Chapter Sixteen
"Tell me where this search originated from," the voice insisted inside her head. The ringing inside her ears was loud and the taste of blood in her mouth made her want to vomit. Commander Young, adjunct to Admiral Forrest, mumbled her answer, unable to stop the probing of her mind.
They needn't hear her answer as they could peer into her mind, the process deadly under the best of circumstances.
"Enterprise," projected the underling to his mentor.
"It's time to harvest the natural ability," replied the mentor as he slashed the throat of their captive.
They needn't hear her answer as they could peer into her mind, the process deadly under the best of circumstances.
"Enterprise," projected the underling to his mentor.
"It's time to harvest the natural ability," replied the mentor as he slashed the throat of their captive.
--
Hoshi entered the cabin, eyes puffy and still aching.
"Where have you been," Em asked with concern, then noticed the dried tear stains.
Hoshi ran past her into the bathroom, unable to put into words what had happened to her. She could sense Em's worry coupled with frustration at not being able to get into the bathroom, and still sense Malcolm's anger toward her.
"Damn it, Hoshi, open the door!" Em ordered softly.
Hoshi sniffed and unlocked the door but didn't open it.
Hearing the distinctive click, Em opened the door and peeked in. "Hey, chica, what's wrong?"
Taking offense at the childish term she shouted, "I'm not a girl! I'm a woman!"
Em backed off, not knowing where Hoshi was coming from or what she had been through. She did know that she wasn't menstruating, but wondered if her cycle was off and that was causing her whacked-out behavior. Em shook her head from her childish thoughts and extended a hand to stroke Hoshi's black hair. "Of course, you're a woman. What's wrong? What happened?"
Hoshi sniffed, embarrassment flooding through her.
Em coaxed more gently this time. "I can't help you if you don't tell me. I can't read minds like you."
Hoshi wailed at that comment, knowing for the first time that the word '"curse" was accurate in describing her "talent." Malcolm telling her to stay out of his head and now Em's comment about reading minds served to remind her that she wasn't like them.
"I'm a freak!" she cried and bowed her head over the sink.
"Who the hell told you that? I swear to God, I'll kick their ass!" Em exclaimed and patted Hoshi on the back.
"I-I had dream about a man and a woman kissing." Hoshi blushed, not sure if she should tell her that she knew where Em had been. Sure, she had been sequestered and unknown to the world, and the world unknown to her, but since she had been on board, her mental capacity had finally caught up with her physical appearance.
"I woke up and went to the gym. M-Malcolm was there and we were doing push hands exercises. I toppled him." Hoshi blushed as she admitted the next part and followed Em out of the bathroom. "W-we kissed."
Em waited patiently, happy, yet pissed off. Obviously something had gone wrong. Her mothering instincts were piqued, wanting to kill anyone who hurt her friend.
"I could feel him in my head. But just as soon as I could, he pushed me away. He was angry and…" Hoshi stopped, unable to repeat the spiteful words, yet silent tears began to fall again.
Em gave the younger woman a hug. "You poor thing! Your first crush! Why, oh why, did it have to be Malcolm Reed? He's about the densest man on the ship. You have your work cut out for you there."
Hoshi sniffed and tried pulling away and said, "Em, you're crushing me."
Em let her go. "Sorry, darlin'," she slapped her own mouth as the Southern accent slipped out.
Knowing full good and well the answer, Hoshi asked anyway. "So, are you and Trip dating now?"
Em blushed, then huffed.
Hoshi remained silent, waiting for the woman to start ranting. She could sense her anxiety, confusion, and anger over Trip, yet didn't know how to soothe her.
Em paced the room like a caged animal and started waving her arms around. "I don't know what I was thinking finally giving in to that man! He's such a player and once he gets bored with me, he'll just toss me aside like all of his other conquests. I can't believe I set my heart on him. He's going to break it," she moaned the last part on a whisper.
Hoshi wanted to comfort Em and tell her that she knew Trip loved her, but held back. Malcolm had yelled "invasion of privacy" at her, and it still rang in her head, couple with the anger she had felt from him. She climbed up onto her bunk and sat there with her legs dangling, fatigue trying to claim her, but her mind wouldn't rest.
