Title: Starlight, Starlight
Chapter 7: Of Eyes And Idiots.
Author: Steven Quinlan
Disclaimer: I own them all....Psych! However
the plot is mine
Disclaimer 2: Most of the dialogue for the Harper/Trance scene came from Satansrobot's 4th challenge description
Archives: Let me know where, but otherwise feel free to archive
----
Beware the truth/ It burns like fire in eyes
Beware of honest faces/ they usually tell lies
- Unknown Human Poet
CY 6532
----
Seamus Harper's Point Of View
----
"Harper, are you sure about this?"
I heave a slight sigh, for all her incredible babeness, Trance can be awfully squeamish at times. I mean, it's our ship right, so there's nothing wrong with a little midnight excursion to the medical deck.
I mean, we're just going to have a litle poke around, maybe hook one of the new eyes up to the computer and have a look at it before they install it in my head, and I don't know, perhaps catch a movie. Just a normal night of fun right?
Yeah, okay, I'm not kidding anyone. I'm a raving paranoid at the moment, and the only thing worse than the agony of having to wait untill tomorrow to have the eyes installed , is the fact that I'm scared to death Tyr is right, and this is going to be too good to be true.
That and the doctor freaks me out, I mean it's not because he's a Nietzschean.... well, not only because he's a Nietzschean..... oh to heck with it. The man is a Nietzschean and I don't want a Nietzschean to be poking at me with sharp things when I'm not awake.
No, strike that, I don't want him poking me with sharp object when I'm awake or asleep. I know I shouldn't worry, Alexander and his buddies have been almost perfect houseguests. They have kept mostly to themselves, but they are quite happy to sit and talk, or play a game of hoops with Dylan.
What's more everyone is going to be there. Rommie and Trance will be watching and Tyr has made it quite clear that nothing medically is going to be done to anyone without him there to 'observe', which I think is just Tyr-speak, aka, a really nice way of saying 'I'm there to kill you if you step out of line'. So really I shouldn't be worryings, though that's never stopped me before.
"Yes Trance, I'm sure. Now help me get behind the console would you." I keep my tone light. Trance is doing me a favor, and I really don't want to upset her. There is nothing worse than watching my sparkly purple babe be upset, even if I can't see.
I feel her slim velvety hands grab my arm, and while she is guiding me towards the seats, I revel in the feeling of her holding me for a moment. She then sits me down infront of a console and I start getting ready.
The doc left the eyes here overnight, and trance is going to grab one of them and put it on the scanner, I'm then going to jack in and check it out, we'll put it back and no one will be the wiser. I mean, no one is going to come to the Med deck at four in the morning without a reason, and Rommie has us in privacy mode, so no one should know.
I listen as Trance picks up something and puts it in front of me.
"Here it is Harper, now I'm going to stand by the door untill you're done." I nod absentmindedly as I plug in the Jack, then I feel for the scanner switch and trip it. Lastly I reach out to where I think Trance put down the eye.
Can I just interrupt here to say that, sure, in twenty-twenty hindsight, Ii should have had trance hand it to me? Good, I just wanted to get that off my chest.
Anyway, I reach out to it, and even as I grab for it, I can hear it start to roll. With a very quick note of quickly suppressed panic, I try and lunge for it, which is a big mistake, and only succeed in knocking it right off the table
As it falls to the ground and hits it with a sound that, in the quiet medbay, sounds like a gunshot, there's only one phrase that goes through my mind.
"Uh oh."
"Uh oh?" You know, it just isn't fair how much disbelief she can put in her voice.
There's a perfect moment of silence between us while I think about the fact that I cannot find this thing without her.
"What have you done now?"
"I dropped it." I decide to pre-emptively wince, as I know she's going to get a look on her face, any second now.
"You dropped it?!" Yup, there is that look. I can't see it, but I can just imagine it. Pretty eyes wide, eyebrows somewhere above her hairline, jaw slightly open. Oh yeah, that's the 'I can't believe Harper did that' look.
"You are such an id-" okay, she's right, but this I don't need.
"Shut up and help me find it before-"
"Too late ..." she interrupts me, as the outer door to the medbay is opened. Trance pulls me down and real close.
