Just a Conversation Between Me and Not Me

Posted on Mon Apr 8th, 2019 @ 8:57am by

Mission: Mission 8 - Shattered
Location: ISS Fenrir - Brig
1615 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

The massive double doors that led into the brig slid open, and Micheal strode inside purposefully. Looking over to the guard on duty, he snapped out his question. "Crewman Stevens, what cell is my doppelganger in?"

The young human nearly fell out of the chair that he was lounging in, when the bounty hunter suddenly walked in. Quickly snapping to attention and saluting, he stammered out a reply and looked through the manifest. "S-sir! The prisoner is in cell seven! Shall I pull him out for you, Sir?"

Micheal waved of the crewman as he moved deeper into the large compartment. While he could only hold half a dozen prisoners on his ship, Fenrir had the capacity to incarcerate nearly a hundred individuals. Of course, if the cells were filled, that number could grew considerably. "Ready Agony Booth Seventeen. I am not to be disturbed while I am questioning the prisoner." He turned a corner and made his way towards the cell in question. When he reached it, he took a moment to look at his doppelganger. The other Micheal was sleeping, his back against the far bulkhead.

Reaching over to the cell control panel, he first grabbed the remote that controlled the shock collar that was currently around the other man's neck. He then deactivated the forcefield that kept the prisoner inside his cell. "Wake up, Micheal." To ensure the other man listened, Robertson pressed a control button on the remote, causing a mild shock to be administered to Micheal's neck.

"Arg!" Micheal grunted in discomfort as he rolled onto the deck, stunned into conciousness. "What the hell do you pric..." he stopped speaking when his eyes moved up to the face that was staring back at him. A face that he would know anywhere, aside from the clearly cybornetic implants that covered nearly a quarter of the face. "So, you're me in this hellhole."

The man outside the cell replied with another, stronger, shock. "Speak only when I tell you to. Now, on your feet." Robertson's tone clearly indicated that he hoped the prisoner would give him any excuse to punish him.

Micheal caught his breath after the shock collar stopped zapping him. He felt his rage start to build, however, he knew that provoking his doppelganger would only cause him more pain. So, he swallowed down all the anger that was wanting to burst free, and slowly stood. His eyes locked on his counterparts.

"Move," Robertson instructed, pointing to a spot deeper in the compartment.

Micheal did as he was instructed, for now. As he stepped out of his cell, he quickly and descreetly glanced at his surroundings. He had been unconcious when he had been brought in, a few days earlier. Since then, all he had seen were the insides of his cell, the forcefield had been set on dark setting, making it impossible to see out. While he knew that escape was near impossible, his Starfleet training was kicking in to high gear, looking for a way to escape his captors and save his friends.

Robertson watched Micheal try to be discreet in his looking around.
He had to admit, if the situation was reversed, he would be doing the same thing. Of course, he couldn't let the other Micheal feel he could get away with it, so, he zapped him again.

Micheal stumbled when the collar went off for the third time. He reached up to grab the collar reflexively, only to have his fingers zapped by the current being pumped out of the fiendish device. He spun around, about to take a swing at his tormentor, only to have him raise the remote up to eye level and threaten to press it again. Words needn't be said. Grimacing in bately controlled anger, Micheal turned back around and kept walking. Just wait, pal, he thought to himself. You'll slip up at some point. And then, I'll be they one giving out the punishment.

The pair finally reached their destination. The door slid open on a another compartment, revealing a smaller room, clearly used for interrogation procedures. In the center was a vertically-installed cylinder, large enough for a person to stand inside.

"Inside." Robertson's tone did not lean towards either a descrition of the tube, nor a suggestion of movement. It was clearly a directive. One that he followed up with another jolt from Micheal's shock collar.

Micheal grunted in pain, though he tried to keep his outcry as much to himself as possible, as he didn't wish to give the other man the satisfaction. However, he did as instructed. Moving over to the tube, he stepped through the open door and inside of the device.

