Death at Tombstone

[SydneyRichardson 0]

As the program got underway, the four members of the Agincourt assumed their roles in the western program. In the far corner of the saloon, Lt.(jg) JP Marks had taken the persona of Doc Holliday: he leaned back in one of the poker games with his sullen eyes looking at his cards and looking at the other members of the table. Near a window sat Mid. Sydney Richardson, in character as a female Morgan Earp: from what anyone could tell, she was quietly rolling a cigarette while leaning back in her chair, feet up on the table. Ens. Kansas JoNs had taken on the role of Virgilia Earp, the sometimes lawperson, all the time gunslinger: she stood by the bar, twirling a gun without a care, itching to shoot it. Lt.(jg) Javin Prell took the role of Wyatt Earp, and was sitting at the bar, knocking back a few drinks: he lovingly patted his shotgun, frowning when he found a scratch. Together, the Earps and Holliday kept order in the rough and tumble Tombstone, Arizona.

 

 

JP continued looking at his cards, cradling his newly acquired rifle in his lap. One of the men laid down four aces to win the pot... which was a bit odd since JP had a pair of aces in his hands. JP frowned and looked up, "Computer, freeze program."

 

 

Javin looked up at Marks. "Problem?"

 

 

Sydney lost her balance just then and fell back in her chair, landing kind of hard. "Ow..."

 

 

Kansas looked over toward JP, and JP looked back at Javin. "I think there is something wrong with the program. There are six aces in this game,” he said.

 

 

Javin chuckled. "JP, it ain't the program that’s wrong… he's cheating you"

 

 

JP's eyes widened. "What???"

 

 

Sydney stood up, righting her chair, and scowling a bit, but then looking up at the others. Kansas smirked at Sydney, and then JP. "Get the sidewinder JP! I'll be your backup," she said, twirling her gun again. Kansas seemed to be having a lot of fun. In fact, Kansas hadn't had any time lately to participate in a western holoprogram, and was enjoying herself immensely.

 

 

Javin smirked. "They didn't play fair back then, no honor like when we play now."

 

 

JP frowned and his fellow card player after what Javin had said. "Indeed... Computer, restart program." With a whirl, the saloon music restarted and JP stood up. "Sir, I do believe you are cheating."

 

 

Billy Clanton got up with a screech of his chair, and smacked a large hand on the table. "Them's fightin' words."

 

 

JP looked back at Kansas, Sydney, and Javin and then straightened up a bit. "Sir, I suggest you leave before you make this quite unpleasant for everyone."

 

 

Billy gave the table a shove. "What are you going to do? Send your woman after me?" He guffawed. "Not much you could do to me, that's for sure."

 

 

JP's face went from amused to deadpan in a heartbeat. "My... woman?"

 

 

Billy tipped his hat. "You heard me, boy."

 

 

Kansas' hand hovered over her now holstered gun. "Watch it Billy, the women can shoot straight. Unlike your brother, Ike."

 

 

JP slowly stood up from the table and rested the rifle on the ground. "Now you listen here Mister... I suggest you refrain from speaking much more before I shut your mouth for good."

 

 

Javin, finding this all amusing, picked up his shotgun and got ready to shoot.

 

 

Billy snorted. "Ike can shoot better than Doc here..." then looking back at Marks, "Maybe the little woman needs a real man. One that does something instead of just talkin’ about it. Callin’ me ‘sir’ like he’s some kind of big shot, hmph."

 

 

The Caitian shot a bemused smile at Javin. Sydney sat at her table, resting her head on her elbows, watching the whole scene with wide eyes, enjoying the banter between JP and the holographic Billy. For JP, however, that comment was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. For that second, JP lost the sense of imagination and pictured this all as deadly real. Completely snapping, he quickly drew up his rifle and using it as a club, bashed Clanton in the face with it. Billy fell back, and lifted a hand to his nose.

 

 

"You done broke my nose, you danged idiot," Billy yelled out, trying to stand up again. JP ducked his head and tackled Billy into a table, causing a huge riot to break out; he then began punching Billy with everything he had, ripping the Holodeck character apart. During the insanity, Ike Clanton, Johnny Behan, Tom and Frank McLaury walk in.

