LT Aine Sherlock - (Prologue) Here All Night

[Sera]

((OOC: I often like to do a prologue solo sim post-mission, and I encourage others to do so. Lots of fun and gives people some insight to your character.))
 

((Romulan Embassy, StarBase 118))

 

It had been about an hour, maybe more, since everything came to a halt. Investigators from Intel and Security had been summoned to the scene of the embassy. There was information that needed to be gathered. And questions to be answered. Aine had helped them to log imagery as well, of the scene and in particular of great importance, those officers killed.

 

Once all was said and done, the bodies needed to be gathered. Aine took it upon herself. She was ultimately responsible for the lives of her officers and she wouldn't force anyone else to do it. Eventually, medical personnel would come by to cart them off to the morgue.

 

She didn't know everyone's name in Security. It was near impossible with the thousands of people. After she'd moved their bodies into a row, laying them side-by-side as if they were standing at attention for an inspection, she scanned their combadges and entered the names into her PADD. A couple of the names were vaguely familiar. There would be messages to write, family to notify. And it was another thing she wouldn't expect others to do. It was all on her.

 

The dust still hadn't settled. Not with all the movement in the area. It gave her an isolated feel. As if no one could see her. It was just her and the dead. After she scanned the last combadge, she turned her PADD off and placed it in her pocket. She sat down next to the last body in line, facing down the line, wrapping her arms around her shins and pulling her knees close. It seemed to be the first moment in hours that she had any time to breathe and think.

 

They laid there, still. Every one of them. Her chest rose and fell slowly. One breath. Two. Three. Then suddenly it was as if she couldn't breathe. As if she was choking deep inside. She pulled her legs in tighter and buried her face against her knees. Sharp heaves came as did the tears.

 

She felt like she was back on the Carpathia, the ship that had rescued the survivors of the Resolution. When she'd departed the yacht they'd used to escape Rinascita Station, she'd limped to a corner of the shuttle bay and watched before a medical officer rushed her to sickbay to get her injury treated. She remembered watching Yogan. He was taking a head count. He had the full list of one hundred and fifty people assigned to the Resolution. She had cried then as she was doing now.
 

The one thing she hated about this job when things went wrong was that there was always a time when you had the chance to reflect. It wasn't the job, it wasn't getting shot at, it wasn't the danger that got to her. It was those times after all was said and done.
 

She could feel herself getting angry and she stood up taking a couple deep breaths to get herself sorted. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her dusty jacket. The dust made her eyes sting. She gave the hem of the jacket a sharp tug and a cloud of dust lifted off of it. As if the galaxy was listening, a single chirp came from her combadge. Communication was back online. She gave it a tap.
 

Sherlock: Sherlock to Security. To all off duty personnel. Our doctors and engineers could use a hand down here. If you're looking to help, come see me. I'll be here all night. Sherlock, out.
 

End

 

Lieutenant Aine Sherlock

Chief of Security & Tactical

StarBase 118 Ops

R239712AS0

[LCDR Aine O. Sherlock]

It should say epilogue, lol, very tired, writing fast. The other one too.