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"Not Happy At All"
[previous post was "Good, Bad or In Between" by the sweet Hanali]
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Setting: PI ALPHA III, Underground Akitashiinu Den
Stardate: 30148.1545

The shock-wave of the explosion had broken every single luminescent crystal in the room.  Maybe that had been part of the plan, or maybe it had been only a strange coincidence.  Either way there had been nothing but darkness to greet people as they tried to figure out what had happened.

Rocky debris covered the floor which made it that much more difficult for Shar'El to get back to her feet.  The ILO still felt the effect of her having seen her own memories in the mind of the Yxidii, but there had not been any time for that now.  Her confusion and even her anger would have to wait, that she liked it or not.

"Captain Morningstar, are you alright?" the ILO called out into the near perfect darkness over the sounds of falling and shifting rocks.

"I'm here," the Commanding Officer replied sounding not at all pleased with the latest misfortune to befall upon them.  "What about everyone else?  Anyone injured or missing?"

Shar'El could not help but smile. Erik Morningstar had been a Captain and leader in more than just rank.  He cared for his crew, likely more than he about himself, and that the ILO found had been a reoccurring trait for a Commanding Officer.

"Without any lights we will have to do a manual search of the entire room," Shar'El said understanding all too well the magnitude of the task she had just mentioned.  They would have to first try to get a verbal account of who had been in a condition to reply, then move on to search through the rocky rubble for those missing.

"Well, I'm here," Seska said through her coughing.  The hair had been thick with dust from the explosion which had not helped matters in any way.

"This help?" one of the Akitashiinu said as they lifted the glowing end of their staff high in the air.  The intensity of the light had not been much but it had been enough to show just how extensive the damage to the room had been.  The corridor through which they had entered the room had been completely sealed making it perfectly clear that they would not be able to go back that way even if they wanted to.

The ILO noticed the towering Zaldan helping Counselor Dalziel back to her feet, both appearing at first glanced to be uninjured.  Next Shar'El spotted the red headed engineer appearing less than happy as she pulled herself back to an upright position.

"For the record," Sonja said as she brushed the dust and pebbles off her uniform, "this is starting to no longer being fun.  I say we get ourselves out of here and head for the showers."

"I will be happy to do just that," Captain Morningstar said. "That is as soon as we locate the others.  Does anyone see Commander Maya, Ensign Stark or Ensign Doyanne?"

"Last time I saw them there were... by the Prophets!" the ACMO said almost in tears as she pointed to a massive wall of rocks which stood where the three officers had been prior to the explosion.

Everyone rushed to the wall and began to remove whatever rocks they could, acting more on emotions than thought.  Out of hope they each wanted to find someone, anyone trapped behind the wall; out of fear they each wished not to find any signs that someone, anyone had been trapped *under* the wall.

"NO!" The Akitashiinu named Maro called out in a panic. "Dangerous! More will fall."

Ensign Mizore reached for her tricorder with trembling hands.  If she found lifesigns, would it be too late to save them? If she found nothing but residual bio-matter it would have already been too late.  Either possibility filled her with fear, but what she saw displayed on her medical tricoder puzzled her even more.

"Nothing," Seska said to no one in particular.

"No life signs?" The Captain said with a lump in his throat.

"I mean there is nothing," the ACMO explained. "No life signs, no bio-matter, nothing.  There is no one either behind or beneath this wall of rocks."

A shared sighed of relief filled the room as the news rekindled everyone's hope that the three missing officers had still been alive.

"Go we must," Maro said as she took hold of Captain Morningstar's arm.  "Dangerous here. Hurry."

Reluctantly the CO of the ANUBIS agreed to follow the Akitashiinu, not at all happy to being forced to leave anyone behind.  All that he could do was hope that they had managed to get out of the room from the other side and that somehow they would be able to find their way back together without running into the Yixidii.

As the crew followed their Captain, Shar'El glanced back into the darkening room still feeling as if someone or something had been looking into her mind, into her memories.

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Tiffany Reeve

Ensign Shar'El
Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS