BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The sound of the computer signaling his preset alarm to wake him up at 0600 started going off. Commander Kirok Skyrunner groaned in protest of the alarm. The computer continues to beep.

“Alright, I’m up,” Kirok grumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Stupid computer.”

The computer bleeped once to acknowledge he was awake, resetting the alarm. He passed over to the washroom to shower, then get dressed. He decided to wear civilian clothes today, as it is his last day on leave before officially taking command of the USS Carlsbad. After finishing off a cup of coffee, he decided to wander the Starbase one last time, before he had to check in with the Station Commander about his command.

He exited his quarters and walked down the corridor. He entered the turbo lift and told the computer he wanted the Lower Promenade. The computer bleeped acknowledgement and the lift started to move. There was a sudden brief flash of blinding white light, then it disappeared. He looked around and he saw nothing strange. He was still in the lift and it was still moving down. Thinking nothing of it, he started thinking ahead.

The lift stopped and opened up. He walked out at his usual walking pace, that rivaled a certain bearded famous Commander. It was 0800 station time and he was able to walk at his usual pace for about 39 seconds, when he suddenly stopped. He slowly looked around the Lower Promenade, straining to hear anything and on alert for anyone. It was dead quiet in a place that should be bustling with activity. Concerned, he tapped his comm badge.

“This is Commander Skyrunner to Operations, come in.”

Just static was the response. Kirok tried again. Received only static again.

“Hmm. No one in Operations on a major Starbase? Very odd. Think I better check it out,” Kirok said to himself out loud.

He walked back to the turbo lift and keyed for Operations.

“Access Restricted. Enter Command access code,” came the cold, crisp computer response.

“Computer, this is Commander Kirok Skyrunner, access code Beta-Delta-Seven-One-Six-Echo.”

“Command code accepted. Access grants to Operations.”

The computer responded and the lift started going up. Kirok thought he would try his comm badge again.

“This is Commander Skyrunner to any Starfleet Officer on Starbase 74, please acknowledge.” He waited a few seconds, then repeated himself.

He waited a few minutes for a response and got none. The lift doors opened to the Operations level of Starbase 74. He slowly stepped forward and was shocked at what he saw…or what he did not see. He saw absolutely no one at any of the stations. It looked abandoned. Slightly stunned, he slowly walked in a circle, counterclockwise, looking at each station for its current status. Everything seemed to look normal. There were no blips on the tactical sensors and weapons were powered down at the Tactical station. As he walked to the main Sciences stations, he looked at the available sensor scans.

“That’s odd. I can see that there is an odd power reading in the near vicinity of the Starbase, but the systems seem to be frozen,” Kirok said to himself.

He continued his circle and stopped at the Master Systems Display. There was a power anomaly that confirms what he saw on sensors. However, it looks too undefined to locate. He walked on to the Engineering station. Somehow, he was able to access internal sensors, so he conducted a full internal scan for life signs, and waited.

The computer bleeped a few seconds later with the results. He looked at the sensor scan report and cursed in Klingon.

“How in the hells can there be absolutely no one on this Starbase?!”

He yelled out loud, more to himself, since no one was around to answer him. He thought it might be a sensor glitch, so he scanned two more times and got the exact same results all three times. He was the only life form on Starbase 74. Feeling like he was hit by a phaser on stun, he stumbled back and luckily landed in an empty chair. Once he overcame his shock, Kirok laughed out loud. He decided this must be some kind of trick or he ended up in a holodeck. He tapped his comm badge.

“Computer, report the location of Commander Kirok Skyrunner.”

The computer responded back, “Commander Kirok Skyrunner is located on the Operations level.”

“Hmm, maybe it is not a trick by my friends or someone from the station. My wife loves to tease me, but this is beyond her ability.”

He brought his right hand to his chin, cradling his jaw, lost in deep thought. Sitting in his chair, he slowly turned in his chair, examining the whole Operations deck with eagle eyes. Unfortunately not finding anything, other than a strange energy field, but he can locate that. He shrugged his shoulders and asked the computer a desperate question.

“Computer, where did everyone go that is supposed to be assigned to this Starbase?”

After a few seconds, the computer replied in an emotionless tone.

“The correct crew complement of Starbase 74 is one, a Commander Kirok Skyrunner, commanding officer for Starbase 74.”

Kirok laughed out loud again to the ridiculous response.

“Seriously computer?! You say I can run this whole massive Starbase alone?!”

The computer replied, “please restate your question.”

“Just shut up, you waste of gelpacks and computer chips,” Kirok said, now getting frustrated and angry.

