Oh, Operator, can you help me place this call?

Posted on Thu Oct 28th, 2021 @ 12:15am by Lieutenant Commander (P) Angus Murphy & Lieutenant JG (P) Lily Marlow

Mission: Torn- Parallel Majestic
Location: Yorktown Settlement
1269 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Since the Majestic had been forced to leave without them, so much had happened to those left behind at Yorktown Settlement following the change over of the station's leadership. The days blurred into weeks.

It was a rocky start for Lieutenant Commander Murphy, originally thrown into a brig with the others, but then after a few days, released regularly for work assignment on essential maintenance projects. Eventually he was entrusted with his own small apartment and the freedom to go to a few places, but the eyes were always following him, he could feel them pressing down on him. He was always careful.

On his way to the hydroponics bay on that day, he passed by a planter box with a large fruit tree in a corridor junction. He glanced around casually before dropping a stem bolt into the dirt at the plant's base. It was a signal that he's worked out with someone. This one, a single stem bolt, was a request to meet at a specific place. He continued on to work.

Lily came later, to check on how the tree was growing, pausing to give it water and check on its progress. Seeing the stem bolt placed in the dirt amongst the compost she utilized to conserve the water she smiled slightly and crouched down to retrieve it and to pluck a weed out of the planter box at the same time. It brought back memories of how she ended up here.

When the transporters had come online due to the jammer being taken care of, Lily realized that Murphy wasn't with the others. This bugged her so much and she had the wild idea that he could possibly have been hurt and unable to make it back to the ship. That just didn't set well with her. In the ensuing chaos to get the ship freed from the docking clamps, Lily snuck off the ship, leaving a note in her quarters.

She'd probably get reprimanded or even get demoted if she were able to get back to the ship, but she didn't care. Murphy needed to be found. Lily managed to make her way deeper into the settlement, then was caught when someone realized Lily didn't belong there. That was due to her stopping to help someone who had been injured. Instead of bringing out some of her salve, Lily used her hypo-spray to quickly ease the pain. That is what clued them into she didn't belong. And she was placed into custody, and watched over.

At first she didn't know the plight of Murphy until she came across him, when being taken somewhere to treat someone who had been injured. She had the expression in her eyes of relief, but quickly shielded it. It was for both of their safety. Weeks went by then it went into months, Lily's skills with her gardening knowledge and natural homeopathic treatments, gave her some freedom, and it made it to where she could interact with Murphy from time to time, and to pass messages to each other.

She looked forward to when they got to converse with each other, in a secret, appointed area. Lily moved on, checking on the plants, and going on about her work. When it was time to meet she would be there. When the appointed time came, Lily made her way to where she and Murphy could meet out of the prying eyes of their, 'hosts'.

[Storage Room 7P0048]

Security wasn't much of a challenge, really. There were patrols, but they were few and far between and their movements fairly predictable. Yorktown's technology was a hundred years behind what Murph was used to, let alone being prone to disruptions.

Murph entered the medical storage room on the seventh level and the lights came up automatically. "Hello?" he called out tentatively, unsure if the doctor had arrived ahead of him and was hiding somewhere amidst the old equipment and work benches.

Lily had to blink when the lights suddenly came on. She hadn't wanted the sensors to know she was there, had hidden herself to allow the lights to go off. "I'm over here Murphy." coming out from beneath a canvas tarp cover which had been covering some old worn out pieces of machinery.

"Brought you something to eat. I have a choice of chicken salad sandwich or an egg salad sandwich. Don't worry, I made them. And have some tea or our... version of coffee." The 'coffee' being derived by roasting chicory roots. Though it had to be sweetened something fierce as it would be bitter like a very strong coffee.

Lily stopped and gave a bit of a wry chuckle. "Sorry, I seem to think better when having something to eat. Probably not a good time to eat." she stopped and took a deep breath.

"Probably not, but maybe I'll save the sandwich for later," the corner of Murphy's lips upturned into the first genuine smile in recent memory and he picked the carefully wrapped food from Lily's outstretched hand. "It's good to see a friendly face. Are you... alright?"

"I am so far. They seem to value me, as much as they value you. As in keeping us alive, due to our skill set. It is tedious though having eyes watching most of the time. Sometimes though I get the feeling I get watched while I sleep." giving a shiver. "It is an uncomfortable feeling." Lily looked at Murphy, "I have been checking my surroundings and so far there isn't anything that I can find."

"I know the feeling, but if it's comforting at all I doubt they have the manpower to keep up the surveillance very consistently," the engineer replied, shifting his stance to keep an eye and ear on the door. "Have you seen anyone else from Majestic? I know there's at least four others. They were in the brig last time I was there, but I haven't heard anything or seen anyone."

"I've not seen anyone there either, since last time I went there to check on a patient." Lily said with regret in her voice. "I am glad though that they don't spy constantly. However we need to get out of here somehow. I've even thought of using sleep drops and stealing something can fly us out of here. I just don't trust any of the small craft and I certainly am not an ace pilot." giving a small laugh.

"I'm confident I could override a shuttle's security lockout and open any doors, but I haven't seen the launch bay to know what other obstacles we might be looking at if we're going to rabbit," Murphy hesitated, "But maybe we can get to one of the shuttles and use the on-board comms to send a message at least."

"We need to go investigate that then. Maybe find one that I can fly. And my comment about not being an ace pilot, basically I can't fly as well as a skilled ship's pilot can but I do have my certification for piloting a shuttle. So if we need to, I can make sure we don't crash into anything." giving a slight smile. "But yes lets see if we can reach the Majestic. Hopefully they will hear our signal."

"Alright. Let's.... let's do this then. I'll go grab a few tools and meet you in one hour outside the shuttle bay. Figure out how to get off this piece of junk, or at least get some kind of message to Majestic," Murph said with a definitive nod. After getting a confirmational nod from Lily, he turned and left.