Samiz tapped her comm badge and the
three of them disappeared from the lift cab, just before the turbo lift reached
the surface and the doors opened.
Seconds later they appeared on a transporter pad, on what appeared to be a small
cargo vessel. The room was fairly small, but designed to act as the living area
aboard the vessel.
Quickly, Ryan and Samiz lifted Klara off the pad and placed her on a sofa.
"Where are we ?" Ryan asked.
"Safe." Samiz replied, searching for the medical kit.
Just then someone came into the room from the front of the vessel.
"Glad you could join us." The young man said.
"Captain Ryan, meet Ensign Raymond Barrass, an old friend of the family you might say." Samiz replied.
"And how are you sweet lips ?" Raymond remarked towards Samiz.
"Don't ever call me that." Samiz said sternly.
"OK, OK. I was just worried about you. Air traffic were getting suspicious about me flying around, I thought maybe you'd been caught." Raymond said.
"No, it just took longer than we thought." Samiz replied.
"So what now ?" Ryan asked.
"We go back to the medical centre and check on Tricia." Samiz said.
"What about Klara ?" Ryan asked.
"She's recovering and most of the drugs are gone from her system. She'll heal, but we can't risk taking her anywhere around here, she'd be recognised." Samiz replied.
"She could come with me." Raymond said.
"I'm not letting a vulnerable girl anywhere near you." Samiz remarked sharply.
"Samiz, how long have you know me ?" Ryamond replied.
"Too long and I know you too well. You hit on anything young female." Samiz argued.
"I'm hurt." Raymond remarked.
"Where exactly are you heading ?" Ryan asked.
"Valaria Prime." Raymond replied. "I'm picking up some medical supplies from Deep Space 11 and then transporting them there."
"Perfect." Ryan replied. "Most of my crew are stranded on DS 11, we can meet you there."
"Captain Ryan." Samiz exclaimed. "You can't be serious."
"It's the only way we can get Klara off planet and to relative safety." Ryan explained.
"I'll look after her." Raymond said with a smirk on his face. "And Samiz, you know my heart belongs to you."
"Raymond, a word of warning. I wouldn't try anything with your passenger, she'll bite back." Ryan said. "Not to mention the fact that I'll hunt you down and have you hung, drawn and quartered."
"She's in good hands. I'll see you at DS 11." Raymond said "Now let's get you two back home." Within ten minutes, Samiz and Captain Ryan were back at the centre of the medical complex.
"Interesting character." Ryan remarked.
"Yes, very." Samiz said annoyingly. "He is Chu's best friend, they went through the Academy together. Not the brightest man, but an excellent pilot. He's likes to think that he's a renowned drinker and womaniser, but he's basically harmless, an annoyance but not a threat."
"Let's get some sleep and check on Tricia in the morning." Ryan said. "11:00 hours."
"Fine. Good night Captain." Samiz replied, yawning.
Meanwhile.....
Admiral McCaffee's office
"What do you mean there's been a security breach in the medical centre." The Admiral said to the chief of section 31 security on the monitor.
The Admiral had been expecting the call, but not so soon. She had been awakened from her sleep at 06:00 hours and she hated that. Quickly she'd got dressed and arrived at her office.
[We don't know how they got in or out of the complex. But the subject Klara has gone.] Commander Kerak explained. [Also, all the files on the subject have been wiped. We tried to restore from the back-ups, but they too were wiped.]
"Someone's head will roll for this." The Admiral replied. "I want a thorough investigation made about this incident."
[Understood.] Kerak replied.
Admiral McCaffee switched off the monitor and sank back into her chair.
*I never thought you'd make it out.* She thought. *Good luck.*
11:00 Hours.
Samiz was waiting for Captain Ryan outside the isolation wing.
Five minutes later, he finally arrived.
"Good news Captain. I check up on Tricia as soon as I got to work. Her brainwave patterns have stabilised and they've started to reduce the nytoline dosage." Samiz said as the Captain arrived.
"Let's go and see her then." Ryan replied.
They both walked into the isolation room and looked at Tricia.
"She's beginning to get some of the colour back." Ryan remarked.
"Yes." Samiz replied. "I'm going to have a word with the medical technicians, see how she's progressing."
Ryan pulled up the chair that sat in the corner upto Tricia's bed-side and sat down.
"Come back to us Tricia." Ryan said. "Come back to me."
~I'm here.~ A familiar voice said inside his head. ~Klara is safe ?~
"She's safe, for now." Ryan said softly.
~They're still alive you know.~ The voice said.
"Who are ?" Ryan asked.
~The others, I can hear them talking, plotting.~
"You mean the duplicates ?" Ryan said.
~Yes. They want to kill us all, destroy all that we have done. To have revenge on those who want to kill them.~
"Then we must not let them. Help us Tricia, help me find them." Ryan said.
~I will, I will Captain.~ The voice said, fading away.
Samiz came back into the room.
"Captain, they say that Tricia's injuries are totally healed and that they should have her off the drugs by tomorrow. She could be back on duty within a week, possibly sooner." Samiz said.
"That's good, because I've got a feeling we'll need her." Ryan replied. "Tell me Samiz, does Tricia still show any unusual brain activity."
"All the scans show she has more or less normal brain activity, there is still some unusual activity, but the doctor's say that it's probably just the after effects of the drugs. It could take a week or two for her brainwave patterns to settle back down." Samiz explained.
"Thank you for all your help and I hope that we'll meet again, maybe we'll have a drink with that brother of yours, when he gets back." Ryan said.
The expression of her face fell at the thought of her brother, lost in another galaxy.
"He will be coming back." Ryan said, trying to reassure Samiz. "I'm sure of it."
"I know Captain, but I do miss him." Samiz replied. "Don't you have an appointment with Admiral Pike this afternoon ?."
"Yes. Hopefully this is the news I've been waiting for." Ryan replied. "But I've got a couple of hours to 'kill'. I'll just stay here and keep Tricia company for a while longer."
"OK. I'd better get back to
work. Hopefully, I'll see you before you leave Captain." Samiz replied,
before heading out of the door.