Star Trek: Erin

Part 42: Evil

     Lieutenant Daniel Marple was fighting for his life. After Nowak had rejoined them, they'd flanked both sides of the booth and swiftly attacked, hoping for a decisive victory with surprise on their side. Michael did something to disable their communications so no red alert or reinforcements could be called. Unfortunately, a passing patrol stepped in, and Marple, Nowak, Michael, and Glasgow were quickly outnumbered three to one.

     Marple admired Glasgow's silent efficiency, Nowak's calm, and Michael's ability to continue diverting the power while they defended her. He didn't have time to think about Cobos. Too busy staying alive.

     Things began to fall apart. Marple dodged a blow, accidently leaving an opening. A redshirt ignored Marple and leapt through, tackling Michael. Her head slammed against the insulating wall that still held the writhing Chekov.

     Glasgow pivoted and dispatched the attacker, but the damage was done. Marple shivered at the look the operative sent, but there wasn't displeasure evident in his voice. "Your engineer is out of commission. Time, Nowak?" Glasgow nodded, having gotten the information he needed. "Pull back, Marple. She won't wake in eight minutes. We've missed our chance."

     Marple froze.

     They'd missed their window. What should they do now?

     He was a Starfleet officer. He had to have a plan.

     But he didn't.

     Munitions? They were safe at Munitions.

     Nowak stepped forward, picked up Michael, glanced at Marple. And Marple despaired just a little more. He'd never wanted to do this. He'd wanted a supervisory role in Starfleet. But an instructor pulled strings, and he'd been slated for the field officer program. He hadn't argued, just accepted it. You listened to officers. No argument, just action. You followed, and that's how your stayed alive.

     Lieutenant Daniel Marple was a follower.

     And now here he was, in command.

     It scared him.

     Glasgow drew close to Nowak and Marple. "Pull back to Cobos. Collect her and meet me at the first chamber. I'll hold them here."

     Marple didn't argue. Just action.

     He moved off, glanced back once. Glasgow punched a redshirt into a wall, whipped the taser from their belt and shocked one flanking him, kicking a fallen knife into the next's thigh. That man is a devil, Lieutenant Daniel Marple thought.

     Then Glasgow flinched at nothing and looked back at them, past them.

     Fear threatened to strangle Marple as he turned.

     Still holding Michael, Nowak had frozen.

     In front of them stood Junior Lieutenant Erin Cobos.

     Her expression was blank, blood smeared up her face and across her forehead. Pitch blackness filled her eyes. "Take her hands," she said.

     Marple's gaze went to her stomach wound. Her shirt was still a ripped mess of blood, but it seemed to have closed. "Junior lieutenant?"

     "Do it. Now."

     Nowak was the first to comply. Marple did too when nothing seemed to happen to the three junior lieutenants.

     An alternate-dimension redshirt tried to charge their group. He pulled up short, eyes bugged and gripping something wrapped tight around his neck.

     Glasgow sprinted past him. Approaching what Cobos had become went against everything he felt, including the waves of pure malice coming from her mind, but he also knew this was their only chance.

     He grabbed Cobos' shoulder.

     It was a simultaneous action. Similar to physical conservation of momentum, a handful of officers on the Alternate-Enterprise were thrown through dimensions to their own, while the monster used its share of the energy to create a pocket and slip in. In the moment before Junior Lieutenant Cobos and the monster went their separate ways, the monster sent one last message.

     This is a prize greater than I have given, little traveller. I promise I will repay this.