No Cage Can Hold Me

Posted on Mon Mar 10th, 2014 @ 1:20pm by Marine Captain Quentin Harrison

DETENTIION FACILITY
SOLARIA GATEWAY STATION

The detention cell Quentin was confined to was not a spacious affair, but it was far from the cells of old. A time-lock replicator sat in the aft bulkhead complete with a refresher station and sonic shower. A bunk had been gamma welded to the port-side bulkhead, complete with memory foam mattress and bedding. Quentin knew that there were a couple of hidden cameras keeping a n eye on him, but since the clod who put him in the cell hadn’t done a thorough search, Quentin was still in possession of a few useful items that would help him escape. It was a crying shame; the lad who confined him looked very capable.

Quentin laid down on his bunk and closed his eyes, seemingly resting, drumming a staccato rhythm on his left hip. After five minutes, he rolled onto his side and slid the portable tricorder from his hip pocket and tapped in further instructions. The big man smiled as he successfully hacked into the security mainframe and quickly tied his mini-tricorder into the video feed. After setting the saved video to auto-loop, Quentin pirated the video feed from his cell and linked it to his mini-‘corder. After a confirmation beep, he went over to the cell wall sealed with a force field. “Jimmy, I’ll be leavin’ ye now. I’ll link up with Dave and Aric and see if there’s anything buzzin’ from our friends at home!”

“Good luck, Quint!” Jim said quietly.

Quentin took a small tool from his other pocket and stuck it into one of the forcefield emitters, loudly shorting the relay and sending a backlash of energy that quickly fried the other emitters. Not wasting a moment, Quentin quickly ran to the entrance and keyed the airlock. Sure enough, his jailer was waiting for him on the other side of the door, but a quick punch to the head sent the smaller man to the deck. Quentin quickly relieved the younger man of his commbadge and weapon, then exited the room.

Once he was away from the detention facility Quentin quickly walked down a corridor and made his way into a saloon where he bellied up to the bar and ordered a beer. The barman served him quickly and moved away to help another patron. Quentin knew it would be a short time before security was alerted to his presence and homed in on the commbadge he carried. He looked to his left and saw a Klingon officer seated next to him. Quentin leaned over to the fellow next to him and whispered, “That bloody Klingon git beside me just called yer mother a fishwife!”

The brawny human, who looked like a rough customer himself, stood up and knocked Quentin aside, then pushed the Klingon in question. “Your own mother was one of the whore’s from Risa, p’tahk!.

The Klingon stood and without warning punched the human, knocking him into Quentin, sending both men sprawling. “Let me hold yer cloak, lad, while ye give him a sound drubbin’!” Quentin said as he slipped the commbadge from the unconscious security officer onto the other man’s belt.

“Thank you!” The man jumped at the Klingon, resuming the fight. Quentin quietly slipped the cloak onto his shoulders and pulled the hood up over his head, concealing his features. Slipping quietly into the hall, Quentin looked around, finding a running security officer. “In the saloon!” Quentin said, not using his Scott’s burr. “There’s a Klingon tearing up the place!” he quavered, pointed to the saloon

The security officer waved to his men and they all charged en masse into the saloon allowing Quentin to slip away towards the docking slip that held the Ghost. Stopping, he suddenly had a better idea and quickly located a maintenance hatch and ducked inside.

Once he made sure he was alone in the Jeffries tube, Quentin removed a mini-comm from his tunic. “Bear to Wolfman, I’m out of the detention facility and on the lam.”

Understood, Bear. Keep out of sight and we’ll come get you, replied the voice of Aric Rockenfield.

“Nay, kid, I will stay in the tunnels and use the plasma conduits to shield me from the station’s sensors. I am thinking that Lorenz’s Archadian girlfriend’s detention will piss off some serious people back at base. You and Dave stay put and I’ll see what I can find out. Bear out.” Quentin tapped the minicomm off, then opened a panel and began to access the stations inner systems. As a former security officer himself, Quentin knew many of the tricks to hacking systems and covering his tracks. He just prayed that the chief of security on the station would remain a dolt long enough for him to get his task completed.

OPS CENTER
SOLARIA GATEWAY STATION

“Sir, we have an unauthorized maintenance access in tube four-four-seven,” A tech called out.

“What’s trying to do?” asked Security Chief Allen.

