The arrival into orbit was uneventful. The ship docked and the cargo crews began unloading the fresh produce from the surface while others loaded the garbage destined for the surface. Lincoln couldn't help but be impressed as he watched the cargo crews scurry around the cargo hold while the two guards guided him onto the orbiting station. They were efficient, that much he had to admit.

Lincoln was brought into a holding cell he had only ever seen the inside of during his basic training. He had seen no sign of Marie since he exited the ship and although he was tempted to ask the guards escorting him, he thought better of it. There was no point in giving away more than needed, in case they tried to use what he said against him.

He wasn't sure how many hours he had spent in the small cell when the door opened and Commander Hamil entered. There was a frown on his face and he seemed genuinely concerned. Lincoln jumped to his feet and gave him the customary military salute. The door closed behind Hamil and he motioned for Lincoln to have a seat as he sat down across from him. They looked at each other in silence for a few moments.

"It's been a while," Hamil finally said with a sigh and gestured at the cell. "I wish we were meeting under different circumstances."

"As do I, sir."

"What happened?" Hamil said, getting straight to the point.

Lincoln furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Your orders were to retrieve the subject-"

"Marie."

"Right, Marie, hold her until Colonel Hastings could retrieve her and bring you both back here. Instead, you both disappear."

Lincoln looked at Hamil and then down at his hands. "It's a long story."

"I have all the time in the world," Hamil said as he leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed.

"It just happened."

"It just happened?" Hamil leaned forward, his eyes wide and his eyebrows raised. "You're telling me that defying orders and running away from superiors just happened?"

Lincoln nodded. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth. She felt she had unfinished business and she made a compelling argument."

"Lincoln, she isn't even from here. How could she possibly have any kind of unfinished business here?"

"You know who she is, right?"

Hamil nodded. "Of course."

"Then you also know-" Lincoln froze mid-sentence. Hamil had always been like a father to him, a friend of the family, his father's confidant. Was he listening as a friend or as his commanding officer, ready to take every word he said and use it against him in a military court martial? He locked eyes with Hamil and saw only compassion and concern. Was it real? If he revealed everything he had been through with Marie, the shelter, the tribes living and fighting amongst themselves on the surface, how would that impact Marie and her chances of survival? Where had they even taken her?

"Where's Marie?" he said instead of continuing his story.

"She's safe."

"What are you going to do with her?

"Lincoln, I can't really discuss that with you."

"Why not? It's my fault she's here, right? At the very least, tell me whether you're sending her back or not."

Hamil sighed and shook his head. "I can't share any of the details of the situation, you know that."

"Can I at least see her?"

Hamil looked at Lincoln in silence for what seemed like an eternity. "I don't think that would be a good idea," he finally said.

"What difference will it make? It's unlikely I'll ever see her again, right?"

A deep sigh escaped Hamil's lips as he looked down on his hands. Then he looked up again and nodded. "Alright, I'll let you see her, one last time. But know this, Lincoln, if you try something..."

"What can I do? I'm a prisoner, just like she is. It's not like I can just run away."

"It's just a friendly warning, Lincoln. Don't betray my trust again."

"I won't," Lincoln said without hesitation.

"Give me a few minutes, ok? I need to make the necessary arrangements," Hamil said and stood up. "I'll be right back."

After Hamil left the cell, Lincoln felt his heart skip a beat at the thought of seeing Marie again. He wasn't sure what had made him ask to see her again and now that his request had been granted, he wasn't sure what to expect. Where was she? Had she been locked into a cell just like he had or had they found other accommodations for her? Was she even awake?

A thousand other questions seemed to swirl through his mind until the door opened again and Hamil entered, a guard in tow. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Lincoln nodded and stood up. The guard approached and put his hand around his arm and moved him out of the cell.

"Where are we going?" Lincoln said over his shoulder to Hamil.

"The infirmary."

Lincoln felt a chill run down his spine. Of all the possibilities that had crossed his mind, the infirmary hadn't been one of them.

"Is she ok?" he said with more urgency than he wanted to display.

"Yes, she is, she's fine," Hamil said with a grin and took the lead through the corridors up ahead. They took an elevator up a floor and emerged in hallways painted a more pleasant blue than the gray of the cell level. Nurses and doctors walked passed them as if they didn't exist. Hamil opened several doors through some security device Lincoln couldn't identify and a few minutes later, they stood outside a room, looking through a solid glass wall. Lincoln couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu. The room wasn't all that different from where Marie had been kept after she first arrived, before her escape.

"It's like we're back at the beginning," Lincoln whispered as he stared at Marie. She lay still in her bed, machines around her monitoring her vitals.