Robertson moved over to a nearby console and pressed a few controls. The door slid shut on the tube and the sound of it sealing could easily be heard. Once Micheal was sealed inside, Robertson looked up at him, through the transparent aluminum shell of the tube. "Now, Micheal, let's have a little chat, shall we?"

Micheal looked directly at Robertson, though, glaring with hatred would be a more astute description. "Go scratch."

Though he didn't let it show, Robertson was suprised by Micheal's attitude and initial strength. He knew that his other had not been getting feed much over the last several days, and he had been given bare minimum amounts of water. By all rights, the man should be more agreeable at this stage. Clearly, he was made of sterner stuff that Robertson had thought possible.

"Alright," Robertson replied, a small, evil, grin started to sprout across his face. "I guess we get to do this the hard way. More fun for me. Unfortunately, that means, of course, more pain for you." He reached over and twisted a large knob a few dots clockwise.

Micheal instantly reacted to the electrical field that was stimulating his nerve endings. Closing his eyes and clamping his mouth shut tight, he groaned softly as his nerves started to tell his brain that his limbs were being zapped by an invisible current.

After a few minutes at this low setting, Robertson shut the machine down. "Now that I have your attention, perhaps you will be more talkative, yes?"

Once the machine shut off, Micheal's body was flooded with relief. He took a few deep breaths, to bring his heart rate back under control. Once he reganed some control, he glared at his tormentor. "Like I said....go scratch!"

Robertson replied with another series of shocks, this time he kept the machine on for several minutes. However, while Micheal was screaming and writhing in agony, Robertson used his cybornetic implants to hack the security feed to the room they were in.

After a few seconds, he quickly deactivated the booth and opened the door. "Get out of the booth, Micheal." His voice, while still stern, now had a slight softness to it.

Once the field dropped, Micheal sagged down towards the bottom of the tube. As he tried to collect himself, he was surprised by the booth hatch opening. His eyes snapped over to his doppelganger and he instantly thought that it was a trick.

Realizing what Micheal must have been thinking, Robertson raised his hands to his sides and stepped away from the control panel. "I know you don't trust me, however, this is not a trick. I had to put you through the pain for the cameras in the room. They are now on a loop, so we can talk safely."

Stepping carefully out of the tube, Micheal straightened himself up to his full height, several joints clicking loudly as he did so. "What the hell is going here?" He kept his distance from the other man, while he quickly scanned the room, with his peripheral vision, for any escape.

"This is going to sound crazy to you, but, I want to help you and your entire crew escape back to your universe," Robertson stated matter-of-factly.

Micheal looked at Robertson incredulously. "Why would you want to do that?"

Robertson sighed. He knew this would be difficult. "While our two universes are opposites, there are many people here that more alike to you than you think. I am part of a resistance that is trying to overthrow the Emperor and live free from his iron heel. My Reuben is trying to gain more power for the Emperor by stealing an artifact from your ship. I can't allow that to happen." He paused briefly before continuing.

"You should know right now, if I am unable to return you and your ship back to your universe and seal the breach, I will have no choice but to destroy your ship. The Empire cannot be allowed to recover the artifact. The danger is too great!"

As Micheal listened, he thought back to the various briefings he had attended, while in Starfleet, regarding the people of the Altrrnate Universe. There were examples of rebellious individuals and groups, going back decades. Perhaps, he thought to himself, this was the break he was looking for to escape.

"Okay," he replied levelly. "Let's say that I believe you, what is your plan?"

Robertson spent the next twenty minutes laying out whst he had mapped out. He then escorted Micheal back to his cell and told him to wait for the signal. After sealing Micheal back in his cell, Robertson left the brig. He knew the chances of him surviving the next twenty hours would be very slim.

But what choice did he have?


:::OFF:::

Captain Micheal Robertson
Commanding Officer
ISS PUNISHER
PNPC Robertson

Micheal Robertson
Security Chief / Bounty Hunter
SS MARY ROSE / Shuttle ALEXANDRIA