The Misadventures of Jason Haines(TMJH): Chp. 1 A New Home

Posted on Mon Nov 2, 2020 @ 8:35am by Lieutenant Jason Haines

1,270 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Things Past
Location: Pangaea

[ON]

Jason moved off the landing pad of the shuttle that brought the latest individuals to the joint colony down on the planet. With his backpack in tow, he looked around noting the colony, but his direction led away from there. Part of him wondered if he was doing the right thing. Instead of wandering off into the unknown woods alone, chasing a dream, he could be comfortable in a job on the station seeing Alanna whenever they wanted to get together. He shook the doubt that had been plaguing him from his mind, at least for the time being. He had to try and find out if what George had told him was true and if the re-occurring dream he had been having was of significance.

Once clear of the landing zone, he set his pack down to do a final inventory just in case he had to buy something at the colony. He had gone on quite the shopping spree, before coming here, after settling his dad’s account with the Orion bar owner. It would have been easy except his half-sister N’varra had wanted the bar as a keepsake of her father that she had only known for three days. It was an equitable arrangement and Jason had promised that they would catch up and he would tell her more stories of their dad.

Between Burt-Wards and Acme Importers, he had found camping gear, outdoor clothing, and the like. He was also able to get some nice modern scuba gear. He stopped at Quality Personal Comms and got a communicator, a padd, and a tricorder from 3340. They all worked well. They weren’t anything like he was used to, but not like he would be pulling any major missions off. Still, for what he was planning on doing he wanted stuff to take notes on and keep track of. Yolanthe had gotten him the name of someone who got him a phaser, gouging his credit chip in the process.

His last stop had been Personal Arms. He had gotten a couple of fighting knives, an old earth compound bow, which was an odd find at a hand to hand store. Apparently, it had been something the owner no longer wanted and was just going to recycle it along with the arrows. The last thing there he had found was a Breen combat staff and it was fully functional. It started out more of a club, but with a push of one of three buttons it extended to a full-length fighting/walking staff. With a push of the second button, a four- inch blade came out of one end. The last button sent a jolt of electricity through one’s opponent, which would be particularly nasty if you had them on the end of the blade.

“Expecting trouble?”, a scientist heading for the colony asked.

“Nah, just going for a little camping trip and you can’t be too careful”, Jason said.
“For sure”, the man said. “I wouldn’t camp too long if I were you. Things always seem to be changing.”

“That they do”, Jason replied as he put his outback style camping hat on and headed away from the colony.

Jason wasn’t one-hundred percent sure where he was headed or what he was looking for. It was a, ‘He would know it when he found it’ situation. Which meant of course, he couldn’t get lost as he had no idea where he was going.

Two Days Later

Jason had gone about sixty-five kilometers, had numerous bug bites, and several abrasions on him when he came to what he knew was the place. It was a small cove on the beach. It was a cross between a sandy and slightly rocky beach. Luckily, most of the rocks were smooth. The sand was somewhat reddish. Jason took off his boots and let the water coming in with the tide run over his feet. He took in a deep breath as the water washed over his toes and top of his foot. It was calming and given the turmoil that lived within him, that was what the proverbial doctor ordered.

Jason spent the rest of the afternoon setting up his camp. Given that he was camping alone, that also meant setting up traps to make noise so to warn him should someone be approaching. When he was done, he smiled. Camping was an escape for the family, especially after his mother had died. This would be the first time he had gone camping without his dad. He let a sigh out and went about to building a fire on the beach.

Later, as the fire burned low, Jason lay back and looked at the stars. He smiled taking in their beauty. It was odd that often those who explored the stars often missed out on the beauty and wonder they held. He drifted off to sleep worn out from both from the physical exertion on of the last two days and the mental and emotional stress of the last week and a half.

--
Jason’s eye’s snapped opened as he heard incomprehensible whispering from the dark. It was hot and humid, and it sounded like it was raining.

“Computer, lights”, he said, thinking he was in his bed on the station.

Almost on cue, lightning flashed and illuminated the darkness as thunder roared through the night. He could see he was not in his room. He was on a beach, somewhere. He looked about and saw he was under some sort of lean-to. As the darkness returned it started to pour.

After a few minutes of rain, a loud moan reached Jason’s ears. It sounded like someone in pain. Lightning flashed again and Jason could see someone down on the beach sprawled on the beach, struggling to move. They moaned again but it was drowned out by another blast of thunder and the pouring rain.

Getting up, Jason slowly headed towards the beach. The torrent of rain made walking through the sand difficult in the dark. Another flash of lightning guided his way. The moan of the person grew louder and then the thunder howled, once again drowning out the moan.

As Jason got to the individual, the storm cleared rather abruptly in a flash of lightning and final crash of thunder. The full moon in the sky let Jason see the individual before him and he pulled them out of the surf. When he stopped, one of their hands clasped his forearm.

They groaned and started to say something in a language Jason did not understand. The individual rolled to their side and he could see a large wound in their side. He looked to the person and in the moonlight, Jason could see the individual was a hideous looking individual who looked at him with despair, fear, and wonder.

“It’s ok”, Jason said as he started taking off his shirt to use for a bandage. “I’m going to help you.”

The individual said something, and Jason shook his head.

“I don’t understand”, he said.

The individual slowly pointed up into the sky. Jason looked up. His eyes grew wide. Deep Space Five was falling from the sky, burning through the atmosphere. Jason stood and could only stare in disbelief as the station broke apart. As he did, he felt a pull on his pant leg.

As Jason looked down at his ‘patient’, with fear in their eyes, they said, “He’s coming.”

[OFF]


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Jason Haines
Beach Bum

 

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