<USS Meridian> "The Emergence"

From: "Brad Ruder" <groundzero@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ussmeridian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 00:53:19 -0700

“The Emergence”
by Captain Kyle Pierce
& Lieutenant Jason Ziredac

Emerging onto the gray street, peppered with the thick raindrops and sidled by the comers and goers following the bell of dismissal, Jason Ziredac's feet crashed into a puddle and added to his dampness. Already, his hair stuck to his forehead and water dripped from his nose and mouth. Kayloronian rain was harsh. He tapped his badge and said, "Ziredac to Meridian," but there was no reply. The storm had to be causing interference. For the time being, though, he had to seek shelter. Throwing himself down the city street, he started looking for public purveryances, abandoned buildings, anything that would shield him from the dense downpour that seemed to overwhelm the world.

The deck plating, if it were alive, would have been screaming for agony, and Kyle was unrelenting. Back and forth he strode, turning on a vigorous heel, and then back-tracking. It was a never-ending cycle. Gazing at the viewscreen he wished something would happen - negotiations aside, life on Meridian had suddenly become a lot more complicated with the disappearance of the away team. Then he heard it, a chime coming from a console, his eyes flew to the worker and he took a step forward. "Report!"

Deonda Breeze gauged her console up and down, "Incoming transmission from the surface, sir, it's pretty garbled."

"Let's hear it."

Static.

"Clean it up."

"I'm trying to sir," the young Lieutenant JG said as her fingers flew deftly across the panel's surface. She had a way with the trivial, but sometimes her speed was rather exhilirating. "It seems to have originated from the planet, sir, but I'm sure that it was obvious where the source was. Other than that, I've lost the location."

"Damn." Kyle said harshly; and, he started pacing again.

Jason weaseled through bodies that crowded the avenue and actually managed to get close to an open public building. Then the dull ringing of the bell of dismissal ceased and like a system, the streets emptied. It was only he, Jason, standing still in shock in the center of the pavement, sort of trying to figure out how everyone was kept in time in this city, in this civilization. That masculine hollar of dogged voices rang through the wetted air from behind him, and so he dashed down a sidestreet. He figured they had caught a glimpse of him because the voices never got further way, screaming in their native tongue. From his right, from over a fence near a house, he heard a small voice calling to him, "Over here! Inside!"

Jason ducked behind the fence and found himself in a back yard, slipping on wet foliage. A child, no older than eleven years old, was beckoning him inside, telling him to hurry. Once inside, the youngster reached into a cabinet and pulled out a towel, handing it to him, and grabbing another one. She pointed to the floor for him to kneel and when he did, she draped the other towel over his shoulders. "You're lucky. They don't like anyone out in the evening. You could get fined up to half of what you make in a month just for being out with no good reason."

This girl sure talked like an adult, as Jason thought to himself. He asked where her parents were and she replied, "At their house. Why?" Turned out that children on Kayloronia moved out and were independent early in life. Looking around, he saw some form of signaling device with which he could possibly amplify his badge's signal. Asking permission to use it, he was granted, and did so, modifying the beacon's array to fit that of his badge, which he pinioned to it. Reaching out and tapping it, he said, "Ziredac to Meridian. Can you hear me?"

"Another transmission, sir, this time higher in power," Deonda was cut off as Jason Ziredac's voice pierced through the communications systems. She smiled at a job well done and then turned her back to the Captain as the message played off. She was a fine officer and would make a good Captain some day.

Kyle smiled as he finally took a seat in his command chair to give the carpeting some rest. "Pierce to Ziredac, we read you loud and clear Lieutenant. What is your current status? We lost contact with you some time ago and have been unable to make contact since then." He drummed his finger on the armrest - it was a bad habit, a nervous habit - and listened intently for a response.

Pierce definitely sounded stressed. It was probably because of the away team's sudden disappearance, or maybe they had problems of their own. Either way, at least he was in communication with the ship. Readying his report mentally, he began. "Captain, there reason to believe that the rest of the away team has been abducted by an underground faction against the ministry. Evidence has been presented to me from two sources and I am positive that the resistence is responsible not only for the Starfleet abduction, but for the murder of their leader. Another thing," and he stopped. Damn, he hated giving reports. "I," he continued, may have uncovered the actual individual behind the death of Corrina's husband, and there is reason to believe Kai had discovered it as well right before they took her. We are not supposed to worry about them, as I am told, and that they were only abducted for use of collateral. And now it seems they're going to use it too. Details should be given in person."

"Who is behind the assassination of Frawlan?"

It pained him to say it. "Second Prolate Marina, sir."

"That's a blatant accusation, Lieutenant." Kyle wasn't shocked at the notion, but he wasn't pleased either. What made it worse - assuming that Ziredac was right - was that she was still running amok down on the surface. "I sure hope that you have information supporting this assumption."

"As I said, sir, I request that these details do not be said over transmission," he turned to see the child making some heated beverage. Very hospitable, he thought. Jason turned his voice to a low whisper and said, "I request that you come down here, sir. Or something. It's suddenly a very dangerous place for just one man."

Kyle nodded, agreeing with the man fully, "I'll have Lieutenant Harak meet you at the palace with a security contingent. However, I am not going to authorize any hostile moves until I know what the full story is. You'll do nothing as far as Marina is concerned until I've spoken with the 1st Prolate, is that understood?"

"No argument here, sir. Last thing I'll say over transmission is I know where they are. The underground group. I'm going to have to cut communication here. Ziredac out."

Thinking about all the Starfleet protocols he'd be breaking, Kyle muttered an obscenity under his breath. He blinked a couple of times, looked to the tactical station, and then stood up. Straightening his uniform with the standard tug, Kyle moved towards the turbolift. Over his shoulder, the Captain of the Meridian called out his orders, "Mr. Mortok, you have the bridge. Lieutenant Harak, meet me in transporter room one with a security contingent."

<USS Meridian> "The Emergence"

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