Mind to Mind

Posted on Sat May 25th, 2024 @ 12:42pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson

Mission: Man & Machine
Location: Planet

Deanna focused her mind. This was going to be something very different. No pressure, if this didn't work, they would likely just be lost and assumed dead. She slowed her breathing to a more steady, calm pace, as if she were preparing to meditate. Slowly she opened her mind and attempted to make a connection with the creature.

She felt herself make contact with the creature. The initial contact was strange yet had certain familiarities for her. The thoughts of the creature were not complex, or rather, not as complex as she would get from a fully sentient humanoid. But the thoughts she was getting were muted, not nearly as abundant or powerful as she anticipated. Then it dawned on her as to why, the creature was asleep, or more precisely, hibernating.

She began to probe the creatures mind, hoping that the creature would awaken enough to take note of her. She never realized how different and difficult it might be to awaken a creature, any creature, from a deep slumber.

On the surface, a dozen or so meters above where Jon and Deanna were, John Connor and a team stood and looked at the smoking remains of the machine complex in the nearby distance. The assault the Washington had leveled upon the machines had, at least at this point, apparently won the war for them in a single strike. It was impressive, but it appeared at this point that it hadn't come without a cost. It looked as if they had lost the two officers sent to be spotters. Connor now had some of his people searching for them, but it looked as if the blasts might have been stronger than what had been anticipated.

Jon lay in the tomb he and Deanna shared as he waited for her to try and contact the creature she sensed. He slowed his breathing; air was a concern as he didn't know how much they had left in this dark tomb that restricted their movements to practically none.

He tried again to move but was stuck fast except for his left arm which he could move as well as his right though its mobility was severely limited. He waited in anticipation as Deanna made her attempt. He knew she would leave no stone unturned her attempt. She a consummate officer and a damn good friend. He didn't think he had told her how much he valued her and her friendship. He chuckled silently as he wondered why people always had these types of thoughts in these types of situations. Was it because the situation was hopeless? He didn't prescribe to that thought. He was confident in Deanna's ability to make contact and if that failed, they would find another way to free themselves. For now, all he could do is wait.

Deanna continued to focus her mind as she tried to make the connection with the creature. She felt its autonomic thoughts, breathing, heartbeat, the basic functions of life. She recalled a scientific paper she read during her time at the Academy written by Lt Cmdr Data about the Borg and the various file directories they had when he connected into their system. It was from the first Borg incursion, just after the Battle of Wolf 359. It was Data who was ultimately responsible for the saving of Earth and likely the Federation, when he input a simple command telling the drones to sleep. That was a thought for Deanna. This creature was in a basic function, sleeping, or hibernation as it were, and she simply needed to put in a thought to wake.

She began to focus her thoughts to the creature, sending the signal for it to awaken. She didn't seem to get a reaction at first. She continued to send the message to the creature, but it was beginning to get difficult. She could feel the air getting thin. This makeshift tomb they found themselves in was rapidly becoming exactly what they thought it was. She could live with this being her last moments, but Jon was her friend, and his death would be disastrous on Callie and the family.

On the surface, John Connor stood atop a hill of dirt and debris with his wife. The search teams hadn't located any sign of Jon or Deanna, and for John Connor, he felt the pressing need to get into the remnants of the machine complex. He turned to his wife, "I think we need to inform them that they are lost."

Kate Connor wiped a tear from her cheek. She hadn't known these people that long, but the loss of any life at this point was heartbreaking. She was aware that Cmdr Grayson was married, and his wife was currently pregnant, just as she was. She knew how devastating it would be if she lost John, and she didn't want to tell that to these people who had come and saved them from this deadly war. She was about to express her agreement when the ground began to shake.

John looked at Kate, "We don't have earthquakes."

Kate looked at the ground and then at him, "Torterra. We are standing on a Torterra, and it is waking up."

Connor yelled out, "Torterra! Everybody get clear!" as he and Kate rushed down off the would-be hill. As they cleared the hill, dirt and metal debris began to slide off as the ground shook and the hill seemed to rise, the trees atop of the hill stretching up into the sky. As the excess dirt and debris slid off the creature as it stood up fully, Kate Connor marveled. "This might be the largest one I have ever seen. It has to be at least 300 years old to get to this size" she said to her husband.

