Tmorrows - Chapter 6

Jul 13, 2003 23:27

BSB - No Pairing - Tomorrows - Chapter 6

More Tomorrows



Kevin turned back to Ruach, who had cleared a bed. He set Brian on it, gently prying the younger man’s fingers from his neck. Whispering soothingly, he blocked out everything and concentrated on helping Ruach calm Brian down. This was now, without a doubt the unsurpassed worst day of his life.

Ruach swore roundly. Goddamn it. Goddamn it all to hell, I take one little tiny nap and everything goes to HELL in a HANDBASKET!! Kevin perched on the edge of the diagnostic table, arms wrapped around a sandy-haired man who was weeping like he’d never stop.

Sighing, she plugged in and tried to scan him. Well, that was nice. Either Kevin was screwing up the readings or this guy had two hearts and three heads. She kind of doubted it was the latter.

“Kevin, let him go and get off the damn table,” she ordered. Kevin flashed a look of pure fury at her.

“What? He’s terrified!” he protested, clutching the smaller man tighter. Ruach rolled her eyes.

“I can’t help him if I can’t take a reading and the table’s not equipped to separate your vitals from his. So, move. Now,” she tried again, clenching her teeth to keep from screaming. God, how had this happened? Kevin nodded sheepishly, murmured to the man on the table as he tried to stand up. The man’s arms locked down around his neck.

“Please, please help me, Kevin. God, please,” the man hiccupped. Ruach felt some of the anger drain away. The poor guy was frightened out of his mind. Either that or he was a serious whiner. But judging from the shocked looks he was getting from Nick and Howie, she didn’t think so. Kevin kept whispering and backing away.

Finally, he was clear. Ruach jumped as soon as she could get clean readings. Okay, physically fine. Heart rate and blood pressure were waaaaay too high. And he was bordering on hyperventilation. And a couple of implants needed rebooting, but nothing that would cause this kind of hysteria. Mostly results of it.

She moved closer to lean across the table. The man freaked. Screaming, he swung at her, catching her wire on his arm, he ripped it violently from her primary. Ruach gasped, clutched her head. Kevin leapt at him, grabbing his arms.

“Shhhh. Brian, shhh. It’s okay. I swear. Shhhhh. Please, shhhh,” he soothed, rocking the man in his arms. Reeling, Ruach snagged a pressurized hypodermic. Checked the contents. That would do. Bracing herself on the table, she pressed it against the man’s neck. Kevin jumped as it hissed sharply. The man, Brian she reminded herself foggily, snapped around to stare at her, absolutely terrorized. Her eyes met his for a moment, waiting. Then, his eyes rolled up and he slumped into Kevin’s arms, going abruptly silent. Kevin gently laid him back on the table.

Ruach put a hand to her head. Damn, everything was spinning. She’d never been logged off quite that violently before. Or when she wasn’t at least expecting it. Trying not to faint, Ruach slid to the floor to rest her head on her knees. Stop it. Just sit still, she growled at her rebellious inner ear. She couldn’t tell which way was up.

A hand settled on her arm. Ruach cracked an eye and looked up. Blondie. Nick. That was his name. Nick.

“You okay?” he asked, concerned. Ruach sat up slowly.

“Yeah,” she groaned, nodding. Everything wobbled and whirled. She let her head drop back down.

“Or maybe not,” she gasped, fighting queasiness. Nick rolled his eyes. Bending, he scooped her up and sat her on a table. Ruach clutched his arm for support. Whoa. Okay so sitting up, not the best plan. Closing her eyes, Ruach lowered herself back onto the bed. Sighed as she waited. Everything would settle down in a minute. A smaller, harder hand slid behind her neck. She growled in protest. Batted at the arm around her shoulders.

“Stop that and drink this,” someone said mildly. Ruach opened her eyes again. It was the long-hair.

“Which one are you again?” she snarled. Well, tried to snarl. It came out more as a moan. He gave her a surprisingly sweet smile.

“Howie Dorough, ma’am,” he replied. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she took the glass he offered. He helped her tip it back. Water. Okay, that was good. She drained the glass hurriedly. She needed another nap.

“Wake me in a quarter,” she ordered. Howie looked at her. Huh?

“A quarter?” he asked, puzzled. Ruach sighed.

“Quarter-hour,” she muttered, settling back and closing her eyes. Howie nodded.

“Okay,” he acknowledged, but she was already sound asleep.

~

Howie looked up at Kevin and Nick. AJ was still asleep on one of the beds, and snoring. Brian lay stretched on another. He was awfully still. Kevin stood up from his place on Brian’s bed.

“How is she?” he murmured, moving over to gaze down at the woman. Howie shrugged.

“I have no idea,” he replied. Nick was wired.

“What is going ON here?!” he demanded, looking wildly around the room. Kevin sighed.

