Ambivalent

Waking up was always the hardest thing. Waking up to the sound of emergency alarms, well that was just plain unsettling. Her body jolted out of place and her vision was still fuzzy as she stumbled out of her room. What the fuck? The lights were all flashing along the narrow corridors of the ship and she ran straight for the bridge to see what was happening. Upon entering she saw her fellow crew mates scrambling to get things back in order. For fuck’s sake everyone is running around with heads cut off. Regardless of the fact she had just woken up she was quick to do her duties. The ship had been hit with an unforeseen on slot of meteorites. It had done some serious damage to the life support systems on the ship. She looked to Kal who had sweat collecting on his brow.

“The meteorites managed to hit our oxygen supply and our thrusters have been incapacitated,” he spoke in a disbelieving tone.

“Send out the emergency transmission,” she ordered. She garnered no response so she turned to look at Pajari. “Pajari send out the emergency transmission, our life support system has been damaged significantly we need help.”

“We are beyond help Gerik, we are out of range for Federation assistance.”

“I’m aware we are out of range Sir but we have no other options. If we have lost our life support than we ought to remain calm and do everything we can to ensure that we survive this.”

“Pajari send out the transmission, Kal see what you can do about the oxygen levels. Gerik you go with him and assist.”

“Of course Sir,” Kal said as he got up to head out the bridge. She followed behind her comrade with an air of calm about her regardless of the serious situation. When they reached the area she immediately knew that things were not going to go well for any of them. The pair exchanged the knowing looks. There was so much damage that it would require days to repair but those were days they did not have. As Kal began to contact the bridge to break the news, Gerik had noticed that this was no meteor struck the life support system as it had pierced through to expose itself on the other side. Embedded was shard of metal, metal that seemed to have been used on Starfleet vessels of larger scale. Not exactly versed on everything to do with the past vessels but she knew it was not the same metal they continued to use in her time. It reminded her of what possible vessel would be near the area in order to rescue them and a smile formed on her lips all she had to do was buy them some time. Kal turned to her with a questioning look as she took over the intercom.

“Enterprise should be near but not near enough to get here before our oxygen supply runs out. Get everyone to the science lab, there are five cryogenic pods, inducing a cryogenic state will maximize the time in which oxygen will continue to ventilate through our ship. We need to use as little oxygen as possible without damaging our brains. All we have to do is set the auto pilot and anchor us to this area.”

Those in the bridge looked to the captain who nodded in agreement with Gerik’s message. It was about all they had to work with. Captain Czarian began the steps needed to set up the auto pilot while both Kal and Gerik rerouted the remaining oxygen to the science lab. The crew met in the science lab or rather Cadet Gerik’s work space. She prepared the pods knowing that one of the five did not work. One by one she led her crew mates into the cryogenic tubes that worked. Out of the five, she was far calmer and able to control her breathing levels. And out of the five she was the only one without a spouse or children. It seemed only right that she be the one to wait it out.

As Captain Czarian got into the tube, Cadet Gerik gave him a reassuring smile. He did not appreciate the smile but before he could say anything she closed the pod, initializing the cryogenic process. She moved to the computers, sending out the transmissions on intervals that were every thirty seconds. There was an alarm that came on warning the ship of its diminishing life support. Still with no reply from Enterprise she couldn’t help but feel a bit frightened. This can’t possibly be the end, I can figure this out. Her eyes went to the sample station and she recalled her findings of a new alien plant that could be used to slow down the heart rate to the point of an induced comatose or in laymen’s terms it was poison. The plant had yet to be tested properly and ingesting it could be lethal if too much was taken. However she knew the oxygen would run out for her if she didn't somehow lower her exertion levels. She wasn’t a doctor, no not at all, she hadn’t even finished her schooling yet she was on this ship left with a choice; a choice that could either end her life or save it.