ATC Exeter Chapter 3

 Marine Barracks

Lt Rickaby hated jogging on a treadmill,  no he loathed it but being stuck on a ship ment a marine had to take care of their body and  treadmills and a small gym was all they had to work with. Maybe he thought he could lead a run on the flight deck when there are no flight ops. He'll have to remember to ask the Admiral. His com device beeped. "Marines required Engine Room 1" came a tense voice over the comm. A gruff Scottish voice replied "Alpha Squad meet me there or on the way" a burst of acknowledgements came as a way of reply. Rickaby pressed his comm "Sgt Major keep me updated please" 

what on earth could they need marines in the engine room. 

Sgt Major Mcmullin replied  without any emotion probably wondering why the lieutenant was getting involved 

"Aye Aye lieutenant"

Engine Room 1 

Sgt Mcmullin strode towards the engine room. He could hear the  shouts and snarls as he approached . Behind him 5 marines dressed in their fatigues side arms secured away. He thought it would be a bit much marines in full battle armour turning up to a small disturbance. They walked into the room to find several engineers pinning someone to the ground . Whoever it was, was snarling like a cornered animal and seemed surprisingly strong . 5 engineers were struggling to hold him down, well they were engineers McMullin snorted at his own humorous thought. 

"thank god you're here. He won't stop or listen to reason! " A senior engineer said seemingly in shock at the scene. 

"what happened? Collins, Murphy get that man under control" Mcmullin said. 2 marines jogged over and started restraining the male.  An engineer approached him and his name tag read Simmons. Mcmullin remembered him from the ship's boxing event. Gave the marines number one a proper going over of he recalled

"Sgt I was making my jump check walk through when I discovered this man in the access hatch over there messing with the cables and this piece of tech. He wasn't supposed to be there and when I approached him he lunged at me. I defended myself" Simmons handed over the grey box with wires hanging out. 

Sgt Mcmullin laughed "one punch I bet Simmons. I remember you. What do those cables cover and what is this?" He asked as he turned it over in his hands . It didn't look like a weapon .

Simmons scratched his chin.

 "The cables control the flow of power to our kinetic shields . That" he pointed at the tech in Mcmullins hands "we haven't had a chance to properly examine that thanks to him coming round and trying to attack everyone"

Mcmullin nodded. The man was still struggling and snarling but Collins and Murphy had got plastic cuffs on his wrists though it still had taken Murphy to sit on the man's back. The snarling fighting male was not listening to anyone.  Mcmullin went over to him, "Snap out of it man!!" Nothing, he looked into the man's eyes and saw a soulless stare back at him. Mcmullin shuddered, "Let's get him to the doc, the actual ships doc not our doc " he said knowing they would start heading for the marine corpsman instinctively. "I'll talk to the Lieutenant, it looks like this man tried to sabotage the ship's shields. The rest of you lumps help carry him to the medical wing. " The other marine quickly  jumped into action. Mcmullin pointed at Simmons , "Sir I suggest you head to the Admirals office and wait there after I make my report to the CO. I imagine a few people will want to talk to you. As it appears there is no talking to him. " The marines left the bewildered engineers. Mcmullin tapped his com.

Admiral Thorpes state room

Lt Rickaby stood at attention as the admiral walked past, he was not in a good mood. Being called away from the bridge in the middle of an exercise will do that to an admiral. An engineer stood to attention also and  looked more nervous than Rickaby.

"Enter!!!"

The 2 entered the state room and stood in front of a carved oak desk. The Admiral sat behind it reading a report on his data tablet.

"What the hell is going on?" Admiral Thorpe asked angrily 

"Sir, my marines were called to engine room 1 because of a disturbance. On arrival Engineer Simmons had apprehended what appears to be a saboteur.  The saboteur is currently under sedation in the medical wing ”

Admiral Thorpe looked shocked,

"A saboteur? Are you sure"

Simmons told the admiral his story. 

"Thank you Engineer Simmons you're dismissed. " The engineer walked out as quickly as he could, leaving just Rickaby and the admiral. "Did you interrogate the prisoner Lieutenant"

"Negative sir, the male, a member of the kitchen crew, was delirious. The medical staff tried to calm him but to no avail. They said he has been under some kind of mind control, possibly hypnotic  suggestion.  Whatever it was or appears to have now ruined his mind now " 

"So has he caused any damage? "

Thorpe asked sharply aggravated he had been interrupted from his fleet drill. 

"Negative sir, the engineers stopped him in time but it does seem an unknown party wanted this ship's kinetic shields down soon after we arrived in the system. I did send a message to the other ships' marine detachments advising them to check vital systems . I am waiting on a response " Rickaby finished 

Thorpe seemed to soften slightly at the Lieutenants forward thinking. 

" Excellent. Someone wants this carrier vulnerable in this system, this is intriguing. Return to your station Lieutenant. Report straight to me as soon as you get reports from the other marine detachments' ' Thorpe stood up, returned Rickabys salute and walked towards the bridge. Rickaby decided to get his marines ready for possible action. As he walked out of the Admirals office he activated his com

" Sgt Mcmullin activates the platoon . Full battle armour and weapons please" 

"Aye aye sir"

Marine Barracks

The room was packed with bodies , the bulky battle armour of the marines didn't help the situation and it was rare for the whole platoon to be in the  barracks at the same time. Sgt Mcmullin checked every marine was here and then flashed a quick communication to the lieutenant.

Lt Rickaby walked in and the marines snapped to attention. He motioned them at ease and to sit

"As you are aware Alpha squad caught a saboteur trying to remove our kinetic shields. He was stopped before he could do anything permanent but this means someone or some group wanted this carrier without shields on entry to the system.  This is somewhat worrisome. You have all been assigned various places on ship to guard for the next while. Apart from the rostered  ready squad who will be as normal the ships QRF.  Be aware of anything at all that seems out of place. With this suspicious incident if you see anything that does not feel right you report it . Ok let's  get it done. Dismissed!"  The room burst into life as marines hustled to their assigned locations. Sgt Mcmullins voice echoes down the hall as he reprimanded the odd marine for some minor infraction.  Rickabys comm beeped. He activated it

"Rickaby here," 

"Lieutenant, you have messages coming in from the other ships in the fleet. You requested to be told Asap. " The on duty comms officer said 

"Brilliant thank you" 

Rickaby pulled out a data pad and accessed the messages. He read the first one from the  lieutenant on board the ATC Destroyer  Colorado, it said they had also captured a member of the crew just before they could do anything to the ships Shields. 

Next up was one from the ATC Destroyer Bombay,  no saboteur found near the shields but someone caught trying to damage the engines.

The last message was from the ATC Destroyer New Washington. The lieutenant there reported they had located a saboteur after he had damaged the shields and they were enacting repairs as we speak. 

Not good Rickaby thought, a concentrated effort to cripple the fleet as soon as they entered the system .  He tapped his comm for Admiral Thorpe. A second later

"Yes Lieutenant?"

Rickaby explained the contents of the messages and forwarded them to the Admiral. 

"Excellent work. I will be back in touch if I need you lieutenant"