Chapter 1 - Tomorrow is Not Guaranteed

Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:06 PM
::tapping away at a report on her PADD::
Cdr Edra Crow — 11/14/2023 9:07 PM
::plopping down in her chair::
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:07 PM
:::flipping through a PADD on Federation history::: How am I supposed to remember all this stuff for a stupid test?
Cdr Edra Crow — 11/14/2023 9:07 PM
…test?
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:08 PM
Easy…you don’t. ::smirks:: I’m still not a citizen.
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:08 PM
Oh…I decided to look into citizenship.
Cdr Edra Crow — 11/14/2023 9:08 PM
That’s great!
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:08 PM
We’ll see how great it is if I flunk.
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:09 PM
:::walks into the Conference Room, looking them all over:::
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:09 PM
::absorbed in a report on his PADD::
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:09 PM
It looks better if I’m caught if I’m not– ::stops as she sees the Captain enter::
Cdr Edra Crow — 11/14/2023 9:10 PM
::looks over:: Karissa’s on the mend. She’s sleeping now.
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:10 PM
Yea, part of this may require some amnes….::stops, seeing his face::::
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:10 PM
::walks over, and leans down to Edra, whispering for a moment before straightening back up:::
Cdr Edra Crow — 11/14/2023 9:11 PM
::pales, gripping onto her chair:: w-what?
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:12 PM
::sets PADD down and watches the captain::
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:13 PM
Today, some..::glances at the chrono:: twenty three minutes ago, there was a mishap with the transporter. On the last beam up something happened with the transporter lock and uh…:::he took a deep breath::
Counselor Stepanova was…lost.
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:14 PM
:::feels her stomach drop::
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:14 PM
::the PADD slips from her hands and falls to the floor:: Lost??
Cdr Edra Crow — 11/14/2023 9:14 PM
::looks out at the stars, just staring::
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:14 PM
::ears flatten and whispers:: Millipede?
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:15 PM
What does that mean?
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:15 PM
It means that she’s gone. I’ve got an investigation underway.
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:16 PM
I can help with that investigation.
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:16 PM
::nod:: Thank you. Also please pass along my apologies to some of your engineers who I yelled at.
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:17 PM
How the ::universal translator struggles to unravel the combination of Ferengi and Klingon that exits her mouth:: does a transporter lose a person?
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:17 PM
::shaking her head:: She went down to just hand out some medical supplies. I don’t understand.
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:17 PM
We lost hold of her signal and it did not reassmble her, to put it simply.
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:18 PM
There’s so many things that can go wrong with a transport.
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:18 PM
I uh…I don’t know what to do. ::wiping her eyes quick:::
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:19 PM
You’re not alone in that, except the next thing I have to do is tell Ensign Moro the news.
Cdr Edra Crow — 11/14/2023 9:20 PM
::suddenly stands and, without a word, leaves the room::
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:20 PM
How does something just–go wrong with a transport? ::pushes herself to her feet:: Did we–did we check with the planet? Is she still there?
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:21 PM
There is no signal of her on the planet.
We’re going to hold a memorial service for her in a few days.
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:22 PM
::scoops up his PADD and begins downloading the transporter logs::
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:22 PM
Let me go down there I’ll find her, I’m good at that.
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:23 PM
::holds up a hand:: Transporters are offline until we know they’re safe.
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:23 PM
Then let me take the shuttle.
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:24 PM
She’s gone. ::his tone was sharp but low:: I have thought of everything you’e thinking and it won’t do any good.
Cdr Edra Crow — 11/14/2023 9:24 PM
::on another deck, she finds a random, empty office with an outside view, and ensconces herself inside.::
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:26 PM
I have to deliver the news. Counsel….professionals will be available in Sickbay for anyone who needs to talk.
:::walks out:::
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:26 PM
::stands, but sits quickly as her legs weaken:: I don’t….I don’t think this is real.
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:27 PM
She–she can’t be gone. She’s fucking got a kid.
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:29 PM
+Chance+ I, uh, I need you to prescribe me something for anxiety or to sleep or something.
Dr. Chance Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:30 PM
::can tell by her voice that something is up:: can you come by here?
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:31 PM
+Chance+ Ye….yea.
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:32 PM
::storms across the room to stand by the window, looking down at the planet that they still orbited–as if looking out the window might find her::
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:32 PM
::forces herself to her feet and exits the room:::
:::arrives in Sickbay a few minutes later, by this time she’s a mess, eyes bloodshot:::
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:34 PM
::gets up and walks over to stand by Statzia::
Dr. Chance Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:35 PM
::looks up from a stack of PADDs and sees her. Immediately getting to his feet::what happened?
::a million scenarios going through his head::
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:36 PM
:::her voice barely a whisper:: Millie’s dead. I…I can’t do anything about it. ::looking up at him, the tears welling again::
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:37 PM
::braces her hands on the viewport and clenches her jaw:: How the hell do you just not come back from a supply delivery run?
Dr. Chance Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:37 PM
::pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her, stunned by the news, yet strangely glad it wasn’t what he’d been thinking::
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:38 PM
::shaking:: I need to do something, I can fix it. I can find her.
Dr. Chance Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:38 PM
::then feels bad for that…::
I think if that were possible, you’d be on assignment already.
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:40 PM
She has the baby and she was going to get married and I was going to have her help me study. :::rambling::
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:41 PM
::pacing outsdie the shared quarters, has about worn out the new carpeting, trying to practice what he’ll say:::
Dr. Chance Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:42 PM
::trying to comfort her:: I know….
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:42 PM
Accidents happen, Z.
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:44 PM
Not to the fucking Counselors they don’t.
Patricia Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:44 PM
I haven’t even told her that I had it done and that it worked. I was gonna surprise her.
Lt. Cmdr. Statzia Liski
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:47 PM
Not to a fucking ballerina who shot up a flight deck of hostiles to save her girlfriend…and she dies on a diplomatic mission?
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:47 PM
:::takes a breath and stops at the door, ringing the chime::::
(for those keeping track, Liski owes about $150 in the swear jar)
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:48 PM
It could happen to anyone. It could have been you or me.
Lt Millie Stepanova, Couns. — 11/14/2023 9:48 PM
(Not counting the mishmash of Klingon/Ferengi that the translator is being tactful on)
Dr. Chance Crow
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:49 PM
::wishes he could say something to comfort her, even while knowing she just has to work through it.::
Lt. K’Naut, Chief Engineer — 11/14/2023 9:50 PM
I will find out what happened. ::slams fist against viewport:: I need to find out.
Evelyn Moro
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:50 PM
::opens the door, a squirming kitten tucked under her arm, gives the Captain a smile:: Sir, this is a surprise.
Cpt H Crow — 11/14/2023 9:50 PM
Can I come in?
Evelyn Moro
BOT
— 11/14/2023 9:50 PM
::moves aside as he enters and the door slides shut:::