Phantom Whispers

Posted on Wed Oct 16th, 2024 @ 1:37am by Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox

930 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: A Silence of Friends
Location: Starbase 10

It felt like being kicked right in the testicles after struggling relentlessly to free yourself of quicksand, but that was to be expected when you inadvertently ‘go rouge,’ jeopardize galactic relations, put a treaty in danger, your best friend in a sticky situation, and completely embarrass yourself on your first away mission at the starship’s Executive Officer. Number One felt more like zero as he had been ripped a new one by his Commanding Officer, a man he called his closest friend for years. Nevertheless, Possum accepted his fate. It felt worse that Rylan had been so sterile around him now than the actual act of being knocked from the First Officer job and given the consolation prize of Second Officer. The fact he could still serve in any capacity, let alone Second Officer was the only saving grace. I could be sitting in the brig he reminded himself on more than once occasion after everything unraveled.

Lieutenant Commander Knox wanted to just be left alone, but being left alone on a starbase was an ill-fated wish. Starbases were heavily trafficked, and their bars of course were a hub for socialization. He had taken a seat at the farthest end of the bar, no stool to his left and several empty ones down the line of his right. He was one his third old fashioned whisky cocktail of the night when the spiced aroma of a gentleman caught his attention, especially when the man opted to sit in the seat next to him rather than one of the several vacant seats further away.

“Wonderful weather we are having,” the man said. Neither Possum nor the man were in uniform, but there seemed to be a mutual understanding that they both were fleeters. “Allgaier, Lieutenant” the man added. It was better than a handshake and carried more weight with Knox.

Possum smirked. “Knox, Lieutenant Commander” he replied not giving the man any more than what he had been given. Last name and rank were fine, leave the position, assignment, and serial numbers out of it. “What weather? We’re In space unless you’ve already have had more than me tonight, bud.”

Lieutenant Allgaier scoffed “Not nearly enough” and proceeded to ask the bartender for an Arcturian fizz. “The weather on Bajor, Nox. Cloudy with a chance of Cardassians” added the lieutenant who then met Knox’s gaze.

“That storm has rolled out, occupation is over” replied Lieutenant Commander Knox. “We’re here to see to that” reassured the lieutenant thought Knox clearly had doubts of that all things considered.

Allgaier drank two sips of his fizz before responding. “Tell that to the Bajorans. Tell that to any world that the Cardassians took during the border skirmishes, the worlds that we abandoned, let the spoonheads just take claim of.”

Knox knew the conversation was not going the route of pro Federation-Cardassian relations. “Look, bud, I do not have much to say on none of that. I am not getting’ into no political squabble.”

“I see” replied Allgaier. “You did not have so many reservations about that in the Quasinon system, Lieutenant Commander Knox.”

Outside of the ship, Knox had not said a lick of anything to anyone. “Never heard of the place, don’t know nothin’” he stated. A lie. He knew that this Allgaier knew it was a lie, but Knox was not going to talk about what had happened there.

“Relax, Knox, I’m not internal affairs,” Allgaier muttered in a lowered hushed tone of voice.

Knox looked at him. “Then who the hell are you?”

Allgaier, a non-descript looking male, Human, sandy colored hair and generic features. “Someone who cares about the Federation, about the Bajorans, about where things are heading. I’m a friend, Knox. You don’t know it yet, but you have a lot of friends that appreciate what you tried to do there.”

Knox finished his old fashioned cocktail. “I don’t have friends,” Knox replied sharply. “At least not after Quas-” he did not finish the sentence. “You can tell Captain DeVane her intel was bad and I don’t any more trouble.”

“Request a leave of absence, use up that stockpile of shore leave time you have, Knox. You can come with me and tell Captain DeVane yourself.” Lieutenant Allgaier smiled, but it was a unnerving smile that gave Knox the same feeling as a room painted a pale sickly yellow.

Lieutenant Commander Knox shook his head. “I’m needed on the Thunderbird, Mister Allgaier. Do us both a favor and forget I exist. I already forgot you do.”

Lieutenant Allgaier took something out of his pocket and placed it in Knox’s hand, closing Harrison Knox’s fingers. “If you ever change your mind, Possum. You could make a difference in whether the Federation as we know it survives or lives long enough to become the villain it is becoming, Cardassian manipulated.”

Knox turned his head away from Allgaier for a moment, contemplating the man’s words. “I don’t-” and as Knox was about to answer the man, he was gone. The place was too busy, and Allgaier was just a phantom. It left Knox with more questions than anything. Who was that guy, really? one of many questions on Harrison's mind though it also made him wonder how close Captain DeVane was to Starbase 10. He did not recognize the last starship he knew she was commanding as any of the starships docked at the starbase. Had she been on the starbase too?

 

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