Em sat at their desk, looking at her reflection and that of Hoshi's, then smiled. "I can hurt Malcolm for you, if you like," she said with a maniacal gleam in her eye, focusing on Hoshi's misery instead of her own.
Em chuckled and wiggled her dark eyebrows for emphasis. "Yeah, I could stun him, dump him in here, and let you have your way with him."
Hoshi blushed and both women fell into a fit of giggles over the absurdity of the suggestion.
Hoshi entered the cabin, eyes puffy and still aching.
"Where have you been," Em asked with concern, then noticed the dried tear stains.
Hoshi ran past her into the bathroom, unable to put into words what had happened to her. She could sense Em's worry coupled with frustration at not being able to get into the bathroom, and still sense Malcolm's anger toward her.
"Damn it, Hoshi, open the door!" Em ordered softly.
Hoshi sniffed and unlocked the door but didn't open it.
Hearing the distinctive click, Em opened the door and peeked in. "Hey, chica, what's wrong?"
Taking offense at the childish term she shouted, "I'm not a girl! I'm a woman!"
Em backed off, not knowing where Hoshi was coming from or what she had been through. She did know that she wasn't menstruating, but wondered if her cycle was off and that was causing her whacked-out behavior. Em shook her head from her childish thoughts and extended a hand to stroke Hoshi's black hair. "Of course, you're a woman. What's wrong? What happened?"
Hoshi sniffed, embarrassment flooding through her.
Em coaxed more gently this time. "I can't help you if you don't tell me. I can't read minds like you."
Hoshi wailed at that comment, knowing for the first time that the word '"curse" was accurate in describing her "talent." Malcolm telling her to stay out of his head and now Em's comment about reading minds served to remind her that she wasn't like them.
"I'm a freak!" she cried and bowed her head over the sink.
"Who the hell told you that? I swear to God, I'll kick their ass!" Em exclaimed and patted Hoshi on the back.
"I-I had dream about a man and a woman kissing." Hoshi blushed, not sure if she should tell her that she knew where Em had been. Sure, she had been sequestered and unknown to the world, and the world unknown to her, but since she had been on board, her mental capacity had finally caught up with her physical appearance.
"I woke up and went to the gym. M-Malcolm was there and we were doing push hands exercises. I toppled him." Hoshi blushed as she admitted the next part and followed Em out of the bathroom. "W-we kissed."
Em waited patiently, happy, yet pissed off. Obviously something had gone wrong. Her mothering instincts were piqued, wanting to kill anyone who hurt her friend.
"I could feel him in my head. But just as soon as I could, he pushed me away. He was angry and…" Hoshi stopped, unable to repeat the spiteful words, yet silent tears began to fall again.
Em gave the younger woman a hug. "You poor thing! Your first crush! Why, oh why, did it have to be Malcolm Reed? He's about the densest man on the ship. You have your work cut out for you there."
Hoshi sniffed and tried pulling away and said, "Em, you're crushing me."
Em let her go. "Sorry, darlin'," she slapped her own mouth as the Southern accent slipped out.
Knowing full good and well the answer, Hoshi asked anyway. "So, are you and Trip dating now?"
Em blushed, then huffed.
Hoshi remained silent, waiting for the woman to start ranting. She could sense her anxiety, confusion, and anger over Trip, yet didn't know how to soothe her.
Em paced the room like a caged animal and started waving her arms around. "I don't know what I was thinking finally giving in to that man! He's such a player and once he gets bored with me, he'll just toss me aside like all of his other conquests. I can't believe I set my heart on him. He's going to break it," she moaned the last part on a whisper.
Hoshi wanted to comfort Em and tell her that she knew Trip loved her, but held back. Malcolm had yelled "invasion of privacy" at her, and it still rang in her head, couple with the anger she had felt from him. She climbed up onto her bunk and sat there with her legs dangling, fatigue trying to claim her, but her mind wouldn't rest.
Em sat at their desk, looking at her reflection and that of Hoshi's, then smiled. "I can hurt Malcolm for you, if you like," she said with a maniacal gleam in her eye, focusing on Hoshi's misery instead of her own.
Em chuckled and wiggled her dark eyebrows for emphasis. "Yeah, I could stun him, dump him in here, and let you have your way with him."
Hoshi blushed and both women fell into a fit of giggles over the absurdity of the suggestion.