The Last Word
Summary: What happens when an outsider interferes with the bond between Sentinel and Guide?
Warning: Death Story! This is bleak and depressing, folks. No happiness here.
Originally written as Dues on the SentinelAngst Mailing List
Note: Since this is a radical departure from my usual writing style, I have added author notes to the end of the page explaining why I wrote this story the way I did. If you're interested. Or not.
August 2001
A knock at the door. "Sir?"
"You have him?"
"Yes, Sir."
"And Sandburg's research?"
"We recovered that as well."
"Good. That will be all."
A pause. "We've put Ellison in a holding cell. However, there was a problem."
"What type of problem?"
"Mr. Sandburg was present during the retrieval. The team took him as well. He was severely injured during the take-down and it was felt that leaving him behind would...complicate matters. We've left him with Ellison in the cell. Should we provide medical attention?"
"Let him die." The voice was indifferent. "Losing Sandburg will make Mr. Ellison realize his cooperation is necessary for his own survival."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two men stared into the grey room, watching the motionless figure hold the dead body of his friend across his lap. A hand rhythmically stroking the blood-matted hair of his lost companion was the only sign of life. Blue eyes stared vacantly ahead.
"How long has he been like that?"
"Four hours now. Since Sandburg stopped breathing."
"When did he stop yelling for help?"
"It took almost 24 hours before he realized nothing would be done. That's when he retreated to the bed and held Sandburg as he died."
"We'll give him another 12 hours. That should be sufficient time for him to get over the shock. Then we can retrieve the body and begin introducing Ellison to his new life."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Running footsteps echoed through the empty halls as the scientist burst into the General's office. "Sir, please tell me you picked up Ellison's friend, Sandburg!"
"Yes, we did, but..."
A sigh of relief. "Thank God. Without Sandburg, Ellison will be useless."
Carefully veiled eyes hid the sudden unease of the man behind the desk. "Dr. Spont, perhaps you'd better tell me exactly what you mean?"
"Sandburg's research, sir. A Sentinel is prone to what he calls 'zone-outs', where he gets lost in a sort of sensory overload. Only his companion, who Sandburg labeled the 'Guide' can pull him out. Without the Guide, the Sentinel will go mad or stay zoned, eventually resulting in irreversible catatonia and possibly death."
An uncomfortable silence grew as the General considered that he may have been a bit hasty in his decisions regarding Ellison's friend. "So we get him a new guide. Sandburg will not be able to fulfill that duty any longer."
"Sir, I don't think you understand. I said, 'the' Guide, not 'a' guide."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The General and the doctor stood back as the door swung open to reveal Ellison still holding Sandburg. His hand was no longer moving, and the open blue eyes still gazing vacantly ahead at nothing were filmed by the glaze of death.
Dr. Spont approached the bodies of the men hesitantly, reaching forward to lay fingers against the still neck. The pulse in the corded neck lay silent, the skin cool and hard beneath his hand. Glancing at the sheet next to the two men, he turned away in unwilling sorrow, mourning the loss to his research. "He had the last word in the end."
The General looked down, seeing the last epitaph of Ellison and Sandburg scrawled in blood on the stiffening sheets.
"Without the Guide, there is no reason for the Sentinel."
Fin
Author's notes on this story: I vowed never to write a death story because I love happy endings. But, this plot bunny just wouldn't go away, despite repeated attempts on my part to have it taken out and shot. So, I figured if I had to write it, I would make it as spare and bleak as possible, with little descriptive narrative to soften it. I chose to write it from the point of view of the bad guys to emphasize the impersonality and the lack of caring and emotion given the captives. Finally, just a little pun that I had to add for personal amusement. 'Without the Guide, there is no REASON for the Sentinel', which tied back up into the comment by the doctor that losing the Guide would result in the Sentinel going mad or catatonic. I couldn't resist. My only enjoyment in this whole sorry tale, I'm afraid.