Transporter
Room 1
Alice and Stryker
there waiting for 15 minutes already. Stryker welcomed Captain
Jonathan Smith onboard. He mentioned he needed to talk to Liz
urgently before talking to Stryker.
Alice signed, then turned to the transporter operator, "Any word from my parents ?"
"Last name ?" the operator asked.
"Brangwin. Chaz and Rika."
"I will inquire."
A minute later a ship to ship comlink opened. A male voice, "Sorry for the delay. You know how your mom is in the morning."
She laughed. "Okay daddy. How long must I wait here, so impatiently ?" Alice asked, rolling her eyes.
"An hour or two." was Chaz's answer. In the background, her mom let loose a few cuss words.
Just then in an adjoining room, Captain Jonathan Smith come stomping out. His meeting with Stryker obviously ended badly.
Alice penguin-walked up to her husband, thinking IF LOOKS COULD KILL !.
He was throwing dagger-eyes at Smith. "Come with me to Dot's Diner while we wait."
S'Lara sat by herself at a corner table, staring at the glass of water in front of her and refusing to look at anyone. She had been ordered to remain off-duty after The One's attack, so she was in the diner for the first time since she had reported aboard.
She heard someone approach and raised her head to see who it was. A Vulcan male stood before her, his hands clasped behind his back. Solkar, one of the people from her department. "May I join you?" he asked.
S'Lara gestured to the chair across from her and said, "If you so wish." She returned her gaze to her water glass, unwilling to speak to him. As a result, she did not see the look of concern on her subordinates face.
After several moments of near silence, Solkar asked, "Are you all right, Ensign?"
S'Lara's head snapped up and barely concealed anger flared in her eyes. "What is the logic in asking if I am all right?" she growled. "If I was 'all right', would I be sitting in here by myself?" Her hand swept the water glass off of the table as she stood and spun toward the door, leaving the broken glass on the floor and Solkar staring worriedly after her.
Lt.
Commander Elizabeth Archer
Bridge
Liz was seated on the Captain's chair and watched the view screen carefully. On viewscreen she could see another Federation starship approaching USS Pretoria. She turned to Belldandy and said. "Hail them."
Belladandy open a hail frequency and Liz continued. "This is Lt. Commander Elizabeth Archer of USS Pretoria. How may I assist you?"
The approaching ship' command bridge visualised on the view screen. Liz almost lost her breath in surprise when she realised who the Captain on the viewscreen was. His smile disappeared at once when he saw her. " I am Captain Jonathan Smith at USS Freedom. I have some people here that want to come aboard. "
Liz was quite for a short while. Imzadi! She calmed herself down. He looks good. So, he is a Captain already. She knew that he was watching her eyes and he seemed a little surprised. He said, "You have green eyes?"
Liz disregarded his last comment and said. "Good, you can transport them over immediately."
They watched each other in silence. He seemed suddenly a bit bothered. "Hm, I will, but there is one thing though. We have a guest onboard that refuses to use the transporter. She insists on using a shuttle instead. "
He coughs and seemed more bothered. "You know her, the ambassador Padme Lagade Archer. "
Liz couldn't find any words. Her grandmother, what is she doing here? " Alright, I will notify shuttle bay one. " She wanted to terminate this conservation as soon as possible.
"I would also like to have a word with Captain Stryker. "
"He is not available at the moment. But I will notify the Captain. Archer out. "
Liz asked Belldandy to close the communication. She could see some junior officer exchange looks and she couldn't blame them. For them it probably seemed like a strange conservation. Liz sighed; Her ex-fiancé and her grandmother in the same day. Could this day get any worse?
Lt Alister Maxwell, After work, holodeck 1, Training program of doctor Coleridge running.
This is definetly a bad idea. Try to get to meet her at a casual place after hours, Kathryn said. And you thought why not now. His eyes widened as the blond woman passed him on the track. Since he was on the side of the grandstand she didn´t see him. Here goes... He set of running after her.
He was dressed in blue shorts and a black long sleeved shirt. She wore a blue tank top and black tights. As he cught up to her he looked strained from keeping pace with the doctor.
"So it´s marathon season, doctor. mind if i join you." She looked at him with irritable eyes. "Looks like I can´t stop you." She picked up the pace and Alister could barely keep up with her. However, she slowed down as she heared his next question. Wether it was from surprise, curiosity or something else Alister could´nt tell. He said "How is that hand of yours healing up? I noticed it when we were examening the probe. You probably injured your hand denting the wall in your office. Probably because of something Alex said i did or a reaction on something I´ve done."
There was a strange atmosphere between them. They only exchanged glances when Alister arrived not after. They just stared at the track in front of them.
"You see doctor, I
am alex´s older brother and ever since I could´nt rescue
her from drowning I´ve tried to watch over her. Be some kind of
caretaker i guess. I thought i owed that to her." He was
breathing heavily. karen noticed the strain Alister put himself
through to do this. She was smileing inside. "Now I think I know
that she is actually the tough one. She´s brave, resourceful
and after seeing..." breathing heavily " you guys together
I understand that..."
