REALITY QUESTIONED by Marie Chettle

Chapter One

His life before the pain was just a blurred memory. A dream. A fantasy. A haven. A place to escape to from his present grisly reality. Had such a place of pain-free existence really existed?. He liked to think so. It was the only thing that kept him sane, that thought. The thought of a place where he was able to relieve other peoples' pain and suffering when he could not relieve his own. He knew what would, but he wouldn't give it to them. If his dream was a reality then he didn't want this one intruding onto it. He screwed his eyes shut. Dear God, let this be a dream and the other one be real. But when he opened them again he was still in the same darken cavern.

The cavern was his reality now. It's dark, mould covered walls his world. The trickle of water, as it ran down the wall, the only sound in it. Except for the footsteps and what they brought. One set brought relief and pleasure. The other pain and terror.

As he sat there on the floor, he heard the soft thud of footsteps outside the cave entrance. He tried to shrink back further into the darkness, but he was already up against the wall.

The footsteps stopped, and a shadowy figure appeared in front of the cavern force-field. Reaching across the figure turned off the force-field, plunging the room into further darkness. The footsteps started again as the figure made it's way across the room. They stopped beside him and the figure squatted down. "Julian?" said a female voice. Pleasure.

He turned to look at her, but couldn't make out much in the darkness. A young pretty face, blonde hair cut just above the shoulder. "Melissa?" he croaked.

"It's alright. I brought you some water." She poured some into a cup, fumbling in the darkness, and handed it to him.

His hands were stiff and weak from the lack of food and water, and from his injures, so he found it hard to clasp the cup and nearly dropped it. Melissa managed to grab it before he did and helped him steady it so he could drink. The water felt good, cool and refreshing, and he remembered enough so that he only sipped it, even after so long, but the cup was small, and it wasn't long before it was empty. Melissa took it back and had begun to refill it when there was a flicker as the light was turned on, blinding them both with it's brightness.

Julian cringed, afraid of the light, afraid of what it brought. The other footsteps. Terror.

Terror came towards them, As he reached Melissa he lashed out knocking the cup and water-pot out of her hands, darkening the cavern floor with their contents. Julian watched as the floor sucked up the water as thirstily as he felt.

Terror then grabbed Melissa and hauled her to her feet. "I didn't say you could give him any water."

"He needs it, Tarik. If he doesn't get any then he won't be able to answer your question."

"The less water he gets the more likely he is to answer."

"Not if he's dead. He wouldn't be able to answer your question then."

Tarik pushed Melissa away with disgust as he realised what she was saying was true. He turned back to his captive. "How much did you give him?"

"Just a cupful."

"Good, that'll be enough." Enough to keep him alive, but not enough to quench his thirst. He turned to Melissa. "Are you going to stay?", he asked. "Maybe you would like to watch this time?"

She stared at him in disgust. What had started out as a means to an end was now a thrill to him. The systematic torture and abuse of his prisoner was all he cared about. He received some perverse pleasure from watching Julian suffer. So much so that at times he forgot to ask his question.

One question. That's all Julian had to answer, but he didn't, wouldn't, couldn't?. It had been over two weeks now, sixteen days actually, Melissa had been counting, and he still hadn't broken. She would have, the very first day. There was no way she could have held out this long. She marvelled again at his strength. He must care a lot for the others, for the station.

She looked at him, at what Tarik had done to him, at what she had done to him. Because it was as much her fault as it was his. She was the one who had brought him here. Lured him away from the station. Taken him from his haven and brought him to this hell.

She wondering again how she could have done it, but she knew how, and it sickened her that she could be so easily brought. She should have realised this would happen. Why else would a Romulan want a Starfleet officer except to get information, and now Tarik wanted her to stay and watch him get that information, and that sickened her even more.

She turned and walked out of the room, not bothering to give Tarik an answer. As soon as she was out of sight she lost the barely maintained grip she had on her feelings. As those feelings took hold she began to run, hoping to get away from what she had done, from what Tarik was going to do, but there would be no getting away from either of them, because no matter where she went she would still be able to here Julian scream, just like she could still hear Tarik laughing at her now.

Tarik laughed as he heard Melissa running down the corridor. Humans!, they were so squeamish. They didn't have a strong enough stomach to do what was necessary. Never mind he did, and once he got what he wanted then the Empire would welcome him back with open arms. When it did he would make Sorak and the others sorry for what they did to him, very sorry, but first things first. He looked down at Julian. "Get up."

Slowly, on unsteady legs, Julian rose. He put up no resistance. What was the point?. It only put off the inevitable. He had learned that long ago when he had first arrived. He had fought back then, had tried to stop Tarik, but the Romulan had always won in the end, and he had just weakened himself further for what was to come. So in the end he had stopped trying.

He felt his leg muscles protest as he straightened them. They still hadn't fully recovered from Tarik's last visit. His hand shot out and grabbed the wall as he felt one of them give. Somehow he managed to stop himself from falling back onto the floor.

Tarik, seeing that Julian was up, said, "Over here," and moved further into the cavern.

Using the wall for support Julian inched his way after him, too weak and afraid to hurry encase his legs gave out.

Tarik stopped and looked back at him. He sighed. At this rate they would be here all day. He headed back over to Julian, grabbed him under the arm and began to guide him along. Julian's legs nearly buckled at the increase in speed, and he had to lean on Tarik to keep himself up right. Tarik pushed him away, disgusted that this human would dare to touch him.

Julian nearly collapsed again as he was pulled the last few metres. "Stay there," said Tarik releasing him, and he had to use all of his will power to comply.

Removing a control device from a pocket, Tarik pointed it upwards and pressed one of the buttons. Slowly something began to descend. A set of manacles.

Julian watched as they descended lower and lower, gathering his strength for what was to come next. Eventually when they were level with him the manacles stopped moving.

Tarik stepped forward and, one by one, snapped them around Julian's wrists. Then activating the device again watched as they began to rise until Julian's feet no longer touched the floor.

There. A few hours like that might make him more compliant, or at least susceptible to what Tarik had planned or at least he hoped it would, but he doubted it. This wasn't the first time he had been hung like this and he hadn't broken then either.

Tarik stared at Julian. He had been so sure that he would be the easiest to break, the one to give him what he wanted, but the man was stronger than he looked. Tarik would have admired that in an opponent at any other time, but not now. Time wasn't on his side. Sooner or later the others would realise he was missing and come looking for him.

Maybe he should have chosen one of them instead, they might have been easier. Of course they wouldn't have so easily lured away from the station. All it had taken in Julian's case was a pretty face and a sad story. Tarik leered. Starfleet personnel were so predictable, especially this one. Always ready to help anyone in distress. Pity he wouldn't have time to learn from his mistake.

Tarik smiled again. It would give him great pleasure to finally get rid of him, this thorn in his side. To finally win the battle between them, for a battle it had become. He was battling Julian into giving him what he wanted, the information that would give him back his place in the Romulan Empire. While Julian was battling against him, trying not to give him it. But he was loosing, of that Tarik was sure, and when he did he would get the information he wanted.

Tarik smirked and gave Julian a push. The smirk grew as he saw Julian wince and close his eyes, but not cry out, at the added strain on his shoulders.

Oh, yes. A few more days and then the information will be mine. He left the cavern, pleased that things were finally going his way.

TBC