His frustration and anger started turning into fear and loneliness as it seems to feel like hours now since he discovered he is alone on this station.

“This is not funny at all,” he shouted to no one.

He waited for some kind of response from the trickster that all of Starfleet knows.

“Ok, guess that isn’t it either. Thought I’d try.”

He started feeling hopeless as time went by. It felt like days would go by with no relief for the loneliness. After about two weeks, from Kirok’s sense of time, he realized he was alone, he started talking to the computer as if it was a real person.

Suddenly, the red alert klaxons started blaring and the computer announced the warning.

“Red Alert! Hull breach in sector H, decks 2 through 5. Explosive decompression.”

Cursing in Klingon again, Kirok ordered the computer to identify what happened.

“Unknown gaseous entity has breached the hull. Interior sensors show the hull and interior areas being dissolved by the gaseous entity. Starbase structural integrity is down 12%”

Kirok sat in his chair for a minute, thinking.

“Computer, do a full scan and compute what is a probable solution?”

“Working…no solution known.”

“You are a lot of help,” Kirok replied. “I’m not gonna die alone today.”

He walked to the Communication Station and keyed the Emergency Channel.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday…this is Commander Kirok Skyrunner onboard Starbase 74, sending a general distress call for assistance. I am alone here and facing a critical emergency. The hull and structure of the base has been compromised and I don’t want to die here…alone.”

Another explosion shook the whole base and Kirk felt the vibration through the deck plates. He asked his only friend a desperate question.

“Computer, what can I do?”

The computer responded in its usual cold tone.

“Please restate the question.”

“Help me,” Kirok pleaded, the feelings of fear and despair filling his heart.

Another explosion rocked the station, this time a main plasma conduit was damaged. Computer consoles exploded as power conduits blew from overload. The lights in Operations went dark suddenly. Additional explosions followed, as if whatever was happening was intensifying. Another verbal warning from the computer.

“Warning, Starbase structural integrity down to 22%. Main reactor structure damaged, breach is imminent.”

Fear firmly set in now, Kirok didn’t know what to do now.

“Personal log, Stardate 92492.3. Commander Kirok Skyrunner recording. It feels like it has been weeks since my last personal log, but I’m sure I just did it yesterday,” Kirok scratched the top of his head , as if he was trying to recall if he actually did or not. “Whether it has been minutes or weeks, I have been alone the whole time I’ve been here on Starbase 74. I can’t explain what happened to the whole station crew. I am alone here.”

Another explosion, closer this time. The shockwave shook the station and caused Kirok to fall out of his chair. Picking himself back up, he sat down in his chair again, resuming his log entry.

“There appears to be no chance of any rescue, since I’m not sure I was able to contact anyone. Therefore, I am using this log entry to give a final farewell message to my wife, Captain Sophia Rodriguez of the USS Thunderdragon.”

Kirok proceeded to record an intimate final message for her, full of his feelings and thoughts he has in his heart as he faces certain death.

Another explosion shook the Starbase. His door was dented inward due to shrapnel from a close explosion.

“I love you always, my wife,” Kirok whispered to himself.

A final explosion destroyed the entire Starbase as the reactor core breached.

Kirok opened his eyes and saw only a blinding white light. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, but it did not help. Then he heard a faint voice say something. Kirok strained to hear it.

“Well, you don’t belong here. Back you go,” a strange voice told him.

Next thing Kirok saw was the inside of the turbo lift, and felt the sensation of being in the turbo lift going down. Kirok looked around the interior of the lift, a wave of disorientation falling off him.

Before panic could set in Kirok, his survival training kicked in and he came to his senses quickly. The turbo lift stopped and the doors opened up, revealing the entire Lower Promenade. Kirok stepped out slowly, taking in all the flurry of activity that is happening on a regular morning on the Lower Promenade. Kirok continued to look around in a slow circle.

“What just happened to me,” Kirok asked himself quietly.

Before he could answer himself, a Starfleet Admiral and his aides came straight to him. Kirok glanced down and saw he was in civilian clothes. He stood at attention when the Admiral stopped in front of him.

“At ease, Captain. This is not a formal meeting. I thought maybe we can have breakfast together and have a friendly chat about your new command…off the books,” the Admiral asked Kirok.

Relaxing, Kirok replied.

“Of course Admiral. I have never been down the Lower Promenade before. What do you suggest? Are the aides coming too?”

The Admiral glanced at the aides and then lifted a hand, dismissing them. The Admiral then said to Kirok.

“Follow me, I know a place down here.”

So both the Admiral and Captain Skyrunner walked together and started talking about the future.