It's moving on. In this chapter Melanie finds there are not only strange people around her and her situation is going to be settled.
The next morning she woke up, the first time after ages without any pain. After a refreshing bathroom trip she saw a plate with breakfast on the tray of the channel where she had received the sedative. She ate the bread and the egg and drank the coffee but left the strange looking mash behind. After she finished she put the plate back on the tray and sat on the bed and then she waited. Only a few minutes later the door opened and the strange man with the yellow eyes entered.
"Good morning Melanie. Did you have a good night?" She nodded but she was too fascinated by his odd appearance to speak.
"Lt. Yar agreed to an interrogation but she wants to be present. Furthermore you have to be shackled. Do you agree as well?" All she wanted now was answers and she couldn't imagine anything worse than the situation she was in now.
"Yeah, why not?" The man pressed his button on his shirt. "Lt. Comdr. Data to Lt. Yar. Miss Kampen has agreed to the interrogation." From somewhere came a voice.
"Alright Data. I'll come. Don't deactivate the force field until I'm there." The man quickly moved around the desk and pushed a few buttons.
"Please sit on the bed. I will replicate a chair in your cell." Instead of questioning she sat again down on the bed and moved her legs to her chest. A blue rain fell in the cell and moments later a metal chair appeared.
"It is Lt. Yar's order for you to sit on the chair." As soon as she placed herself on the cold metal surface strange metal handcuffs wrapped around her wrists. The chain on both sides was about twenty centimeters long and seemed to be very fragile but when she pulled it didn't gave way a tiny bit. Two minutes later the door opened again and the woman with the yellow suit entered. She was armed because Melanie noticed the weapon like thing on the belt of the woman.
"Hello Miss Kampen. My name is Lt. Tasha Yar. I'm head of security aboard this ship. I will supervise the interrogation." The man deactivated the force field and materialized another chair across from her. He sat down neatly with his hands on his thighs and an unnatural straight back.
"At first I want to ask you some questions." He said. "Do you remember anything that has happened before you woke up on the Enterprise?"
"Yes I do. I was in the cellar looking for my suitcase and there was something very odd. I don't know what it was but it somehow transported me here."
"Please tell me more about the place where you were and under what circumstances did you have to visit the cellar?"
"That was the cellar of my boarding school. I had to go there because I needed my suitcase. It was the last day of school." The woman stepped a few steps closer.
"What exactly is a boarding school?" Instead of Melanie the man answered.
"The boarding school dates back very early in the 19th century but the school Miss Kampen is talking about was established in Great Britain in the early 20th century. Most of the schools were closed with the Third World War." Melanie's eyes widened and she opened her mouth in fear.
"What do you mean Third World War?" Data turned away from the woman and faced her.
"Before the first contact 2061 earth almost broke down in poverty and war so the early superpowers started a war which killed 600 million of earth's citizens. After the war the planet was in a nuclear winter." She wanted to cover her mouth with her hands but the chains blocked them.
"When did the war start?" She whispered.
"2026." This time the woman answered.
"That's 14 years from now!" It wasn't accurate but in this moment she didn't care.
"So you are saying that you found the way to the Enterprise in the year 2012?" She nodded. After the information about her planet she felt unable to speak. It took her almost a minute to regain her voice.
"Can I ask you a question as well?"
"Certainly you can."
"What are you? I suppose you're not human." The man shook his head.
"No I am not. I am an android." The answer didn't answer any of her questions.
"What in earth is an android? I always had Apple." Both the man and the woman looked as confused as her. Obviously the meaning of an android was different than she thought.
"Never mind." They still looked confused but the man answered her question.
"I am certainly not an apple. An android is a computer. I am what you would call a machine."
"You're a robot." She stated.
"No I am an android. A robot is primitive." She looked on the ground and bit her lip.
"Please tell what you did when you appeared on the Enterprise." Melanie looked at the woman not sure if she wanted her to hear everything she did but finally she decided to do so.
"Well, I woke up in this cargo hall." She told them all about her trip through the service slots. When she told them what she heard through the ceiling and how she entered the first apartment the woman's jaw dropped. She also told them about the fear and the confusion she had felt the last couple of days. After she finished the man stood up and his chair disappeared.
