too much. Suffice to say you will know what to do as we progress. To start you are going to assist the Colonel once Bones wakes him up. From that point on what you witness and what you do is classified under the highest order. That is a direct order. Am I understood?"
Processing that reordered Rommie's piping rippled again and she remained at attention. The only thing she needed to say was,
"Yes sir."
"Now wait a goddamned minute. If I wake this man there is a high percentage chance that he will need a medium if you ever intend to talk to him again. Before I risk his life and health I deserve to know why." Bones stepped toward Tyler and Rommie the anger clear on his face. Every scrap of the EMH's programming told him that this was an unwise idea.
"Bones, let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up. If I do not get Colonel Tremble awake and coherent in the next five minutes the entire crew will forget why they fought, bled and died. Now, Rommie stop if I am wrong. But, I believe if given the choice Neil would choose to be awake." Tyler's expression was emotionless almost Vulcan as he spoke. However, within his emotions roiled more than anyone knew.
As the EMH had started to question a direct order by THE legitimate command authority aboard the Pioneer, Rommie's fingers automatically formed into razor sharp talons that could render a holo program itself, not just the projection. As she stared daggers at the Bones program, her eyes pure black orbs while she sifted through the EMS's root data packet, she answered Tyler in a calm voice, "Of course he would, sir. The Colonel would say that he, like any good marine, believes in duty beyond death."
Bones did not like how any of this progressed. Why wasn't Dr O'Rourke here to wake this man? What was so important to risk someone's life? These questions and more ran through Bones' processor. "Life before all. That is what Doctors are taught. But wait here comes Starfleet Command. Everything we have is more important than anyone. Commodore, I will follow your order like a good soldier. However, know that there is an official complaint in the medical log, my official objection, and the Chief Medical Officer will hear about this."
Tyler took two steps toward Bones. "No. She. Won't." That wasn't a threat it was simply that Tyler would make sure that no knowledge of this would see the light of day. "No do it. And when you are finished you are to deactivate yourself. Rommie will take over medical care of the Colonel. That is an order Bones."
Bones mimicked a sharp exhale of air through his nose as he took a hypospray from the cart. He loaded it with 0.3 milligrams of Cordrazine. "Computer note in the patient's file .3 milligrams of Cordrazine administered at 1000 hours." He touched the hypo to Tremble's neck but did not push the button. "Once this goes in he will wake up in less than two seconds. Please be ready." If it meant anything Bones lost a small amount of respect for Tyler in this moment. He pushed the button and a soft hiss could be heard as the drug went into Neil's body. Bones then disappeared into a swirl of photons as he deactivated as ordered.
As the plunger depressed and the EMS program deactivated, Rommie stepped forward immediately, the piping on her uniform twisting to combine both marine green and medical blue. The talons retracted as her palm pressed against the Colonel's chest and she became part of the data stream what was monitoring his condition. She saw...felt like she was almost part of the drug that coursed through the Colonel's system and she felt the shock waves that coursed through him.
She felt his heart stop: After it hammered at nearly four hundred and sixty beats per minute. She registered the Colonel's death without missing a literal beat as she applied the bio-bed's defibrillator, becoming part of that too. She ordered up Epinephrine, with other drugs on standby.
Shocking the colonel once, then twice. With no results, Rommie applied CPR while resetting the defibrillator's charge level, administering still more drugs and letting the slower medical computer make up it's mind that he needed more shocks.
One more shock was enough and the combination of drugs in his system caused Neil to attempt to sit up, coughing and wheezing, but he AI held him down. "Sir," she said easily, "You're safe. You're aboard the Pioneer and the Commodore needs your attention. Stand to, Marine."
Feeling even worse, if that was possible, then he remembered, Neil's eye fluttered open and he coughed, then licked his battered lips and tried again. "Aye aye." Rommie released him, continuing to monitor him as she looked up and met the Commodore's eyes, her eyes now reverting from pure black to dark brown. They even had pupils and everything.
Nodding, she said, "He's stabilizing. Go ahead Commodore."
Tyler watched stone faced as Bones left and Rommie went to work. He watched as his best friend teetered on death and thought what he would tell Jayna and others should Rommie's ministrations not succeed. When Tremble stabilized there was only one thing to do. They would have to proceed. Tyler stepped toward the bed with a smile on his face. "Man you look like shit." He laughed and was gladdened to see that Neil laughed at the comment. "But I am not here for small talk. The Silence want diplomatic relations. Vura and Alyssa got them to agree. We get to remember everything but they want a complete purge of all the data. That includes Rommie."
