Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 23:39:33 -0600 In: alt.startrek.creative From: Seema seemag1@yahoo.com Title: Crossing the Line Author: Seema E-mail: seemag1@yahoo.com Series: MIS Part: NEW 1/3 Rating: PG Codes: Riley Frazier Archive: ASC and BLTS yes, everyone else please ask. Summary: The battle of Wolf 359 **** Another explosion rocked the Roosevelt. "Direct hit on the starboard nacelle!" Gerry said. "Power reserves at 50 percent, Captain, switching to auxiliary systems," Goode said. Gerry continued his litany, "Fire on deck seven, science labs, fire suppressant equipment non-operational, sealing off affected areas and evacuating—" "Captain! Hull breach on deck seven!" Goode exclaimed. "Casualty reports coming in from all over. Seven are reported dead and twelve critically injured." Bonham sagged a little, his proud posture giving way to the burden of loss. "We've exhausted all of our torpedoes, sir," Gerry reported. "Phasers are operating at 85 percent power now." "Understood. Use your discretion, Lieutenant." On the viewscreen, an explosion tore through the Buran. Debris hurtled through space, some pieces bouncing off the Roosevelt's already weakening shields. Frazier stifled the impulse to gag as she saw what appeared to be Starfleet personnel being sucked out a hull breach on the lowers decks of the New Orleans. She couldn't think of a worse possible death, to suffocate in the cold of space. She swallowed the hard lump forming in her throat and turned her attention to the message light blinking on her console. "Incoming from the Liberator," Frazier said. "Captain Kelley asks we fire in tandem on his mark." "Receiving coordinates now," Gerry said. "I have informed the Captain Kelley's tactical officer we have phasers only." "Shields are at forty percent. Engineering is compensating for the hull breach on deck seven," Goode said. Frazier's scans confirmed Goode's words. How long would hull integrity last under these kinds of conditions? And would an evacuation even be possible? Frazier recognized their circumstances for what they were: an impossible situation. Her chest tightened and she found it hard to breathe. "The shields containing the hull breach on deck seven are failing. And Engineering reports heavy radiation flooding decks three and six," Goode said. The first officer sounded collected, and Frazier deeply envied Goode's calmness. "Recommendations?" Bonham looked meaningfully at Goode "I suggest we drop back, sir," Goode said quietly. "We cannot sustain another hit and keeping phasers charged drains power from life support and environmental systems. Evacuation is our only option." For a moment, Frazier wondered if the captain and first officer of the Kyushu had had a similar conversation and then, had come up with another option entirely. Of course, she reminded herself, the Kyushu had been damaged much, much worse. Bonham turned his gaze upward, staring up at the ceiling. After a moment, he nodded. "Hail the Admiral and tell him we're breaking formation." Bonham took a deep breath as he stared at the remains of the Buran floating through space. Frazier turned her attention back to her console, her fingers tightening as she gripped the sides of her station. She was relieved, though ashamed to admit just how relieved she was that they were retreating. //Colonel Travis drew a line in the sand with a stick. His black boots, dull with dust, crunched the earth beneath his step. He stared at the men in front of him. Nearly 200 strong, all having come to Texas in the last few years, and some even in the last few months come expressly for the fight against the Mexicans. He was willing to die, but he was unable to ask the same of the others, Travis said. There would be no turning back now; General Santa Anna had fortified his men outside the walls of the Alamo. Cross the line if you wish to stay, Travis said. All but one man did so.// Frazier took deep, slow breaths. Calm, she thought, calm. She reminded herself of the story of the Alamo, of the valiant defenders who had been shown no quarter by Santa Anna. Where had they gotten that kind of courage from? For God's sake, she was a member of the senior staff, an officer the younger members looked towards for guidance. This was no time to lose her nerve. "Lorey to Bonham." The Chief Engineer's calm voice broke into Frazier's thoughts. The comm link crackled with static and no amount of compensation on Frazier's part could clear the transmission. She glanced apologetically in Bonham's direction but he took no notice. "Go ahead, Commander," Bonham said briskly. "The containment field is in danger of failure, sir. We were unable to correct the earlier imbalance and it has caused a chain reaction in our primary systems. In anticipation of a breach, I've begun the sequence to eject the warp core." Static threatened to overwhelm Lorey's voice; Frazier had to strain to hear him clearly. Bonham sighed. "Understood, Commander." "Sir, without the warp core, we're dead in the water," Goode said. "I suggest we evacuate all personnel now using the escape pods." "The Borg are picking off the pods one by one, Commander," the Captain said shortly. "I'm not sure we'd be better off using that method of evacuation. I'd rather take my chances with a strategic retreat." "We don't have time, Captain," Goode said fiercely. "You heard Commander Lorey." Frazier cleared her throat. "I agree with Commander Goode, sir. My scans show the Borg currently appear unaware of us. We might not get a window of opportunity to evacuate again." The words were hard to get out and Frazier hated to admit just how much she wanted to escape from this battle. She knew in her heart that her ancestors would have never even *entertained* the thought of retreat, of *choosing* self-preservation. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Bonham tipped his head to the side, obviously considering her recommendation. Finally he nodded, with a heavy sigh. "Agreed." He took a step in Goode's direction. "I will, of course, remain on the Bridge, and therefore, overseeing the evacuation will be your duty." He took a deep breath. "Attention, all hands, this is the Captain. Prepare to implement emergency evacuation procedures and report to your designated escape pod immediately." "Sir," Frazier said, "the comm system is malfunctioning on deck seven." She twisted in her seat to face the Captain and his First Officer. "I don't believe they heard you down there." Goode looked at the captain. "We'll have to go in person to evacuate any remaining personnel there." "Then you'd better get going, Commander," Bonham said. "Don't wait for my order." "Captain--" "You heard me, Sara." Bonham's expression softened. "You have your orders." Goode swallowed and tipped her head in acknowledgement. "Engineering to the Bridge. Inertial dampeners are failing." The hint of desperation in Lorey's voice was unmistakable. "Captain, I'm running out of options." "Do what you can, Mr. Lorey," Bonham said. "Frazier, you're with Commander Goode." Frazier nodded. She took one last look at her console, running her fingers over the smooth LCARS surface one final time and followed Goode into the turbolift. "I anticipate the Captain will go down with the ship if it comes to that," Goode said. "I have no doubt he plans to ram the cube in the same way the Kyushu did." Frazier grasped the handrail for support as the turbolift dropped down to level seven. The doors opened, and Goode cautiously stepped out, Frazier directly behind her. The smoke was thick, stinging Frazier's nostrils as she moved forward, her hand brushing up against the wall as a guide. The emergency lights flickered slightly and Frazier yelped as her fingers came in contact with a sparking panel. "Are you all right, Commander?" Goode asked anxiously. "I'm fine," Frazier said. She looked down at her fingers, pain shooting deep down through the epidermis. It would be a nasty burn when all was said and done. Ashamed at her momentary weakness, Frazier continued ahead, her eyes stinging and smarting from the smoke. "Anyone here?" she yelled. No answer. She pulled out her tricorder, looking at it closely. Shields were only minutes away from failure. The ship lurched and Frazier fell to the floor. She lay momentarily stunned before getting to her feet. "Anyone here? Anyone?" Frazier's throat ached, whether from trying to shout over the klaxons, the smoke, or a combination, she didn't know. "We're losing auxiliary systems on this deck," Goode said tensely as she looked at her tricorder. "The force fields are just barely holding. I don't even want to *think* about the status of the environmental systems." "In other words, we don't have much time," Frazier said grimly. "We should split up. You go that way," Goode said, pointing, "and I'll take this side. Locate any personnel remaining on this deck and we'll rendezvous at the escape pods." She looked grimly at Frazier. "Good luck, Commander." Frazier continued down the corridor, using the light from her tricorder to illuminate her path. A minute later, she ran into an engineer, Lieutenant Perry, intent on a repair. The young man's face was covered in a thin sheen of perspiration, his hair mussed and sticking straight up. Frazier noticed a nasty gash on the lieutenant's hand. "Lieutenant," Frazier said sharply. "What are you doing? You have orders to evacuate." "Some of the relays connecting the environmental systems have to be manually replaced and recalibrated," Perry explained as Frazier approached. "Leave your tools, Lieutenant, and make your way to the escape pods," Frazier said. "I can fix this, ma'am. I only need a few more minutes—-" "You have your orders," Frazier said tensely. "Anyone else on this deck?" Perry nodded. "Dr. Anderson, I think, but I'm the only engineer left." "Understood, Lieutenant. Dismissed." She watched as Perry disappeared into the haze of smoke. Shaking her head, she continued down the corridor. The ship rocked violently then, tossing Frazier against the walls. In the distance, she saw the outward bend of metal. Another hull breach. Frazier backed away, her chest tightening at the thought of the force fields failing, of being sucked out into space. She took a long look down the corridor. Smoke completely obscured her view, but she could hear the groans near the hull breach and hadn't Perry confirmed Dr. Anderson's presence? She couldn't just leave whoever was there behind. Attempting a rescue meant jeopardizing her life, but over five hundred years ago, her ancestors had crossed a line in the sand, taking that very same risk. Her grandfather had often told her, "You come from a long line of heroes, Riley Frazier, never forget that. Courage and sacrifice run through your blood." Frazier moved quickly. There was a chance she could find who was there and drag them to safety before the hull completely buckled. She was halfway down the corridor when the second explosion knocked her against the wall. Sparks sputtered all around her. The ship creaked, lolling slightly to the side. Frazier groaned as she hit the floor. A steel beam on the opposite side of the corridor came crashing down, blocking her path. The odds of reaching anyone on the other side of the beam mounted. Frustrated, Frazier slammed her fist into the wall. "Damn it." Her voice cracked with emotion and fury. "Damn, damn, damn." She coughed, and then she heard a groan nearby. "Who's there?" "Me, ma'am, Ensign Barr." The female voice was just barely audible. Dropping to