The crackle of dust aginst the hull was the only sound remained for a moment as Tristan gave up his futile attempts to deploy his nanobots. His scanner was fried and he'd been drifting for over an hour.
The unxepected reboot of his HUD had surprised him and it was routine for the ship to do so if an electrical surge should threaten to fry the systems. Except it wasn't a reeboot, seconds turned to minutes and it became apparent that it wasn't coming back online. It wasn't long before a passing substance cloud drifted onto his path, after some minor bombardment the scanner was hanging off the hull by it's wiring and not even the auxiliary would kick into power.
It was ironic that he had thought such a mission was too good to be true. A simple expeditionary into the less known 'Luneburg' system to prospect an average sized desert planet, but for a more than double a weeks pay. Tris was hasty to take up the mission, but still felt uneasy as his time in space had not been for more than a month. And so he lay there floating, the distress beacon would surely have been activated and a recovery crew would soon be on their way. He only feared the ridicule from his colleagues when he climbed down the disembarkment ramp at Essen with the burden of failing his first non-combattant mission.
For a few minutes he waited in silence, listening to the dust hiss over the cockpit window, and slowly, but surely, slipped into sleep.
A jolt of the ship woke Tristan up, he put a palm to his forhead where it had hit the side panel of his cockpit for a second before peering outside. Nothing appeared to be out there but he was no longer drifting, he was being towed. It was about time the recovery team arrived because as he checked the time he noticed it had been almost four hours. For a few moments he sat there waiting for a transmission from the crew before he decided to send one himself.
"This is Kruger Expeditionary Kappa 2, good to see you guys got here, please submit your desgination."
No answer came, seconds turned to minutes. He tried again several times before it was obvious that they weren't going to reply. Everything had a logical explaination, perhaps the comms radio had been damaged also, the auxiliary power wasn't working anyway but he didn't know how that linked to his radio. For several minutes he saw specs of dust and rock shrink away out of vision as he was pulled backwards by an unseen object. But something gradually came into view of his left window, the looming aurora of a desert world. He knew this was what he was sent here for but he also knew that the way home was pretty much the opposite direction. It gradually got closer by the second.
"Recovery ship, this mission is a Foxtrot, my oxygen levels are running low and home is not this way"
Still no reply. They eventually approached the planet, it was clearly a dead rock and it's white glow rebounded the green suns rays into his cockpit. The crescent got larger as they got closer showing a true two faced appearance. It seemed inpossible for such a brilliant white to turn to dead black on it's western hemisphere, there was almost something eerie about it but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Coming about the planet now there appeared to be nothing but the recovery ship and himself.
"Ok recovery ship, we've had our little sight seeing tour, i recommend we turn our asses around and head home"
From the dark side of the planet, a few specs of light, the tinyest little squares out of an engulfing abyss. There was no settlement here, the planet had hardly been charted, he knew that better than most people. As he moved the closer he made it out to be a fairly small station, but before he would have time to ponder on his thoughts the ship was being moved up into one of the docks.
His ship sprang into life and soon after the escape hatch was opened. A bright white light penetrated through it leaving the entrants sillhouetes against a glowing background. He only had seconds to be realise someone had pulled his arm behind him and struck him hard on the head with something blunt.
Commander Freeman's footsteps echoed through the wide metal corridors as he strode away from the command bridge. He rejected any armed protection to escort him to the containment block as there was simply no need. And with all the new automated AI security measures put into place there was more chance of them attacking him than any other person from the outside world. His path consisted of corridor after corridor with the occasional junction, the place was massive but Freeman knew exactly where he was going. His eyes were an enigma as to what he had planned and behind them his brain settled into deep thought. Finally a wide window changed the endless pattern of grey panels along the right wall of the corridor he was swooping down. Behind it was an octagonal white room with doors on each of the eight sides. Men in long white silicon lab coats occasionally appeared of of one door and pigeon holed into another like an enlarged beehive. In the center of the room a semi circular desk faced the opposite direction to the window. Behind sat a woman dressed in white trousers and a buttoned over coat, in front of her sat three large computer screens and a large green button to her left.
