"The Beginning of The End"
(Previous Post: Tiffany's 'Encouragements...')
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Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section G, Level 5, Docking Port 3
Stardate: 60327.1500
The hissing sound remained constant as the chief engineer of the Federation starship ANUBIS struggled to get to his feet. As he looked around he finally realized that he was in a airlock... how he got there was still foggy at the most. As the massive engineer got to his feet and his vision coming back to clarity, there were a set of eyes looking at him and his blood ran cold.
"En... Enaii?" David said as he stepped toward the airlock door and stumbling to one knee. He clutched his chest and fell flat on his face...
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Setting: DREAMSCAPE
The same acrid smell. The smell of burning consoles. Sparks everywhere. The stench of death... and that sickening laughter.
"RICHARD!" David bellowed as the smoke burned his lungs and he coughed, gasping for breath, "show yourself! I *know* you're responsible for this!"
A blow to the back of the head sent the CEO spraling to the deck. As he quickly rolled over, he saw his own face looking back at him, eyes ablazed.
"Dear brother... it is time" he said evily, "and I have waited all *your* life for it."
David struggled to his feet. Richard with lightning fast relexes punched David square in the jaw sending him crashing into the COs chair. Richard quickly picked him up and slammed him into the seat. Bands shot out securing the engineer in. Richard leaned on the arm of the chair.
"Death... a beautiful thing isn't it? Especially when you're the one responsible."
"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?!" David hissed through bleeding, cracked lips.
"This" Richard replied fanning his arm behind him and David's eyes widened, "Yes David. Now you see. Your beloved crew. All *dead* because of you!"
David's eyes met those of his crewmates. Cold, souless, dead eyes as they converged on the massive CEO. As much strength and power he possessed, he was helpless as they all started pulling on him. David screamed out in pain...
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Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section G, Level 1, Containment Area Alpha
Stardate: 60327.1505
Captain Sabrina Rikar eyed Lieutenant Danny O'Reily.
"I'm waiting Lieutenant. Where is Lieutenant Dawson?"
"I swear to you Captain he was in there less than half an hour ago. We were going through shift change and I had a pressing matter to attend to."
"*Heads* are gonna roll" Sabrina hissed as she reached for her badge, "Rikar to Commodore Simmons."
=/\= Go ahead Captain, =/\ came the disembodied voice of the bases COO.
"Admiral, we have a problem. A *serious* problem."
=/\= And that is? =/\= James replied.
"David. He's missing." Sabrina replied.
=/\= Excuse me... but did you say missing? =/\= James asked.
"I did." Sabrina replied tersly as she nodded to Serenna and all the officers including O'Reily followed.
=/\= I'll notify base security and have them start sweeping the base. Simmons out. =/\=
"Captain, we'll need all the hands we can get. Need I remind you of David's exploits on the AVALON?" Serrena said.
"Keeping that in mind Commander" Sabrina said, "I have a feeling that this is *not* David's doing.
Just then, Maya, Pravat, Susan, Lea, and Elan arrived.
"Saves me from calling you" Sabrina said, "long story short, David is missing."
Pravat groaned. "I *told* you all he was problematic" the Enaran marine growled.
"*Now* is not the time Lieutenant" Serrena hissed as Nico and Uxtar appeared.
"Captain" Nico said, "why the alert status on the base?"
"David is missing. And since we're all here we're dividing into teams. Ensigns Rostov and Uxtar, you're with me. Prav, Maya you're together. Use some of your troops to assist. Number one, Elan and Lea are with you. Use Annie if you have to but *I* want David found."
As Sabrina took off Pravat grunted. "Why don't we simply ask the computer to locate him? I hope the captain knows that a base this size will take us forever to find him."
Serrena tossed the marine a commbadge. "Its David's. Go ahead and ask the computer to locate him." she said looking at her search party, "Doctor, Lieutenant." and they strode off.
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Setting: DREAMSCAPE
They clawed and pulled at him. The pain was intense.
"Look at what you did to us!" Sabrina screamed and wailed at him, "you took me from my daughter! Isn't it bad enough you killed her mother?!"
"Sabrina... I... I..." David stammered as it felt she was ripping his heart out. David let out a blood curdling scream as Richard laughed.