"I will free you from the handcuffs now. Do not move." The woman pulled her weapon and held it in her direction while the man made her handcuffs disappear. The two of them stepped into the other section of the room and the force field activated.
"Please stand up. I will dissolve your chair." The man said and a few seconds later the chair indeed disappeared. Before they left the woman turned to Melanie.
"I'll visit you tonight when I know when the captain will hold the trial." The door closed behind them and the room felt in total silence. She soon was bored and touched the force field. This time it didn't burn but it felt somehow weaker. It still made her skin tingle but the sensation was uninteresting after a while. Instead she went back to the bed and stretched her hips. The tendons in her thighs were more resistant than they used to be and she couldn't bend into a proper split. The hours went on and she tried to kill the time with her ballet routines and stretching but after just two hours she was so exhausted that she had to take a nap. When she woke up from it the woman in the yellow suit wasn't there. Instead she went through a second set of routines. Just as she tackled the proper split the door opened and the security lady and the doctor entered. The expression on the doctor's face changed as soon as she saw what Melanie did.
"Get up!" She yelled and pulled out her strange instrument. "Sit down on the bed and don't move." The other woman deactivated the force field and the doctor entered her cell. She moved the blinking thing up and down Melanie's legs as soon as she sat down.
"Your thigh tendons are strained again. If you do this again I'll restrain you to your bed and only let you move under supervision." She wasn't joking. Instead she went back to the other woman and the force field activated.
"Your trial is tomorrow. The ship's lawyer will help you and you will meet her tomorrow morning. I have to warn you. She's more than competent but she looks very young." The security lady said.
"Do you have any questions?" Melanie shook her head. The doctor opened the strange tray at the wall and some food appeared.
"Good eating and eat up. You need it." They left and Melanie concentrated on her food. She got pizza, at least it looked like pizza but in a little bowl in on corner of the plate was a pill. Perhaps a sleeping pill. Whatever it was she was fast asleep only five minutes later.
The next day Melanie woke up with a nervous feeling in her stomach. A plate with breakfast was placed in her cell, this time without the grey mash and with more of the other stuff. She didn't feel very hungry and only ate half of it. She just put the rest of the food on the tray and waited for her lawyer. The time went on slowly and she lied back on the bed to get a bit more sleep. Just as she slowly shifted into the dream world the hiss of the doors opening awakes her and she sat up. The security lady was there again but this time accompanied by a very young woman. She looked only a few years older than Melanie and she was somehow familiar to her. The woman herself obviously recognized her as well.
"Melanie?" Suddenly she remembered her.
"Kathi!" She leaped up from the bed and bumped into the force field.
"Deactivate the force field Lt." The young woman said but the other one shook her head.
"She has to be tied up." The two women stared at each other but the security lady didn't surrender. She turned to Melanie.
"Put your hands behind your back. I'll give you handcuffs. This should be enough." A strange sound appeared and Melanie felt cold metal around her wrists. After that the force field dropped and her old friend from school entered her cell. Katharina threw her arm around her and pulled her to her chest.
"I've seen you disappear but I never thought I would see you again." She turned to Lt Yar and glared at her.
"I can assure you that she isn't dangerous usually. I've known Melanie since I was 14. The handcuffs are not necessary." Lt. Yar's face stayed solid.
"She threatened Counselor Troi with a knife." Now Katharina completely let go of Melanie and stepped towards Lt. Yar.
"Because she was scared and confused. Waking up in a strange place all alone can be a pretty terrifying situation."
"However, this does not excuse her actions." Katharina rolled with her eyes and sighed.
"This is not the place to discuss this. At first I have to talk to Melanie." Lt. Yar nodded and stood at the wall. Meanwhile Katharina guided Melanie to her bed and they both sat down.
"Kathi, what's going on?" She pulled on knee to her chest and answered her friend.
"The situation looks like this. You are charged with attempted grievous bodily harm and the captain will supervise your hearing this afternoon. I've spoken to Deanna and she can understand your reaction."
"Who is Deanna? Is she the woman I, well, attacked?" Melanie interrupted her but Katharina nodded.