"You could call it a full circle, I suppose," Hamil said with a chuckle.

"Is she sleeping?"

"She's been sedated. The machines keep her knocked out." Hamil paused for a moment, his eyes on Marie, then continued. "If the machine for any reason went offline, she'd wake up immediately."

Lincoln glanced at Hamil, his eyebrows raised. He felt a disturbance in the pit of his stomach as he realized what Hamil had just told him. Unplugging the device would wake Marie up. Was it a slip-up on Hamil's part or an intentional revelation? His heart once again picked up the pace and started beating the inside of his chest as he felt sweat forming on his forehead. Hamil gave him a sideways glance and an almost imperceptible nod. There was no doubt, Lincoln realized. It was an intentional revelation.

Lincoln carefully took a deep breath and casually looked around the room while noting everything that could be used as a weapon. The guard had stepped back from Lincoln and Hamil to give them space but appeared as vigilant as before. If Hamil was truly giving him an opening to try to do something, he would have to find a way to disable the guard.Hamil carried a sidearm on his hip but it was on the opposite side from where Lincoln was standing. A reach by Lincoln would be noticed by the guard, that he was sure about. There would only be a few seconds to act.

"Lincoln, do you remember the orders of the council before Marie escaped?"

Lincoln had to think for a moment before the words of a certain councilwoman return to him. 

"Yes," he said and nodded. "Termination."

Hamil nodded slowly. "That overall directive hasn't changed. It just won't be your responsibility any longer."

"That's madness, Commander. You know as well as I do that disrupting a timeline like that, we don't know what will happen."

"I know, I know," Hamil said and raised both his hands. "We're on the same page there," he said and gave Lincoln a long hard look. "It's politics, pure and simple."

It was true, Lincoln knew. The council was maneuvering for the next election and anything that publicly would seem to protect their constituents was a good thing in the short term. Long term consequences was a problem for another day. There really was no time to waste.

"Are you sure?" Lincoln said slowly to Hamil.

Hamil nodded. "Yes. It has to be done."

Lincoln took a quick step to his right, towards Hamil's right side, extracted his sidearm from the holster on his hip and in one swift move, put his arm around Hamil's neck and rotated so that they both faced the guard, Hamil in the middle. The guard, caught by surprise by the sudden movement, wasn't able to get his rifle up before Lincoln pointed his weapon to Hamil's head.

"Drop it," Lincoln said to the guard and nodded towards the weapon in his hand, "Drop it or Commander Hamil dies."

The guard was conflicted. His eyes went from Hamil to Lincoln and back. Hamil, doing his best to protest the surprising turn of events, gestured to the guard to lower his weapon.

"Kick it over here," Lincoln growled, "Then get in there." Lincoln pointed towards an empty hospital room next to Marie's. He had noticed as they came in that the doors could be locked, preventing whoever was inside from getting out. The guard gave Lincoln a look that would have killed if it could and begrudgingly stepped into the room. "You too, Commander," Lincoln said and nodded towards the door. "But first, unlock Marie's door."

Hamil obeyed and as soon as he stepped into the other room with the guard, Lincoln slammed the controls to close and lock the door. He could have sworn he saw a smile on Hamil's lips but it was gone before he could be certain. Once he heard the lock click, he exhaled forcefully and turned his attention to Marie. The door to her room slid open with a hiss as he touched the control pad on the wall next to it. He stepped up to the bed and reached for Marie's hand. It was warm but lifeless. She seemed serene.

The machines surrounding the bed continued their orchestra of beeps as they recorded her life signs and kept her sedated. If Hamil was right, turning them off would bring her out of her sleep. It was only a matter of finding the power button.

It only took a few moments to identify a large red square button as the power control. He tentatively reached for it, then paused as he glanced over at Hamil. For a moment, doubt crept into his mind. What if Hamil was playing him? What if pressing the button would, in fact, kill her instead of wake her up. Could he really trust the Commander? When he thought about it, hadn't the whole thing been just a little too easy?

His thoughts were interrupted by a blaring siren and flashing red lights. He looked up at the guard and Hamil next door. The guard grinned wide, his hand on an alarm button on the wall next to the empty bed. Lincoln look at Hamil for just a fraction of a second, then turned towards the equipment next to Marie's bed and pressed the power button. 

~~~

Lincoln has raised the stakes. Alarms are blaring, guards likely only moments away. His Hamil playing the long con here, trying to get Lincoln to do the deed he doesn't want to do or has he had a change of heart? What do you think the button will do?

If you like what you're reading, leave a comment and let me know. I'd love to hear about it.