But Commander Freeman had seen this scene many times before; he strode past the window and through the door next to it into the room behind it. He ignored the womans formal greeting as he hurried straight past and into one of the far right doors. The door suddenly slid open horizontally as he approached it and beyond it an almost eternal white hallway stretched with windows into equally bright rooms on each side. Ignorantly the commander swooped down the hallway ignoring the many subjects in each of the rooms he passed each side. As two guards came into sight he picked up his pace of step, his eyes eager now and ready to unload the many questions unto this mystery man and begin the interrogation.
"Has he said anything yet?"
"Nothing yet sir, he's been unconscious for some time now"
"I said restrain him not give him brain damage"
"Sorry sir, Gregory got a bit too vigorous"
He turned to look through the window at the man lying on the floor; blood seemed to have been running across his head and down his cheeks. But his breathing was reassuring proof to the commander that he was still alive.
"Wake him up"
One of the guards picked up a bucket from the floor beside him and opened the door with a card key. The other followed him inside with a pistol in hand. The guard with the bucket approached a tap that protruded from one of the walls, filled the bucket half full with water and threw it over the man on the floor.
"Hey! Wake up!"
Ordered one of the guards. The commander stepped into the room and gestured the guards to stand back. The man on the floor spluttered and stared at the tiles underneath him with astonished eyes. The commander strolled over to him and crouched beside him as he coughed and came to grips with consciousness.
"What's your name?"
The man continued to stare and breathe at the floor; it was as if his mind was broken with the blow of the truncheon and he was trying his best to fit it back together again like a timed jigsaw puzzle. One of the guards stepped forward and began to raise his hand to bring it down on him but the commander gestured him back again.
"I can't tell you who I am but for now you can call me Jasper, now what is your name?
Tristan lay there for a moment and felt the icy cold water drip down from his hair and hit the tiles before his eyes. What lasted for almost a minute seemed forever, his mind was empty and it was if it was taking time for the pieces of his head to drift back together again. Then he heard a voice penetrate the echoic silence of drips hitting the tiles.
"........ou can call me Jasper, now what is your name?"
Tristan tried to talk but a coughing fit interrupted for a moment, when he finally regained control out of the small gaps between coughing he said.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the man crouching before him raise an eyebrow and put a hand to his mouth. He seemed slightly more interested in his name than any casual person would. Then a thought occurred and Tristan felt panic begin to rise.
"Wait, where am..."
"Now tell me Tristan Freeman, what were you doing all the way out here?
A slight pause occurred as Tristan stared at him for a moment because of his abrupt interruption.
"Who are y...
"Look here Tristan, I don't mind giving second chances but your really starting to annoy me with your random questions. Lets try and keep this on topic now shall we? Now, who are you flying for Tristan?
Tristan sat up and shuffled to lie his back against one of the back walls. He let his head roll over to face the wall on his right. Every attempt he would make to take control of the conversation would surely be futile with this man, so he had not option but to yield to his interrogation.
"Planetform"
He mumbled. Tristan was sleepy now, but a burning will inside him repelled the temptation to sink into unconsciousness again.
"And what, may I ask, is Planetform so interested in the Omicrons Mr Freeman?"
Tristan had submitted by now and it was simply an automatic response for him to divulge the information given to him. His mind remained scattered and all thoughts of 'where', 'who' and 'what' had either not been found or smashed back up again by this man.
"A planet, An uncharted planet"
"What about it?"
"Prospecting. It's listed as a potential"
"See? That wasn't hard now was it?"
The commander stood up, and turned around. He stopped for a second and turned his head slightly to the left.
"Welcome to the Facility Mr Freeman"
He strode away and disappeared through a door. Two other men followed him out more wary of him. The door slammed shut as it slid into place and locked systematically and the three men continued the conversation without him behind a large window opposite. Tristan let his head roll over to his left, he felt hopeless and he'd begun to wonder whether he'd been drugged. With the silent cold that filled the room his mind slowly slipped into a similar state. All his troubles seemed to dissolve away as he slumped over onto his side and fell back into unconsciousness.
Commander Freeman rounded on himself when he got outside and went to the window. Thinking of what he had learnt in this small encounter he couldn't help but look at this man who appeared to have lost all hope in himself. It seemed as if this place eminated condemnation when it wasn't exactly the case.
"What shal we do with him sir?"
