From: Sam Newell <eva49@HOTMAIL.COM> Save Address Block Sender

Subject: new fic, unfinished

To: RANGER-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Unfinished.

Sam Newell

Okay, In my warped world of fanfic, this takes place BEFORE 'Ice cubes'

and 'Everything expected.' But AFTER 'greatest fear'. It's not really

important that you know that. Its not actually unfinished, that s just

the title. Comments etc. jenewell@btinternet.com

Unfinished

Sam Newell

Niko was sat in the small comfortable armchair reading her favourite

author s latest book when the com unit by her door beeped for her

attention. She rolled her eyes and marked her place in the book before

she got up and walked over to the com screen.

Yes? Commander Walsh appeared on the screen,

Ranger Niko? I am unable to reach Ranger Gooseman on his com. Can you

go to his apartment and find out what s wrong?

Yes, I ll go right now.

Thank you Niko. His image disappeared from the screen, Niko left her

apartment and headed in the direction of Goose s.

Shane? His living room and bedroom were empty, Shane? there was

still no answer to her call.

With a horrified look on her face, Niko picked up a pair of rancid socks

off the bed and carried them at arm s length to the dirty laundry basket

beside what she thought was a cupboard. The cupboard door opened and

Niko found herself in a cloud of steam staring at Shane Gooseman s bare,

wet back. Sensing that he wasn t alone, Shane slowly turned round and

blushed.

NIKO! He exclaimed, Niko smirked and blushed at the same time as Goose

grabbed a towel off a peg by the door and wrapped it around his waist.

I ll be out in a few seconds Niko, make yourself a cup of tea or

something.

Niko shut the door behind her and made herself a drink, still a bit

embarrassed by what she d seen.

Goose came out of his room a few minutes later and sat down beside her.

What did you want?

Commander Walsh sent me, you weren t answering your com and he was

worried.

I d better contact him and let him know I m okay.

Niko swallowed the last bit of her drink and stood up,

I d better be going, see you later Shane.

He made no protest and watched her leave.

Doc, I m worried about Shane? He s been acting strangely ever since he

came back from that assignment last week, with Commander Walsh.

It s probably nothing, you know how worked up he gets by his past,

sometimes I think that he d rather just forget it. Not that I can blame

him.

Their conversation was interrupted by Niko s wrist com beeping.

Ranger Niko, will you come to my office pronto please.

On my way sir. Niko stood up and looked apologetically at Doc, I m

sorry, Walsh wants to see me. He nodded and Niko walked off.

Niko paused outside Walsh s office, two voices, clearly arguing, drifted

through the door to her ears,

I don t want her to come with me.

Why not Shane?

It s not her fight and it s just too dangerous, Stingray hates me

almost as much as Killbane does. The supertrooper s are my problem, Niko

shouldn t have to be involved.

It s Darkstar isn t it?

NO! he exclaimed hastily. Niko decided that it might be a good time to

enter the discussion, she entered the room. Walsh was sat staring at the

surface of his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. Shane was stood

staring into a fish tank that spanned the entire wall.

Ah, Ranger Niko. You and Ranger Gooseman are going to the planet

Frontier to help a local sheriff with a rancher who s causing a few

problems.

When do we leave? Niko was only vaguely aware of Shane moving towards

the door, He slammed it behind him. Niko cut Walsh off,

What aren t you telling me sir? Walsh just shook his head and

dismissed her,

Report to Ranger 1 at 1400 hours. With that he turned away signifying

the end of the conversation.

When she got home, Niko plugged her laptop into the main network. After

a few seconds a screen came up stating one word: PASSWORD.

Niko was silently grateful that Doc had shown her how to hack into BETA

mainframe in case of an emergency and/or conspiracy etc. She typed in a

stream of commands and the password screen melted away and was replaced

by a long list of files. She selected one titled Supertrooper, another

screen appeared saying: Level 7 clearance required, PASSWORD.

She tried the same string of commands, ACCESS DENIED. The screen

appeared to mock her. Niko hit the enter key in frustration and

amazingly the document opened.

It didn t take long to find Goose s entry, feeling slightly odd, Niko

started to read.

GOOSEMAN, SHANE

Although he is the youngest trooper, he shows the most promise. He has a

problem with the other Supertroopers who seem to resent his skills.

Niko s eyes skimmed over the majority of the document, most of it was

about the state of his physical and mental health over the four years he

was at Wolf Den.

It was the name beside the heading: GENETIC DONORS that leapt out at

her.

Commander Walsh.