John watched as the massive creature rose to its full height, marveling much as his wife, and then he noticed something. It was tough to distinguish because everything seemed to be the same shades due to the color leach from the radiated dirt, but it looked like two bodies tumbled off the Torterra. He rushed towards the discarded piles and saw the bodies. "Kate!" he yelled as he pulled the bodies from the pile.

Kate rushed over and began to do what she could. The EV suits she had seen them put on were completely thrashed, blackened by radioactive dirt and soot. She removed the helmet from the first body. It was Cmdr Grayson. She checked his vitals; they were weak. His pulse was barely present, his breathing was weak and shallow. She quickly checked him for blocked airway and then injected him with a local medicine designed to open his airways. She smiled as he began to cough, his eyes opening slowly.

The air was getting thin, it was harder to breathe. The makeshift tomb Deanna and Jon were trapped in was about to become tomb for real as Deanna's attempts to awaken the creature had been futile. If this was the end, he was happy to know he and Deanna had a part in saving an entire race of people. He was dismayed Deanna was also going to die. She was a a good friend and the world would a poorer place with her gone. However, he was deeply saddened by the fact he wouldn't see Callie and Harry or the yet to be born twins. *I love you, Callie. Now and for all eternity. It looks like I broke my promise. I'm sorry darling. * It was his last thought before the world went dark.

John Connor pulled the second body over easier than the first. "This one is easier, but I definitely think it is in more distress" he said as he placed the body down next to the other and Kate. He saw that she had revived the first body and it was Cmdr Grayson, which meant this was Deanna. Her suit was in even worse shape than Grayson's had been. He pulled the broken helmet off her as his wife came to check on her. "I'm not reading any vitals. She isn't breathing!"

Kate quickly checked her airway and then started CPR. She began chest compressions, 5 compressions followed by 3 breaths. Again and again she kept working on her, desperately trying to bring her back from the abyss.

Jon's eyes fluttered several times before they finally opened, he coughed, and his eyes were unfocused but became focused as he looked around and saw John and Kate and several other members of their team gathered around him. "Deanna?" He croaked as he worked his mouth spitting dirt that had gotten in. Looking around after not getting an answer he saw Kate working on Deanna. He crawled over to her. "Deanna! Deanna!" He yelled with as much strength as he could muster, "Don't you die Deanna Celes! Don't you dare! We need you! The captain needs you, you aren't a quitter, Deanna! Fight! Fight! Come back to us!" He rasped.

Deanna coughed as she slowly came back to life. She rocked lightly and groaned softly. "I deserve a vacation after this" she joked in a raspy voice. Her eyes slowly cleared and images came into focus. The first person to come into view was Kate Connor who looked flush and a bit emotional. Deanna coughed again as she propped herself up on her elbows and looked around, finally seeing Jon, "Looks like the plan worked. You survive to have Callie kill you" she quipped.

John Connor signaled for one of his people to come over. He took hold of the communication device, "Calling the Washington. Come in. We found your people, and they are doing well and salty as ever."

Deanna looked at Jon as she slowly got up, "We are salty? I always thought I was a sweet."

Jon helped her or rather they helped each other to stand. He listened to John contact the Washington. Then looked at Deanna as she made the comment about her being sweet. "Frankly Deanna I thought we were quick fried to a crackly crunch after this last episode." He said with a lopsided grin.

Deanna nodded. "Before the tricobalt device struck the facility, I detected chronometric particles building up in that facility. They obviously reacted with the tricobalt device, and we got deep fried like a fresh order of mozzarella sticks. I'll be interested in seeing what was creating those particles." She began to turn to look for the creature, "I'd like to see our savior" and then got her first glimpse of it and stood in awe.

Deanna hit her comm badge, =^=Celes to Shran. Captain, we are alive and well. Request you land the ship if possible or come down by shuttle at our position. Get Inara here immediately, there is something she has to see. =^=

Deanna reached out one more telepathically, reaching out to the creature. The creature was now awake, but its mind was foggy. It was obvious the creature was getting its bearings. Deanna sent a message of gratitude, letting the behemoth know they were thankful for its assistance. The creature turned slightly to look at them and gave a soft bellow before turning back around and slowly lumbering away towards the ocean.

Kate Connor leaned in onto her husband, "It's over. The war is finally over" she said softly to him.

"So it seems. But I am going to make sure before I celebrate" he replied, his eyes fixed on the distance at the smoking ruins of the Skynet complex.