Bound but not broken - Final

Posted on Sun Aug 30th, 2020 @ 5:43pm by Commander Samantha Howard & Commander Jonathan Grayson
Edited on on Sun Aug 30th, 2020 @ 5:44pm

Mission: Tal Shiar
Location: Tal Shiar Base

The look in Sam's eyes was pure hatred and disgust. She turned her eyes away from him and glanced at Jon, refusing to look at the man who doubled crossed them.

"How the hell can she ask you when she's gagged!? Jon challenged the traitor. "Just what sort of game are you playing?"

"She can try. Make an effort. I've always heard that Starfleet officers let no obstacle stand in their way. Yet the female makes no effort. I am sorely disappointed." He finished with a sneer.

Sam controlled herself despite the urge to jump up her feet and tackle him in a flurry of whatever energy she could muster. She kept silent, not giving in to his efforts to intimidate her.

He continued to taunt them/her. "I see no strength, certainly not of character. I see weakness, foolish pride.It will be your undoing

"Bastard!" Jon hissed, "Leave her alone! She came up with the cure for your people and this is the thanks she gets? To remain nude, bound and gagged. You have an unusual way of showing thanks." Jon snapped sarcastically and he strained against his bonds to no avail."

Straith scoffed at him. "Foolish pride." He repeated.

Sam gave Jon a look - it wasn’t worth getting emotional with Straith - she swore people like him didn’t have any emotion other than Ego.

“ I must indeed Thank You - you not only validated the Tal Shair’s secret laboratory and biogenic weapons, but you created a vaccine - the Praetor will be most impressed. She can not only use this weapon but hold the Galaxy to ransom for it’s cure. I should see myself getting promoted and off this forsaken rock” He leered. “ Now what to do with you three? Should I leave you here to die? OR should we test how virile this virus is in a shipboard population. Yes…. I think we’ll do that”


Jon glared at Straith, “You are the typical arrogant Romulan bastard!”” He answered with glacial disdain.” I hope I am there to see you get your just rewards .because it’s a long way down but then you’ll be at home with all the other rats.”.

“Straith nodded and gave Jon a grin. “Now see, I like you. You are honest, I can respect that.” He produced a silver pen from his uniform. “This will unlock your bonds. All I need do is click it.” He told the three. As he waited to see their reactions.

Sam couldn’t believe her ears - was this another Romulan trick or taunt to make them feel worthless? Was he really going to release them or was it that he wanted them to die on their feet? So many conflicting emotions. She refused to move until Jon did.

“I wish I could say I like you.” Jon retorted bitterly. “Stop the games and release us.” He urged.

Straith nodded, “Once the female attempts to ask me.” He clarified.


The look in Sam’s eyes was something akin to disbelief. She refused to beg like a dog for release.

Straith laughed at the look, Sam projected at him from above her gag. “You Humans have a saying: Pride goeth before the fall. Would you rather die than ask? You are prideful and foolish.”

A dozen different profanities flew through Sam’s head before she swallowed whatever pride she had left.

“ Take - it - off” She said strongly though the device was designed to make such things very difficult. The words however were completely discernible through careful enunciation.

Straith smiled at Jon and then at Sam. “See? That wasn’t so hard now was it? Though I’m not
Sure what you said.” He chuckled cruelly.

“Bastard! Quit with the games. You heard her now free us.!” Jon demanded. “You don’t tell me what to do, human.” Straith sneered. He put the pen on the table. “Free yourselves if you are able. You will also find one of your communicator devices to signal your ship.”

Sam waited, holding her breath until Straith sneered at them one more time before leaving. She had a gut feeling that getting out of here wasn’t going to be so easy. With a glance at Jon she managed to get to her feet and bunny hop over to the table, turning around to grab the pen and the communicator before bunny hopping back. The bounds rubbed raw on her flesh, reopening the wounds her body had been trying to heal. Soon. Soon they would be off this rock.

Jon watched as Sam bunny hopped over to the table to pick up the pen and communicator then bunny hopped back to him.. He was so damn proud of her and Lisa and what they had endured.
He knew she was an amazing doctor but now he saw just how amazing a person she was.

Hope brought a new strength that Sam knew would only last a short while. She dropped the pen and communicator at Jon’s feet and motioned for him to try and maneuver she had used before - sweeping his hands under his feet so they were in front of him. Hopefully Straith was true to his words with the ease of unlocking their bounds.

Jon nodded, “Right Sam. I got it.” He replied while straining to bring his hands back in front of him. It took him a try ot two but he was able to do it. He picked up the pen and pointed it at Sam’s wrists cuffs and pressed. For a minute nothing happened but then a soft click was heard
And her cuffs fell open.

The relief was insane, first her hands then the damned gag they had shoved in her mouth. She spat the offending device out and massaged her wrists and jaw whilst Jon worked on her ankle shackles.