She scrolled up again logging all the names mentally, Jackhammer,

Gearshift, Screwball, Gravestone, Helter-skelter, Stingray and Darkstar.

The last two names made Niko stop and think, where had she heard those

names before, then the conversation Walsh and Goose had came flooding

back to her,

Those names had been mentioned along with Killbane s. Niko pulled up

Stingray s file first but found nothing of interest there, so she went

straight to Darkstar s file. It was pretty much the same as Goose s and

Stingray s except Darkstar s report was centred around a female. An icon

next to Darkstar s name indicated that there was a picture on file.

Curious, Niko called it up. The woman looked familiar and it didn t take

Niko long to figure out why. Shane had an identical picture on his

bedside table.

Now that she thought about it, Shane had spoken of Darkstar before.

Probably without even realising it.

Niko turned off the computer and checked her watch, 1000 hours, it was

about time she asked Goose about Darkstar.

There was no answer to her persistent knocking, she walked in. A note

lay on the coffee table. Niko picked note up and started to read.

She screwed it up and walked over to the window and watched as a single

interceptor took off.

Bastard! she muttered under her breath and walked, for the second time

that day, to commander Walsh s office.

As she predicted, he wasn t too pleased by the news of Gooseman s sudden

and unauthorised departure.

I should have known he d pull a stunt like this, especially since

Darkstar s involved. Walsh sighed heavily and shuffled the papers on

his desk. He ll have to be disciplined, though I can t say I blame him,

if it was me I d probably do the same.

Who is Darkstar sir? And what is she to Goose?

Darkstar was another Supertrooper who escaped. Goose tried to Well

AHEM that s Shane s story to tell you, it s not my place to tell you.

Thanks anyway sir

It wasn t long before Shane Gooseman sheepishly slid into a landing bay.

He braced himself for the hassle he was going to get from Walsh for

disobeying orders and leaving Niko behind. Surprisingly it didn t

happen, he went into Walsh s office and just stood there expecting a

verbal whiplash, instead the commander just looked at him.

Well? the commander eventually asked. Where are Darkstar and

Stingray?

Shane took a deep breath before answering.

I can t bring Darkstar in, she deserves better than that, but she won t

leave Stingray. They are trying to start a new life together. Don t ask

me to bring them in ever again because I won t. It d be a waste of time

and resource. There was a long uncomfortable silence before Goose spoke

again.

"If you don't bring them in, someone else will."

Not if I can help it sir. Is that all? he asked, Walsh nodded and

Goose walked away.

Instead of going straight to his apartment, he stopped at Niko s door

and knocked.

Niko was surprised to see Shane outside her door, she didn t even know

he was back. He sat down in her armchair and took the mug of coffee she

offered him. She was just about to yell at him when he apologised,

I m sorry for running off without you, do you think you could ever

forgive me? he looked up at her and gave her his puppy dog look, she

smiled at him and sat down next to him.

I ll forgive you if you tell me why you did it. Shane looked down at

her and sighed. His eyes then focused on some far off point out of the

window.

I haven t told you much about Wolf Den have I? without pausing for an

answer he continued. I was the youngest Supertrooper there by about a

year and a half. I was also better than all the other s. We were all

issued with a drug, a genetic enabler, to increase our abilities. I

didn t take the drug, I didn t like what it did to me, it made me

ruthless like Killbane. It didn t affect my strength or speed, but my

abilities decreased, that s how I got christened Runt .

So why couldn t I come with you and who s Darkstar?

Getting rid of the problem rancher wasn t the real reason Walsh wanted

us to go to Frontier, he wanted us to capture the two Supertroopers that

were there, Stingray and his girlfriend Darkstar, he wants all the

outlaw troopers in the freezer. You couldn t come with me because it was

too dangerous, Stingray hates me because I work for BETA and because of

my feelings for Darkstar.

Niko waited a few moments for Shane to continue but he didn t.

Do you want another cup of coffee?

No. he stood up and hesitated before giving her a hug, Thank you.

For a moment, Niko thought that he might kiss her but the moment passed

and Goose left, leaving her as confused as hell.

Niko stood staring at the door for a few minutes but eventually went

back to her armchair, cursing as she realised that her book had fallen

on the floor and she d lost her page.

THE END

Okay, so it ends rather weakly! I couldn't think of any 'snappy' ways of

ending it. Oh and I haven't forgotten that Niko knows what Walsh is to

Goose but I don't think she's inclined to blackmailing Walsh. She knows

that it would hurt Goose too much if he knew.