Cassandra's Challenge

“I expected as much.”

  “No one comes in except Bliant, Cassandra.”

  “And Tori and Lucas.” She countermands.

  “Yes, I’ll let the guards know. I want you to rest.” He’s is in full Admiral mode now, causing Cassandra to give him a little grin.

  “What!” He demands.

  “Have I ever told you…how sexy you look when you’re in full Admiral mode?” William is speechless. Walking over his eyes blaze, leaning down he gives her the kiss he’s been desperate to give since she’d came back to him.

  “You will rest.” He orders huskily. “I’ll be back later.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  “Bliant!” The Admiral calls out. Bliant comes out of his office. “My orders still stand no one other then you, Lucas and Victoria are allowed in this room. Understood?”

  “Yes Admiral.” Giving Cassandra one more long look the Admiral leaves the room. The doors no more than closed when Cassandra turns her attention to Bliant.

  “So Doc, it’s time to get this thing out of my hand.”

  “Cassandra, it is only pain medication.”

  “And I don’t want it. I think I have the right to say what goes into my body!” She can feel the fogginess coming back.

  “The Admiral wants it.”

  “Then stick it in him!” She fires back. Exasperated she starts to try to remove it herself.

  “Stop! You’ll hurt yourself.” Bliant pulls her hand away making her realize just how weak she is.

  “Bliant, I’ll make a deal with you.”

  “What?” He asks suspiciously.

  “If you take that out of my hand I promise to let you know if I feel I need something for the pain.” Bliant raises an eyebrow. “I swear. I really don’t like to be in pain but this stuff you’re giving me, I like it even less. Oh and I’ll deal with the Admiral too.”

  “Now that I can believe.” Bliant says as he removes the port. “Now you will rest or I will give you something that will knock you out.”

  “That’s not going to be a problem.” Cassandra mumbles, she’s already half asleep.

  Stubborn woman, Bliant thinks to himself. She and the Admiral were perfect for one another. Leaving her room he goes to check on the other crewmen.

  “Let me down Lucas.” Tori demands as they enter medical. She’s seen the guards and knows where her Aunt is. “Let me down!”

  “In a minute, we need to make sure it’s okay with Bliant.” As they approach Bliant Victoria wiggles out of Lucas’ arms.

  “Victoria!” He calls. When she charges for the room a guard grabs her shoulder.

  “Let go of me!” Tori yells, kicking him in the shin. When the guard lets go she spins around him and runs through the door. The yell has Lucas rushing to her aid only to find she’s taken care of it herself. When the guard turns to go after her, Lucas grabs his arm.

  “I wouldn’t if I were you.” He’s tone steely. “She’s already beaten you once, don’t go for twice.” As the guard hesitates Lucas continues. “The Admiral’s already cleared us. You let her in, that’s all you have to write up in your report.” Slapping the guard on the back Lucas follows her.

  Once inside he wishes he’d stayed out. Victoria is sobbing in Cassandra’s arms, Lucas turns as Bliant enters the room. His pained expression makes Lucas assuming he doesn’t like crying little girls either.

  “Shhh baby, it’s okay, I’m okay. Calm down.” Cassandra puts a hand under Victoria’s chin raising her eyes to hers. “I wouldn’t lie to you. I’m going to be fine. But if you keep crying like that then I have to assume I look pretty awful.”

  “No not awful,” Victoria sniffles, “but pretty banged up.” Hearing a snort from the door Cassandra sees Lucas and Bliant.

  “Out of the mouth of babes,” Bliant says as he approaches the two. “Hey Victoria, do you mind if I have you sit on the bed beside of your Aunt?” When Victoria moves Lucas notices how pale Cassandra is, that Bliant is worried about her.

  “But I am fine. Dr. Bliant fixed me up just like he did you.”

  “Where’s the Admiral?” Tori scans the room.

  “He had to get back to being the Admiral.”

  “He left you alone?”

  “No Tori, I wasn’t alone. Dr. Bliant is here and there are guards outside. I’m fine even if I am ‘pretty banged up’.”