"It's Dylan and the doctor, I can hear them talking. I'll try and put back the eye, just stay down behind the equipment."
Before I can tell her no, she's gone again, and I take her advice and slide under one of the workstations. Dylan may be an okay guy, but I don't think he'd approve.
Now I can start to hear voices, my ears aren't as good as Trance's obviously, but they are decent enough. They are talking about the Doc wanting to show Dylan the eyes and that tomorrow is going to be a big day and how he wants to start early. They were apparently running together and decided to take a quick brake. Part of me wonders what Dylan is doing up at this time, but I ignore that for a moment.
I feel trance scoot under the workstation with me, and try to not enjoy the feeling of her tightly pressed against my back. She whispers, ever so quietly that she was able to put the eye back before the lights come on.
That's of course when I feel a sneeze coming on. Rev is always telling us that the Divine has a twisted sense of humor, right now I believe him. With a use of will equal to that of any greek god I manage to stop it being a sneeze and make it more of a snort, but the two voices go instantly quiet.
"Rommie?" I hear Dylan ask. "Is there anyone else in here, or in the ducts?"
"No Dylan, there are no registered personell guests or maintenance bots in Medical or in the ducts surrounding it.
"Must be hearing things." I almost sigh in relief before i remember that if I do, he probably will come and look.
They talk for another couple of minutes at least, at a certain point I feel Trance lean her head against my shoulder. She's probably as bored as I am, well, she would be if I was bored. Right now, with Trance lying up against me like this, her head on my shoulder, my mind is going about a thousand light years a minute.
It seems to be a long time before their voices trail of and they go back to their run. with a sigh, Trance untangles herself from me and helps me up
"That was too close harper. We should leave now."
"Yeah, I suppose so. I'll check them out once they are installed."
---
Hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait. If this was the military I'd be washing out right about now. The last day and a half since Trance and I had our little escapade have been harrowing.
First there was the four hours of surgery, followed by a twenty-four hour rest period to give my eyes and eyesockets a chance to start healing. They itch like some nasty disease, but the doc says that will stop in another day or so. It's apparently a side effect of the current in the eyes themselves.
Ten minutes ago, the doc did a signal rinse test. basically he triggered the eyes to start up, for just long enough to test the signal strength and clarity and got all goods.
Thirty seconds ago he sat me down and gave me some instructions on the sensors and how to react to the sudden imput of vision again, reminding me that it won't be a gradual fuzzyness like waking up, but a sudden snap as the vision comes back on.
I am practically twitching as he cuts the last of the gauze. At my request he's doing it in the Obs deck, and I know that everyone is gathered in here. Dylan had us come out of Slipstream in an empty system so that he could garantuee there wouldn't be trouble.
Come on, come one. The doc mutters something about how the flesh around the eyes seems a little sore, but is otherwise fine. He then tells me that he'll trigger the activation sequence.
Funny thing about bionic eyes is that to turn them on the first time round means that he has to open the iris and press a touchpad to trigger them. After that they should run of the bodies powersupply, but I should take them out at night, just to be safe.
He presses the buttons and I wince as there is a slight shock behind my eyes. but all I can see is static. Then he closes the irises and in one moment vision snaps back into my brain.
I almost stumble but the doc catches me. I don't even notice as i can't help but stare out of the window of the obs deck.
I can see stars again
There are no words to properly explain how i'm feeling. After months of darkness, of the sheer terror of not knowing what was right in front of me, I can see again.
I feel light headed, but I don't know if that is fromt he sudden brain overload of the sight, or the fact that I CAN SEE AGAIN!
"Well, do they work?" Tyr demands from somewhere behind me. I turn round, give him the supremo Harper grin
"Tyr, right now, you're the most beautifull Nietzschean I have ever seen." The whole rooms bursts out laughing as Tyr's expression goes apopleptic.
Someone suggests a party to celebrate as the others come up to give me hugs and pats on the back. I look at Trance, and break out into a huge grin as I see a smile on her face.
As they begin to lead me out of the Obs deck and down to the mess hall for a party, I take one look behind me and enjoy the wonder of soft starlight once again.
