No One Cares About You

Posted on Sat May 11th, 2019 @ 5:15pm by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Liselle Qwyyn & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor
Edited on on Sat May 11th, 2019 @ 5:24pm

Mission: Episode 1: Hell is a four letter word
Location: Prison - Planet Unkown
Timeline: MD 6 - 14h00
1911 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

The light stabbed. And it burned.

Bound as they were, the Federation prisoners could do no more than close their eyes and awkwardly attempt to turn away from the scorching sun that threatened to blind them. Or was it truly that bright? The Romulans had kept the light unnaturally low in their cells. Even aboard Starships, the computer systems exercised a simple algorithm of night and day to help the body rhythms function on their biologically pre-programmed cycles. Denying a person the sensation of time passing was one of the oldest methods of torture. Having been subjected to it for...who knew how long, this first taste of intense natural light was more than they could bear.

"Welcome to the first day of the rest of your lives," a voice announced pleasantly. The Romulan that stepped forward to greet them was grossly overweight, and he breathed heavy when he wasn't speaking. He eagerly clapped his hands together as he surveyed his new Federation prisoners. "Such a healthy little bunch. So much optimism and hope. Oh, how I will enjoy breaking each of you. You especially, Princess." His eyes fell on Phoenix and his smile grew so wide that it squeezed his eyes shut. He shuddered with pleasure at the sensation. "Yes. I know who you are. Oh, how I've always dreamed of having a princess of my very own. You and I will get to know each other. Very, very well."

Gary squinted in the bright light. He was still naked as so far no one seemed inclined to give him any clothes. He looked at the others saw defiance on Lia's, Phoenix and Taam's face. He gave a sideways glance to Liselle, she was still bound as she had been ever since the first day they were captured. However her eyes shone with undeniable hatred showing her spirit was far from broken. He could tell Liselle would not let either her nudity or the fact she was bound faze her.

Phoenix merely kept her gaze on their captors. A lot of thoughts were going through her head. She didn't give the Romulan the desired response. Which was a shudder or verbal denial. Inside her very soul crawled with the thought. She made the choice there and then not to use Federation Standard with their captors. She would use her native language and see how they liked being spoken to in a language their translators would not know.

Taking a very quick look at the surrounding, Lia decided to keep her mouth shut. These Romulans seemed to expect a reaction, so guess what? They weren't gonna get one outta her, not while she had some choice about it.

"You may think your defiance vexes me," he announced to the group at large. "On the contrary, I welcome it. You will soon learn that this prison has been staffed with personnel who excel at breaking people exactly like the five of you. They relish the challenge. It is more than a job for them. It is a passion. One by one, we will find your deepest and darkest fears, and we will use them against you. You will resist. Everyone does. But in the end we will win. Because we are better than you. Smarter, bolder, braver. Superior. Romulan."

He stopped in front of Gary. "We will take your dignity."

And moved to Liselle. "Your freedom."

Then, Taam. "Your livelihood."

Phoenix. "Your control."

And finally Lia. "Your secrets."

He stepped back from them to address the wider group once more. "No one knows about this place. No one knows where you are, or how to find you. Anyone who might miraculous stumble upon us will be easily made to believe that you are not here, or they will be killed instead. As of today, and for every day afterward, you no longer exist. No one cares about you." He clapped his hands together pleasantly. "Now then, it's time for processing. Do any of you have any special dietary needs that I should be aware of? Don't be shy."

As the Commandant spoke one of the guards was busy ogling Lia and Liselle and dreaming of what he would like to do to each of them. Hopefully his time would come where he could give them some 'personal attention.' it would be glorious he promised himself.

Phoenix stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She wanted to say 'better men then you have tried and failed' but she didn't. She just had to pray that their crew found the distress call and were able to put the pieces of the puzzle together to find them. They were a well trained crew. She had to, put her faith in them. Before, all that was left for them was death.

Hearing the threats, Lia kept her face blank. *Old habits die hard* she thought, the fat Romulan was trying to install fear. All he was doing was making it easier for them to build their resistance up, mentally they would be stronger. She looked about and noted that the guards seemed interested in Phoenix and herself, taking a deep breath she knew what that meant. But perhaps even that might turn in their favour, if the guards were looking elsewhere they weren't doing their job correctly.

It was all Taam could do not to laugh at this idiot, it was like he was trying to be this intimidating camp commandant but was more of a cartoon, a Romulan Col. Klink. He was a little uncomfortable with Gary being naked, but he'd focused on the guards eyeing the women up, they weren't going to get far with that line of thought, ~Horny and stupid is a great combination. For us.~

As the fat SOB of a Commandant spoke, Gary looked around the camp with a practiced eye. Picking out weak spots in the camp and where to strike. Then the Romulans would fully realize what they had unleashed.

