Chapter 3

Stardate : 2932.487

3days after take off from Ridorian capitol spaceport.

Mission log: rendezvous with the ridorian main fleet near the Gre'yeal star system.

ETA: 48hours 29minutes 12seconds

Current rate of travel: 27 times faster than the current speed of light.

Engine status: green

Cryo sleep chamber 1 : engaged

Cryo sleep chamber 2: engaged

Cryo sleep chamber 3: Dis engaged.....

The wolf would flick the switch on the terminal infront of him, making the screen go dark, the faint glow having been the only light within the now dark cabin. He had purposely set the timer of his cryo chamber to dis engage after three days of flight. He hated sleeping through the full trip, the silence and peace was to much to pass up.

Zennith would look around as the hum of the Faster-than-light engines filled the cabin, masking most other noises, except for the hiss of a cryo chamber being dis engaged.

He would turn his head to stare towards the rear of the ship, thinking he heard the distinct sound of such a thing occuring. His mind wandering as he thought that maybe dolohov had woken and somehow overrode the controls on his chamber. Or that markus may have predicted the wolf wouldnt sleep the whole time.

Zennith shook his head and went back looking around the table for something to read, finding nothing he leaned back and propped his feet on the top and pulled the terminal monitor towards him once more, flicking it back to life. The faint green glow of the intial screen filling the cabin once more.

“ Morning Sir.” Said a familiar voice over the speakers

Zennith would smile and stare at the screen, giving a verbal reply “ Good morning cassandra. How are you?”

The face on the terminal would smile and reply “ you already know the answer to that Sir.”

Zenniths smile would fade, his mind now wandering to a troubling memory. “ I know...please dont remind me cassy”

Markus would be proped against the door frame, behind zennith as he watched the wolf with interest. Having not made a sound, he didnt want to alert zennith if he could help it. The young fox would stare briefly at the screen and see the image of a beautiful young vixen staring up from the screen. Zennith seemed to be conversing with her. But somehow....she didnt seem real, her movements, too fluid. Her emotions, almost too perfect. Her tone of speech somewhat mechanical.

“ this has to be a computer program..” markus thought to himself, his tail swishing side to side absently as he continued to watch.

Zennith would look at the female on screen and smile weakly again “ cassandra, could you locate the dossier files for a Mr. Markus Delay, First sergant, Blackdog squad.”

the woman on screen would smile and nod “ Yes Sir, one moment please” there would be a pause then all of the information would flash onto the screen for zennith to navigate through, photos, achievements, service records, everything he could ever want to know about the fox was now at his fingertips.

Markus would sigh quietly before turning to the rear of the ship, his feet carrying him toward his cryo-chamber. The fox would punch in the remaining time of the flight into the keypad near the door and was about to press enter

“ Mark? Why do you think you could sneak up on me without my noticing?” came a voice, seemingly from behind him..yet somehow still inside his head. Markus would spin around so fast that he almost lost his balance and fell over, his pulse racing as he expected to see zennith standing in the door. Yet no one was there.

“ I know you were standing there markus.... And I know what you did...” the voice would sound familiar, beginning to sound darker and more menacing, this time entirely inside his head.

Markus' eyes would go wide as he began to shake, not sure how to react, but not wanting to alert zennith to his pressence, afraid the wolf would be cross and upset with him for being untrusting.

“ w....who are you?” he would think to himself.

The voice would immediately respond, in a more distorted and sinister tone, as if taunting the fox from his past. “ what? You dont remember me?.....thats so sad.....” the voice would give the impression of enjoying itself as images suddenly flashed infront of markus' eyes as moments from his past, though long buried in the fox's psyche, suddenly are presented to him to be relived.

Markus would fall to his knees, shaking as he resisted the urge to cry in terror and fright. His heart would be racing as he tried to stand once more, staggering forward. The voice meniacally cackling in his head. “ YOU DID THIS!!!!!!! YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE.....brother”

Markus would stumble and fall forward, slamming his head against the doorjam and passing out, having been knocked unconcious.

