There Can Be Only One
Posted on Oct 25, 2016 @ 12:48pm by Thomas Varn
Edited on on Oct 25, 2016 @ 12:49pm
Mission: Fortress: Earth
“There Can Be Only One”
(Continued from “The Tide Turns”)
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Location: Point Bonita Facility
Scene: Corridor
Stardate: [2.16] 1025.0116
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The corridor felt empty, abandoned like an unwanted child in the dark alley ways of a low level slum. The air had grown thick, not with tension or stress, but with excitement and adrenaline to the point that anyone would feel a genuine high from being saturated by its presence. Amid the stark and bleak, monochromatic coloring of the corridor stood a figure dressed in white, almost as if a lab coat had been placed upon his shoulders and at his feet a hulk of a human resting, possibly dead, no not dead his chest still lifting and lowering with constant life giving breaths. It wasn’t in the general nature, or so he felt presently, for Thomas to care about his fellow man, or hulk called a man; and, yet something compelled him deep inside to call out and take the life of this wretched soul who until recently declared under no certain terms that he did not trust Thomas.
Uncertainty had crept into the back of Thomas mind as he slowly lowered his frame into a position squatting down next to Barton’s body. Uncertainty surrounding the fact that for all Thomas could tell James Barton had no clue that he was with the away team, as he and everyone else headed out without much of a word to him leaving him to fall behind the group. Now, it was down to just the two of them a man that seemed to loathe, no, hate Thomas with ever fiber of being he could muster and a science officer who cared very little for the man or how he felt.
Slowly standing and dusting off his clothing for good measure Thomas took a few steps positioning himself near Barton’s feet. It was not his intention to be rude to the man but even Thomas knew that with his augmented strength James Barton was still a large sack of potatoes he did not want to lug around on his shoulders. Bending over Thomas smiled looking back as the figure now seemed to lay upside down from his perspective only to have the view corrected as he returned to a corrected posture with his hand securely around Barton's ankle lifting his leg into the air.
“Well, best be off,” Thomas remarked looking over his shoulder before giving a quick glance to Barton still lying on the floor before walking forward. Barton’s sheer size was daunting when he stood erect and his weight, dead weight if the scrambling went wrong, was mind boggling even to Thomas who gingerly moved down the corridor hearing Barton's skull slightly lift and fall with the separations of the bulkheads, “you know, we could be terribly good friends you and I; but, I don’t believe it will ever come to work. Why you ask? Well Mr. Barton, since you so pleasantly inquired, it would be a horribly one sided conversation, and you would need to remain, well as pleasant as you can be. In other words my vegetative friend, you’d have to remain like this for ever, which I consider an improvement.”
Barton remained silent only responding in unison with the bulkhead separations as the duo made their way back to the shuttle. Thomas wasn’t sure but the quick paced walk that placed them at their last position seemed relatively quick compared to continuing stroll that seemed to never want to cease. Shrugging to himself allowing his shoulders to rise and fall Thomas resolved to continue on and enjoy the peace while he had it to enjoy. The walk was in fact a welcome respite from the hustle of hunting down a madman, even if there were two already in the corridor now, that seemed to consume every waking moment of every day.
“You’re quite right James, may I call you James? I do agree that the nastiness of the weapon does seem to be a deep seeded hatred not only for other species within the galaxy but for humanity itself,” Thomas remarked smiling as he stepped over a raised bulkhead into a hatch like doorway, “in fact, I believe you could argue that the good Admiral had no intention of ever allowing Earth to remain unscathed.”
The conversation seemed to be running quite smoothly until Thomas was forcibly stopped by unexpected resistance coming from his counterpart in toe. Twisting his torso slightly to look behind him Thomas shook his head allowing his tongue to click against the roof of his mouth, “tsk tsk tsk James, this will never do. I am aware of your duty; but, I have orders to get you back to the submerso-ship we have waiting in the hangar.”
Gently lowering Barton’s ankle to the bulkhead below them Thomas walked back to the doorway looking at the other side. Nodding he reached down and gently removed the particular piece of cloth that was clinging to an edge of the hatch as if screaming to be free of this winged nutjob. Quickly examining the body Thomas smiled in satisfaction that the journey could begin once again; but, only after he moved Barton’s head from the roughly ten centimeter high hatch doorway before it fell to the floor.
“Fr….Fr..Freeze!”
Thomas’ body in natural reaction stiffened remaining in the squatted position that he had found himself currently in. The air had changed in the small section of the corridor as something seemed to thicken the once charged and light adrenaline feeling with a heavy musk and sodium flavor.
“Slow...slowly stand to your feet.”
