They Shall Not Pass
Posted on Thu Jul 18th, 2019 @ 2:26pm by Ensign Dana Wakefield & Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters - Calhoun
Edited on on Fri Jul 19th, 2019 @ 12:47pm
2,540 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Episode 7 - Home Again
Location: SCIF - Deck 9 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD006 1400 hrs
Dana was again seeking the solace of her friend, she had realised that even after their last talk she hadn't given Jen much attention, especially as she would now have had her bandages removed. 'Dana, what a shit friend you are' sighing out loud 'I mean I've been busy, what a lame excuse' she thought to herself, but in reality, it had been true. She had held a full departmental meeting, seen the doctor for a sleeping aid, which had helped for all of one night, been summoned by the Executive Officer for berating people in public, all in the matter of a few days.
Aiden had been correct, after meeting his team, he had soon drawn the short straw to be guarding the SCIF, rather that or it was some sort of initiation ritual, dump the new guy on the least popular task. He sat there behind the desk, a small room with four lounge chairs and his desk, his phaser clipped to his left hip, ready to quickly draw it with his right hand if need be. His attention was soon drawn when the doors to the foyer opened as a red-haired woman walked in. He looked her up and down, his eyes lingering for a moment than they should.
"Can I help you Ma'am?" he said rising to his feet, knowing fine well no one was due.
Dana had paid little attention or failed to notice his eyes lingering on her, she glanced at him and rolled her eyes, these privates seemed to be getting younger by the day. "If you must know, I'm here to see a friend," she said.
"And whom is it that you hear to see, and I shall see if they are available."
Dana scoffed, she was in no mood, her eyes were burning and red, her tolerance low and her irritability high. "If you'd just let me in."
"I'm sorry Ma'am, I can't do that," he replied, again eying up the lady but this time he was also taking in the environment, his right hand moving over to the hilt of his phaser. She seemed hostile and he had his orders.
Dana's gaze shot to him, for a moment she gave him a quick head to toe, he was well defined but scrawny he clearly didn't weigh much more than her, and only stood a couple of centimetres taller. "Yes, you'll need that private because, by the looks of it, even I think I could take you," she replied notcing his hand hovering near his phaser.
Jenn was trying to get caught up on Intelligence reports and also go through the information she gotten out of the Azazian database when her attention was pulled to the screen that showed her the front desk. She switch through cameras and zoomed in. She noticed the Private's hand nearing his phaser. So she switch to the camera facing the entrance and then saw Dana standing there with a look on her face that has demons hide in the corners of hell.
She dropped the padd and took another padd and started reading it. She knew she had read that right. She had someone in her department keeping her apprised on all things happening on the ship. A listener sort of speaking. And Dana has been around on the ship. Some crew even posted some complaints. She tapped the plug in her ear which was always connected to the marine and or security officer at the desk. "Private Price, this is Staff Warrant officer Masters. Do not engage, I repeat do not engage. Tell lieutenant Wakefield you will escort her to my office. And escort her to my office, thank you."
"Yes Ma'am, he acknowledged." removing his hand from his hilt and letting it relax by his side before he turned his attention back to Dana. "I'll escort you to see Staff Warrant Officer Masters, but I'm going to need your communicator," he said, simply following protocol for the SCIF.
Dana glared at the Marine, and then around the waiting room. 'Impressive' she thought as she couldn't see any visible devices. "I just hope you don't have one hidden in my quarters Jen." she said out loud before removing her com badge and slamming it down on the Marines desk. "Good job too, I could have easily taken you," she said her eyes burrowing into the Marine.
Aiden simply gave a smile, 'You wish' he thought to himself, he was stronger than he looked. "Yes Ma'am," he replied before taunting her himself "I'm sure you could fight your way out of a paper bag no problem," he said securing the communicator and extending his hand towards another door. "This way, please."
Jenn wasn't what to see yet, but they were faster than that she could formulate something to say. Also, she didn't know the mindset her bestie was in. She smiled when the two of them walked into her office. She turned to Aiden. "You may leave, private." She said.
