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» LCARS » Newspaper: The Federation Tribune » Newspaper Archives » 2004 » May 2004 » In the Line of Duty, part 3: Making the Kill, by Rob Versteegt.
 | In the Line of Duty, part 3: Making the Kill, by Rob Versteegt. |  |
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In the Line of Duty.
Summary:
4th year Cadet Esther Keel, who is temporary stationed at starbase 375, has
committed a murder. She did that, because a mysterious man ordered her to do
so, in the name of Starfleet Security. This act of murder proved to this man
that Esther could be trusted. Now, she is accepted in this man's
organisation. However, Esther's next assignment is to kill her best friend:
Bernadette, a Huanni, who, according to this man, is a spy for the Romulans.
And now the continuation.
Part 3: Making the Kill
Esther's tears were all dried up: she still wanted to cry, but she couldn't.
After she had been given the assignment to kill Bernadette, she had gone to
her quarters, to pick up the special phaser she had been given. This phaser
was designed to create a phaserbeam at such a frequency which would still be
lethal, but would not cause alarms to go off.
And now... Esther stood outside Bernadette's quarters. She would tap the
button which would let Bernadette know there was someone at her door. She
would then invite Esther in, like she had always done. And then... after
they would sit down... Esther would kill her friend. Shoot her right in the
stomach. She would fall down, on the couch. She would feel pain, but not as
much as she would when she would be shot elsewhere.
Esther sighed. She knew it was for the best of the Federation, (at least,
that was what this man said,) but that didn't make it any easier. ~Think
what you are doing Esther!~ she told herself. ~You are killing your best
friend! Don't do this...~ "There's got to be another way..." she softly told
herself.
But she knew there wasn't. The mysterious man wouldn't settle for anything
less than Bernadette's death. These were her orders... this was what she had
to do. With pain in her heart, she tapped the calling button.
"A guest!" Bernadette's friendly voice sounded. "Just a minute! I'll be
right there!" Some noise was heard on the other side of the door. Probably
Bernadette trying to clean her place up a bit, in a short time. ~Bernadette
always was such a slob... but she did want everything to be tidy, when
guests arrive..~ Esther almost smiled... She had come to known this Huanni.
She had become her friend. And a true friend indeed. They were always there
for each other. They wouldn't betray her... no matter what. And now, she
would kill her best friend.
The doors opened.. and Bernadette's friendly face greeted the cadet.
"Esther!" The Huanni did absolutely no effort in hiding her surprise, and
joy to see her friend again. "Oh, come in! Please come in!" Bernadette was
almost jumping up and down of happiness. When Esther finally entered, and
sat down on the couch, Bernadette ran to the replicator. "Computer!" She was
shouting in excitement. "Please replicate some chocolate chip cookies!"
The computer acknowledged the order, by giving a beeping sound, and just a
second later, a plate appeared, with lots of chocolate chip cookies. "Here
you go Esther!" Bernadette said with a big smile on her face. "Take one!
They're your favourites, aren't they?"
Esther swallowed, and tried to smile. "T.. thank you." She said, and took
one cookie. She took one bite of the cookie. The delicious taste filled her
taste-buds. A tingling sensation went through her body: it was the reaction
to this cookie. She usually enjoyed it so much, that she wanted more of it.
And this was no exception. However, this wasn't a usual situation: she had
to kill Bernadette.
But when Esther was about to draw the phaser, she looked in Bernadette's
eyes. The Huanni had always been a great friend to her. Her kindness was
unlike anything she had experienced before, and her friendship meant a lot
to her. But now, she knew she had to put all of that aside. Although this
was easier said than done.
"So Esther." Bernadette said with a smile, while sitting next to the cadet.
"What brings you to my home? Do you wish to talk?" Before Esther could
answer, Bernadette continued. "You know that boy I was seeing?" she started
to giggle, and her face turned red. "Well... I really start to like him, and
he likes me! We have even.." Her face turned even redder then before...
something Esther didn't think was possible. "We have kissed... oh Esther, I
like him so much! You have to meet him some day!"
"Maybe.." Esther said, trying to hide her tears.
"What is it?" Bernadette immediately stopped smiling and giggling.. and
expressed a look of concern. "Something is wrong.. I know it. What's the
matter?"
"I.." Ester felt the first tears running down her cheek. "I... I have orders
to..." she looked into Bernadette's eyes. "do something terrible. And.. I'm
not sure if I want to do that." She sobbed. "But I have to!"
"Oh, Esther.." Bernadette started crying as well, and put her arms around
the cadet. "How terrible! Oh, I'm so sorry..." There was a silence, in which
Bernadette just kept her arms around Esther. The only thing that was heard,
was the sobbing of both women. Then, Bernadette broke the embrace. "You want
some advise from a best friend?"
Esther nodded. She couldn't say anything.. she knew what orders these
were... and Bernadette did not. "Well.." Bernadette began, wiping her tears
away. "I know it can be difficult... but orders are probably given for a
good reason, even though you don't see that reason right away." She smiled a
bit, put her hand through Eshter's hair. "I think you should follow these
orders... and just see what happens. Okay?"
"No..." Esther shook her head, and tears started to roll down freely.
"But... I have to.." She looked into Bernadette's eyes. "I have to..."
"Shhhh..." Bernadette said, also with tears in her eyes. "Don't tell your
orders to me... they are your orders, not mine." She smiled a bit. "What
would happen if you started telling your orders to everyone? The safety of
the Federation could be at risk, and we wouldn't want that to happen, now do
we?" She smiled a bit at the joke she had made... but to Esther, it seemed
as if Bernadette had just told her what to do.
Slowly, she moved closer to Bernadette, and with one arm, embraced her
again. "Oh Esther!" Bernadette giggled. "Come here.. I'll comfort you..."
With the other arm, Esther slowly grabbed the phaser. Without the Huanni
knowing it, she aimed the phaser, and stood ready to push the button.
"Bernadette.." Esther said, her voice full of emotion, "I'll never forget
you... you are my best friend. And.. I'm sorry."
"You're my best friend as well!" Bernadette said with a smile. But then, her
face become more serious. "Sorry? What do you mean? We'll be together
forever, won't we?" She paused, and then, more carefully, she added, "Won't
we?"
"No..." Esther said, with tears in her eyes. "We won't. Goodbye.. and.. I'm
so sorry..."
With a single push on the button, the phaser was fired. All Bernadette could
do, was show a face of pain... disbelief... despair. With her last breath,
she looked at Esther, and cried: "Esther.... I..." She couldn't say anything
else. She was dead. Her lifeless body hanging over Esther.
Esther sat there... motionless... stunned by what she had done. Only after a
minute, she realised: she had indeed killed her best friend. She was now
still looking in Bernadette's eyes, but these eyes didn't show the same
sparkle they did when the Huanni had been alive. These eyes only showed
death.
The cadet just stared in front of her. She didn't know what to say.. what to
do... So she did all that she could do.. she cried, and tightened the
embrace she still had with what used to be Bernadette. She realised she was
holding a corpse in her hands... the corpse of Bernadette.
"I'm so sorry.." she said through her tears. "I'm so sorry..."
To be continued...
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