Time For John To Fly
Posted on Sun May 3rd, 2015 @ 6:47pm by Major David Lorenz & Marine Captain Quentin Harrison & Marine Captain Thomas Franklin & Jonathan Franklin
Edited on on Sun May 3rd, 2015 @ 6:48pm
Mission:
Breaking New Ground
Location: Archadia Prime
Even with the dialed-back nanites in his blood, Quentin was a bundle of nerves. Marta, the Orion sex-kitte, had vanished like a beer fart in a whirlwind, and now every green-skinned woman was a potential sex siren/assassin. The big Scot sat at ta beachfront bar sipping on a club soda, waiting for John Franklin, the normal-skinned brother of his new XO.
The warrant officer's commission had really taken Quentin by surprise. The big man's specialty was squad-sized unit tactics, but several of his squad leaders had already began to integrate his ideas into Recon's SIOP plan, and they all agreed that Quentin's ideas were better than standard operating procedure. Quentin had actually accepted the compliment without his usual customary grunt or worse, a large burst of vented gas from his nether region.
"Hello, Mr. Harrison." John Franklin's smooth voice said behind Quentin.
"Hello, Johnny-Boy!" Quentin smiled dangerously.
"If you are thinking you are going to attack me, let me remind you of something...." Franklin took a device from his pocket and tapped it. Quentin's body was not wracked with pain thanks to the Marine corpsman's adjustments to the microscopic machines in his body, and Harrison was a n excellent actor. Franklin tapped the control again, and the dull vibrating in his head stopped, signaling the end of the simulated torture.
"Do I make myself understood?" Franklin asked quietly.
Quentin nodded, gasping.
"Good." Franklin sat down next to Q and continued. "There is an investigation underway on board Starbase 900. Two admirals were relived of duty. I want their names."
"Are ye daft or just too lazy to turn on a news feed?" Quentin asked, sipping his drink and tapping his belt buckle, activating a homing beacon. "Admirals Wegener and Hawke are the names yer lookin' for. As for why, it's all hush-hush, go bugger one of the Intel secretaries and they will tell ye."
"Mr. Harrison, I assumed that you were acquainted with the rules of our association. I tell you what to do and you do it!" John went to pull out his remote only to feel a phaser at the small of his back.
"Back off, brother," a familiar voice said hoarsely.
John's face broke into a smile. "Well, well, well, this is indeed a pleasure! My own baby brother here to help me..."
Quentin reached over and landed a meaty fist on John Franklin's jaw, cracking it loudly and silencing his rambles. "Sorry, XO, I cannae abide a blabbermouth."
Two Marine privates in uniform materialized and secured John's hands and feet. "Starbase brig, sir?"
"Not yet. Put him in the Marine holding cells, but let Security know we have this joker." Thomas Franklin ordered. He leaned down and smeared away some of the flesh-colored makeup on John's face, revealing the pale white albino skin beneath.
Quentin looked at the unconscious man. "He kinda looks like you, sir!" he grinned.
"Move it out, chief," Tom returned the smile of his Recon Platoon commander.
MARINE DETENTION CENTER
7 HOURS LATER
John Franklin awoke suddenly, his jaw aching. The brute can punch, that's for sure, he thought to himself. He looked over to his right and saw a powerful-looking man in Marine fatigues and major's clusters on his collar. "You must be a Marine officer!" Franklin sighed.
"I am Major Lorenz, the 3rd Marine Regiment's commanding officer and a personal friend of Chief Harrison. We know you are Captain Franklin's twin brother, John, and that you are a paid assassin. Your operative Orion was captured and returned to the Alpha Quadrant where she will be a guest of the New Alcatraz facility until her trial. You, on the other hand, will be returned to Syrtis City on Mars for trial by a military court for assault on Marine officers."
"Please, major, you and I both know you have know jurisdiction over me. I wish to see a lawyer from my home planet." Franklin said easily, closing his eyes.
"Our coms are down at the moment, and Starbase coms traffic is high, so we get an allocation once ever nine hours to send our communiques. I'll pass along your request."
"Why are you here, major?" John asked.
Dave smiled. "You took it upon yourself to forcibly 'recruit' an officer under my command, and the fact that he is a personal friend only makes me want to disintegrate your carcass now! But, there are rules and regs to follow..."
The airlock doors to the detention area opened with a roar-hiss and Chief Quentin Harrison walked in, giving John a dirty look before handing Dave a PADD. "New SIOP on escapees, sir."
David read the contents of the PADD aloud. "After confirming the identity of any escaped inmate, mental patient, or otherwise designated legal status, they shall be transported back to their original place of confinement where they will serve out any and all remaining time on their sentences plus twenty-five years." Dave forwarded the pages. "John Franklin, convicted of killing parents, confined to Jalara Mental Facility indefinitely....here's a tidbit of interest big man; 'subject Franklin shows all signs of extreme psychotic sociopathic behavior, showing no remorse or any kind of regret for the crimes he was convicted of. It is the determination of this review board that John Franklin is to be confined to the Jalara facility for an indeterminate amount of time.'"
Quentin shook his head. "I think Jimmy's people have a ship and crew that can take this joker back to Betazed."
"Negative, chief. This man is bound for New Alcatraz supermax. As much as I'd like to keep him here, I think he might be able to escape."
John had sat up during Lorenz's recital of his psychological review and was glaring at him. "Of course I can escape! I have had nothing but time to study the art of escaping any detention facility! I will escape from here and kill you both before I leave this station of my own free will in a transport of my choosing."
"I doubt it." Lorenz tapped his com-badge. "Lorenz to Ghost, Amanda, he's all yours. Commence secure transport."
Franklin looked around as a small force-field no wider than his shoulders held him in place, while aerosol drugs temporarily locked his body into tight rigidity. The transporter beam quickly enveloped him and materialized him in a sealed hibernaculum in a sealed transport room aboard the Ghost, unconscious.
=/\=Transport completed, Major Lorenz. Remember, I have a reserve commission waiting to be used! =/\= said the voice of Amanda Fulton, the new VP of NGSC Operations said brightly.
"I'll keep it in mind if I get tired of the Big Kahuna here! Lorenz out." Dave grinned and punched his friend on the shoulder.
"It feels good to get those bloody machines outta me!" Quentin said in disgust.
"It will feel better when we find out what John Franklin wanted with you. Max Kamarov sent me a bunch of information on his movements and whereabouts the past few years. I want you to take it to Jackson Banning and see what he knows. Also, let Jim in on the caper as he is a former Intel spook."
Quentin nodded. "Aye aye, sir!"
"Quit calling me 'sir' when we're alone, you idiot!" Dave said crankily as the pair left the brig area.
Major David Lorenz
Master Planner
&
CWO3 Quentin Harrisoon
Master Accomplice
&
John Franklin
Master Debator
