Choices

Posted on Tuesday, 24 November 2020 - 7:30am by Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Lieutenant Haru Hernandez

Mission: Operation: Ouroboros
Location: Jupiter Station
Timeline: MD2, prior to departure for Earth

It was nothing short of a miracle... looking in on the side room to find Mac fast asleep, probably since his head hit the pillow, Alex sent a brief message to Soral asking him to contact her when it was time for them to depart. She knew that he would be more than capable of handling any preparations and, when she explained why she was detained, he would not object. Soral was as worried for his friends as she was.

Once the nurses gave the all clear, she stepped into the room and took the seat by Haru's bedside. Countless monitors were keeping track of every vital sign, for now maintaining a quiet almost soothing rhythm. No more alarms, which was a good sign.

"Mac is finally getting some sleep, so you are stuck with me," she warned the unconscious form. "Soral had planned a week of relaxation, with Severine and Soval. And my mother, can you believe that? We made it a day before duty called. But it was a good day. I'll tell you all about it when you wake up. Until then, I'll read you the latest edition of Scientist. And I'll keep reading until you get bored enough to take the journal out of my hands. I'll begin..."

Taking a sip of water, she propped up the PADD and began to read. It was pretty dry stuff, even to her. She paused only when it sounded like Haru mumbled something, soft and incoherent but she was sure she heard it. "Haru?" she said quietly as she took hold of his hand. She gasped, it felt like a bolt of electricity shot between them, taking her breath away as the world around her seemed to shift. Becoming darker, the air thick with smoke and the heat of raging fires... voices and screams. And so much blood.

And...

"Haru?"

It was undeniably him, pushing people down the corridor as everything around them rocked violently. His uniform was torn, bloody and like her his gaze was directed skywards at the sickening sound of buckling metal. Alarms blared, evacuation orders rang out -

It took her a moment to realise she knew this place. She had been here before. Yet it was impossible... Utopia Planita had fallen almost ten years ago. She felt sick. "How is this even...? Haru!"

Haru turned..."Alex?" Even though he was much younger he recognized her. "How are..." A loud grinding sound stopped his words. He turned back to the woman he'd been helping. "Into the pod!" He shoved her in releasing the Pod.

"Let's go, we got one more lab to eveacualte!"

"No, Haru... wait! This isn't... you have to wake up!" she called after him, pushing away from the wall and following after him. "This isn't real, Haru!"

Haru's heart pounded. He needed to get there. The trip was short but when he got there three out of seven were still alive. Grabbing his phaser he fired at the synths laying cover. "Over here! Kingsley!" He watched the man and covered his back as they ran towards the door.

“Haru!” She had to run to catch up with him, jumping back as weapons fire shot across her field of vision. She heard him shout and then peered around the corner. Sure this was all in his head but instinct told her to avoid it nevertheless. What she saw made her freeze. “Dad...”

Haru ran towards him and pulled him into the corridor. He broke the right hand panel and the door bolted shut. "Let's get these guys into the pods..." He looked around. Everyone follow us." He shoved a phaser into Kingsley's hand. Haru seemed to forget all about Alex as they ran. Then synths broke through the door. As they arrived to where the pods were supposed to be only two remained. Three people went into the first pod and it launched. The last pod filled and only one space remained. "Kingsley! Go. Get these people to safety."

Alex trailed behind them almost mechanically, other than a brief moment, Haru seemed oblivious to her presence. She followed them all the way, numb as she watched the scene unfold, her father never leaving her field of vision. Was this what really happened? Or some twisted version? “No...” she watched both of them usher everyone else onto escape pods. A somewhat futile version until only one space was left. One space. Two people.

And she knew her father did not take the last place.

Explosions in the distance knocked them all off their feet, the station coming apart as synths drew closer. “Haru!” She hurried forward, unable to look at her father as she stepped between them. She took his head in her hands, making him look at her. “Haru, you need to listen to me, please. This is not real, you need to wake up. For Mac. Remember? He loves you and he needs you. This... this happened a long time ago. You are in hospital, right now, on Jupiter Station.”

Behind them a synth opened fire, one shot landing just an inch from her head as more weapons fire followed.

Haru seemed oblivious but his eyes were sad. "Kingsley. Go in. You can get this pod down. I'll hold them off."

“No! You can’t go to Mars, it’s gone!” Why she was screaming it at Haru she had no idea. “Haru, get in, come home to Mac. Please.”

Haru turned at a sound, the synths were coming. A sharp pain pierced his head and he was momentarily dazed and when he came to himself he was locked in a Pod. Kingsley on he other side. Haru cursed and clawed at the door. "Open this door! You have a family you have to survive! Open this door Kingsley!" he pounded with a force he didn't know he had.

The scene shifted so fast, Alex was disorientated. As Haru began pounding at the hatch of the escape pod, Alex could see her father still standing on the other side. She could see his sadness, his grief yet something else. Determination. No amount of pleading was going to make him swap places with Haru. Although Haru seemed determined.

Tearing her gaze away from her father to face Haru she could hear more explosions. Louder, closer. “Haru, you have to eject the pod,” she told him, pointing to the display which warned a manual launch was required. “Maybe if you launch, maybe you’ll wake up...”

He kept pounding. "Kingsley so help me! I'm Tact Sec I order you to open this door!" The others in the pod seemed quiet, they understood, all scientists. "Kingsley!!!!!" Haru pounded tears in his eyes. His eyes widened. "Don't you dare pull that pod release!" He reached for his phaser but Kingsley had it. "Don't do it!" He kept pounding.

She could see her father so clearly it brought tears to her eyes. She touched the viewport, tracing the outline of his face and able to see the station coming apart around him. He watched Haru pound against the hatch, a useless endeavour that would surely leave him in agony later as he reached out to his right, flipping open the panel that would allow him to release the pod. It was clear Haru would not do so from his side.

Alex reached out and caught Haru's fist before it could again hit the hatch, seeing how battered and bloodied his hands were from the effort. "It's okay, Haru," she told him, just as phaser fire could be heard outside and another explosion that shook the pod violently. She didn't dare look. Instead she put Haru's hand on the panel, a mirror of the one on the opposite side of the hatch.

"Look around you Haru... These people need you. You can get them to safety. Unless you eject the pod, it will be destroyed just like the station. My father gave his life to give you all this chance, please don't waste it. Eject the pod and come home. Please."

Haru seemed to see her for the first time. With tears in his eyes he ejected the pod. A hiss and then a jolt launched the pod. Haru sank to the ground with his head in his hands.

Alex knelt down beside him, closing her eyes as explosions from the station buffeted the pod. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort him. "It's time to wake up Haru. You have to let this go. For Mac."

He looked up at her and the scene went dark. In the hospital room the monitors jumped to life. Mac, hearing the commotion awoke with a start.

Still in her seat, Alex yanked her hand away as nurses moved in, ushering her aside as they converged around Haru’s bed. Feeling a wetness on her face, she turned her back on them all, snatching up a tissue from nearby and dabbing at the thin trickle of blood at her nose. As sure as she could be that it was cleaned up she turned as Mac rushed into the room. She gave him a small smile, “go to him. He’s awake.”

Before he could say anything she gave him a shove to make him go in closer, so he could see for himself with his own eyes. Alex smiled softly as she saw his face transform, he seemed years younger in a heartbeat. Saying nothing she slipped out of the room, feeling exhausted. Although Soral’s reminder that it was now time to leave made it clear that would have to wait. Promising she was on her way she binned the tissue crumpled up in her hand and headed out of the medical bay.

OFF