Prototype Part VII

Posted on Mon 13th Apr, 2020 @ 3:55am by Lieutenant Elliot Jericho & Lieutenant Meghan [Maggie] Jericho
Edited on on Fri 11th Sep, 2020 @ 8:16pm

1,496 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Unidentified Secret Pirate Base
Timeline: Back Post, about a month ago

Elliot gazed into the beautiful eyes of his wife then took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly before releasing her. That kiss had to last him because he had no idea when they would kiss again. "Okay, I'm ready." He said and then he hit the door release. The back door began to open and Elliot headed towards it. They had to play it cool if they were to make it out of here alive. Elliot briefly scanned for the Prototype and located the Star fleet signature not all that far away. "We're in luck, the Prototype is about 700 meters away in a different landing area, but it could be worse. I've located other landing areas that are much farther."

Maggie smiled after the kiss. She was still anxious, but she felt reassured at least momentarily. "Seven hundred meters is a walk in the park." She gave a playful nod of her head and smiled before becoming serious again. "It's what's at the end of the walk that worries me." She checked her phaser and slid it into her boot. She was finally dressed in a black jumpsuit which was much more appropriate for the mission than the slave get up she'd been in. It fit a little tight, but even so, was more comfortable. She'd already hidden two daggers and was as equipped as she could be for this next part of their mission. The last thing she did was secure the plans of the prototype into a small pocket on the waistband of her jumpsuit. It would be safe there or die with her. That done, she followed her husband through the open hatch of the shuttle.

The artificial atmosphere of the asteroid wasn't at all like what Maggie expected. It seemed cool and clear, except for the foul stench of fuel and what she could only assume was burned flesh. It would make sense, the dead would have to be gotten rid of, easiest way to hide the evidence was to burn it or perhaps use a phaser on max setting. Either way, the smell would be horrible. She wondered how they kept the air breathable. The atmospheric filters alone had to be colossal in order to keep the pollutants from killing them "Next time we travel, It better be to Risa and not Hell." She commented as they made their way to the landing area.

"I'd like that." Elliot said as he pulled out his tricorder and scanned for the path to the Prototype. "Okay, got our path set in on the tricorder. The good news is that we don't need any Environmental suits to get to where we are going. There's atmosphere all the way through the tunnels."

"EVA suits might smell better." She rolled her eyes.

"I won't stop you from wearing your suit or just a mask even if you want to." Elliot grinned back at her.

"I think I'm fine." She took a deep breath. "Let's just get this done and go home. I want to finish our dinner." She remembered that she still hadn't told Elliot about her secret. Now she would have to keep it that way until this was over and they were safely on their way home. She had her phaser ready, and walked next to her husband as they made their way through the tunnels. "How far down are we going?" She asked as they walked.

"The good thing is that they don't go down any further, it's pretty much straight on about another hundred meters. We have to pass though one more hanger and then we will be there."Elliot smiled at her, "This will be over soon."

"You know I enjoy the thrill of a good mission as much as the next person, but we've encountered a lot of snags on this one. Someone's Intel was way off and I don't like it."

"Nah." Elliot said, "The Intel was okay, it's just we had a problem with the welcome committee on that planet or else we could have got the ship, just not the plans for it. We'll get both, it just took a little more time. Frankly, I expected more trouble here and so far nothing." Elliot was worried that they hadn't run into anyone, he had expected to fight his way to the Prototype.

"It is kind of odd that we haven't even been approached by anyone." She said. "It feels almost too good to be true." She blew off what he'd said about the intel. He might be right or might not be, but Meghan felt like they had been expected at the pirate's hold.

The couple reached the final hanger before entering the last short tunnel that would lead them to the hanger where the Prototype was stored. Elliot tested the blast door and it to was unlocked just like all the rest of the doors. He turned the handle and slowly opened the door. "Maybe no one hangs out in this part of their fortress, maybe they have other things to do like drink." Elliot held the door open for Meghan and as the door closed all hell broke loose.

Disruptor and phaser fire bolts and beams created sparks as they bounced off the walls all around the Jerichos. They both dropped and took cover behind some crates. Elliot returned fire a couple of times and noted several times that more and more armed persons were entering the hanger and firing at them. He couldn't hold them off let alone advance to the prototype. Soon they would be either captured or dead. Elliot had to think of something fast.

"The next time you steal a ship, you better make sure the owner is dead. He told us you were coming so we set a little surprise trap for you!" A man yelled from across the hanger.

"I knew I should have killed that scum for the way he hurt you." Elliot turned to look at Meghan, "I did rough him up a bit, he deserved that much."

"Right now, I'm wishing you had as well." Maggie whispered. All she had was her small phaser. She lifted it to Elliot, "I don't think this is gonna help us much, but I'll do my best."

Elliot raised up again and fired his phaser hitting someone running towards him however he noted a lot more pirates coming at them. In only a few moments they would be over ran and probably killed or worse. He had to do something big and do it fast or they both would be dead soon. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He couldn't let anything happen to his wife, she had to live. Then it came to him, he remembered seeing some type of fuel tank, a large one that had a big 'Highly Flammable' posted on it. No doubt it was fuel for some old spacecraft that the pirates used. It would do the trick though.

Elliot had an explosive device that would definitely explode and set off the fuel tank and probably take out a couple of the shuttle bays and all of these pirates. The problem is that it would take out the Jerichos too. Megan can't be here when this thing goes off. Elliot popped up again and this time two pirates were in his face. He fired his phaser twice, ending them.

Elliot gripped the device in his right hand and held it up for Megan to see. "Run! Run as fast as you can back to the shuttle, there are too many and things are going to get hot here. Run, that's an order! Run!" Elliot opened the blast door and pushed Megan back into the tunnel in which they had come from, "Run!"

He twisted the top on the explosive and threw it at the large fuel container then fired two more shots with his phaser, both hitting their marks. He ran for the door that would lead him to the Prototype. He got to the door, pushed it open, and was able to get inside. His mind raced as he thought about Megan running down the tunnel towards the shuttle so she could escape.

Then his mind switched to the problem at hand, the pirates and the upcoming explosion. Did he have enough time to get the blast door closed and would it hold during the explosion that was coming?

Elliot got the door closed, but before he could secure the latch the explosion happened. Elliot could see the explosion and the flame engulf the entire hanger through the small window on the blast door, it was as if it was in slow motion and it moved toward him and there was nothing that he could do as it reached the blast door.

The door hit him with such force that he went flying down the tunnel but he had no idea, his world went dark, he felt no pain.

 

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