The commander knew his options and knew what he should do. But he was a proud man, and regretted having to move his work underground. Apart from his assitants and subjects he had no-one to show off his work to and he was feeling his ego deflating. If you asked Commander Freeman if he was a man of his ego he would definatley say no, all the more reason to suspect that he may indeed take great pride in himself and his work beyond that of normality. He had missed so many chances like this to explain the truth behind his mutated theories. Many had made it aboart the Facility in the past and had left the facility without a ship or a life soon after. Security was tight and Cryer could not allow any persons from the outide world, friendly or not, discover their research's existance aboard Dalvik Facility. They had wandered beyond the boundaries many times before with such projects as the Valdez narcotic trials and the cover up of the accident at Facility 04. Accusations exist but luckily cannot be proven, Cryer Pharmaseuticals is on the rocks. Another rumor of 'illegal' experiments linked to Cryer, especially Dalvik Facility would prompt the biggest Siriuswide investigation since the Nomad flush in 801.
This was what Commander Freeman was risking, the decision had been simple in the past but running it through his head yet again made him wonder what would have happened if he hadn't given the order to throw him into the airlock.
"Sir?"
"Keep him here and keep him alive, for now, clean him up, i'm not done with him"
Again the sound of the Commanders footsteps echoed through the silent corridor of the Facility. The gaurds watched him stride away back the way he came in confusion, they briefly looked at each other for a moment then continued to carry out their orders.
Tristan splutters awoken again by the cold harshness of icy water, he shook his head wildly to be rid of the water once the drenched flannel had been removed from his face by a hand from nowhere. Squinting his eyes he focused on the table in front of him. He was sitting in a pitch black room with a lamp shining down on a table somewhere in the centre. As cli che as it seemed he could not shake the feeling of worry that stirred inside him as he realised his hands were tied to a rather uncomfortable metal framed seat. Before long he'd realised that there was nothing else to discover in this tiny area illuminated by the lamp he let his head roll down to his chest and he waited.
"Don't you kip again or we may have to find a more efficient way to keep you awake"
Tristan's face shot up, he focused his eyes into the black over the desk. Squinting again trying penetrate the darkness in search of something remarkable.
"Now Mr Freeman, listen carefully, you are going to do exactly what i say, you are going to answer all my questions, and you will do so without question."
"....Hmm"
Tristan shook his head in stress
"No, untie me dammit. Who are you people? Corsairs? Outcasts? I don't know anything so don't waste your ti..."
"Now Mr Freeman I don't think your really in the kind of position to be calling the shots considering you have no idea where you are, who we are, or what were capable of, as well as the fact that your tied to a chair. Honestly Mr Freeman, I thought more of your intelligence."
Tristan sank back into his seat in hopelessness again, he was at the mercy of this man weather he liked it or not. He could comply with this man or not, so he chose option number three.
"So....who are you then?"
"I already explained my name is Jasper, and that is all you need to know"
"Figures"
"So where am I?"
"Hmm.."
The Director smiled amongst the shadows looking upon his helpless, almost pathetic victim
"Welcome to the Facility Mr Freeman, and may i congratulate you on making it this far had you been any other man you would surely have been flushed out of the airlock by now"
"And what makes me so special?"
"Information"
"Ahh I see, and let me guess, your about to carry out an in depth if not thorough interrogation to get it right?"
"My impression on your intelligence is growing Mr Freeman"
"Well woopdeedoo Jasper..."
"....."
"You guys sure know how to make a man feel comfortable, you wouldn't happen to do group therapy sessions would you?"
"Hmm"
"You still don't quite understand your situation do you Mr Freeman? We clearly have you at our mercy yet you apparently see no risk in provoking people who can kill you whenever and however they so desire"
Tristan brought his face up to the light
"You can only kill me once"
"Hmm"
A momentary silence occurred as Tristan sat alone in the dark inspected the darkness behind the seat opposite him. He turned his head from left to right listening out for any further comment until a man came into the light from the opposite side of the room and took a seat. He was dressed in an unbuttoned lab coat with a pair of glasses dangling out of the chest pocket as he had been before. Underneath he wore a white shirt, a small glimpse of an ID badge pinned to the top pocket could be seen for a moment but not long enough for Tristan to study it. His black trousers were quite striking in clash with his uniform white clothing. His hair was black and cut short, and his jaw was broad and his nose firm like a pillar down his square face.