“ Thank you” She said quietly, her voice faltering a little with the words. She picked up the pile of rags Straith had considered clothes and pulled one on - tossing the rest to her comrades as they freed themselves. It was nothing more than a potato sack with holes for the head and arms. Still it was warmer than nothing.

“ Now what?” She asked, waiting until everyone was more or less dressed before planning their next move.

Jon threw his potato sack on and looked at Sam and Lisa, “Now what?” He repeated. “We get out of here before anyone finds out what he did. But first.” Jon looked around the lab. “Grab whatever medical files, slides you need to create a cure for us, then we destroy this lab. See if
You can find any weapons they may have left behind.”

“ I’ll grab what I need, you guys sort the ‘boom’ “ Sam replied as she moved to the workbench Mr Labcoat had been working at previously. Hopefully he had left a small amount of the serum she’d created, she could re-engineer it from Romulan DNA to humanoid without too much of an issue - particularly with all the modern equipment in her medical labs. Better yet - Dr Perrim could re-engineer it whilst she ate and slept. There was a hypo with an unused portion of the serum, plus a vial of the original virus in its gaseous form. She could work with that.

“ Got it - how about you guys?”

Jon and Lisa were piling papers atop one another . Have the makings of a good bonfire.” Jon
Replied, “Just need something to ignite it.” As he looked around the lab and then he saw it. An
Ignitor. Used to light bunsen burners. “Here!” He held up the ignitor ” this should work. Just need a spark.”

“ Righto - let’s blow this joint - I for one am not fond of the hospitality” Sam smirked as she gathered the two items she needed and held them tightly. The three dead Romulans still lay on the floor, along with their weapons.

“ Here, grab one” She tossed them towards Jon and Lisa. Armed she felt they at least had a chance of getting out of here in one piece.

“Ah! Even better!” Jon said holding the disruptor in his hand. “It’s time to leave this place and not look back. You and Lisa get into the hall. I’m going to light this place up.” He told Sam.

“ As much as I’d love to see the boom, let’s get the heck out of here” Sam headed for the door, and tried the latch, relieved to find it wasn’t locked. Heading into the corridor she flattened herself against the wall and waited for Jon to strike the proverbial match.

Jon was tempted to use the disruptor but he didn’t know if it was fully charged or not and more importantly he didn’t want to waste a shot. He bent down and held the igniter against the paper and flicked it several times until he got the spark. The paper lit quickly and the flames rapidly spread. He hurried out of the room the best he was able. “Keep your heads down.” He told Sam and Lisa as he flattened against the wall. It wouldn’t be much longer.

Without her tricorder Sam had no idea which way to go to get out of here. The corridors looked all similar. Long rows with non-descript doors and no identifying features.

“ Which way?”

“This way.” Jon pointed to the left just as a resounding explosion filled their ears. “I think someone just destroyed a Romulan lab.” He smirked.

“ Oh how terrible for them” Sam snorted as they took off down the corridor, her legs complaining about the sudden onset of activity after being still for so long. Smoke began to fill the corridors - slowly spreading as the fire suppression system struggled to cope.

A short time later a door loomed in front of them - would it lead them out?

Jon hesitated as the door loomed ahead. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He fired his disruptor sweeping the corridor for any hidden traps. Traps satisfied there weren’t any they preceded ahead and through the doors without incident.

It was cold outside, a frigid wind howling over the landscape. Sam shivered inside her shift, clutching her medical vials tightly. They ran until they approached the beam out zone - would there be another defence mechanism here to prevent their escape?

Jon saw Sam shiver and he slowed his pace. “Are you alright Samantha?” Concern evident
In his voice. “We’re almost to the beam out point.’’

“ Cold, it’s just very cold” Sam answered, shivering again. Whether it was the weather or the virus attacking her immune system she couldn’t tell. Either way they had to get their collective asses off this rock as soon as possible.

He saw her shiver again and made a decision. He scooped her into his arms to carry her. “Sssh. No protests, just be quiet.” He gently scolded her. We’re almost there.”

She wanted so very much to protest but decided against it. She was tired, hungry and damned near broken from the last experience. Once they found yet another cure - Estella was going to have a field day.

Finally they arrived at the beam out point or as close as Jon could figure.. He looked at Sam, she looked dead on her feet. Lisa looked the same way and he imagined he did as well. “Call the ship Sam. Have them beam us directly to Sickbay in quarantine.” Jon told her.
“ Howard to Washington - medical emergency - beam us directly to sickbay - level 10 quarantine. We’ve been infected with an unknown virus, have Dr Perrim meet me once we get there” Sam tapped the one com-badge between them. They were at the beam out site - they just had to wait for the shimmering blue awesomeness to take them off this hellhole.

They didn’t have long to wait, the sound of a Federation transporter greeted their ears and they were engulfed in the shimmering swirls of the transporter an instant later they were gone.