The Abduction - Log 5

[John Randall 0]

OFFICIAL LOG

LIEUTENANT JOHN RANDALL

USS CHALLENGER

 

(Personal Log Stardate 11608.16)

 

The Romulans and Randall materialized in a chamber similar in appearance to the one aboard the Romulan ship Talon they had just left. Aiel snapped out a command in Romulan, and she nudged John forward. The chief engineer of the Challenger followed the group as they marched down a corridor, making two right-hand turns before they arrived at a door.

 

Aiel walked over to a numerical pad on the right side of the door and tapped in a code. The door slid open and the group walked inside. John looked around the room, which contained only a small sofa and a table, plus a computer terminal on the east wall. The layout was similar to the cabin he had been housed in while aboard the ship.

 

Aiel then turned to Randall. "You will be kept here until the guards come for you," she said. "I warn you again, you will show proper respect to our Praetor, or you will suffer the repercussions." John glared at her. "I'm tired of your threats, lady," he snapped right back at her. "If you have nothing to say beyond that, I'd just as soon you left my sight." His eyes were ice-blue as he stared at her.

 

The Romulan subcommander shook her head. "Still you are defiant," she said. "Do you value your life so little that you would continue to antagonize those who control you?" John actually grinned at her as she finished, and she was so surprised she actually backed away from him. "Lady," he growled, "if I am to die inside your wretched empire, I'm going to take as many as I can of you green-skinned bastards with me. That's a promise."

 

Aiel gaped at him in disbelief. She was beginning to realize she had vastly underestimated this human. She was seeing for herself just how much John Randall actually hated her people, and it was far beyond anything she had imagined. She had expected resistance from him, but nothing had prepared her for this. She gave a hand signal to the guards, and they walked out of the room, Aiel looking back at Randall quickly over her shoulder just before the door slid shut, and the angry expression was still on his face as he watched them leave.

 

John walked over to the small sofa and sat down, bowing his head and running his fingers through his hair. He then gave a mighty sigh and sat back against the sofa. He was wondering what sort of plan T'Mira had in mind, and smiled to himself as he remembered the quick planning session in the cabin aboard the ship with her. He remembered most of all the quick kiss she had given him before they had left the bedroom, and the thrill it had given him as he realized he was not alone. 'And', he thought to himself, 'it was a kiss from a very pretty woman.' That in itself had re-invigorated him.

 

He arose and walked over to the computer terminal which, much to his surprise, was actually functional. He played with the keyboard and the controls for a while before finally happening to get a series of Romulan hieroglyphs in the right order, and the viewscreen lit up with an image of an antechamber filled with Romulans.

 

'This must be the senate the subcommander was talking about,' he mused to himself, and studied the picture for quite a while, trying to memorize the layout in his mind.

 

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Around four hours later, John was sitting on the sofa when the door of the room slid open. A Romulan female entered, and to Randall's delight, he saw that it was T'Mira. He was careful to give no outward sign of recognition, however, as per her instructions. He arose from the sofa as she walked over to him.

 

"There is someone here to see you," she said into the device hanging from her neck, which was ostensibly a translator, but John knew it was actually a dummy. He nodded and looked toward the door as a tall man entered. He was wearing a black outfit and a long black cape flowed from his shoulders. The man turned toward him, and John had to call on every bit of his resolve not to react to the figure now standing before him.

 

Spock.

 

The former first officer of the Enterprise, now the official Federation ambassador to Romulus, looked a little older than his most recent holos, and there were lines of weariness around his eyes as well. But the eyes were alert and watchful, and they now regarded the engineer with no hint of recognition or friendliness, as T'Mira had warned him.

 

"Ambassador Spock, this is the chief engineer of the Federation battlecruiser Challenger, Lieutenant John Randall," said T'Mira. "Lieutenant Randall, Ambassador Spock." John inclined his head to the Vulcan, who regarded him for a few seconds, then turned to T'Mira.

 

"I would speak with the prisoner," he said in a deep bass voice, and the female nodded. She rapped out a command in Romulan to the accompanying guard, who stared at her for a moment, then looked at Spock, who merely raised an eyebrow. The guard hastily dropped his gaze, and followed T'Mira out into the corridor, the door sliding shut behind them.