What She
thought
"that she is happy whith you. She has that look on
her face I haven´t seen since,.. , well you'd just have to ask
her.
Solkar son of Tolrec, S´Laras Quaters
A view of the warp distorted stars and in the background the reflection of a woman looking out through th window. As if she was searching for something. The sound of someone beeing at the door did´nt make her flinch at all. "It´s open she said." As the door opened it made a rectangular reflection on her left side. Solkar was in the doorway. he was dressed in the white robes of a vulcan priest. She noticed that the necklace symbolising the priests succes in reaching Kohlinaar was missing. Apparently, he had´nt been successful in his effort.
As the door closed his reflection disappeared untill he approaced her from behind. "As I meditate I let every star I see be the representation of one single thought in my mind." Her quaters had been turned in to a sanctuary of tranquility and they both stood still for a long time. Watching the stars together.
"As the One entered my mind i experienced a beeing with vast knowledge and thought patterns of logical structure. Perfect thoughts. But the simplest things it could not understand." As she turned he took her wrist and put his hand in her open palm. "This simple feeling. This touch it could not understand." As he let her hand go he said. "What did it do to you. How did it injure you?"
S'Lara, In Her Quarters
S'Lara glared briefly at Solkar. "I do not wish to discuss it," she snapped, turning back to face the stars streaming past her window. She flinched slighly when Solkar placed his hand on her shoulder, but she said no more.
Solkar gently turned her to face him, concern showing only in his eyes. "I cannot help you if you will not speak with me," he said, his voice soft and almost gentle. "You must tell me what it did to you." He could sense her struggle for control, just as he felt her roiling emotions when he touched her. He could also sense how close to failure that control was, so he removed his hand from her shoulder.
S'Lara looked into his eyes a moment longer, then turned away. This time, rather than staring out at the stars, she crossed the room and sat on her unmade bed. She bowed her head as if fighting a great internal battle...and losing it. She did not see Solkar cross the room and only noticed his presence when he sat on the bed next to her. Neither spoke until S'Lara raised her head to look at Solkar, unshed tears shining in her eyes. She swallowed and said, "This is...difficult for me. I need you to understand that."
Solkar knew it would be illogical to comfort her. Nevertheless, he took both her hands in his as he said, " I understood that when I offered to help you."
S'Lara nodded and did not look away. She kept her eyes locked on her visitor as if trying to draw both strength and logic from him as she began her story with, "It was...unpleasant. The One was a strong telepathic presence. I..." Suddenly she looked away as a single tear ran down her face. "I could not fight it." She released Solkar's hands and turned so her back was facing him, ashamed at her lack of control, something she knew she was powerless to prevent.
"Fear"
30
minutes after the Away Team returned
Rakurai Stryker - Sickbay
To his left, Ensign Spanner was sleeping. Stryker was sitting up and stared down at his hands, emerald green against the white of his exam gown, as though he've never seen them before. All my senses seem to be operating on overdrive. Everything around me looks unreal, other-dimensional. Edges and surfaces too sharply defined, colours too heavily saturated. he thought to himself.
The tension in Sickbay was intense.
Nurses made any excuse they could think of to leave. Even Demi winked
out. Karen scanned Stryker again.
"Am I ... Am I going to
live ?" Stryker asked.
Doctor Karen studied the latest results, looked at him and adopted a grave mien, "I am afaid not Captain." she paused. "I am afraid your brain to be removed now for later study. I am sorry."
Silence.
Then Stryker chuckled.
Karen let out a sigh of relief too, sharing in the laugh. "Your brain is slightly swollen. The synapsis in your spinal column firing faster when they should. It should all be back to normal within a few weeks, even several months. Until then, your skin will be very sentitive to stimuli and your relaxes basically hot-wired." she told him.
Bedroom - Some time after 2 o'clock in the morning
Alice looked up from her book, besides her, her husband slumbered on.
"Some times love" Alice murmured "I think you could sleep through the end of the world"
She would have quite happily slept as well if it where not for the twins inside her causing her strife, it lay painfully and she found no rest sitting, standing or laying down.
The novel in her hand, the latest trashy romance was almost finished. Alice had hated the plot and the characters, found her self despising the hero and loving the villain for trying to end his happiness and yet for all these details she had not put the book down and that angered her. Sleep deprivation is just "wonderful".
Getting out the bed Alice tottered to the bathroom to use the bath, while the unborn twins decided to take up karate and Spinning practice.
Bedroom
Alice
turned over. She knew she had a rough night, and she felt like crap.
In the dark room, the clock read 0700. Dang
it...Stryker is late.
"Sweetie, you need to get up," she told him, shaking him a little.