"She won't pledge against you but that doesn't mean you will get away with it. I recommend you say the truth but leave the debating to me." Melanie bit her lip and stared at the floor.
"Kathi, I'm scared." Katharina laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled sadly.
"You don't have to be. Nothing can go wrong. The worst thing possible is you having to stay under supervision for a couple of days." A little tear rolled down Melanie's cheek. Katharina bended forward and brushed away the tear. The gesture had something loving. Something Melanie had missed a lot.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Do you want to know anything else?" Melanie shook her head.
"Ok, the Captain will await you in half an hour in the observation lounge. Come on get yourself clean and please brush your hair." Katharina got up and went over to the security lady and the force field reappeared. Melanie's handcuffs disappeared and she rubbed her wrists. As quickly as she could she made a human out of herself and within a few minutes she was finished.
"Cmdr. Meunier has asked me to let you walk freely. I can only accept it if she vouches for you. Do you agree?" She was so flashed that she nodded without thinking. The force field deactivated again and Melanie stepped for the first time into the other section of the room. Katharina laid one hand on her shoulder. For the first time she was taller than her and it felt somehow strange. In total silence the three women left the room and stepped on the corridor. It was much like the one she had already been in. They headed for the end of the corridor to a tiny room. This one looked exactly like the one the counsellor had gone in.
"Deck 2." The security lady said and the doors closed. The chamber started moving upwards. It was obviously an elevator. It stopped just a few seconds later and the doors opened. The next corridor distinguished only a little from the one before. Katharina gently guided her to a door on the left. The observation lounge was simply breathtaking. Behind the window was the same star background like she had seen before. In the middle of the room was a long table with about a dozen comfortable looking chairs around. A few of these chairs were occupied. Melanie recognized the woman with the curly hair who she had attacked and she stared at the floor. There were also two strange men and a very scary looking man with a definitely non-human face as well as the android who had interrogated her. Katharina pulled back a chair for Melanie to sit and placed herself in the one next to it.
"Well Melanie, I'm Captain Jean Luc Picard of the Enterprise." The older man said, "And this is my first officer Comdr. Riker. We have to discuss what has happened between you and Counsellor Troi. Do you want to tell us what happened?" She started talking and told them everything. When she was finished the captain looked very concerned.
"You do understand that you have to be punished although I can understand why you did it." She nodded. Suddenly the woman with the curly hair raised her voice.
"Captain, I suggest Melanie comes to me for treatment. Maybe we can find a solution without a real punishment." Melanie shyly lifted her head to catch a glimpse of the woman and there was no anger in her expression. It was just pity.
"If I may say something." It came from the security lady. "According to star fleet regulations an incident like this has to be punished and reported. I also think that Miss Kampen's behavior was unacceptable no matter in what situation she was." Next to Melanie Katharina closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"What if I took full responsibility for Melanie and everything she does from now on? I swear by my rank that she won't cause any further trouble." All the heads instantly turned to her.
"I'm very fond of your idea Cmdr. Meunier but Lt. Yar is also right. I think the best for all of you is that Melanie talks to Counsellor Troi and they discuss this issue and Melanie, you will work in ten forward. This is the best place to get to know the crew and our culture. Rina can be your guardian. I don't have a problem with that. And since you've already spent three days in the brig I find another stay there is not necessary." Everyone accept for Lt. Yar was happy with the decision.
"Thank you." Melanie smiled in relief.
"But if you cause any trouble in the future you will face serious consequences." Her smile weakened a bit but she nodded bravely. They all got up and Katharina put her arm around Melanie's shoulder. But before they could leave the room Dr. Crusher called them back.
"Melanie, wait! I have to run some tests on you. Follow me to sick bay please." Katharina let go of her and nodded to assure her everything was alright. Dr. Crusher left the room quickly and she followed her a few steps behind. Although she had already seen sickbay before she now captured more details and found it even more amazing than the first time. The few patience and nurses present looked at Melanie curiously.
"Lie down on that bed get there." Dr. Crusher said and pointed to a strange looking bed on the wall. She went through the room and came back holding one of these strange instruments Melanie had seen before. Melanie was way too astonished to move and when Dr. Crusher was standing in front of her again she flinched.
