XO on Deck

Posted on Sun Nov 22, 2020 @ 2:55pm by Commander Ajani Carter

Mission: Prelude - 00
Location: Bridge of the Potemkin
Timeline: 2394 - 6 Months before MD01
750 words - 1.5 OF Standard Post Measure

She had been on the bridge of the Potemkin when the call had connected. They were on route to upgrade a deep space relay station that handled millions of communications a month. The Potemkin would not only be upgrading the small station but would remain on station to take over the communications load. However they were still a few hours out when Admiral Kor called to speak with her. Looking back on it Carter had been surprised that she would be getting a ship, let alone a brand new ship and that her mission would be within the classified range to boot.

The Potemkin would drop her off at Esquimalt Station but not until they were done with this refit. She was preparing to go back on duty, to take command of the Bridge during the Beta shift while the Captain was overseeing the massive influx of communications going through the sub space array. Ajani tugged on her uniform jacket just as the turbolift doors opened onto the bridge. She was on of the older Excelsiors in service, she had undergone a major refit to bring her inline with the Lakota sub-class. But even that was years ago. Ajani felt that the Potemkin would remain in service for many decades to come.

She circled the bridge checking in with each officer, there were on station at the array but they were on the edge of Cardassian space and there had been attacks in this sub-sector in the last few weeks which is why they were there. A few exchanges with her communications and ops officers assured her that everything was working they way it was expected. The Back-up computer core was handling all of the load from the station.

As Ajani was about it sit down in the center chair to call the Captain and ask for an update a sensor alert sounded, from the tone it was a proximity alarm. She turned and headed for the tactical station and opened her mouth to ask what was closing on them.

It was then when her world exploded, an explosion in the tactical console blow it apart the tactical officer took the brunt of the shrapnel in her face and chest, dead before hitting the floor. She felt strange, like the world had slowed down, she looked down to see a section of the console buried into her chest, blood was seeping from around the object. Ajani shook it off and turned to the bridge at large. Just as she called for a damage report the turbolift doors opened and half a dozen crew in medical teal stepped out. One made a bee-line for her "No, see to the others first".

There were a few replies but nothing solid. She pulled herself over to the Ops station where lieutenant Vass was still sat, she was seemingly unharmed and alert. "Talk to me Lou" carter said holding her chest and trying not to give in to the urge to take deep calming breaths.

"We were hit by something, the systems are responding like it was something between an asteroid and an EMP. So i am guessing it was a dark matter asteroid. Whatever it was it hit us hard, it over loaded about a dozen EPS conduct, put a hole in three decks. Oh" she finished, quickly looking up at Carter "It hit the number 4 Phaser emitter, the reserves were charged as ordered."

"Thats why it hit so hard" she sighed and took that deep breath and hissed out a few choice words.

"Make sure that the DC teams are doing their jobs there." Ajani hobbled to the center chair, "Try and reach the Captain and XO, Bridge to Astrometrics, we think it was a dark matter object, run scans and find out."

The pain in her chest was only getting worse, she knew shed have to get help soon, but not until the ship was safe. "Bridge to engineering, send a DC team to the bridge, i need consoles up here repaired." As she was talking she was accessing the ships status and directing teams to the most vital of areas.

"I've got the Captain" said Vass not looking up from her station, Carter knew that she was working to keep the ships power from surging through damaged systems.

"Captain" she said looking up "Is everything okay over there?"

Lieutenant Commander Ajani Carter didn't hear the response, she would next come around several hours later in sickbay having undergone major surgery.