His eyes opened, "Duty officer's on the bridge Alice. Liz can handle it." He kissed her, "Unless we go to red alert."
She laid back down in the bed and pulled the blanket back up over her head. "Love you, Honey."
"I love you Iidasenai." Slipping his arms around her he gave her a small hug.
"Do we have to get up?" she mused from underneath the blanket.
"No." he smiled, "we can stay in bed as long as we want to."
"Lair" she smiled. Stryker pulled the blanket off of Alice.
"I can be late. Paperwork is done, I'm yours all day. I hope." he said, "Besides ... something's wrong."
He knew her as well as she knew him, and nodded. "I had a rough night last night after we finally went to sleep. I think I had every nightmare and weird dreams imaginable. And I had to get up and pee three times."
He rolled over and looked at her, "What sort of nightmares?"
"Everything. Cardassians, Jem Hadar, Galangels attacking. I got ran over by a giant cheese ball, eaten by a werewolf, twice! Faceless ghosts chasing me, I was a kid again and being beaten up by the local bully. You turned blue and shiny and just .. I dont know ... blew up ?"
They sat in silence for about twenty seconds, Alice smiled and kissed him. "What did you dream of ?"
"I dreamt I was a hummingbird." he answered.
"What was that like ?"
"Very strange. And peaceful."
Alice sat up, Stryker put his hand in the small of her back and began massaging. "It's hurting just a bit." she admitted.
He gently rubbed her back and felt the knot of tension out. Then he leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. She closed her eyes and revelled in the warm contact. She needed that, finally relaxing. "I dont want to get up." he started complaining.
"Take a sick day." Alice suggested jokily.
Stryker looked at her and gently ran his fingers along her cheek. "Yes ma'am." he chuckled.
Alice smiled as Stryker's hands played with her stomach, using his talons in such a way, it causes a delightful senation on and around her swolling belly.
"What did the Doctor say the radiation you were exposed to yesterday? Was it harmful ?" Alice asked.
"It hurt me badly. The effects is temporary and will heal itself with a little medical assistance. But my skin is incredicly sentitive now." he answered.
"Oh ... really now." Alice said with an impish grin. "All skin eh ?"
An
hour later
The comm system
beeped. Liz Archer's voice "Bridge to Captain."
/\ "Go ahead Swe" Stryker said.
/\ "Beskyddare." Liz addressed him, "The Freedom arrived."
/\ "I will be in the main transporter room in twenty minutes." Stryker informed the XO. The connection closed.
Alice let out a short sharp squeal of excitement. She has not seen her parents in 6 years.
Lt Alister Maxwell Transporter room 2
The chief engineer
came in to the tranporter room. From his perspective it seemed
crowded. It appears that a lot of people had transported over fromthe
Freedom. The captain was there and ... "Oups sorry about that."
Commander brangwin looked back at him but did´nt snap... she
seemed to accept his apology. He crossed the room as the others were
exiting the room and asked the asked the woman stationed at the
controls "Have my visitor arrived yet?" The ensign answered
"No, but the last one is on the pad of the freedom awaiting
transport." He looked at the door and saw Stryker beeing the
last one of the crowd to leave.
"Begin transport". He
held his breath and by habit, he straightened his uniform.
At the
front of the transporter pad a woman, dressed in a red starfleet
uniform matrialized. she wore a silvery bag over her left shoulder.
She is athletic and has a proud posture, but not a coky one. From the
look on the markings on her collar she is a full luitenant. As she
started too look around in the transporter room he once again
recognised her lovey dark blond hair. Slightly sun paled, and her
topaz blue eyes. Suddenly a memory appeared in his head. But it had
just enough time to make him smile and then she said. "Hello,
sweety, and started to walk down the steps from the pad." He
walked towards her and held out his arms. Embraced her with all his
love and said
"I´ve been waiting for you."
She answered. "Why does it feel like I haven't seen you for a
long time, we have spoken almost every night since you left."
"Because we are like teenagers". He said with a
smile.
They kissed.
"Why do you always stand at the side
of the transporter pad controls when youre going to meet someone.
They are competent people you know." She glanced at the woman at
the controls. Before he answered the transporter operator did. "It´s
ok. We are used to having the chief breathing down are necks. At
least now we know who to file the complaints with. She said with a
grin. "Yes you do." Samantha answered as they both walked
out of the room.
Dot's
Diner
Lt. Commander Liz Archer
"Hello Alice!"
"May I sit down?" Alice looks at the pile of pads lying on the table in front of Liz. She takes her place on the one of the available seats around the table.
"Sure, as you can see I am just studying for the XO-exam as is coming up soon, you know."
"That's right, Stryker mentioned it. How is it going?"
"Good, I think! But I would like to have any help that I can get. It's strange, all my life I have preparing me for this moment, but now when I am finally here it's like everything that I have learned is gone. "
Alice shows openly compassion for Liz. "I can understand that. Don't worry, you are just nervous."