 

 

One of them neatly pushed Sydney, causing her and her chair to fall over once more. She stood up, scowling, and looked over to Virgilia. "Shall we, sis?"

 

 

Kansas pulled her pistols out and grinned at Morgan, "Let’s do this!" Taking a potshot at Ike Clanton’s hat, she knocked it off his head.

 

 

The Former Sheriff of Tombstone Johnny Behan quickly ran to where JP was beating the stuffing out of Billy, pulled him off, and delivered a punch to his face. JP fell backwards with the punch, falling into Kansas at the bar.

 

 

"Ooof!" JP shouted with Kansas’ shot. Sydney grinned and took a quick kick at Frank McLaury's hind-end, and when he turned delivered a swift punch to his chin. Thanks to the holoprogram, Frank fell to the ground from the blow, swearing as he went. JP quickly got back on the offensive, throwing a very deadly shot to Behan's throat. Behan fell to the ground coughing, trying to expand his collapsed esophagus as JP pounced and continued to throw more shots at him.

 

 

Kansas righted herself, broken bottles flying by her head as the saloon further erupted into chaos. Javin continued to sit at the bar, silently watching what was going on… until one of the flying glass bottles hit him on the head. Meanwhile, JP was dragging Behan back up to his feet, drawing his pistol, and then shot him at point-blank range. Blood splatter flied backwards, coating both Sydney and Javin. Sydney however was now grappling with Frank, who was a little more than irritated at being hit by her. "Wyatt! A little help?" Syd yelled out, feeling a bit overwhelmed, even if this was just a holoprogram. Blinking, trying to get the blood out of his eye, Javin snatched up his shotgun and fired at Frank, talking care not to hit Sydney. With a "Mrrowwwl!" of glee, Kansas jumped into the fray.

 

 

As Frank fell to the ground, Sydney grinned at Wyatt. "Hey, thanks." Then she realized her shoulder was a bit wounded... Javin jumped into the main fight, pulling Frank out by his collar and hit him in the head with the butt of his gun. The blood gushing from Frank's body didn’t stop Javin from continually beating him. The nimble Catian was throwing some punches at Tom McLaury. With a bit of a squeal, Syd ran between fighters and jumped over the bar, ducking underneath to check on her arm. The now totally out of it JP swung his gun around and starting firing at whatever was moving. He had literally lost it, even firing the holographic bullets at his shipmates.

 

 

Kansas, getting up from a punch from Tom, looks at JP shocked as he fires a holographic bullet right at her. Seeing Kansas fall, Javin picked up his gun and took a shot at Tom. Sydney looked around behind the bar counter and finally locating a small gun. "Hmm how does this little one here work...?” After shooting a hole in the roof she figured it out.

 

 

JP cursed aloud as his holographic gun ran out of ammo. He quickly looked around and picked up his recently acquired rifle loaded with real bullets. Having acquired a target, he fired a shot. The bullet ripped through the holograph character and embedded into the wall. The Holodeck shuddered with the impact of the bullet, causing everyone to stop and look in shock. JP suddenly seemed to snap back to reality, realizing he just fired a live shot in the Holodeck. His eyes quickly glazed as he looked wildly from side to side, praying he didn't shoot one of his crewmates.

 

 

Panic level going up in Kansas as she realizes that JP is using his real rifle, Kansas yelled, "Computer, FREEZE Program!" as she leaps onto a table and jumps off, taking out JP.

 

 

Sydney looks to the wall next to her. "Uh... was that... by any chance a real gun?"

 

 

JP's eyes continue to dart, realizing he is now crumbled on the ground. "Wha... What happened?"

 

 

The Caitian security ensign, currently on top of JP, says to him nose to nose, “You just went ballistic and fired a... ballistic."

 

 

JP's eyes finally stopped darting and came back to lie on Kansas's. "Ensign... Is there a reason you're laying on top of me?"

 

 

Slowly gets up off of JP, Kansas looked over toward Sydney and Javin, then back to him, "You fired the rifle. The one you bought JP. At us." She put a hand out to help him up.

