Hey everyone. Finally finished my last and lonest chapter to this story, sorry it's been so long but exams have to take priority. Anyways hope you enjoy.
The Infirmary was empty. Park had finished helping Rush with a project they had secretly been doing and now she was bringing back some food for TJ. The communication stones were still broken so Brody was trying to work on them, most of the other crew were either doing there tasks set for the day or chatting in the mess hall. The Johansen's had been exhausted from taking in all the information as to aliens existing and being captured and all. They'd been placed into private quarters although they said that they wanted to be close to TJ. The realization as to what was happening had not sunk in, she was still trying to work out why they wanted Destiny but was not getting anywhere. She thought back to when Simeon had taken her. There were many possibilities as to why it all happened maybe Simeon knew that she'd offer to take Park's place. Maybe it was just by chance that they had her family. But how could they? How did they know that she'd go into the control room and offer to switch with Park?
Park entered with a bowl. She sat beside TJ's bed on a high stool so that she could look down at her.
"How you feeling?" Park asked softly.
"Not much better to be honest, my head feels like its going to explode and every time I sit up I get a stabbing sensation in my ribs." TJ replied. There was no point lying to her and telling her that everything was fine. Everything was not fine at all, she had to betray the people who she'd spent her whole pregnancy with, people she had grown to love and considered dear friends.
"I wish there was more I could do." Park said looking sympathetically into TJ's eyes. TJ gave a soft reassuring smile back. "You know that was pretty foolish of you to switch places with me back with Simeon. I would have never forgave myself if anything..." Park stopped herself so that she didn't start crying again. "You don't know how much that meant to me or how much that scared me. I know that you would have done that for anyone but it really shows how valuable a friend you are. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you" Park had now begun to sob, slow tears trickled down her face. TJ tried to sit up but was stopped by a sharp pain. She winced and Park noticed.
"I'm so embarrassed. You've got your own problems and I've just added to them how selfish of me." Park had a angry tone it wasn't aimed at TJ but to herself. She had wanted to make TJ feel better by saying that she was one of her dearest friends.
"Park don't be silly. You telling me that you consider me a dear friend is extremely humbling and I feel the same way. It was my choice to swap places with you. If anything happened to me it wouldn't have been your fault whatsoever, it would have been my own." TJ felt helpless. All she wanted to do was hug Park.
The pain was agonising but she was determined to do what her captures had told her to do as soon as possible. All she had to do now was to get rid of Park. "Hey you know what will make me feel better?" TJ said.
"What?" Park asked eager to do something to help.
"My family. I'd like to see them please." TJ replied.
"I'll radio Colonel Young to bring them down." Park said joyfully.
"No!" TJ said abruptly stopping Park in her tracks. "I'd rather you go. A friendly face will be more welcoming and I'm sure the Colonel is busy."
Park was hesitant at first but complied "O-okay". She exited the Infirmary leaving TJ on her own.
'What am I doing?' she thought to herself. She pushed the covers that were keeping her warm on the floor. She rotated her body so that her legs were now over the edge of the bed. She took in a deep breath and slowly raised her back so that she was sat on the edge. The pain was intense but the determination to save her family overwhelmed that. From the sitting position she slowly pushed her hands against the bed so that she could lower her feet to the ground. She'd made good progress and was now standing. Now it was the hard part. Walking. She looked around the room hoping to find something that she could lean on but nothing seemed to be long enough. 'I have to walk slowly and prop myself up using the walls' she said to herself. By now Park would be at the Johansen's quarters and would certainly be on her way back. TJ had to be fast but cautious, no one could know what she was doing or that would be the end of it. The end of their trust for her and the end of the lives of her family. She slowly moved out of the Infirmary and headed towards a storage area near the control room. Her captures had wanted lists as to what was on the ship. Since ammo and medical supply's were getting fewer Colonel Young had ordered that there be a list which would be updated regularly of the supply's that they had. The task had been simple so far she hadn't seen anyone. 'Must be dinner time' she thought to herself. She approached the entrance to the storage area, opened the door and walked in.
"TJ?" Eli said started and puzzled.
"Oh Eli. Hi. um..." TJ paused briefly and carried on "We've ran out of aspirin in the Infirmary so I've come to get some more" This didn't seem to convince him.
"TJ you shouldn't even be out of bed. You look dreadful for heaven sake" Although his tone had a angry pitch to it his face was full of concern and sympathy.
