escapism

Escape.
A simple, short word that can mean many different things in different context.
My favorite context is "get away". I can easily escape from real life by logging into World of Warcraft or Guild Wars. I can escape from my workday by leaving the room. Sometimes I can escape in general by taking a vacation trip.
So- Why does this come up randomly, now? Partially because we just made plans to take a trip with the family that I am looking forward to. Partially because there are a TON of things I would like to escape from on a daily basis...
And partially because the main reason I began writing was to escape from myself. I am not a prolific writer, making words about varying subjects in a variety of styles. My characters and story came from a need to make sense of, and an outlet for, my daydreams and wishes. To have a vehicle for expressing feelings, thoughts, ideas is therapeutic in a way I had not considered previously. Just the act of typing out the words, seeing the story develop, the fact that I can make them whatever I want seems to scratch some of the itch of my insecurity.

Though it would be more than fabulous if someone were to see this blog and want to help edit, etc., that is not why I am putting it out there. One of my greatest faults is my shyness. I don't like to do things if they will put me in any sort of spotlight. Some people may not believe this, because I tend to overcompensate, but there it is. Escape from myself? Not really, just sort of.
Whether or not anyone ever reads this story, it still has performed its function, and I am happy with it.

Onward...

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Chapter 6

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                Everyone on the Draco had heard my call for help. My voice can be very loud when I need it to be, apparently. But, unfortunately for us, by the time the Engineers had realized what they were feeling and hearing it was too late. The Bay doors had opened just as the ultra-white light of the Transport was vanishing. My mental cries faded with the light. The only thing left to show that we had been there was a small metal cylinder, slowly rolling to a stop against the corridor wall.

                Lieutenant Dalton slapped her communicator. “Security! Captain Bianchi has been abducted!”

                At the exact same moment, the Red Alert Siren began screeching throughout the Ship. The MPs, our Military Police, led by Colonel Zuajko, arrived on Level Twenty within a minute. They fanned out throughout the Level, concentrating on the nearby Engineering Department. A few of them left to go up to Level Twelve, where my Lab is.

                “Colonel. What do you see?”

                “Commander. Nothing yet, Sir. There is a spray cylinder here, we have contacted Doctor Palmer to retrieve it for testing.”

                “All right, keep at it. Let me know the instant your men find anything else.”

                Commander Walker paced the Bridge, waiting for some sort of contact. He knew that the Agrint ship had to be nearby. However, the Federation had no technology that would allow Transport to or from a Ship while in Hyperspace. We could not even trust our sensors. The Draco was almost blind while outside the normal realm of Space, relying upon the established routes, minimal directional sensors, and the expertise of the Navigators in planning the entry to get where she was going.

                Luckily, my friend Mark Quinn was at the helm when the Alert sounded. He is among the best in his chosen specialty, which happens to be Navigation. There is not much about the workings of Hyperspace, nor of the controls of the Draco, that he does not know and understand intimately.

                “Lieutenant Commander Quinn. How long before we will be able to exit Hyperspace?”

                “Not long, Sir. We have been doing our best to follow the directional trail left by the Agrint ship. It’s almost disappeared now, Sir.”

                “Hopefully, that means they have stopped or at least slowed down. Get us out ASAP, Mr. Quinn.”

                “Aye, Sir.”

               

                The Agrint ship was traveling at her top speed, though that was well below the top speed of the Draco. She was moving away, toward a nearby solar system. They followed her until she disappeared into the asteroid belt. It was difficult to negotiate the field, so many moving objects in their path.

                It proved to be quite complicated, and tedious, searching the asteroid field for one small ship. Commander Walker and Lieutenant Commander Quinn stayed at their stations the entire time, at the terminals, manning the communications, watching the viewscreens for any sign of the Agrints. They did not stop to eat, much less sleep, until Jenny forced her way onto the Bridge with a large tray.

                “I’m sorry to burst in here, gentlemen. But you need to eat, you need to keep up your strength. My friend is out there. I can’t have you collapsing from hunger before you find her.”

                Even Commander Walker had to smile at her. “You are correct. Thank you.”

                “And Doctor Palmer says to tell you that the substance in the cylinder was some sort of anaesthetic. Not one of ours. And no way to tell how much was used, or who it was used on...” Her forced cheerfulness was fading, she was losing her battle with the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

                Commander Quinn rose from his chair, looking over at Commander Walker. Receiving a small nod of approval, he went over to Jenny and took her in his arms, comforting her as best he could.

                “We’ll find her, Jen. We will. We’ll bring both of them back. I promise.” Pulling away to look in her face, he added, smiling, “I owe them one, you know.”

