Escape from Lethe
Posted on Tue Jan 14th, 2025 @ 11:45am by Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida & Lieutenant JG Mirez & Lieutenant JG Abrasax & Lieutenant JG Alena Alessa & Lieutenant JG Lyras
3,175 words; about a 16 minute read
Mission:
Episode 8: Palingenesis
Location: Briar Patch
ON:
The Theristís loomed like a predator in the misty expanse of the Briar Patch, its jagged hull cutting through the dense gas clouds but skillfully avoiding the pockets of metreon gas. Euryale’s golden eyes burned with cold fury as she watched the smaller Federation vessel weave through the unstable nebula. Its movements were nimble, almost frantic, but they could not escape her reach. Her ship’s sensors pierced through the gas, tracking the Copernicus with unrelenting precision. The serpents atop her head hissed in unison, mirroring her thirst for vengeance. “Run, little prey,” she whispered, her voice low and venomous. “There is no escape. The Theristís is your hunter, and I am its teeth.” With a flick of her hand, she commanded the ship to close the distance, her weapons locked and ready to deliver her wrath.
USS Copernicus
The ship shuddered as it navigated the swirling chaos of the Briar Patch, its shields glowing faintly from the volatile energy in the nebula. Hiro sat forward in his chair, his jaw tight, eyes darting between the tactical display and the viewport. Euryale’s ship loomed behind them, a massive shadow that dwarfed his vessel and crept ever closer. The metreon gas made it impossible to warp far, forcing him to rely on the Copernicus’ agility to stay ahead of the larger ship.
“Options, now,” Hiro demanded, his voice cutting through the tension on the bridge. The ship’s systems were stretched to their limits, the crew’s nerves fraying with each passing moment. He knew Euryale was relentless, her ship designed for pursuit and destruction. But the Briar Patch was as much an obstacle for her as it was for them. “If we can’t outrun her, we’ll outthink her. Use the gas to our advantage. Find me a way to lose her.”
As the Copernicus steered clear at the last moment of dense pocket of metreon gas, Hiro’s mind raced. Every decision counted, and time was slipping away. Starbase 21 was their only safe haven, but reaching it would require all the cunning and resolve they could muster.
"If I recall correctly, we can bussard collect the patch's gases and expel it to make a hiding spot or a more treacherous pathway for her." Abrasax answered, though he sounded a bit apprehensive, as the making of a new nebula was a dangerous gamble.
Lyras was sitting at one of the medical stations on the bridge but he had been very quiet and he seemed lightyears away with his thoughts. "I do not know how to mask the ship, but we could try to mask our lifesigns..." There weren't many people on the ship this mission, it was only a skeleton crew. "Though I am not certain how to achieve that," he admitted absently, his mind whirling as he tried to come up with something. "If everyone appears dead, surely she would lose interest?"
Hiro stood at the center of the bridge, his mind racing with the possibilities. He turned to Lyras, his tone thoughtful but pragmatic. “It’s not a bad idea, Lieutenant. Masking our lifesigns could buy us some time, but I doubt our pursuer would fall for it entirely. From what I’ve heard from you she’s clever, and something tells me she’s more attuned to us than we’d like. Still…” He paused, giving the Vulcan hybrid an encouraging nod. “It’s worth exploring, even if just as a backup. What I wouldn’t give for a cloaking device right now.”
Shifting his attention to Abrasax, Hiro’s expression shifted as a memory flickered in the back of his mind. “Using the gas…” he murmured, half to himself. “There was an incident, long ago. A Starfleet crew inside the Briar Patch used metreon gas to escape hostile ships. If we can channel that volatile gas strategically - maybe as a barrier, or even as a trap - it might just give us an edge.”
He stepped closer to the science console, his voice gaining urgency. “Abrasax, find everything you can about the metreon gas composition in this region. I’ll need options, whether it’s igniting it, creating a diversion, or blocking her sensors. If this works, it’ll be our best chance to outmaneuver her.”
Looking back at the viewscreen and the looming silhouette of the Theristís, Hiro clenched his jaw. “We may not have firepower on our side, but we’ve got the terrain. Let’s use it.”