"Move! " She said but in a friendly tone. Melanie climbed on the bed and lied down. The doctor removed the blinking object from the instrument and moved it up and down her body. She on the other hand was bursting with curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm checking your body functions. This is a tricoder. I can scan your body temperature and blood for example. In your case everything's alright now but your joints mustn't be put under pressure. You can go." She sat up and swung her legs off the bed.
"I don't know where to go now." The doctor put the instrument on a small table and pushed this strange button on her shirt.
"Dr. Crusher to Cmdr. Meunier. Please report to sickbay." Melanie pulled her legs into a tailor's seat but Dr. Crusher puller her ankles down.
"That's exactly what I meant when I told you to be careful with your joints. Wait, I'll put a transponder in your leg that will read your movements over the next week and if I see you doing this again, I'll put your legs in braces." Melanie bit her lip and followed the gentle hand of the doctor laying her down again. She got another instrument from somewhere and Melanie felt a small but sharp pain in her left calve, but a moment later the pain was already gone. The doors to sickbay opened and Katharina entered. She looked around and when she found Melanie her mood brightened.
"Hey Melli, how are you doing?" Dr. Crusher stepped in front of Melanie and put her hands in her pockets.
"Cmdr., she needs to rest and she must be careful with her joints. I've put a transponder in her leg and she has to report back here in a week." Katharina nodded and Melanie jumped off the bed. Both of them left sickbay and they headed the lift at the end of the corridor.
"Melanie, I have to tell you something." Melanie looked up into her friends eyes. "Yes?"
"I have a boyfriend and you've already met him. He's the android who interrogated you." Her eyes widened in astonishment.
"This is your boyfriend? Awesome. But tell me, he said it's the year 2364. How can you still be alive?" She could clearly see that Katharina was not comfortable with the situation at all.
"There is something else I already should have told you when we went to school." She stopped and looked around to see that they were alone. "I'm, well, not human." Melanie was less impressed than she should have been.
"So, what are you then?" She smiled and revealed her teeth.
"I'm a vampire!" Melanie's jaw dropped.
"You're joking. A vampire? That explains a lot." She thought of the unusual pale skin, even as a teenager, and Katharina's constant sunburns.
"Are you still ok with living with me?" Katharina was quite concerned now, but Melanie shrugged her shoulders.
"Of course I am. I mean, what in earth should you do. The rest of the people here live with it just well." A bright smile appeared on her friends face. She wrapped one arm around Melanie's shoulder and guided her down the corridor to the elevator.
"I should teach you the words for all the things around here. I'm pretty sure you don't know them." Melanie glared at her.
"I know something. This is an elevator."
"No it's not. We call it a turbo lift." She narrowed her eyes even more and growled. The turbo lift suddenly stopped and the doors opened. Again, the corridor behind it looked similar to every corridor she had seen. At one point Katharina suddenly turned left and the doors to a small apartment opened.
"These are my quarters. For now you can have my bed. I don't need it." She went to another room and came back with knee-length shirt.
"You can wear this. Tomorrow I can replicate something for you to wear but for the moment this will do. Are you hungry?" Melanie nodded. Her friend went to a slot in the wall and pushed a button. "A sandwich with cheese." A second later she was holding a plate with a sandwich on it.
"That's amazing. How did you do it?" Melanie took the plate from Katharina and sat down on the sofa in the middle of the living room.
"This is a replicator. You can make food or clothing with it. We don't have kitchens anymore." Melanie took a huge bite of her sandwich and it was amazing, even of the best she'd ever had.
"That's why I didn't find any food or drink in any of the apartments I was in." Katharina smiled her indulgent smile and Melanie knew what was coming.
"It's quarters, not apartment. We're on a military-like vessel." She sighed and finished her food.
"Is there anything else you need before you go to bed?" She shook her head and yawned. Her friend guided her to her bedroom and showed her a place to put her clothes.
"Have a good night. Tomorrow I'll take you to ten forward. Don't worry, everyone's very nice." Melanie was asleep as soon as she touched the sheets. Strangely this bed was much more comfortable than the one in the brig.
There will be at least one more chapter and I hope I can update soon. In the meantime please review.