Mercury Calling

Posted on 19 Apr 2016 @ 9:42am by Lieutenant Parisa Rykov DCS

1,441 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Deck 2 | Rykov's Quarters
Timeline: MD 5

The quick nearly rhythmic sonic pulsations felt good on Rykov's worn anatomy. She had just come off a tiring double shift in Main Engineering after a few of her engineers reported in as not feeling well or were already in Sickbay receiving medical care. Whatever was happening, the Chief Engineer preferred the option of tiring herself out to near ehaustion rather than risk putting a sick engineer to work and spread whatever had been going around. Clearly the bio filters an air filtration environmental systems could not stand up to all the mysteries floating around the Gamma quadrant. Doctor Rykov had spent the past two days crawling around jefferies tubes and inspecting ducts. She and several engineers had taken the environmental systems apart and determined that they were fully functional and working up to Federation standards.

Great thought Parisa as she stood in the sonic shower, relaxing as the pulsating waves massaged her torso and slowly worked her from head to toes, the sonic vibrations taking off the undesired grease, sweat, and oils that she had encountered after a long day's work on a maintenance expedition within the Black Hawk's innards. The sound of soft serene music played through Rykov's quarters, providing a soothing background noise for her to lose herself in.

The Chief Engineer reached for the small iridescent lavender cube that sat in the corner of her shower. The device was a sonic razor that she had adjusted to the perfect frequency for her liking, and it made shaving a lot easier than other devices that were used throughout the galaxy. Lifting up one of her legs and placing it on the bench in the sonic shower, she turned on the razer and slowly moved it up and down her leg on a low setting, holding it a few inches from her skin as the device went to work taking care of the unwanted body hair she had accumulated from going a few weeks without shaving her legs. Much better she thought as she examined the leg before going to work on the second. “Now, I don't look a hairy targ” she said to herself with a smirk.

After finishing off her second leg, Rykov put the razor down and was about to apply a facial mask when the music in her quarters came to an abrupt stop. She heard a small series of beeps and a long held sound that was coming form the living area of her quarters where her portable computer had been sitting idle on her coffee table. The voice of Black Hawk's computer system also alerted her. “Incoming subspace transmission” reported the ship's computer. “Incoming subspace transmission” it added a second time before Rykov could get out of the sonic shower and get into her plush bathrobe.

“Computer, source of subspace transmission?” asked Rykov. She had not expected to receive anything out in the Gamma quadrant for several weeks or potentially a few months. Her parents and immediate family were well aware of the assignment she was on and that messages from the Alpha and Beta quadrants to the Gamma quadrant took a very long time to get through, and they'd be lucky if Parisa would get them at all if Black Hawk was far away from the relay network.

The computer answered her inquiry simply. “Incoming subspace transmission from the Gamma quadrant” replied the computer. This lead Doctor Parisa Rykov to let out an elongated groan of frustration. Her sonic shower had been interrupted by this transmission and it was not one she cared to answer, knowing the limited possibilities of who in the Gamma quadrant would be directly contacting her. She was out of her bathroom and into the living area of her quarters when her portable computer went off once again to inform her of the incoming subspace transmission.

She let out a furious roar towards the computer, and directed it for the ship's computer systems. “Computer, ignore incoming transmission and cancel notifications until further notice” she said with a hiss as she approached the comfort of her sofa and sat down glaring at the portable device and nearly burning a hole in the screen with her glaring and glowering face. “Computer, to whom is the transmission from?” she asked, already fairly certain of the answer.

After a moment of processing the request, the computer replied “ Lieutenant Commander Merrick Ransom, USS Ottawa.” This was an interesting bit of information that Rykov had to take a few moments herself to process. Yes, that was who she was expecting to be the sender and yet not exactly. She had to admit she was now at least somewhat interested in this transmission.

Commander Ransom? They promoted him? she thought with an expression of disgusts on her face. The last time they had seen seen one another let alone talked at least somewhat in a civil manner, Merrick had been a Lieutenant same as her. “He's jumped a rank and I'm still sitting as a lieutenant” she muttered under her breath. “Alright, Computer, let's not keep the Lieutenant Commander waiting. Open channel” she ordered and soon the screen on her computer came to life and she saw the face of the man she had called her fiancé once upon a time before hell froze over.

A few months of awkward silence was exchanged between them before one of them had the nerve to speak. “You look good” said the man as he let out a nervous sigh. “I mean you lost weight” he added before retreating into a seat.

Rykov glared in response. “Thanks, asshole” she said scoffing. “How nice of you to notice that I dropped a few pounds in the past...oh how long has it been since we've had a lovely chat?” she said, knowing it had over two years.

“Too long” he replied. “And you don't have to be a bitch about it, Lieutenant” he replied, forcefully asserting his rank superiority over her. “You took your time answering my subspace transmission. I've tried to reach you before...like a dozen times. I had to find out that you had changed starships and were on the Black Hawk now. Fancy seeing we're in the same quadrant now. I know it's still a big quadrant, but...”

Rykov did not let him finish before cutting him off “Not nearly big enough” she said sharply. “Yeah, about those dozen times. I had work to do and must have accidentally forgotten to care enough to respond' added Rykov bitterly.

“I see” Lieutenant Commander Ransom replied. “I haven't forgotten that temper of yours. The Ottawa was close enough in range of one of the relays that I thought I might get an opportunity to call you via subspace. “I am also calling because you have something that I want” he said firmly.

She shook her head defiantly. “Absolutely not” she replied. “That is out of the question.”

“Damn it, Parisa. Krampus was my cat...not yours, mine. Did you forget that I had him before you stole him from me?” he countered.

The Chief Engineer crossed her arms. “Krampus hated you and used to piss on you whenever you held him. He preferred me and I loved him more than you ever did. Merrick, you can go throw yourself out an airlock. Krampus is staying with me, end of discussion.”

Agitated, the man slammed his fists down on a table. “Don't call me that name!” he shouted. “My name is Mercury, not Merrick. I don't care what my birth records say” he said defensively. “My friends call me Mercury. My crew call me Mercury. I am Mercury Ransom.”

Rykov smirked as she found herself successful at getting under his skin. “Yes, your 'friends' call you Mercury. You and I, Merrick...we're not friends. We're not anything remotely close to friends. You disgust me” she said. “And what do you mean your crew?” she added, questioning the man's word choice.

'I'm commanding the Ottawa now” he said without any explanation. “You can keep the damn Cat, Parisa, but I want the ring back” he demanded.

She laughed at the demand. “I do not have your pathetic ring, Merrick. I got rid of that symbolic piece of targ shit not too long after you tarnished our future together. If you want your damn ring back, go check out a little Ferengi pawn shop. You might eventually find it if you're lucky” she said crisply. “Goodbye, Merrick and don't call me again” she said before terminating the transmission abruptly and being left in the silence darkness of her quarters, holding tightly onto a pillow.

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