Lieutenant Bella Reynolds cursed the universe as her long legs propelled her through the dimly-lit corridors of the U.S.S. Chalice. She'd thought it a dream when the transfer notice came through, remembered almost pressing her face against the viewport of the shuttle taking her to the Constitution-class starship as it swung around the majestic vessel, but now, only a few months later, it was more like a nightmare.
The Chalice shook as another volley of photon torpedoes crashed into it, almost throwing Reynolds off her feet. Pushing against the wall she continued along the now-tilting passageway, desperately trying to recall the location of the nearest escape pod-bay amid all the chaos. Pausing for a moment at an intersection Reynolds took a step towards a group of rapidly-approaching officers, only to freeze as a forcefield snapped into existence between her and them. A section of ceiling just disintegrated into fiery nothingness as it was consumed by the energies unleashed by an exploded torpedo, the officers suddenly sucked into space in a tangle of limbs, and Reynolds stared at where they'd been in mute horror.
Sparks flying from behind a nearby panel spurred the lieutenant back into moving and she began glancing at the plaques next to each door as she passed them, now vaguely recognizing where she was. With a deep sigh of relief Reynolds slipped into a pod-bay, a frown distorting her aristocratic features when she realized that all the escape pods were already gone. Stifling a cry of frustration she darted back into the corridor, brushing a thick lock of blonde hair from her face, and glanced around.
Reynolds had been sleeping when the Chalice had come under attack, rudely woken by the harsh blaring of an alarm. Hurriedly dressing in her blue tunic she'd rushed from her quarters, only getting as far as the nearest turbolift before the alarm changed. The new sound was the call to abandon ship and so she'd fled from the turbolift, pounding along the corridor as though she was pursued by the devil himself.
Shaking herself back to the present Reynolds swiftly resumed her search, briefly wondering if she were the last living person aboard the dying Constitution-class starship. After a few seconds the lieutenant noticed that the Chalice had stopped being hit by weapons-fire, a disturbing thought flashing through her mind, and she quickened her pace.
A single escape pod remained in the third bay Reynolds encountered and she crouched to lift the hatch, sliding feet-first into the tubular craft once it was raised. Stretching she pulled the hatch closed with one hand, wriggling to move the other to the small control panel and then tapped the button marked 'launch'.
With a twang the escape pod was catapulted away from the Chalice, speeding through the blackness of space. A small screen appeared in front of Reynolds' face, a map of the local area appearing, and she continued wriggling to manipulate the controls, the map being replaced by the feed from a camera. The Chalice dominated the view and Reynolds felt her eyes mist up as she watched the stricken vessel.
Where the bridge had been was now an ugly crater, a warp nacelle was slowly drifting away from the shattered pylon it had been attached to, and countless breaches marred the hull. A chime sounded out, the map returning, and Reynolds checked each icon now visible, all of them beacons mounted aboard escape pods like her own.
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