“I really don’t know much. AJ and I woke up here. She’s been helping us,” he told them pointing to the woman.

“Okay. Great. She’s a good guy. Now what the FUCK are these things in my back?!” Nick continued, getting angry now that the fear had subsided. Howie looked up. Oh my God. What are those?

Nick had a row of nine, well, holes in his back. The one at the base of his skull was larger than the others, but they were all pretty damn weird lookin’. Howie scrubbed his hands through his hair. Yelped as his fingers hit metal.

“Shit!” he cried. “I got TWO!” Kevin stepped around to push Howie’s hair to the side.

“Yeah, you do, D. But those are the only ones ya got,” he observed. “Nick’s got nine. I got five. AJ got eight and Brian’s got four. One on the back of his head, one behind his ear and one in each leg. I think.” Howie gaped.

“Well what are they?” he ground out, gritting his teeth. Kevin sighed again.

~

Nick moved away from the older men. They weren’t saying anything he hadn’t figured out for himself. Walking past AJ and Brian, he cast a nervous glance over them. AJ looked fine, but Brian was a mess. He had a feeling that AJ knew at least part of what was up. And he thought it had to do with that chair. Glancing nervously back at the others, he clambered into the chair.

Well, this thing isn’t too comfy, he observed, settling back. The chair tipped back slightly under his weight.

“Identify,” it ordered. Nick bit his lip. Well, here went nothin’.

“Nick Carter,” he said quietly trying not to attract any attention. The chair whirred and shifted.

“Welcome back, Mr. Carter,” it said, snapping connectors into the holes in his spine. He fought the urge to scream. Man, Kevin was gonna rip him a new one for this.

“Well, it’ll make an even ten,” he muttered as the last wire was plugged into the back of his head. Nick yelped once as a sucking/rushing/whooshing feeling swept through him, and then everything went away.

Nick looked around himself. Oh now this was freaky. He could see three hundred and sixty degrees all at once.

Where am I? he thought. There didn’t really seem to be a ‘here’.

Main CPU, core 2, primary med-bay access, a voice/non-voice told him. It was like the information was just THERE. In his head. Wicked. So basically what it boiled down to was that he was IN the computer. Damn. So now what?

What had AJ found in here that had made him say that Brian was gonna be fucked up betcher ass?

Ummm, display last information accessed by AJ McLean, he tried. When in the Matrix . . . Okay, AJ had been reviewing the ship’s logs. In fact, it looked like he’d watched the same twelve hours about four times.

Begin playback, Nick ordered, getting the hang of it. Cool, he thought deliriously. Any elation he felt at mastering this thing died as Brian’s voice started screaming at him. Oh, holy shit. Nick watched, for lack of a better term. Maybe absorbed would work, he thought vaguely. Sickened, he stared as one by one he and his friends were, well, mangled and stuffed in tubes. He felt sick.

Christ, Lord God Almighty. Get me out. I want OUT! OUT OUT OUT! he shouted into the void. The rushing feeling seized him again. Bolting out of the chair, he slammed into Kevin and Howie, knocking them all flat. He stumbled up again, ran for the sink in the corner. Clinging to the edges for support, he puked up everything he’d eaten for the last ten years. Felt a hand in his back.

“Nicky, you okay, man?” Kevin. Nick let his head sag. Turned on the water and stuck his face in the stream. Spluttering and gasping, he pulled back and shook his head, flinging water droplets.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” he croaked. Kevin snorted. Nick looked over at him.

“I’m fine. Honest,” he repeated. “But I wouldn’t recommend that as a thrill ride.” Howie grabbed his elbow.

“What just happened Nick?” he asked, pale and worried. Nick gulped.

“I think I just saw Brian’s private version of Hell,” he informed them. Kevin’s gaze snapped to his face.

“What?!” he demanded. Nick swallowed again. Man, his throat was dry.

“I saw the monsters,” Nick rasped, letting his blue eyes drill into Kevin’s green ones. Breaking away, he looked back at Brian. “I saw the monsters.”

~

Kevin’s gaze snapped up as Nick yelped. Spinning, he searched for the blond. OH SHIT! Nick had just plugged himself into that, that thing!

“Christ, Nick! NO,” Howie shouted leaping past him. Screeching up to the younger man, he reached for the largest wire. Kevin caught his arm.

“No, D! Don’t. Believe me, unplugging when you’re expecting it is weird enough. But when you’re not . . . Well, look at Ruach and she’s been doing this for years,” he warned. Howie stopped. Kevin was right, but still, AJ hadn’t like bein’ in that thing at all. What had possessed the kid? Kevin scrubbed his hands viciously over his face.

“What the hell was he thinkin’?” he sighed, gaze never leaving Nick’s face. Howie’s head snapped up. A light dawned.

