A Near Fatal Experience

[John Randall 0]

OFFICIAL LOG

LIEUTENANT JOHN RANDALL

USS CHALLENGER

 

(Personal Log Stardate 13003.29

08 July 1969 O.R.)

 

The lunch hour arrived at the main assembly room of the VAB (Vertical

Assembly Building) at the Kennedy Space Center. John left the computer

panel that he had been 'training' with Andrews on, and made his way

to the cafeteria to grab some lunch. He had picked up on the knack of

using the currency of the time period, money, and could now pay for

his lunch right down to the penny, or at least that was the word used to

describe the copper piece that was used along with the silver pieces, or

coins, as they were referred to, that helped make up part of the currency.

 

He took his lunch to a nearby empty table, and sat down to eat, his eyes

constantly roving around the room. The other technicians, he had learned

(mainly from involuntary eavesdropping), thought him somewhat of a 'loner',

as he believed the word was, and didn't think it strange that he usually ate

his meal by himself. That was all right with John; it made the mission he was

on simpler. There was a greatly diminished chance he would let something

slip, or say the wrong word or phrase, if he were left alone.

 

He finished his meal, took his tray to the wastebasket, disposed of it, and

decided he needed to get outside the building for a little while. The picnic

area that the away team had held their briefing at the other day came into

his head, and he decided that was as good a place as any. He exited the

building, and made his way toward the path that would take him to the area.

 

He arrived at the area a few minutes later, and made his way to a table that,

when he seated himself, would have him facing the water. He sat down, and

focused his attention on the water; a few seconds later, he felt himself begin to

relax. That feeling was somewhat short-lived a few moments later, however;

he suddenly had a strong feeling he was being watched, and whirled around

on the bench seat of the table, eyes scanning the area. He could not shake

the feeling; someone was watching him.

 

John reached up casually and pretended to be scratching his ear; he tapped on

the auditory device concealed in his ear canal. "To whoever this goes to, I think

I'm being watched," he reported in a barely audible voice. "I'm in the picnic area

outside the complex." Barely a second later, the voice of Starfleet Marine Captain

Cassidy Granger sounded in his ear. "Daniels is on overwatch, sir," she reported,

referring to one of the Starfleet Marines assigned to them on the mission, posing

as NASA security guards. Granger continued, "Keeping an eye out since you're

alone. You'll not be able to see him, and if you do, let me know, because his rear

will be mine."

 

John smiled briefly at that last, and responded, "Roger that. I will casually begin a

grid search of my own. Randall out." He sat there a second or two, then got up from

the bench, and began strolling around the area, his eyes scanning everywhere,

but his manner was nonchalant. He was trying to make it appear that he was simply

walking around the area killing time until it was time to return to work. As he neared

the grove of trees on the west side of the picnic area, he suddenly heard a twig snap

among the trees in front of him, and froze on the spot, his eyes rapidly scanning the

area.

 

A few seconds later, Granger's voice sounded in his ear. "Report." John said, "I'm at

the west side of the picnic area. Heard a twig snap. Searching the area, eyes only."

Granger replied, "Stay put, under cover if possible. Daniels has eyes on." John relaxed

a little at that, knowing the Marine was with him, and was keeping an eye on him. He said,

"Acknowledged. Moving casually to cover. Randall out." He saw there was a tree about

five yards in front of him, and strolled nonchalantly to it. He was glad he had his cover

weapon with him; a Colt .45 revolver in a shoulder holster underneath his shirt. The

weight of the weapon reassured him, knowing he wasn't totally defenseless, and didn't

have a phaser with him.

 

A few moments later, Granger's voice sounded in his ear. "No clearance for scorpio.*

Are you armed?" John replied, "Affirmative." "Defend yourself," said the Marine captain.

"Say the first time you see a weapon, and report type." "Acknowledged," Randall said.

He moved casually away from the tree, walking deeper into the grove. His eyes scanned

the area constantly. As he neared another tree, Granger's voice sounded again. "Do not

approach. Repeat. Do not approach. Let him come to you." "Acknowledged," John said

as he reached the tree, and opened his shirt, taking his revolver out of the holster. He held

it in a two-handed grip as he slid slowly around the tree.

 

Suddenly, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and whipped his head to the right.

A man was standing there, just straightening from apparently having been bent over looking

in some bushes in front of him for something. The man suddenly stiffened, apparently hearing

something, and took out a weapon from his back, apparently having stuffed it into his beltline.

The man turned slightly and stiffened again as he saw John, and began to bring his weapon up

to bear on the Starfleet engineer. Before the man did anything, however, he suddenly grimaced

as there was a barely audible thud, and he fell face down to the ground.

 

As the man fell, the voice of Daniels, the Marine guard, sounded in John's ear. "Clear." Randall

sighed in relief. "Acknowledged," he said, and, holding his weapon out in front of him, walked

rapidly to the man on the ground, who was just rolling over, and then froze at the sight of

the revolver pointing at him. As John arrived, he recognized the man as one of the technicians

working at the VAB. Randall said, "Okay, my man, any funny moves, and I'll make it permanent."

The man's eyes widened as he recognized John as well, and knew the game was up. He quickly

ground his teeth together, and a false tooth inbedded in his mouth broke open.

 

John's eyes widened as the man suddenly began foaming at the mouth, his body convulsed a

few times, then went limp. A strong almond smell arose, and Randall recognized it immediately;

the man had taken cyanide. The voice of Challenger chief engineer Eddie Freeman sounded in

John's ear. "Randall, did he just--oh, hell, he just killed himself, didn't he?" "Affirmative," said

John roughly. "Daniels, my location, stat." Freeman said, "I think I recognize this guy. Randall,

didn't you see him around the VAB?" "That's affirmative, Eddie," John responded, looking down

at the body, which was now a corpse. He thought to himself, "Well, there's one fewer of them

now. Too bad he killed himself; he could have provided some answers.' He also knew Freeman

had probably been watching from a window in the office where he was under guard, and

smiled slightly to himself; the chief engineer had been helping keep an eye on him.

 

John replaced the revolver in the holster, re-buttoned his shirt, and glanced at his chronometer;

watch, he reminded himself. The whole episode had lasted less than 30 minutes. It still wasn't

time to return to work yet. He gazed down at the body, then walked back to the picnic area.

He knew Daniels and the other Marines would take over at this point. 'At least something

good came out of this,' he thought. 'My head's clear, I feel better, and one of their team is down.'

He began walking back toward the complex. He was still alive, and, at the moment, that was

all that mattered.

 

 

END LOG

 

*Scorpio = The target is in the gunner's sights, and he is the designated shooter.