Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental multi-fandom project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. For more details, see the relevent section in my profile. This is The 365 Project, 30 April.
In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."
Exorcism - a religious ceremony in which demons are forced to abandon a person or place they've possessed. In this case; the fate of John Paxton after the events of "Demons" and "Terra Prime". After all, in times of extreme threat...
Disclaimer: Star Trek Enterprise and all associated characters and situations are the property of CBS studios, and are used by myself for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.
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"Exorcism"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'
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"Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do me a service in return. Until that day, consider this justice a gift from my wife, your daughter's godmother." - Don Vito Corleone, "The Godfather" novel by Mario Puzo.
"Some day, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as a gift on my daughter's wedding day." - more recognisable version of the same line from the movie "The Godfather".
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"...And in other news, John Paxton - former head of the Terra Prime movement who was tried and convicted of illegal genetic manipulation, theft, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping and terrorism - was killed yesterday evening during a riot at the United Earth penal facility in Leavenworth, Kansas, where he was being held..."
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Leavenworth Prison,
Leavenworth, Kansas, United States of America,
2155
"It's me," the man dressed in the white jumpsuit spoke into the phone, "Hey. I got the care package you sent. I wasn't sure about the taste at first, but I ended up enjoying it. I won't have any problems if you decide to send me another one of those. Yeah, it got a bit crazy here the other day, but I stayed out of it, so everything's fine."
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Undisclosed Location,
San Francisco, California, United States of America
"I'm glad to hear that," the man on the other end of the line replied, "You've only got a few months left on your sentence and we'll be glad to have you home. I've talked to your boss and he's even willing to let you have your old job back."
With the important things out of the way, the remainder of the fifteen minute phone call was filled with inane banalities designed to bore the tears out of anyone listening.
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Security Room, Leavenworth Prison,
Leavenworth, Kansas, United States of America
The guard folded his arms as he listened to the conversation, mentally translating it as he did.
"It's me."
"Hey, Randy."
"Hey. I got the care package you sent," the man on the inside had recieved his orders.
"What did you think of it?"
"I wasn't sure about the taste at first, but I ended up enjoying it," he was one of those who wasn't comfortable with assassinations and other such operations usually, but in this case he was glad to do it.
"So I can send one of those again?" the man on the outside was asking if the one on the inside would be willing to take on an assignment like this again.
"I won't have any problems if you decide to send me another one of those," meaning that a future assignment with a target like this one had would be fine.
"I heard on the news there was a riot."
"Yeah, it got a bit crazy here the other day, but I stayed out of it, so everything's fine."
Mission accomplished, the riot had everyone distracted and when the target was dealt with everyone simply assumed it had happened as part of the riot. No one connected it with the man on the inside.
"I'm glad to hear that. You've only got a few months left on your sentence and we'll be glad to have you home. I've talked to your boss and he's even willing to let you have your old job back."
The man on the inside hadn't been assigned there, he'd been there to serve a sentence. It had made things easier that one of their people was already there when the decision was made, meaning they wouldn't have to insert anyone. The comment about 'let you have your old job back', though, was almost enough to make the guard laugh. The 'boss' never gave anyone their 'old job back', once they were in, they were always in, there was no such thing as an ex-operative... even if they worked as a prison guard now. Smirking, he unfolded his arms and calmly hit the button that would erase all records of the call.
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Undisclosed Location,
San Francisco, California, United States of America
Pleased, Eric Harris hung up the phone. John Paxton was dead, a tragic statistic for deaths in prison instead of a martyr to a cause. Earth had plenty of enemies already, it didn't need more springing up 'behind the lines' as it were to sow division when not just United Earth, but all of humanity - and even their allies in other races - would need to be united to survive.
Besides, from what Harris understood, Commanders Tucker and T'Pol had named Reed the child's godfather posthumously and even if Reed wanted nothing to do with the organization he was still one of them and still Harris' finest student, the only one to ever surpass him in ability even if not in willingness. By going against someone close to an operative, Terra Prime had indirectly gone against the organization, that couldn't be allowed to go unanswered. Reed would understand, even if he wouldn't condone what had been done.
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Leavenworth Prison,
Leavenworth, Kansas, United States of America
Several Days Earlier...
John Frederick Paxton moved quickly and silently. He had no idea who or what had started the riot among the prisoners, but he viewed it as a blessing in disguise. With the guards distracted quelling the riot, Paxton had a chance to escape and reach certain Terra Prime sympathisers who only he knew of; the survival of humanity and human culture still had a chance if he could only get outside these walls... away from the alien-lovers in the corrupt mire that called itself EarthGov and their lackeys... Paxton was so caught up in his mental rant that he never noticed the shadow on the grate-metal floor of the cell tier until the one casting it stepped out of a cell and wrapped an arm around Paxton's neck with their other hand over his mouth.
"You shouldn't have set that kid up to die, Paxton," a harsh voice informed him, "Her parents have friends."
Paxton never had a chance to answer, the person holding him dragged him to the edge and easily threw him over the railing to fall to his death on the concrete floor three stories down. In all the chaos and confusion, despite the fact that inmates and guards both had seen someone send Paxton over, the person that did it would never be identified.