Thomas smiled listening to what seemed to be a second voice behind him only wondering what must be going through James’ mind at the moment. The uncertainty that filled the very major and minor notes of each syllable seemed to swirl in his mind like a symphony of pheromone infused overtures. It was with the second voice that Thomas realized what the change had been and he so wanted to ask James if he caught the slight nuisance of fear that now seemed to slowly fill the air.
“Turn...turn around, slowly!”
Nodding his head slightly in compliance Thomas smiled as the scene unfolded before his eyes. With each step the took a dramatic tableau was unveiled against the monochromatic backdrop of a Starfleet corridor. Before him the brave and the young, or was it the young and the stupid, declared their dominance weapons drawn, courage desperately trying to choke the fear that dwelled inside, and perspiration gradually rolling down their faces.
“Drop...drop your weapon,” one of the young security officers, a tellarite female, declared only to allow the look of confusion to fill her face at her own statement.
Thomas smiled and showed his hands which were visibly empty, “I do believe I have no weap…”
“Shut up!”
Thomas eyes swirled with yellow at the abrupt and rude interruption given by the tellarite females, terran male counterpart. Raising his hands to show the duo his palms Thomas’ brow furrowed as his right hand curled only leaving his index finger pointing upward. Clicking his tongue he smiled softly as his finger moved from side to side, “tsk tsk tsk, my young man. You had control of the situation well in hand and such rudeness was not called for. You see the two of you have caught me at a disadvantage as the only weapon I have is collectively contained in the muscle layout of my dear friend currently sleeping on the floor. Say, what are you two doing here anyway are you a bit young to be stationed here?”
“We...we are trusted,”
“Shh, don’t tell him anything Lirro,” the young terran male declared stepping forward reasserting his position and grip upon the phaser rifle pointed square at Thomas’ chest.
“Lirro is it? Well, my name is Thomas and it’s a pleasure to meet you. See I was just taking this prisoner here to the medical facilities after he lost a fight with fine security men and women such as yourself; but, he is proving quite the task to carry by myself,” Thomas stated his smile soft and tender.
The security duo looked to one another before returning their stare to Thomas, who the entire time kept his gaze focused on their eyes. The air changed again, the musky aroma that once filled and laced each molecule moving freely seemed to lessen as the pair slowly began to feel more at ease. Thomas smiled softly again as the young terran male’s grip loosened slightly on the phaser rifle, although it was still aimed at Thomas’ chest.
“Say, you don’t think. Well, you don’t think the two of you could help me could you,” Thomas asked slowly moving his hands to his hips before gesturing over Barton’s body, “he’s a big fella.”
Shaking his head the young human male continued to watch Thomas intently, only looking away for a moment when Lirro’s hand touched his shoulder and gave an assuring smile. Nodding slightly the man stood straight his posture much more relaxed than before. The young tellarite nodded smiling to Thomas before moving closer to Barton, “we would be glad to help Thomas, old James and I are always willing to lend a hand.”
Thomas chuckled slightly to himself before nodding as the two walked to Barton’s body examining the scene allowing Thomas to side step to another area of the corridor. With his eyes focused on the pair Thomas took a deep breath as his hand slid into his coat to his belt taking hold of the phaser that rested there activating it. The slight sound echoed in the hallway like an alarm that pierced the ears of Lirro and James, the security officers, who now stood frozen. There was a change in the air once again, as the musky smell that was there before filled the corridor saturating everything quickly and totally.
“What was it that you two said? Oh yes, slowly turn around and place your weapons on the ground,” Thomas stated watching the pair comply their eyes full of fear at the realization that they had possibly made a critical error in judgement, “you see, I hate to be someone that lies so if you will allow me to come clean I will. This man is not a prisoner, well not a prisoner of conventional means. He is a cohort of mine, and I am returning him to our entry point; but, never you fear Lirro and James I do care for my fellow man, well species.”
The eyes of the two seemed to soften slightly as a flicker of hope could be seen flickering to life in their eyes. Thomas’ smiled softly as his eyes flushed with various colors only to light up with phaser fire leaving in the spaces that Lirro and James, the security officers, had once filled.
“Oh that’s right, I don’t care, do I?”
Thomas laughed softly placing the phaser back upon his belt returning back to his position holding Barton’s ankle, “what’s that James? Yes, you are right, there can be only one James.”
A soft and deep chuckle was emitted from Thomas’ throat as he began moving forward only stopping to jerk slightly at the sound of Barton’s head falling the ten centimeters from the hatch opening to the floor below. Smiling once again a whistle could be heard emitted from his lips echoing the tune come out, come out, wherever you are down the corridor before him.
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Justin K. Owens
Thomas Varn
Resurrected Wingnut
