MSPNPC Gunnery Sergeant Hesan: Getting Inside (Part 2)

[John Kendrick]

@Tomas Falt This was a fantastic read! And who knew the Borg smelled? Well, now I know they do 😁.

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((Shuttlecraft, Entering the Ocean, Anadasa))

 

She started their final descent, slowing their speed down to 10 meters a second. They reached the water 5 seconds after leaving the cloud, splashing down with a thump. She killed the engines and switched to thrusters to begin their dive.

 

Qinn: Sergeant, how long do you estimate it to take us to safely descend down to the wreckage?

 

Hesan: We could safely drop at 5 meters a second, but I’d recommend 3 meters a second. At that speed it will take us 10 minutes to reach the crash site.

 

Qinn: ::Nodding::  I prefer slow and safe over speed.  Take us down at whatever pace you feel is best.  Doctor Sival, how are our sensors holding up in this new medium?

 

Sival: Sensors appear to be functioning within normal parameters; however, readings from the direction of the wreckage site are somewhat occluded.

 

Qinn: Make any adjustments you feel would be beneficial.  Also please be on the lookout for any large life forms that may be aggressive.  I would like to avoid an overly aggressive whale being our downfall.

 

Sival: Yes, Ma’am.

 

She hoped Commander Qinn wasn’t one of those officers that liked to turn common sense into an order.

 

Hesan: Aye, Sir.

 

oO Aye, sir. I promise I won’t crash the boat, sir. Or try to mate with any whales, sir. Oo

 

((short time skip))

 

She piloted the shuttle deeper. It was a strange feeling to be taking the shuttle down, marines normally dived in just their suits. Over the years she’d done a number of SAR operations that had involved diving, plenty of crash landings ended up underwater.

 

Qinn: All right.  Now we take our time and do this right.  Mr. Sival, please scan for any pockets of breathable environment.  If we have to do this whole thing in our suits so be it, but it will make all of this harder.  Sergeant Hesan, please start looking for an entrance and if there are any signals, or life signs coming from the craft.  Also, both of you, if you see any obvious reason for the crash, or have a reasonable theory please speak up.

 

Ah, it seemed Lieutenant Commander Qinn was one of those officers.

 

oO Look for a way in? Here’s me thinking we’d just come down for a sightseeing trip Oo

 

She knew was being [...]y, and she knew Commander Qinn could probably sense her irritation, but she didn’t care. It seemed the Commander needed to learn to micro-manage less and trust her marine assets more. She’d been doing this kind of thing for fifteen years now and didn’t need a career operations officer, even one who had just made XO, tell her how to do her job.

 

She took a breath. Regardless of her personal feelings about the Commander leading the tactical aspect of the mission the woman was still in command.

 

Sival: Scanning now, Ma’am. There appears to be an enclosed space approximately 75 meters in area. There are several corridors extending outward from a central room. It may be a hub of some kind. I am unable to read what is inside.

 

Hesan: It's highly likely the structure of the Borg vessel is interfering with our sensors.

 

Sival: That is a logical assumption.

 

She brought the shuttle into visual range of the crash site.

 

Hesan: Approaching the crash site now.

 

She switched the shuttle’s external lights on. 200 meters down was about the limit of natural light from the surface, and the sun was only just rising anyway. The lights revealed wreckage over a wide area, enough to have come from a small scout vessel. She could see at least one larger piece of debris, likely where the Ensign had detected the pocket of atmosphere.

 

She set the shuttle down on the sea bed, about 10 meters away from the main chunk of wreckage. Best to leave some space between them, she really didn’t want to hand any surviving Borg a functioning shuttle by landing it on top of them.

 

Qinn: Response

 

Sival: It should be safe to enter. The environment inside has a breathable atmosphere. And it is warm - approximately 39 degrees.

 

Qinn: Response

 

Sival: If all three of us go, perhaps the shuttle’s computer would be able to keep a transporter lock on us once we are inside?

 

That wasn't a good plan.

 

Hesan: I wouldn’t recommend all of us beaming over blind, especially with the sensor interference. I suggest I swim over first and secure an entry point.  ::to Qinn:: With your approval, sir. You’ll be able to beam over and join me then.

 

Qinn:  Response

 

Hesan: ::standing up and heading for the airlock:: Do not follow me if I don’t report in five minutes after being inside. Call backup from the ship, the rest of the marines in the unit will know what to do.

 

She picked up her phase rifle and stepped inside, before turning to Sival.

 

Hesan: ::indiciating the airlock controls:: Ensign, would you be so kind?

 

Sival: Response.

 

The internal door closed and the airlock rapidly filled with water. A green light indicated the water pressure had equalised and she opened the outer door. She let the water jets of her suit quickly propel her to the main part of the wrecked  Borg ship. It looked much bigger up close, as such things always did.

 

She began looking for a way in, concentrating her search on the lower part of the ship, where the stress from the crash would have been greatest. After a minute or so of searching she found an opening just above the sea bed, just large enough to carefully squeeze through in her suit.

 

She found herself in a flooded corridor. It looked like the wreckage had settled at a slight angle, maybe 15 degrees or so, as the corridor sloped up away from her. She swam a few meters and broke the surface of the water with just her head and phaser rifle. There were a few Borg alcoves in front of her, but none were occupied. She walked the rest of the way out of the water, treading softly enough that the only sound was the water dripping off her suit and onto the deck plating below.

 

There was a junction up ahead, it wasn't big enough to be the chamber the Ensign had mentioned. She silently walked up the slope toward it, phaser rifle at the ready. A quick sweep confirmed it was also deserted. No sign of any Borg drones, active or inactive. She guessed the crew must be concentrated in another part of the ship, maybe in an attempt to avoid the worst of the impact and survive the crash.

 

A solid green light on her suit confirmed the earlier breathable atmosphere reading. She opened her helmet, not wanting to waste her own air supply. The atmosphere was dank, stale and humid. It also stank of Borg, a unique smell that you never forgot.

 

oO They’re here somewhere Oo

 

She opened her comms.

 

Hesan: Hesan to shuttle.

 

Qinn/Sival: Response

 

Hesan: I’ve secured a beachhead, no Borg activity yet. You are clear to beam to my location when ready. Please be advised the floor is on a slight slope.

 

She didn’t want anyone falling over as soon as they arrived.

 

Qinn/Sival: Response

 

A few moments later the two officers materialised next to her.

 

Qinn/Sival: Response

 

TAG / TBC

 

Nan Hesan

Gunnery Sergeant, 152 Lightning Terrapins

USS Juneau, NX-99801

 

[Tomas Falt]

Thanks @John Kendrick. Have to say I'm really enjoying writing from a completely different perspective to that of my main PC.  Assuming she survives the mission I think Hesan might stick around for a while.

[+ Vitor S. Silveira]

34 minutes ago, Tomas Falt said:

 Assuming she survives the mission I think Hesan might stick around for a while.

She looks like a fine addition to the ship's Marines