Chapter Twenty-three

In her mind she collapsed, exhaustion from the link overwhelming her. She had successfully disabled Enterprise so they wouldn't come after her.

She lay on the table, unable to move, yet awake. She was able to feel everything and listen to the demented voices around her.

Some of the voices clamored to rape the women aboard Enterprise while others clamored to rape the men.

One voice whispered how he was going to eat the flesh of his victims, while another voice sounded that he hoped to keep body parts for souvenirs.

The maniacal laughter and demented excitement surrounded her, making bile rise in her throat. It was as though she were standing in the middle of a darkened room with her tormentors surrounding her.

She could feel the cool swab of iodine on her abdomen and the physician wiping the excess off. The cold blade pressed against her epidermis, and a hush went over the crowd as they could sense Hoshi's raw, panicked fear.

The surgeon pressed harder, penetrating the dermis layer of her skin and Hoshi cried out in pain, tears of agony pouring down her cheeks, only to be licked off her face by the perversions of nature.

Somewhere, she could feel them as they writhed in bliss over her agony. Past the dermis, the scalpel cut into the subcutaneous tissue.

The excruciating pain mixed with the simmering rage she had felt all along for these creatures, and brought it to a boil.

Suddenly, the scalpel flew from her body, pushed by an unseen force. Her bindings released and the screaming began.

One by one, her tormentors received her wrath and writhed in pain, some cheering their end while others pleaded for mercy.

She watched in horror as some of them imploded before her. As if in a dream, she reached down and grasped the wound at her side. She could see the crimson of blood as it covered her hand.

Some fought her supremacy as she led them to their deaths -- still disbelieving that one could have so much power. The shrill screams of their agony and finally their deaths gladdened her, yet frightened her.

Hoshi could feel herself extending outside the room as if she were floating, murdering those who were manning ship operations. She was generous and let them die quick deaths. She could feel the ship come to a complete halt as she disposed of the helmsman.

 
Knowing she would never be safe and free of the overseer project, her curse extended past the confines of the ship and into the vastness of space.

Admiral Basilone was in a meeting with the other brass at Starfleet headquarters, listening to the droning of his contemporary about the status of the NX-02. Inside he chuckled at Forrest's naiveté, and then turned his head slightly as the screams reached his mind. Through his telepathic link, he watched in horror as the compound went up in flames, women scattering everywhere as they ran for their freedom. The boy children thrashed about in agony, mothers clinging to them, crying and pleading for forgiveness. Overseers ran frantically around the compound as flames consumed them.

His life's work was destroyed. All the buildings were on fire, burning red, bleeding and blending into the Mars' sky.

The witch!

Hoshi crawled into a fetal position onto the floor, rocking back and forth, holding on to her side. The "old man" in her head hadn't been on Mars colony. She couldn't sense him anywhere to destroy him. She was too weak to continue, her entire frame shaking in shock. She had killed them all - all but one, and took pleasure in doing so. She took no pleasure in harming the children, but it had to be done. She destroyed their enhancement - a painful process, but a necessary one for her survival. Hopefully, they would suffer no permanent damage.

She gasped as she felt the old man reaching out, trying to find her, to punish her.

The memory of her mother whispered in her ear. "If the overseers seek you, play possum."

With a final effort, Hoshi flaunted the carnage toward the Admiral as he sought answers. The blood bath replayed in the old man's mind, but with one slight difference - the Witch was dead - overcome by her own power. There was nothing left but a charred corpse - not even enough tissue to harvest. Hoshi could feel him give up, retiring into his own mind. She wanted to kill him, but hadn't the strength.

"No life signs," repeated in Malcolm's head over and over again as he initiated the docking clamps. The vessel was dead in the water and so were its inhabitants according to T'Pol's scans.

Em stood beside him, her eyes red-rimmed from crying at the loss of her friend. Malcolm was numb, bent on finding her and giving her a proper burial.

The hiss of the airlock pressurizing alerted them it was time to go in and claim their friend. They drew their weapons and Malcolm nodded to Em to open the door. The rest of the team readied themselves, as well. They invaded the halls, and made their way toward sickbay.

Hoshi shivered in the coldness of her self-imposed death. She needed it. She was so tired, rocking herself back and forth.

Malcolm opened the door to sickbay, and Em swept into the room, checking for booby traps. She kept the vomit from rising in her throat as the smell of blood that pervaded the room slammed into her. Blood dripped from the ceilings and covered the walls.

Suddenly a motion from the corner of the room caught Malcolm's eye and he trained his phase pistol on it, approaching it cautiously. He could tell it was a human figure - a slight one at that. Em approached it as well.

The human kept whispering, sounding a gibberish phrase over and over again.

Malcolm ran his scanner over the survivor, hoping against hope that it was Hoshi, his heart thawing and breaking at the same time. He dropped to his knees in front of the quivering mass, almost afraid to touch it for fear that it wasn't her. His raspy whisper filled the room. "Please."

She looked up, hearing his plea, unable to believe he was kneeling in front of her. Thinking he was an apparition, she reached one of her hands out and whispered his name.

Em gasped.

Malcolm grasped her hand and held it to his face, shivering. Feeling she was real, he quickly surrounded her with his arms.

She winced, clutching her stomach. "They cut me."

Not waiting for a med team, he picked her up, briskly walking through halls to the air lock with Em following close behind, shouting for the additional teams that had arrived to get the "fuck out of the way."

They crossed through the docking port and onto Enterprise, Malcolm whispering for her to hold on.

Hoshi's head rested against his shoulder and she sighed as she felt his love for her and the diminishing desperation of his fear that she was dead.

They rushed into sickbay, Dr. Phlox motioning to an examining table. The urgency and despondency in their voices crushed her, and oblivion claimed her, taking her into the shadows of unconsciousness.

She looked out at the turbulent ocean, which mimicked her emotions. She couldn't place a finger on what disturbed her. All she knew was that she was restless and she shuddered as the cool wind off the ocean penetrated her thin nightgown.

His warmth surrounded her and she held onto his arms, nestled so lovingly under the swell of her breasts. She turned in his arms and welcomed the kiss.

Passion lingered between the two of them as he kissed the top of her head, whispering his love for her. "Please come back to me. I don't want to lose you again."