"Funny, I was expecting a peg leg and an eye patch"
Tristans head was suddenly thrown back by a backhand blow to the face from The Director's wrist. His strike hit Tristan's cheekbone at terrific speed. Tristan; disorientated; rolled his head for a moment squinting his left eye and bringing his sight back into focus.
"Ow"
"Enough games miner, now answer my questions or we may have to get a bit more thorough as demonstrated"
"That would depend on..
Another blow, this time to his right cheek. Again Tristan's head rolled in disorientation and he brought his face to meet The Director's again, now peering only through his left eye.
"Ow"
The Director raised his palm, Tristan flinched
"Ok! Ok! Ask away"
"What is Planetform really interested in out here?"
"As I vaguely recall we've already been over that. I was sent here for a......*sniff*......expeditionary, some uncharted planet that the higher ups thought was worth a look"
"This system is baron, that world is a dead rock, what are the Bretonians really after?"
"Look, my job was to make it here without getting shot, deploy a probe, gather the info and split. That's it"
The Director nodded off in a direction over Tristan's shoulder, probably at one of the guards present in the room. A few footsteps, then light blasted into the room from behind Tristan by an open doorway that was soon closed after the guard had left.
"For your sake, I hope so Mr Freeman"
"So....what? Do I phone call or..."
The Director looked at Tristan and held his gaze as he stood up and walked to the door the guard had recently used.
"Play by the rules Mr Freeman, and maybe you'l live"
Director Freeman disappeared out the door and the room was plunged into darkness again. Tristan let his head roll back down onto his chest and let his cheeks throb in reply to the recent abuse by the Director. He sat there and waited for the slightest sight and sound, but none came.
Director Freeman waited behind the two way mirror looking into the room with his hand at his mouth. He appeared to be deep in thought but it made no difference to the guard behind him.
"You're not actually gonna' let him go are you sir?"
The commander turned his head to face him with his arms folded facing the mirror.
"No, but I've got a feeling this one knows something"
The guard said nothing more and left him to his own thoughts. Of course he didn't know anything, he was a Kruger pilot not a secret service agent. He'd already told him all he knew about his mission and the extraction of the data from his ship would only cover his life for so long. What Freeman was actually thinking about was what he could do to keep him alive. As before his common sense bombarded him with the sheer stupidity of letting him live in the first place, but his personal wants had grown over the years and he had missed too many opportunities in the past. So he acted on impulse and spared his life, but now he could either follow it through with what he had wanted to do all these years, or put an end to this madness that would have him flushed out of the airlock himself. Over the years that threatening thought that had at first seemed so terrible had worn off and run it's course on him, and now only curiosity and opportunism seemed to relay.
"Order the other guards out of the room, and turn off the recorders, i want to speak with him alone"
The guard to his left couldn't believe his ears, he had no option but to comply and had gotten used to "Flush him, leave no trace". He himself was interested in what the Director had planned but dared not ask. After recovering himself from his daydreams he replied as he always should without hesitation. But he hesitated.
"Uh...Hum, Yes sir."
He bent down to a microphone on the desk in front of the mirror and flicked a few switches.
"Alright men, everyone out, orders of the Director"
Soon the door beside him opened and three men filed out one by one. Freeman still stood staring into the room at Tristan who appeared to have drifted off again, all of the guards exchanged glances amongst themselves with a shrug here and there.
"Ok, I've got this under control, your all dismissed and may return to B division. Tell Sally on the way out to open a private comms channel with my mobile communicator."
The three guards that had come out all were as astonished as the one beside him was at first. They all exchanged glances and looked at the guard beside him who just shook his head and shrugged. He then gestured down the hallway and they all walked off mumbling amongst themselves.
Director Freeman waited where he had been with his arms folded as if the guards had never left. After staring through the two way mirror for a further minute he re-entered the room and faded into the darkness again. He walked around the edges of the room staying out of sight and circled Tristan sitting at the center. He had got half way around and standing behind his seat when Tristan suddenly spoke.
"Any of you boys happen to have a smoke would you?"