Chapter 7: Of Eyes And Idiots.
Author: Steven Quinlan
Disclaimer: I own them all....Psych! However
the plot is mine
Disclaimer 2: Most of the dialogue for the Harper/Trance scene came from Satansrobot's 4th challenge description
Archives: Let me know where, but otherwise feel free to archive
----
Beware the truth/ It burns like fire in eyes
Beware of honest faces/ they usually tell lies
- Unknown Human Poet
CY 6532
----
Seamus Harper's Point Of View
----
"Harper, are you sure about this?"
I heave a slight sigh, for all her incredible babeness, Trance can be awfully squeamish at times. I mean, it's our ship right, so there's nothing wrong with a little midnight excursion to the medical deck.
I mean, we're just going to have a litle poke around, maybe hook one of the new eyes up to the computer and have a look at it before they install it in my head, and I don't know, perhaps catch a movie. Just a normal night of fun right?
Yeah, okay, I'm not kidding anyone. I'm a raving paranoid at the moment, and the only thing worse than the agony of having to wait untill tomorrow to have the eyes installed , is the fact that I'm scared to death Tyr is right, and this is going to be too good to be true.
That and the doctor freaks me out, I mean it's not because he's a Nietzschean.... well, not only because he's a Nietzschean..... oh to heck with it. The man is a Nietzschean and I don't want a Nietzschean to be poking at me with sharp things when I'm not awake.
No, strike that, I don't want him poking me with sharp object when I'm awake or asleep. I know I shouldn't worry, Alexander and his buddies have been almost perfect houseguests. They have kept mostly to themselves, but they are quite happy to sit and talk, or play a game of hoops with Dylan.
What's more everyone is going to be there. Rommie and Trance will be watching and Tyr has made it quite clear that nothing medically is going to be done to anyone without him there to 'observe', which I think is just Tyr-speak, aka, a really nice way of saying 'I'm there to kill you if you step out of line'. So really I shouldn't be worryings, though that's never stopped me before.
"Yes Trance, I'm sure. Now help me get behind the console would you." I keep my tone light. Trance is doing me a favor, and I really don't want to upset her. There is nothing worse than watching my sparkly purple babe be upset, even if I can't see.
I feel her slim velvety hands grab my arm, and while she is guiding me towards the seats, I revel in the feeling of her holding me for a moment. She then sits me down infront of a console and I start getting ready.
The doc left the eyes here overnight, and trance is going to grab one of them and put it on the scanner, I'm then going to jack in and check it out, we'll put it back and no one will be the wiser. I mean, no one is going to come to the Med deck at four in the morning without a reason, and Rommie has us in privacy mode, so no one should know.
I listen as Trance picks up something and puts it in front of me.
"Here it is Harper, now I'm going to stand by the door untill you're done." I nod absentmindedly as I plug in the Jack, then I feel for the scanner switch and trip it. Lastly I reach out to where I think Trance put down the eye.
Can I just interrupt here to say that, sure, in twenty-twenty hindsight, Ii should have had trance hand it to me? Good, I just wanted to get that off my chest.
Anyway, I reach out to it, and even as I grab for it, I can hear it start to roll. With a very quick note of quickly suppressed panic, I try and lunge for it, which is a big mistake, and only succeed in knocking it right off the table
As it falls to the ground and hits it with a sound that, in the quiet medbay, sounds like a gunshot, there's only one phrase that goes through my mind.
"Uh oh."
"Uh oh?" You know, it just isn't fair how much disbelief she can put in her voice.
There's a perfect moment of silence between us while I think about the fact that I cannot find this thing without her.
"What have you done now?"
"I dropped it." I decide to pre-emptively wince, as I know she's going to get a look on her face, any second now.
"You dropped it?!" Yup, there is that look. I can't see it, but I can just imagine it. Pretty eyes wide, eyebrows somewhere above her hairline, jaw slightly open. Oh yeah, that's the 'I can't believe Harper did that' look.
"You are such an id-" okay, she's right, but this I don't need.
"Shut up and help me find it before-"
"Too late ..." she interrupts me, as the outer door to the medbay is opened. Trance pulls me down and real close.
