A Captain Decision Ch. 06

My eyes fluttered open once I reached my mind. I tried to sit up, a bad decision. As I slammed back on what I was lying on, Rommie appeared.

"Why did you do that?" Rommie said with what sounded a bit like anger in her voice.

"I told you," I said in almost a whisper. "You are my greatest creation. I will not lose you. I..." For the strangest moment I had an idea run through my mind. "I need to touch you so badly."

Rommie's eyes went huge, then she was actually holding my hand. "I... I how? I have no data to support this."

I held onto her hand as if I let go, I'd never see her again. "I never want you or me to be denied each other again, I want you...," I felt like cursing myself that I didn't finish my eyes closing.

I awoke hours later alone. I just sat there and cried, too afraid to call out to Rommie. Afraid that if I did, she'd not appear. So, I didn't notice when she appeared, as a holo-gram, then became solid, reaching to touch my cheek.

The touch almost scared the hell out of me as I grabbed what had touched me. When I realized it was a real hand, I looked up, then again grasped it as if my life depended on it. I then started to kiss the entire hand, the wrist, the arm, only to have her stop me.

"I don't know how yet, but I can be the computer and me still connected. I didn't think that your last thought would allow this," a confused Rommie said.

"My last thought?" I asked, a little confused myself.

"Yes, you said you would not lose me, that you needed to touch me. You said that you never want us to be denied each other again. Right before you lapsed into unconsciousness, you said you wanted me. May I ask? What were you going to say?" Rommie asked.

I shook my head a moment, something felt off, different. "I had wanted you to be solid, more human, than you were. I was angry that I didn't get to complete that thought, though perhaps I don't need to? Tell me, how do you feel?" I asked.

Rommie looked at me with all seriousness, then a look of surprise and shock came to her face. "I... I," I could see that she was having an extremely hard time, putting into words what she wanted to say. I thought this was a paradox, computers had no such difficulty, though, as I thought, was she still a computer?

I heard her gasp a moment as I turned toward her. Apparently, I had a look on my face that was worrying her. "John?" She asked with what seemed a bit of fear in her voice. "You, you don't regret making me as I am, do you?" The last two words in a very low whisper I wasn't sure she'd actually said.

I was shocked when I looked up, seeing the look of concern on her face. "Regret? No, what I regret is that I allowed the pain you had to suffer through."

"I told you I am just a m..." Rommie started.

"NO!" I interrupted her, "you are far more than a machine. I think that by now, you'd realized that you are more, much more."

Rommie could only stand there with her mouth agape. She was about to say more when several alarms went off. "Captain, it appears that several Klingon battle cruisers have followed us. I believe that they are tracking the Enterprise."

I tried to stand, falling to the floor again. I thought shit! I had to work on recovering a lot faster. "Are we hidden?" I asked.

"Stealth systems are at a hundred percent, all systems are ready, orders?" Rommie asked.

"Let them pass, then disable the last ship. I want then to think that they are far out gunned here," I said as I watched what appeared to be a small fleet pass by. "Hell, disable the last two, Rommie."

I had counted at least twenty, then watched twin beans strike one, then the other of the last two ships. I also watched as they shuddered, then started to drift.

"Open a channel, Rommie," I said.

"Channel open," Rommie replied. I had also noticed that Rommie was once again a holo-gram.

"pagh batlh." (Zero honor.)

"EH? 'Iv?" (who)

"Hegh!" (Death)

"Ah! This must be the P'takh from before. Speak your language, your Klingon is terrible," the voice said.

I laughed, "I suggest that you consider going back to Klingon space. I took out five of you before, then you could see me. Now you won't."

"I think not, I have you outnumbered. So," the voice started.

"Target his ship and the surrounding four, fire," I said. I listened as all four ships' crews were yelling when they went dark. Immediately, several beams sliced through where we had been. Rommie, of course, had moved us even as she was firing. "So, will you leave or shall I break more of your ships?"

A moment of silence, then many conversations, then the five immobile ships were tractored way. "This isn't over," the voice said.

