Traumatism
Posted on Nov 13, 2016 @ 1:16pm by Ensign Lynette Ryan
Edited on on Nov 13, 2016 @ 1:16pm
Mission: Aftermath
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“Traumatism”
(Continued from “The Last Battlefield”)
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Location: Red October (Inside San Francisco Bay)
Stardate: 2.16.1110.1515
Scene: Mid-Section
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Lynette’s body shook violently as she coughed deep and heavy bringing up the saltwater that had burned in her lungs after the glistening glow and tingling sensation from the materialization dissipated. It was then that she realised that she was now able to freely breathe without the opposing force of water that threatened to take her life and make her a frozen corpse at the bottom of the bay.
She wiped the wet mass of hair from her face and glanced around at her new surroundings that were more cramped than that of the spacious chamber that had housed the facility computer core. With the adrenaline, driven from the moments passed, now subsiding it was then that reality of her situation had hit her.
Edgerton’s words, her deep level of concern and fear for Sam and the traumatic blow that pierced her heart as she watched Sam was executed right in front of her. It was all vivid in her mind, every second, every beat and she remembered that last glimmer in his eyes that faded away as he dropped to the floor.
*NO!!!!!* Her head screamed as that moment replayed itself over and over again in her thoughts. Silent tears began to fall from her eyes. It felt like she was being punished for not being able to save him for not even trying something.
Lynette picked herself from the floor and darted into the rear compartment in an inconspicuous manner as all she wanted was to be alone. Once she disappeared from sight she then fell into the corner beside a locker. She looked down upon herself and the black dress that clung to the curves of her body. There were tears in the fabric at several places exposing patches of her skin but she did not care about what could be seen, she cared more about the dress. The pristine black dress that she wore for Sam to attract and entice his senses and ultimately lead to a night of passion together. That was her plan that night and now it was never to be.
*It’s all my fault.* The tears continued and they began to slide down her already wet cheeks. Her mind was then hit with another mental barrage as the war upon her senses continued.
*If I hadn’t been such a nosy shit and poked into where I didn’t need to go...then Sam would be alive. The night would have continued and he would be in bed with me, making love to me.* Her fist began to squeeze and tighten, her fingernails digging into the palm of her hand. The image of the phaser beam piercing Sam’s chest flashed before her eyes again and her face tightened in pain as she felt her fingernails dig into the flesh of her palm as she tried to dull her mental pain with physical pain but it didn’t work. There was nothing that ever would be able to heal this pain.
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Scene: Cockpit
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Barton watched as the three forms that were Selyara, Raxl and Edgerton disappeared in an enveloping shimmering glow outside the cockpit before him and he swiveled his chair back towards the mid-section that housed the shuttle’s transporter pad as they materialised on the deck floor. A slight smirk appeared on his face upon seeing the last of team rescued safely aboard but it grew larger as he saw the still the body of Edgerton on the floor.
*I hope he’s dead* Barton thought and then a sudden jolt rocked the craft and the grating sound continued as the shuttle scraped along the bulkhead of the facility.
“Christ Barton. Pay attention” Varn attacked him with a scowling look and harshness to his tone. Barton swivelled back towards front and returned his attention back to the Red October’s helm controls.
“Okay, plotting a course back to the surface. Going to full thrusters.” Barton sighed lightly as he programmed the course.
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Scene: Aft Compartment
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The aft compartment of the Red October was quiet and still except for the slight cries from the young woman bundled in the corner, holding herself tight. Alone with her thoughts and memories.
Suddenly in the corner of her eye she noticed the distinct glow of a transporter beam that seemed to flash from where she had materialised. She guessed it would be other members of the Starfleet team, other facility survivors or perhaps by some miracle they had managed to beam Sam’s body back and perhaps as an extension of that miracle he was still alive and could be saved. Lynette knew though that she was clutching at straws with that thought. Sam was dead and he wasn’t coming back.
Lynette was beginning to feel a little calm as the initial shock had dissipated but her new reality began to sink in and it was a nightmare more than anything. Her head fell back against the wall as she remembered everything, the day had already taken everything from her. Sam, her happy life at the facility with Mackie….
Her hand covered her mouth immediately at the thought. Mackie. He was still in the computer core in his cat carrier.
*No!* She quietly began to sob. The computer core was filling with water so fast and he was trapped in his carrier with no way out. She didn’t want to visualize it at all.