"Yeah, but I don't get nervous. "Says Liz with a panic in her voice.
Alice takes on of the pad in the pile and starts to read. " Something I can help you with?"
"I thought you never ask, but is that all right considering your high pregnancy and so..?"
Alice laughs; "I think I can handle it. I am only pregnant, not knocked out."
Liz hesitates before she asks. "So how do you feel about getting twins? I can imagine that it will be twice as hard."
Alice shakes her head in disagreement. "No, I don't see it that way. I see it as twice the joy. Tell me, do you have any sisters or brothers?"
Liz sighs and replies the question. "No, I am the only child in my family. If you want to ask how it is to be a twin, then ask the new Counsellor, Kathryn. She has a twin brother."
"Really, I didn't know that. While on the subject, have you seen her lately? She seems to have disappeared."
Liz looks a little more seriously on Alice. "Actually, Kathryn had some trouble with being in the vicinity of the thing that we encountered earlier. I found her on the floor, sitting and starring in the dark, after my return of the away team. I took her immediately to the doctor in sickbay. She is fine now though, it had a strange affect on her. That's all I know!"
"Really, scary! I am glad to hear that she has recovered. I have heard that she wasn't the only one that experienced a negative effect by the One's present. I think I am going to the sickbay and say hello. Besides I have an appointment with the doctor, comes with the duty of being pregnant you know."
Liz smiles and watches as Alice rises from her chair. Alice continues. "By the way, I will drop in later and help you with your studies. That is, if the twins allows it. "
"Great, looking forward to it! And Alice, thanks!"
Lt.
Commander Liz Archer
Her own quarters
Jonathan jells out in frustration. "You should have said something!"
Liz looks behind him and says defensive. "I know I should, but what was I suppose to say? " Liz imitates herself. "Oh, by the way Jonathan I am part Betazoid, a telepath that you despises so much. "
"I don't hate telepaths. "
Liz says accusing. " Oh really!"
" Sorry, I didn't mean to .."
Liz interrupts him roughly and says with a certainty in her voice. "Look, I don't want to talk about this now. I think I have been punished enough. I am happy now…"
Jonathan takes a step forward and says. " Are you really? I know this is a bad time and maybe too late, but I still love you.."
Liz stood like frozen, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She felt something strange; hope. She immediately pushed those feelings aside and takes control of her emotions. She shouldn't help thinking; could I still have feeling or him? Is it too late? She looked at him silently during a minute and then said with a hard and determined voice. "Leave, I don't want to talk about this anymore. "
Her eyes revealed her confusion openly and she quickly looked down. She repeated herself with less confidence. "I said leave."
Jonathan looked at her and showed openly his feelings about this situation. He takes a deep breath and starts to walk across the room towards the door with hesitating steps. She stops before he enters the door and looks back on her. "You know, this is not the end of this. We still have some unfinished business."
When the door closes behind him; Liz falls down to her knees covering her eyes with her hands, tears falls down. She says quietly to herself. " I don't need this right now. " Just in that moment Mike enters the door happily, drops his bags and immediately runs towards her and asks. "What's going on?"
Lt. Alister Maxwell, his quaters
As the door opened Alister ans Sam burst in to the room. Sam uncovered her moth fromher hands and started to laugh out loud. Her laugh always made him happy. she sat down on the couch. "Solkar is always so funny. I love that guy." Alister stood at the replicator. "Water cold. Two glasses" as the replicator hummed and the two glasses formed.
Sam continued in an excellent mock vulcan posture and accent. "Mr Maxwell has related the time of your arrival on several occations Miss Falco. Despite the tiresome repeating of the information I believe I am...as you say, happy, to see you."
They both laughed. Alister sat down at her side gave her the glass. As things calmed. She said, "How are things on this new ship? Have you had that talk with the doctor and your sister?" He took a deep breath, held the glass in his lap. "Well, I tried to, with doctor Coleridge but, well I don´t know how that went. You know when I was assigned to this ship I thought it would be nice to be rejoined with Solkar and Alex. Perhaps I thought everything was going to be like they used to."
"Does it other you that she is with another woman?" Sam asked.
Alister faced Sam, "That woman is my sister, she's a little girl for crying out loud!"
"No she isn't you know that. I don´t think she's the problem here."
"Has she spoken to you?" Sam didn't answer that but somehow he already knew the truth, the real answer. "it doesn't matter perhaps you're right. Perhaps it does bother me."
Deck 2, Corridor
Kathryn walks through the corridor. She had a split headache. With a big sigh, she looks uninterested on the corridors walls, greyish and elegant in its style. But it was far from the view that she had on Starbase Prime. She searched in her memories and saw the station inside her mind, especially the background; the view from the windows in the corridor..
