A Botanist without a Buddy

Posted on Tue May 4, 2021 @ 4:40am by Lieutenant JG Ace Cannon & Lieutenant Alanna Wells

1,232 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: MD04, 0500

PREVIOUSLY:

Ace reported, "We have a new problem, Commander." He slammed his fist into the console, hoping that would make a difference, but knowing it would not. "Torpedo Control on Deck 592 is out. I have not seen the lower torpedo controls come on at all. It is as if someone is doing something internally. I do not think that the Cardassians could do this from range. Jamming the conn is possible from range, but affecting torpedo control... Unlikely."

Caleb cursed. “Get a security team down ta Torpoedo Control,” he ordered. “An’ tell Science it looks like we might have saboteurs on the station. We need ta do a sweep for all Cardassians an’ Xi’Cadians on the station. Identity checks, an’ round ‘em up inta one of the cargo holds if needed.

"Did you not tell the Counselor to utilize security? Where am I going to get any spare security?" Ace asked seriously and urgently. Without waiting, he said, "I'll figure out something." With that, Ace headed to the turbolift and ordered the lift to go to Deck 590.

“Grab the spare Marines then!” Caleb called after Ace as the lift doors closed.

NEW:

Ace cursed Caleb's name when the turbolift doors shut. The Commander was making snap decisions and seemed to be acting more out of panic than he was out of decisiveness.

At least Deck 590 was en route to the Arboretum. He wondered why he had even considered that fact, or why it mattered and promptly discarded it until it slapped him back in the face. Bri was likely in the Arboretum. With communications out, she likely had no idea that the station was under attack. T'Lul, if she was a typical Vulcan was likely following Caleb's orders to the letter. Despite Vulcans being quick, a turbolift could only move so fast and if she was stopping on every floor, it would take forever to reach the 500s.

Damn the Commander and giving a Vulcan an order like that, Ace thought to himself. I have to get to Bri first, he decided. After all, what was the likelihood that an extra torpedo or two was going to save the station, anyway? They were outnumbered. The writing was likely on the wall unless someone could raise communications, which, coincidentally, would also be him but the Commander started with torpedoes. Dumb ass! How can we coordinate anything?

Rushing off the turbolift when it started, he entered the arboretum and started shouting out, "Bri, it is Ace! Are you in here? We have to talk now!"

Paula heard the shouting and came out of the workroom. "She's not here. Can I..." She recognized Ace from the time he was repairing the pipes. "Oh, it's you. She's not here."

"Oh, it's me?" Ace asked blinking. "Who are you?" he wondered at Paula aloud. "And where is she?"

"I'm Paula Pendergast. Brianthe's assistant. She's evacuating. Says it's not safe for her to stay here because she knows where the science is." She folded her arms across her chest. "Why do you want to know anyway?"

"Bri has an assistant?" He looked her up and down and then looked at her crossed arms across her chest, quickly assessing her physique. "Learn something new every day." Shrugging, Ace let the matter drop. "I came to warn her. Isn't that what friends do?" he asked in retort to Paula.

Her tight stance relaxed. "They do. I talked her into leaving because she's Starfleet and she's the acting Chief of Science. She wanted to stay, but she knows too much about Lieutenant Wells and T'gan's work for it to be safe here."

"And as her assistant, you don't?" Ace questioned, curiously.

"I'm a civilian. I also only work here, so I've only seen Lieutenant Wells when she comes here. I know nothing about what they're doing. That makes me safe."

"Maybe from interrogation," Ace replied. "Who knows what their other appetites might be, though?" He pressed his lips together. "Look, Bri would not forgive me if something happened to you and I need some help anyways. Come with me." He offered his hand to Paula.

She hesitated. "As long as you don't try to get me to evacuate. Someone needs to keep the arboretum alive. I don't trust any Cardassian to know how to feed a dog, let alone a plant." He wasn't flirting with her and it made her relax even more.

"You'd take a plant over a dog?!" Ace asked incredulously. "Honestly! What is it with you botanists?! Do you all have a screw loose?"

"Plants give love every time they bloom," she replied. "And dogs bark at everything. I have nothing against dogs, but I do prefer plants."

"What sort of dogs have you been hanging out with that you believe they bark at everything?" Ace asked Paula aloud in an astonished voice. Botanists are definitely a strange bunch. "Look, come with me. I need to get to torpedo control on deck 590. You'll be safer with me and since you're a scientist, I might need your help. It may not be a plant but I'm sure that you have enough scientific knowledge to help out with any problems that I could run into."

She eyed him critically for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I'll help. Then I'm coming back here. I don't want any Cardassians digging up my trees."

They're definitely all crazy, but Bri was smart enough to leave. Alanna, too. The loyalty to plants over everything, is just insane, though. They need appointments with a counselor yesterday. Ace grumbled, "I think the last thing that you have to worry about is a Cardassian digging up a plant. They're here to take over the station and probably kill us." In a moment of inspiration, Ace asked, "If you're dead, who is going to take care of the trees?"

"I doubt they'll want to kill me. I don't plan on leaving here. I have a couch in the office. Civilians will still need this place. You're more likely to be shot than I am." She smiled, the first spark of humor in her eyes. "Maybe I should be offering you sanctuary."

"Any other day, I might take you up on the offer," Ace noted with wry innuendo. "But let's not plan on thinking for the Cardassians. Who knows what they think. My plan is to do what I was told and then figure out where the Captain is so we can rally the troops."

"I wish you luck with that," she said. "But if you need somewhere to hide people or whatever, I do have ten decks and a lot of work space at my disposal. You can hide a lot if you know you're way around, and I do."

Ace grinned at Paula. "Oh, I know what this ship has. I'm the assistant Chief of Ops, you know. However, I'm only here for a short time. You might have a better idea about things that are not actually in the schematics. There's always things that are not in the schematics," he complained. "It is a good thing that I saved you. Come on, now."

Grumbling under her breath, Paula followed him, hoping she wasn't making a big mistake.

(To be continued...)

Lieutenant JG Ace Cannon
Assistant Chief Operations Officer
Deep Space 5

&

Paula Pendergast
Botanist
Deep Space 5

 

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