Close Encounter of the Green Kind
Posted on Tue Apr 28th, 2015 @ 1:16pm by Major David Lorenz & Marine Captain Quentin Harrison & Marine Captain Thomas Franklin
Mission:
Breaking New Ground
Location: Recon Platoon Barracks Area
The weeding-out process was going well. Quentin had identified three officers and six noncoms who were a little less-than-motivated and had quickly rotated them to the secretarial pool. Sgts Reyes and Garza were quickly remembering what it was to lead Marines and were toeing the line. Quentin knew he had a long way to go before they were mission-ready in his harsh eyes.
=/\=Chief Harrison, the executive officer is waiting for you in your office.=/\= the computer's female voice announced.
Quentin sighed, hating to interrupt a training scenario in the holodeck. "Arch!" he barked, then stepped through the now-visible door. The big man made his way down the halls past hurrying Marines on errands, trying to avoid the large Scot's notice.
Reaching his office, Quentin opened the door and simply stared at the albino man in the green Starfleet uniform, drawing his 3p a split second later. "Put yer hands up, man!" he said in a low, menacing voice.
"I beg your pardon!?!" Thomas said, utter confusion running rampant on his white face. "Holster that sidearm, Marine, and that is an order!"
Quentin shook his head. "Not this time, Johnny! Ye put something in me body, then try to fool me with that shitty disguise? What kind o' fool do ye take me for?"
"Did you just call me, 'Johnny'?" Thomas asked, spreading his hands in front of him
"Your disguise is pretty shitty, too! after today you won't have to worry about it, damn the machines ye put in me!" Quentin raised the 3p and primed it, only to be stunned into unconsciousness by a newly-arrived Sgt Reyes.
"Been waiting all day to do that! What shall I do with him?"
"Take him to the Medical station and put him in a holding cell, then summon a corpsman to do an examination of this lunatic!." Thomas ordered. Terrific! first day and I nearly get phasered by a giant wacko!
THIRTY MINUTES LATER
LORENZ'S OFFICE, MARINE WARDROOM
"...HE DID WHAT?" Lorenz shouted in disbelief.
=/\=He pulled his sidearm on me and kept calling me "Johnny," which is the name of my twin brother, the escaped killer who is currently MIA.=/\= Thomas reported via com-link.
"What else have you found since putting him in isolation?" Dave asked.
=/\=We had to use anesthezine to put him under. Once we could examine him, our corpsman pulled a sample of blood from him. I found something in the sample, major. There were several inert proteins in the blood, no idea as to where they came from. Macroscopic analysis shows the proteins to be medical nanites, the kind used by Starfleet docs to perform cellular restructuring, delicate neurological work, and stuff like that.=/\= Franklin's hoarse voice was tense.
"OK, let's set up a surgical suite and see if we cant get those things outta his body...."
=/\=Major, I am requesting that Chief Harrison be relived of his duties until such time as a court-martial and/or medical review board can determine whether or not he is fit to remain in the Marines.=/\=
"Harrison is relieved. Captain, you will lead Recon Platoon until such time as Harrison is able to resume his duties." Dave ordered. Oh, Jesus, I hope I didn't jump the gun bringing him into the Corps! he thought wildly.
FOUR HOURS LATER
Quentin opened his eyes, feeling groggier than he normally did in the mornings. Ach, phaser stun! he closed his eyes, willing the nausea to go away.
=/\=Hello, puddin'!=/\= David Lorenz's voice cut through the silence. =/\=Before I vent this cell to deep space, you wanna tell me why your body was full of neuro-nanites?=/\=
Quentin rolled his head over to face Lorenz. "It started with a woman..."
=/\=Famous last words! Let me guess, your green-skinned bitch?=/\=
Quentin nodded, explaining the run-in he had with John Franklin and his subsequent involuntary injections. "Are those things outta me body?"
=/\=For now. I had some of the boys in Medical take a look at the nanites and they can be reprogrammed to give you a mild electrical stimulus rather than a painful, spine-snapping shock,=/\= Dave explained through the intercom. He outlined the rest of his plan, making Harrison grin ferally.
"I like it, Davey-boy! I guess this means I owe the new XO an apology."
=/\=After we get done finding whoever injected you. Your Orion sweetie is no longer on the station. I guess she didn't like all that Scotch lovin' you gave her!=/\=
"She's a good fook, but a royal pain-in-me-arse the rest o' the time. Good riddance."
=/\=Okay, we keep you here for another four hours for 'obervation', then you go after the guy who injected you.=/\=
"He's a dead ringer for the XO, minus the white skin and creepy eyes." Quentin explained.
=/\=I'll have the computer mock up a sketch. Stop by the office before you take off, I'll have a couple toys for you to take with.=/\=
Quentin nodded, then closed his eyes.
MARINE COMMAND CENTER
Lorenz and Franklin walked into Franklin's new office. "Q says that the guy who injected those nanites into him looks like you, except he has normal skin tone. Care to tell me why?" Dave's voice held a trace of irritation.
Thomas nodded. "My brother is John Franklin, and he is my twin, save for the albinism. He killed our parents years ago and hit me in throat, breaking my larynx. That's why I talk like this. He escaped a maximum-security mental facility and vanished ten years ago."
"Why is he after Quentin?" Dave demanded.
"I don't know, sir. But your Recon Platoon leader's encounter with him is the first confirmed sighting of my brother in ten years. I suggest we see what happens when we let your friend loose like you planned to." Franklin smiled.
Dave smiled, then tapped the intercom panel. "Send Mr. Brooks into the XO's office."
HANGAR DECK
Lorenz, Harrison, and Franklin all stood by a battered Danube-class runabout. ".....That's all there is to it. Just find him, fake him out, and get him to spill his guts." Lorenz said simply.
"We injected the powered down nanites back into your body and reactivated them. As far as they know, you were asleep for an extended period of time." Franklin said in his hoarse whisper. "Find my brother and bring him back alive."
Dave shook his head. "I'll have Brooks write a memo to the head shed and Intel detailing what we are up to. General Thompson is gonna love this bullshit."
Quentin nodded to both men, then vanished into the runabout. It's go time!
Major David Lorenz
Putting Up
&
CWO3 Quentin Harrison
Throwing Up
&
MCPT Thomas Franklin
Catching Up