 

 

JP quickly pulled himself up and looked at Kansas. "I... I mean..."

 

 

Kansas walked over to Javin and Sydney, "You both okay?" she asked them, tail swishing to show how disturbed she is at what has happened.

 

 

JP shook his head, totally confused. "I don't know what happened... I mean... He said something about my wife and I just..."

 

 

Syd shrugged at Kansas and began to answer her, but then looked at Marks. "No he didn't."

 

 

Javin had joined the group, and also looked a little confused at what JP said. "He didn't say anything about your wife...

 

 

JP looked at Sydney and Javin. "Well he said my woman and I thought about and uh..." He slowly noticed the three staring at him. "Err... Uh... Never mind."

 

 

"And what the heck were you thinking, firing the real gun?” Javin added.

 

 

JP coughed slightly and picked up his rifle. "Maybe we should just... Forget about this ok?"

 

 

Kansas tail bristled slightly, as she became even more disturbed at JP's last statement concerning the Holodeck character.

 

 

Javin snatched the rifle away from him. "No. What's going on JP?"

 

Kansas looks at Sydney with concern, who, felling a bit out of place, was currently considering ducking back down under the bar.

 

 

Kansas looked at everyone in turn. "I want to thank...everyone...for participating in this program. I do enjoy westerns. But, I think we all need to call it a day." Then shooting a look at Javin, hopes that he will back up what she said.

 

 

JP looked at Javin. "There is nothing wrong OKAY???"

 

 

Taken aback, Javin stared at Marks, not moving a muscle. Kansas also clams up and stops moving. JP continued staring at the three, feeling backed into a corner.

 

 

Sydney, cringing at JP’s outburst, tries for a grin. "Hey, Doc Holliday... Will you look at this: Wyatt, my own brother, shot me in the shoulder. Freakish, huh?" When no one moves, she slowly reaches a finger out and touches Marks' eyebrow. "You okay?"

 

 

JP recoils from Sydney like she was throwing a cobra at him. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

 

 

Syd jumped back, landing on her rump. "GOSH what is with you and landing me on my rear-end!" Standing up and brushing herself off and glares at Marks. "Why on earth are you freaking out about a Holodeck character saying something about your wife? You don't even HAVE a wife."

 

 

JP's breath began to come out in spurts... "I have a wife... I... I..." Tears began to form in his eyes...

 

 

Javin backed off from JP and sat a table back up and picked up four chairs, indicating them to sit.

 

 

For all the months he kept his secret buried, emotion swept to the surface in JP. He stared at his crewmates who he now felt closer to then anyone he had in a long time. He slowly calmed down... Trying to regain control of himself.

 

 

Javin took a hold of Mark's shoulder and sat him down.

 

 

JP no longer looked like the imposing tactical officer he was known for but like a venerable man. "You all... Don't understand. You see..."

 

 

Javin's commbadge chirped just then. Kansas closely looked at JP, deeply disturbed by what she witnessed, not really hearing even the commbadge chirp. All she could think was, And this man is my backup?

 

 

Javin took a look at the badge, then got up and moved to the side, tapping it. He returned after a minute to the silent group. "Agincourt just got new orders. We need to get back." He looked at JP, making it known this was not over yet.

 

 

Sydney almost hugged Javin, glad to be getting away from what had suddenly turned into a heart to heart.

 

 

Kansas also shot JP a look, as in "this is not over", and out loud said, “Okay let’s get back. Thanks again for the Holodeck time."

 

 

Javin picked up the replicated weapons, and the Real rifle. He nodded to Kansas, "C'mon, let's go." Sydney followed close behind him.

 

 

As the group filed out of the Holodeck, JP remained in the darkness. He looked about for a second and then buried his head in his hands... "Game over JP... This is game over. You can't do this anymore... I don't care how much it hurts; you can't do this anymore..." With a swallowing of his pride and the swallowing of his feelings, JP sat up and walked out of the Holodeck. His "looser" mentality was gone, replaced by the hardness that allowed him to get through the years of pain...