by Lindy
Part 4
"It doesn't have to be like this, you know"
Susan glared up at her tormentor. Her body ached from the punishment it ha recieved, and her throat was sore, so sore... They had denied her water for what felt like days.
"If you'd just answer my questions, all this... unpleasantness, could end"
The telepath reached out to stroke Susan's battered face. Ivanova turned away, coughing weakly. Talia sighed and stood up, beckoning to the guard. She held the water bottle before Susan's face, immediately gaining her attention.
"You can have the water, Susan" Talia said soothingly, "Just show me a little cooperation. Tell me the name of your Commanding Officer on Babylon 5"
Susan swallowed. She could smell the water, maddening inches from her face. She never knew that water could smell so good. What was the harm in telling them what they alrady knew? Just this one thing... Susan moistened her dry mouth and looked up into Talia's smiling face.
"Sheridan" she croaked. "Captain John Sheridan"
"Excellent, Susan!" Talia beamed. Susan looked with pleading eyes from Talia to the water and back to Talia.
"Oh, of course! We made a deal, didn't we? Here"
She held the bottle to Susan's mouth and held it there while she drank gratefully, her eyes closed and her head back. When the bottle was empty, Talia used her sleeve to dry Susan's face.
"You see, it's important" she continued, standing up, "to create a bond of trust between interrogator and prisoner. I relieve your suffering, you repay me with information. Now tell me, who on Babylon 5 was responsible for the underground railroad helping rogue telepaths?"
Susan eyed Talia warily. She was twisting events. She said nothing.
"Oh, Susan. I so hoped we were making progress" Susan wasn't fooled for a moment by the look of concern on her face. "Look, Commander, I'll be honest with you. Bester and I agreed that this method of operation would prove most effective in your case. But whilst I am more than happy with the way things areoing, Mr Bester is getting a little impatient. He has informed me that if you do not become a little more responsive by tomorrow, he will be obliged to take matters into his own hands. Do you understand me, Susan? That means deep mind scans, drugs, electrotherapy, all the things I have tried to spare you"
She gently straightened the collar of Susan's now ragged and filthy uniform shirt, looking enquringly into her eyes. Susan stared back stubbornly. Talia sighed.
"Very well. It is, after all, your choice" she moved to the door, then looked back, smiling. "Tomorrow should be... interesting indeed!" She shot Susan a fiendish grin.
Garibaldi sat back in the pilot's seat, frustrated at the inactivity as the ship traveled towards Mars and the Psi Corps research centre. He just hoped Lyta was right and this was where they had taken her. He looked at his team, composed of his best deputies. They'd get Susan out, he just hoped, for himself as well as for her, that it wasn't already too late...
There were two of them, both young, male Psi Corps guards. Ivanova thought she recognised one of them as being one of those who inflicted herregular beatings, but she wasn't sure, and she didn't care. She was too weak to resist them as they dragged her upright, releasing her from the wrist restraint. She leaned on them heavily, helplessly, as they half carrie, half dragged her from the cell.
Talia waited, glowing with anticipation. A noise in the corridor, a low moan, made her turn to see Ivanova, escorted closely by a guard on either side, her head lolling forwards, her feet dragging ander hair falling over her face. She felt the familiar thrill run through her as she observed the degradation and humiliation of another person, particularly this person. She gestured to the iron chair standing in the centre of the room.
"Prepare her"
She watched as they put Ivanova down, her arm raised in a futile attempt to push them away. They strapped her securely to the chair, binding her until she was motionless, helpless. Talia walked lightly in front of her and gently brushed the hair from her face. She was mildly surprised to observe a tear trickling through the grime on Susan's face.
"Last chance, my love" she whispered. There was no reply.
The silent figures slipped carefully through the underground tunnels beneath the building. Garibaldi knew she had to be kept somewhere in the lower levels, as a high profile, non official detainee.
"OK" he motioned to the access panel in the roof of the tunnel. "Everybody up"
They found themselves in a narrow corridor. Something in the atmoshere told Garibaldi they were still below surface levels. Everything was quiet. He shivered. God this place was creepy. Even he could feel the pain and suffering that went on here, and no one could say he was the most sensitive man around. They moved quickly, checking doors as they went. This was the lowest, most secret part of Psi Corps... Ivanova had to be here, if she was still alive...
Talia looked up as a figure stepped through the door.
