U.S.S. Corsair - NX-011979
Nebula II Prototype
“Sic Parvis Magna”
(Greatness From Small Beginnings)
“Teeth of the Chimera – Part V”
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“Ten…nine…eight…”, the computer rattled off the seconds to the Corsair’s destruction.
“Engineering to bridge. It’s done. No guarantees”, came the voice of the chief engineer.
“Understood, I know you did your best Sai. Punch it!”
“Here goes nothing…”
The lights on the bridge dimmed just as Ramius could hear Merikai’s staff shout out a warning about the Corsair. That validation was enough for Ramius to act.
“Helm! Activate engines!”
“COMPUTER, ABORT AUTO-DESTRUCT!”
“Auto Destruct Sequence has been canceled.”
The bridge let out a collective sigh of relief just as President Merikai erupted on the viewing screen.
“RAMIUS!! FIRE ALL WEAPONS NOW”, Merikai screamed to his subordinates.
Ramius held his breath as the NeoDyne ship unleashed an overwhelming barrage of weapons fire at the Corsair. The scale and fury of the attack seemed equivalent to the combined firepower of several starships given the enhanced weaponry bristling upon the obsidian hull of the NeoDyne cruiser. As the weapons bore down they passed quietly through the Corsair’s hull and dissipated without a sound.
Everyone on the bridge was stunned. “The weapons fire just..it just passed right through us captain. I..I don’t understand”, Lt. Redstone shouted from tactical.
Ramius wore a grin that seemed to stretch from one end of the bridge to the other. “Sai, you’ve earned your paycheck for the year. You have my personal thanks.”
“Well you owe me and my staff a few rounds – you’re buying, but before we break out the spirits just tell me we won’t need this for long. This thing is about as scary as a Borg with neon flashing lights and just as dangerous. I can’t guarantee this thing is going to remain operational for long and if we’re not careful we all might have been better off letting the ship self-destruct.”
“We don’t need it long, just keep it working long enough for us to clear the asteroid belt. Once we’re clear we will disengage. As for the drinks, I think we can arrange something.”
“I’ll do my best sir. Engineering out.”
Ramius motioned for the channel to Merikai to be unmuted.
“Well Merikai, I am afraid I must be leaving. I would love to stay and finish our conversation, but I have other duties to attend to. I look forward to our next encounter. I only regret I didn’t have the chance to destroy you and your ship today, but there is always tomorrow. And that day Merikai is fast approaching. Tell Doctor Ballentine his work was amusing, but ultimately I found it generally lacking. Oh, and by the way, I’ve slipped through your fingers yet again. The mighty NeoDyne President is just as incompetent as all the other lackeys that have been sent against me. It just goes to show you that money cannot buy everything. Until we meet again Merikai. Adieu.”
Ramius signaled for the channel to be cut just as Merikai’s face contorted with nothing short of pure, absolute, and unadulterated rage. Ramius savored every last second of the President’s expression just before the screen went black.
“Helm, take us through the asteroid belt. Set course for the nearest starbase. Once we are clear, coordinate with Engineering and determine what warp factor we can sustain given our damages. The faster we can leave this area of space the better.”
“Sir, how are we supposed to go through solid rock”, the helmsman asked with a look of confusion mixed with apprehension.
“There’s a complicated explanation for that involving physics”, Ramius answered, “I have no idea how to explain it, but for the moment just trust me that we can.”
“Uh…Aye sir”, came the confused reply.
Ramius went to issue several more orders but suddenly he was overwhelmed by a profound sense of lightheadedness which almost forced him to topple over. Sensing the captain’s distress, Doctor Durandal quickly jumped up and helped the captain sit while examining his vitals.
“Are you through tempting fate and defying gods for one day captain”, the doctor asked with an acerbic voice.
“I suppose”, Ramius answered rubbing his head. He suddenly became aware of the pain his body was expressing from his recent fight against a genetically modified human hybrid in addition to the recent bridge action. Somehow he had blocked it out given the crisis, but with the Corsair moving quickly out of harm’s way, he was becoming acutely aware of just how loudly his body was protesting.