  “He was outside.” Tori points her finger at Bliant.

  “Just for a minute, there were other people hurt in the explosion Tori. He has to help them too.”

  “You’re sure your okay?” Tori voice is quivering.

  “The Admiral wouldn’t have left if I wasn’t. Would he?” She throws the question at her.

  “No. He wouldn’t leave you.” She acknowledges.

  “So there you have it.” Cassandra changes the subject. “Lucas picked you up from class with no problems?”

  “No problems.” Lucas answers.

  “Good.” She can feel her energy draining and she needs to talk to Lucas, in private.

  “So Tori, since you’re here, I think Dr Bliant should check your throat. You said it’s been sore for the last few days.”

  “Aunt Cassie…” Victoria rolls her eyes.

  “It shouldn’t take him more than ten to fifteen minutes.” Cassandra says staring down Bliant. “He can do it in his office, right over there.” She points.

  Bliant looks at Cassandra, understanding she wants Victoria out of the room. “Come on young lady let’s take a look at that throat.” Cassandra looks at Lucas as the door closes.

  “That was slick, really slick.” Lucas says with admiration.

  “Whatever.” She says dismissively. “Tell me what you know. Do they know who’s behind all this?”

  “Cassandra calm down. Last I knew the investigation was still in the preliminary stages. They won’t know anything for awhile.” She looks to the door then to Lucas.

  “I know who it is.”

  “What!”

  “Keep it down! You heard me. These attacks are directed at me. You know that, William knows that, it’s just taken me this long to figure that out. The poison was on my plate, the bomb in my quarters. That others got hurt by it doesn’t seem to matter. This is directed at me.” Cassandra has to stop to catch her breath.

  “Let me get Bliant.” Lucas demands concerned.

  “No. I’m fine. There is only one person on this ship that hates me Lucas, only one that would like to see me dead.”

  “Who?”

  “Senior Chief Falco.”

  “Falco? Why the hell would Falco what you dead? How could you have pissed her off?” Cassandra replies simply.

  “Your father.”

  “What?” Lucas has to sit down. “That’s ridicules, there’s no basis for it.” He sees her look. “The Admiral doesn’t mess around on tour.” Cassandra raises an eyebrow. “Present company excluded. And he especially doesn’t with one of his crew!”

  “What if it wasn’t on tour and she wasn’t one of his crew?” Lucas surges out of the chair to pace.

  “You’re telling me…” He begins.

  “That she thinks she has a prior claim.” She moves, trying to get comfortable. “We’ve had a couple run ins.”

  “Dad knows about them?”

  “The first one yes, I didn’t bother him after.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he doesn’t think it’s possible, and I didn’t realize I was the target until today. I was focused on the Regulians.”

  “We all were.”

  “Well I’m not now, and I know I’m right.”

  “Cassandra….”

  “Don’t believe me. I don’t care, but check it out. Check it out Lucas because it could have been Victoria opening that hatch. Have you thought about that?” Cassandra knows she’s playing dirty and doesn’t care.

  “I was supposed to get the poison. But Victoria did instead. Are you willing to give her a third chance? If I’m wrong then there’s no harm but if I’m right….
”

  Bliant’s office door opens, he frowns as he looks at Cassandra. Lucas turns to the two a forced smile on his face.

  “Come on Victoria, time to go.”

  “But...”

  “Victoria, Cassie’s tired and needs her rest. Give her a kiss and we’ll go.” Cassandra is somewhat shocked when Tori obeys. Stretching across the bed Tori gives her Aunt a kiss.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow okay?” There’s worry in her green eyes.

  “You bet!” Lucas picks Tori up then looks at Cassandra.

  “I’ll look into it.” Turning they leave.

  Bliant turns back to Cassandra intending to give her a piece of his mind only to discover she’s asleep.

  “Stubborn woman.” He mutters.

  William surveys the damage to Cassandra’s quarters. The blast embedded metal shards into the wall across the hall but none within the room.

  “A directional blast.” William looks to Quinn for confirmation.

