“Bradigan, wake up.” Valeria was trying to rouse him.
“What? What’s wrong?” he asked, sleepily. He sat up on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face.
Valeria, crouching by his bedside, said, “We’re locked in.”
“Locked in?” Bradigan said, not fully lucid yet.
“There you go repeating things again,” she said, standing up. “This isn’t funny, Vidal!” she shouted.
“Just relax,” Bradigan said, knowing she hated being contained by anything. “I’m sure there’s an explanation.” He got up and tried the controls but they just beeped in response.
Just when Valeria’s nerves were about to run out, a voice echoed through the keypad. “Ah, I see you’re awake.” It was Captain Vidal.
“Vidal!” Valeria jumped. “What’s the big idea? Is this supposed to be some kind of payback for yesterday?”
Bradigan grabbed Valeria by the shoulders and moved her away from the door, urging her to sit down. She kicked the edge of the table that housed the computer terminal and fell into the chair, steaming. Bradigan returned to the door and said, “Sorry about that, Captain. Our door seems to be stuck closed and Ms. Davis is getting a little anxious about it.”
Behind him, Valeria scoffed at his deliberately mundane explanation.
“My apologies, Doctor, but I’ve had to confine you both to quarters pending investigation.”
“Investigation!” Valeria shouted. She was up and heading back toward the door to voice her concerns but Bradigan headed her off, doing his best to turn her back to her seat.
“If it makes you feel any better, Ms. Davis,” Vidal said, “This doesn’t have anything to do with yesterday. It’s just a part of our exceptionally thorough security measures.”
“We understand, Captain,” Bradigan answered. “Captain Heidler did bring some concerns to Commander Hoban a few days ago, didn’t he?”
“So you remember,” Vidal said. “Oh, as a side effect, I’ve had to disable your computer terminal as well. Just be patient and if our investigation doesn’t lead back to you, you’ll be released in short order,” he assured them.
“And what if it does lead back to us?” Valeria said.
“Then a team will be by to escort you to the brig where you’ll be held for questioning,” Vidal answered, calmly. “Either way, you’ll be able to leave your room in due course. Thank you for your cooperation.”
click
“That son of a..!”
“Ms. Davis, please!” Bradigan interrupted. “What could there possibly be to implicate us?”
Valeria sat down angrily and exhaled. “You’re right, of course,” she said. “I just…I have a bad feeling.”
Bradigan watched as she raised her hand to her mouth and began chewing on her nails. Quickly, she noticed herself doing it and, with a disgusted look, wiped the saliva off on her jumpsuit before clasping her hands together. She desperately needed to take her mind off the situation.
“You want to use the shower first?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she answered, nearly jumping out of the chair.
An hour later, Valeria’s “bad feeling” proved true and guards were at their door. She remained oddly quite as they were taken from their room and led through the long hallways to the brig. The guards placed them into a holding cell, informing them that Vidal and Heidler would be down to speak with them shortly. The holding cell was, of course, smaller than their quarters; but as Valeria and Bradigan sat together on the bench in the silence, the first words from her were, “Why do you still call me Ms. Davis?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why don’t you use my first name anymore?”
“Because we’re…” he had to think for a moment. She wasn’t his boss, not really. “business partners,” he said, finally. “Wait, when have I ever used your first name?”
“You don’t remember,” she said matter-of-factly. She crossed her legs and turned away from him, her chin resting on her palm as she stared at the corner.
Bradigan tried to separate the moment from the vast store of memories he’d gained since they’d met. Something so small, lost in the vast ocean of time travel, ancient civilizations, and cataclysm. “Remind me,” he said.
“Forget it.”
Bradigan struggled to wrap his head around the conversation but his thoughts were interrupted by a click that resonated through the whole of the prison block. A moment later, the door to their cell slowly swung open. He and Valeria looked at each other, both expecting someone to walk through but no one did. Valeria stood up.
“Wait.” Bradigan urged her, but she was already peeking out the door.
“There’s no one out here,” she reported. “I guess they’re releasing us after all.”
Bradigan stood up as well and together they walked out of the holding cell. It was then they heard footsteps coming down the corridor, but they were coming from deeper within the brig. They waited, expecting Vidal or Thorne to be coming to retrieve them, but the ones who rounded the corner were Locke and his guard.
“Ah. Hello there,” Locke said.
Valeria suddenly gripped Bradigan’s arm saying, “He’s not bound.”
Locke looked at his wrists, at the markings his manacles had given him, and said, “You’re quite right. Jormunssen, would you please?”
The guard drew his weapon and, without hesitation, fired on Bradigan and Valeria. A strange energy struck them and sudden, intense pain dropped them to the floor. Bradigan wanted to scream but his mouth wouldn’t open, his jaw tightly clenched shut. Next to him, Valeria lay on her back, beating the floor angrily with her fist.
“You forgot to increase the output,” Locke said. “They’re still alive.”
Jormunssen smiled. “Sorry, Sir.”
“Well whether they live or die here is of no consequence,” Locke reassured him as he walked toward one of the other cells. He threw open the door shouting, “Fender!”
On the other side of the door, fettered in thick chains interwoven with fibrous cords, was the largest man Bradigan had ever seen. Every extremity had been collared with special manacles, including his neck and waist.
“Fender, my old friend, it’s good to see you again,” Locke said as he removed a blindfold that covered the beast’s face. Upon seeing Locke, the man pulled hard on his restraints, muscles bulging and veins showing through his skin. Jormunssen came and stood next to Locke as he began undoing the shackles. The hulk stared at the traitor guard with beady eyes and the guard backed off slightly.
While they were preoccupied, Bradigan, still unable to move from the pain, scanned the room. On the opposite wall near the exit to the hallway was a keypad with a large red button on it. Logically, he thought, that button must be some sort of alarm, so he made it has mission to make it to that button. With great effort he turned over on his stomach and began to wriggle his way across the floor. Suddenly there was a shout and Bradigan looked back toward the cell. When the shackle had been removed from Fender’s arm, he’d lashed out at Jormunssen, grasping him by the neck and lifting him into the air.
“Fender, please,” Locke said, “He’s our friend. Put him down.”
Fender didn’t release him, Jormunssen slapped uselessly against the massive arm.
With all the commotion, Bradigan took his chance and fought through the pain. He rose to his knees and lifted himself up using the wall as leverage. Meanwhile, Fender had dropped Jormunssen after Locke’s continued appeals. Just as he undid the final restraint, the alarm began to blare. Bradigan had done it and he slumped against the wall in relief, collapsing back onto the floor.
Locke looked back at him. “I guess we’re moving swiftly along,” he said. “This way, Fender.”
“Stop,” Bradigan managed to say as they approached the exit.
“No time for that, I’m afraid,” said Locke. “But tell Ms. Davis ‘Thank you’ for me when she wakes up.”
As Locke led his nine foot tall giant from the room, Jormunssen, undoubtedly feeling inadequate, delivered a swift kick into Bradigan’s stomach on his way out. The pain finally overwhelmed him and Bradigan’s vision went black.
Writer by Grace 