Aiden nodded at Jennifer, acknowledging her request, before giving Dana another once over, 'She's hot' he thought to himself, he liked it when a woman stood up to him and she was certainly feisty in her mood today. He quickly shook his head and turned a slight flush of red, before he quickly left the two girls to it, the doors closing behind him.
"I so could have taken him," Dana said, plonking herself down into one of the chairs in Jennifer's office while taking in the room. "You know, this is the first time I have actually been inside the SCIF." Dana commented, closing her eyes for all but a moment.
"Well, enjoy while you're here, Dana, I am not letting just anyone in," Jenn said. Also, I know you could have taken him, me calling you was more for his protection than yours." She straightened her back a bit uneasy. "So can I get you anything?"
Dana chuckled, However, she could detect an awkwardness in her friend's tone, like she did not want her here, in her domain. "Don't worry Jen, I am not here to steal your secrets, if you don't want me here, just say so."
"I am not...it's not that," Jen started. She didn't know what to say. She had to call her friend out on her behaviour. Mostly that would be the first officer's job, but Dana was her friend.
It wasn't like Jen to be on eggshells with her, "Come on, spit it out." she snapped, not wanting to beat around the bush. "I can tell you have something to say to me or ask me, it's one of the two." Dana barked her tone defensive, her irritability showing.
At the hearing of her tone, Jen was kind of taken back. But she was snapped out if immediately. She hit her hands on the table. "Lieutenant Dana Jayne Wakefield, what is happening with you? What's going on? I hear you have been going on the banter, making you department a living nightmare. I mean discipline I can commend, but dressing down your male officers in front of your entire department?" She pushed herself up. "And you said you would come and help me out, but I had my bandages taken off mere hours ago, and you stroll in here and give me the same tone as your officers. If you have a problem you tell your best friend now, because I don't know you like this." That last part was more worried than angry.
Dana jumped as her friend slapped her hands onto the table "I was simply laying out my vision for MY department." she croaked back "I give an inch, they take a yard. things were slipping and people are talking about Operations and the people within it, I won't have..." Dana paused lingering on what her friend had just said "So if you heard about my meeting, people are talking about me." she paused her mouth half open.
It took Dana a minute to process what Jen was saying, but what she was saying was true, she had promised to help her friend, she knew her bandages were coming off today, suddenly the voices roared within her head, 'Killer, bad friend, they are all turning against you'. Dana knocked the side of her temple with her hand "Shut up." she yelled
"Excuse me?" Jen asked. She looked with a raised eyebrow at Dana. "Shut up? I am not one of your operations goons you can order around. You come here to my department and tell me to shut up. I shut up when I damn well please!"
Dana glanced up, her head pounding, her vision slightly blurred, focusing on her friend "I...." she paused "I wasn't telling you to shut up." she said confused, "I...I..." Dana didn't know how to respond, she simply glanced up at her friend, the pain showing in her eyes. "I should go," she said slowly getting to her feet, the last thing she had wanted, was to argue or upset her friend.
"Ok now don't go," Jen said with a worried tone. She didn't know what was going. Something was wrong with her friend. If she didn't tell her to shut up, then who was she telling to shut up? There was no one in the room with them. There could be two options. Either she is compromised by an alien entity or she was hearing voices. Either way, this wasn't good. "What's going on, Dana?" She asked. Are you alright?" She walked around her desk to Dana. "I know I have been through a lot, but at least I talk about it. Which wasn't easy I tell you that. You have to talk to someone, if not to me to the counsellor or someone." She put her hand slowly on Dan's shoulder.
"I'm just so tired, I'm not sleeping well," she replied, standing still as her friend approached, a reassuring hand falling on her shoulder "What is there to talk about?...I'm a killer and a bad friend, Jen..." she hesitated "You would be better off without me in your life, hell everyone would," she said, breaking away and once again heading for the door. "I'm sorry, this was a bad idea," she shouted as she rushed out the way she came.