                “You’d better. And soon.” They kissed quickly, self-consciously, then parted, going their separate ways.

                The search continued through the night and into the morning. Then they had a break. They detected a communication coming from the Agrint ship. Something regarding a group of Humans, somewhere in that solar system. The Agrints were to meet them, though the reason was unclear.

                “Keep monitoring, Lieutenant Masters. This may help us determine their purpose, and their destination.”

                “Yes, Sir... Sir! The signal is weakening. It’s breaking up, I can’t hold onto it.”

                “What’s happening, Lieutenant? Ensign Alben, what do you see?”

                Ensign Alben, surprised to be called upon, still answered quickly from his Science station. “Sir, it looks as though they have slipped out the other side of the planetary plane. While we were monitoring the asteroid belt for their communications, they began moving off in the opposite direction. Sir.”

                Commander Walker felt his face darken with frustration. “How did this happen? How did we not detect when they moved?”

                All of the Bridge Officers sat at attention, staring intently at their screens, tapping keys, trying to gather as much data as possible. No-one wanted to be the one to have to explain how they had lost sight of the Agrint ship. But the fact remained that the ship was gone, now out of range.

                While the team on the Bridge restarted their search, the Commander took the lift down to Engineering.

                Lieutenant Dalton was waiting for him when he arrived.

                “Sir, we have found something. I hate to have to tell you this, but... the security system was breached from inside the Draco. Someone on board either gave the codes to the Agrints, or let them in personally. We are still working on how they did it while we were in Hyperspace.”

                “You are certain of this?”

                “Yes, Commander. It is the only explanation. There was no disruption of the grid. At all. The alarm did not trigger. The system is still completely intact, nothing has been changed or damaged. We reset it with no trouble, and we have not been able to find any alien devices of any sort.”

                She motioned to her terminal. As she tapped the keys, the display changed to  show a video feed of Level Eleven, where the guest quarters are. One of the investigators, one of the Admiral’s men, was walking quickly down the corridor. He turned his head from side to side, glancing in all directions before passing his hand over the sensor to open the door to his quarters. Another few taps changed the scene again. This time it showed the same Agent, earlier the day before, in one of the corridors on Level Fifteen.

                Commander Walker knew that there was no reason for him to be down there. Level Fifteen is where the Shuttle Bay is, as well as where the MPs have their offices and training facility. It is also where the Security Force of the Draco stores their weapons. The Agent was outside of the Shuttle Bay, moving quickly toward the lift.

                “There is more, Commander, but nothing truly incriminating. Just enough to be suspicious.”

                Trying to control his temper, he said, slowly, “Keep looking, Lieutenant. We need to know what to tell the Admiral when we make our report. Good work.”

                The Bridge was still buzzing with activity when Commander Walker stepped through the door. He scanned the room, seeing all of the Officers at work trying to re-locate the Agrint ship. He went back to his station, glancing over at the empty Captain’s chair, and over to the doorway that led to the ready-room. With a deep sigh, he began his own search of the data.

                “What is that? Commander! There she is!”

                It had been several more hours of fruitless searching, several disappointing, frustrating hours. But all of a sudden, the Agrint ship was visible to the sensors, moving toward the Draco. Lieutenant Commander Quinn, still at his Navigation station, switched the main viewscreen to the quadrant of the sky where the small speck was.

                And there was something else as well. Another speck, barely visible. It was moving away from the larger ship, at a high rate of speed. They set the sensors on the smaller vessel, to see if perhaps we were on board. Disappointed in that, they did discover that there were Humans in that shuttle. The sensors showed familiar identities, or rather one familiar identity, and two others, unknown.

                “Well, well, well. I wonder what you did to get yourself thrown off that ship, Mr. Knowles... Lieutenant Masters. Are you able yet to read anything from the Agrint ship? Is Captain Bianchi on board?”

                “I don’t know yet, Sir. Their shields are scattering our sensors.”

                “Keep trying, Lieutenant.” The Commander was barely containing himself. But although he is expert in the many aspects of the Ship’s operations, he had to allow the Officers to do their jobs. It did not take long, however. Only a few minutes went by before there was an exclamation from the Communications Station.

                “Sir! He is there! And Doctor Thorne is too! I can’t tell if they are injured, but they are both alive, Sir.” Lieutenant Masters was smiling from ear to ear, so happy to be able to deliver good news after such a tense, exasperating day.

                When the contact light began flashing on her terminal, the Lieutenant looked up in surprise.

