Capt. Shayne: Luxury Accommodations
Quinn
((Somewhere))
Shayne had been awake for roughly half an hour, and he smiled to himself despite it all. His refusal to move, react, call, demand answers, or even confirm his surroundings had elicited more information than he could have possibly enjoyed otherwise.
He was prone, laying on hard concrete, much to the discontent of his poorly-angled legs, which sent throbbing pain through his buttock and back. Still he remained motionless. Clasped behind him were his hands, confined by what Shayne could only suspect was a pair of magnetic cuffs- the coolness and chafing they’d elicited pointed to that direction. That was good- magnetic cuffs could be interfered with, and despite their tougher connection, needed to be undone with a remote- far preferable to a key he’d have to clumsily maneuver.
The ground he was lying on- having been deposited upon it roughly, judging from the tang of iron at his mouth- was exceptionally hard, and felt gravely. Further indicating natural terrain was the lack of a background vibration or hum as would be expected on a space faring vessel or starbase. Unfortunate, but something to be expected. Then again, what planet within a hundred light years would be suitable to hide a captain in Starfleet?
And a commander.
Almost imperceptibly, he’d extended his hands behind him, keeping his eyes shut. If someone was watching, they might misinterpret the movement as a simple unconscious reflex, but opening eyes would be a definite give away. To his palpable relief, MacKenna’s soft uniform fabric brushed against his fingers. His smile had been genuine, and keeping an act up, he’d rolled back lazily before returning to a neutral appearance.
MacKenna was with him, and it was reasonable to assume she was alive- he heard breathing, though not much else. Perhaps his larger size had allowed him to recover more quickly, but he had no doubt she’d be on her feet in a moment. Whether she would continue his ruse or not was left to chance entirely, so he resolved to gather as much information as his senses could tell him.
Even with his eyes closed, there was an oppressive darkness, and the air smelled somewhat moist. That suggested a cave or underground dwelling. Nothing anti-ferric; their cuffs wouldn’t work otherwise. That meant they were high-profile enough to have their own covert systems in place, but low profile enough to demand natural hiding within what Shayne could only assume was a dank, miserable cavern.
His first thoughts were of ransom, but there were far better targets than him and an intelligence officer. If they managed to get him that close to Earth, they could have gotten an admiral, or a president for that matter. Perhaps the pair of them were just understated enough to bring in a pretty penny but not enough to warrant a full fleet response. In any case, the fact that they were still alive meant that their captors were far from finished with them yet.
To his side, he could hear MacKenna stirring. He’d gotten what he could from the silent, searching introspection. Now it was time to be there for her. He rolled over gently, groaning as his aches were relieved however temporarily. His eyes took on an artificial sleepiness.
Shayne: Morning, darling.
MacKenna: Response
He moved closer to her, launching himself up with his confined hands and trying to find some balance.
Shayne: Here, sit up. How do you feel?
MacKenna: Response.
While his care was exclusively with MacKenna, his attention to the vigilance their captors were no doubt showing at the moment kept him from engaging in any real conversation.
Shayne: I’m not sure how long we’ve been here.
Now that his eyes were open, he could see that his initial guesses had been at least partially correct. The dank prison they now occupied was an odd blend of natural rock and artificial metal plating, apparently melded together with the grace and subtlety of a Klingon crochet. Someone knew what they were doing, and didn’t care what it looked like. A dangerous combination.
Suddenly, bright lights shattered the darkness, and the captain couldn’t help but swallow in anticipation.
Something wicked their way came.
MacKenna: Response
Tag/TBC…
Captain Randal Shayne
Commanding Officer
USS Arrow
NCC 69829
G239202RS0