Sam, her happy life at the facility and now Mackie….It was all gone. Lynette’s head fell back against the inner bulkhead and she just closed her eyes wishing that she had just drowned back there as there was nothing left for her now. Sorrow and Despair was all she had in her life now.
The Senior Cadet’s ears picked up on a few words being said in conversation from the craft’s mid-section and even in her despaired state she was still aware and still cared even slightly.
“What about Edgerton?” The mere mention of his name brought back that horrifying moment of Sam’s execution. He just hoped that he was dead. Drowned in the flood of the computer core but she wished that he was able to see him one last time and kill him herself. To end the life of the monster that had killed her Sam. There was no chance of that happening now.
“He’s… alive.” The cold sounding words that belong to that of Selyara brought Lynette to attention and her head instantly snapped upwards alert and she focused her eyes forward to listen in more.
*Was that bastard still alive? Did they manage to bring him onboard?* Those questions sparked further curiosity in her brain and with a slight burst of drive and energy Lynette raised herself from the corner and moved closer to the entryway to eavesdrop further. Hoping to hear more information of the monster that had destroyed Paris killing millions of people in one stroke….but ultimately the murderer of her love.
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Scene: Mid-Section
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A flurry of saltwater cascaded down Cindy Rochemonte’s cheeks as she began to cry uncontrollably. Aerdan and Eve slowly helped her to a seat for fear she would collapse from the sudden emotional trauma.
In normal circumstances, Aerdan would have had the perpetrator restrained in cuffs but he knew Ms. Rochemonte was no longer in a fit state to be any more of a threat so he didn’t believe it necessary.
“Shhhhhhhhh….come on now breathe.” Eve said gently as she sat down beside the Engineer who now had her face fully in her hands, her loud inconsolable cries echoing throughout the Red October. Even with her eyes full of tears, Cindy felt the presence of another soul beside her and she let her body fall into it.
“I think it would be best if we put her under sedation and let her rest.” Eve suggested stroking the engineers wet scalp as a form of comfort.
“Kass, get the medical kit” Aerdan directed and watched as the marine grabbed the medical kit from the wall and handed it to Eve. The counsellor adjusted the contents of the hypospray and placed against Cindy’s neck and pressed the release. It only took seconds for the sedative to enter the distraught woman’s bloodstream and the effects began to display rapidly as her cries lightened and her body relaxed.
“There. She should be alright until we get her back to the Phoenix.” Eve said softly with assurance as she now tried to make her feel comfortable until they could get her back to the Phoenix where she could help her in a more stable and comfortable environment.
Meanwhile amongst the sudden incident that had occurred with the young engineer, no-one had noticed the drenched figure of the facility’s cadet standing in the entryway. To someone giving a casual glance it would seem she just appeared out of thin air, like a ghost or a spectre. Lynette’s eyes were bright red from her tears but how she stood was almost lifeless like an aforementioned spectre as she stared at the transporter pad and the body stretched across it. Wisps of smoke still rose from the scorching wound on the elderly man’s chest, the acrid smell of burnt flesh permeated the room.
The previous vivid memory that flooded her head of Sam’s execution now changed as she looked upon the blank lifeless face. Edgerton’s face now appeared smiling, laughing after he had pressed the phasers trigger, his eyes trained upon her. It repeated again and again and she began to cringe.
“That bastard” This time it came out as a whisper. The gloating face of Sam’s executor now taunted her thoughts and she came to the realisation that although her actions may have pre-empted all of this, it was Edgerton’s personal will and action that pulled that trigger and enjoyed it.
“You fucking monster!” Lynette’s felt a sudden rush of warmth in her veins and her facial expression changed to that of fury. Her thoughts turning to vengeance as her fists began to tighten and without delay, Lynette lunged towards him. With everyone’s focus having been trained on Cindy they had not been aware or prepared for the young cadet’s intent.
“You enjoyed killing Sam!” Lynette screamed with deep rage and hatred as she fell to deliver a blow to Edgerton’s face. Even in death, she could still exact revenge on his worthless carcass. Before it was able to connect though, she was intercepted as Kassandra grabbed her from behind with both arms attempting to hold her in place.
“No! Let me the fuck go!” The senior cadet continued to scream, her entire face was bright red with rage. Lynette was not going to be denied this, she had already been denied the right to be the one to kill him but not this. She struggled against the marine’s tackle but even with everything she had been through, exhausted and drained, she put up quite a fight. Although her fist had been denied its initial target she still retained the strength she had raised for it and now had found another target instead.
