....The Final Run
Posted on Sun Sep 18th, 2016 @ 1:52am by Major David Lorenz & Marine Captain Quentin Harrison & Sergeant Dalton Thomas & James Holbridge & Sam Elliott III
Mission: Further Challenges
HOLBRIDGE INDUSTRIES MEETING ROOM
The suite of offices for Holbridge Industries had once been a thriving community of workers, buzzing to and fro with activity. Now, they were empty and abandoned in the wake of the company shutdown by order of the Federation Commerce Guild. Starfleet Internal Affairs had dispatched an investigator to Starbase 900 to determine just what damage had been done and whether or not to file charges against James Holbridge and the captured spy John Franklin.
Jim sat in his office along with all of the members of Team One, Sam Elliott III, Amanda Fulton, Matt Collins, and Captain Quentin Harrison. All that was missing was Major Lorenz, who had already told Jim he would be at the muster as soon as he was free.
Jim stood next to Rhona, who wore a concerned expression on her face, but still managed a dazzling smile for the group. “Okay, guys, let's get down to it. My business is dead in the water, I'm looking at time in a Federation lockup, and the NGSC's contracts have been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation by IAD. Safe to say, my career as a magnate is dead.
“I have been working on a way to get out of this, but in order for this plan to work, I need to call upon Team One for one final mission. I am sure you all heard of Captain Picard's encounter with Dr. Soran at Veridian III. The good doctor was hell-bent on getting back to something called the Nexus, something my Rhona has ample experience with.” Jim motioned to Rhona to continue with the meeting.
“I was a young woman when the Enterprise-B 'rescued several of us from the Nexus. For a few brief moments, I was at peace and felt limitless joy before I was ripped from the Nexus by the transporter. Some of our group, like Dr. Soran, were driven insane by the intense memories of the Nexus, and some of us did our level best to put it behind us and move on with our lives. I did the latter, serving in the Fleet as an energy specialist and later as an engineer aboard the San Antonio.” Rhona paused for a sip of water, then continued. “There was a rumor that Captain James Kirk and his crew penetrated the galactic barrier with the help of a radically advanced shield matrix design developed by Sybok, half-brother of Ambassador Spock. I searched for years, and I was able to locate the shield matrix program in a burial vault on Vulcan. I am happy to say the shield matrix is viable and has been integrated into the Specter's shield emitter array.”
“What does this all mean, Jim?” Sam asked
“It means that I have used Soran's research to locate the Nexus, and I intend to take the Specter there, and I am not planning on coming back.”
There was a gasp from the assembled people. “Yer daft, Jimmy-boy! But that hasnae stopped me from taggin' along with some of yer loonier schemes. I'm in.” Harrison pulled the Marine com-badge from his chest and placed it on the table. “I'm tired of takin' orders.”
Jim looked at Matt with a serious expression. “Before I was locked out of the 900 mainframe, I read a memo that said you were to be approved to be Starbase 900's new chief engineer. Seeing as how that is the case, I want you to leave right now.” Jim looked sorrowfully at the younger man. “You keep this shithole running smooth, you hear?”
“Yessir,” Matt said stiffly, turning and leaving the office quickly.
Holbridge turned to Harrison. “You can stay if you want to, big man.”
Harrison let out a long sigh. “I have been fighting me whole life, and I am tired. I want some peace and if I cannae have it here, I'll go with ye to find it. Besides someone has to watch yer back.”
Sam, Amanda, and Max all nodded as well. “Quentin speaks for us to,” Amanda said softly.
“But not for me,” The newly arrived David Lorenz said quietly. “Mr. Harrison, please get back to MCC right this second.”
Harrison stood and folded his arms across his chest. “No more will I be takin orders from ye, major!” he rumbled in a dangerous voice. “I resigned me commission.”
“Fine, I don't have time to argue!” Lorenz said sharply. “Jim, I am asking you to not run. Let the investigator clear you...”
Jim shook his head. “It won't be the same. Nobody will trust us after this. I can't get back in the Fleet or Corps, and all of my assets are frozen until the investigation is concluded. I am not going to raise my daughter as a penniless bum!”
“You would rather be a coward that runs when the going gets tough...” was all Dave managed before Quentin's fist crashed into his jaw, knocking Dave to the deck.
“Enough, Q!” Jim ordered sharply. He extended his hand to Dave, who swatted it away and rose to his feet on his own.
“Go ahead, you piece of shit coward, run! You better know that I'll be one of them chasing you.”
“I doubt it. Eddie, energize!”
Before David could call for emergency shields, the assembled Team One, minus Matt Collins, disappeared.
Dave looked at Matt, his expression hurt. “Where did thy go?”
Matt shrugged his shoulders. “All I did was verify the shield emitter programming, then he locked me out of the rest of the op.”
Dave rubbed his jaw where Quentin struck him. “He's running for the wrong reasons, dammit.
Matt consulted his padd. “His daughter is gone from their quarters. Shall we tell JD?”
“Tell me what?” JD asked as he walked into the room.
“Sit down, kid,” Dave ordered. He briefly explained what had just happened to his father and the rest of Team One. JD Holbridge looked at Lorenz, his expression stony. “When they find his ass, I wanna be there, sir.”
“Me, too, kid!” Dave nodded. “Let's get the fuck out of here. This place gives me the creeps, now.”
USS SPECTER
Jim sat in the command chair, his eyes focused. “Are we at warp?”
“Yessir,” called Sam from the conn.
Maxim was manning the Ops station while Amanda stood at Tactical and Sgt Thomas manned Engineering. “That warp beam out felt weird!” Thomas complained. “I felt like I was inside the bulkhead.”
“For a minute you were. “Jim remarked. “Amanda, any signs of pursuit?”
“None. A couple fighters' sensors twitched, but they didn't change course.” Amanda reported.
“Nexus energy signature detected, Jim. 650,000,000 km dead ahead.” Rhona reported.
“Setting course, Jim,” Eddie reported.
“Engage”
EPILOGUE
Did they make it? Did they get lost? Were they destroyed? Nobody really knows, but a few months after Team One left Starbase 900, a derelict starship was found adrfit in deep space by the Talaxians. The ship's hull was horribly mangled, as if buffeted by severe gravimetric distortions. A subsequent scan of the ship's memory banks revealed no clues, but there was a single voice heard throughout the ship saying, “Goodbye” over and over again.
TEAM ONE
Gone But Not Forgotten