"Yes sir," Abrasax smiled. "I do know that phaser heat will ignite metreon gas on contact." He replied, he was at the science station already formulating a plan. The issue was just how to use the gases, though it might be multiple methods, then the second problem was timing.
Alena watched her surroundings, wishing she could do more. She wasn't as good with modern technology as the rest of the team. She had grown up in a technology stunted community, which had also been a diplomatic battlefield. Feeling helpless, all she could do was watch as the rest of their team were doing their utmost best to get them the hell out of here, and alive too.
Hiro’s eyes flicked from the tactical screen to Abrasax, his sharp gaze cutting through the tension in the room. He could see the scientist working quickly, his mind already a step ahead, calculating the best way to leverage the metreon gas. Hiro trusted Abrasax’s expertise, but the timing would be critical.
“Good,” Hiro said, his voice steady. “Just make sure we don’t gamble too much with those options. We need a solution now.”
He turned his attention to Alena. She seemed distant, her posture rigid as she observed, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Hiro could read the hesitation in her stance; he knew she struggled with the advanced tech around her, but he also knew her value. “Alena,” he said, his voice softer, “I need you to stay sharp. Even if you don’t have the technical answers, your intuition is just as important right now.”
Alena looked at Hiro. "It's terrifying", she admitted. "I've tried recalling some of the things i read in Mrs. Anderson's books. I'm trying to figure if there is a weakness that can be used to our advantage".
Before she could respond, a violent tremor coursed through the ship. Hiro gripped the edge of his console as the alarms blared. He didn’t need to look at the readout to know what had just happened, one of the Phased Pulse Cannons of Euryale’s ship had hit them. The ship groaned under the impact.
The voice of Lieutenant Junior Grade Mirez crackled over the comms, sending a chill down Hiro’s spine. “Aft shield gone, sir. We can’t take another hit like that. The next one will breach the hull.”
Hiro’s heart pounded. He quickly glanced at the status display—shields flickering weakly, engines still online, but for how long? “Damn it,” he muttered, cursing under his breath.
He turned back to the team, his mind calculating their options as the seconds ticked away. “Abrasax, whatever you’re planning, I need it executed immediately. No more time to waste.”
Hiro shot a quick glance at Alena again, offering her a brief nod. “Stay with me, we’re not finished yet.”
"I will", Alena said firmly. "Euryale seems to think that she can't be losing. So far, All she has been doing is chasing us. What if her chasing us could be changing roles? She's clearly used to be the hunter, not the hunted. She expects us to run away where she can pull us back", she said, her tone thoughtful.
The pressure mounted with every passing moment. Their window of survival was closing fast.
The last hit nearly knocked out the Bussard collectors. Abrasax exhaled sharply, relief washing over him as he activated the intake function. The nacelles of the USS Copernicus flared to life, drawing in the precious Metreon gases from the nebula. He jabbed the configuration menu button with practiced urgency, setting the intake to maximum. A frustrated growl escaped his throat as he realized the system physically couldn’t pull in more. They needed another three minutes at full capacity to fill the tanks—and time was a luxury they didn’t have.
“I’m redistributing power among the shields,” Abrasax called out, his voice steady despite the chaos. His fingers flew over the console, finalizing a macro to automatically reinforce the sections facing their pursuer, Euryale. “It’ll take a second longer to adjust for sudden directional shifts,” he added as the program confirmed, his tone clipped but calm.
The deck shuddered under another impact. The reinforced shields held—for now—but Abrasax grimly calculated that two more hits would breach the hull.
“I need another minute at least!” he shouted, his hands moving faster across the console. The Copernicus weaved and darted through the nebula, dodging fire from Euryale’s ship. Sensors spiked as the ship cleared a dense concentration of Metreon gases, vacuuming it into the collectors. But his reprieve was short-lived—another gas cloud, more volatile and thick, began to coalesce directly in their path.
As the ship slid through the forming cloud enveloping them, Abrasax’s mind raced. The gases weren’t yet stable enough to ignite, and Euryale’s reluctance to destroy them outright told him everything he needed to know—she wanted them alive.