                “Sir? The Agrint ship is calling us. Shall I answer?”

                “What? Of course! Accept the transmission, Lieutenant.”

                While the two ships traveled toward each other in the dark of deep Space, the Officers aboard the Draco went into action. Doctor Palmer was called, and several Sergeants from the MPs were called as well. They organized a plan for what would happen if the Agrints sent any of their warriors over in the Transport. All necessary Staff made their way to Level Six.

                “So you see, Captain, we are still trying to determine how they found us in Hyperspace. We do not understand the technology that would allow that.”

                The Captain looked at him thoughtfully. “And the Agents? Was Lieutenant Dalton able to determine if one of them disengaged the security system? And which one?”

                “Not yet, Sir. We cannot determine what they would have used to shut down the system without setting off alarms all over the Ship. However, you do need to know that it was Agent Trent that we saw in the corridor on Level Fifteen.”

                A chill went through me. There had been a strange feeling, back in my office, but I hadn’t been able to tell where it was coming from. Could it have been Agent Trent? It was possible, though I didn’t remember which one he was. But then, there had been so many unusual sensations in the past few days, it was becoming difficult for me to separate them. It was past time for me to get in my yoga practice, or at least a Tai Chi session to help clear my mind.

                I took a few minutes to go back into the bedroom to change out of my robe. It was all right for us to be somewhat informal with the Admiral, considering recent events, but it seemed more appropriate to have actual clothes on. By the time I came out, in shorts and tee shirt very like what the Captain was wearing, the large monitor on the wall above the desk was displaying the Admiral’s office at Headquarters. It made me feel almost homesick, just for a moment. It had been quite some time since we had been back to Earth, and I missed her, even though the Draco was and is my home.

                Admiral Wilson came into view, seating himself slowly in his huge chair behind his huge, real wood desk. He looked so tired. But when he saw us, the Captain and me, his face lit up with his familiar smile.

                “Welcome back, both of you. Got yourselves into another bit of trouble, did you?”

                The Captain took a step forward. “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir. We have a lot to talk about, if you’re ready, Admiral.”

                We did almost all of the talking, the Captain and I. We described the Agrint ship as best we could. After all, we hadn’t seen very much of it. By unspoken agreement, we left out the part about the familiar symbol we had seen. It was something that we both felt would prove to be important. However, somehow we also felt that we couldn’t say anything about it. We did report on the other physical aspects of the ship, the twisting corridors, the dank and slimy cells. The Bridge, with its dim lights and strangely arranged stations. Reluctantly, I gave an account of my time in the cell, not leaving anything out, and tried to ignore the troubled looks on the faces of all three men.

                Admiral Wilson asked about the Agrints, their weapons, their armor, their chain of command. It seemed that the Federation had very little knowledge of their enemy. I knew why they had been thrown out of the Federation. However, those events were in the past, and the skirmishes had died out, at least I had thought so. And yet, still there was so much we didn’t know.

                Commander Walker added the details of what had happened aboard the Draco, pausing when the subject of the video came up.

                “Sirs, we have not yet determined why the Investigator was on Level Fifteen, nor if he made any unauthorized communication.”

                The Admiral was quiet for a moment. Then, “He did not send any communications here. Do nothing for now. We need to draw out whoever is behind all this. We do not even know what their purpose is, other than to perhaps acquire the technology behind your adaptations.” He pursed his lips, his face revealing his concern for us, for me. “Liz, what do you think about what happened? Do you have any insights for us?”

                Addressed unexpectedly, I tried to gather my thoughts. “Admiral, I don’t know. I can’t imagine how Peter Knowles even found out about the cellular modifications. He knew about this,” I held up my left arm, “but I don’t see how he would know about the rest. Unless... unless he was told...”

                The Captain rescued me. “We fear, Admiral, that there is someone within the Federation giving away our secrets. It has happened before, as you know.”

                “Yes. It has indeed. And you have an idea of who it is.”

                “Unfortunately, yes, Sir. Elizabeth sensed something unusual from the Agents when they arrived. Combined with the evidence of the security video, I am afraid there is only one conclusion.”

                It felt wrong. There was something we were missing. Agent Trent may well have been involved in something he shouldn’t have been. But that was not the whole story, not by a long shot.

                The men continued their discussion, of added security measures and weapons upgrades, of surveillance and electronic tracking devices. I was only partially paying heed to them, thinking my own thoughts about recent events. There was still an undercurrent of something in the back of my mind, something that I recognized but could not put my finger on. My attention returned to the conversation when the Admiral said something that suddenly caught my interest.

