The Darkness

Posted on Thu Sep 24th, 2009 @ 5:49pm by Commander Jordan Gunning

Mission: Into a Devil's Heart
Location: Orion Syndicate Internment Facility
Timeline: Two Months Before Present Date *Flashback* [MD04 1430]

The searing light punched through the darkness. There was no illumination save for the sweeping circle that took in every inch of the little courtyard in a methodical arc. The giant stone tower at the edge of the courtyard was barely visible save for the top which was bathed in an eerie glow, cast by the moonlight. The man remained perfectly still. Not frozen in fear but frozen in necessity. The sound of footsteps echoed around the space, creating a palpable tension that could so easily snap.

It was bitingly cold and the blackened rags of the tunic barely kept him warm. He wanted so desperately to wrap his arms round himself and lie quietly on the ground while the cold and the pain from the gash in his leg overwhelmed him but his resolve was stronger than that. He repositioned himself slightly and did his best to make his move.

He looked up at the sky, inky black and foreboding and suddenly felt more strongly than ever that he had to move. The light flashed around the courtyard illuminating the guard, who wandered back and forth idly in front of the door. The guard put his hand up to his eyes to shield them from the pervasive light. He made his move. He dragged his ailing leg behind him as threw himself toward the guard, just as the light moved away from him. He threw a punch that cracked the man's nose and the audible crunch sent a cold shiver down his spine as the guard dropped to the ground.

He picked up the rifle and slipped in through the door, leaving the guard propped up against a storage tank. He ascended the worn and tired stone steps with care as he did his best not to alert the rest of the people in the tower to his presence. His leg seared as the fragments of his trousers made contact with the exposed wound. No time to be worrying about that. He continued his slow progress up the stairs.

He eventually reached a door which looked out of place in the antiquated stone tower. It was composed of some form of alloy with a small viewing port bedded into it. He sneaked a glance inside. Three men stood fervently discussing something and gesticulating wildly. Their weapons were lowered and one was sitting with his feet up on a console. Too easy.

He tapped a couple of commands on the door's control panel and it slid to the side. The guards seemed to stop talking for a moment as their innards were ripped to shreds by phaser fire. The beam from the rifle cauterised their wounds instantly and they fell limply to the floor. The man dragged himself into the room and over to a console. Punching out a few commands to lower the dampening field, he tapped the pin on his chest.

"Gunning to Hood. One to beam directly to sickbay."

Jordan's attention was snapped back into the familiar surroundings of his office. He shivered a little at the lingering memory of the biting cold. His commbadge chirped reassuringly. He had despised being out of contact with his peers on the Hood during his short captivity and moreover hated feeling helpless.

He tapped the commbadge. "Gunning here."

"Lieutenant Gunning, please report to Sickbay for your routine physical."

He sighed. "Be there in moment."

[OFF]