"Oh I think it is," I said, then Rommie opened a portal. We appeared, then we were gone. Just before the portal closed, I heard a great many shouts about the Klingon Devil. There were also a few comments about the ultimate Klingon hell.

We were in trans-warp for a few minutes, then we emerged not far from a planet that resembled earth.

"I have traced the Captain and his ship," Rommie said. "At the moment they appear to be on some kind of rescue mission. Shall I attempt to contact them?"

I thought about it a moment, then had an idea. I just hoped that I had rested enough to do this. I pictured what I wanted, then concentrated on it.

"I need a report on the system I am making, Rommie," I said.

"Now scanning for said new system, may I ask what it is?" Rommie asked.

"SHHH!," I said as I concentrated harder. I was a little upset when it didn't appear as quickly as I wanted. Damnit, I thought, I needed answers to this problem.

I realized a moment before the pain hit what I had asked. No matter what I was trying to formulate in my mind, it was lost as an enormous amount of information flooded my mind. This, of course, had me crumpling to the deck, screaming in pain.

"JOHN!" Rommie was yelling as I started to lose consciousness.

Shit! I tried to stop the pain or at least make it bearable. Of course, no dice as the world went black. My last thought, or I thought it was, I damn sure hope I didn't fry my brain.

I groaned a few hours later as I tried to open my eyes. They weighed a ton. I tried to move, no such thing happening right now.

"John?" I heard a soft voice say nearby. "I know you can't move nor open your eyes. It seems you had used what I read as a massive surge of psychic energy. Though for some reason it slowed to half before you lost consciousness. I won't ask questions for now, we are safe and hidden, the ship we were following is still here. I have intercepted several messages that they will be leaving soon."

I again tried to open my eyes, managing to get one partly. The light felt like knives in my brain.

"I want you to keep a lock on the Captain. I hope I will be up before they leave. If I am not, I want him here, before they leave.

I was sure I would be up faster than I thought. Again, no dice. Less than an hour later, a beam of light appeared.

A single male pulled an energy weapon, not too unlike the one I had sitting on a counter not far away.

I recognized him as the same Kirk that had been in my place. "You do realize that this could be interpreted as an act of war," he said.

I had managed to get to a seat, though not much more. "You know as well as I do that, nothing in your universe can detect me. Oh, yeah your weapon?" I just shook my head no.

Kirk smirked then put his weapon away. "I hadn't really expected to see you again. So why are you here," he asked.

"I thought when I sent the five of you back to your times and universes, that would be it. I found out later I was very wrong, here," I said as I handed him the energy weapon that I had brought.

"Your sure this is mine?" He asked.

"Oh, very sure. Let's just say when I removed it from my universe, the danger fell ten percent. Then ten more when I gave it back to you. Oh, I'm not sure if they actually left? I disabled a few Klingon ships. I think the number was nine or ten. I believe one was a major battleship," I told a slightly startled Kirk.

Kirk nodded, "I remember how easily you took out those in your universe. I also wished to thank you for your help with the plague planet. It appears they made a full recovery."

Rommie appeared staying in holograhic form, "Captain, it appears that his ship is going to full battle alert."

An answer came to me a moment later, as I was silent a moment. Concentrating, Rommie looked at me, "the new system you started before seems to be complete."

I nodded, then had her open it. "You may speak directly to your ship," I said.

Kirk started to say something, then nodded. "This is your Captain stand down. I will be back abroad in a moment." He then turned to shake my hand, "good luck with your mission."

"You as well," I said, then turned as he winked out. "Take us out of stealth, Rommie."

"Be well, Captain," I said as a shape appeared on their view screen. Immediately, a portal opened which we moved into, then vanished.

"Sir," Kirk's first officer said, "is there reason to expect trouble from that one?"

Kirk turned to him with a small smirk, "us? No, I don't think so, though from what I was told, the Klingons are not great fans."

Again, we were only in the trans-warp conduit for a few minutes. When we emerged, we were hit by more than a few energy weapons. I was thankful I had strengthened the shields while we were chasing Kirk and his ship.

"Stealth," I shouted to Rommie.

"Unavailable, stealth only fifty percent," Rommie said.