Neil opened his mouth. Then closed it. Struggled to sit up but was restrained by his aide. Then his brain finally picked up what Tyler was laying down and he locked eyes with him, his mouth quirking painfully. "At least I look how I feel, though hammered drahk might be a better descriptor." The Commodores last words finally sank in and he painfully scowled, "My..Our people go through all that. Get dreams forced upon us for weeks and they want to screw around with minds. Again? Over my dead body. I was only mostly kidding about glassing that planet..." The AI wouldn't let him move and his struggle to sit left him weak and sweating.
Tyler raised his hand to quiet Neil down. "I hate that as much as you do which is why I have a plan. I am not sure if you know of the USS Valiant. It is under the command of Commander Rhupert Tyree. A good man, but best of all he knows how to keep a secret. The Valiant is attached to Starfleet Intelligence. It is the first ship of its kind. I want Rommie to send all the data she has on The Silence, 626, all of it priority one to Rhupert Tyree of the USS Valiant. There it will be stored with Intelligence. Immediately after she sends that message she is to purge her own memory of it. We will authorize a purge of the Pioneer's data banks, and sensors. A story centering on Malificus will be placed in the record instead. The official record of what happened here will be that we faced Malificus again. But we will all know better."
Weariness flowed over Neil and he quit trying to sit up, sagging back into the suggested comfort of the biobed. His mind chugged it's way through what Tyler had told him and all of a sudden, he just felt old and tired. "Rommie has been recording everything. Every scrap of data since we left Empok into a stand-alone data file, on my orders, within the Cure's secure mainframe, away from the ships computer even. I didn't and don't trust those bastards further than you'd let me throw them."
Sighing, Neil said, "My brain is mush. I know you won't let me commit a war crime. So we'll have to go with this plan. Besides the data-cache, I also had Rommie double herself so there's a of her..."
His good eye shifted to look at the AI and said, "Rommie. You're a good marine. You understand why this has to happen. I'm guessing you understand better than I do right now."
The AI didn't bat an eye, but a small part of her felt what might have been a twitch of regret. She let herself process for a second, then replied "Yes sir."
"Further," Neil said, "If needed, you'll ghost write this cover story to make sure it has fluidity for the Pioneer's mainframe and all associated systems. Including the Cure's."
When the AI again replied in the affirmative, Neil looked into Tyler's eyes. "I hope the Silence is worth all of this. Right now I have my doubts.."
"Whether they are worth it or not is really not the point. What is the point is Fleet or Marines or Civilians we are all out here for one reason. To seek out new life, and learn from them, they in turn will learn from us. That is what happened here. We have begun that process. A species bent on hiding from everyone and everything now wants to join the galaxy and that is no small feat. We did that." That speech was of the vein of tried and true Starfleet through and through. However, it was something that Tyler believed in and he knew that Neil believed it as well despite all of his bluster.
"Included in the data package that Rommie will send is information that this crew will remember The Silence, that we are to be the exclusive contact for them if needed, and that we have been entrusted with a communications frequency. Further Lieutenant Vura, and Lieutenant Commander Alyssa Maren have been named Ambassadors to The Silence under my authority." Tyler paused as the wheels in his head spun. He could tell that Neil and Rommie for that matter were not happy with her forgetting and suddenly a smile came across his face again. "You know Rommie you are not a typical computer program. You hold rank have sworn the oath. I saw the ire when Bones wanted to argue with my order. If the crew gets to remember than so do you. You will send the data packet, we will purge the main computer. However, you will keep your data compartmentalized and under no circumstance are you to share it. Save with members of this crew. We will inform the entire crew that this mission is classified under my authority no one outside this vessel can ever know, they will be informed of the official story as well. Now, Colonel, Warrant we are going to have to make for the computer core and get this done. That is of course if you are up for it and agree."
Exhausted, Neil knew they had won more than they'd lost in this and for now that had to be enough. "No reason not to agree, sir. Alright. Rommie, you're going to have to lug my heavy behind. Mind the leg, yeah? And the rest of the busted and bruised bits?"
The AI stooped and scooped the colonel into her arms effortlessly at that. Tied into his biometrics directly in her present role, she could tell they were going to follow orders now that the Commodore had announced his final orders. "Sirs. Sounds like we have a job to do before anyone might want to change their minds."
