Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 14:18:26 -0700 (MST) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Coup d'Etat - Chapter 30 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Chapter 30: Countdown There was gunfire all around as Al and Genine, as well as two corporals, slipped into the elevator and went down. "Be ready for anything," Al told the others. Another wave of pain grabbed his side and he leaned against the wall of the elevator cab for support. "Sir?" Genine said with concern. Al smiled at her reassuringly as the pain subsided. "You really need to be in the infirmary, sir," Genine said quietly. "I'll go when this complex is secure," Al told her. Genine exhaled slightly. She didn't have the time to argue with him as the doors of the elevator opened. "Spread out," Al ordered. "Remember, we want Burke alive if at all possible." Genine followed Al down the corridor, covering his back. As they drew closer to the Control Room, they could hear screams of pain echoing out into the corridor. Al and Genine exchanged glances. "Definitely his work, sir," Genine told Al. Al motioned her to one side of the door while he took the other. A moment later, Al opened the door. A bullet whizzed past them before they hurried into the room. Al quickly got on his right knee and Genine stood just behind and to the right of him, both with their pistols aimed at Burke. "Hello, Admiral," Burke said in a calm voice. In his left hand, he held a pistol, which was aimed at Gushie's head. In his right hand, he held a remote control. "Glad you could join us." He looked at Genine. "Hello, Genine. I'm rather disappointed in you. After all we've been through together, you betrayed my trust." "What trust?" Genine asked. "You don't even trust Stewart." Burke lowered his eyelids. "Ah, but you were my mistress." "All in the line of duty, General," Genine told him. Burke glared at her before turning his attention to Al. "Time to surrender, Admiral." "Surrender?" Al questioned. Burke showed him the remote control in his hand, letting him see the countdown. Six minutes forty-five seconds. "In about six minutes, the entire complex is going to be a ball of fire when an explosive attached to your reactor goes off. The chain reaction will not only destroy this complex but will also radiate everything within a ten mile radius, including the towns of Alamagordo and Stallion Springs, where your two youngest daughters live, I believe." Al took a deep breath. "Burke, you'd be killing yourself in the process." Burke laughed. "I have my means of escape." "The Accelerator Chamber," Al said with realization. Burke smiled. "Good for you, Albert! I see being brain dead hasn't slowed you down one bit. Oh, don't look so surprised, Genine. Anyone with half a brain can tell that the reason the computer and Dr. MacArthyr thought the Admiral was dead was because he was brain dead for a short period of time." He looked at the counter. "Less than five minutes, Admiral. Once it's past two minutes, there's no stopping it. And don't think you can stop it yourself. Only I have the deactivation code. And if you kill me, I can assure you that Dr. Conelf will join me." It only took a moment for Al to make his decision. He slowly lowered his pistol and stood up. "Put your gun down, Commander," Al told Genine. "That's an order." "Sir, he's bluffing," Genine told him. "Now, Genine!" Al yelled at her. She obeyed, slowly lowering her pistol to the floor. "Kick them to me," Burke told them. They obeyed. Burke quickly picked up the pistols, pocketing the control to do so. "You know," he said, taking out the control once again, "you should really listen to her, Admiral." He slowly backed away from them towards the Accelerator Chamber. "After being so closely undercover with me, she knows me very well. That explosive won't make a dent in your reactor but it will cause this complex to be shut down for a few years. You're going to have a lot of repairs to do, Admiral." He laughed, tossing the control at Al. He looked at Genine. "Before I leave, what's your real name?" "I can't tell you that, General," Genine told him. "For my own safety and the safety of my superior." Burke nodded slightly. "I understand." He smiled at her gently and pointed his gun at her. "Genine, I love you." He fired a single shot before diving into the Accelerator Chamber. Al quickly looked to Genine, who was laying on the floor bleeding. He hurriedly checked her. "I'm fine," she told him, lying. "Don't let him leap, sir." Al quickly stood up. "Gushie, I need you! Now!" Gushie quickly stood up and followed Al to the control console. "We have to stop him from leaping," Al told him. "We have no way of overriding it," Gushie told him. "Only Ziggy can override it and she's dead!" Al thought for a moment. "How long do we have?" "Thirty seconds," Gushie told him. "The General set it up so that he could activate the Accelerator by just stepping on the plate in the Accelerator Chamber." Al didn't wait to hear Gushie's statement. He hurried to the control console and quickly ripped off the cover of the console. "Watch Genine," Al ordered Gushie as he did so. Gushie furrowed his eyebrows. "Admiral, what are you doing?" Al quickly regarded the internal workings of the console. He reached his hand into the console and quickly ripped out several tubes and wires. "Admiral!" Gushie exclaimed. "That could cause a serious...." Before he could finish his sentence, there was a large explosion coming from the Accelerator Chamber, knocking Al and Gushie off of their feet. "You two okay?" Al asked Gushie. Gushie didn't say anything for a moment. He was staring in shock at the wreckage that once was the Accelerator Chamber. He finally nodded slowly. "I'm fine, Admiral, but she needs medical assistance immediately." Al