Looking for Answers

Posted on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 @ 5:57am by Captain Ivan Petrov & Lieutenant Johnathan Anderson III & Lieutenant JG Karen Lamont

Mission: S1 Episode 2: Caretaker, Part II
Location: Caretaker Array
Timeline: Mission Day 3 at 0730
1125 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

As banjo music began to play and the holographic people started dancing in groups, Ivan gathered with team 1 to discuss what was to come next. He looked briefly at the old man sitting at the base of the farm-house stairs plucking the strings with an amused expression, and then turned his eyes to Johnathan, Karen, and Futaba.

"Perhaps we should see if someone has any information for us around here. I know they're basically holograms, but they may know something. What say you?"

"It seems like our best option," Karen agreed.

Johnathan looked over at the old man playing banjo. He couldn't put his finger on it, but, there was a different vibe about him, as opposed to the others. "I'll go talk to old man, Sir?"

Ivan looked in the same direction as Johnathan and then nodded.

"Go right ahead, Lieutenant. We'll observe from nearby."

Johnathan nodded to his captain and made his way over to the old man. "Good morning, Sir. This is a nice place you have here."

The old man, surrounded by what seemed to be family, looked over at the young man standing before him and his smile relaxed slightly. He continued to play the banjo. "I hope you're enjoying the party, young man! Always nice to have guests."

Ivan and the others stood close by, watching unapologetically.

Johnathan moved to sit on the steps near the old man. "Well, Sir, we would be enjoying it more, had we been asked to attend, rather than transported here against our wills." As he spoke, his tone remained calm and friendly. "May I ask what it is that is being celebrated?"

"You've been invited here for a time, to see if you have what I'm looking for." the old man said, then turned his attention to his tinny instrument to play a particularly involved passage.

Ivan stepped forward, his face locked in a frown.

"Then you are responsible for bringing us across the galaxy against our will?" he asked.

"Oh yes, that was me." the old man said. "Just enjoy the shindig. We'll know what our next steps will be all in good time."

Igarashi observed the conversation before finally butting in. "So, you've brought us far across the galaxy in search of something?" She asked looking at the old man. "What could you possibly be looking for in Terrans when you obviously possess so much power?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, its not a matter of power when one is contemplating the serious genetic re-engineering of a species." the man said, vaguely. "Displacement waves are one thing, but that is an entirely different project indeed."

Johnathan was starting to grow annoyed by how casually this...whatever he really was, was reacting to the plight which he caused. "Excuse me, Sir," his tone still calm. You play that banjo very nicely. I played some when I was a child. May I...?" He reached slightly towards the old man, his hands open, palms facing upwards.

The old man smiled, seeming pleased that Johnathan was willing to engage in any diversion at all. He handed him the banjo and watched him with a disinterested grin.

"Genetic engineering can be a tricky business," Karen noted.

Johnathan took hold of the banjo and stood up. Raising his right foot up and placing it on the step he had just been sitting on, bracing the instrument against him, he started to strum a few chords.

Then, without warning, he swung the banjo up and down, smashing it against the steps. In one fluid move, he turned to the old man, pressing the splintered neck against his throat. "You will release us, old man, or I will personally paint these stairs with whatever color your blood is!" The kind, happy young man had changed to a violent and very angry man, ready to kill any who stood in his way.

As the music was replace by the sound of breaking and shattering, everyone stopped dancing and looked right at them. Ivan winced at the sudden change which the Johnathan had demonstrated, breaking any subtle friendliness that existed in the conversation.

There a gasp then when Johnathan was suddenly tossed several meters away onto his back by an unseen hand. The old man stood and scowled now.

“Are you a species of fools or is it just you?” He asked with irritation in his voice. “I am dying but, not yet! And you certainly have no power to kill me.”

“Forgive the imprudence of my Officer.” Ivan said, feigning remorse. There was no sense making an enemy one had no recourse against. “But we have offered no consent to be brought to this quadrant and none at all to be transferred here from our ship. All that we want is for you to send us back home.”

“Sending you home is far too complicated, I tell you! There’s no time for that! Now enjoy the shindig or I shall have to do things the hard way!” The old man said, shaking a fist.

Johnathan, dazed by the reaction to his attack, laid on the ground, trying to catch his breath. In his mind, it felt like one, perhaps two ribs had been either cracked or broken.

Karen walked over and crouched down by Johnathan. She opened his shirt and started to examine him. "Does this hurt?" she asked as she pressed down on a spot that did, indeed, hurt a great deal. "Sorry. It's a bit rougher going without proper equipment."

Johnathan grunted softly. "It's okay, Doc. I think they're just cracked. Nothing feels broken."

"Let me be the judge of that," she said, not letting it go quite so easily, but then, after a moment's examination, she nodded. "You were right. They are just cracked." Not apologetically. It was still her job to make sure.

"That was extremely foolish, Lieutenant." the Captain said through gritted teeth as he looked at the old man who, for his part, sat back down on the step and picked up a second banjo which seemed to manifest out of nowhere. All the holograms around them started to dance and party again as if nothing had happened. Ivan looked at his officers and shook his head. "Anybody have any other bright ideas?"

Slowly getting back to his feet, Johnathan blushed softly from embarrassment. "Apologies, Captain. I don't like being bullied." He held his left elbow to his side, to help him breath a little better, the pain in his ribs very noticeable.

"Nor do I, Lieutenant." Ivan said with a frown. "For now, I'm not sure we're going to be getting any new information from this program. Let's join the rest of the crew and wait for our other officers to get back."