A huge smile played on her lips; an old woman suddenly interrupted her. Kathryn noticed that she greyish stripes on her huge brown hair. She said telepathically to her. "Oh, finally somebody sensible person. I was wondering if you could help me, I was looking for my grandchild Stanni Archer. Dou you know where I can find her?"
Kathryn showed her calmer side of her and replied telepathically "Just a moment." She turned to the computer view panel on the sides of the corridor walls. "Computer, locate Elizabeth Archer." Kathryn takes a quick look at the old woman showed openly disapproval of the name Elizabeth.
The computer replied. "Commander Archer is in Dot's diner." She pointed on the view panel on the wall and said. "Follow this read stripe on the view panel in the corridor wall. It will lead you to Dot's Diner."
The woman showed openly gratitude and said. "You are from Betazoid, aren't you?"
Kathryn once again smiled and said telepathically. "Yes, I am. My name is Kathryn Delore, I am the counsellor on the ship. "
The woman muttered. "That's what I thought! You know what, Stanni and I will drop by later. And maybe we can talk some sense into her. "
Kathryn blinked her eyes in confusion. She had no idea of what the woman was talking about. She watched the woman disappear through the corridor and then continued her walk forward.
Sickbay, Main Ward
"What've we got?" Karen asked as two medtechs pushed a stretcher into the trauma unit, followed by two more and another stretcher.
"The reason why Dot's has a cutoff for alcohol," Crewman Michael O'Toole replied, running a hand through his auburn buzz cut. "One human male, cuts and contusions to the head and neck, rule out spinal trauma; pulse 110, BP 135/95, resps 21, A&O times three and we wish he wasn't. One Betazoid male, stab wounds to the chest, arms and neck; he went into V-tach in the field, we gave him a round of leporazine and a liter of Ringer's. Pulse 140, BP 95/60, resps 23 and shallow, was disoriented at the scene and lost consciousness en route."
Karen looked over both victims briefly, and though most of her face was hidden by the surgical mask, a trained observer would have been able to see the disgust in her eyes. "I'm guessing bar fight. These boys smell like a brewery."
O'Toole gave a humorless laugh at that. "Got it in one, ma'am. Apparently a few helmsmen decided to have a game of cards, which turned into a general piss-up, and then these lads came to blows over the attentions of a certain young waitress..."
"Got a BAC of 210 on this one," the nurse taking care of the human patient chimed in.
"Liss'n bitch, I tol' ya get tha' thing outta my face!" the patient slurred back.
"I see we have a potty mouth too," Karen commented dryly. "Sir, you're in Sickbay in the Emergency Unit, and we'd be happy to take care of you if you would stop insulting the staff..."
"Frak you, don' need no doctor, bitch. Gimme 'nother beer!"
"I wonder if his mother taught him how to talk like that?" the nurse commented.
"This one's pressure's dropping, so are his sats; he's 89 on room air," a second nurse said, looking up from the Betazoid patient. "Doctor, I think you better tube this guy."
"Got it," Karen said, moving from one bed to the next, glancing at the vital signs readout. "I need the laryngoscope and a #10 ET tube. 150 mikes of Fentanyl, eleven milligrams etomidate." With ease borne of long practice, she passed the tube into the patient's trachea and connected it to a ventilator. "Hang a unit of hemolog on the rapid infuser and give him another 5 milligrams of leporazine and 15 milligrams delactovine. We get the primary scan back?"
"Right here." The nurse tapped a set of controls on the overhead monitors.
"That is one ugly stab wound," Karen mused. "Another millimeter and he'd be missing his right ventricle. Who's on call for surgery tonight?"
"Dr. Strauss, ma'am."
Karen cracked a smile at that; she'd grown to like the voluble Bolian resident. "Could you get him on the line for me, please?"
Just then, the human patient rolled over on his biobed, and for the first time, he noticed that his adversary was still alive. Roaring in rage, he leaped off the bed and across the trauma unit.
"YOU TOOK 'ER FROM ME, I'M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU MISERABLE MOTHER--"
It was all over in thirty seconds.
Karen heard the threat the instant before the man made his move, and dropping the hypospray, spun around just in time to catch him mid-leap. "That will be quite enough of that," she snapped, bodily hoisting the man back onto the bed and pinning him there with one hand planted on his chest. "Now we asked you nicely to behave yourself. Act up again and you'll have me to deal with. Got that, Superman?"
A few moments later, the Betazoid was stabilized and moved to the pre-op area, while the human, heavily sedated, restrained and under guard, was transferred to 7 East. "You really have to wonder what would make someone that angry that they'd actually try to kill someone," one of the nurses commented as they all stripped out of their gowns and gloves.
"Yes, you do have to wonder," Karen replied absently, her thoughts drifting back to that morning...
Holodeck One
Kootenay, British
Columbia
Silence, the sound of shoes slapping against gravel, crisp fall air flowing over skin. As the sun began its climb over the Canadian Rockies, a hawk circled, watching below as a lone runner cruised through the morning stillness.
