Watch a fight

Posted on Wed Oct 30, 2019 @ 4:57pm by Lieutenant Penelope Naroot & Commander Cullen Walker

1,248 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Nibiru
Location: Holodeck 1

Walker timed his approach well. He worked Security and Field Intelligence for years of his life. Years of training. He walked by Penny's Quarters. As he walked by, stuck a card to her door and hit the buzzer. He kept on walking and went to holodeck 1. The card said, 'Wear something non regulation formal. Meet me a holodeck 1.'

Penny jumped in surprise, hearing her buzzer and went to the door, but stopped as she sat the card stuck in. She plucked it carefully and looked it over, making note of the handwriting. She flicked her wrist, her silver wand slipping out of her sleeve, and scanned the card, watching the blinking lights that gave her the DNA readout. "Interesting," she said.

At holodeck 1, Walker opened up the program 'Kumite Replay 1'. It wasn't a truly interactive program, but like going to a movie. He waited outside what appeared to be a warehouse. He waited for his 'date'. He wore a grey suit and a button down shirt. His lapel pin was a black stone with three swords carved into it, the swords filled with silver. His shoes were shined, his fingernails clean, and his hair pulled back, through a large silver bead with the same three swords. On his neck, he had an Yggdrasil pendant on a leather cord. He waited.

A few minutes later, the holodeck doors opened and Penny walked in, wearing her blue and gold sari, her hair braided, and a look of unabashed curiosity on her face. "You needed me, Commander?" she said politely.

Walker looked at her, "You can tell me if I am wrong, and I will apologize and submit Documentation to the Captain requesting a reprimand. We discussed a social interaction outside of our roles as Starfleet Officers, a date. If that is the case, and I am correct in my understanding, then for non Starfleet social encounters, you can call me Cullen."

Penny's head tilted. "We had discussed surfing. I wasn't aware it was a date." She blinked as she processed it. "I'm flattered though." She smiled at him. "Where are we, exactly?"

Walker looked at her, "This is a building about 20 years ago that is being used by The Black Dragon Society. I couldn't reproduce Lua arena. I had a severe concussion that night." He shrugged. "I can reproduce this. You seemed like you wanted to know me. This is part of who I am."

Penny's mind scoured for information on the Black Dragon Society as she looked around politely. "I see...well, if this is part of you then it should be informative," she said. "What did you do here? I'm guessing from the look of the place, physical competition."

Walker escorted her inside, he handed the guard an invitation. "She is with me." They were allowed inside. "In ancient Japan, between Wars Wars they needed a way to keep their Samurai strong and in shape for battle. The Kyoga Ryu Kai gave them this. The location is a secret until the tournament. Every five years, they send out invitations to the greatest Earth Martial Artist. Some say they have a deal with Section 31 to stay in Operation. My family provided three martial artists for this Tournament. As far as the program is concerned, we are spectators." There was beating drums. The inside had silks and traditional drums. It was beautiful compared to the outside. There were Admirals Foreign Dignitaries from other worlds. There was a lot of gold pressed Latinum going around. "Last night, was an opening ceremony. Tonight is the first set of fights. There are four ways to win. First, knock the person out. Second, make them say mite. Third, throw them off the platform."

Penny hesitated as she looked around. "And...fourth?"

Walker closed his eyes, "In conversing about Kumite, a martial artist doesn't speak the fourth way aloud. We should be trained well enough we don't have to employ it." There were a lot of martial artist, including a younger version of Walker. He was sitting with two of his half brothers. One of his brothers got called up. His brother's opponent beat him, harshly. The opponent pointed at the two Walkers and snapped their brother's neck in front of them. He killed their brother for pleasure. Kumite rules forbid them from running up on the platform. The guy laughed.

Penny's baby blue eyes couldn't have gotten any bigger, and she couldn't have gone much paler. "That....he.....why?" She put her hands to her mouth and shook slightly. If she could have been nauseous, she'd have vomited all over the holographic spectators. She backed away slightly from the sight. *I will never understand humans,* a stray thought said, as it passed through her mind. She'd seen people die, seen them killed. It never made sense. Even her makers couldn't explain it to her.

She turned her back on the sight and hunched her shoulders, putting her hands over her ears. "Please, turn it off," she said, trying to ignore the sound of the laughter and the crowd around her.

Walker spoke, "Computer. Freeze program." He looked at her. "This moment shaped who I was. I'm sorry. I was trying to share what made me who I am. Fighting in Starfleet Tournaments, even in Mokbara, I never met a Monster like that. I fought him three times before I beat him. Even War and Post war clean up couldn't prepare me enough for him."

Penny's eyes were large, haunted and brimming with tears when she finally turned back to look at him. "Why would anyone do something like this? It's awful!" She looked at him. "What were you thinking?"

Walker looked at her, "Honor. My family fought at this for generation. For that asshole, it is for the kill. For the rest of us, it is honor and camaraderie. We all all share something because we are the best. Coming here makes us better."

She looked at him like he'd just told her that the fabric of space time was made of chocolate chip cookies. "Better? What better is there here? Humanity beating each other, hurting each other, same as they have for centuries?" She looked at the body on the floor. "And he was your brother? You.....you could let him do this?"

Walker looked at her, "That guy, killed my brother." His brother laid on the platform with his head twisted around. "We could all die. We trained to fight warriors, not psychopaths. We knew death and maiming was a possibility, but this made it real."

Penny was trying to get her breathing under control and was trying to find a place to look that didn't horrify her. "Why...why did you lead me in here to show me this?"

Walker looked at her, "I was trying to show you what makes me, me."

"That you engage in bloodsport? That you lose your brother to it? That a psychopath entered your life?" Tears didn't stop flowing now. "I'm sorry...I...I don't have a way to process this. I have to go. Exit!" As the doors appeared and opened, she turned and walked away quickly.

Walker answered, "End program." Another woman who didn't want to know him. This moment and the pursuit of getting that killer locked up, because it filled his mind.

He gave it twenty minutes, he went to her quarters and pushed the button for the buzzer. She didn't answer, so he went back to his quarters.

 

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