Captain my Captain

Posted on Fri Mar 29th, 2024 @ 12:50am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen
Edited on on Fri Mar 29th, 2024 @ 6:51pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Captains Ready Room - Deck 1 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD002 0800 hrs

Rowena was walking through the corridor on her way to the Malbrooke's ready room. She hasn't been there since her first day of her assignment on the pioneer. A lot has happened and so far she only had her report send in.

She didn't know what to tell at this point, other than what was in her report. She couldn't even remember what happened down on the planet, everything was a haze. But she should know by now that avoiding the captain, or commodore in this case, wasn't going to be easy. She should probably go see the doctor too.

At this point Rowena completely forgotten what happened in sickbay. And that's how Malificus liked to keep it. Getting to the commodore was a high priority in order to take over the ship. Letting him disappear is not an option, but Malificus had plans for Commodore Tyler Malbrooke.

Rowena reached the ready room and pressed the door chime.

The day had just begun and already it wore thin on Tyler Malbrooke. His patience had been very short today. He lost his temper with Sofia and what was worse was he did not really care. As he sat behind his desk he tried to come up with a reason for this mood change, and none came. That made everything worse, he wanted to know why, had to know why. However, a huge part of him simply did not care about that either. The constant shifts were damned confusing.

So, Tyler sat and stared, minutes, hours, days could have passed and he would not have known. The door chime at least gave him something to do. "Yeah... What do you want?"

As the door opened she walked in. Rowena didn't notice the irritation in his voice. Or she just simply ignored it. "Thank you, for letting me in, sir." She smiled to him. "Is it alright I get some tea from you're replicator? Somehow I feel we have a lot to discuss, I don't want to dry out my throat." She tilted her head and smiled once more at him.

"Yeah help yourself. I will take a coffee while you are at it." She has a lot to discuss Tyler thought. Great just what he didn't want, at the moment he wondered when a Captain got time to themselves. He either belonged to his crew, or his wife. Right now he hated both of those options.

Rowena walked to the replicated and got herself a latte and a coffee for Tyler. As she put the mug down she said, "You seem very tense, sir, is everything alright?"

"Yes all is well. Just practicing for when the baby comes. You know lack of sleep can take a large toll on someone. What can I do for you?" He replied and came up with the baby story as a quick cover. It would not do well to tell Rowena what he truly felt.

"Just checking up on you, sir." Rowena gave a sweet smile as she looked to him. Inside it felt more like a grin than a smile. But she would not remember this meeting after, so who cared. Neither would the captain. "Just to see how you are, I hope that's alright, there is so much going on the ship right now and this mission. And so much happened before." Did her voice sound different? She took a sip from her latte. She then put the mug down and got up and walked to window of the ready room.

"You know, sir, I could almost feel everything this ship has been through when I got on board, can you believe it?" Rowena stared in to the darkness of space. "I can see all the faces that walked in here. I can hear all the voices. The desperation, the happiness..." She turned around and looked to Malbrooke. "...their sorrow." The last words were in a different tone. Darker, almost deeper.

Tyler smiled softly. He was afraid to admit but he had felt somewhat melancholy lately and he attempted to cover it up. "It is true that at times places can take on emotions. This ship has been through so much over the years that the old adage of if these walls could talk stands true here. But, you seem to have something on your mind. So, care to spill your guts?"

"Question, how far would you go to protect this ship?" Rowena looked at him intently. It wasn't sure if he would notice her eyes that were now so dark they had no pupils. They looked empty and cold. She walked over to him and leaned over to him as she whispered to him. "Captain Jamison screamed when he did his duty. Would you scream?"

Tyler cocked an eyebrow, not sure where McGowen went with these comments. However, he thought the only way he would learn would be to play along. So, he answered her question. "To save this ship and its crew I would do anything. For that is the job of any good Captain." He regarded the way she looked. There was something different but Tyler could not quite put his finger on it. "What are you talking about in regards to Captain Jamison screaming?"

Rowena pulled back as if confused. "What...what are you talking about? Captain Jamison. Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time." Her voice sounded normal again. She looked around the room a little confused. "How did I get here? I...Maybe I should go...I should..."

"You walked in. Have a seat and relax. You do not seem to be yourself. I will tell you what. We will have the Doc come up here and have a look at you. Have you been having these memory lapses often?" Tyler guided his Second Officer into a seat. He retrieved a glass of water from the replicator as he spoke. There was something going on aboard his ship and he would get to the bottom of it.

"I have already been to the doctor, she couldn't find anything. I have seen many doctors." She sighed. "I just don't know what's going on. At times I also remember things I don't know where they come from." She fell silent. "Or actually I do." Her voice changed again. A little deeper and darker. She looked up and looked at Tyler. Her eyes looked hollow and had had no irises it seemed. She grinned. "Hello Commodore Tyler Malbrooke. You are not like Captain Jamison, I had a lot of fun with him. Did you know he named his ship after me. Malificus. USS Malificus." The concerning grin on Rowena's face would make most people reach for security, but she seemed not afraid, as if she was in complete control of Tyler.

Malificus continued. "Don't bother looking up the Malificus. Your colleagues at the Science council, specifically the Paranormal unit did their job very well in hiding it."

Tyler turned from the replicator when Rowena began to speak again. The Malificus that was not a ship that Tyler had ever heard of. Sure enough as he began to type into his computer on his desk, this being that had taken Rowena told him it would be futile. He walked around his desk toward where Rowena had been seated. "Listen, I do not know who you are. However, I am sure we can help you. You are going to have to let McGowen go. Once that is done we can learn what you may need or want. Just release my crewman." When he had finished speaking Tyler stood just next to where Rowena sat.

There was long silence. Tyler believed that this Malificus considered the proposal he put forth. Minutes passed in silence and there was no answer. Tyler began to reach for his comm badge. He would summon security and have Rowena locked in the Brig until they could figure this out. However, before he could Malificus leapt to their feet.

Malificus then grabbed both Tyler's arms. "Don't you even think about calling security or marines. This ship is mine now. This ship and it's crew. While you were having headaches over the last mission I took care of your doctor and the rest of your senior staff will follow soon. Lieutenant H'ros is getting pretty close in uncovering me and he will join the doctor and your Counselor. Your chief operations. Your Pilot. And you will not stop it. In fact..." She let go of one of his arm and reached to his face and gently caressed his cheek. "I think like captain Jamison you will be very helpful." She moved really close to his face. She tipped up his chin and leaned in and kissed him.

In the instant that their lips touched Tyler had been made sick to his stomach. He tried to push Rowena off however, she seemed to be inhumanly strong. His hands pushed against her shoulders. The more he resisted the stronger it seemed that the kiss became. Thoughts of his wife, and their unborn child pushed into his mind as he continued to fight Rowena off. Suddenly, and unbiddenly those thoughts of his family and crew were pushed to the side. Another consciousness arrived in his head and took control.

Tyler's hands stopped resisting in fact he pulled Rowena in closer. When the kiss broke the look of anger that had been on Tyler's face had changed. A smirk was there now, the smirk of someone who seemed to have enjoyed everything that transpired.

Malificus looked back smiling. "You know what to do, I know I don't have to explain." She gently stroke Tyler's face. "Take what you need, as always." She then walked to the door and left the ready room.

A Joint Post By

Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen
Chief Intelligence Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer

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