This was worth the 0500 wake-up, Karen thought. She'd covered twelve kilometers in only five seconds over her personal best pace. If she continued to train hard and stay healthy, the women's over-40 division in Frisco this year would be a lock. Three klicks left. I could probably push it to 3:15 pace--
"Program in progress. Enter when ready."
What the...?
Glancing behind, Karen saw Alister Maxwell, huffing frantically as he sprinted to catch up. Great. Just what I needed. She increased her pace, feeling slightly childish for doing so, but then again, the guy did have a foolproof, guaranteed way of getting on her nerves.
"Doctor, mind if I join you?" Alister gasped. Clearly the man was not any kind of runner.
"Well, I can't stop you, can I?" Karen retorted. Already she could feel her good mood beginning to slip away, and she forced herself to concentrate on finishing the run strong. Alister's next comment, though, nearly made her stop in her tracks.
"So, how's your hand doing? I figured you must have broken it hitting something, maybe because you were angry over something Alex or I did..."
"My hand is fine, thank you. And I don't like what you're insinuating." The idea of lashing out at a loved one made her ill, and she felt her stomach twist up as she realized that Alister was indirectly accusing her of just that.
Or not so indirectly. "I'm just saying it's understandable. You have a tough job, it must be very frustrating dealing with all those sick people all day, and when you get more grief at home, you just want to take a swing at somebody--"
"Enough," Karen snapped, stopping in the middle of the holographic trail. "I don't know where you get this sick fantasy, Mr. Maxwell, but I have never-- oh, to hell with it." She took a deep breath, then another, willing herself to calm down. "We're getting off on the wrong foot here. You obviously came here to tell me something. Why don't you tell me that?"
As she listened to the engineer speak, a thought began to form itself in the back of her mind. When Alister made that accusation, he described almost the exact same scenario Alex did when she thought I was going to leave her. What in the galaxy happened to them?
"...and I understand that, well, she's happy with you. She has this look on her face that I haven't seen since I don't know when."
"I appreciate your telling me that. Thank you." Karen paused, and she said with a smile, "I realize you don't know me all that well, and I'd like to change that, but for now, know this: I care about your sister very much, and I'd take a one-way hike into a glacier before I would do a thing to hurt her." Pause. "Truce?"
The engineer thought about that for a second, and then accepted the offered hand. "Truce."
"So, how about the rest of that run?"
She'd had to scrape him off the track afterward, but she didn't mind a bit.
Solkar son of Tolrec S´Laras quaters
"I could not fight it." She said.
Solkar sat down on his knees in front of her. The light from th meditation candles shown on their faces. "I understand. None aboard this ship could have. The precense of the One was to strong. Not even the most adept telepaths, the betasoids could have fought the precense of the One. It, the living machine generated some kind of bioelectrical field that interacted with the fields generated by the neurons of all living beeings." She looked at him with worry in her eyes. After his pause, he continued. "After the first pulse you rejected you were probably exposed to a fieldnode of greater power. Thus, your telepathic pathways have been disrupted. Drawn from their logical nature. All that is, truly is Vulcan was taken from you. You are ... a fish pulled from the lake and left on the dry beach, not beeing able to breathe." She looked away from him, towards the candles. she said with a sour voice "I need help. you are right. All that once was me is gone... or dormant."
He said. "Meld with me. I might be able to help you aquire a part of yourself. Heal you, at least a little. Give your mind a rest and time to heal itself."
They both knelt to the floor. They both reached out their right hand and with their thums and fingers they touched the chin and temples of the other. As a chorus of two they said "My mind to your mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts..."
S´Lara spoke but with the voice of
Solkar "The One, perfect logic but cold. Logic is the mere
begining of wisdom...
solkar spoke with the frustrated, tormented
voice of S´Lara "No one understands, only Vulcans must
know. Not logical... I am Vulcan." S´Lara answered
"Tolrec...father... dry sand in my mouth. Bitter taste like...
defeat or death...so tired.
Their minds were one. S'Lara could clearly sense Solkar's thoughts and knew that he could feel her pain. She tried to draw back, but Solkar's logic held her in place as the man before her said in her voice, "It has taken my logic...my control." The words were strained, forced from her mind through the meld.
Moments later S'Lara was aware of Solkar's mind slowly pulling away from hers. Knowing she did not have the mental strength to begin her own retreat, she remained still and simply cleared her mind. A long silence fell while Solkar gathered his thoughts. Finally he said to her, "I understand your pain. I have done all I can, for now."
S'Lara nodded, seeing the tired look on his face. Then she said formally, "You have lent me your logic to allow my mind to heal. For this, I thank you."
Solkar dismissed her words with a slight wave of his hand as he said, "Your gratitude is not necessary. It had to be done." Exhaustion, both mental and physical, crept into his words. He extinguished the meditation candles and stood. S'Lara remained where she was, looking up at him until he extended his hand to her. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Solkar looked into her eyes and raised his right hand in the split-fingered Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper, S'Lara," he said, his voice perfectly level.