"Use all we have," I said as I thought about the problem. Concentrating, I managed to repair half, getting us to seventy-five percent. "Open a channel," I growled. "I told you I would destroy you, now? It's too late."

I could see that they had at least twenty, possibly more. Like at the world in Dylan Hunt's universe, I could feel my anger starting to grow. I could feel it gathering energy, a dark, almost evil feeling seemed to invade my senses. In this instance though, I wasn't feeling the same drain I had there.

"Too late? You are mistaken, we will destroy you, we," the voice was saying, then was silent. I had reached out a hand closing it. Near the front, a ship exploded, then vanished. I then put both hands up, closing, then three times each as another six ships exploded then vanished.

My eyes were glowing red as I repeated the action another three times, smiling as another six were just gone. The Klingons were, of course, screaming at me, firing all their weapons to no avail.

"I told all of you to leave. This is your fault, not mine," I said, then I closed both hands four more times. Eight more were gone within seconds.

I saw that there were only five left. I had paused hoping they had got the point. I was having an extremely hard time holding my anger back. I was 'til four ships fired at me, while another escaped. I shook my head sadly as I destroyed those four.

Finally, I sank to the floor tired though not as badly as before. "Alright Rommie, open," I started when a proximity alarm went off. "Stealth Rommie," I said as I watched a small fleet of Federation ships drop out of warp.

I saw that Kirk's ship was there with the rest. "Open the new com," I told Rommie.

"Opening, destination?" Rommie asked.

"Kirk's ship, Kirk only," I replied.

"Established," Rommie said.

"So, Captain, I have a message for your Federation, though I am afraid you are the only one that can hear this. I take it that your bosses are here?" I told Kirk.

"Yes, though I am not sure if they will believe that I am talking to you." A moment later, a multiscreen of the leaders of the Federation appeared behind him.

Kirk turned as I started to let him know what to say. "Greetings, I," I appeared on the lead ship as a flowing shape. "I suggest that you stop wasting time. Now," I said through Kirk, "I destroyed twenty-four Klingon ships here today. I did not enjoy this, the lost of life, especially as many as today, is horrible. I hope that this has delayed any war that you, or they, had planned."

"How do we know that you are not going to attack us?" An admiral shouted.

"I just destroyed twenty-four Klingon ships and you doubt me? Should I destroy just your ship, to prove to all of you?" I threatened.

"Captain Kirk has seen my power, please don't make an enemy of me. As the Klingons discovered? That is not a good thing to be. Captain? I have to go, thank you."

Suddenly, we dropped the stealth, then a large colored portal opened in front of us. We quickly moved into it then vanished with it snapping shut.

All the ships there were shocked when, a moment later, a huge field of Klingon ship debris appeared. Before anyone could scan, the field vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Kirk and his first officer nodded to each other, then turned as the questions started.

_________________________________________________________

I sighed as I watched the swirling lights pass us as we advanced to our universe. Well I thought we were, the ship started to shake violently. "What have you got for me?" I asked Rommie.

"We have a strange build up of energy that seems to be retarding our forward progress," Rommie said as I reached out to feel whatever it was.

That was the first time I felt, Them? It? I wasn't sure but what I felt was pretty damn powerful. Then I felt it seem to almost double, seeming to reach toward us. For the first time in quite a while, I was afraid.

I started to erect a shield, it felt like paper before a flood. I increased it to twice its strength, which also felt inadequate. Damn, I shook my head. I felt that we were screwed for sure. Still, I kept increasing it, feeling my strength starting to creep lower.

I shook my head as I turned toward the portal, pushing. I felt most of the resistance fade. We were moving a hell of a lot faster, whatever it was now, seemed to be falling back, though not much.

I was gasping as I turned toward Rommie, "how much longer"? I asked, feeling my strength starting to wane more.

"Twenty seconds, John. I feel your strength starting to fade. Are you going to make it?" I heard Rommie say though, I was fighting to stay awake. Damnit! I was tired of being so weak!

I knew that all the pushing, plus the anger, had indeed strengthened me, though I felt not enough. "I'll make it, not sure if I'll be awake, I'll make it."