“ ‘Brian’s gonna be fucked up betcher ass,’” he murmured. Kevin stared at him.

“Huh?” he asked. Howie propped his butt on the desk.

“That’s what AJ was sayin’ when we got him out of there before you came in,” he explained. Kevin’s eyebrows shot up and he looked back at Nick’s face.

Every now and again, he grimaced. Before he could think of a reply that sufficiently expressed the stupidity of doing ANYTHING based on AJ’s ramblings alone, Nick contorted. Alarmed, Kevin and Howie scrambled closer to the chair.

Smoothly, the chair cranked itself upright, releasing Nick. Nick hurtled out of it as soon as he was free, slamming hard into Kevin. Startled, Kevin slipped and crashed into Howie. All three went down in a heap.

Grunting, Nick struggled up and bolted for the sink. Kevin was hot on his heels. Howie groaned once, spread-eagle on the floor.

“Why do they always land on me?” he moaned, slowly pulling himself up on the edge of the console next to him. Walking over, he caught the end of Kevin and Nick’s conversation.

“I wouldn’t recommend that as a thrill ride,” Nick wheezed. Howie clutched at his arm.

“What just happened Nick?” he asked, worried almost to the point of distraction. Nick shook his head.

“I think I just saw Brian’s private version of Hell,” he gasped. Howie shivered. Kevin’s blood ran cold, then blazing hot.

“What?!” he snarled. All of the fury he’d been suppressing raged through him now like a rampant demon. Nick met his gaze.

“I saw the monsters,” he said, hoarsely. Kevin’s mind went blank. Nick saw what? “I saw the monsters.”

~

AJ woke slowly. Ohhhhh, did anyone catch the license plate of the truck that hit him? Damn, and who let in the tap-dancing hippos? Groaning, he sat up.

Let’s see, reality check. He’d logged on, by accident, but hey . . . and he’d been pokin’ around. Slowly, AJ pieced together the bits. And he’d seen . . . oh yeah. He’d seen three psychos in green pajamas spray blood everywhere and probably scar Brian for life. That was where things stopped making sense.

AJ vaguely remembered logging off, okay so he remembered Ruach logging him off, and seeing Howie and Nick. But that was impossible because they were still on ice. Damn Boner, next time, don’t go messing with shit. Timeline somewhat established, AJ groaned and sat up. Howie, Nick and Kevin all stared anxiously at him.

“You okay Bone?” Nick asked, eyebrows drawing together in concern. AJ jumped.

“Damn! Who woke you up?” he squawked. Nick shrugged, eyes clouding.

“You did, genius. I told you to be careful, dammit!” Ruach called from the next bed. Grunting, she rolled out from under Howie’s hands and to her feet. AJ hunched his shoulders.

“I didn’t mean to,” he tried to defend himself. Ruach hissed. Actually hissed at him.

“Yeah and you won’t mean to, I don’t know, toss someone into oblivion the next time you tell them to get lost!” she snapped. AJ flinched and then his shoulders slumped.

“I know. I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to log on. I just sat in the damn chair,” he murmured. Ruach glanced over at the chair.

“Damn auto-pilots. I hate those things,” she sighed, patting AJ’s shoulder. AJ looked up. Ruach forced a tiny smile. AJ relaxed. She wasn’t going to kill him. Leaning back on his elbows, he looked around. Catching a glimpse of the next table, he bolted to his feet.

“Brian!” he shouted. Brian was lying sprawled on the table. He was sweating and his face was the color of spoilt custard.

“Did I do that?” he asked, guilt-stricken. Ruach moved over and plugged in. Shook her head.

“Nope,” she replied absently. “This is all him. Trauma.” AJ peered at the inert form of his friend.

“Trauma?” he muttered, thinking. "The pajama psychos." Nick nodded in complete understanding. Howie and Kevin exchanged a look.

“Pajama psychos?” Kevin inquired. AJ nodded, eyes wide.

“I can’t even begin to describe it. It was just . . . evil. Pure and simple,” he informed them. Nick took a deep breath.

“And Brian lived it,” he finished. Howie stepped forward, drawing everyone’s attention.

“I want to see it,” he declared, quietly. Nick shook his head frantically.

“No, D, you don’t. I promise,” he replied firmly. Howie just stood for a moment.

“I want to see it,” he repeated. Kevin jumped in.

“I’m going to see it, like it or not,” he stated flatly. AJ started to protest.

“We’re all going to see it. Now. AJ’s going to load it for us,” Ruach ordered. AJ turned on her.

“WHY?” he yelled, waving a hand at the others. “Why do they have to see that? Do you have any idea what’s going on here?!” Ruach regarded him patiently.

