Star Trek PBEM Sim / Star Trek RPG
OUR STAR TREK PBEM STORIES: REMEMBRANCES PAST
Title: Remembrances Past, Part Four
Location: Pandora's Box, CO's Stateroom
Flashback Setting (Emma): Takharesh X
"How long have you been here?" asked Ensign Peel taking CDR Frye to a new
location to rendezvous with some of the others. She hoped before they arrived at
the special place she had in mind, she could figure out what side this operative
truly was on.
"Not long compared to some of you," he replied. Then to make it look good he
added in an exact sounding time. "About two years," he said.
"Been here less than that," Emma lied. "Was told to get in place and wait for
and assist with evacuation orders. What brought you here?" she asked.
"Told to get in place, stay low and wait. Just found out why it was or what it
became," he said trying to cultivate a rapport with her.
The talked while they walked as Emma tried to set up Frye for a fall or give him
a chance to clear himself. She had more than a gut feeling now that he was not
even on any side out of any strong beliefs or conviction, but in it for business
for himself. As they talked she slipped and told him that she was new to this,
was a newly minted ensign and that it would be a relief to speak in Federation
Standard with him.
"Stop," she said quickly interrupting the conversation. "Something's wrong."
Emma stopped herself, but kept the weapon trained on Frye. She carefully peered
around a tree, still keeping her local weapon trained on the Commander.
He looked around carefully, not seeing anything out of the ordinary for a war
zone. It was all bad. As he did so he checked for any change in scenery that
might be used to his advantage and for the chance that another person on his
paying side of this war could come to his aid.
The traitor tried not to smile. He found it. "What?" he asked trying to engage
her in conversation to get her off guard. He moved slightly trying to lead her
in the direction he wanted her to go.
Ensign Peel moved slightly in response. "There was supposed to be a vehicle
here," she said making the mistake of pointing and looking about forty-five
degrees away from her prisoner.
Frye wasted no time and sprung into action. A swift kick to her hand holding the
weapon followed by a sharp blow to her face, landed the younger less experienced
Starfleet officer on the ground. She tried to reach for her weapon, but Frye got
there first.
He picked it up and changed the settings, making sure it was set to kill. "I
need some answers," he said.
Emma arose slowly, clearly dizzy from being hit.
"Hurry," he said, "change of plans."
Somehow despite the spinning forest, Emma managed to stand.
"Good," the traitor said. "I might let you live. Now tell me where you were
taking me."
"Here," she croaked out as sarcastically as she could to annoy him.
"Any more funny gets you dead," he replied. "Where?" he ordered.
"Back past where we came from with the vehicle that was supposed to be waiting
for us. I needed to take the long way in case you tried something like this,"
she answered, rubbing her jaw.
"Where?" he asked again, clearly not happy she avoided telling him an exact
location.
"That I won't tell you," she answered.
"Starfleet doesn't pay much and the Federation changes alliances more than a
Ferengi does interest rates before a big holiday. Your smelly friend was right.
Some of us were sent here to get rid of people like you. Unless of course you
can tell me what I need to know or convince me you'd be valuable in some way.
There's also my side, the latinum side, in this conflict. That would be the side
that wins regardless of who wins the war," he smirked.
"I am not in it for the latinum," Emma replied, looking like she'd pass out soon
from the effort of standing.
"I thought latinum was supposed to be a girl's best friend. I've got plenty of
that waiting for you if you tell me. There's still a lot of good deals to be
made as this planet self destructs itself with the so called sentient life forms
here. Old racial hatreds are one of the easiest things to exploit," he said.
Emma stared hard at him for a moment. She gave him a look that said she was
interested in the money.
"All right then. Where?" he asked again.
"The tubes under the zoo in the capital," she answered.
"Thank you," he said, believing her. "Now one last thing."
"The latinum?" Emma asked hopefully.
"No, I will kill you now," Commander Frye replied. He fired.