“Stop!” Abrasax called, his voice slicing through the tension. “180 degrees—let’s shove this gas down her throat.” His fingers hovered over the eject controls. “I’m ready to vent the gases as soon as we pass over or under her position,” he added, his tone fierce with determination.
The new Metreon cloud obscuring them entirely from Euryale’s sensors. Abrasax read the data on his own console—she had stopped, her ship lurking just beyond the swirling gases. It was a gamble, but the timing was perfect.
“Sensors are blind while we’re in this cloud,” Abrasax muttered, his eyes narrowing as he calculated the manoeuvre. “She should be right in front of us once we turn around.” His hands slightly quivering above the controls, poised to execute his daring counterstrike.
Hiro leaned forward in his chair, his jaw clenched as the Copernicus emerged from the dense Metreon cloud. The view on the main screen shifted—Euryale’s ship loomed directly in front of them, her weapons visibly charging. His decision was immediate.
“Helm, sharp nose dive—now!” Hiro barked, his voice cutting through the chaos on the bridge. “Get us under her ship as fast as we can manage!”
The Copernicus lurched downward, the inertial dampeners momentarily straining to keep up. Hiro’s fingers gripped the armrests as he turned sharply toward Abrasax. “Release the gas as soon as we’re underneath her! Full venting!”
Abrasax's fingers were hovering just above the vent control that when the Nova-class survey starship dived under Euryale's vessel he'd already made contact with the button. It was a second before Hiro ordered it so the young Hybrid was okay with jumping the gun a bit. "Venting!" He announced. The ejection process did take another second or two to start so he glad regardless.
The Copernicus plunged under Euryale’s ship and the impulse engine roared as it pushed forward, weaving through the volatile gases. Hiro’s eyes remained fixed on the tactical display, watching their proximity to the enemy vessel.
“Release it now!” Hiro commanded as the Copernicus cleared the underbelly of Euryale’s ship.
He blushed as he realised that he did jump the gun but to be fair the more the gases spread around Euryale's vessel the better so he checked the tank and saw that it was just about empty. "It's all released in a moment sir, and confirmed Euryale is inside the cloud." Abrasax reported.
“Helm, get us as far from that cloud as you can—fast!” Hiro ordered. The ship surged forward, its Impulse engine roaring as it pushed for maximum speed through the chaotic expanse of the Briar Patch.
“We’re clear of the gas!” the helmsman called out.
Hiro didn’t hesitate. “Light it up, now!”
Didn't need to be told twice. "Aye," Abrasax tapped the phaser control and on screen as it switched to rear view a beam lanced out to make contact with the edge of the cloud. It would cascade through the entire thing.
The screen lit up in a blinding explosion as the Metreon gas ignited. The shockwave rippled outward, colliding with a nearby dense gas pocket, triggering a massive secondary explosion.
“Brace for impact!” Hiro shouted. The Copernicus shuddered violently as the explosion’s force grazed the ship, lights flickering and consoles sparking.
“Damage report!” Hiro called out as the ship steadied.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Mirez’s voice crackled over the comms, strained but composed. “Shields are gone, Captain. Port nacelle is damaged. Warp drive is offline. We’re stuck at impulse for the next…four hours, minimum.”
Hiro exhaled sharply, his grip on the armrests finally relaxing. He turned back to the viewscreen. Euryale’s ship drifted in the distance, its hull scarred and dark, systems flickering weakly. It was dead in the water.
Hiro’s gaze hardened. “Tactical, keep a lock on her position. Helm, maintain our distance. As the crew moved to execute his orders, Hiro leaned back in his chair. They had survived, but it had been far too close.
He then called out to Lyras without turning around, trusting he would know the next question was addressed to him. “Doctor, how is the crew doing? Are there any injuries or…” Hiro didn’t finish what he wanted to say, not wanting to think about the worst.
"I have to head down to sickbay," the doctor reported as he reviewed the incoming data. "Injury reports are coming in." His expression changed, his blue eyes saddening. "Yes . there are casualties sir. With your permission?" He couldn't just leave, could he?