"Smoking is bad for you Mr Freeman, your intelligence continues to serve you well"
"Oh. Jasper, as always a pleasure..."
The Director did not answer but instead walked over and took his seat opposite Tristan again. He waited a moment before speaking.
"Mr Free..."
"Call me Tristan"
Another punch landed onto Tristan's jaw leaving him motionless for a slight moment before he let his head roll back down onto his right shoulder.
"I don't care if you don't care Mr Freeman. I will remove each and every one of your fingers to show you how you should value every last inch of your life at this point"
Tristan brought his head up from his right shoulder slightly to look at the Commander again.
"You have caused me a great deal of trouble in the past few hours Mr Freeman than I have had in years. As i've already stated, by now you'd usually find yourself in a prime location to view our outer airlock. Quite frankly I'm tired Mr Freeman. I'm tired of watching people die for seeing something you shouldn't have"
The Director shook his head for a moment before he continued.
"Listen carefully. I'm going to do what I can to keep you alive but this means you must do exactly as I say, is that clear?"
Tristan held the Director's gaze for a moment before sitting upright again and adjusting his sitting position. He regrouped himself for a moment and coughed under his breath.
"So...what's option number two?"
"You are currently on a research facility overseen by myself. You are to become a test subject for one of our experiments with a lesser mortality rate. I'm not going to lie to you, I am uncertain as to whether you will ever leave this place, but i will do what I can for you."
"So who are you? Zoners or...?"
"I can't tell you anything like that as you are a test subject and revealing such information would compromise our operations if you were to...flee.
Tristan fell back into his seat and slumped down again.
"Great"
"So..subject? What is that? Am i gonna' get experimented on?"
"...Strictly speaking, Yes"
"Great"
"Look here Freeman, you could be sucking space right now if it weren't for me, so you better get a grip or I'll flush you anyway."
"Why are you doing this?"
The Commander paused for a moment and looked at his hands now resting intertwined on the table in front of him. Then he suddenly brought his head up to meet Tristan's gaze.
"Someone has to know that I never wanted some of the things that have happened here happen. I never had the final word on some of the projects but they still press forward under my supervision."
Tristan sat there wide eyed silent staring at The Commander speechless. The Commander let his gaze fall back down to his hands and he suddenly pushed himself out of his chair and strode to the door and let it slam down behind him. Once outside he put an earpiece to his ear and started speaking.
"Sally?"
"Sally I'm gonna' need a subject relocated from C43 down to a free subject containment unit in E division."
"Great, uh FYI he will be unattended but restrained when they get here k?"
Commander Freeman took the earpiece from his ear and put it into his pocket.
"Dammit!"
He punched the desk before him and strode away down the corridor with no particular destination.
Not long after Jasper left the room Tristan heard a thud from the outside. An endless ambience of the stations ventilation shafts; now the only sound present; droned on for a while. Tristan looked up into the blinding light above him before letting himself slump back down into his chair. Ten minutes seemed to pass instantly inside the interrogation chamber. The uncanny information spoonfed to Tristan by The Commander was whirling around his mind uncontrollably. The only thing that willed Tristan now was the hopeless hysteria that stirred in his mind. He mused at the uncanny sircumstances that continued to unfold unto him, by now he had lost all hope and his sanity was slipping.
Two unremarkable men dressed in white jump suits came through the door hastily and lifted Tristan by the shoulders. They cared not for Tristan's semi consciousness and dragged him down a series of hallways only distinguishable by the differences is widths. Tris' attention to his environment faded in and out; occasional glimpses of a white tiled floor moving beneath him. The two men remained silent the entire journey, a fact he noticed some moments later. Tris awoke for a moment to find himself being thrown down onto an uncomfortably flat matress. His face went straight through the shallow polyester and hit the metal slats with the force of his body behind him. Tris rolled over and looked straight up at his face staring back at him from the face mask of one of the men.
"Welcome to the facility sunshine"
The image of the man in white faded as he moved away and out of Tristan's vision.