                “And, Paolo, you have not spoken of your time alone with Mr. Knowles. Is there anything you would like to share?” His face betrayed his worry, his anxiety as he looked pointedly at the Captain, staring at the dark bruises and burns so prominent on his legs. The fact that he had used the Captain’s first name betrayed how frightened he had been.

                “Sir, I do not have the details of the experiments. I do not know what end result they were hoping for. It seems to me they should know that there is no point in trying to duplicate the mutations by force.” The deep grey eyes turned to me, then back to the monitor. “And, Sir, if it’s all right with you, I would rather not go into the details. There is no point.” His arm wrapped around me, his fingers digging into my waist.

                The Admiral, his blue eyes regarding each of us carefully, said, slowly, “All right, then. I will consider you all debriefed. You need not file official reports, that can wait until we are more certain of secure communications.” He hesitated for a brief moment, then broke into a knowing smile, “Yes, you are back on duty. As soon as you feel up to it you may go back to your stations.”

                “Admiral, if I may?” I waited for his acknowledgement before continuing, “Would you mind specifying that we may not feel up to it until tomorrow? Please?”

                His laughter was a welcome sound that we did not hear very often. He agreed heartily, and signed off, still laughing.

                “You may go, Commander. Take the rest of the evening. I believe Doctor Palmer would be glad to help you find something to do.” The Captain kept one arm around me as he motioned toward the door with the other.

                Commander Walker’s eyes opened wide with surprise, but he recovered quickly. “Thank you, Captain. Till tomorrow, then.”

                While the Captain sat at his desk to review the latest data and check up on the status of the various Operations of his Ship, I took the opportunity to contact Jenny. She had been so quiet since we had been back, though she had probably been after Doc Palmer for updates. It was almost Eighteen Thirty and her fiancee would still be on the Bridge, so it was the perfect time to speak to her. I went into the lounge to make the call.

                “LIZ! Finally! My goodness. No, never mind that. I’m just so happy you’re back. And safe.”

                “I’m sorry, Jen. I wasn’t supposed to speak to anyone until after we reported to the Admiral. So what did I miss? You guys didn’t elope or anything while we were gone, did you?”

                She did smile at that, though the tension still showed in her face. “Liz, you have got to quit getting yourself into all this ruckus. It’s really hard on your friends, you know?”

                Jenny is the best.

                We talked for a while, just girl-talk about the upcoming wedding, mostly. She didn’t want, nor need, to hear about my time on the Agrint ship. She made me promise that I wouldn’t get into any more trouble until at least after the wedding was over. Although of course she knew that none of us planned on any of the trouble that seemed to follow us around. Especially me.

                And all the while, there was that sense of foreboding, something nagging at my mind. It was such a familiar feeling, and it bothered me that I couldn’t remember where or when I had felt that same feeling before.

                “All right, Jen. We’ll meet Marla in the Level Eight Lounge, tomorrow at lunchtime. I should be able to get away from the Lab at least for a while. After I’m caught up with my reports, and some other things we have going on.”

                Inside my head, I added, “I hope.”

                I knew from experience that the Captain, once he began working, was going to be busy for a while. It didn’t seem to me that it would do any harm, as long as he stayed in our quarters. So, leaving him to it, as soon as I was able to break contact with Jenny it was time for my workout. In fact, it was past time. My mind had been stressed almost to the limit. There had been so much thrown at me in the past couple of days, and it was increasingly difficult to focus.

                Yoga is one of my favorite ways to unwind, to unfocus, to clear my mind. It’s also a wonderful way to stay in shape. Over the years, I have always made sure to keep up with my exercises, not only because of the way it allows me to keep my thoughts straight, but because it keeps my body toned and limber as well. When we were young, up in the Northern Province, one of the first things Jenny and I did together was to take classes at the Cooperative. From there we moved to other ancient martial arts, Tai Chi, Tai Kwon Do, anything that was offered. Those years of training have stood me very well in terms of discipline as well as physical strength.

                After probably an hour, I began to feel as though my acuity was returning. I hadn’t realized how drained I had been. And it occurred to me that I may have had help with that. The strange, familiar-yet-not feeling of unease was still with me. Shaking my head, pushing the nagging sensation aside, I walked back to the living area, pulling my clothes off as I went.

                The Captain was not at his desk. But I knew he was still there, so I peeked around into the bed. He was fast asleep, his face so handsomely peaceful, framed by his rumpled black hair. He didn’t move as I stood there watching him, his breathing so deep and even, his mind clear and calm. So I climbed back into the bed and curled up against him, smiling as he turned over and put his arm around me.