"YES!" he exclaimed, "its all your fault David. You ought to change your name to *murderer*"
"I AM NO MURDERER!" David bellowed at his twin.
"BUT YOU KILLED *ME*!" Richard fired back, "and all these innocent poeple. Look... Serrena, your closest friend. Dead, because of you."
Serrena approached David and backhanded him. The force of the blow ripping open his cheek.
"I trusted you enough to call you friend... opened up to you with things I never told a soul! And *this* is how you repay me?!" the ExO exclaimed.
"I've always valued your friendship Serenna. I... I've looked at you like my ow sister..."
"LIAR!" Richard boomed, "no sister would want a murderous brother like you" he said glancing in Pravat's direction, "and Pravat. What did he ever do to you?"
Pravat approached, blood spilling from a open chest wound, "Greed... lust for power... your stubborness is what got me killed along with *all* my men! And you call yourself a Starfleet officer..." he said ripping David's pips from his collar, "see you in hell Dawson!"
Richard laughed as they kept attacking his brother
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Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section G, Level 5, Docking Port 3
Stardate: 60327.1530
The hissing sound grew louder as beads of sweat dripped off the CEOs head. His hazel eyes rolled around in his head as he fought off unconsciness.
"Helluva... way... to die..." he mumbled as he looked toward the ceiling of the airlock. He saw another image, this time... no pain.
"Lea..." David said above a whisper and she placed her finger to his lips.
"Shhhhhhhhhh" the CMO replied, "I'm here to help you"
David smiled as the image opened a medkit and removed a small sword. David's eyes got bigger as she drove it into his chest...
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Setting: DREAMSCAPE
Richard burst into laughter. "You're such a fool. Do you actually *think* she has feelings for you?"
"You couldn't let *her* go could you!" Lea screamed at him, "you couldn't see the forrest because you focused on one simple tree. Why David?! WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!" the CMO wailed.
Richard stood behind his brother. "You see... even your personal life is a screw up. Face facts *brother*" Richard said swiveling the chair to face him, "I'm doing you a favor."
David winced in pain, "Favor?!" he spit blood in his brother's face, "Go to hell!" he said struggling against the restraints as Richard backhanded him. David heard the crunch of bone being splintered. His jaw began to swell as Maya eyed him evily.
"I always thought you were intelectual... but your boorish. And mean. You not a very good listener David" as the chair swiveled again.
"I considered you to be like a brother to me David. We had such a commonality that I fould my friendship with you refreshing" Elan said looking quite sad, "but you *cannot* expect people to be close to you when you do such evil things that'll drive them away."
"I... I never did anything evil" David replied, "I did what I thought was right."
Elan turned the chair to the final person.
"Was it right for you to rob her of her mother?" Elan asked as Talia glared at him.
David's eyes widened again as she grew up before his eyes and had the face. *That* face.
"You lied to me. You misled me. You had me thinking that *you* would be the best thing for them if something ever happened to me. But I see you for what you *truly* are. Your jealousy and stubborness to let things be as they were has led us to where we are right now." the ILO said as a light started glowing behind her. Richard leaned close to his brother's ear.
"Time to die David. Any last words?"
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 60327.1615
(excerpt from Tiffany's Post)
"Don't give up David," Lea whispered in David's ear. The act of reaching over his head had not been an excused, but since she had been there Lea figured that a little encouragement could not hurt. "I am not working this hard for you to slip away. So think warm thoughts and keep up the good fight. I'll have you back on your feet in no time."
Lea took a step back and looked at the purplish coloured man, almost hoping that he would react to her words. His body was in no shape to respond and his mind was in even worse shape. Yet Lea could not stop hoping to see a sign that David had been in there somewhere. That he was trapped inside that frozen body wanting for nothing more than to get out.
"Don't worry, he'll make it," Susan said, placing her hand on the shoulder of the CMO. The Cns had noticed the expression of concern on her friend's face. It had not required a diploma in advanced quantum mechanics to figure out what Lea had been thinking. And being the kind of friend she was Susan had offered her support based on her knowledge and intuition.
(end excerpt)
But with her all of her intuition, it didn't prepare her for what happened next. David's blood pressure dropped dramatically and he started shaking.
