Endgame (Part One)

Posted on Thu Feb 18th, 2021 @ 3:31am by Lieutenant Lily Marlow & Lieutenant Laural Hawke & Lieutenant Commander T'Par & Lieutenant Orin Sempton

Mission: End of Line
Location: Adna Station
2056 words - 4.1 OF Standard Post Measure

The wand blasted a hole through the green walls of the maze revealing a stone ramp leading upwards, to what seemed to be an observation platform. There is a connecting bridge about six feet in width stretching out over the hedge maze, to an archway, which could possibly lead to the Promenade, where the shops are contained.

Lily looked at the others,"I am so hoping that this is the way out towards the ship."

Just after Lily made her remark, her commbadge chirped, and she tapped it. "Hello? Majestic?" instead of an answering hail from the ship itself, there was the message from someone unknown. A female voice can be heard.

=^=To those who can hopefully hear me, I am Splice, I am here to help you, and also need help as well. Do you have anyone who can make their way to find the jamming device near engineering? I can not get to it, I am...playing hide and seek with Adna. Be warned, there are hunters out there, I will do what I can to help out, hopefully my friends have found you. Also, I hope you have a doctor with you, I-I-I'd like to be released from my imprisonment. If that is possible.

I know that my vitals are okay, but, I don't know for how much longer. Depends on how much longer my Guardian can keep me hidden. I am afraid though that Adna, who was supposed to be more helpful, isn't anymore. I will try to be in contact once more. Just be careful. Glowbug, Gwendolyn, Oz, hopefully you found some people. I will send a message to you as well. I've got to go, Splice, out. =^=

Lily looked at the others. "What do you think? See if we can regroup at the ship, then go from there? It seems like we've got two goals to accomplish. The jammer needs to be taken care of and also I need to help out this Splice person." Lily looked at Gwendolyn, " So do you know who Splice is?"

Gwendolyn went silent for a moment or two putting a hand against her temple as if trying to access a memory, then sighed.

"She had been put into something, I don't quite remember what it was. The details are rather hazy, but she is like all of you. She is a solid. Not a holoperson like me or Glowbug. I am sorry if I am not more of a help on the matter of Splice." Looking apologetically at the rest of the group.

"I wonder if these weapons are still functional." Hannah looking down at the wand, then at her phaser. Amazed that they haven't disappeared yet. "Maybe I could get to the ship and get proper weapons?"

"And I would very much like my armor..." Orin grumbled

Gwendolyn then spoke up, "and maybe you can bring something to...take us with you, to find our creator?"

"Okay, that makes three things to figure out how to accomplish." Lily responded, then looked at T'Par, Hawke, Orin and Hannah. "Ideas? suggestions?"

"It should not be difficult to get a portable computer storage unit capable of containing these programs," T'Par said, "if they do wish to come with us in search of their creator. It would be possible to interact with them on our own holodeck."

Gwendolyn nodded, " I like that idea very much." turning towards Lily, who gave a nod.

"Look, before we go anywhere else I am going to test that bridge to make certain its not a trick of Adna's." Hannah stated. Feeling a slight bit of impatience. She was feeling a bit exposed being out here and in what she deemed an unsafe environment. Hannah walking over towards the bridge and stepped out onto the nearest part, then proceeded further on towards the middle, then closer to the other side. She reached the archway which led to the promenade and walked carefully back, almost preparing herself for a fall.

When she made it back to the rest of the group, Hannah remarked "It seems stable enough to me. Can we get out of this area?"

"That would be logical, Crewman," T'Par concurs, though she waited another moment to see if another in the group had objections to the idea.

Lily looked at Hawke, "Your recommendations? You are head of Strategic Operations, and I would like to hear your thoughts as well."

Gwendolyn looked back towards the ramp they had come up from, she nodded towards behind them. "I'd say we need to move forwards, anymore delays we might get ensnared. I am not liking the looks of things behind us."

Hannah looked and gave a growl, stepping behind the others and sent a jet of fire towards what looked to be vines approaching. This caused the vines to move backwards.

"Sorry, discussion time is over, we gotta go now!" Hannah exclaimed.

Lily took a quick look behind them, her face going a bit pale, the vines that were snaking towards them reminded her of the thorny vines that were in Sleeping Beauty. She took off running across the bridge, pausing for a moment to look over the railing, then her movement quickened. "Be on guard trouble is on its way!"

Orin hobbled over the bridge and looked back at the encroaching threat, estimating distances. "I, uh, I'd suggest destroying the bridge... Like now." He looked around at the group. "Who has a phaser?"

Hannah who had been keeping the vines at bay with the wand of fire, she used her free hand and pulled out her phaser. She backed slowly following the others then took a quick moment to give Orin the phaser. "Here you go!"