"Thanks Eli." She slowly walked towards a box supporting herself against the wall. Eli looked on in amazement.
"Do you err know where the list of supplies are?" TJ asked rummaging through the box for aspirin.
"There in that box somewhere. Why? TJ what's going on?" Eli looked worried and suspicious. TJ had never been a good liar. Park could tell that something was wrong when TJ was pregnant although Park didn't know that at the time. When Park had asked her what was wrong TJ had replied with lack of sleep. Park saw right through her and eventually TJ told her she was pregnant.
"Where's the solider that's meant to be guarding this room?" TJ asked turning around to look at Eli.
"Erm.. he went to the Mess to get something to eat. Colonel told me to make sure that no one came in while he was gone. Look if you don't tell me what's going on I'll have to go see the Colonel." He started walking towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Tell me" A small encouraging small spread across his face.
TJ turned again and fished out a blunt object from inside the box.
"I'm sorry Eli" she said quickly turning around and hitting Eli on the head with it. Eli fell to the floor.
"Wah.." He tried to speak before passing out. TJ quickly placed her hand to her ribs, haunched over and winced in pain. She grabbed the aspirin she had found and swallowed two. Then picked up the list and exited the room. She locked the door behind her.
"Hey TJ. I just ordered Park to get something to eat. I got Lilly for you. Everyone else is going to join us soon." Young said entering the Infirmary with a smile. He approached the area TJ had been kept and was amazed at the sight of the empty bed.
"Where's aunty Tamara?" Lilly asked puzzled.
"TJ?" Young inquired looking around before reaching for his radio. "This is Young. Report back if you've seen Lieutenant Johansen?" There was no reply. "Scott come in"
"Sir? You asked about TJ, I haven't seen her Sir she shouldn't be out of bed yet."Scott replied.
"I know that Matthew I'm in the infirmary now and she's not here." Young replied irritated.
"Should we start a search Sir?" Scott inquired.
"Yes Lieutenant and tell people to keep an eye out for her she cant have gotten far. I'm going to head to the Mess see if she's near there. Young out".
He turned to look at Lilly.
"Erm... you wanna come with me to look for TJ?" Young asked. He'd never known how to deal with children but Lilly was different to all of the other children he had met. She wasn't moody or craved attention. Lilly put her small hand in Colonel Young's and nodded.
She reached the control room expecting to see Rush working on something but was met by an empty room. Rush was always moving from place to place he was better at multitasking than most women. TJ checked her arm from where the Lucian Alliance planted a transmitter and pressed on where the skin was raised. The nearest console to her made a noise. The console looked like it was showing the perimeter around Destiny. Although TJ wasn't a scientist, Rush had given most of the chain of command basic lessons on to how the consoles work. Something appeared on the console, a ship of some kind. 'The Lucian Alliance ship' she said to herself. A face appeared on the console.
"This is Commander Nevra, we've been waiting for you. Have you done what Simeon asked?" Nevra said aggressively. From what TJ could see he was quite a butch man. His skin was pale and his hair was short and blonde. His face was scrunched up and shadowed by something that was in front of him.
"I have your information here. How do I send it through?" TJ asked reluctantly.
"Hold the information against the screen so that it's visible we'll do the rest." She complied and held the paper against the screen. It was only a matter of seconds before he told her to remove the paper from the console.
"Right. Now for the next bit of the task." He said.
"How many bits of this task are there."
"Two more or there about. Anyway you need to make it so that we can beam people on board the ship."
"How do you expect me to do that? I'm not a scientist." TJ said.
"Well find a scientist then."
"TJ?" a voice came from the corner of the room. "Who are you talking to?" It was Rush. 'How ironic' she said to herself.
"No one. Will you help me get to the storage room? I seem to have left something in there."
"Sure." Rush replied with a smile although showed signs of confusion. Rush mustn't have had his radio by now the Colonel had probably found her bed empty and was radioing people to keep and eye out for her. As Rush walked towards TJ he looked at the console which showed nothing but empty space around Destiny.
They arrived at the storage area. TJ unlocked the door and entered first followed by Rush. TJ quickly head towards the boxes in search for a weapon.
"TJ!" Rush shouted crouching down next to the unconscious Eli. "TJ!" He shouted again looking up to see what she was doing. He could only see the back of her when she started talking.
"They were going to kill my family you've got to understand that." She said in a hushed tone.
