A Secret Worth Keeping (Part 1)

Posted on 02 Nov 2025 @ 10:11pm by Ensign Ryan Collingway

746 words; about a 4 minute read

OOC: Fairly large log, so split into two parts

Starbase 369

“All hands, this is the Captain. Docking complete. Shore leave is authorized for forty-eight hours. Department heads coordinate coverage and readiness reports before departure. You’ve all earned the time," the Captain said over the com.

Commander Boren had remotely decided who would go when, and Ryan’s turn had been selected first. He left the Arawyn, feeling a strange sense of…relief? It was hard to describe what he was feeling. Nor did he know what to do with his free time. While he wasn’t one to indulge in drinking, he soon found himself looking for the nearest bar. He sat in the stool and flagged the bartender.

“What’ll it be?” the bartender asked.

“A beer on tap, please,” Ryan said politely. The bartender passed him the drink, and he took a generous gulp. Well, he had done it. He had survived his first mission after his reassignment. Although others hadn’t been so lucky. Commander Boren would be transferred to the sickbay at the Starbase until…who knew how long. What would happen in Engineering? Ryan didn’t know. If Commander Boren was out of commission, he assumed someone else would lead it. Definitely not him. He was far too new and didn’t deserve anything like that. Not now, not ever. Ryan stared at the drink in his hands. Was he drinking to forget?

Or maybe, drinking to remember?

---Science Vessel USS Thysia---
---En route to Neval 4----
-----Last year----

Ryan sat on the walkway above the storage room, bored out of his mind. He raised his phaser and fired at one of the hovering targets that had been set up in the room. It was a perfect shot, one he had done many times before.

He could feel a familiar presence next to him. “I could make it more challenging if you’d like,” Lieutenant Mendon said, breathing through his respirator. Since the academy Ryan had teased him about getting rid of it. It was one of the few things that Starfleet allowed the Benzites to change about themselves, but Mendon was adamant on keeping it. The senior engineer sat down next to him and fiddled with the controls. The targets moved faster. He fired at one himself.

Ryan shot the targets faster. He could spy a small rat on the level below.

“Uh-huh. Don’t even think about it. We just named him,” Mendon said.

Ryan signed and finished off the targets. This ship was small. Too small. “Maybe if the rat could shoot back. It might make things more interesting around here. You think we could get some R&R when we reach Neval?”

“I’ll talk to the Captain. See what I can do,” Mendon said. “Come on, up. Our shift is starting.”

“Fine,” Ryan said. First they had to put away the phasers they used for target practice. He stood. “Let’s-”

The ship suddenly rocked violently. Ryan almost fell off the railing if Mendon hadn’t grabbed him in time. “What the hell?”

“Dunno,” Mendon said. The lights flickered and went out. “Let’s get to engineering!”

The small engineering was chaos as they entered. Red Alert sounded. Mendon and Ryan immediately flew to the controls. “I’m detecting a Borg ship off our port bow!” Mendon said.

Ryan swore. “That ship is massive! They’ve already torn through our shields. What are our orders?”

“Bridge isn’t responding!” Mendon said. “I’m sealing off this deck as a precaution!”

“What about Neval 4?”

Mendon checked and shook his blue head. “It’s a crater.”

The two worked furiously. “Crap…warp drive is offline. I’m going to try and get us out of here. Engaging impulse. We need to get some breathing room,” Ryan said.

“Bridge, can you hear me? What is your status?” Mendon tried again.

“This is the Commander,” a heavy voice replied. “The Captain’s dead. The Borg has infiltrated the bridge. Abandon ship. Repeat,
abandon-” There was a scream, followed by silence.

“No,” Ryan said. "Dammit, we have to do something!"

Mendon gripped his shoulder. “We can't. We need to get out of here.” There were three other engineers working with them. “Come on. Everyone to the escape pods. Good thing we didn’t get rid of these,” he added, gripping his phase pistol.

Ryan activated an automatic distress beacon, then followed him.

TBC

Ensign Ryan Collingway
Engineering Officer
USS Arawyn

 

RSS Feed