“I need to get you to sickbay captain. You’ve done your duty today for king and country. It’s time for the victorious knight to get some rest.”
Helping the captain to the turbolift, Ramius left orders for Commander Novada to assume command. With the unrelenting doctor at his side, Ramius used him as a crutch as the pair entered the lift.
The doors closed as Durandal called for the lift to head to sickbay.
“Tell me something Ramius. How is it we are all still here and in one piece? What did you have Commander Novada and Kusinagi do?”
Ramius leaned against the lift wall closing his eyes. Every pore on his body seemed to now pulse with pain. He was amazing even himself with his own endurance.
“A little trinket I picked up for emergency use. My step-father is quite adept at procuring the unprocurable. Federation cloaking device also known as a phase-cloak. The unit is capable of altering matter shifting its phase slightly into another dimension or something like that. I don’t understand how it works, but it allows a ship to be both invisible and pass through solid matter, the core of a sun, a planet, anything really. It’s not without problems though. It requires massive amounts of power which if not perfectly balanced can destroy the ship or cause horrible other side effects. It is also tricky as hell to monitor and keep stable. It works, but it is far from perfect. It is a tool to be used only in the most dire of circumstances.”
“But I thought cloaking devices are illegal?”
Ramius laughed, but the pain he was feeling quickly put an end to it. “Illegal is such a strong word”, Ramius answered.
“Did you steal it? Where the hell did you manage to..”
“Stolen is another strong word. Borrowed is more like it. Besides, no one else was using it for anything constructive. I figure if one is going to be sent out on highly dangerous, highly clandestine missions with high degrees of risk and odds then one should ensure they have every advantage they can obtain to stay alive when the stakes are high and the going gets rough.”
Durandal remained quiet. Debating the captain’s logic, which Durandal had never understood, was not an exercise he relished. Right now the captain had saved the crew and the ship from certain destruction. Debating how or what he had used to do it was an exercise for a later time. The captain needed serious medical attention and his thoughts had to be on his patients.
“Remind me never to play poker against you”, Durandal said as the lift stopped and opened. Assisting the captain, Keith helped Ramius limp out of the lift into the hall bound for sickbay.
“I’ll go easy on you”, Ramius muttered his voice nearly a whisper now.
“Forget it”, the doctor replied as he attempted to keep Ramius conscious and talking. “Since when do you go easy on any opponent? No sir, I can’t afford to play with your kind of stakes. Too much risk.”
“There’s risk in everything doctor.”
“Indeed, but you seem to collect it, in spades. Come on, stay with me captain, we’re nearly there”, Durandal said now practically dragging Ramius down the hallway.
Entering sickbay the doctor quickly called for a nurse just as Ramius lost consciousness in his arms forcing the doctor to carry the man’s entire weight to prevent him from toppling over onto the floor. A few moments later the doctor and several nurses and staff helped the doctor carry the limp captain to a biobed.
“What happened”, a nearby nurse asked as she rolled a cart near the edge of the bed for the doctor. “The captain doesn’t know when to quit”, Doctor Durandal mumbled under his breath. “It’s a bloody miracle this idiot has managed to stay alive up until now, however I sure am glad he has the knack for keeping himself and most of those around him alive in impossible situations.” The nurse ran a scan and quickly showed it to the doctor. “Doctor, these brain activity waves indicate the captain is experiencing severe amounts of pain from his injuries. It appears to be the cause of his unconsciousness. Was he feeling this way on the bridge?”
“Aye”, the doctor replied as he pressed a hypo against the captain’s neck. “He’s a remarkable person the captain. I want to ensure he stays that way. Let’s keep him sedated for now. He needs some well deserved rest and for once he’s in no position to countermand my orders.”
[ End Log ]
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Captain Taverain Ramius
Commanding Officer, USS Corsair
Commander Alanis Novada
Executive Officer
Commander Sai Kusinagi
Chief Engineer
Commander Keith Durandal
Chief Medical Officer
President Alistair Merikai
NeoDyne Defense Corporation