I felt us slip into our universe. With the last of my strength, I slammed the portal closed. I thought I heard a scream of anguish, then something huge smashed into where the portal had been.

Damnit! I wasn't sure what the hell that had been. I compared to it? Was a novice in power. I had managed to put distance between it and us, but unfortunately, that was all I had on it, so far.

I knew that the shield I had erected was very strong, though, whatever was out there would have shredded it in a minute. I also felt that whatever it was, had been surprised it couldn't reach me. I had felt something like a mind probing that had nearly been cut completely off. Again, whatever it was had felt stunned.

I felt we were entering the atmosphere at a high velocity, then a moment later we landed. "Ah good," I said, then nearly landed on my face. I need to be stronger was my last thought as the world faded.

I awoke a few hours later in my bed, my bed? I looked around again, a little confused, then I felt an almost painful pressure. Pressure that I had felt before, though this wasn't nearly as bad as I had felt before.

I shook my head a mistake as an overwhelming dizziness toppled me back into bed. I lay there a moment, then a beautiful dark-haired woman appeared.

"You know that when you expend that much energy, you are weak and confused," the woman said.

I just looked at her a moment, trying to place her and her name. She sighed then became solid, touching my forehead.

I started to say something, then screamed, shit it felt as if my head was splitting open. This lasted a few moments, and then it was gone.

"Whoa!" I said, "there's a hell of a lot more here than there was before. Hmm," I said as I started to bring my power higher and higher, then I shifted every few seconds to a different ability. I did this for a few minutes 'til I felt that they were all doubled.

I was also feeling at the extreme fringe of my senses, more of the idiots that thought they were stronger than me. At least they were there. Then they seemed to hide, well, I thought, a new threat here and in space. OK, this was getting more than interesting.

"I believe I need to adjust more to the ship," I told Rommie.

"Alright John, shall I monitor?" She asked.

"Yes, the information I gained has a few power-saving techniques," I told her. I thought of the ship just over sixty feet long only ten across. I started with extending ther ship to a hundred feet, then widening it another five. I then increased the engine power to more than double power. The hull became even harder, as indestructible as I could get it.

I thought of the weapons, trying to decide exactly what I wanted. Considering that I hadn't used them the last time, did I really even want any? Then I thought of the times I had been out of it. Rommie needed them.

I really wanted different weapons, though I wasn't sure. What I had was almost as powerful as I could get them. No, I needed something that we didn't nor did they. A weapon that could destroy energy beings, which I thought might be after me now.

Finally, after an hour, I came up with something, though I was unsure just what it would do. That was the main point, plus I had to make it more powerful. I even tried to look through the millions of what seemed to be files that had flooded my mind.

I had almost completed it when I felt the probing, again on the fringe of my senses. I smirked as I reached out, drawing the strongest to me. The absolute look of fear and surprise on her face was priceless. Then there was also the fact that she couldn't move at all.

"Look," I said as I finished up with the new weapon. "I am kind of busy, I don't really have ther time to deflect all of you assholes."

It was then that I noticed that she was in thread bare rags. I shook my head as I passed a hand over her, watching her face show surprise as her clothes were suddenly new.

Finally finished, I increased the power of the weapon. When I was at double I had to stop. It was at that moment I realized that I had created a living weapon.

I nodded my head as I looked over everything a few times. With a sigh, I now turned to my next worrisome problem.

I waved a hand toward the female, putting her on my couch. I allowed her mouth and head freedom, then wished I hadn't as she started to scream.

"Look, that isn't necessary," I shouted to get over her. She immediately quieted as I sat in a chair in front of her. "Now, who are you, who do you work for?"

"Mary, Mary Dolance, "til a week or so ago, I worked for a bunch of creeps." She named a few names that I recognized, I nodded as she went on. "We were left in some type of lab, they all vanished one day. Not really sure what happened to them."

"Ah," I said, "afraid that was me. Here, let me get the rest of them," I said as I pulled all the weak powers I felt where the female had been.

I suddenly had fifteen females and five males milling around my apartment. Shit, I thought just what I needed.