The long road into the abyss

Posted on 01 Sep 2017 @ 3:17am by Lieutenant Zachariah Cobb

639 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Errand of Mercy
Location: USS Redemption - Shuttle Bay

It was the last great moment of joy in his otherwise pitiful existence. The last occasion when he could recall truly feeling alive, in every way that word had meaning. This ragtag band of Federation and Bajoran soldiers had followed him through the wreckage of countless battles, amongst the bodies of innumerable fallen to this singular moment in time - their first victory. They had dispatched two of the Cardassian ships with ease and were now locked onto the third. With jubilant songs of their heroic exploits already swelling across the bridge, they prepared to open fire...and found themselves plunging headlong into the abyss.

Of all the great minds that had planned the Allied attack at Chin'toka, not one of them had predicted the technological capabilities of the Breen. Forgiveable perhaps, to those ensconced within the safe havens of their meeting rooms. But for the men and women on the front lines who found their vessels rendered as useless as buoys in the blink of an eye, it would prove a fatal miscalculation.

Zachariah Cobb, brilliant engineer and courageous battle Captain, was lost on the crumbling bridge of the USS Albatross that day. What remained in his place was a shell, a weak imitation of a human being built from the wreckage of his ship and the bones of those he had sworn to protect. It was a shell that sent the meagre survivors of his crew stumbling for the escape pods, even as the Breen continued to pick them off like the sitting ducks that they were. It was an imitation that was dragged, kicking and screaming as his ship collapsed around him, his left leg being crushed in the flight. And it was an empty vessel that now huddled at the rear of this passenger shuttle, feigning sleep to ward off unwanted conversation.

The USS Redemption. It felt almost prophetic that Zachariah Cobb, troubled war veteran and all-round misanthropist, would be assigned to a ship with such a name. Almost...hopeful. He chucked silently at the thought, the sound as of bones being ground with one large, Jem'Hadar boot, entirely devoid of humour as if its maker had never found reason to laugh before now. Hope was an addiction he had banished from his life decades ago. Too potent, too dangerous, to entertain even a drop. For failure rode forever in its wake and made it all the more crushing for the dreams that came before.

They had not offered him the Chief spot this time around and in truth he did not blame them. Once upon a time he would have been offended to be given anything less. But these were different times and he a different man, too exhausted now to even notice the pips, dull and tarnished along his collar. Too overcome with apathy to care about anything more ambitious than reaching the end of each shift and seeking alcohol as his well-earned reward. In times like this he often wondered just why he had abandoned his retirement, the solitude of Nantucket seeming a paradise in comparison. But in truth engineering was the only thing left that could distract Zachariah from the desolation that was once his soul.

"Preparing to dock with the USS Redemption," came a voice from the cockpit. "Get ready to disembark."

Cobb remained seated as the others passed him by, reaching for his solitary bag of personal effects; the culmination of a life wasted represented by a handful of crumpled schematics and a single, half-empty bottle of whiskey. Then finally, once the compartment had cleared and he found himself alone, Zachariah climbed slowly to his feet, his bad leg aching with the strain of movement, and shuffled out into the shuttle bay, to see who might be laying in wait to greet him.

Lt Cobb (Assistant Chief of Engineering)

 

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