Hostage Situation

Posted on 21 Aug 2024 @ 10:31am by Lieutenant T’Mari Rael & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Commodore (Brevet) Harvey Geisler

1,639 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Shattered Unity
Location: Holodeck Two
Timeline: June 19, 2390 || 1400 hours

The holodeck scene was a tranquil one, rolling green fields overlooking the sea with the sun shining brightly from the clear blue sky. A large blanket laid out on the ground was the venue for the group of survivors who sat with T’Mari. She’d purposely chosen a small group of the worst affected people, trying to bring them all together to hopefully support one another with her help. Emotions were running at an all time high as they each sat looking lost and alone.

“Thank you for coming” T’Mari offered a caring smile. “I thought this could be the start of a new beginning for all of you. You’ve each lost so much, hence why I’ve brought you together to hopefully help each other. You’ve all lost friends, loved ones, crewmates, and I know it’s difficult. I won’t be with you for your entire journey’s back to happiness, but I will do what I can for you while you’re here aboard our ship. Now would anyone like to say anything?”

Several glances were exchanged amongst the survivors. No one really wanted to go first, not the Andorian who was missing an antenna. Nor the normally talkative Bolian. Other species were represented as well, Deltans, Trill, Edosians, Caitians. Even a Barzan. "Happiness?" scoffed a voice, belonging to a male Efrosian whose long white hair and moustache cascaded almost haphazardly.

“Perhaps not the best choice of word” T’Mari offered an apologetic smile. “Your journeys back to some sort of normality. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you will all get past this.”

Petty Officer 2nd Class Altoss Ra-mhvlovi grunted loudly. "Vulcans! Always thinking that logic and serenity is the end objective. What about those of us with emotions? Well? I watched my entire damage control team get shredded before my eyes. I want the hell out of this quadrant, but I've got a damn year on my enlistment contract left. And you talk about happiness. What the hell do you know about happiness?"

“I may be part Vulcan, but I do feel emotions” T’Mari offered a calming glance, she had faced angry people before and she didn’t want this escalating into anything worse. “I’m sorry about your team, I can’t even begin to imagine how that must feel. As for getting out of this quadrant you’ll have your opportunity to request transfer away from here, I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

The Efrosian brushed a wisp of platinum mustache hair aside and scoffed. "Team! Transfer! No, Miss Part Vulcan. Unless you have watched wanton and merciless death and destruction, then you certainly can't begin to imagine what I feel like. And I certainly can't imagine how that qualifies you to even attempt to help me. Or any of us."

“That’s fair enough” T’Mari nodded. “Right now I’m all you’ve got, you can refuse my help if you wish but until you’ve spoken with a Counsellor you won’t be permitted to resume any duties.”

A hearty belly laugh erupted from the Efrosian, one that would put any Klingon to shame. "Resume my duty?" he asked. "Just how the hell can I resume my duty when my ship's been destroyed!?" He rose from his seat, laughed once more as he pulled out a Type-I phaser that he'd concealed in his belt. "I think it's time to relieve you of duty, Counselor."

T’Mari’s heart sank, not that she allowed it to show. Instead she buried her feelings allowing her Vulcan half to take the lead. “Take it easy now, if you want to be in charge then you’re in charge.” She held up her hands. “There are frightened people here, they’ve done you no harm.”

"Shut up!" shouted the Efrosian. "I'm doing this for them! For me! None of us are going back out there, and no amount of Starfleet brainwashing will change our minds!"

T’Mari backed away, if she was to call for help Now was the time. She took the chance hitting her comm badge. “Rael to security....we need help...”

"Security is on the way," came the response after they checked her combadge location. The two Binar controlling the drones sent one down the access tunnel to the holodeck access hatches while another drone was redirected down the corridor to it. If anyone tried to run, they'd be covered until Security got there in person.

"Why are you wasting our time?" demanded the Efrosian. "Using words like duty and principles like loyalty to force down our throats? Starfleet is a hell-hole, and they want to brainwash us to keep their rosters full!"