  “Yes, directed out.” Towards Cassandra, it didn’t need to be said. The interior of the room is blackened, the bed that just the day before he and Cassandra had had a playful moment destroyed.

  “DC-48?”

  “That’s what the preliminary test show.” Quinn replies.

  “Do we know where it came from?”

  “The Master at Arms is checking all inventories as we speak Admiral.”

  “Good. It looks like you’ve got it under control. I’ll be on the bridge.” William takes one last look at the wall across from Cassandra’s quarters, his jaw clenching then heads to his command center on the bridge.

  Hours later that’s where Quinn finds him, reading communication reports. “Will, what are you still doing here? It’s 2100. Your pushing 40 hours without sleep, go get some.”

  “Engage the privacy screen Colonel.” Quinn raises an eyebrow as he lowers the screen. The Admiral never lowers the screen. It’s his way of showing his trust in his crew.

  “What do you have to report?” The Admiral demands with tired but determined eyes.

  “The Master at Arms can account for all DC-48 in all bunkers except one.”

  “Which one?”

  “J342. It was damaged in the battle at Earth. The Master can account for all DC-48 from there stored in other bunkers but that amount doesn’t total all that was in the bunker.”

  “By how much?”

  “Two pounds.” Quinn informs him waiting for the explosion, he isn’t disappointed.

  “TWO FUCKING POUNDS OF DC-48 GO MISSING AND I’M NOT NOTIFIED!!” William is enraged.

  “Admiral, there was a fire in the bunker. There was evidence some DC-48 burnt. There was no reason to think any had been removed.” Quinn waits.

  DC-48 was an effective explosive, pliable and stable. Extremes of heat or cold causes it to break down into its base elements totally non lethal. But add a detonator and it is deadly.

  “How many detonators are we missing?” All detonators were stored in a separate location.

  “Two, from Bunker D345, some of J342’s DC-48 is stored there.” Quinn had anticipated the Admiral’s question.

  “Have you checked what personnel moved it?” The Admiral asks closing his eyes as he rubs the back of his neck.

  “Working on it as we speak, there’s something else you should know, Admiral.” William waits.

  “We were able to access the security log for Cassandra’s door. We went back twenty four hours from the explosion it shows that at 1145 yesterday the hatch was opened, internally.”

  “Hutu and myself with lunch.”

  “It was secured internally 1150.”

  “Hutu leaving.”

  “Opened and secured, internally at 1230.”

  “Victoria leaving for class with Javiera.”

  “Opened and secured, internally 1250.”

  “Me leaving.”

  “Opened internally, secured externally, 1545.”

  “Cassandra going to get Victoria from class.”

  “Opened externally, secured internally 1615.”

  “Returning from class, and the attack.”

  “Opened internally 1800, secured internally 1805.

  “Hutu with dinner.”

  “Opened internally, closed externally at 0845 today.”

  “Cassandra taking Victoria to class.”

  “Opened externally 0915” Quinn looks at the Admiral waiting.

  “That wasn’t Cassandra.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes she arrived in my quarters shortly after 0900. Check my logs.”

  “I have.” Quinn tells him. “Her security code was used externally at your door at 0904, securing it internally at the same time. The door was opened internally with her code at 1007. The door wasn’t secured until 1009 externally, your code. Cassandra’s door was unsecured externally 1013, with the explosion occurring less than a minute later.”

  William is silent as he thinks about how close he had come to losing her, another minute in his quarters, him not calling out to her, small things.

  “Will?” Quinn concerned voice, snapping him back.

  “Why’d you check my logs?” Quinn looks at him then answers.

  “Her security was compromised. I needed to make sure yours wasn’t.”

  “Her security is keyed entry. Mine is thumbprint-voice.”

  “I know but I needed to verify it. Your quarters were externally secured yesterday at 0745, your code. It was unsecured, externally at 0855 today, secured internal, your code. No one else entered your quarters between those times. The door remained secured since you secured it at 1009 today. Your quarters are secure.”

  “Thank you Quinn.”

