Posted by Mar. Captain Wulf Baumann (MACO CO) in The Recent Past - Station 4 - When In Doubt, Explosives

Posted by Mar. Captain Wulf Baumann (MACO CO) in The Recent Past - Station 4 - When In Doubt, Explosives

Posted by Mar. Captain Wulf Baumann (MACO CO) in The Recent Past - Station 4 - When In Doubt, Explosives
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The red alert claxons blared throughout the station as people ran frantically to the escape shuttles and life-pods. A voice came over the comms [O] This is the Captain. We have been boarded by hostile forces. Evacuate. Evacuate. Evacuate. All personnel abandon station. I repeat. All personnel abandon station immediately. [C] Far below the bridge of the station, in a small passageway that led to a single emergency hatch, five figures, knelt behind exposed support girders, phase rifles aimed at the hatch. They were completely silent; save for one male figure with shoulder length hair wearing a cowboy hat, who was chewing gum. A smaller female figure, the only one without a rifle, sat staring at a portable monitor she had connected to the station’s surveillance through an small access panel next to her. “Hutchins, the Captain told you. If you are going to smack gum like that, you have to have brought enough for everyone.” Mission Specialist Jane Smith said flatly. The cowboy hat-wearing figure didn’t say a word. He simply braced the rifle against the girder, reached into a cargo pocket, and brought out a pack of chewing gum and offered it to her. Without looking away, the woman reached over and took a piece and popped it in her mouth. Corporal Clyde Hutchins then stuck his arm out behind him in silent offering. A smaller, dark-skinned man with almond shaped eyes reached out and took three pieces. Hutchins put the pack back as the Nepalese man, Staff Sergeant Bhavaroopa Tiwari took one and tossed the remaining pieces backwards without a glance.

They were caught by what could only be described as a mountain of a woman. Probably the most muscular and truly massive people on the entire station; long blonde hair was braided expertly into a ponytail that hung almost to the small of her back, Sergeant Frida Kristensen was intimidating to say the least. Pale skinned and with ice-blue eyes, she was the very embodiment of the Norse goddesses she prayed to. She took a piece and handed the remaining one across the passage to the large man next to her. MACO Captain Wulf Baumann took the piece and put it in his mouth. He made a face and said “I also said no spearmint. Wintergreen or bubble gum next time.”

Hutchins was about to make a retort when Smith said “Contact.” very softly. The four MACO troops pulled down the ocular displays on their helmets and looked at the feed from Smith’s monitor. On the other side of the hatch they faced; a large, heavily modified freighter was docked via an umbilical docking rig to the far outside hatch of the room past the hatch. The hatch was slowly opening to the umbilical was open, and figures were coming through into the evacuation assembly room. One was moving towards the hatch the MACOs faced. As they approached, Baumann whispered “Wait till they touch it.” Smith nodded, finger poised over a single button on her monitor keyboard. As the intruder reached for the handle to try and open the hatch, she jabbed the button. As the hand grasped the handle, a direct line of voltage from the emergency backup generators flowed through the handle and into the body of the suddenly and wholly catastrophically dead trespasser. They didn’t even get to scream, they simply jerked, smoked, and burst into flame while collapsing to the deck in a heap. The other figures jumped back and some screamed, and Hutchins snickered. Baumann said “Fall back to point three. That will keep them moving slowly and buy the crew time to leave. Smith, any word from Command?” “Nothing yet sir. Distress call should arrive in thirty minutes.” Baumann nodded as the MACOs moved back to their next choke point.

<to be continued>

Baumann, MACO CO

It was over an hour later before Smith said “They opened the door.” The surveillance showed that the station’s crew and civilian contingent had evacuated safely. The only people in the facility were the five MACOs and the intruders. The distress call had been received, but the closest help was days away. And the information housed in the station’s computer core was vital to Star Fleet… or so they said. So it fell to those five to hold the station for as long as they could.

<to be continued>

Baumann, MACO CO

Baumann nodded and said “Initiate fire suppression systems on decks 21 through 19.” Smith nodded and tapped a few commands. Soon they could hear alarm claxons from a deck below them sound, and Hutchins chuckled. “Blind for sure. Any of ‘em got caught behind bulkheads closing ‘ll be dead in a few minutes. That gas eats O2.” Baumann looked at Kristensen. “Did you get the charges ready?” She nodded and said “Yes sir. When they go through the Jeffries tube to bypass the sealed bulkheads, they’ll trip the motions and that should give them pause… again.” Baumann nodded and said “Alright, be ready. We should have about forty minutes until they reach us. That’s when they will know they aren’t alone on here.”

<to be continued>

Baumann, MACO CO

The plan was working. Over the next forty minutes, various charges went off and electrocuted several of the hijackers. A few more died in fire suppression fog. But just as predicted, the main contingent of them kept moving forward. Finally, voices could be heard far up the passageway the MACO had set up in. Behind them lay the only place on the ship they could completely secure: the galley. There were only two ways into the place. The door… or the external airlock used for deliveries of supplies. Inside they had stored almost everything that could be moved- food, water, medical supplies, weapons, mattresses, chairs, tables… anything that could provide service to them as they prepared to defend the station for as long as they could. The door to the galley stood open as the MACOs were crouched behind support beams, phase rifles at the ready.

The voices were talking low and soft, and their words couldn’t be quite made out. But the words were not what the MACO’s were listening for. Instead, they were listening for the signal that the hijackers were close. And soon they got that signal.

Just around a shallow bend, a scream erupted as a power coupling blew and sent a cascade of raw electricity through the unlucky soul who was unfortunate enough to be near it when it went. The passage was plunged into darkness, and the MACOs dark vision lenses on their helmets snapped down. As they did, they each leaned out, found a target, and fired. Five bolts of energy lanced through the dark, striking five separate targets who crumpled to the floor dead. Shouts rang out and the MACOs ducked back as their assailants began firing blindly down the hall. There was the sound of metal on metal, almost as if something had fallen off of a perch and was rolling around… and the the grenade went off around the bend and Baumann yelled “GO GO GO! FALL BACK!” and the MACOs rushed back into the galley and the door slammed shut and sealed itself as it there was a hull breach.

<to be continued>

Baumann, MACO CO

Hutchins laughed loudly and said “Mannnn, they did NOT see that comin’!” The laughter was echoed softly by Smith and Kristensen, but Baumann cut it short. “Alright. Seal the door. Hutchins, start work on firing ports. Smith, make sure they can’t get into the station systems. Kristensen, inventory. Staff Sargent Tiwari… go see if you can mess with their peace of mind.” The Nepalese man smiled and went to a grate on the wall, pulled it asidde where it had already been taken off the mountings, and disappeared into the ducts behind it.

Baumann looked over Smith’s shoulder as her cameras monitored everything. He nodded in appreciation and patted her on the shoulder. “Well done. Keep it up.” “Yessir.” was all she said in reply.

<to be continued>