nodded. He started lifting his radio when the Control Room door opened. "What the hell was that?" Al laughed. "Tom, good to see you. Genine's injured." "Where's Burke?" Tom asked. Al pointed to the remains of the Accelerator Chamber while ordering a medical team to the Control Room. "Holy shit, Al! What the hell did you do?" Tom exclaimed, walking towards the wreckage. Al hesitated. "Actually, I'm not sure. Ask Gushie," he told him, walking towards him. As he did so, he collapsed with a scream. Tom grabbed Al quickly before he could touch the floor. Al slowly raised himself, allowing himself to be supported by Tom's grasp. He couldn't hold his own weight. "Beth told me you needed to go to the infirmary," Tom said, sitting Al beside Genine, "and now I see why." He lowered himself to examine Al more carefully. "Geez, Al, what the hell did you do to yourself?" Al didn't answer, trying desperately to keep from screaming again. Tom took a breath. "Take it easy, okay?" he told him gently. "Paramedics are on their way." He looked about and noticed Howell's still form. He went over to the man and checked his pulse. He exhaled with pity. Howell was dead. As Tom stood up from the body, the medical team entered the Control Room and quickly went to Al and Genine. "Admiral! The control!" Genine exclaimed suddenly. Al quickly moved across the floor, despite the warnings of the med-techs, and grabbed the control. He pressed the only button on it. He exhaled with relief, dropping the control on the floor. Tom quickly went over to Al and raised him slightly so that Al was leaning against Tom's chest. "Al, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Al shivered slightly, weakened greatly by his excursion. Tom picked up the control and looked at the counter on it. Al took a peek at the counter himself and smiled. "Two seconds to spare," he announced with a whisper. Genine smiled. "Told you he was bluffing." Al tried hard not to laugh. ************************* Al was asleep when Beth woke him up in the infirmary. "Hi," she greeted with a smile. "Hi," he returned the greeting. "How's Genine?" "She's going to be fine," she told him. "You're both being transferred to the hospital in Albuquerque today." Al moaned slightly. "I hate hospitals." Beth smiled slightly. Her smiled faded slightly. "What is it?" Al asked. Beth hesitated. "I've been thinking a lot about the past few days. Everything that has happened has me worried." Al smiled gently at her. "Beth, I'll be fine. I promise you." She looked at him firmly. "What about your heart?" Al frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" Beth exhaled. "Al, that bullet may have been a catalyst to your heart attack but it certainly wasn't the cause of it." She hesitated. "You really have to take better care of yourself." Al nodded slowly. "Any suggestions?" Beth smiled slightly. "Actually, I have quite a few. And I'm sure your doctor in Albuquerque will agree with me. First of all, you are going to have to stop smoking those damned cigars." Al sighed. "I knew you were going to say that." Beth looked at him firmly. "I mean it, Al." Al looked into her eyes and saw the firmness in them. "Okay," he consented. "No more cigars." Beth nodded. "Second, you're going to have to take at least a month's vacation time, starting when you get home. That means absolutely no contact with the complex and no talking about work." Al exhaled. "What if Sam needs me?" Beth glared at him. "Then, you have someone else be his observer. Surely you've made provisions for such an occurrence?" Al exhaled. "I suppose we could get Gushie to be the observer but Sam won't like it." She smiled. "Finally, _you_ explain to Trudy why she had to delay her wedding." Al smiled widely. "You're a tough woman to live with," he commented. "And don't you forget it," Beth told him. ************************* Tom Beckett surveyed the wreckage in the Control Room that had been brought out what was left of the Accelerator Chamber. It was mostly a collection of scrap metal and wires as well as a few broken pieces of thick plastic and glass. Everything else was almost a harsh powder now. "So, what exactly happened to this thing?" Tom asked Gushie, who stood beside him with a very saddened look on his face. "When Admiral Calavicci pulled out those components from the control console, it caused a catastrophic quantum surge in the Accelerator Chamber," he explained to Tom. "And the result was this?" Tom questioned. Gushie sighed. "The Accelerator Chamber was not designed to withstand such an immense backlash of energy." As Gushie told him this, a lieutenant came up to Tom with a salute. Tom returned it and waited for what the lieutenant had to say. "No sign of General Burke, sir," the lieutenant reported. "Nothing?" Tom questioned. "No, sir. Nothing, sir." Tom looked at Gushie. "Could such an explosion...?" He let the question hang, not wanting to go into any particular details about how the explosion could effect the human body. Gushie closed his eyes and shivered slightly. "I'm afraid so. There might be nothing left of him to find." He hesitated. "Or he could have actually succeeded in leaping." Tom exhaled in frustration. "Gawd, I hope not." He looked at the lieutenant. "Okay, then, Lieutenant. Let's move this debry out of the way." "Aye, sir," the lieutenant replied. "Okay, people! Let's move it!" he ordered before joining the others. Tom sighed, turning to Gushie. "Thank you, Dr. Conelf. Why don't you get some rest. You appear to need it." Gushie nodded. "Thank you," he replied just before leaving the Control Room. Tom took a deep breath before joining his men in the task of moving the debry. ************************ Chapter 31 next. After that, only one more chapter. Well, you do want to know how it ends, don't you? Rob and Kathie Freymuth