Date: Thu, 6 Mar 1997 11:33:09 -0600 (CST) From: Matt Hydeman Subject: USS OBERON: Escaping SD: 90305.12 "Thomas, get back!" Adam Crown's back hurt as he felt it slam into another wall, his body instinctually flattening as much as possible to present a minimum of target space for the assassins following him and his two companions. "God!" snapped the closer of the two men, as he batted a lock of blond hair from his face. "I thought the days of being chased by killers was over. What did you do now, Adam?" Though the clipped English accent was sharp, the last few words were tinged with a dark humor as Commander Thomas Lawrence gripped the arm of the other man next to him, a near-likeness of himself, dressed in a tattered Starfleet uniform, the soot-blackened pips of a Captain at the collar. Crown gave a humorless grin as his mind raced to figure out a escape route out of the hospital Thomas and he had beamed into...to find the other man. The "other man" was how Adam was thinking of Captain James Lawrence right now. Not for any other reason but that it was still hard to believe that Thomas' brother was here, a living testament to the dimensional change known as the Timeshift, which had torn Time into two -- perhaps more -- parallel universes, forever separating the Federation and Starfleet that Adam and Thomas and everyone else in the universe had known. Moreover, James Lawrence held a particular fascination for Adam Crown. Not only was he someone who had survived -- amazingly -- a trip through the parallel dimension to the "other" Starfleet, but he also knew someone who was extremely important to Adam. Tabitha Crown -- his sister. But there was no time to think about that now, thought Adam, as he looked worriedly at James Lawrence's haggard expression. The man looked fatigued and Adam was virtually certain that Lawrence wasn't up to speed as he should have been. "Did you say 'again?'" asked James Lawrence weakly, a pained expression crossing his face. He looked over at Thomas and shook his head, a flicker of a grin passing over his lips. "You always did live the wild life, dear brother--" "Hush," scolded Thomas, as Adam waved both men to be silent. "We've got to find a way out of here and fast. We'll worry about who those bastards are later on." "If we can find a way out," murmured Adam softly, his aqua eyes dark with thought. He closed his eyes momentarily, reminding James Lawrence for a split-second of Tabitha Crown's expression when ever she thought of a decision to make on the USS PULSAR. God, how he missed her. ***** Scene: Outside OBERON Medical It was a Mexican standoff, but Captain Lexia Tremaine and her two bodyguards, Masters and Johnson, knew that Colin MacArthur would not wait much longer to make his move, and he was very, very good. Then, in the deadly silence, came the sound of footsteps approaching, some from behind where MacArthur stood, others moving up on Lexia and her protectors. Masters stood in front of her; Johnson moved to guard her back. Were they MacArthur's team of assassins or Lexia's security forces, or both? Then the door to Sickbay began to open. "Captain, GET DOWN!" shouted the voice of Dr. Barak V'ann, as Lexia instinctively went limp, her body slamming into the floor, her mind hoping that Masters and Johnson had followed V'ann's advice as well. A dazzling flood of green light shot from inches above Lexia's head, as the OBERON's commander felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, her senses reeling. A muffled roar -- MacArthur's voice? ***** Scene: Sickbay, 30 minutes earlier Dr. Nichole Mohning grimaced as she walked back into Main Treatment, a PADD in her hand. "You're fine now, Captain Hodges," she said to the man sitting on the biobed. "You're free to go." "And not a moment too soon," rumbled the other man standing nervously next to Spence Hodges. He hated Sickbays with a passion, and yet Spence was a valuable friend -- enough for him to come in here. A place where he knew he was not among friends. "Indeed," murmured Nichole, her eyes meeting Commander Hunter Thorpe's. "And now you can go." She dropped the PADD to the table next to the biobed and walked off, leaving a puzzled Spence Hodges in her wake, as he looked at his friend. "What's that all about?" Hunter shook his head. "Too long a story. Come on," he said, gingerly clapping Hodges on the shoulder. "We'll head back down to Betazed...after we get the baby." As the two men walked off, passing through the doors leading out of OBERON Medical, Nichole Mohning gave a disgusted snort and snapped off the surveillance screen, the image of where the two men had been disappearing into the holographic ether. "Computer, compress and place in trashfile," she said quietly. The cool tones of the main computer were lost on Mohning, as she shook her head slightly. "No...hang onto it. Just in case." ***** Scene: Betazed Adam's eyes narrowed slightly as a thought crossed his mind. "It could work," he murmured, as James Lawrence gave a soft groan, his legs giving out momentarily, Thomas grabbing at his brother's arm. "We'd better think of something and fast," muttered Thomas. His grip on James' arm tightened slightly, as Adam nodded grimly. "I may have it, too," said Adam, pressing his fingers to his temples and closing his eyes. "Whatever happens, Thomas, you have to do what I tell you for the next few minutes. Promise?" "I--" Adam's eyes snapped open. "*Promise,* Commander," he said quietly, his aqua eyes meeting the blue of Thomas Lawrence's eyes. "This is the only thing I can think of doing." "But what...." said Thomas, then nodded. "Very well. I promise." His eyes flickered over to his brother, then back to Adam's face. "I hope you know what you're doing." Adam nodded. "I hope so, too." He closed his eyes again, his fingertips digging into the skin of his temples and cheeks, his mind reaching out towards the one thing he knew was eternal -- and perhaps their one chance to escape from MacArthur's