"Doctor!" a nurse exclaimed, "Lieutenant Dawson's pressure is dropping!"
"40 ccs of tribocartinizine. Hurry!" Lea snapped as the senior officers looked on.
"His brain activity is sporatic" another nurse said, "it keeps fluxuating back and forth"
Lea looked at the monitor on the wall.
"Richard" the CMO growled as they worked frantically to save the CEO.
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Setting: DREAMSCAPE
David looked at his twin brother. "Last words? How's this one!" the CEO snapped as he broke free from his binds and rammed his hand into a sparking console.
"NO!" Richard screamed and grabbed his head as the pain transfered to him from David.
"You... wanted... this... wanted *ME?!*" David bellowed with his last ounce of strength and breath as he reached for his brother. He grabbed him around the neck, "here... I... COME!"
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 60327.1620
As the medical staff worked, it seemed hopeless. David's vital signs were falling faster. For a split second, the CEO opened his eyes. They rolled up in his head and they darted back and forth from the CMO and the ANUBIS' CO. And they still had the errie red rings around his irises.
"The... truth..." David whispered as a glow formed around his body and a ghostly figure rose from him. Everyone in Sickbay gasped as a identical version of David hovered over his body and slowly disapated.
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" Richard said as he faded out of existence. David's vital signs flatlined.
"NO!" Lea exclaimed as she reached for a neuro inhibitor, "charge for 50 units!"
"Doctor" Captain Rikar said, "that will send David into neuro-shock."
"He's damn near there already!" the CMO said as she tried frantically to save the dying CEO.
"Charge ready" a nurse said.
"Clear!" Lea snapped and thumbed the control. David's body lurched off the biobed slightly before slumping back to a prone position.
"Again" Lea demanded.
"Ready" said the nurse.
"Clear!" Lea said and David's body shook again. Again, nothing.
"Old fashion" Lea said looking around, "Elan, I need your help."
"Anything to assist Healer" the giant Oltarian said. Lea showed the robotics engineer an old EARTH method of CPR. Elan began gently pressing on David's chest as Lea erected an oxygenated field around the CEO. Air was forced into the engineer's damage lungs slowly. The doctor, along with 3 nurses and the massive robotics engineer tried in vain, but in the end it was too late. Serenna approached along with Susan placing their hands on Lea's shoulders.
"Doctor" Serenna said, "he's..." and the ExO choked slightly as tears streamed down the face of the CMO.
"Dammit!" Lea hissed as she pounded her fists on David's massive chest, "Damn you David! You were supposed to fight!"
Elan hung his head as Maya looked on blankly. Pravat placed his arm around her shoulder.
"But... but..." Maya stammered, "I mean... he wasn't supposed to die. We have top notch equipment here! The best Starfleet has to offer!"
"Sometimes top notch equipment can't repair the damage that has been done" Pravat replied, "but at least it looks like David finally found peace" the Enaran MCO replied.
For them being the newest members to the ANUBIS' crew, Ensigns Rostov and Uxtar looked on in silence until Uxtar whispered in his friend's ear.
"Still don't believe in ghosts my friend?" the Hirogen VIPER pilot said.
Lea was led away by Susan. She was sobbing uncontrolably as Sabrina approached David's body. Serenna stood on the other side.
"Looks like we *won't* be having that court-martial after all" the ExO said dryly. Sabrina said nothing. She looked into the eyes of her former lover and saw nothing. No light. No life. No fire. He had been telling the truth but now, no one would know David's story.
"Computer, activate the EMH."
The EMH appeared. "What is the nature..." and she looked at David's body then to the wall monitor.
"Doctor" Sabrina said, "Doctor Summers is... incapaciated at the moment. I need you to make the call."
The EMH nodded. "Time" and she looked at the chronometer, "1730 hours. Computer, began medical log entry for death certificate of Dawson Junior, Lieutenant David Richard."
The computer made its customary bleeps as Sabrina turned to exit. A tear streamed down her cheek as she closed David's eyelids.
"Dammit David" she growled as she wiped the tear away as she bee lined her away to Koniki's office. "Nico... with me!" she said as she exited Sickbay.
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Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #463
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
