(MSNPC) na-Soldim - Breaking the Silence

[Emi]

((OOC: Picking up an older MSNPC that someone else created, making it your own, and adding some interesting idiosyncrasies, all while still doing the original character justice, could not have been easy, but I believe that is exactly what the writer has done here. Not only did I enjoy this post immensely, but as a new ensign in the fleet, I felt like it gave me so much to work with moving forward. Later, I found this post to be a key stepping stone that brought the Veritas smoothly into ACT II of its current mission.))

 

((Tholian Station))

It was quiet. Always so quiet. An unbearable vacuum of silence that threatened to drive the Pygorian to madness. Kehive thanked his ancestors for the small gift a human friend had once given him. At the time, he had little appreciation for an ancient music playing device called a record player, but he had kept it with him out of sentimental value. Now it was his salvation, his grounding force against the lonely void that threatened a hollow fade from sanity.

The Ink Spots - We’ll Meet Again

The record spun at his side, the last one remaining. He had started with four, but the others had degraded to static. Still, he liked this song. Besides being apropos for his situation, it helped his mind wander to those he had left behind, the people he had loved, the faces that slowly blurred as his memory lost its hold. 

A soft orange light blinked slowly on and off, causing illumination to filter dim light into the room. Then fade just as quickly, casting him back into darkness. He considered it for a long time. What would have been the purpose of this SPECIFIC light? Was visibility needed in this remote bay that he had squirreled himself into. Was it a warning? He tilted his head as he considered and rubbed his hand over his braided beard. 

On. 

Off.

On. 

Off.

Was there a pattern? Did the frequency mean something? A movement to his side pulled him from his contemplation.

He spoke, his voice rough from misuse.

na-Soldim: Annie? Is that you?

Annie: Bzzt. Zzt.

A smooth rod of metal machination wrapped itself around his leg up to meet his smiling face. His five eyes looking lovingly at his creation. The robotic snake he had crafted from various parts and scraps. A light rust formed over her exterior. Annie had proven a valuable ally in attempting repairs on some of the hard to reach areas of the compact and inhospitable station. 

((OOC: Lovingly drawn by my daughter))

His intention had been to create a tool, but in his solitude he had made a friend, a companion. The implications to his mental health were not lost on him, but weighted against the alternative loneliness, he granted himself this grace.

na-Soldim: I need to build you a proper hiss, huh?. ::He looked to her command panel fixed to his wrist and pressed a few buttons.:: Let’s see what you have been up to.

He accessed her eye camera, which was currently fixed on his worn ever thinning face, and started to rewind the feed.

na-Soldim: No one wants to see that.

Annie: Zzt Zbt.

na-Soldim: You are too kind Annie, but there is no need to butter me up. You know I’ll always refill your power cells.

His face went pale as he watched the playback. Those were flashlights. He nearly knocked over the record player as he lifted the arm, the music ceasing with a zip. He held his breath as he listened. There it was….footfalls. Boots?

The Ranger grabbed Annie by the neck and bolted down the tight corridor toward the sound, jumping and ducking obstacles that he knew were there even as light continued to fade in and out.

Was it Tholians? Starfleet? Scavengers?

He watched a hatch open above him, followed by several figures moving through the opening and down to his level. His hand gripped his knife for only a moment before he thought better of it. He was no fighter, and greatly outnumbered besides. It was doubtful they would have known he was here, he had taken precautions to stay hidden. At this distance though, there was no hiding it.

Kehive pulled himself up and onto a beam above the corridor, laying his back flat as he sent Annie to a better vantage. He looked to the control panel on his arm in the hope of getting a better look at the intruders through her camera. It was all he could do. He calculated his options. If it was an enemy (which seemed the most likely) his best bet would be to flee into the inner scaffolding of the station, but he would need an opportunity.

The footsteps grew closer, voices became louder, light beams bouncing off of the walls in the corridor below him. 

He held his breath. This would be either his doom, or his salvation.

The wait felt like an eternity.

Annie got a better look as they were directly below, her feed relaying it back. Starfleet. The tension in his muscles eased somewhat. It was no death sentence, but he certainly had a bone to pick.

He flipped himself over the beam as he landed directly in front of them, his boots slamming into the metal floor with a loud clang. A visage of survival, his linens tattered but tight, effective for maneuvering through the difficult to traverse recesses of the station. His knife still tucked into a makeshift belt at his leg. Five eyes peered across the away team, his painstakingly braided beard a contrast to his obvious lack of hygiene.

na-Soldim: You’re late.

Solak/Kelrod/Navarro/Emi: Response

TBC

Kehive na-Soldim ( @Antero Flynn )
Starfleet Ranger
The Shoals
C239205AF0