Set In Motion

Posted on Wed Nov 9th, 2011 @ 9:55am by Lieutenant James Holbridge

Jim had ensconced himself in his new project, the construction of new long-range sensor platforms. The designers of Starbase 900 had though of the eventuality and had included some specifications in the main archives. However, the specs and the current station software setups didn't allow for a smooth transmission of data from sensor to processor, resulting in loss of data resolution. Li's department had sent a request to Strategic Operations asking for clarification of long range data. Jim didn't mind at all.

Yet something was bothering him. Jim kept remembering the hulking big man intent on finding Ambassador Kh'ali or something. Jim had been unable to participate in the search more directly, having been assigned to coordinate search patterns from Ops. Her location had given Jim a sense of relief, but the sick man was emotionally invested in the search and looked positively furious at being told to go back to his quarters.

"Ms King, set up the relays for another static run at triple overload capacity and watch for any spikes in the plasma flow." Jim ordered. "I have something I need to do."

"Yessir." Jim walked out of the construction bay that had been allotted to Strat Ops to build the sensor platforms and headed for the residential section of the base. He knew the big man had been a former crewmate of most of the senior staff and was not well like due to his blunt and direct way. Jim quietly thought of Paddy and what his former boss and new Intel spook was morphing into, then refocused on the task at hand. Jim stopped at data panel. "Computer, tell me the location of Quentin Harrison."

=^=Mr Harrison is in his quarters,=^= was the curt reply.

The display showed that Jim was three full decks above his quarry. So he boarded a nearby turbolift and went to the correct floor. Once there, he followed the flashing arrow on the bulkhead until he came to Quentin Harrison's front door. Jim tabbed the chime.

"Who the bloody hell is it?" came a drunken voice inside the room.

"Lieutenant Holbridge," Jim said, patiently waiting.

The door hissed open to reveal Quentin standing bare-chested, clad in a pair of shorts. Jim openly gaped at the man's artificial legs. "Aye, you be the little dolt from the other day. Told me to get me drunken ass back to me own kith and kiln, ye did!"

"sir, I came by to tell you that your friend Kh'ali has been located..."

"My friend?" Quentin repeated softly, then grabbed Holbridge's arm. "My friend?!?! Kh'ali was and is the love of me life!" Harrison barked angrily then coughed violently, loosening his grip on Jim's arm and sinking to the ground.

Jim was about to call for a medical team when Quentin looked up and shook his head. "Dinnae call for a team, lad. The medicals here have probed and prodded me twenty ways from Kilkenney and they cannae do naught but stabilize me. I have a hypo of corticosteroid in me quarters, if ye would help me there." Quentin gasped.

Jim quickly slid the sick man's arm over his shoulder and eased him into the quarters, which were Spartan, save for some empty medicine vials and a picture of Kh'ali next to the couch that was pulling double duty as a bed. Holbridge also saw a half-full bottle of amber-colored liquid near the head of the bed.

"Before ye lecture me, lad," Quentin began, "I was once a Starfleet man, brave and true. I was chief of security on a ship most of these people came from. I stayed aboard and in the later months I contracted an illness from an unknown source. The prognosis was fatal, so I came back here to find my love and make peace with the end."

"Sir, she is in a medical facility as we speak...."

"I dinnae want her to see me as I am now, a weakling rumpot!" Quentin objected.

"That is for her to decide, isn't it?" Jim asked reasonably. "All I know is if I were dying, I wouldn't want to be alone in my last days." With that, Jim turned and walked out of the quarters.

Quentin picked up a padd and quickly entered : Kh'ali, me Highland lass, when you feel up to it, I was wonderin if we could have a talk. I still love you. Q. Quentin hit send and then layed back down, dizzy from the effort.. Soon he was in asleep, dreaming of holding his fair Kh'ali....

TAG: Kh'ali

A post by

Lt Jim Holbridge
Buttinsky extraordinaire

&

Quentin Harrison
Drunken ex-security officer