“Understood,” Hiro said quietly, his voice heavy with regret. He paused, gripping the armrest of his chair as if steadying himself. “Go, Doctor. Do what you can.”
His gaze remained fixed on the viewscreen, but the weight of the casualties pressed on him. This was supposed to be a survey mission, not a battlefield. They weren’t meant to leave anyone behind.
Sensors did read some of the nebula that the phaser beam made contact with past Euryale's vessel began to explode as well, Abrasax continue to track the explosions as soon as any advanced towards them. They'd be in trouble.
This had been one hell of a trip. Alena drew in breath as it seemed they were getting out of danger. "I might need a counseling session myself", she muttered under her breath. She thought back to the fight with Euryale. "I need to pick up more of Mrs. Anderson's coins. And a new flashlight", she said, suddenly worn out. The only reason she had known about what Euryale had been was because of Mrs. Anderson's books.
Despite everything that had happened in this place seemed like it was all Euryale's doing, Alena couldn't shake the feeling that there had been more to the story. Before they had been retrieved from the physical fight with Euryale, she had noticed that that angel pendant she had found in her quarters, which was now in a chain around her neck, had been glowing faintly from the moment they had set food on the planet. But why? Alena hated having questions and no answers. One thing she knew for sure, was that she needed to talk to Ma again. All the things she had learned from Mrs. Anderson spoke of something no one really knew about. And Alena needed answers. She just hoped she could get some.
The bridge of the Copernicus was eerily quiet now, the tension having bled into a heavy exhaustion. The viewscreen displayed the Briar Patch in its chaotic beauty, distant pockets of the nebula still roiling with the aftereffects of the Metreon explosions. Euryale’s ship drifted in the background, dark and lifeless. Despite their victory, the price weighed heavily on everyone.
Hiro stood from his chair, his movements slow, deliberate. He glanced around the bridge, taking in the weary faces of his crew. Abrasax remained at his station, his eyes glued to the sensors, tracking the cascading explosions. Alena sat next to the Captain’s chair her thoughts evidently somewhere else than in the here and now. Hiro could see the questions haunting her, questions she wasn’t yet ready to voice.
Then his thoughts went out to Lyras, probably standing amidst the chaos of Sickbay, calm and composed as always. The doctor’s sharp mind and steady hands would be working tirelessly, but Hiro knew the burden Lyras carried wasn’t just medical—it was personal. Every life he couldn’t save would weigh on him, and Hiro wondered how much more the doctor could bear before even his Vulcan discipline faltered.
“Helm,” Hiro said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of the day, “plot a course back to Starbase 21. We’ll make it on impulse if we have to.”
“Aye, sir,” the helmsman replied, inputting the commands. The ship’s engines hummed softly as the Copernicus began to turn, leaving behind the danger and devastation of the Briar Patch.
Hiro stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the screen. The silence stretched as the crew processed what they had endured. Casualties. Damage. The unsettling truths they’d uncovered. This was supposed to be a routine mission—a survey, an exploration. Instead, they had been thrust into something far darker. And Hiro couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
As the Copernicus limped through the nebula, its port nacelle dark and shields down, the crew settled into their duties. Repairs were underway, and the wounded were being treated. Yet, the emotional scars would take far longer to heal.
Yeah that was quite the survey, Abrasax mused as he sat back in his chair at the sciences station. He found himself shaking slightly, like muscles spasming on their own accord randomly but all over. The adrenaline was now receding and fatigue was slowly replacing it, he'd need a full night's sleep at least but Euryale image and reaper like nature probably wasn't going to allow him to.
He had a feeling not any of them might not either for the same reasons, Abrasax hoped that the fatigue will win the battle and keep him from unwelcome nightmares. Only time will tell he supposed as they made their way back to Starbase 21, home. He mused.
Lieutenant Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida
Acting CO Starbase 21
Lieutenant JG Abrasax
Chief Science Officer, SB21
Executive Officer, USS Copernicus
Lieutenant JG Alena Alessa
Chief Counselor
Chief Diplomat
Starbase 21
Lieutenant Lyras
Chief medical officer
USS Copernicus
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