Star Trek: Erin

Part 17: Clap Clap

     I strode from Munitions with my new bomb and nearly bashed into a redshirt walking by. Perfect. I snagged his arm, angling my own so he couldn't see my lack of officer decoration. "I don't care what you're doing, but this door needs to be guarded. You are on high alert. I'll send someone to relieve you as soon as possible. Am I understood?"

     I guess my tone was authoritative enough, because he snapped to attention in front of the door. "Yes, ma'am."

     "Good." I adjusted my grip and started jogging. Where should I detonate this? Does it work like a proper bomb or is it more temporal? And where did the fucking alien go?

     Hurried footsteps rang out. As I watched, a blueshirt rounded the corner, stopped, and pointed their phaser the way they'd come. "I saw something—something in the engines and it's fol—following me," they shouted over their shoulder.

     "Fabulous." I held the bomb tighter and started forward. Now we know where we're going. "I'll take care of it. Give me your phaser."

     I was surprised when they did. Taking off at a sprint, I rounded corners and slammed into the elevator. I flipped open my communicator. "Marple, I know how to stop it. Meet me in Engines if you can." If anywhere can contain an explosion, it's those monsters.

     "Acknowledged. I'll reroute the patrol I sent to—"

     "Nowak's still there. Make sure he's safe. Also send someone properly trained to guard Munitions. I grabbed a redshirt but he isn't sufficient. Over."

     Nails screeched on metal. The elevator jerked and shuddered, and the laughter started when I reached the Engines deck.

     Which was when the cold hand closed around my neck again.

     I gulped air and held onto it, not bothering to flail. Cradling the bomb like a baby, my hand found my phaser. I pressed the muzzle to the thing holding my neck and I spent the last of my air with two words. "Die, monster." The pressure left just before I phasered myself in the throat.

     I jerked awake moments later with a grin. Scrambling to my feet, I didn't wait to see if it left or was realizing my deception. Thank god I wasn't dumb enough to try vaporizing it. And I was right about it having a sense of self-preservation, yay.

     Engines was right there. I pulled myself and the bomb through the doorway, silhouetted for a moment and probably looking stupidly haggard and unhinged. Then I had the terrific idea to place a hand against my neck. Palm outwards, in case I got strangled again, which made me look even more nuts.

     I got about five steps in before Ensign O'Sullivan stepped in front of me. "What are you doing here, Cobos?"

     "Help me chuck this thing in the engines?"

     They stared at the bomb in the crook of my arm, then at me. "You're insane."

     "Want to test that theory?" I decided against making that sound threatening at the last second. Still, I don't have time for this. I could feel the presence building all around us, preparing to jump back into our dimension or however it worked. "Look, there's an alien on board and if you don't help me kill it with this, I'm pretty sure our dimension is screwed."

     "There isn't a chance that I'd—"

     "Shut up and listen to me. If I wanted to destroy the Enterprise, my job is to guard enough munitions to destroy a star system, but guess what? I'm here with one piddly-ass bomb. So the question is: do I know what I'm doing or am I just damn stupid?"