Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2018 11:35:30 GMT -8
"The younger isn't here, just his badge," came the comm to the Brige.
Primmin fumed. "Understood." He should've known better than to think this would be easy with Roman involved.
"Shall we pursue," the helm officer asked.
"No," George replied. "We have what we need and we'll never find him in there." He gestured to the undulating fields of the Badlands. "Tell the Fleet to set up a perimeter. We'll nab him when he tires and comes out."
The Captain's fingers toggled the comm. "Primmin to Sickbay. Roman's in the cargo hold. You have your orders."
~~~
Victor sat on the small cot that had been prepared for him and looked around the cargo bay. The enclosure abutted one of the walls of the hold, which included a replicator centrally located. Obviously, he was going to be there a while if they intended for him to sleep and eat. The rest of the shielded enclosure was less comforting. It included a variety of instruments, medical equipment and devices of which he had no idea as to its purpose. Standing outside the field was a Vulcan security guard, the alien presence confusing the matter in Victor's mind.
The confusion compounded quickly as the doctor, an Orion, entered the bay. Her brow was furrowed and she opened her mouth to speak twice before any words finally emerged. "You will pick up the tricorder and scan yourself using the predefined settings," she said to Victor.
"Like hell I will," he replied.
She glanced at the Vulcan, who had stepped closer to the field. While his face was a stoic mask, hers was not. Victor didn't have to be skilled at reading facial expressions to see the fear.
"Primmin's going to make you come in if I refuse, isn't he?"
She remained silent, but her eyes pleaded with him.
He turned to look at the Vulcan. "You'll be exposed, too."
"We have our orders," the man said evenly, as if he was discussing the day's menu in the mess hall.
If the Orion died, would Primmin send in one after another until the bodies lined up in front of him, Victor wondered. Or would they kill him and-
"Whatever's inside of me needs me alive," he concluded. The threat to kill them earlier...it was a bluff. Victor cursed loudly. Was Primmin bluffing now with the sacrificial aliens? What was his game? "Answer this straight up and then I'll decide what I'm going to do." He stood and approached the screen, ignoring the Vulcan and focusing all his attention on the Orion. "What side is Primmin on?"
"Sir, I-" She took a breath. "I really don't know."
"Is he ready to give up the lives of all the Federation alien citizens? Are you?"
"I just want to know what this is," she said honestly. "Maybe I can find a way to prevent it from spreading. If you cooperate, maybe we can save those lives."
His eyes narrowed. He was tired of being played, but she seemed so genuine. Knowing Hunter, whatever it was would not be fully answered by a simple tricorder reading, so Victor decided to at least allow that. As he walked over to the table and picked up the device, he could see the Orion visibly relax.
Primmin fumed. "Understood." He should've known better than to think this would be easy with Roman involved.
"Shall we pursue," the helm officer asked.
"No," George replied. "We have what we need and we'll never find him in there." He gestured to the undulating fields of the Badlands. "Tell the Fleet to set up a perimeter. We'll nab him when he tires and comes out."
The Captain's fingers toggled the comm. "Primmin to Sickbay. Roman's in the cargo hold. You have your orders."
~~~
Victor sat on the small cot that had been prepared for him and looked around the cargo bay. The enclosure abutted one of the walls of the hold, which included a replicator centrally located. Obviously, he was going to be there a while if they intended for him to sleep and eat. The rest of the shielded enclosure was less comforting. It included a variety of instruments, medical equipment and devices of which he had no idea as to its purpose. Standing outside the field was a Vulcan security guard, the alien presence confusing the matter in Victor's mind.
The confusion compounded quickly as the doctor, an Orion, entered the bay. Her brow was furrowed and she opened her mouth to speak twice before any words finally emerged. "You will pick up the tricorder and scan yourself using the predefined settings," she said to Victor.
"Like hell I will," he replied.
She glanced at the Vulcan, who had stepped closer to the field. While his face was a stoic mask, hers was not. Victor didn't have to be skilled at reading facial expressions to see the fear.
"Primmin's going to make you come in if I refuse, isn't he?"
She remained silent, but her eyes pleaded with him.
He turned to look at the Vulcan. "You'll be exposed, too."
"We have our orders," the man said evenly, as if he was discussing the day's menu in the mess hall.
If the Orion died, would Primmin send in one after another until the bodies lined up in front of him, Victor wondered. Or would they kill him and-
"Whatever's inside of me needs me alive," he concluded. The threat to kill them earlier...it was a bluff. Victor cursed loudly. Was Primmin bluffing now with the sacrificial aliens? What was his game? "Answer this straight up and then I'll decide what I'm going to do." He stood and approached the screen, ignoring the Vulcan and focusing all his attention on the Orion. "What side is Primmin on?"
"Sir, I-" She took a breath. "I really don't know."
"Is he ready to give up the lives of all the Federation alien citizens? Are you?"
"I just want to know what this is," she said honestly. "Maybe I can find a way to prevent it from spreading. If you cooperate, maybe we can save those lives."
His eyes narrowed. He was tired of being played, but she seemed so genuine. Knowing Hunter, whatever it was would not be fully answered by a simple tricorder reading, so Victor decided to at least allow that. As he walked over to the table and picked up the device, he could see the Orion visibly relax.