"Ah, Mr Bester!"
Susan trembled at the name.
"Good morning, Ms Winters. And how is our guest today?"
Susan didn't look up, she could feel their eyes upon her, gently touching her mind.
"Somewhat reticent? I believe we can do somethng about that"
He motioned to a white coated bespectacled doctor wearing the pin of the Psi Corps, wo stepped forwards, attaching electrodes to Susan's temples, forehead and just behind her ears.
"This procedure is designed to dislodge and intensify ny memories and experiences your mind has hidden over the years, Ms Ivanova. It may be, somewhat... uncomfortable, but it will make things so much easier for me. One does like to be... efficient, in these matters. Ms Winters..."
She checked the wires connecting Susan to the machine and smiled.
"Excellent!"
Without furher disussion, Bester activated the machine. Susan's eyes widened as she became aware of a buzzing sensation in her head, pushing aside the muffling clouds in which she floated. Suddeny the sensation increased to resemble red hot needles stabbing inot her brain. She jumped in the chair, her body spasming. The pain faded and she gasped her relief, then the jolt came again, stronger this time. Her mouth opened and she looked straight into the eyes of Talia standing before her, her hands clasped behind her back, smiling. She was dimly aware of the doctor behind her, calmly speaking.
"...Memory extraction and clarification process 7% complete, subject is distressed but still responsive..."
The pain slammed into her mind again and again. She writhed in the chair, emitting a low moaning sound audible over the machine.
"...process 21% complete..."
With a superhuman effort, S managed to focus her gaze on Talia.
"Talia... please............ oh God...... please......."
The woman stood immovable before her.
"...35% complete..."
The tears were streaming down her face; she hadn't even oticed.
"...46%..."
She had ceased to writhe now, simply manipulated by the force of the electrical current. Memories flashed through her mind, events she did not rmember, things she wanted only to forget, all buzzing in one huge cauldron of pain inside her skull.
"...62%..."
The turmoil in her head grew impossibly greater with every wave. She knew she could not take much more of this. She was way past speech.
"...76%..."
She was not aware that every muscle in her body was rigid, her eyes stretched wide, her mouth agape in a soundless scream.
"...89%..."
She was going mad, she knew it with instant clarity. Thiswas too much for the brain to cope with. She was dying, she was more alive than she had ever been...
"...97%..."
...Gods...
"Process complete, Sir"
The machine clicked silent. Ivanova experienced a blinding moment of blessed relief before welcome blackness consumed her.
Garibaldi neared the end of the coridor, desperate now. She had to be here... Suddenly he heard faint voices through a closed door to his left. This had to be it!
"The procedure was performed satisfactorily, Ms Winters. As soon as the Commander rejoins us, the information she holds will be available in its entirety"
Bester, thought Garibaldi grimly.
"Yes, Sir"
And that was... Garibaldi's eyes narrowed. Lyta was right! It was her. He peered through the observation panel. What he saw made him clench his fists in rage. What had they done to her...
"You evil bastards" he whispered fiercely. Regretfully, he decided that murdering a Psi Cop would make retribution on the station more likely. He gave the silent countdown to his team... 3... 2... 1...
They burst through the door, the occupants of the room looking up in surprise but having no time to react. The doctor and Bester went down easily, stunned by shots to the shoulder. Talia Winters backed away towards the far wall.
"Michael!" she exclaimed sweetly. "It's been so long!"
He shook his head. Dammit.
"I've missed you, Michael"
He felt himself wavering and dragged his attention to the figure in the chair. It was Susan, but hardly recognisable as the able Commander he had seen so often in C&C, raging at obstinate ship captains. Her hair was matted, half covering her face, her thin body unconcius, bound to a chair and wired up so some damn machine...
Michael's eyes were cold as he turned back to Talia. She recognised the look on his face and put all her energy into transmitting a warning signal to her colleagues. Garibaldi's hands were steady as he shot her. He watched as she fell to the floor, hitting her head hard.
"OK, guys, let's get outta here. There'll be a thousand teeps on us any minute..."
He quickly freed Ivanova from the chair. She was so light! He choked down the rage that rose in him towards the evil people who had done this. As he stood in the doorway, Susan in his arms, his eye fell on the stunned telepath, golden hair falling in a shimmering tide over her face.
"One of you!" he barked. "Bring her"