Jen followed her. "Dana!" She called after her. So focused on her friend that she didn't see where she was going and tripped and fell on the floor of the main room of the SCIF. She softly muttered a curse as she tried to get herself up. "Pearce stop her!" She called out. "That's an order, Private." She grabbed hold of a console as she groaned in pain. Looks like her ribs were still a tat sensitive from where the bull had horned her.
Aiden rather startled jumped to his feet from behind his desk 'What the heck was going on' he thought to himself as his hand instinctively went back to his left hip, ready to grab his phaser, after all, he had been ordered to stop her. "Ma'am, stop," he said as the door to form the inner office to the waiting room opened and Dana came storming out, like a bull in a china shop.
"Oh tiny, you couldn't stop me even if you wanted too," Dana said, referring to his height as she glared at him like a possed women.
"I'm stronger than I look," he replied, focused, hand on holster.
Undeterred and dismissing his threat, Dana looked at the exit and made a step towards it.
"Ma'am, stop," Aiden said, instinctively jumping over the desk, as he reached out and grabbed her arm.
Dana felt the tug of the Private on her arm, she twisted her arm inwards and easily broke free, before spinning around to face him. "That's it, I'm going to kick your cute little ass," she said, heeding little attention that she had just, in fact, called him cute.
Aiden briefly smiled 'she thinks you're cute' he thought before speaking, "Maybe next time." he said smiling at Dana.
Dana taken back at his reaction gently relaxed for a moment before she saw his hand go to his hilt "Ohh no you..."
Aiden still smiling, pulled out his phaser and without hesitation pressed the large rectangular button, a gentle orange beam fired and Dana quickly hit the deck, her surroundings going dark around her.
Jen limps out in to the lobby holding her chest area. She looked down on Dana. "Well, not exactly what I meant, but this will do." She hissed a little in pain. "Damnit," she groaned, "Private, call sickbay, I think I am coming in. And have someone pick up the Lieutenant ." She dropped down on the floor. "Oh good Lord, why me?" She looked to Dana. After her ordeal with Neil, she knew this wasn't Dana's usual self. Something was wrong with her."
Aiden instinctively dropped next to Staff Warrant Officer Masters "Ma'am, where does it hurt? has she injured you." he asked, his medical training kicking in, he needed to check her over before he altered sickbay.
She looked to Aiden, even though she didn't mind the concern, she said, "What? No, I tripped when I ran after her. My ribs hurt. Not so long ago I did the tango with a bull. Or rather he did this to me." She sighed. "I guess when I hit the floor, and the old wound opened up."
"Just doing my job Ma'am," he replied reaching for his communicator.
=/\= SCIF to Sickbay, prepare for two casualties, nothing serious. One abdominal trauma from a previous injury, exacerbated by a fall and one person to check over following been stunned by phaser fire. ETA five minutes. =/\=
Aiden shook his head, and they had told him the SCIF was normally just babysitting duty, he hoped every shift wasn't going to be like this.
=/\= Acknowledged SCIF, medical staff on standby. =/\=
Sighing Aiden knew that he needed to follow protocol and call 1st Lieutenant Tremble the Platoon Commander, followed by Staff Sergent Flarn his Team Leader but first he would need to alert security as officers would have already been despatched after the internal sensors detected his phaser fire.
Jen leaned against the front desk. "You can't leave here. Someone needs to man the Lobby and the SCIF." She nodded to him and taped her badge. =/\="Security, this Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters, please stand down, the situation at the SCIF is under control." =/\=
Aiden was already ahead of her, he had requested additional personnel to come and help take the redhead and Lieutenant Masters to sickbay, so he could remain at his station before he reported the situation to his own superiors. However, he was dreading the latter, discharging his phaser on his first babysitting mission.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Dana Wakefield
Chief Operations Officer, USS Pioneer
Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
Private Aiden Pearce
Corpsman RFT 1, USS Pioneer
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