assassins...if for only a moment. * Guardian.... * The link was instantaneous, a influx of power into Adam's very soul, as the Guardian of Forever made the telepathic connection with its Protector its booming tones clear as it MindSpoke to Adam Crown. * PROTECTOR... * ***** It was James Lawrence that heard the whistling, faint click of weapons powering up a few yards away, as he grabbed his brother's arm tighter. "What is he doing?" he rasped as Thomas' eyes turned worriedly to his sibling and shook his head slightly. "I wish I knew," he whispered. And then, suddenly, they both knew. ***** Scene: Outside Sickbay "Captain!" Lexia remained where she lay, until she realized that the voice was a friendly one. Turning slightly, she saw Masters extend his hand to her, Johnson standing a few steps behind his fellow bodyguard. "Thank goodness," murmured Barak V'ann, moving quickly over to Tremaine. In his hand he held a long phaser-shaped device, several lights flickering weakly on the uppermost display. "I was hoping you'd gotten to the floor in time." "What...what was that?" asked Lexia softly, as V'ann flushed slightly. "And where's MacArthur?" "He escaped, sir," said Masters, his eyes looking over at Barak with a look of some annoyance as V'ann shook his head. "And he allowed him to escape, sir." "As I tried to explain to both of your..."bodyguards," Captain, he won't have gotten too far," explained Barak V'ann, as he gestured with the device in his hand. "This chronoton irradiator hit him with everything it had. Not much use anymore," he said to himself, dropping the device to the floor. "Adam's going to hit the roof." "Wait...did you say -chronoton irradiator-?" asked Lexia softly, her eyes widening as Dr. V'ann nodded. "It's used to realign cells into the proper time sequence; for example, a burn victim--" But Lexia wasn't listening to the explanation. She quickly turned to Masters. "Mister Masters, how did MacArthur escape?" If it was how she thought, then V'ann did something even better, she thought to herself. "He run down the hallway, sir," said Masters, his face expressionless. "Johnson there followed him but by the time he arrived at where MacArthur should have been, he was gone." "I believe he used a transporter, sir," replied Johnson as Lexia turned back to V'ann. "I think you might have just bought us a lot of time, Barak," she said softly, a smile crossing her face as she nodded to Masters and Johnson. "Gentlemen, let's go." And as Lexia and her bodyguards moved down the hallway to their next destination, Barak V'ann scratched his head in puzzlement. "Wonder just what she meant by *that*?" ***** Adam's eyes snapped open to look at Thomas and James, as both Englishmen gave a start. The CMO's eyes were now a vivid shade of gold, as James and Thomas realized something was forming just in front of Adam's form. Shifting veils of mist, sparking slightly...a scent of ozone in the air.... "Dear Lord," murmured Thomas Lawrence, as James looked at his brother. "What...what is it?" asked James Lawrence, his brows knitted in puzzlement. "Is *Adam* doing that?" "Yes," replied the OBERON's Counselor, stunned. "And that is...my God, if I hadn't seen it before--" "What is it?" demanded James. "He's contacted the Guardian of Forever," whispered Thomas. "And that, brother, is a gate--" "Thomas...get through....quickly," said Adam, the pressure of keeping the connection with the Guardian making him struggle for words, his breath tight in his chest. He'd never done this before; certainly he'd never considered the mantle of what he had accepted from his father to be this fantastic. Even now, it still defied complete understanding. And yet in wordless understanding, he was able to tap into the powers of the Guardian, drawing an element of its being -through- him, into this corridor. To save Thomas and James. And himself, if he was lucky. "Adam...?" began Thomas. "Get your...brother...safe...." Adam's eyes flared gold again, seeming to brighten the corridor even more. "Go!" Thomas Lawrence took one look at his friend and comrade, then looked over at his brother. James Lawrence looked far less convinced, however. Not surprising, thought Lawrence to himself. "You'd better be right behind us, Commander Crown," he said sharply, his voice not belying the fact that he was as terrified as Adam certainly was. "Otherwise I'm coming back for you, assassins be damned." Adam might have smiled, but he couldn't be sure, thought Thomas to himself as he took a deep breath.... ***** As MacArthur's group of assassins rounded the corner, weapons drawn, their eyes hungry for death.... ***** And Thomas Lawrence wrapped his arms around James Lawrence. "Hang on, James. Don't let go, even for a minute." Thomas's voice was stern, as it had been when they had been children. It made James smile for a moment...until he saw the assassins. "Dear Lord...NO!" ***** But James Lawrence's words were lost, as Thomas flung his brother and himself into the shimmering mists of the Gateway Adam Crown had called up...to be send someplace far from here. ***** The lead assassin's face split in a feral grin as he raised his weapon, his finger tightening on the firing stud, the target crosshairs on his heads-up display in his helmet meeting, glowing red. And fired, the firey crimson bolt slicing through the air, oblivious to the shimmering mists just ahead of it... ...as Adam Crown screamed, toppling forward.... And the entire corridor exploded into a firestorm.... ************************* NRPG: There...that does something. Let's see, people out of Sickbay; a enemy, potentially irradiated, missing crewmembers...sounds like a party..... :) Commander Adam Trennell Crown Chief Medical Officer USS OBERON, NCC-0111 Director, Starfleet Medical -- Matt Hydeman |***Copyright 1997, Stormchaser Endeavours*** voyage@falcon.cc.ukans.edu |************All rights reserved************* University of Kansas |**** http://falcon.cc.ukans.edu/~voyage ****