Rendez-vous with the Horizon

 There was a moment of tense silence before a signal came to Counselor Bijou and a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"Commander Rogers is in sickbay, Sir! He's unconscious but seems otherwise unharmed but for some minor inconveniences from coldness and low oxygen. Doctor Gray is with him."

"Ready to retrieve the Sagan, Captain," science officer Livingstone then said. "Cargo Transporter 1 filters are set for complete decontamination in transit. "

"Main hangar deck has been cleared to receive the shuttle within a level 5 forcefield so that any further chance of contamination will be scanned for and taken care of, " flight control officer Aulder added.

Engineer Andrews finished their report.

"Damage control unit in place to take care of it afterwards."

"Proceed with the shuttle retrieval Lieutenant" the captain noted as he then turned his attention back to helm.

"Once we have confirmation that the Sagan has been successfully recovered, initiate coordinates to rendezvous with the Horizon... maximum warp and then implement the quantum slipstream drive again until we approach the region."

"Understood captain. Plotting coordinates now" the Bolian Grexx Aulder confirmed.

"Captain, if I may," then offered the X'Ell science officer; "Sensors have recorded the Horizon warping out at warp 5 towards the Azimuth Horizon; it will take her two point ninety-two days to reach the destination's coordinates. If we use quantum velocity, we will arrive at those same coordinates in eighteen seconds. If your intention is to rendez-vous with Captain Kheren's flagship instead of waiting for her there, quantum velocity will have us reach her position in eleven seconds... but without sensors active outside the quantum tunnel, there is a fifty-three percent chance of overshooting her... assuming also that she does not change course. May I suggest warp 9, Sir; that would bring us to the flagship in twelve hours with a ninety-nine point forty-seven chance of certainty, even if she does change course because our sensors would be operational all the way."

Jonathan was trying hard to offer his commanding officer all the angles and at the same time his best estimate to make a good decision without presuming of his intention. 

As Syntron pondered the recommendation, he hypothesized that perhaps Captain Kheren had practical  reasons to reduce their time of arrival with a lower rate of travelling speed. The cargo he was carrying was certainly large and perhaps a bit challenging to his crew with their zealous beliefs and potentially irrational actions. 

"Reduce our velocity to warp nine... as suggested" the captain corrected to his helmsman with a subtle nod then offered to his avian CSO.   

Afterward, Syntron leaned back in the center seat and gazed into the main viewscreen once again. What awaited their arrival was a mystery at this point.

"The Sagan is secured in shuttlebay 1, Sir," then announced Andrews from his engineering station. "Decontamination complete; damage control underway."

"Acknowledged Mister Andrews" Syntron responded again from the center seat.

After a moment, the captain addressed the CSO again.

"Lieutenant Livingstone, since we will be mapping out this vast region surrounding this new outpost to be constructed, ensure that we have the necessary equipment and materials to readily carry out our task. If you are lacking any resources, coordinate your requirements with our new chief of operations... Lieutenant  Leóne."

Overhearing this last statement from her Ops post, the attractive Orion officer turned and offered a smile and a nod to the avian CSO to confirm that it was her that the captain was referring.  

It had taken sometimes for the X'Ell to interpret this baring of teeth as the friendly gesture that it was meant to be. His own massive beak was simply incapable of doint anything like it. But the nod had the same meaning for his kind as for theirs, even if theirs was so subtle. Jonathan nodded twice and a bit deeper to try convey his own acceptance of the order and recognition of his green-skinned mammalian colleague.

"Affirmative, Captain."

He turned away rather abruptly to concentrate on the task at hand. His wide field of vision included the new chief of security... and the presence of the felinoid woman was provoking deep, basic instincts of fear in him he did not quite understand; as if he expected the Caitian to suddenly jump from her seat right at his throat...

He suddenly realized that he was indeed already quite far away from the secure shell of  his home.

Sensing the feelings of woe coming from the new officer Commander RIker walked from his console and placed a hand on Livingstone's shoulder.  The jump was slight, even with such a wide field of vision he did not see the tall first officer standing behind him.

"Sink or swim they say" Riker said almost in jest

The large golden eyes blinked for a moment before words came out of the half-open beak.

"My people have what you would call hollow bones, Sir;  we do not sink... even when we drown; but I think I understand your meaning."

