The Mind Is A Terrible Thing

Posted on Jul 28, 2014 @ 10:59pm by Thomas Varn & Phia
Edited on on Jul 28, 2014 @ 11:06pm

Mission: http://thefrpg.com/sim/missions/id/7
Location: Various

(“The Mind Is A Terrible Thing”)

(Continued from "Don’t Feed the Gremlins”)
_____________________________________________________________________
Location: Camouflaged Vessel
Scene: Surplus Room
Stardate: 21.40720.0020
_____________________________________________________________________

It had only seemed like moments since Thomas was removed from the ARMSTRONG; but, in reality it had been over two hours and counting since he and his kidnapper had vanished from the bridge. Within those two hours Thomas has been poked, prodded, and even beaten with numerous objects and medical devices while a furious and frantic attempt to salvage a plan was desperately attempted. Standing there trying his best to keep himself conscious due to numerous injections of who knows what Thomas tried his best to focus on what he thought was a body across the room.

“You know commander there is nothing you can do to help her now,” a voice echoed from the darkness of the room as Thomas tried to step forward only to have his body stopped by the numerous restraints on his feet, wrists, and wings.

Thomas blinked slowly before once again trying to focus on the blurry image slowly swallowing trying to determine who it was, “S…sylvia.”

With that silence was met to the name that Thomas had stammered out softly. It was until this very moment that the Lieutenant Commander had kept his composure and been the standard of resistance to interrogation; but, now something had changed and a crack has been exposed. Thomas jerked slightly as the quick sensation of a hypospray touched his neck and another concoction was passed through his veins.

“Yes, Commander, Sylvia she is here but she won’t be much longer,” Conniston stated moving closer to the body across the room allowing Thomas to see active laser scalpel that was now in his hand, “that is unless you tell me who you are and what you are doing here.”

Thomas shook his head slowly trying to counter act the mix of emotions and chemicals flooding his head and veins, “Lieutenant Commander Th…Thomas Varn…”

Conniston smiled slowly as the results of the chemicals were becoming evident and Thomas was no longer spouting useless information. Slowly moving closer to the body Conniston played with the laser scalpel before turning to Thomas, “maybe we should just ask Sylvia.”

Thomas’ mind swirled as it began to fill in the missing information with memories and registered sounds. As the laser scalpel began to hum as if it was going to tear into flesh Thomas jerked as an echo filled his mind and Sylvia screaming for help is all that he could hear. It wasn’t long before the buzz was accompanied by the sound of skin separating from the body and falling to the floor.

Thomas’ pace quickened as his eyes flushed with colors as he struggled against his restraints, “stop, don’t you hurt her.”

Conniston merely smiled and moved around to the other side of the stand and slicked another section of flesh before throwing it to the floor near Thomas, “this can all stop Commander when you give me the information that I desire.”

**Thomas please help me,** Sylvia’s voice echoed through his mind as he pulled at the restraints harder and harder.

“Sylvia,” Thomas screamed as Conniston began to sever the ligaments and joints from the right shoulder and socket describing in medical detail to Thomas what he was doing.

“Oh dear, I’ve torn right through the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor with my laser scalpel. I’m afraid she’ll never use this arm ever again, well at least for nothing more than a show piece,” Conniston stated as the arm separated from the socket and fell to the floor.

Slowly reaching to the floor Conniston picked up the arm still covered in the fabric of a uniform walking over to Thomas and waving slightly, “I do hope this was not the hand that you held often.”

Shaking violently Thomas’ eyes flashed to an instant deep red as he began to pull as hard as his body would allow with adrenaline on the ropes that bound him in place.

=/\=
Location: USS ARMSTRONG
Scene: Bridge
=/\=

Commander Aerdan Jos stood in the middle of a bloody, burnt pool of the Bridge. He had already checked in with Phia and with Clarkson’s replacement at Ops. Speaking of Clarkson… “Jos to Lt. Phia.”

[[Still here, still waiting,]] the Bolian/Vulcan replied.

“You’ll go on my signal. You know what to do?”

[[It’s not the most complicated of missions,]] Phia pointed out. [[I’ve just got an 87.67% chance of being maimed or killed during it.]]

“But it’s not complicated,” Aerdan sighed.

[[Death is not complicated – actually it’s really very simple. Life is infinitely more fucked up and complicated. Now can I go get Featherbrain?]]

“Featherbrain?”

[[Wingboy was getting old; I’m trying out new names.]]

The Andorian rolled his eyes. “You’re a go on 5…4…3…2…1,” Jos announced. With that the Andorian watched the GEMINI shuttle dart out of the ARMSTRONG spin around and make its way towards its mission. “Good luck,” he said softly under his breath.

The doors to the Bridge opened. “Where is she?” Cade barked.

Aerdan turned around. “Who?” he asked.

“Our idiot Counselor!” he yelled. Shaking his head he said, “Of all the damn times she actually decided to be noble – this had to be it. I could kill her – ok bad choice of words—“

Jos nodded to the viewscreen. “Cade what are you talking about? You just missed her. Why?”

“She’s going to die,” Cade hissed.

“Actually she only estimated her rate of death at 87.67% which sounded optimistic for her,” Aerdan pointed out. Seeing Cade for once was really serious he pulled him to the side he said, “What?”

“It’s 100% likely she is going to die soon,” Cade said. “And she doesn’t realize it because I never had the chance to tell her. Pull her back, Jos.”

“I pull her back,” Aerdan pointed out, “and she and Thomas both die.”

