The room was spinning, and then there was darkness... -- Starbase Rugby: Residential Sector

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Date Posted: 20:24:02 10/19/01 Fri
Author: Mark Hale
Subject: The room was spinning, and then there was darkness...
In reply to: Javier 's message, ""This is good for WHATEVER ails you, my friend!"" on 11:27:51 09/01/01 Sat

Somewhere in the distance a merchant trader was speaking. Somewhere, a man lay on the floor, doubled over as he moaned in agony. Mark thought he wouldn't want to trade places with whomever was crying out. There was something off about that thought though, and as he struggled to focus, he heard another voice.

"Yes sir! I was just...distracted. My mind was elsewhere."

His RSO unit CO was speaking, of that Hale was certain. He couldn't hear the words for some reason but knew them all the same. A dangerous substance. A quarantined world, location long forgotten by but a few. Then the sources.

"Sources, sir?"

Mark listened with some incredulity as a report made to Ops by an agent working as a SBRbucks barrista relayed bragging by a semi-regular, Javier. The merchant trader claimed not only to have found the planet, but had a sample in his possession. The waitress had merely smiled and left him with his Starrappachino, but made her report moments later. And now Mark was here.

"Me? But he's probably a crackpot, trying to impress her is all...look, I know I took your decision not to tell the brother hard, gave you some lip, but if this assignment is some kind of punishment..."

More words now, mouthed in silence, yet Mark knew each of them by heart. He was told he was one of the best, that his personal feelings toward an assignment a friend was given, one he wanted, had been taken under advisement and not held against him. His CO tossed a small hand-comp across the desk, his cover story, credentials, and other data within. It even had a wire to fit his neural net, for instant download.

"..yeah...yeah I'm Dr. Hastings....you can't fire me I quit...I..."

Mark shook his head, squinting. The room was blindingly bright, and there were spots of color everywhere.

"Where are you?"

"Who...?"

The voice was difficult to make out, sounding tinny and feminine. Something gripped his wrist and the question was repeated...though it sounded differently worded....

"Do you know where you are Dr. Hastings? No...don't sit up yet..keep your head down my friend...."

Javier. The needle. It all came back to Mark now as he lay on the floor, his head propped up by a rolled up jacket. He wondered how long he'd feverishly been hallucinating, and how much had he said aloud. Did Javier know now? Or suspect anything from his ramblings? Mark rubbed his eyes, brushing away a crusted build-up. He looked carefully at Javier, who sat there in sharp detail, as was everything in the room now. He studied the merchant-trader's eyes. If there was suspicion, he saw none. But was it because his story was safe or this madman didn't care? Or was the injection the insurance he needed that Mark now needed Javier as much if not more than Javier needed him? Mark closed his eyes, and waited for the dryness in his mouth to fade. He was commited to the assignment now, and only hoped when the time came, he'd see some medlab time. They had to have enough on Javier now from his neural recorders, didn't they? Or were they still planning to have him go along? Maybe on Cybertron they had the answers, but on Rugby there was nothing but questions, and Mark knew the responsibility for finding the answers was a burden he'd be dealing with for some time yet...

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"Time to pack, oh yes Doctor, time we were MOVING!" -- Javier, 11:27:58 12/25/01 Tue