 

Spock turned back to Randall, and raised an eyebrow. He held up a hand as he saw John preparing to make a remark, and walked over to the computer terminal. His hands flew over the keyboard for a few seconds, then he straightened and turned back to Randall. "I have overridden the hidden visual sensors and listening devices in this room," he said. "We may now converse freely."

 

"Ambassador, it is a great honor to meet you, sir," said John, and again Spock raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps we should save the 'small talk' for later, Lieutenant," he said, and John's eyebrows went up. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn Spock, a Vulcan, was trying to make a joke. "I see by your reaction I may have surprised you, Mr. Randall," Spock continued. "I served with humans long enough in Starfleet to pick up several of the nuances of human speech. Especially aboard the Enterprise."

 

John nodded, knowing the stories that still abounded about the Vulcan standing before him and a certain ship's surgeon aboard the Enterprise. Randall had actually met Dr. Leonard McCoy while he was recuperating at the hospital on his home planet of Centaurus following an incident aboard his home ship, the Challenger. The stories about Spock, McCoy, and Captain James T. Kirk were legendary.

 

"Lieutenant, T'Mira tells me that she was able to meet with you briefly aboard the Talon," the Vulcan went on. "She tried to convey to you the danger you are now in. I must add my confirmation to that; you are in grave danger, Mr. Randall, and I fear I can be of little or no help to you in this circumstance. You will have to rely on your wits, and any help T'Mira might be able to give you.

 

"I am told by her, however, that you are very resourceful for a human; her words, not mine," he continued, and John grinned slightly. "I can tell you this, though; there is a secret underground movement afoot here on ch'Havran, or as you know it, Romulus. Some of the Romulan population are very unhappy with their current Praetor, and are planning to overthrow him. There are a few members of the Senate who are 'in on it' as well, as you humans say, and they plan to make a move soon.

 

"They have learned of your arrival, and have consequently changed their timetable; they have asked me to inquire of you if you would be willing to assist their cause," the ambassador finished.

 

John smiled slowly. "Tell them I will be happy to do anything to get me out of this wretched empire and back to the Federation," he said, and Spock nodded.

 

"I had anticipated your response, and have already informed the movement as such," said the Vulcan, and John raised his eyebrows again, smiling this time. "I apologize if I overstepped my bounds," Spock continued, and Randall shook his head.

 

"As you say, you have gotten to know my race, Mr. Ambassador," he said, "and I have heard stories about you and Captain Kirk in similar situations."

 

Spock sighed softly. "Ah, yes, the stories," he said disapprovingly, and John smothered a smile. "The captain and I did have some....interesting.....situations aboard the Enterprise," he continued, and John simply nodded.

 

"Be ready at all times, Lieutenant," Spock said. "The circumstances will warrant the time of the action or actions to take place. You may rest easy today, however; the Praetor has been taken ill, and the Senate is adjourning as we speak. You may get a visit from one or more of the participating senators this evening or tonight, they will make themselves known to you.

 

"I must go now as I am set to speak before the Council before they adjourn for the evening," Spock finished. "We will probably not meet again, Mr. Randall, so I will leave you with the Vulcan farewell." He lifted his right hand and made the Vulcan peace sign. "Live long and prosper, John Randall," he intoned, and John lifted his hand, returning the sign. "Peace and long life to you, Ambassador Spock," he said.

 

There was a glint of approval in the Vulcan's eyes as he lowered his hand. He stared at Randall for an additional moment, then turned and walked toward the door, which slid open at his approach. He walked out into the corridor, and T'Mira came into the cabin.

 

She came very close to him and whispered, "Be ready, John, it could happen any time. The ambassador will help as much as he can. A large part of this, however, will hinge on you. Be alert and careful, my friend," she finished, and gave him another kiss on the cheek. She then put a hand to his face and looked deep into his eyes. She smiled, touched her forehead to his, then turned and left, the door sliding shut behind her.

 

John went over to the sofa and sat down, his mind whirling with the last few minutes. He had actually met the legendary Spock, and now knew he had even more help on the Romulans' home planet. For the first time since he had been abducted, he was now very sure that he would be back in Federation space before too long.

 

He also made a vow to himself; he would kill the Romulan female known to him as T'Shea before he left this accursed planet. She was just like her father, and that made them mortal enemies in John's eyes.

 

END LOG