Challenge two - Meeting of the Commanders
Posted on Tue Jun 2nd, 2020 @ 3:53pm by Ensign Michael Sloan & Captain Bethsabée Leroux
Edited on on Tue Jun 2nd, 2020 @ 3:56pm
Mission:
Mission 3 - 100
Location: Brig
Timeline: MD 30 13:00
1547 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure
Beth looked at the man sat on the floor in front of her as she walked into the Brig. This was the first time she walked in and he had not been pretending to be asleep. The Brig Officer on duty nodded to the Officer in Charge slightly relieved to have another soul in the Brig other than the silent traitor who just kept staring into space saying nothing.
“Ah, I see you are awake.” She commented in English as the Brig Officer on duty took a few steps back to give a little more privacy as Beth sat on the bench in front of him showing that she had every intention of starting a conversation.
Michael, or whatever he was, looked up at Beth. His face gave no indication or tell about his emotions. The Human's posture told Slaon that she was here to stay and to talk. Without a word, he brought himself to a seated position, then turned to face the Commander. "I am awake, it's hard to be sure of anything else."
"It is a good to see you looking a little better. I thought it was about time we spoke. You have me as a disadvantage as you know my name. Do you care to tell me it or do you want me to still use Sloan?" The Commander wanted information. Wanted to know more about what was going on and what his mission was other than to gather data.
"Sloan will be fine," the man stated from his position on the floor. His face looked a bit confused as he thought for a moment. "I do have memories of someone else's life. It's like two dreams, none of it seems real."
The confusion on his face was interesting and it conveyed more than Beth had expected. This man was stuck between two worlds. "What do you remember?" She wondered thankful that he agreed that Sloan was going to be his name or at least until he remembered enough to make a more informed decision.
"I remember growing up in a military family in South Africa, wanting to become a MACO, the shuttle crash, and even how I felt when the Breen attacked Earth," Michael stated. Breathing out a little, he continued, "I also remember growing up on Romulus, attending the Romulan Imperial Military Academy, and rising the ranks to become Centurion." He paused for a moment. "My name was Alidar tr'Seroht."
Beth raised an eyebrow at his name as she repeated back to him in a whisper before she let the silence reign again as she went through mentally what he had said. So much had been said in such a short passage of time, it needed shifting through. "Romulus? That is your homeworld?" Beth said amazed that he was not fighting the questions or even sprouting things like he had been before in sickbay. She had suggested in the senior team meeting that it was going to be hard work or faced with reluctance to help them.
"Yes, in our language it is ch'Rihan," Michael further explained, "A Minshara Class planet." Looking down and back to his commander, he added, "I feel like I identify more with Michael, but I am confused when different thoughts come into my head."
Beth nodded. A Minshara Class planet made perfect sense when he had come to another one. She was getting so much valuable information from him but it made her wonder how come the previous day the two had come to talk had not gotten much information. "It's a beautiful word ch'Rihan. Do you miss Romulus?" Beth murmured wanting to try and build a raport with the man to better understand what had happened with him.
"I don't know," Michael shook his head. "I have the same memories of growing up in Johannesburg, my parents. Camping trips to Lake Victoria," he replied. "Do I miss both of them? Do I only miss one? I don't really know."
Beth sat silently for a long time just looked at the man as she sipped her coffee. It made little sense for him to lie about pointless things but it did make her remember that he was from Johannesburg and not America like a lot of the crew. "You do not seem to know a lot at the moment. The duo who interviewed you yesterday said as much."
"I do know that a war is coming, one that Earth can not win," Michael stated. His demeanor was calm, almost too calm. His voice gave no indication as to whether he was for one side or the other.
There it was again, that almost sinister calm voice and expression. Beth did not like it on the man she had known for six months at all, it was like looking at the opposite of the man. "It is a good job we are far from earth then," Beth commented on.
Nodding, Michael agreed, "I don't know what would have happened if I would have activated properly." Looking down, he said, "For now, I still identify as Michael but with Romulan memories. I don't know who I'd be if the proper trigger had activated me."
The Officer in charge tried not to think about what might have happened if he had activated at another time. They had been lucky to have it happen here and for it to contained. "What was the proper trigger?" Beth wondered looking away to the Brig Officer who looked as worried as she felt inside. Beth watched the man, it was like watching a wild animal contained and she did not like to think of what might happen if he got out.
"I don't know," Michael replied. Looking to the Captain, he explained it a bit, "That's something that would have been decided by the people who programmed it, if you want to call it that. It could have been a piece of news, a phrase, an event, being in contact with a certain person, any number of things could have caused it."
"I wish you knew Michael. It would make this all a bit easier." Beth mused softly thinking it would have been so much easier if they knew what the phrase was and if this was all it was meant to be or if it was something more lurking just beneath the surface waiting to reveal itself.
"I wish that I could help more," Michael stated rather bluntly.
"Of course." The woman responded not at all sure he was being serious or not. It was hard to tell and Beth did not enjoy feeling like there was another barrier between them other than the forcefield.
"I would really like something to do besides staring at the walls," Michael requested.
"You know I cannot let you out of here until I know you are safe for the crew." Beth did not like the thought of him stuck there but it was what needed to happen. It was not a long term plan but they needed to isolate him for now to check the crew over to see if anyone else was a sleeper agent.
"You don't have to let me out," Michael replied. Looking with almost pleading eyes, he added, "Let me look at schematics, scan results, whatever you have on those aliens. Maybe I can help figure out a weakness we can exploit or some way to help evade them. I could do it from in here, all I'd need is a PADD."
"I will consider it," Beth said cooly as she rose from the bench looking at him solemnly. She hated how right she had been that something about the man was not right, she hated how it was now changing the fabric of the ship ore than the turn of events already was. "Is there anything else that you need from me?" She noticed he had not eaten the food that had been given as of it.
"No," Michael replied simply. It was clear no more than ever that this would be a very long journey home, the next hundred years would be rather dull just staring at his small cell in the Brig for so long.
Beth nodded. They could talk more another time. "If you need to talk more the Brig and Communication Officers have been instructed to patch you through to me." She started to leave and turned back for a moment. "I hate that I was right about you Micheal." She hated that she had been right to mistrust him.
She was not right about him, Michael thought. He had sacrificed more to keep Earth safe than any translator had. It was not his fault that some alien enemy had messed up with his mind, why could she not see that? "I hate everything," he replied, letting a bit of the hurt from her comment out in his voice.
"I bet you do at the moment." Beth agreed with a small sigh. It would get better but at the moment they had far too many questions and not enough answers until that changed he would be staying there.
Commander Bethsabée Leroux
Commanding Officer
NX Atlantis
Michael Sloan
Former Chief Armory Officer
NX Atlantis