=/\=
Location: Camouflaged Vessel
Scene: Surplus Room
=/\=

“Commander calm down,” Conniston stated backing away from the body on the table that had been sliced in sections like a piece of deli meat.

Shaking violently Thomas stepped closer having broken the bonds that held him in place either breaking them or ripping them from the bulkhead that they were fastened to, “you will not touch her again.”

Conniston slowly moved backwards quickly going over the moments prior in his mind. Had he really lost control of the situation to such a point that it has come to this. True there was a point that he did agree that he should have not stabbed a laser scalpel into the chest of his torture device; but, how was he supposed to know what would happen.

“I…I could have saved her; but, you…” Thomas shouted wrapping the rope like bond around his wrist before flicking them as a whip.

Searching for a way to get away Conniston quickly kicked the body from the table into the floor sending Thomas into a grief stricken tantrum rushing to the body huddling to the floor holding her close. Reaching for a laser scalpel on a table nearby Conniston slowly moved closer to Thomas taking an opportunity that he saw only stopping when phaser fire hit the bulkhead near him.

“I couldn’t save her- I wanted to save her – but I couldn’t save her-“ Thomas’ eyes were wild as he looked at Phia “I tried.”

Phia held up the phaser as she stared down Conniston. “Thomas,” she ordered, “do you hear my voice?”

“I tried to save her…I wanted to save her…”

“No luck,” Conniston smirked.

“Shut it,” Phia snarled. Then the blue woman shot Conniston. It would have been a fantastic shot; if her left leg hadn’t chosen that moment to go out, so instead of getting him full on in the chest she clipped him in the shoulder. She heard Thomas’ hitched breath next to her and she pivoted. “Damn it, he’ll live,” she muttered.

“I couldn’t, Phia – I tried to save her – I wanted to –“ Thomas kept babbling, as he kept wringing his hands.

The blue woman snapped her fingers as to get his attention. “Thomas,” she ordered softly, “listen to my voice. Do you hear it?”

“It’s annoying,” he admitted. For a moment he seemed to snap out of it then he slipped back into his psychosis. “I couldn’t save her – I wanted to save her.”

Phia kept snapping her fingers. “Thomas, I will pluck every feather out if I have to.”

“That hurts,” he admitted. There was a long pause. “I wanted to save her – I couldn’t save her.”

“I know,” Phia nodded. The stinging pain in her legs were getting worse and now were traveling up her back. “Thomas, I know you couldn’t save her, and I’m not your favorite person—“

“I hate you,” Thomas nodded, for a moment coming out of the psychosis as Phia continued to snap her fingers in his face continually, “stop that it’s annoying.” Shaking his head he continued on, “I couldn’t save her.”

“Featherbrain, I’m collapsing here,” the blue woman pointed out. “You need to fly me back! Save *me*!”

“But I don’t love *you*,” Thomas pointed out. “I couldn’t save her.”

“I’m still breathing and I’d like to make it back,” Phia pointed out as she internally kept counting the seconds Thomas continually went without a psychotic break.

“I couldn’t save her,” the Scientist sighed.

“You’d probably drop me again,” Phia pointed out as she nearly collapsed, still snapping her fingers to get his attention. “Forget it. We’d let this be known as I’m a better rescuer than you, lazy piece of shit.”


Location: USS ARMSTRONG
Scene: Bridge


“Sir,” a young officer shouted, “vessel decloaking at the edge of the debris field and moving away quickly.”

Aerdan turned to the viewscreen, “on screen and can we intercept?”

As the screen flickered to life the young officer shook her head, “no sir, by the time we navigated the field the ship will be out of range and possibly gone to warp with Commander Varn, Lieutenant Phia, and the shuttlecraft.”

“Come on you two, get out of there,” Aerdan whispered as Cade moved next to him.

_____________________________________________________________________
Location: Unmarked Ship
Scene: Surplus Room à Shuttle
_____________________________________________________________________


Phia snapped her fingers again recognizing the effects of powerful drugs wearing off quickly but still holding onto Thomas, “listen, if you can get me to the shuttle we can get you both out of here so he can’t hurt her anymore.”

Shaking his head quickly Thomas wiped his face with his hands smearing blood that had accumulated on them on his cheek before moving slowly to Phia picking her up in his arms and walking to the shuttle. Thomas slowly stumbled as he did his best to make it down the corridors with the voice of Phia echoing giving directions. As his mind cleared the only thing that remained was that Sylvia was dead and his memories began to solidify with this as truth.

“Couldn’t..couldn’t save her,” he muttered before Phia began snapping again her fingers mere inches from his ear.

It had taken almost three times as long as it should have but the two finally made it to the shuttle door which Phia managed to open and convince Thomas to get inside and put her in the pilots chair. As she began to initiate the procedure to leave Thomas’ mind translated the action into what he could recognize as a departure he began stumbling for the door.

“I can’t...can’t leave her,” Thomas shouted fumbling for the door release.

Phia turning and looking back quickly sighed, “I don’t have time for this.”

Reaching over and taking the phaser that she had laid on a nearby console she set it to maximum stun before nailing Thomas in the shoulder. Turning his eyes swirled as his breath grew heavier, “you won’t stop me!”

Phia fired another shot hitting Thomas square in the chest and watched as he fell to the floor breathing slowly. Initiating the departure sequence Phia slammed her fist down on the console before firing phasers at the opening that was not secured blasting a hole into the side of the ship before speeding out and away.


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NRPG: Tried to think of more torture and be darker with it; but I don't think I have it in me.

Sarah Albertini-Bond
Lt. Phia
Counselor
USS ARMSTRONG

&


Justin K. Owens
Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Varn
USS ARMSTRONG