Nightmare: Ghosts & Sojourners

Posted on Sat Mar 28th, 2015 @ 4:30pm by Ensign Corrine Steiner
Edited on on Sat Mar 28th, 2015 @ 9:39pm

Mission: Ill Tidings
Location: Personal Quarters - SB332
Timeline: Current

[ON]

Before settling onto her bed, Ensign Steiner had sensed that tonight would be a full blown episide. "Computer, deactivate interfaces in these quarters."

==MEDICAL SAFETY PROTOCOLS REQUIRE STANDBY MODE REMAIN ACTIVE. YOU CAN ENGAGE PRIVACY MODE-==

"Override. Power down. Manual activation only." Characteristic beeps confirmed her order. Corrie made a slight wave of her hand over a control point, causing the lights to dim. She then plugged the base of her tricorder into a small medical apparatus by her bedside. A little holodisplay appeared, layering diagnostic readouts. She sighed with a whisper, "I hate this." Resigning herself to the inevitable, Corrie drank a small vial of sparsi oil in order to calm down. With her heart beating like it was, she would otherwise likely lay there til well past midnight, trying to fall asleep. However, after the threshold of unconsciousness, she would now be trapped there.

Splintered flash dreams caused her to toss sharply in her bed. A vintage box shuttle in sub orbit... a young woman being gunned down... glowing runes... ghostly alien apparitions... prowling Sojourners... a star map exploding... echoes of an unknown language. Suddenly, Corrine found herself standing in a stone passageway. At first it looked like synthetic manufacture, but upon closer inspection, it appeared to be colorful crystals of complex planes of fracture. A woman stood nearby. Corrie circled around to see her face. Everything moved in slow motion. "I'm dreaming..." It was the same human female that she'd seen gunned down. Fair skin... light build... long straight brunette hair with bangs cut at the brow... She stood examining glowing runes which adorned some sort of portal iris. The purple metal looked like an high technology alloy.

Suddenly, Corrie saw them. All around them were ghostly apparitions... strange aliens of an unknown race. Humanoid... exoskeletal plates... six slit eyes... bioluminescent markings... bright orb of chest luminescence... they were reminiscent of fantastically ancient Prothean legends, yet not the same. The apparitions, they pleaded with sad desperation at the woman. But she couldn't perceive them.

Never in her life had Corrie been able to communicate with anyone in her dreams. She could only be a witness. Yet, she was so moved by the deep ghostly emotions that she had to try, "People, what is wrong? What are you trying to warn her of?" Whether her answer came from them or her dream, she found herself standing in another part of the stone complex. Sojourners. There was no mistake. Their attire and weapons were unmistakable. In the distance, she could see the woman at the iris. They stealthily made their way her direction. Anxious, Corrie realized, "Miss! Hear those ghosts! They're trying to warn you! MISS!"

Corrie woke up in her bed with a scream, "LOOK OUT!" Her medical unit beeped a rapid alarm over her accelerated heart rate. The continuous blast of life support cold air drew the heat out of her perspiration drenched, overheated body. Not wasting any time, Corrie powered on computer interfaces. "Computer, create private project file, name Steiner-current time stamp." She looked at the clock with a sigh of frustration. It was morning already.

==READY==

"Computer, identify Federation vintage shuttle, possible Type-3 or Type-6 in civilian service. Markings were scorched, but I made out letters R-O. Underneath was l-e-r 4-5-1."

==CAN YOU SPECIFY SECTOR OF USAGE?==

Corrie brushed back her wet hair. Cold droplets of sweat trickled down on her shoulders. "Unknown, but I saw a star map. Highlighted red, Myridia XIV, Mayas, Ritorn XVIII. Highlighted green, Homgemi SS XX."

==SEARCH RESULTS ON LOCAL DATA ARE NEGATIVE.==

"Submit external queries. Add results to file when returned." Quick beeps confirmed the instruction.

==ENSIGN STEINER, SENSORS ARE DETECTING DISTRESS VITAL SIGNS.==

"Oh, shut up! Noted... again." Leaving the blast of cold air on, Corrine laid back down to enjoy the chill.

=/Ops to Ensign Steiner, we need you in Ops immediately.\=

"Ops, I am having a very bad night. This had better not be more of your crisis camels poking their noses in my tent!"

=/Ma'am, Lieutenant Deaken is dead.\=

Corrie bolted up in her bed with a stab of adrenaline panic. Whoever was on the other end gave her a few moments. At length, she slumped with closed eyes. Her voice was raspy, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

The response was sympathetic, =/Very good, ma'am.\=

Corrie would launch into her five minute mess-to-dress transformation, but first she needed a few moments to sit. She had interacted with Augustus only briefly. Yet, it still hit her hard. For a moment, her life long hatred of the dreams gave way to regret. Maybe one more premonition could have saved him? She sighed in grief. Many die every day. Some can be saved. Others have destinies which are not hers to alter. "Computer, close and seal currently open files."

[OFF]

-----------------------

Ens. Corrine Steiner
Starbase 332
Pegasus Fleet