"It's Dylan and the doctor, I can hear them talking. I'll try and put back the eye, just stay down behind the equipment."
Before I can tell her no, she's gone again, and I take her advice and slide under one of the workstations. Dylan may be an okay guy, but I don't think he'd approve.
Now I can start to hear voices, my ears aren't as good as Trance's obviously, but they are decent enough. They are talking about the Doc wanting to show Dylan the eyes and that tomorrow is going to be a big day and how he wants to start early. They were apparently running together and decided to take a quick brake. Part of me wonders what Dylan is doing up at this time, but I ignore that for a moment.
I feel trance scoot under the workstation with me, and try to not enjoy the feeling of her tightly pressed against my back. She whispers, ever so quietly that she was able to put the eye back before the lights come on.
That's of course when I feel a sneeze coming on. Rev is always telling us that the Divine has a twisted sense of humor, right now I believe him. With a use of will equal to that of any greek god I manage to stop it being a sneeze and make it more of a snort, but the two voices go instantly quiet.
"Rommie?" I hear Dylan ask. "Is there anyone else in here, or in the ducts?"
"No Dylan, there are no registered personell guests or maintenance bots in Medical or in the ducts surrounding it.
"Must be hearing things." I almost sigh in relief before i remember that if I do, he probably will come and look.
They talk for another couple of minutes at least, at a certain point I feel Trance lean her head against my shoulder. She's probably as bored as I am, well, she would be if I was bored. Right now, with Trance lying up against me like this, her head on my shoulder, my mind is going about a thousand light years a minute.
It seems to be a long time before their voices trail of and they go back to their run. with a sigh, Trance untangles herself from me and helps me up
"That was too close harper. We should leave now."
"Yeah, I suppose so. I'll check them out once they are installed."
---
Hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait. If this was the military I'd be washing out right about now. The last day and a half since Trance and I had our little escapade have been harrowing.
First there was the four hours of surgery, followed by a twenty-four hour rest period to give my eyes and eyesockets a chance to start healing. They itch like some nasty disease, but the doc says that will stop in another day or so. It's apparently a side effect of the current in the eyes themselves.
Ten minutes ago, the doc did a signal rinse test. basically he triggered the eyes to start up, for just long enough to test the signal strength and clarity and got all goods.
Thirty seconds ago he sat me down and gave me some instructions on the sensors and how to react to the sudden imput of vision again, reminding me that it won't be a gradual fuzzyness like waking up, but a sudden snap as the vision comes back on.
I am practically twitching as he cuts the last of the gauze. At my request he's doing it in the Obs deck, and I know that everyone is gathered in here. Dylan had us come out of Slipstream in an empty system so that he could garantuee there wouldn't be trouble.
Come on, come one. The doc mutters something about how the flesh around the eyes seems a little sore, but is otherwise fine. He then tells me that he'll trigger the activation sequence.
Funny thing about bionic eyes is that to turn them on the first time round means that he has to open the iris and press a touchpad to trigger them. After that they should run of the bodies powersupply, but I should take them out at night, just to be safe.
He presses the buttons and I wince as there is a slight shock behind my eyes. but all I can see is static. Then he closes the irises and in one moment vision snaps back into my brain.
I almost stumble but the doc catches me. I don't even notice as i can't help but stare out of the window of the obs deck.
I can see stars again
There are no words to properly explain how i'm feeling. After months of darkness, of the sheer terror of not knowing what was right in front of me, I can see again.
I feel light headed, but I don't know if that is fromt he sudden brain overload of the sight, or the fact that I CAN SEE AGAIN!
"Well, do they work?" Tyr demands from somewhere behind me. I turn round, give him the supremo Harper grin
"Tyr, right now, you're the most beautifull Nietzschean I have ever seen." The whole rooms bursts out laughing as Tyr's expression goes apopleptic.
Someone suggests a party to celebrate as the others come up to give me hugs and pats on the back. I look at Trance, and break out into a huge grin as I see a smile on her face.
As they begin to lead me out of the Obs deck and down to the mess hall for a party, I take one look behind me and enjoy the wonder of soft starlight once again.