"Who were? What are you talking about?" Rush replied.
"The Luician Alliance and the Venturians." TJ answered moments after.
"Ven... TJ I dont know what your talking.." she cut him off by turning around and aiming a gun at him.
"I need you to turn on beaming capability." TJ said forcefully.
"TJ I..."
"I don't want to hurt you Rush believe me but if I have to use force I will."
"You did this to Eli?" Rush asked shocked.
"I had to it was the only way to stay undetected. Now where do we go to allow beaming."
"Look TJ.." He knew that he couldn't convince her otherwise "We... we need to go to the Gateroom I can do it from there. Look TJ I'm sure they cant get to you now."
"You don't understand they've implanted something in them, one tap of a button and their dead." Tears were welling up in her eyes.
"What makes you think that they wont kill them when they board Destiny?"
"I'll have to take that chance."
TJ indicted to Rush to lead the way. He walked out of the door closely followed by TJ and headed to the Gateroom.
"Colonel!" said a voice over the radio.
"What is it Greer?" Young answered.
"Eli's been knocked out. We found him in the storage area." Greer said.
"Was erm.. was TJ there?"
"I don't know but the boxes have been opened and a gun is missing from it's holder."
"Okay Greer lets warn everyone. Were all going to meet in the Gateroom and that includes civilians. It wont do us any good being separated. You go and get the Johansen's and then tell Scott to round up the rest." Young commanded. Thoughts were running through his head. 'Was it TJ who did that to Eli?' , 'Has she been taken over by something?' , 'Is it even her or someone posing as her?'.
"Park!" Young shouted as he saw her turn a corner. She came back around and walked to Young.
"Colonel?" She asked.
"TJ's missing again. I want you to take Lilly here to the Gateroom, some of the crew should be there already." She nodded, quickly took Lilly's hand and disappeared back around the corner.
"Colonel Young come in" said a voice over the radio. Young got his radio out instantaneously.
"Yes Scott what is it? I'm kinda busy looking for TJ right now." Young replied.
"Yeah Sir about that. She's erm... well she's here sir. I think you should get down here right away."
"Why's that Lieutenant? Is she hurt?" Young asked quickly.
"I wouldn't say hurt sir but I think that you should come see yourself." Scott replied slowly and seemed puzzled himself.
"Is everyone in the Gateroom then Lieutenant?"
"Yes Sir apart from you."
"I'm on my way."
Young changed direct and ran down the corridor heading towards the Gateroom. He regretted not asking TJ what had happened to her on board the ship, she wouldn't have been able to lie him because, well, she couldn't. It wasn't in her. He reached the door leading into the Gateroom, took one deep breath and opened it. The shock of what he saw was overwhelming. TJ was aiming a gun at the back of Rush's head. They were stood next to a console which seemed to be counting down to something. Young entered.
"TJ?" He said softly. "TJ what are you doing?" He asked.
"I... I cant... you wouldn't understand" she answered, eyes sparkling with held back tears.
"I'll try TJ. I'm sure I will. You can trust me, you know that." He tried walking forward but was stopped by her words of warning.
"Don't come any closer I mean it." She said, the gun shaking.
"Okay, okay. Just tell me what's happening." All eyes were on the Colonel and TJ. The Johansen's stood mesmerised and shocked at the unfamiliar TJ that stood before them.
"They... took me onto a Lucian Alliance ship the one that you found me and my family on. I woke up and was held against a wall with these vines. Simeon told me..." She stopped reluctant to tell Young and the rest of the Destiny crew what he had told her, she didn't want to worry her family.
"TJ you need to tell me. What's that counting down to?" Young asked pleading for her to talk to him.
"It's a count down until the Lucian Alliance and the Venturians board Destiny." Rush said calmly. He didn't seem to bothered that a gun was held to the back of his head.
"The Venturians? Who are they? And how are they going to board?" Young asked. Rush didn't answer. He didn't know the answer.
"Simeon told me that the Venturians are the most powerful beings that they have ever encountered. They built the solar system that we visited, the one that Caine and the other stayed on. They'll beam onto the ship and take over Destiny. None of you will be hurt." TJ stated.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT!" The sound of Young's voice startled her and made her jump a little. "How do you know that they'll not hurt us. You don't know them. TJ.. why are you doing this?"
"I HAVE TO!" She let her tears flow down her cheek.
