------=_Part_18105_2556153.1119752997258 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline [The Weakness We Face] Standing before the holodeck terminal, Jason tapped at the small wall-mounted console and watched as the arch opened beside him. Inside, it= was dark - too dark. Running down the artificial hall, lights flashed through broken wall and ceiling mounts, and a distant clicking could be heard; that was the most disturbing thing. Not muttering a word, Jason stepped into the program, and glanced back through altered vision as the doors slid closed behind him. He knew he wasn't up to standard, he wasn't the man he'd once been; the soldier. But= this was his first step, his foray into SSF once more. Raising the phaser rifle that had materialized in his hands a moment before= , he pressed on down the raven corridor, taking careful steps over the broken= shards of weaponry and equipment that were scattered about the floor. Then= suddenly, as Jason raised his eyes from the objects below, the creature stormed him. Advancing down the cramped space, it swung sharp mandibles and= screamed out in alien tongues. Leaping back, he fired the rifle and watched= as the beam stuck the creature's lower right 'leg' and caused little or no= effect. It flickered in his view, through damaged eyes he saw it advancing= still. It stood out to him, like a white silhouette on the endless black of= the hall. There was no time - nor space - to go toe to toe with the beast, so Jason= turned and began running. Heavy boots struck the floor as he took leaping= strides to escape a violent death. And it worked, for as fast as the creature was, he could move quicker down the corridor. It was as if the narrow space caused a suffering of maneuverability for his pursuer; which= slowed it considerably. The constant of his escape was cut-short however, when he turned a corner t= o be confronted by another of the large insects. Swinging at an alarming speed, it sliced a gaping hole in the front of his flak-jacket and connecte= d with the protective alloy beneath. As the scratching clang of it's limb and= metal rung out, Jason dropped to the floor harshly, loosing the rifle to th= e darkness. It seemed seconds were minutes in the time he lay there. Staring up as the= second creature joined his attacker, they both snapped and clasped sharp jaws together as they progressed on his prone body. Still the silent kind,= Jason muttered no words of thought or circumstance, but only searched his= body for some type of weaponry; nothing was forthcoming. Closing his eyes and accepting the inevitable, he heard as the tandem alien= s neared his soon to be corpse and called out calmly. "Computer, end program.= " Jason, it would seem, was not quite ready for the things he was about to face. 2Lt. Jason Scott Assistant ODA Commander USS Chimera -- If you build it... ------=_Part_18105_2556153.1119752997258 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline <span style="font-family: verdana;">[The Weakness We Face]<br> <br> Standing before the holodeck terminal, Jason tapped at the small wall-mounted console and watched as the arch opened beside him. Inside, it was dark - too dark. Running down the artificial hall, lights flashed through broken wall and ceiling mounts, and a distant clicking could be heard; that was the most disturbing thing.<br> <br> Not muttering a word, Jason stepped into the program, and glanced back through altered vision as the doors slid closed behind him. He knew he wasn't up to standard, he wasn't the man he'd once been; the soldier. But this was his first step, his foray into SSF once more.<br> <br> Raising the phaser rifle that had materialized in his hands a moment before, he pressed on down the raven corridor, taking careful steps over the broken shards of weaponry and equipment that were scattered about the floor. Then suddenly, as Jason raised his eyes from the objects below, the creature stormed him. Advancing down the cramped space, it swung sharp mandibles and screamed out in alien tongues. Leaping back, he fired the rifle and watched as the beam stuck the creature's lower right 'leg' and caused little or no effect. It flickered in his view, through damaged eyes he saw it advancing still. It stood out to him, like a white silhouette on the endless black of the hall.<br> <br> There was no time - nor space - to go toe to toe with the beast, so Jason turned and began running. Heavy boots struck the floor as he took leaping strides to escape a violent death. And it worked, for as fast as the creature was, he could move quicker down the corridor. It was as if the narrow space caused a suffering of maneuverability for his pursuer; which slowed it considerably.<br> <br> The constant of his escape was cut-short however, when he turned a corner to be confronted by another of the large insects. Swinging at an alarming speed, it sliced a gaping hole in the front of his flak-jacket and connected with the protective alloy beneath. As the scratching clang of it's limb and metal rung out, Jason dropped to the floor harshly, loosing the rifle to the darkness.<br> <br> It seemed seconds were minutes in the time he lay there. Staring up as the second creature joined his attacker, they both snapped and clasped sharp jaws together as they progressed on his prone body. Still the silent kind, Jason muttered no words of thought or circumstance, but only searched his body for some type of weaponry; nothing was forthcoming.<br> <br> Closing his eyes and accepting the inevitable, he heard as the tandem aliens neared his soon to be corpse and called out calmly. "Computer, end program."<br> <br> Jason, it would seem, was not quite ready for the things he was about to fa= ce.<br> <br> 2Lt. Jason Scott<br> Assistant ODA Commander<br> USS Chimera<br> </span><br style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verd= ana;">-- </span><br style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-fam= ily: verdana;">If you build it...</span> ------=_Part_18105_2556153.1119752997258--