S'Lara returned the gesture and said, "Peace and long life." The words did not come as easily to her, but she credited that to her injured mind.
As Solkar left her quarters, S'Lara realized this would not be their last session. The One had taken too much away from her. At least now she had some control.
Holodeck
18
The door disappeared
behind him as he found himself standing alone in a square room with
sandstone walls.
A woman dressed in clothes of the Earth's medieval period approached him. "Greetings. Were you send by the guild ?" the woman asked.
"No, who are you ?" he asked.
He glared at the woman when Belldandy walked into the room. "Please excuse my friend. He is new at this."
The hologram nodded. Belldandy continued, "We were sent by the guild, they said we are to receive our orders from you."
The woman looked Belldandy up and down as if inspecting her. "You are instructed to meet a man called Seth at the Solder's Sanctuary."
"Can you be more specific ?" Belldandy asked.
"No ," the woman answered "The message says just come."
"Thank you." Belldandy said, walking out the door with Wren behind her.
Wren examined the courtyard. The town was brightly alive with soft patches of grass and people planting flowers. Flower petals floated lazily through the hot air as the swirls of colour wound through the skies, and the cobbled paths were hardly empty, every person at work.
The houses were made of sandstone and clay, with large flagstones in the ground leading the outside perimeter of the town. He turned to Belldandy "What is going on ?"
"I am not sure yet. Except we have to pick up our weapons and armour at the blacksmith." she replied.
Several minutes later, they walked out of the blacksmith's shop. Belldandy was wearing a pink skirt and top underneath purple, gold edged rigid leather armour. Powder yellow leggings and bright, pure white boots. Belldandy had a finely crafted long sword. The ends of the hilt arched like spread wings, the blade a bluish color and the pommel was adorned with a golden crosspiece and a large sapphire.
Wren was given a metal breastplate and backplate. He chose not to wear the rest of the armor for the sake of comfort. A silver bow in his hand, a quiver of arrows on his back and a knife hanging off a belt around his waist.
Walking through the town, he examined the high stone walls surrounding the city. Wren turned to Belldandy "What is all this ?"
"This is what some of Earth looked like 1500 years ago. People then believed in magic, angels and demons. They had primitive weaponry, the lords and nobles system of property, castles and kings."
"I am unfamiliar with this. I was born and raised on Sherman's Planet. Can you tell a little bit about these weapons ?"
"Swords and bow and arrow was the main weapons in this part of the world during Medieval times, Western Europe."
The huge man wearing a peasant's coarse shirt and trousers, was leaning up against the city wall next to the gate. He had a pair of knifes slid into his belt, and a sword hung at his side. "Hey gorgeous! Why don't you go with me instead of that kid ?" the man boasted.
"Buzz off, " Belldandy yelled. "And get out of my way!"
Wren glared at the man menacingly, even hatefully. The man looked at her astonished. "You wouldn't happen to be the one going around calling yourself 'Dagger' would you ?"
She gave him a dirty look. "Call me that again and you won't have a voice left any more."
A sly smile appeared on his face, "Know my name kid, it is Gawain. Prince James sent me to kill you, any way I see fit. Now your coming with me little girl."
Wren frowned, "How convenient, old, ugly, and insane too."
The man attacked Wren. But Wren moved faster and knocked him out, leaving the crazy man lying in the road. A number of people stopped what they were doing and took notice of the fight. "Quick. We have to get out of here." Belldandy urged him. I think I like this holo-novel, she thought to herself.
Belldandy and Wren starting running, from the town into the forest.
Alice and Stryker stood in a field of grass near a low underbrush and several stunted trees. Stryker aimed at a dead tree. He pulled back the string holding the arrow and let go. The arrow narrowly missed its target. "Stryker you're hopeless!" Alice laughed quietly.
He tried again. He took careful aim before releasing the arrow. Missed again. "Is that better ?"
"Umm ... No ... quicker. Oh, come on, lets not get discouraged!"
Stryker frowned. "But I don't think I can get it. This weapon does not suit me. Why can't the computer not provide me a sword or something ?"
"Because this holo novel is supposed to have a sword carrier and an archer."
"I never used a bow before. Crossbow yes. Not this thing though."
Belldandy rushed forward with her sword and swung at the old tree, severing it greatly. "Show off." Stryker said dryly. She grinned as the heavy footsteps approaching them could be heard. Seven men in armor was chasing them on foot.
Around them, objects become fuzzy. Belldandy and Wren looked around in confusion.
"Warning! System crash!" the computer announced. Then the holodeck shut down.
Lt. Alister Maxwell, Holodeck 1
Bright, warm sunlight made the glasses of wine glitter where they stood at the side of the white plates covered by blue napkins. Alister had a happy look on his face as he let his hand stroke her hair. It made her smile and close her eyes as she rested with her head in his lap.