Tristan was floating through space, he wasn't sure how he breathed but he did not ponder over it. Sensations of feeling overcame him; happiness, curiosity, bliss and complete freedom. He lay back and let the momentum carry him past planets, stars and nebulae all as beautiful as nothing he'd seen in his years of piloting. But there was suddenly a sting on the left flank of his neck, it happened so unexpectedly. He tried to pull his arm up to clutch it but it did not obey him for some reason. Another pinch in his neck, this time on the right. Tristan was suddenly overcome by frustration, anger and fear. He sqeezed his eyes tightly closed tensing for the next sting to come, but a moment passed and he opened his eyes not to see the scape of sirius before him but those familiar white tiles on the floor beneath him. He rolled his head to his wrists to find they were binded to some kind of standing chair he was perched on. Tris was now used to waking up in unfamiliar white rooms, in this place they all seemed to be the same anyway so the impact dulled every time. For a moment he forgot the stings in his neck and gave himself a moment to muse over the fact he'd woken up somwhere random again, yet these people could not find any other place any different from the last. He could not bring his eyes up to face the wall that was presumbaly ahed of him, his neck seemed to be completley deadened, but he caught two shoes of a person stroll past his vision for a second.
".....Uuurghflp.......grlaaab.............."
What he attempted to say only came out as a series of noises and grunts.
"Listen carefully, I know what effects the chemicals i have just administred to your body have upon humans so do not try to act stupid or smart with me. Whatever your name was before it is now irrelevant, you are now designated Subject 227, is that clear?"
".....Rweehjshkhhh........"
The man moved close to Tristan, the sound of his breath was at tristans ear. Tris also noticed he seemed to be holding a clip board of some sort in his left hand with a pen in his right. He saw this man's hands tense as in anger or frustration.
"That, Subject 227, is trying to act smart. You may be the Commanders Pet experiment but in my lab you are just another damn distraction and weight to my workload. This may be the last time he will try to stall me from my work, but be sure Subject 227, there are plenty of trials here that are particularly interested in you, so be polite and show some enthusiasm when we get round to each one hmm? It's up to you, we can carry them out with anaesthetic providing invalid results and a simoultanious waste of time prompting repeats after repeats, or you can consent and we may actually find something interesting from this waste of time as well as space.
A moment of silence filled the gap between rants of this man in white that now circled round in front of Tristan to his right. Tris wasn't sure as to reply or not as he would surely be punished either way, the only factor keeping his mouth shut was to preserve energy, what for? Not even Tristan knew. Maybe the tinyest spark of hope of escaping that was soon extinguished instantly by the man Tristan now decided to label as 'The Scientist'.
"That's the spirit! Now just a few words about your current situation 227, you have no possibility of escape, ok? Don't try your luck in here because then you may find yourself trying your luck against six inch reinforced deadlock security doors, a good number of black market security weapons systems and an empty void of space ranging at about a 100k to the next station, that's IF you jump in the right direction. So basically, try to escape and your more likely to be discovered as a small cloud of ice crystals before you can even consider getting through that door over there."
Control was returning to Tristan's neck as he realised he could bring his head up against the headrest of his standing chair. For the first time his eyes focused on the face that he would come to despise. A man in his fourties, nearly completley bald and as unremarkable in clothing as everyone else he had seen here apart from Jasper. A white labcoat was all that differeciated him from the common security guards. His eyes were a deep bright grey and he wore perfectly circular spectacles that reflected the light on the cieling, obscuring the only part of him that seemed human. It was true that he caried a clipboard in his right hand and a pen in his left, at present he seemed to be jotting a few things down but his focus soon returned to Tristan.
"Subject 227, Blood group AB negative. Well, well, well 227, there seems to be a reason the Commander kept you after all. It seems like we currently have no subjects on database at this time with blood type AB negative who have had the privelage of being tested on. Personally there are a few chemical tests including my most favoured of experiments that i would like to intiate here but first we'l take some physical tests. VW-ECT is probably suitable, i'l slot you in for later this afternoon, i'm sure they'l be more than happy to electrocute, just one more subject."
The Scientists allowed a small twitch of a smile to pass through his formal exterior before suddenly heeling off and striding through the door behind him. For a moment Tris realised that there was a reflection of himself staring back at him from a mirror as wide as a window from the opposite wall. He noticed that he was locked down into his chair quite securley and The Scientist's demotivating words semmed to make more of an impact then. He allowed his head to roll onto his shoulder and he prayed for the anaesthetic to come back and send him packing off into the unconscious of his mind again.
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