<USS Avalon> The Fall --Ensign Kyle Fenner

The Fall

By Kyle Fenner

 

 

Floating weightless, all Kyle knew was pain.  

 

His body spasmed, starting a gentle rotation through the steam.  Barely
audible, he whispered, "More heat. more steam."  Vents, no longer visible,
spilled fresh steam into the chamber.  .

 

He had failed. again.

 

His lungs burned, but he continued moving one sweat slicked hand over the
next as he climbed the Jeffries tube ladder.

 

"Not. fast enough," he breathed, the inhaled steam urging him to cough.

 

He rounded a turn at full speed, crashing into a body, barely slowing.
Beyond him were two more rushing to meet him.  One reached for a phaser.
Kyle choked down the scream as pain erupted through his body.

 

"Faster!" he hissed.

 

Kyle climbed out the hatch and sprinted down the corridor.  Three men
stepped out of a room, confronting him.  Not slowing down, can't slow down;
Fierce, without grace, he fought.  Frantic.

 

Tackled from behind, it all went to hell. again.

 

One more time.

 

"Computer!  Run program Fenner One!"  

 

The steam faded to a cargo bay interior filled with dozens of crewmen.

 

"Here they come!"

 

"Everyone get ready!"

 

The hiss of opening doors was drowned out by dozens of screaming voices.
Kyle's bruised body exploded out the door, hunched over, glancing off
surprised guards.  Phasers stabbed out from all directions, but he reached
the Jeffries Tube entrance around the corner.

 

His face masked in intense rage, he raced up the ladder.  A minute later, a
hatch erupted from a wall, bouncing down the corridor.  Kyle leapt to his
feet and ran.  Around the corner, forty feet away, five men following a
woman were moving toward him.

 

"Faster!" he growled.  Fist reared back, Kyle sprinted, screaming, and
slammed into the woman.  Moments later the program ended on its own.

 

"Safety thresholds exceeded, terminating program."

 

Kyle, collapsed and bleeding on the blue tiled floor, could barely speak,
"Computer, run. program. Fenner Two."

 

He floated in thick steam, awash in calming yellow light.

 

"Faster," he sobbed.

 

The steam's embrace brought him no comfort as he wept.

 

*     *     *     *     * 

 

The dermal regenerator had eased the stinging, but his muscles still ached
as he slowly moved down the corridor to his room.  No one paid him much
attention.  He looked as if he was returning from a tough workout in the
gym.  It was a close enough story that it wouldn't feel like a lie if they
asked.  Kyle stared at the carpet as he walked.

"So you were locked in the cargo bay by the mutineers, correct? And then in
your escape helped to disable the ship and contact Starfleet? I just want to
make sure I'm correct on the facts."

"Go to hell," he mumbled.

"What?"

 

Kyle looked up to find himself in front of his quarters.  Tracy was leaning
against his door.

 

He straightened his posture a little. "Tracy," he greeted.  He realized she
was blocking the door panel.  As he was opening his mouth to ask her to step
aside, he noticed she was wearing civilian attire.  The pants and blouse she
wore were. flattering.  He stood silently for several moments while she
watched him, equally silent.

 

Tracy stepped aside, smiling, "May I come in?"

 

Kyle returned her smile and keyed his door open, "Yeah, sure."

 

The room illuminated as they entered.  "I haven't purchased any furniture
yet," Kyle said, "So I guess we can sit at the table," he continued as he
pulled out a chair from the small round table.

 

She lifted up a small sack, "You didn't eat much, so I brought some
sandwiches."

 

"Oh?"  Kyle looked up, into her smiling eyes.  "Wow, um. wow.  Thank you."
He frowned down at his clothes as he picked at the soggy material against
his skin.  "He pulled some jeans and a cotton shirt from the closet.  "Let
me shower real quick and I'll eat with you."

 

Tracy, laughing, agreed to wait.

 

Kyle let out a long sigh as the sonics removed the sweat, soothing his
muscles.  He could have stayed in there for hours, but Tracy was waiting.
After pulling on the fresh clothes, he re-entered the main room.  

 

He found Tracy on the edge of his bed turning a model Saber frigate about in
her hands.  She looked up when he entered the room.  "Do you compete?" she
asked.  

 

Kyle shook his head, "Not yet, the crew still needs to be trained."  He
picked up a much larger Galor cruiser model.  "This is what I'm going to
train it with," he said, hefting it.  "I know the little guy is outclassed,
but I want it to learn to use its speed and maneuverability effectively."

 

"Once I tell Sara about this she'll never leave you alone.  She's building
two Intrepids so she can join the intraship league."  Tracy set the frigate
back onto its stand.  "Does she have a name?"

 

"Not yet.  Have one in mind?" Kyle asked as he set the cruiser down.

 

"I'll think of one for you, how about that?  Were you hungry?"

 

"Very."  He replicated two lattes.  "Shall we eat?"

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