Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vanessa Slade (CNS) in Nothing good happens after 2am

Posted by Captain Calvin Marius (Captain) in Nothing good happens after 2am

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Thomas McGregor (COS) in Nothing good happens after 2am
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The bridge of the Starship Genesis was bathed in the cold light of a pre-dawn shift. The hum of the ship’s systems was muted, almost tranquil, as most of the crew had settled into their quiet routines. The clock on the wall read 0430 hours. The ship drifted through deep space, far from any scheduled patrols or emergencies. But all of that was about to change.

The double doors to the bridge slid open with a soft hiss, and Captain Calvin Marius strode in. His boots echoed on the deck, sharp and sure, breaking the calm of the early morning. His eyes, always sharp, were now colder than usual—focused, calculating.

(voice cutting through the stillness) “Report, Ensign.” The 4th shift was typically populated by a mess of green ensigns who took the worst shift on board to get the valuable bridge time and thus ‘command’ experience. What was particularly shocking was the appearance of the Captain, absent of an emergency call.

Ensign Voss, who had been quietly reviewing the latest updates to the star charts, straightened at the captain’s arrival. His eyes flicked to the clock—0430. He knew better than to expect anything less than trouble.

“All systems green, sir. Sector Theta-Nine—no anomalies, no hostile signals. Routine sweep. It’s quiet.”

Captain Marius gave a slow nod, his gaze sweeping over the bridge. The crew was alert, but the slowness of the hour had kept them in that mid-shift haze. It was time to shatter that complacency.

“Execute Code Shadow Silver.”

The comms officer’s hands danced over the console, and a soft chime echoed out, signaling the beginning of the drill. The atmosphere shifted—tense, awake, and full of purpose. It was the sound of anticipation.

=^= Red Alert, all hands, Red Alert - This is a drill.=^= The ship-wide alarm blared into the quiet—loud, shrill, and unforgiving. The lights dimmed, switching to the emergency red alert.

Marius did not take his command chair. Silver was the code for a combat drill on the Genesis… Shadow was the Variant where the Captain was unavailable… at least initially.

Marius CO

Surprisingly, one of the first officers on the bridge was Thomas. Of course, that may have had more to do with his attire than anything: he was in PT gear, and had clearly been in the middle of a run when the alarm sounded.

“Is this a ‘get the juniors some experience’ drill, Captain, or should I step in?” he asked quietly, making his way to Marius’ side.

COS

Calvin glanced down at his chronometer and noted the time. “The only one not participating is me although, if you do poorly, that means I do poorly.”
Thomas’s question hung in the air as the bridge crew continued their tasks. Captain Marius, standing at the command console, glanced at Thomas with a slight smirk.

“Let’s hope it’s just a standard drill,” Marius replied, his tone light but with an undercurrent of seriousness. “and right now you are senior on deck.” Suddenly, the main viewscreen flickered, displaying a field of stars. A moment later, a blip appeared on the tactical display.

“Sir,” the young woman at tactical officer reported, “we have an unidentified vessel approaching at high warp. No response to hails.”

“Hmm,” Calvin squinted at the screen trying to identify the vessel visually. He didn’t know exactly what the computer would do although he knew a couple of the curveballs since he put them in.

Marius

The soft pneumatic hiss of the turbo doors was drowned out by a thump and slight mumbled curse as Vanessa stumbled onto the space. While she often took advantage of the less restrictive dress codes allowed for counselors, Vanessa’s outfit of old academy sweatpants and sweatshirt and sneakers with one shoe tied and the other flopping about indicated she had thrown on the first outfit she found. If anyone had a second guess that she had not just rolled out of her rack, her hair answered that sporting a rats nest as her mother called it. She pushed it out of her face and behind her ears as she took up position next to Calvin and Thomas.

“Probably because it is 2 am and they are asleep,” Vanessa stated in a low tone under her breath. Life on the Genesis was far different than her life at the VA in Boston. She had had several calls at 2 am but they usually were a knock at her door or a pesky comm call that would not hang up. This was more reminiscent of her time at the academy which oddly enough she was dressed in almost the same attire she wore years ago when they sprung a surprise drill on them. Unlike the academy, Vanessa did have a cup of coffee in her hands that she took a sip from trying to push the fog of sleep out of her mind. It wasn’t hot nor fresh but several hours old. Muscle memory had her grab it off the counter as she rushed out of her quarters. Hopefully later she would get a fresh cup but for now she was grateful she even had something to drink.

Vanessa Slade CNS

=/\=Dr. Edelu to bridge, Sickbay stands by ready to receive casualties.=/\=

-Lt. Cmdr. Edelu
Chief Medical Officer