They were both dressed casual clothes. He, wore a white shirt of an old design and grey pants. She wore white pants and a lime colored top made of andorian silk. It had been a gift from him as he left from Jupiter station. When she´d been purring like a cat for some time she spoke as he kissed her hand and held it in his. "You spoil me sweety, herbal chicken, potato sallad, wine and there´s still more." She looked at the wicker basket filled with foods and fruits of different kinds. "Well, the road to a womans heart is through her stomache. But the picture isn't complete." He looked away at the pond with white water lilys and said. "I didn't get you a flower." She sat up. "No, you didn't. And I thought you were a man of class and style... all I ask for is a little romance..." She smiled at him.
He stood up and started to walk towards the pond. Half way he took his shoes off as he turned to her. "Remember Sell and See?".
"How could I forget."
She started to walk towards the pond with the last of the wine in her hand. As Alister came closer he undressed his shirt and pants and walked in to the water. "I did´nt remember you as that good looking Alister. Youré a stud." As he started swimming towards one of the larger flowers he answered. "No, I´m not. It´s just the wine baby." They both laughed. As he had picked the flower and started to return to land she had already come in to the water. When they both had water up to their chest they kissed and between the kisses she looked at the flower and said "It´s beautiful." "But not real" he replied. "It is a gift, all of this is and I appreciate it, all of it." The kissed again and suddenly she said something that took him completely off guard.
"Marry me Alister."
Corridor
- Deck 4
Seemed more like a
herd of buffalo leaving the transporter rooms. Alice and Stryker was
dodging the traffic while trying reached the hallway leading to the
transporter rooms, when Stryker saw two humans in Starfleet
science-medical uniform, a man and woman was standing in the
corridor. Alice noticed them too. She shrieked and ran up to
them.
"Hey, Trouble ... " the sandy-blond haired man chuckled as Alice wrapped her arms around him. "Surprise !"
"Daddy !" Alice let go of him. "I thought the Vulcan Science Institute would not allow you to leave until your assignment is over."
He smiled at his pride and joy. "What, miss a long overdue visit to our daughter and her most important event of her life ? I don't think so."
She was so happy to finally see her parents again. Chaz smiled at her, "I know this must be exciting for you."
Alice nodded. "Very exciting, yes. Very scary. Just thinking of that, I don't know, I think I get freaked out once in a while"
"You two will make excellent parents," Chaz assured her. The older red haired woman was crying as she hugged Alice tightly.
"You look well Venerable Chaz." Stryker said to Chaz. The two men bowed to each other.
"Enjoying this daily stresses of Command ?" Chaz inquired.
"There are times that I'd rather scream and run away." Stryker admitted. "But I have an excellent crew."
30 minutes later - Dot's
Diner
Chaz smiled at Alister
and Sam Falco sitting nearby. "Doesn't those two look wonderful
?"
Stryker looked over briefly, "Yes, there is nothing like a new love affair to really get your pulse racing again"
Rika looked straight at Stryker, "Trust me. Stick to jogging."
3 hours later - (still in) Dot's
Diner
Stryker was on the
bridge for nearly 2 hours, mainly coaching Liz as she goes through
training to become the XO.
The Diner was pretty empty, on the far end of the diner, Stryker found Alice and Sam Falco at their usual corner booth, talking with Laenia. Alice took notice and waved him over. He started walking towards them when the doors behind him hissed open and someone yelled, "Uncle !"
Stryker spun around just in time for the leaping figure to hit him in the chest instead of the back. Together they went crashing to the floor, in the process knocking over several chairs as well. All this he was used to, but this young Edenian woman was nearly his weight and size. She immediately hugged him hard enough to squeeze out what breath still remained to him.
The girl in teal overalls and a purple T-shirt was looking right at him with her deep amber eyes. Finally, the sudden arrival released him and asked, "How's it going, big guy ?"
"Ee... Eei" panted Stryker, staring at the young Edenian woman kneeling on his stomach. "Eiko."
"Surprise !" Eiko exclaimed, brushing her shiny aqua hair out of her eyes. He took a few moments to look at the young womanl. Her face had lost a little of its childlike roundness. But the wide intelligent eyes were the same, and so was the smile.
She picked up her fallen Ginsu starfish and put it back in her hair. He gently dislodged Eiko and stood up, brushing himself off. "I will be with you in a few minutes, Sparky. Let me talk to your mom first."
"Wow," said Alice. "She's a little intense, isn't she ?"
"This is amazing !" he said, half to himself. "I have not seen her since she was eleven years old."
"Does she remind you of someone ?" Laenia inquired, innocently.
He was speechless for a few seconds, looking at his sister. "Please tell me I was not like that."
Laenia tried to be evasive, "Well ... "
Alice chuckled.