her knees, Frazier crawled forward until her hand touched synthetic fabric. The beam had trapped the young woman. "I'm going to try to help you," Frazier said, pressing the heel of her hands against the beam, hoping against hope she would be strong enough to push the steel off the younger woman. "It's all right, ma'am," Barr whispered. "The shields..." "I know. I'm going to get you out of here," Frazier answered sharply. "Lie still, Rachel." Frazier pushed again. There was no give. Barr groaned in pain. "I'm going to give it another push, Ensign. Don't move." "Don't worry," Barr said breathlessly. "I'm not going anywhere." She offered a weak smile in Frazier's direction. Still, even with the additional effort, the beam didn't move. "You should go, Commander." "Not until I get you out." Frazier grunted as she put the full force of her entire body weight against the steel. Nothing. She was sweating profusely now and her eyes were watering. "Commander, the shields--" Frazier didn't answer. She reached down and pressed two fingers against Barr's neck. The young woman's pulse was weakening. Frazier looked over her shoulder. She could hear the shields sparking; in a matter of minutes, the shields would collapse and this entire deck would open to space. Frazier gave one last, desperate thrust, and still nothing. Frazier took one long look down the hall and then in the other direction. At her feet, Barr moaned; already the Ensign's face was taking on an ashen hue. "Where is Dr. Anderson?" Frazier demanded. Perhaps if she could find Anderson, together they would be able to lift the metal beam off Barr. With effort, Barr whispered, "Dead. I saw him sucked out when the hull breached, just before the shields..." Bile rose in Frazier's throat. "Is there anyone else? Anyone at all left on this deck?" "No, ma'am." The undertone in Barr's voice caused Frazier to lean in closer. "Is that the truth?" "There's nothing you can do for any of them," Barr said. She coughed. "Ma'am..." "That's my decision to make, Ensign, not yours." Barr didn't respond; her eyes had closed. Frazier gave the steel beam another push, and again, there was no give. "We Texans don't run away from a fight," her grandfather had once said. "We stand our ground, we work hard, we work together. We don't avoid it and we certainly don't give up." Frazier looked back down the corridor; perhaps Goode was still on deck seven. It was a chance she had to take. "I'm going to get help," Frazier told Barr but there was no response from the ensign, her eyes rolling back beneath half-closed eyelids. And then, with a trace of black humor, Frazier added, "Don't go anywhere." Barr groaned in response. Frazier backed away and then broke into a run. Suddenly, the ship keeled to the port side, knocking Frazier off balance. She rolled over and got to her feet as quickly as her aching knee would allow her. In horror, she realized the hull had finally breached; there was no chance now for anyone on the other side of the steel beam which had trapped Barr. In a matter of seconds, after all of the oxygen had been sucked out, there would be no hope for *her*. It was then she realized she was no longer alone. Hobbling, Frazier took a step forward toward the dark shadowy figures. "Who's there?" "We are Borg. Prepare to be assimilated." Frazier stared. The figures advancing towards her were clad completely in what appeared to be black body armor, with metallic tubules protruding from various parts of their body. They were humanoid in form, moving mechanically. Panicking, Frazier pounded on the turbolift door, willing for it to open. When that didn't work, she tried to access the communications grid for the deck, was little more than a lump of twisted metal. The only way out was through the Jefferies tubes; she wasn't as familiar with the interior tubing as the engineers were. Taking a chance, she ripped off a wall panel, flinging it in the direction of the Borg coming towards her. She was halfway through when she felt the cold touch of metal against her skin. // The sky above was a brilliant blue, the rolling hills covered in red yellow orange white wildflowers, the smell of mesquite and cedar heavy in the air.// Frazier kicked as she tried to wrench free of the Borg's tight grip on her arm. //It hadn't rained in days. The heat hung heavily and oppressively. Summer in Texas, her favorite season, her favorite time of the year. // She screamed as the metal stabbed through her uniform, into her side, just below her ribs. //As a child, she had sat among bluebonnets, her face and hands sticky with barbecue sauce. Beneath the gnarled branches of a live oak tree, she had heard and absorbed her ancestors' stories. Here, where the endless horizon rose up to meet the sky, she had memorized the battles. In her games, she would run along the paths, pretending to be a lookout for Colonel Travis, and later, for Sam Houston.// The second stab to the neck effectively paralyzed her. Riley Frazier's mouth formed a perfect O, her scream stuck in her throat. //The Fraziers celebrated the blood-drenched soil with a barbeque every Fourth of July; they were a part of Texas just as Texas was a part of them. As she grew older, Riley realized there would always be two sides to any history. She chose to believe in the legend of heroes.// There was no pain. //The bluebonnets rippled endlessly across the silver-green prairies. As a child, she had thought this scenery was nothing less than perfection.// In the background, the klaxons continued to howl. ~ the end -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Stories Only Forwarding In the Pattern Buffer at: http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/ Yahoo! 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