"Ah crap..." Orin reached out and juggled the phaser, as it bounced around. When he finally got a firm grip on it, and began changing the settings, trying to remember what each one would do without causing damage to the station itself. "Off the bridge!" He yelled, as he frantically pressed buttons until he had something close to what he wanted. Waiting until the last person was over, Orin pointed the phaser at the bridge and shot, sweeping the beam up one side and down the other, vaporizing material until what was left of it collapsed.

T'Par ran off the bridge with the others, watching as Orin destroyed it.

That seemed to give the vines a bit of a pause, and Lily looked at those with her.

"Okay, let's find our way to the ship and get patched up. Then we've got to get what we need, to deal with Adna, rescue this Splice person, take the holo-persons with us, and hopefully get the jammer dealt with and rescue the rest of the crew that might be caught by Adna somewhere." Lily rattled off, feeling a bit on edge.

"We've got to get in contact with others of the crew, and hopefully they have their communicators." She looked at Gwendolyn. "Can you get hold of Splice? I need to know if she can contact anyone."

"Glowbug here knows the way, I will see if I can get in touch with Splice. Let me try." Closing her eyes she said, "Splice, come in please." she stopped, and looked at Lily. "You may need to do this yourself." giving a nod towards Lily's commbadge.

Lily nodded and tapped it, "Hello? Splice are you there?" motioning for the group to head in the direction Glowbug was going.

A brief crackle then a voice could be heard.=^= "Yes I am here." =^=

"Can you connect me to someone who may have a communicator, from my ship, the USS Majestic?"

=^="There is one online that I have been able to connect with. He is someone named Murphy. He had been with Oz." =^=

Lily felt a sense of relief in hearing that. "Okay, can you connect me with him, if you can?"

=^="I will try.=^=

"Murphy, are you there? It's Marlow. We're making our way to the ship." Lily hoping that her message will get through.

To the others. "I don't know if the message will get to him but one can only try. So suggestions for gear? Equipment? Something we can discuss while we're getting towards the ship." trying to ignore the feeling of dread that was creeping up on her. "Objections about possible plans? Sorry just needing some conversation."

"A short rest and something to eat and or drink when we find it?" Orin asked. "Between the fighting and running, we've used up more energy than we realize currently, and if there's a larger fight coming, none of us will want to be..." He stopped and scratched his head attempting to think of an appropriate word. "Fuzzy? No. Exhausted isn't the word either." He shook his head. "Either way, we'll need a break. And if this leads where we think it does, it'll be the best place to do so, along with finding things that may be useful."

Lily nodded, "That sounds great."

Just then there was a beep from her commbadge, Lily tapped it.

=^="Murph here. Commander Sommers and I are still on the station. We have something to do.. We'll be back to Majestic shortly, I hope."=^=

When Lily heard Murphy's voice and the news that Sommers was with him, her knees felt like they would buckle. She managed to keep upright. Tapping on her comm-badge she responded.

"That is fantastic. Hopefully you will be going after the jammer, which will leave us to take care of two other details. We are needing to go find Splice, as well as acquire the equipment to bring the sentient holo-programs with us. Be careful, we've been warned that Adna has some hunters out and about. Hopefully our communications will still continue. It all depends on Splice."

She grinned at the others, Lily felt a new sense of strength and her flagging spirits lifted. The conversation between Lily and Murphy progressed, all the while them being led towards where they can get to the ship, by Glowbug and Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn stopped at a certain point.

"I am afraid Glowbug and I can't go any further, there is the access point to get to your ship, and regroup. We step beyond this point, we'll disappear. We will be nearby and when you are needing our help let us know."

Lily looked at Orin, T'Par, Hawke and Hannah, "So we go rest up, get something to eat and then finish this sound good? I know I am all for it."

Orin nodded, and then blinked a few times, his vision blurring and coming back into focus. "Yes, a rest, and then we get everyone on board and get out of here." He stepped forward and stopped abruptly, turning to Glowbug and Gwendolyn. "Wait. If you can't go any further without dissolving, what happens to the weapons?"

"They will disappear as well." Gwendolyn replied. "Perhaps you can get some other weapons, ways to protect yourselves."

Lily looked at Hawke, "Looks like you will be helping out on some of those things?"

Laural shrugged, "I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure if just punching our way out might be a good idea"

"Well, if you'll all disappear, it means Adna can't do much to stop us either... At least there's an upside." With a sigh, Orin turned, looked down the way and then down at the sword and shield in his hands. At least I can get my equipment soon. He shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his mind. "We might as well rest where we know they can't get us."

Gwendolyn nodded, "Exactly, you won't have to worry about that. Glowbug and I will be, hiding until you are ready to come back out to help with getting rid of Adna. All you have to do is call our names and we'll appear. Enjoy your rest." she said.

Lily nodded, and looked at those with her. "Beyond there is the ship, and some peaceful time to rest up, at least for a few hours. The longer we wait, the worse things may get."

Hannah nodded, "I am all for that, rest and some food." her stomach growling at the mention of the food.

Laural gave a sigh. She could use some rest and anything to eat sounded good to her.