"This is a hell of a mission to lose your training wheels on.  Just concentrate on what you are doing and trust that the people around you are doing the same."

Glancing back over the crew Riker continued

"In my years I have learned that if you just get it done and spend less time worrying about what might happen, you would be amazed with how well things can happen"

"Thank you Commander; I shall take heed of the wisdom born out of your experience," the bird-like humanoid answered.

As Riker finished the console beeped as if to indicate a complete operation.  Nodding Riker walked back over to the front of the bridge and leaned over the helmsman.

With everything in place and the ship now on course for their rendez-vous with the USS Horizon, the captain connected a channel to sickbay.

"Doctor Gray," Syntron inquired to the sentient medical hologram, "What is the current prognosis of our chief engineer?" 

"He will be up and about presently, Captain," the friendly soothing voice of the sentient hologram answered. "Some diziness from a short time of oxygen deprivation and beginning hypothermia... nothing a hardy Human-Romluan hybrid like him can't handle with standard medical supervision. I am certifying fit for duty within the next hour."

"Captain, we have the Horrizon on long rrange sensorr.," reported Mriin M'ata.

"On course at warp 9, ETA twelve hours confirrmed," added Aulder.

"The flagship acknowledges rendez-vous time and coordinates," said Bijou. "Captain Kheren is inviting you and your senior staff aboard the Horizon for a mission briefing with the Federation representative as soon as we rejoin with them."

"Transmit confirmation to the Horizon regarding our ETA and our attendance to the upcoming briefing upon arrival." the captain responded to Bijou.

Syntron then stood up from the center seat and addressed his executive officer.

"Commander Riker, you have the Conn."

Without any further explanation, the Vulcan exited the bridge and stepped into the Captain's Ready Room.

As the Captain was leaving Riker acknowledged and walked towards the captain's chair.  Sitting down Riker thumbed through the PADD awaiting the final reports before heading over the meeting himself.

 Rogers came out of his fugue and realized he was in the Phoenix' main sickbay on deck thirteen; Again! Reaching up and covering his eye's with one hand, David groaned aloud and whispered complacently.

"I've really got to stop boarding the ship using the med bay."

 Of course, being a hologram and everywhere within the compartment at once, Doctor Gray heard the whispered comment.

Walking into the room as he spoke Doctor Gray shook his head.

"If you would like I could stop treating you every time you show up here?"

Before Rogers could respond Doctor Gray gently pushed him back down on the bed and began to scan him with a tricorder.  While he did not need to use a tricorder anymore since the ability to scan was implemented into design Doctor Gray learned quickly that just waving a hand over patients and then telling them what you found always came off as odd.  The tricorder was simply a projection meant to ease the patients.

"You are going to be fine Commander.  You are strong and your brain was only off for a few seconds."

Placing the tricorder down it disappeared as it touched the table.

"Since your brain never shut off from the lack of oxygen I can not eve say you died"

Helping Rogers sit back up the EMH continued

"Besides dying means a much longer report.  You will feel some tingling in your fingers from the side effects of the hypothermia and faint dizziness from the loss of oxygen.  I have raised the oxygen level in sickbay and will keep you in here for another couple of hours, after that you are free to return to duty.  If you have any side effects you must tell me as soon as you feel them."

“I don’t need to …”

David cut the objection off right then, recalling his thoughts aboard the Sagan about trusting doctors more. Even holographic ones. And Doctor Gray was a sentient holo-program with authority the same as Nasaro-Myth. Best not to argue.

Three hours later, Rogers had cleaned himself up and reported to the bridge. The Phoenix was still a few hours away from rendezvous with the flag ship Horizon and David needed to have his department checked over, but the first order of business was reporting to his Vulcan boss. Coming around the display behind the command seating, Rogers found Commander Riker manning the center seat and assumed an at attention stance.

“Commander Rogers, reporting for duty Sir.”

As he re-entered the bridge from his Ready Room, the captain studied his chief engineer for a moment as the Human-Romulan officer stood at attention in front of Commander Riker.

Before his executive officer responded, the captain chimed in.

"You certainly chose a rather circumspect manner in which to report to duty Commander Rogers." Syntron noted with a tinge of sarcasm laced within his words.

"Fortunately for you, the reconfigured quantum slipstream drive engaged without malfunction. Otherwise, we may have arrived later only to retrieve your frozen corpus delicti from the disabled Sagan."