“He’s trying to access our communications protocols, specifically the frequencies used for contacting Starbase 900,”

Allen studied the viewer and frowned. “Didn’t one of Starbase 900’s residents break out of the brig? Bring up the records of the escapee,” The file on Harrison snapped into view. Allen shook his head. “He will eat our SORT Team for lunch if we chase him. All security personnel, this is Commander Allen: If Harrison is sighted, report it directly to me. Do not engage him alone. Out!” That will stifle the carnage and keep my young crew from getting the snot beat out of them, Allen thought to himself.

JEFFRIES TUBE 447

Quentin quickly replaced the panel hatch and made his way down the tube. There was a grated panel in place that was welded to the fairing. Quentin swore to himself, then smiled as he felt his body begin to dissolve….

SS GHOST

…and reappear on the transporter pad of the Ghost. He grinned at Lorenz. “Ye got me message!”

“Not hard to figure out what you were doing!” Dave returned the grin. “Did you find what we need?”

“Aye. I was able to trace the signal Kieran used to the base and I piggy-backed an update to the XO. We should stay here aboard the ship.”

David nodded. “Agreed. The ship has been sealed against any intrusions and Eddie is trying to tap into as many systems as he can. What do you have, Eddie?”

Primary and secondary communications protocols are being scrambled and rewritten, but I should be able to keep pace with the base system. Security and Intelligence departments have not issued a lockdown; curious. They did, however, review your Starfleet personnel records, Mr. Harrison.

“There’s some bloody good news!” Quentin growled as he stowed his purloined cloak, then pulled his 3p pistol and typeIV phaser rifle from his locker. “We better get set, lads!”

“Belay that, Quint!” Dave ordered sharply. “We are not going to antagonize any Starfleet assets any further than we have to. In case you forgot we no longer have the backing of the Fleet and if we shoot any of them we will be in deep shit!”

“I’m not hunting them, Dave. I was gonna see if I could find some stuff of Kieran’s and put it outta commission.”

“Good idea, big man, but let’s wait until we hear from 900. If I’m right, Kieran screwed up when he detained Kiriana, and that is going to ignite a shit storm of activity on our side of the galaxy.” Especially if Admiral rick really gets his dander up!

Quentin looked annoyed as he put his rifle away. “Bloody hell!”

Dave looked sympathetically at his friend. “I share your frustration, pal….”

Eddie suddenly spoke up. My safeties have been overridden, Mr. Lorenz. There is a person attempting to communicate with you on this base. It is Commander Kieran.

“Let him on, Eddie, before you fry yourself.”

Greetings, Mr. Lorenz. I trust you are comfortable in yur starship?

Dave smiled thinly. “Comfortable as can be, commander. What can I do for you?”

Yu have locked down your vessel, which contains information on certain articles in your possession that are on the restricted technology list…

“One,” David interrupted, “the ‘illegal tech’ belongs to the consortium of which I am a senior officer in one of its subsidiary companies; two, and more importantly, who gives a flying fuck what you want with Jim, Kieran?! We all know what you want with Jim, and that’s to keep him from finding his brother’s remains!”

Your emotions will be your undoing, major. I am offering you a deal. You take the Archadian woman and that big oaf Harrison back to that base you call home and allow me to take Holbridge with me and I will give you the coordinates to Wyatt Holbridge’s current location. He is very much alive, but I am sure that his accommodations are not as posh as yours are. See for yourself, Kieran tabbed a control and a 3-D hologram of a haggard-looking, long-haired man appeared. His clothing was in taters and hung loosely on his emaciated frame. This photo was sent to me last evening, and has a time-stamp of two days ago on it. I can only assume his condition is as grave as it appears to be. Kieran appeared to be neutral on the screen.

Quentin was quickly scanning the hologram. “It’s from a feed off-station, Dave. I’d say it’s a ship, given the clarity of resolution.”

What is your answer, major?

“Shield’s up!” Dave ordered. Harden all transceivers!” Dave ordered and Eddie promptly raised the ship’s shields and cut Kieran’s annoying face from the screen. “Talk to me, boys!”

“There is a ship coated in micro-diffracted carbon approximately 36,000 km from this base.” Aric called out. “I make her as Defiant-class. Registry NCC-95012, USS Bainbridge.”

“Maintain a sensor lock on her and relay this to 900. It may come in handy. IN the meantime, we wait.”

A post by:

Quentin Harrison
Big Escape Artists
%
David Lorenz
Hothead Tamer
&
Aric Rockenfield
Young But Not Stupid