T’Mari stopped backing away, she needed to keep the Efrosian talking. “What makes you think Starfleet are brainwashing you? I’m not trying to do that, I’m just here to listen and help if I can.”

"You use words like normal and normality and happiness," protested the Efrosian, keeping his weapon trained on her. "Combine that with your uniform, the context is essentially that we have no choice but to go back out there. That's brainwashing. But me... no. I'm not going back out there."

Security arrived at the holodeck and one entered the override code while the other tapped his combadge "Ellison to Security. We're in position. Sending in the drone."

=^=Copy, 01010101101 and 00, er, 1010001000 report readiness.=^=

The access hatch slide aside as the Type II entered the holodeck and immediately began scanning for lifesigns and headed towards them, using the holographic terrain to hide.

“So what's your plan?” T’Mari looked around her. “You don’t need all these people, why don’t you let them go? I’ll stay here with you, just give them a chance.”

"A chance for what?" demanded the Efrosian. "A chance to be talked to again when this is all over? No, no. You're an officer on this ship. You're going to get us a shuttle, and we're all going to leave. We're done with the uniform."

“Is that what they want?” T’Mari looked towards the others, “Do you want to leave the ship, or do you want to stay onboard?”

The Security team outside released the door and send the Type III drone in. It buzzed through the doors quickly and coordinated with the other drone getting in position. When they had the Efrosian in sight, the Type II fired a transporter chip at him with the other emitted a shrill blast of noise directed at the group in general to disorientate them.

The shrill noise made T’Mari cringe and put her hands over her ears, her sensitive Vulcan hearing proving to be a downside at this point.

The Efrosian didn't have much time to react. He caught the drone in his peripheral vision, and before he could even start to turn with his phaser, he felt a prick on his chest. Instantly he was enveloped in a column of blue light. A second later, he was gone, whisked immediately away to the brig, and his phaser confiscated by the buffer.

T’Mari breathed a sigh of relief, she couldn’t look weak in-front of the others gathered there so she did her best not to show just how much the situation had disturbed her.

The Security team entered the holodeck with their phasers drawn and focused on the other officers. A Bolian Ensign approached T'Mari. "Are you okay,. Lieutenant?" he asked as the others checked on the remaining hostages and scanned for weapons.

There was a commotion as the hostages were tended to. Soon it was clear that none of them were armed. All of them were now even more shaken up then they were when their previous assignments were destroyed.

As calmly and gently as they could, the Security team led the remaining officers away and the lead turned to T'Mari. "Can you tell me what happened here, Lieutenant?"

T’Mari nodded as she calmed herself down. “A counselling session gone awry, the Efrosian Officer wasn’t willing to accept any help, he just wanted to get the hell away.” She brushed her hair away from her face with a shaking hand.

"If you would accompany me to Security, we'll file the report and get a few more details, then you'll be free to go. I do apologize that this happened and I assure you that Security is doing our best to prevent these kinds of things."

T’Mari nodded again. “I don’t blame anyone, these things happen. Call it an occupational hazard.” She was doing her best to keep her emotions in check, right now she just wanted to return to her Quarters and stay there.

"Right this way, Lieutenant," the Crewman said and gestured out of the holodeck as another Security person shut down the program, the black with yellow grid appearing once more. The drones vacated as well a moment later and a crewman went to close the access hatch.

Nodding T’Mari was glad to see the back of the holodeck, she wasn’t going to be using that program again for a while. “I should still try to help him, he’s angry and he has every right to be, the only problem is I don’t think he’ll come round. I suggest you put him under suicide watch while he’s in custody.”

"I'm afraid you'll have to be helping him from the Brig, Lieutenant," the Crewman said as he headed out of the holodeck and waited for the Counselor.

T’Mari nodded. “That’s not a problem, in fact I’ll feel safer that way.” With that she followed on in silence.

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