"I Think I'll Keep You"
Dana Katherine Scully:
"Acting Captain Janeway's log, Stardate 34528.4. The search for Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher continues, but the few leads that we have are a jumble of confused images and vague memories from questionable members of unknown species. Needless to say, we're not getting anywhere. The only information we have is that Data-or whatever he has become-is gone, and that he took a shuttle with him. Aside from Mr. LaForge's original detection of the warp signature, we cannot trace the shuttle, nor can we determine if Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher were even aboard, or if Data's strange reappearance is related. Commander Tuvok has been working with Lt. Worf to piece together evidence, but the partnership (being between a Vulcan and a Klingon) has its problems. Commander LaForge..."
The chirping of the comm system interrupted Admiral Janeway's log entry. Her response dripped of the annoyance and sarcasm that had been building steadily in her since this mission began. Instinctively she slapped her comm badge. "Yes!"
There was a pause. Chakotay's voice came over the comm system. "I'm sorry Admiral: is this a bad time?" Something in his voice cut Kathryn to the core. He was afraid. He was genuinely afraid of something.
"No it's all right Chakotay. What do you need?"
"Well, Worf and Tuvok just...well they just had a fight."
God dammit!!! she thought. "Is anyone seriously hurt?" she said.
"They're both in sickbay."
There was a long pause.
"Chakotay is that all?"
Silence. The transmission ended abruptly.
"Chakotay? Chakotay!"
*
Beverly was sick. Very sick. She was ready to faint, and was constantly retching. The absence of light or vitamin supplements had lead to a severe vitamin deficiency in both of them, and her medical brain vaguely recognized the symptoms. They also hadn't been fed for hours: probably since they arrived.
Jean-Luc had been vomiting as well, several times in the last two hours. His terrible retching was so grating that she cringed every time he did it. 24th century medicine had not prepared humans to face 21st century diseases, and so-called stomach bugs were no longer around, so no one had any immunity. Beverly was afraid that they had been exposed to some kind of early virus, and she knew of no cure.
Jean-Luc struggled to see Beverly's pale face in the dark. Her eyes were sunken in, he noticed. He felt sorry for her. Despite his revulsion at their condition, and his unfounded revulsion of her, he felt desperately sorry. He was so confused: one moment he was set entirely against her, the next he felt a pang in his heart, the next he wanted to weep in her arms like a child. The nausea that was racking their bodies was debilitating, forcing them to remain lying down on opposite sides of the room. It took away any desire they had left to reconcile and discuss their situation, and it left them powerless to try to escape. Perhaps that was the point...
*
Adat chuckled as he watched Beverly suddenly clutch her stomach. Here she goes again! he thought, delighting in the sheer delinquency of his mind. The two humans had begun to attempt to reconcile their differences, and Adat was convinced that they would not. He was nearly finished with his study--only a few hours remained--but he thought illness made an interesting additional element to study. The nice 21st century bug he diffused into the stale air of the lab had done its job efficiently. They were not reconciled and had become so weak that they could barely move. He needed them to be weak.
Adat's intention had never been to absorb their emotions, merely to study them, but he found that he began to share the Captain's affections for the lovely Beverly. He wanted to have his share of her too. He wanted to experience what they had experienced. But he knew she'd never go willingly, and he also knew that the Captain wouldn't let her. So he was going to weaken them both to get minimal resistance. After he was finished with her, he would leave them both on a nice M-class planet somewhere to deal with their issues: it wasn't his problem what happened to them after that. He decided to be merciful and leave a homing beacon with them.
Adat began to pack up the beacon. It was time to go.
Dana Katherine Scully:
"Acting Captain Janeway's log, Stardate 34528.4. The search for Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher continues, but the few leads that we have are a jumble of confused images and vague memories from questionable members of unknown species. Needless to say, we're not getting anywhere. The only information we have is that Data-or whatever he has become-is gone, and that he took a shuttle with him. Aside from Mr. LaForge's original detection of the warp signature, we cannot trace the shuttle, nor can we determine if Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher were even aboard, or if Data's strange reappearance is related. Commander Tuvok has been working with Lt. Worf to piece together evidence, but the partnership (being between a Vulcan and a Klingon) has its problems. Commander LaForge..."
The chirping of the comm system interrupted Admiral Janeway's log entry. Her response dripped of the annoyance and sarcasm that had been building steadily in her since this mission began. Instinctively she slapped her comm badge. "Yes!"
There was a pause. Chakotay's voice came over the comm system. "I'm sorry Admiral: is this a bad time?" Something in his voice cut Kathryn to the core. He was afraid. He was genuinely afraid of something.
"No it's all right Chakotay. What do you need?"
"Well, Worf and Tuvok just...well they just had a fight."
God dammit!!! she thought. "Is anyone seriously hurt?" she said.
"They're both in sickbay."
There was a long pause.
"Chakotay is that all?"
Silence. The transmission ended abruptly.
"Chakotay? Chakotay!"
*
Beverly was sick. Very sick. She was ready to faint, and was constantly retching. The absence of light or vitamin supplements had lead to a severe vitamin deficiency in both of them, and her medical brain vaguely recognized the symptoms. They also hadn't been fed for hours: probably since they arrived.
Jean-Luc had been vomiting as well, several times in the last two hours. His terrible retching was so grating that she cringed every time he did it. 24th century medicine had not prepared humans to face 21st century diseases, and so-called stomach bugs were no longer around, so no one had any immunity. Beverly was afraid that they had been exposed to some kind of early virus, and she knew of no cure.
Jean-Luc struggled to see Beverly's pale face in the dark. Her eyes were sunken in, he noticed. He felt sorry for her. Despite his revulsion at their condition, and his unfounded revulsion of her, he felt desperately sorry. He was so confused: one moment he was set entirely against her, the next he felt a pang in his heart, the next he wanted to weep in her arms like a child. The nausea that was racking their bodies was debilitating, forcing them to remain lying down on opposite sides of the room. It took away any desire they had left to reconcile and discuss their situation, and it left them powerless to try to escape. Perhaps that was the point...
*
Adat chuckled as he watched Beverly suddenly clutch her stomach. Here she goes again! he thought, delighting in the sheer delinquency of his mind. The two humans had begun to attempt to reconcile their differences, and Adat was convinced that they would not. He was nearly finished with his study--only a few hours remained--but he thought illness made an interesting additional element to study. The nice 21st century bug he diffused into the stale air of the lab had done its job efficiently. They were not reconciled and had become so weak that they could barely move. He needed them to be weak.
Adat's intention had never been to absorb their emotions, merely to study them, but he found that he began to share the Captain's affections for the lovely Beverly. He wanted to have his share of her too. He wanted to experience what they had experienced. But he knew she'd never go willingly, and he also knew that the Captain wouldn't let her. So he was going to weaken them both to get minimal resistance. After he was finished with her, he would leave them both on a nice M-class planet somewhere to deal with their issues: it wasn't his problem what happened to them after that. He decided to be merciful and leave a homing beacon with them.
Adat began to pack up the beacon. It was time to go.