Kassandra staggered back in surprise and pain as Lynette’s tightened fist struck against the center of her face, a cascade of pain erupting across it. The marine immediately cradled it with a hand in instinctive response and as she recovered a second later she noticed a small pool of blood in the palm of one hand.
Kass sneered at the cadet who had given the broken nose as she still felt the throbbing pain but in a way she smiled on the inside and respected the little wasp that had given her such a sting.
“Enough!” The Andorian’s voice bellowed throughout the craft and Aerdan stood between the two brawling women, arms stretched and palms out almost touching each one of them as if projecting an invisible barrier between them.
“You….You saw what….that….that monster did to Sam.” Lynette tried to explained puffed as she attempted to regain her breath, her limbs began to feel heavy as she started to become even more fatigued.
“Everything would have been alright if you hadn’t barged in.” The focus of her words was centered directly at Selyara as upon their first meeting, Lynette’s first impression of her was cold and heartless. She was willing to sacrifice everyone in the facility, all of colleagues and friends just to get at one man and did not like that particular trait one bit.
“It was your actions that precipitated that cause of events before we had even arrived. The result would have been the same even if we hadn’t. Edgerton would not have tolerated such a breach of his security and his secrets. If we hadn’t had come when we did, it would have been both of you lying dead on the floor, not just him.” Selyara snapped back but she kept her tone cool and calm as she stood still in place.
The glimmer in Lynette’s eyes flickered upon the Shadowmaster’s every word and she felt pin pricks piercing her heart in parallel. She was right. Even though Lynette had admitted it before to herself that it was her fault she just needed to vent those torturing memories and thoughts and lash out.
That raging flame inside her heart began to flicker and die out and in its place a tightness began to take hold of her heart once again as she saw Sam smiling at her, those moments in her quarters before everything went to hell.
“I….I…. know.” The senior cadet’s voice softened and the saltwater dam behind her eyes once again burst and rained down her reddened face. She felt a profound weakness in her limbs and her head begin to cloud.
“My fault….” Her words were a whisper that began to trail off as she felt her body instantly give way and within a second she had lost the battle to retain her composure as her body hit the floor and blackness took over. Aerdan had moved to try to catch her, his arms outstretched but it was too late. Eve rushed over to assist leaving the sedated Lieutenant Rochemonte behind. Eve instantly checked for a pulse and was delighted to feel the slow steady beat was still being maintained and that she had fainted from the emotional stress and not suffered a heart attack or stroke.
“Did you have to be that harsh with her!? Someone she obviously cared for a great deal was murdered right in front of her.” Eve glared at Selyara with angry eyes.
“She needed to realise the truth instead of lashing out with false blame.”
“Damnit Selyara! I am the counsellor here. Not you!” Eve returned her attention to the unconsciousness form of Lynette Ryan sprawled across the deck floor. Before a further word could be said by anyone the shuttlecraft jolted heavily and everyone tried to regain their footing.
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Scene: Cockpit
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“What the hell did you do!?” Varn growled at Barton in response to the sudden jolt and as indicators flashed on his display.
“One of the nacelles is caught on something. We aren’t going anywhere.” Barton replied as he tried again and again to get the Red October moving again.
“Report.” Aerdan enquired as he clambered into the cockpit, stabilising himself on the backs of the two forward seats where James Barton and Thomas Varn sat. Barton repeated what he had surmised before.
“Increase power to the engines.” Aerdan suggested.
“Not a good idea until we check to what we are caught on. We don’t want to tear the nacelle off.” Barton replied knowing full well that they could put the Red October to full thrusters but if the nacelle was caught tight enough that going to full thrusters could result with them shearing the entire nacelle off. Aerdan noticed Thomas’s expression shift as he tapped at his panel.
“What is it?” The Phoenix’s first officer asked.
“Primary detonations within the facility. It’s going to go any moment now and if we don’t break free we will go right along with it.” Varn explained and three occupants of the cockpit looked to each other.
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NRPG: This is my first time since I had really wrote for other characters since the last time I was with the FPRG and I hope I did them justice so I apologise if I didn’t get their mannerisms or responses correct.
Although Edgerton is dead and the threat of the satellite network is over, it still remains for the Red October to escape from a watery grave. I hope I have left you some ideas for some of your characters to work from.
I have been honored to be a part of the conclusion of this epic storyline, even though I came in at the end of it, and hope to continue on and am looking forward to see what comes next in our adventures.
Phillip Wright
Writing for
The traumatised soul of Lynette Ryan