Zennith would perk his ears as the sounds of scuffling and a loud thud reached his ears. He would push the terminal away and instinctively reach for his tanto, drawing it and his desert eagle in a tactical pose, steadying the barrel of the pistol as he slowly moved towards the back of the ship.

His eyes narrowed and his ears alert as he slowly and cautiously checked every doorway as he passed, making sure there was no one else aboard the ship that wasnt supposed to be. He would step towards the cryo room and stop, seeing markus laying there, his unconcious form twitching slightly. A small trickle of blood seeping from his skull where he hit it on the door. Zennith would sheath and holster his weapons, bending down and gently lifting the fox. He would carry markus to the infirmary room and set him on the exam table.

The wolf would spend the next hour or so tending to the fox and his injuries, making sure to close the gash in his head.

Markus would whimper and stir in his sleep as Zennith watched his vitals, apparently the force in his brain was still tormenting his dreams. Zennith would sigh and turn toward the monitor again.

Markus stirred gently on the recovery bed, his eyes feeling heavy and his body like lead. He lifted a paw to rub his forhead, which felt like it took on a frieghter-ship head on. He would groan softly and try to sit up, a strong paw pressed him back against the sheets as he slowly opened his reluctant eyelids.

“ dont try to move kid..” came a familiar voice, though filled with a kindness he hadnt heard before.

Markus would finally raise his gaze enough to look the speaker in the face, his eyes grew a little wide as he recognized the face of commander Dolohov.

The feline would smile and release the foxs shoulder “ how ya feelin' kiddo?” dolohov would smile, a little unnaturaly it seemed to markus, but he shruged it off.

“ I feel like ive taken a yanganese quantum soldier on by my self and got my ass kicked, yet survived” Replied the fox softly.

Dolohov would chuckle, in an almost fatherly sort of way “ Well, when you have a splicer invade your mind like that im sure it would feel that way...”

Markus would lower his ears, looking to the floor, the memories of what ws shown to him coming back in a hazy way. “ well....the thing is sir....”

Dolohov would raise and eye brow and sit in the chair facing markus. “ whats the issue kid?” the feline would seem rather interested in what the fox was trying hard not to say.

Markus would shift uncomfortably before explaining everything that was shown to him to his commanding officer.

“ and the worst part is....some of the stuff I was shown, was true.....I had done some of those things, and am soley responsible for their deaths....” the fox would finish his explination as the feline eyed him, his face rather pensive.

Dolohov would nod and stand “ Kid...let me tell you something that few know and even fewer know as truth. Those visions you saw, those...memories, as they were....werent yours....you were attacked by a mind splicer, by definition what they do is take memories and the like from those you are close to or have strong feelings for and splice them into your head, making you think they are your own. And thus driving their victim mad....”

the feline would turn and look the fox in the face. Markus' face was stone and his gaze blank in confusion.

Markus would open his mouth as if to speak, then reluctently close it as he was unable to voice his confusion. His eyes flitting to the door as the sounds of someone walking outside caught his ears, he would then shift his gaze back to dolohov.

“ I...Im not sure I understand you Sir.” he said to the feline.

Dolohov would chuckle and place a paw on the young foxs shoulder. “ you will in time markus, you will in time. For now just rest and try to feel better. Youve had enough excitement and confusion today. Lets not make it any worse.”

Markus would still look confused as to why his commander was being so ….fatherly to him. He didnt understand. But he would nod in respect and agreement as he lay back in the recovery bed.

“Sir?” markus asked cautiously

Dolohov would smile and sit next to markus. “ Yes kiddo?”

Markus would look the black feline in the eyes and ask softly “ w..where is Lt. Col. Caitiff? Usually I see him right in the middle of these sort of things, based on the dossiers I read on him”

dolohov would nod “ typically 'e is markus, but he felt that he needed to look into this matter a little deeper before coming to check on you so he sent me instead. Im sure its nothing major, justa precautionary check into why you were attacked.”

At that moment the ship would give a slight shudder as the hyper drive disengaged. The loud whirr of the pulse drives starting up as they began to make their final preparations to land at the F.U.R.R. Starbase headquarters.