"Díhen- nin Jhori Shyraes" Phoenix muttered under her breath. This was getting worse every moment.

The Commandant gestured to a nearby guard to follow him over to the captain. He leaned in to Phoenix, cupping a hand over one ear. "Would you mind saying that once more?"

She looked him in the eye and said "Llie n'vanima ar' lle atara lanneina" in her lyrical native tongue. It was obvious from the tone it was an insult and one she didn't mind saying.

"Very good," he said, seeming pleased. He twisted to his guard. "Sokath, please explain to the princess that I am not interested in her opinions."

Sokath nodded. He reached to his hip and pulled out a shock baton. He flicked it to its full length and stabbed it into Phoenix's stomach, his teeth gritting with the effort.

Phoenix bit down hard and struggled not to scream. She grunted and held back as best she could but ended up on her knees anyway. "Nadorhuanrim! Utinu en lokirim!" She did not however beg. She cursed them in her native tongue, funneling her pain into her anger.

Sokath looked to the Commandant. The older Romulan shook his head, and the guard returned his weapon to his side. "You will be responsible for her," he advised the guard. "Ensure that she is given frequent reminders of this lesson. If she does not learn to keep quiet in my presence, you will be held responsible."

The guard nodded, looking down at Phoenix.

Gary looked at the Commandant and added him to his rapidly growing list of people to kill.

Phoenix picked herself up from the ground and kept her gaze on the officer. She was not going to be a good girl for him at all. Defiance was write over her face.

The Commandant turned and looked at Gary and Liselle. "Taylor, I know of you. Welcome back. We will break you this time." He oozed smarmily. He looked past Gary to Liselle. "A Thr'ill! What a surprise. Both you and Taylor will stay in your current state until I am convinced you have learned obedience." He said without further explanation. He nodded to the guard next to him. Without warning the guard took his shock baton and struck Gary hard in the stomach. Gary's knees buckled as pain flooded his body. Every nerve ending was on fire but he remained standing and didn't utter a sound. "An example of what is to come if you don't cooperate." The Commandant told him. he looked at Liselle, "Make sure you learn it quickly Thr'ill."

"Prisoners, in-line!" A voice barked, and a new figure emerged from the prison's entrance. He was an older Romulan, well-muscled and well-scarred. He walked in a brisk, confident stride that left no doubt for his practiced routine in taking this walk out to greet 'newcomers' a thousand times or more. He stopped a full three meters away from the assembled prisoners, his eyes passing quickly over them. He inhaled, holding back a disgusted breath. Liselle didn't know if it was because he was displeased with how they had been treated, or if he simply couldn't stand the sight of them. She hoped the former, feared for the latter. The Romulan stepped to one side, and with a practiced scowl aimed towards the prison entrance he spoke a single order to them. "March."

They were prodded forward, forced to move along into a processing area, a dark room with bright lamps that illuminated fat globes of light in the blackness, giving the space a sense of depth yet leaving the edges of the room secret and undefined. They might be standing in a closet. They might be standing in a cathedral. All part of the mind games, Liselle surmised.

One after another they were marched into the center of the light, and one after another they were treated to the entrance ceremony: Two guards held weapons at the ready while a third executed a series of detailed medical scans on the standing prisoner. Those that were clothed were soon stripped, hosed down with scalding hot water, injected with mysterious hypos, and then handed black prison robes. Of greatest concern to Qwyyn was the contents of those hypos. Were they inoculating them against disease, or introducing it?

"No clothes for those two," the Commandant ordered sharply from somewhere in the darkness.

The older Romulan that had started their processing turned to the sound. "I am in charge of processing new prisoners."

"And I am in charge of you, Straith."

That older Romulan, the one they now knew was called Straith, did not move. At least not right away. He seemed to be considering if he would push back on the orders levied on him. Finally, his decision made, he moved to Gary and Liselle, snatching away the robes that had been draped over their shoulders -- not that the two of them had free hands to dress themselves anyway. "Happy?" he asked.

"Ecstatic," the Commandant replied.

Straith held his superior's gaze once more. Without diverting his attention to the guards attending the processing, he gave them an order. "Take them to their cells."

TAG / OFF


Commander Liselle Qwyyn
Chief Flight Control / Second Officer
USS Elysium

Commander Gary Taylor
Executive Officer
USS Elysium

Commander Lia Holmes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Elysium



Llie n'vanima ar' lle atara lanneina - You are ugly and your mother dresses you funny.
Nadorhuanrim! - Cowardly dogs
Utinu en lokirim - Son of Snakes