“Yes, I think I do. And they need to see it. So do I, if I’m gonna help him. I’m not God you know. I have to do this the hard wayand I need to know,”she said cool as a cucumber. AJ reluctantly acknowledged the logic in that. Ruach handed him a portable.

“Now, jack in and put it on the main screen,” she commanded. AJ took the portable and slid it into the back of his head. Concentrating, he pulled up the log on the viewer.

“This ain’t gonna be pretty,” he announced, sitting back to let the others have a better view.

“Begin playback,” he ordered. On screen, the screaming began.

Nearly an hour later, AJ sat back and shut off the screen. He’d jumped around, showing the guys bits and pieces of the log. They didn’t have time for twelve hours of footage. To make his point, he’d made sure to let them see nearly all of Kevin’s piece so they could see the blood spraying over Brian. He looked at the others.

Nick had his face in his hands and had for some time, refusing to watch it all again. Howie had an arm around his shoulders. Fat lot of good that’s gonna do, AJ thought. D’s shakin’ like a leaf. Ruach sat in the same position she’d been in when they started, a look of almost clinical interest on her face. If it hadn’t been for the tears snaking down to her chin, he might’ve thought she didn’t give a shit.

Kevin was leaned against the wall, breathing hard. His face was scarlet and AJ hoped to never have that rage directed at him. Damn, Kevin looked scary.

Now to drop the bomb.

“What I just showed you, happened three thousand years ago,” AJ stated softly. Every head in the room whipped around.

“Not possible,” Ruach informed them. “That technology is only a few years old.” AJ shook his head.

“I checked it every way I could think of. You can look. It’s three thousand years ago,” he insisted. Ruach looked dubious. Shook it off.

“In any case, it’s a place to start. Now, I need Howie and Nick on tables so I can check your implants. I should’ve done it before this started but we got a little sidetracked,” she said, yanking them all out of their private reveries. Howie hopped up onto an empty table. Nick took AJ’s as he slid off it. Humming quietly, Ruach stuck a socket in her head and began scanning. Her voice faltered.

“What is that?” she muttered to herself. Absently, she pointed towards the other two tables.

“Kevin, AJ, up there please,” she called. Throwing AJ a confused look, Kevin climbed onto one of them. AJ shrugged and levered himself onto the other. Ruach was humming again.

“Damn, would ya look at that,” she whistled. “Nobody move.” Swiftly, she crossed to the main console and switched the table jack for the larger one. Pulled up all five scans on the large screen. A small spot in each skull was blinking.

“Holy fuck,” she breathed reverently. “That’s not fuckin’ possible.” Kevin looked up at the screen. It meant nothing to him.

“What’s not?” he demanded. Ruach pointed at the winking spots.

“That. That is a symbiotic web,” she murmured. The guys looked confused.

“And what does that mean?” Nick called. Ruach looked at them, then around the ship.

“That means,” she began, “that when you guys are all logged on, you share a neural net. Anything one of you thinks, all of you think. Your response time must be fantastic.” Howie spoke up.

“Huh?” he asked, voicing the thought they all had. Ruach gestured excitedly, a grin spreading across her face. AJ was mildly stunned. Damn, she was pretty when she smiled.

“Oh you’re not the same person if that’s what you’re worried about,” she assured them. “But if you’re all online, and Kevin thinks something, AJ or Howie or anybody can and will react like it was their own thought. And the responses’ll be just as fast.” Nick looked concerned.

“Like the Borg,” he decided. Kevin nodded slowly. Ruach looked befuddled.

“The what?” she asked. Nick shook his head.

“Never mind,” he sighed. Ruach had already forgotten it.

“This has never been done. The technology is ten years away for groups this large. Oh, two people, sure. Sometimes even three, but never, ever more than that. Too many personality variables,” she commented. Suddenly, she whooped, lunging for the console.

“Maybe, maybe, maybe . . . YES!” she cried, dancing around. The guys stared, amazed at this display of enthusiasm.

“What now?” Howie sighed. “And can we get off these tables now?”

“What, oh sure,” Ruach waved negligently at them. She grabbed Kevin’s hand and dragged him over to the small screen.

“Look!” she exulted, pointing. Kevin looked.

“What am I seeing?” he inquired, clueless. Ruach glanced up.

“I can fix him. Or rather you can,” she informed them. Nick, AJ and Howie crowded around her.

“See,” she explained, “if you all log on, and I stay out here to log Brian on, you can dissipate him.” Looking up, Ruach was met by three blank stares. Uh-oh. This could get messy. None of them had a clue what they were doing. Shit.

“Okay,” Ruach began. “This is gonna take longer than I thought. Better get comfortable.” Turning, she grabbed up the portable and headed down the hall.

Kevin immediately followed, willing to do whatever it took to get Brian back. Nick was hot on his heels. Exchanging one uncertain glance, Howie and AJ hurried to catch up.
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