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What Did Anglo-Force Look Like?

I've been playing around with one of those AI art generator things, generating images for some of the old Anglo-Force characters in a ...

Tuesday 2 November 2021

The Frankenstein Factor - Civil War Chapter One

    Jeffrey Sinclair was a very busy man. Two days previously he had been notified by Starfleet Command of something he had been told about by James Watt. In one month’s time he would take command of the U.S.S. Lohengrin, the third ship to bare that name and the sister ship of the Valkyrie. The past forty-eight hours had been spent planning his move, and a few hours earlier he had just received his new uniform, coloured red and black and with four rank insignia, showing that he was the commanding officer of his own ship.
    As he packed his personal belongings the door buzzer sounded. A few seconds later Lieutenant Michael Garibaldi, the security chief of Babylon 5, entered. He looked around at the mess that once was Sinclair’s quarters.
    “So you’ve decided to take the Lohengrin.” said Garibaldi.
    “It’s a chance I can’t refuse. I’d be a fool to turn this down.”
    “Any word on who is going to replace you?”
    “They say Captain John Sheridan. I’ve heard he’s a more than capable officer.”
    Garibaldi looked around at the quarters, as if he was trying to find the right thing to say in a tense moment.”
    “What does Miss Sakai have to say about this?”
    “She’s away on a survey, but once she’s finished I’m hoping she’ll join me on the Lohengrin. I’m hoping to pull a few strings to get her into the geology department.”
    “You may have a problem because she hasn’t been to the Academy.”
    Garibaldi, fed up with this politeness, suddenly lost his rag.
    “Damn it Jeff, why do you have to do this? You made this station!”
    “This station will exist long after I’m gone. Babylon 5 is the sum of it’s parts, it’s not just one man. I need to get out of here Michael before I go mad!”
    “Well I hope you know what you’re doing. This place won’t seem the same without you. I just hope Captain Sheridan is up to the job.”
    Sinclair smiled at his old friend.
    “Well, if he isn’t, you and Ivanova will just have to house train him!”
    Laughter filled the air, but the sound was interrupted with Sinclair’s communicator sounded. The call came from the cargo bay area.
    “Sinclair here.”
    “Commander, we’ve got a problem down here. A shipment just came in from Earth, and it’s owner won’t let it go through!”
    Sinclair let out a huge sigh.
    “Do you want me to see to this?” asked Garibaldi.
    “No.” said Sinclair. “I’m still commanding officer of this station, for a few days anyway. Oh well! Let’s get this over with!”



    A short time later Sinclair arrived in the cargo bay. He soon saw the argument that was taking place. A tall man with dark slicked-back hair was going to it with one of the customs workers. The exchange was getting very heated, and it was a good job that Sinclair arrived when he did because they would have probably come to blows. All the same Sinclair had to shout to make himself heard.
    “Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Please! Now what seems to be the problem here?”
    The tall man spoke first.
    “This buffoon won’t let my cargo through. I have papers to say it doesn’t have to go through customs!”
    “And you are…?”
    “Frankenstein, Doctor Hector Frankenstein. Look, here are the papers.”
    Frankenstein handed Sinclair the papers. Sinclair studied them intently. They gave Frankenstein permission to take his cargo directly from the ship without having it checked through customs.
    “These appear to be in order.” said Sinclair, handing the papers back to Frankenstein. “Okay, let it through.”
    “I’ll get a jack to take the crate to your quarters.”
    “That will not bee needed.” said Frankenstein, motioning to his assistant. A short, rather ugly man stepped forward. With a slight heave he picked the huge crate up in his arms.
    “Thank you Commander.” said Frankenstein. “I hope that this will never happen again!”
    And with that Frankenstein and his assistant left the cargo bay. As soon as Frankenstein was out of sight Sinclair activated his communicator.
    “Sinclair to Ivanova.”
    “Ivanova here.”
    “Commander, I’d like you to run a check on a Doctor Hector Frankenstein, find out what he’s doing here on B5.”
    Sinclair then heard a slight giggle on the communicator.
    “Is anything wrong Commander?”
    “Err…no sir. I’ll get onto it right away!”
    Sinclair then made his way towards the cargo bay exit. As he walked he thought about Ivanova’s giggle, and then it hit him - Frankenstein! Obviously a relation to the famous Victor Frankenstein. Sinclair hoped that madness didn’t run in that family!

    Doctor Stephen Franklin stood on MedLab having just completed a post-mortem. The previous night there had been a brawl in one of the bars in the Down Below area of B5. Unfortunately one man was fatally stabbed during the fight, and it was on this man Franklin had just completed the post-mortem on. Post-mortems were the one part of being a doctor that Franklin hated. Shortly afterwards he signalled to one of his assistants, who took the body to the morgue. Franklin then went to his office to complete the report. He accessed the computer and began to speak.
    “Computer, re-open post-mortem file.”
    Franklin coughed, clearing his throat before he began to talk.
    “In conclusion, subject died of a stab wound which penetrated the sternum. File closed.”
    Franklin leaned back in his chair and then remembered he had one more thing to do. He activated his communicator.
    “Franklin to Garibaldi.”
    “Go ahead Doctor.”
    “I’ve just completed the report on the stabbing victim. Regulations say I need you to counter-sign to show the investigation is complete.”
    “Can it wait until the morning? I’m tied down with all my other reports, and I’m getting pretty tired. I was going to turn in in a while.”
    “Certainly. He’s not going anywhere. Franklin out. And by the way Chief…”
    “What?”
    “Sweet dreams!”
    Franklin then let out a huge yawn. It had been a long day for him also, and hearing Garibaldi talking about how tired he was made him realise how tired he was. Switching off the terminal and the lights he decided to turn in for the evening.
    As Franklin took off his tunic and walked in the direction of his quarters he failed to notice someone in the shadows watching him. As soon as Franklin turned a corner and was out of the sight the man came out of the shadows. It was Frankenstein’s assistant. He looked around to see if anyone else was about. He looked into the MedLab window. He smiled. There was no one around. Good he thought. Taking out a small device he soon had the door to MedLab open. Slowly he went inside.

    It was eight o’clock the next morning when Garibaldi met Franklin outside MedLab. Both men yawned. It had been a very late night for both of them, and they hadn’t managed to get much sleep.
    “You look as bad as I feel!” said Franklin.
    Garibaldi smiled rhyely. There were times when he could have punched the good doctor.
    “Let’s get this over with.” he said. “My desk is stacked a mile high with unfinished reports!”
    As they entered the morgue Franklin got an uneasy feeling.
    “What’s wrong?” Garibaldi asked.
    “Probably nothing. It’s as if someone has been in here who shouldn’t have!”
    “Not developing telepathy are you?” joked Garibaldi, fifteen all he thought.
    “The body’s over here.”
    Franklin led Garibaldi over the drawer. Tapping the panel next to the drawer he pulled it out. When the drawer was out fully he looked inside. He could not believe his eyes.
    “What’s wrong?” asked Garibaldi.
    “The body! It’s gone!”


 

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