  “Not a problem Admiral. Now if I may suggest, again, go get some sleep. You’re no good to anyone, including Cassandra this way.” William looks at his long time friend.

  “Colonel, I believe I’ll retire for the night. Notify me if needed.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Opening the privacy shield William exits the bridge, heading for medical.

  Entering medical William sees the guards are at their posts.

  “Report.”

  “Sir, with the exception of Dr. Bliant no one has entered or attempted to enter the room except Lt Zafar and the girl.”

  “Victoria.” The Admiral replies.

  “Sir?”

  “In your report, her name is Victoria Chamberlain.” The Admiral tells him.

  “Sir, yes sir.”

  Entering the room he finds the lights on low, Cassandra sleeping, as the door closes she opens her eyes. Finding him she gives him a soft smile.

  “There you are.” Approaching she can sense his fatigue. “You haven’t slept.” She accuses as he leans over giving her a gentle kiss.

  “Busy being the Admiral.” He murmurs against her lips. Cassandra puts a hand to his face, caressing his cheek with her thumb.

  “Even an Admiral needs to sleep.”

  ‘I’ll get some.” Easing back he turns his head to kiss her palm. Pausing he looks at her hand.

  “Where’s your port.” He demands.

  “Out.” She retorts back.

  William’s tolerance is gone. Turning away from her he throws open the door to medical and bellows “Bliant! Now!”

  Bliant, who has been dealing with another patient, fears the worse. On a run he enters Cassandra’s room. Seeing her sitting up in bed he turns to the Admiral.

  “What the hell’s wrong!”

  “Where’s her port. Why aren’t you giving her pain medication!” Cassandra answers for Bliant.

  “Because I don’t want it! It’s my body. It’s my choice.” She swings her legs over the side of the bed.

  “What do you think you’re doing!” He demands.

  “If I’m going to have an argument with you then I’m at least going to be sitting up!” Twisting she continues, “None of this…” She can’t finish as a shooting pain steals her breath. She braces herself against William’s
chest to stay upright. Seeing her pale he grabs her forearms.

  “Bliant!” William starts, but the doctor is already there turning the lights on full enroute

  “Cassandra, what is it.” Bliant asks.

  “I… I think you missed one.” Is all she can get out as she rests her head on William’s chest.

  Bliant opens the back of her gown…he can see what he’s missed without the help of the scanner, the red inflamed line easily visible.

  “Cassandra I want you to remain perfectly still.” Bliant meets William’s eyes. William nods understanding. Bliant goes to a drawer pulling out what he needs. Running the scanner above her skin he finds its worse then he’d feared. Spraying the deadener on her skin he tells her.

  “I need you to stay still Cassandra. I’ve numbed the area the best I can but this is in deep. It’s going to hurt, really hurt.” Bliant looks at the Admiral.

  “Just do it,” She pants, “I can’t catch my breath.”

  “Look at me, Cassandra look at me.” William orders as Bliant starts.

  Looking up she sees the face of the man she loves, who she trusts more than anyone else. Suddenly she feels like a red hot poker is being shoved up her back. She starts to close her eyes.

  “No Cassandra, look at me. Come on baby, there you go.” He says as their eyes meet, the pain in hers tearing him apart. “Breath now Cassandra just small little breathes. Come on you can do it.”

  The pain intensifies, but she doesn’t move, her eyes locked with William’s. He can feel her fingers digging into his chest but she moves nothing else.

  “William.” She whispers when she can’t take anymore.

  “Hang on baby. Come on, just a few seconds more. Blaint!”

  “Got it!” Bliant says, withdrawing a three-inch metal splinter from Cassandra’s back. Cassandra sags against William her face damp with sweat. Cupping the back of her head, William keeps her close as he’s eyes bore into Bliant.

  “What the hell is that! How did you miss that! If she’d been on the pain meds…” Bliant cuts him off.

  “I missed it Admiral! I admit it. But if she’d still been on the pain medication, she wouldn’t have felt it until it punctured her lung!” Bliant whirls away disgusted with himself.

  “William?” Cassandra’s weak voice is muffled against his chest.