Then she added, "Commodore. Thank you for the vote of confidence. I won't let you down, sir."
"Part of the ship part of the crew." Tyler smiled as he quoted one of his favorite movies. "Computer site to site transport. Three to beam directly to the Main Computer Core Level 1. When transport is complete seal the doors to the computer core. Standby for a return transport on my order. Authorization Malbrooke-Alpha-Two." Tyler then turned to his now confederates. "And thank you both for taking this leap of faith. Energize!"
When the transport was complete the three of them stood in the darkened computer core. One would say they stood in the brain of the USS Pioneer. "Right then. Lets get this done and get you back before Hermia busts a garter. Computer purge all records, sensor logs, personal logs, and ship logs pertaining to The Silence and the past two weeks. Authorized Staff Warrant Officer Rommie for full data entry and alteration to all ship's data. This is a priority one command. Authorization Malbrooke-Tango-Charlie-nine-five-seven. Enable."
There was a pause as the computer verified the voice print. The soothing voice of the ship's computer then spoke. It sounded somewhat louder now that they were in the heart of the computer. "Recognize Commodore Tyler Malbrooke. Does the Executive Officer concur with this order?"
Rommie shifted Neil and the marine felt ridiculous. Still, he cleared his throat and said, "Computer. I concur with this order. Authorization Sierra Brava Two Six Seven Eight One. Execute.
The AI lowered Neil to the ground then and her uniform piping shifted to command red and her brown eyes took on a silver glow, though they DID have red rimmed iris's. A data feed appeared and she reached out and merged with it. She remained mindful of the two command officers that were watching her, so she did not just enter the ships computer to hunt out her prey.
Instead, she took the longer route and nearly a full minute later she withdrew her taloned fingers from the data stream, a glowing orb of data the size of a bowling ball in her hand. "All required data has been retrieved from all existing, linked computer systems. Colonel I DID include the Cure's network, but not the stand alone fail safe as I believe was your intent. Please confirm by coding in?"
"Confirmed," Neil said as he attempted to shift against the bulkhead Rommie had semi-propped him up against. A floor had never felt so hard before. "Yankee Two Seven Eight Lambda six."
The Pioneer's mainframe data stream dissolved and Rommie looked then to the Commodore. "Sir? By your leave?" Holding up the glowing orb of data."
Tyler stood for a moment and looked at the orb. There was a moment of doubt now in his head. This was the record of what happened. Not too long ago he fought hard to get a record of what happened to his ship retrieved and now he was simply erasing it. He sighed heavily as he came to the conclusion that it had to be done if The Silence was to join the galaxy. "Confirmed. Tango Five Six One Charlie Zero."
Rommie had a flare for the dramatic. The lights dimmed in the compartment until only the orb and her eyes blazed silver. Then she let her eyes dim and she brought her hands together sharply, smashing the orb. The light filaments burst, flooding the compartment again with light.
Resuming parade rest, her uniform piping swirled back to marine and medical blue as she bent to retrieve the Colonel.
Neil swallowed hard, trying not to gag as he was retrieved. As smooth and gentle as the AI was being, his vision still swirled and he swallowed again before grinning, "What's next sir? I'll hop right to it."
The weight of what they did sat on Tyler's shoulders and he imagined that it was so heavy he stooped somewhat. "Now my friend you are back to bed. Computer return transport unseal all security lockouts authorization Malbrooke-Alpha-Two." The transport effect resolved and they stood in Sick Bay. "Rommie get him back in bed before Hermia busts in here."
Rommie stepped fluidly to the biobed the Colonel had vacated only minutes before and settled him back in, reinstating the pharma-cuff and blankets, tucking him in as her uniform piping swirled again back to solid medical blue. "He's as stable as ever, Commodore," she said. Now that the whole situation had calmed, her personality matrix kicked in and she said, "You just don't want to get into any butt kicking contests for awhile. Sir."
"Rommie," Neil said as he felt a cool wave washing over him from the medications that were flowing again. "Bite me." Looking over to Tyler he said, "Kinda wonder where my leg went. Would make a good conversation peace mounted on the wall." Then his eyes fluttered and he was asleep.
Tyler raised an eyebrow in the Vulcan manner with a smirk on his face. If he did not know better, he would have thought that Neil and Rommie were siblings. He sighed heavily. "All this before coffee..." Tyler muttered over and over as he left Sick Bay.
A Joint Post By
Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Artificial Intelligence, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Battalion Commander, The Cure
Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
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