Exit-Entrance Wounds
Posted on Fri Aug 21st, 2015 @ 3:59pm by James Holbridge & Matt Collins & Sam Elliott III
Edited on on Sun Aug 23rd, 2015 @ 7:56pm
Mission:
Further Challenges
Location: Holbridge Industries Office Complex
It was difficult to gauge Jim Holbridge's mood, unless you knew the man. His scarred face seemed to be locked in a tight mask of controlled neutrality, but anyone who was close to the man knew that Jim was putting a brave face on. The loss of his wife after a fierce argument was playing havoc with Jim's already frayed nerves. Holbridge was in his wife's chair, gunning down shot after shot of the strongest whiskey he could find in the liquor cabinet.
Sam Elliott, temporary CEO of Holbridge Industries in the wake of Tricia Holbridge's accidental death was doing his best to coordinate funeral arrangements and run the shipyard. Sam's area of expertise was covert infiltration of denied facilities, and running an intergalactic corporation was out of his bailiwick. Matt Collins was doing hsi best to assist Sam, but the young engineer was overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the Holbridge Industries operation. Both men were silently praying that Jim would snap himself out of his depression, but after all that had happened that outcome was not very likely.
The doors to the office opened. Cadet Fourth Class JD Holbridge walked into the room, his face streaked with dried tears. "Where's Dad?" he asked Sam quickly.
"In your mom's office," Matt replied, jerking his head to the set of double doors.
"Thanks." JD quickly walked over to the control panel and swiftly input his own personal pass code. The doors opened and the youth went into the room. It was dark, but the boy had exceptional vision and saw his father seated in his mother's high-backed executive chair trying vainly to pour himself another tumbler full of the potent green Aldebaran Whiskey. JD silently walked over and put his hand on his father's steadying the elder man's shaking hand to allow a steady pour.
Jim looked up and saw the figure of his tall son and immediately rose to hug him, only to be brushed away. Holbridge saw a mixture of grief and anger in his son's eyes. "Welcome home, sohn!" he smiled drunkenly. "Give yer old man a hughh!"
"I don't think so, Dad." JD replied, his voice carefully neutral. "Mom contacted me on Mars and told me she was leaving you. I made arrangements with General Abernathy to continue my training here on 900 at the Satellite Academy and NGSC for my tactical course creds. The general reasoned that since so many of his ex-troopers came to you for work when their enlistments ran out, there would be more than enough in-field practical experience for me, so he granted me a deferrment."
"Fucking wondherful!" Jim exclaimed drunkenly, throwing his hand in the air. "My son has come home to stay! I'll get the hookers from Jacksohn!"
"I don't want hookers, you drunken asshole! I want to know why in the hell you sent Mom to her death, and I wanna know now!" JD's voice was low and glacial.
Jim's good eye suddenly focused on his son. "Don't you ever take that tone with me again, boy! I expected that the Insidious was in flight-capable status. Some asshole didn't adjust his fuel mixture settings correctly and blammo, no more mommy dearest!" Jim's eye closed and he sank back into the chair, reaching for his glass of booze.
JD knocked the glass away, on his feet in a lightning move. "Mom was right, you have turned into a sonfoabitch..."
In a flash, Jim flew from the chair towards his son, his right hand swinging in a vicious roundhouse punch that was aimed at JD's jaw, but the younger man deftly avoided the punch and swung a left-right-left combination at his father's midsection, knocking the wind from the older man. JD swiftly moved in with a leg sweep that tripped the elder Holbridge, sending him crashing to the deck.
"Nice try, old man!" the boy quipped, warily circling his father.
Jim remained on the floor, eerily silent.
JD went over to the desk and tabbed a comlink. "Sam, I need you in here now!"
Sam Elliott and Matt Collins came through the doors within a second, each one looking at the prone form of Jim Holbridge laying on the floor, his eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling "What did you do to him?" Sam demanded, running a quick scan with his combat tricorder.
"He came at me, sand I defended myself." JD looked away from the scene trying to control his emotions. "How long has he been like this?"
"Ever since someone tried to kill him. Dave Lorenz got the bitch that made the attempt." Sam replied. "Elliott to Piper Medical, two to beam to Piper Psyche Ward. Have Dr. Swift standing by." Elliott looked at JD. "Go to your family's quarters and wait for me there. Matt, go with him." Elliott quickly vanished
HOLBRIDGE FAMILY QUARTERS
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER
JD had changed from his Cadet's uniform into civilian clothes after reporting in to Captain Franklin. Major Lorenz was away on a mission, which bothered the boy. JD walked into the room with a tall glass of blue soda, a foot long sub sandwich, and a bowl of barbeque potato chips, along with bacon cream-cheese dip. "I haven't had food this good in a few weeks, Matt." JD said as he cut the sub in half and gave Collins half.
Collins leaned into his own sandwich. "Your mom made the best hot beef plate on the base!"
"You're telling me! I grew up on that stuff..." JD's voice trailed off, remembering helping his mom in the kitchen so many times.
"Kid, I can't begin to know how you're feeling, Both my folks died of natural causes. If you wanna talk..."
"No I think I just wanna be alone for awhile." JD said sipping his blue soda.
Matt stood. "I'll be in the den if you need me."
"Where is my sister?" JD asked.
"Amanda is bringing her here," Matt answered gently. "She's gonna need her big brother more than ever."
"Yeah." JD replied softly as Mat left the room.
Matt's combadge beeped. "Go ahead!" he replied, tapping the device.
=/\=The psyche docs admitted Jim and put him on suicide precautions,=/\= Sam's voice sounded exhausted.
"That's all he needs. The board will go nuts!" Matt swore to himself.
=/\=It gets better. Lowell Desmond was appointed as President por-tempore until his father can resume his duties.=/\= Lowell Desmond was a by-the-book corporate officer whose ruthless efficiency in cost-cutting measures had catapulted him through the ranks of of Holbridge Industries corporate hierarchy. To say the man was a soulless bastard was to describe Niagara Falls as a farm pond.
"We gotta keep him away from Jim until he has had time to sort through this mess," Matt said, his tone quiet.
=/\=Jim has two weeks until Desmond gets to 900, and if we stall enough we may be able to get him an extra day or so.=/\= Sam reported.
"Let's get the famly healed, then worry about a corporate shark, okay?"
=/\=Agreed. I'll handle the formal announcement of Tricia's funeral, you keep the kids outta sight.=/\= Sam said.
"Acknowledged, Matt out." Just how the fuck am I gonna do that? Matt asked himself as he locked down the Holbridge family quarters.
Jim Holbridge
In The Nuthouse
Sam Elliott
Keeper Of The Keys
Matt Collins
Gate Master
&
JD Holbridge
Home From Mars
