A Penny for Your Thoughts

Posted on 27 Oct 2013 @ 10:36pm by Lieutenant JG Tykhin Vess & Lieutenant Theron Rhodes
Edited on on 27 Oct 2013 @ 11:03pm

1,190 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 04 - Exodus
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 03 - 1930 hrs

ON:

In the mess hall, Tykhin was seated at a table near the window. A tray with a half-eaten meal was pushed aside. In front of him was a PADD that had timed out and locked. The man was holding a mug of dark coffee at a precarious angle that threatened to pour its contents over the PADD. His chin touched his chest; he was asleep.

Theron entered the mess hall. He really didn't have time to eat, but lack of nourishment would be his undoing. There were a few others sitting here and there, mostly to themselves.

After getting a plate of steaming meat and tubers spiced in the style of Pilsud province. That was where his grandparents lived when he would go and visit them. As he walked the scent gave him memories of the hill country and evenings around the table with Grampa.

Theron was about to sit down when he spied one of the crew near a window. He looked rather pale and wasn't sure if he was alive or . . . But then the blue collared lieutenant snored slightly, which meant that he was just asleep. Exhausted no doubt. If he was in medical, then he probably had pulled a very long shift to heal the wounded.

Theron sat down across from him quietly. He pulled out his PADD and identified him as Lieutenant Tykhin Vess, a Betazoid. An intelligence officer, he said to himself. Putting his PADD down, Theron began to eat quietly and not wake him. He thought, This just might be a little fun.

The mug in Tykhin's hand slowly tilted and finally clanked against table.

"Hells," Tykhin cursed as he woke with a start and pushed back from the table. He picked up his mug and grabbed a napkin from his tray to sop up the coffee spilling across the table. It took him a moment to register that he was not alone.

Theron leaned back a little trying to evade flying food or liquid. When the Lieutenant looked up, Theron put another bite of the meat into his mouth and chewed.

"Welcome to my quarters," he said wryly, still cleaning up after himself. "Pardon the mess."

"Not to worry Lieutenant Vess." Rhodes replied as he continued to chew. "How was your nap?" Leaving him with a slight smile as he chewed.

"Lovely. I dreamed I was doing something easy, like saving the Kabayashi Maru," he said and tossed the napkin onto his tray. "I don't think we've met, Lieutenant..."

This made Theron grin just a bit. He extended his hand across the table giving him a firm grip, "Theron Rhodes, Chief of Security." Yet, all the while thinking in a sing song fashion bricks, bricks, they build them up and kick them down. Red and white and black and brown. Rocks are strune, rocks are raked . . .

"Pleased to meet you," Tykhin said and leaned back in his chair after they shook hands. He was still bleary-eyed. "I need another one," he said and gestured to his mug. "Excuse me for a moment."

Tykhin got up and refilled his mug with more coffee then came and sat back down.

"So how are we looking?" Tykhin asked Theron curiously.

Theron found it humorous that Vess would use the plural form when referring to himself. "Well," He squinted and tilted his head slightly. "The stain doesn't show too much. And it is not like you will be having tea with the Ambassador or anything." Theron could not help but smile again.

Tykhin smirked. "What a relief," he said and settled back down. "I meant the ship." Tykhin sipped his coffee and let out a slow sigh. It was not sleep, but it would do.

"The ship?" He said with concern. Theron leaned back and crossed his arms with a more serious look on his face. "We are on a very uncertain course, currently following the directions of an unknown species with the threat of death at the wrong turn." He pursed his lips and looked down in thought.

Tykhin nodded. "But we're still here," he said and sipped his coffee. "That was their biggest mistake. Which reminds me; I was talking with Willis in the computer core today. I got him working on cracking the Borg communications protocols. If you have anyone who is good with crypto, it might help. Listening in would be a huge advantage. Learning a control protocol, even as simple as 'turn left' could be decisive."

Looking up at Tykhin with a bit of smirk, Theron was glad to have someone thinking more positive around him. "Well, Davis would be our man . . ." Theron then stopped after realizing what he had said, then added, "However, he is missing. We are uncertain of his status."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tykhin said and rubbed his face with his hands. He was so tired it was hard to think, hard to focus. "Hopefully Willis can make do on his own. At the very least his analysis would help your people tune some field disrupters to spread around the ship. When the Borg attack again, turning those on would cut the drones off from their C&C."

"That sounds very helpful." The security chief responded and resumed eating the meat and tubers that seemed to be much cooler now. He shook his fork in the air, somewhat pointing to the intelligence officer, "Any clue or supposition what is ahead for us?"

Tykhin considered that question at length. "Strategic threat assessment," he concluded. "We should know about any political entity in the quadrant that controls a military on the scale of a Borg cube... We saw what one cube can do at Wolf 359... So they have worked hard to stay hidden, despite their military strength," Tykhin reasoned. "They must be completely insular and self-sufficient, or we would have detected inter-world communications and shipping from the nebula long ago. And the nebula is a perfect sensor mask. Whoever they are, they depend on security by obscurity; they will want to know if they are compromised and what the threat level is."

Theron looked down thinking through the assessment, then added, "Our best strategy then would be to convey to them that we are not a threat and their security is in our best interests as well."

"And that security by obscurity is impossible now. If my analysis is right and they think they can hide, we all die. And so do the next two starships that come looking for us. They have to believe the Federation and others will keep coming until they figure out what happened."

"A very sound strategy." Theron said nodding his head slightly.

"They always sound that way," Tykhin said and pushed himself up from the table. "Anyway, those are my thoughts for what they're worth. If you'll excuse me, I need to find a clean uniform."

Theron gave him a smile and nod, "Of course. I will mention your assessment to the Commander."

OFF:

Lt. Theron Rhodes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

&

LTJG Tykhin Vess
Intelligence Officer
USS Venture

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