"I thought that you'd be better than this but clearly your life is more important than the rest of ours. Is that what you did it for, so that they wouldn't kill you? You'd risk the own lives of your family to save yourself." Young's voice had become vicious and almost attacking.
"I'M DOING IT FOR MY FAMILY!" TJ was now uncontrollably crying, deep breaths in between sentences. Lilly sprung from her mothers grasp and ran towards TJ.
"Aunty Tammy please don't cry" Lilly's little face looked up to TJ's who stopped crying and smiled down at her niece.
"Go back to your mummy sweetheart." TJ said wiping away the tears with her free hand. Lilly complied and was pushed to the back of the crowd of people with her mother.
"TJ were safe now. They cant get us." Sarah Johansen said trying to comfort her daughter.
"I wish we were mum I really do but were not." Sarah knew that her daughter was holding something back but before she could ask the count down stopped and the ship shook. A beam of light appeared and the crowd of people were pushed backwards by an invisible force.
Five life forms stood in front of TJ, one of which was Simeon. Three of them held weapons and seemed to be guarding someone behind them.
"Nice to see you again TJ." Simeon said slyly. She'd forgotten how much she hated seeing his smug face. Destiny's military had weapons aimed at the newly arrived beings.
"I've done what you said" TJ said nervously "What now?"
"You have" Said a voice behind the guards. Two of the guards stepped to the side so that TJ had a full view of what he looked like. The being was almost human like except some abnormalities. His face was wrinkled, his skin had a tint of turquoise, he was double the size of any human she had seen. He had a marking next to his left eyebrow. He stepped forward closer to TJ.
"Don't go anywhere near her. I'll kill you if you do." Said Young getting to his feet. The invisible force had made that made them fall backwards to the floor.
"Ah.. Colonel Young let me introduce myself. My name is Sandrof one of few leaders of the Venturians. Why do you care so much for someone who's betrayed all of you?"
"You made her. For all we know you've put her under some sort of trance or used a device to twist her mind." Young replied.
"Yes that's possible but she seems fine to me. TJ how you feeling?"
"Colonel he's playing games he wants to wind you up." Scott shouted feeling Everatt's urge to punch the extremely tall Venturian. Young looked at TJ who had slow tears flowing down her face.
"Have you told them...your family?" Sandrof said looking at TJ.
"Told us what?" Sarah Johansen shouted holding her husbands hand who had no facial expression on his face. "Tamara please." TJ looked at her mother. She hadn't wanted to worry them. She hadn't wanted to tell them that the horrible monster had put a device that could kill them inside their body.
"They... they told me that if I didn't help them get onto Destiny then they'd kill you. Kill you all. All at once. They've planted electronic devices into each of you. With a press of a button you will..." She paused but a forced look from her mother made her carry on. "You'll die." Looks were exchanged in the crowd, whispering erupted.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Sarah said softly.
"HOW COULD I. That you could die any minute if I didn't do as they said. You wouldn't let me help you if I told you. I didn't want to lose you all."
"Oh TJ." Sarah said letting go of her husbands hand and walking forward.
"No you don't." Sandrof commanded stepping in her pathway. "TJ has one more thing she has to do. We'll take out the devices in your family but first you need to shoot the commander of the Destiny." He said it so coolly that it took everyone a while to process what had just been said. Loud gasps filled the silent atmosphere. TJ's face was full of shock. Sandrof approached her, as he was doing so she glanced over to Everatt who looked deep into her eyes.
"You want to save your family don't you?" He paused for a while until TJ turned to look at him. "You want to save your daughter?" Again whispering erupted, this time much louder than before. TJ's eyes shot back to Everatt.
"She's alive?" Everatt asked. All eyes locked on him. No one apart from Scott knew that he was the father of TJ's baby.
"Yes. TJ's known since the minute she awoke from unconsciousness from the gun shot."
"I thought it was my imagination or the ship playing tricks with my mind. I honestly didn't know I would have told you."
"I know you would have" Everatt said smiling.
"Why would you have told the Colonel TJ? Camille said walking to the front of the crowd . She had been suspicious about what had happened between TJ and Everatt since on Icuras.
"He um..." TJ looked at Everatt for help.
"I'm the baby's father." He stated.
"Ah so your going to kill the father of your baby." Sandrof said unsympathetically.
"I'm not killing anyone." TJ said angrier than before. The sound of her daughters name had seemed to have given her more strength.
"You will if you want your family to live and if you want to ever see your daughter."
"It's okay TJ." Everatt said calmly.
"WHAT! Are you insane I'm not going to shoot you." TJ said angry at the suggestion. He walked with in touching distance to TJ. He stood in between her and Sandrof and took both of her hands in his.
"Listen we have to think about our daughter and all of your family. What's one person who you don't feel the way you use to about them against your entire family."
"Who said I didn't feel anything." TJ said looking down at their hands. Everatt smiled then backed away.
"You need to do this TJ. Don't allow yourself to feel guilt, I'm ordering you to do this its not your fault." TJ cried uncontrollably and looked over to the crowd of people. Scott raised his gun up higher and suddenly shot his gun at an armed guard. The guard smirked as the bullets bounced off a forcefield. Suddenly all guns except for TJ's were swung to the opposite side of the room.
"So what's it to be?" Sandrof said dismissing what had just happened.
TJ came to her senses.
"I'm not doing anything until I have proof of my daughter being alive. I want to see her." TJ commanded. "I want to see my baby." She repeated.
"It's not going to happen." Said Simeon.
"Thank you Simeon but I'll say what's possible and what's not. You want to see your baby?" Sandrof confirmed. TJ nodded in response in disbelief that he was actually thinking about bringing her baby to her. "Very well." A beam of light flashed and Sandrof disappeared. In a matter of seconds he was back. He stand there back turned to TJ. By the faces of the crew she knew that he had her baby. He turned around slowly, she felt like it was a lifetime.
There she was, a little larger than she had last seen her. She had started to grow some blonde hair and her blue eyes sparkled. She could see that many of Everatts features in her face but she resembled her mother more. The baby cried and wiggled in Sandrof's arms as he walked towards her. As he got closer TJ's heart beat faster. Sandrof placed the baby in TJ's arms.
"Carmen" TJ whispered breathlessly to her baby. Carmen had stopped crying the moment she was placed in TJ's arms almost as if she knew she was safe.
"Is that proof enough?" Sandrof asked breaking the moment. Everatt looked on smiling and crying at the same time. He would never get to see his daughter grow up. He would never get to see how amazing TJ would be as a mother. He would never get to be the father he had always wanted to be.
"You have your baby. Now you must kill Colonel Young. Simple as that." Sandrof said. TJ walked over to her mother and placed the baby in her arms.
"Go to the back of the crowd I'd don't want any of you seeing this. Make sure that Lilly doesn't see it as well." TJ said sniffling. She looked down at her gun hold on her combat trousers, as she took the gun out of the holder Everatt walked closer.
"Remember the first night we spent together?" Everatt asked sniffling himself. TJ nodded slowly. "I don't regret it one bit." he said smiling. TJ had often thought of the break up the Colonel's marriage and always thought that she'd caused it and that he regretted sleeping with her. He backed off slightly and nodded closing his eyes. Time seemed to go so slowly, she raised the gun so that it was aiming at his head. She wanted the death to be as quick and as painless as it could be. 'Count to 10' she thought. '1...2...3...4'
"Don't do it TJ" Said a voice in the crowd. All eyes were on Daniel Johansen.
"Dad don't! I'm doing this for all of you." TJ said as if pleading for her father to not make the situation any harder. Sandrof's head flashed straight over to Daniel. His face had gone red and his eyes were deadly.
"Listen to me TJ, Sandrof lied there's no devices. Well not in Lilly, your mum and Hannah. There's only one device... and that's in me." All heads were now turned to TJ to see her reaction. Sandrof's eyes looked as though they could turn someone to stone.
TJ still had the gun aimed at Everatt who now had his eyes open. He looked deep into TJ's to try and figure out what she was thinking but there was nothing, it seemed like she was in some sort of trance.
"What do I do?" She finally said. Her father looked at her.
"Your child needs a father TJ. You need to do everything you can to make sure that they don't take your baby away from you but... if you kill her father, will she forgive you when she's older?" Daniel's words were full of wisdom and understanding, he knew that it had to be him and no one else. TJ looked back to Young who gave no indication of what he approved of and what he wanted her to do.
"TJ SHOOT SANDROF" Rush shouted. The ship went black and a single gunshot fired.
Thanks for all the views and the comments on this story it's been a real joy to write it. Thinking about doing a sequal to this story and see where it goes. Please comment on the story as a whole or just this chapter if you wish. :)