Pike stayed sat in the church, lent forwards onto his elbows, his chin resting on his knuckles and watched as Amesha talked with Owosekun on the 'arrangements'. Though he had admitted said yes to her suggestion of a burial earlier, he had been quick to withdraw it to head 'back' with her to 'Providence' for a northern funeral. Statically, it was not that impossible with the right equipment and he didn't want the….reminder to hang around New Eden on this 'tragedy'. They didn't need that. Rose didn't need that and certainly, Jacob didn't need that.
Plus, he didn't like the idea of burying Burnham at all. Of course, she was ready to roll with it; she could and was posing as an uncannily realistic corpse at the altar. The paleness of her skin was much more profound but he could lean that towards the injury she had sustained and what her body was doing to heal it. It did…unsettle him. Seeing her like that. Non-reacting. Maintaining the image. It was almost convincing even for him.
There was logic, to her reasoning but now, they weren't left alone; at least all three of them. Amesha had come and gone, they had managed to bandage Michael's side up—her food now a key role into making it look like it was her blood. As of now, he couldn't be mad at her.
He was alive, their image and cover was maintained but her carelessness would equally get them exposed if they hadn't enforced their own 'customs' for keeping it going. Death was the only option he could have gone for. Injured; they would have tried to take her to a medic; a human couldn't walk it off and her nature was at risk of exposure if she had. It was dark, gritty but it had been their only option.
Once they were back on Discovery, he'd have to make sure Burnham understood not to pull something like this again…
"Excuse me." Amesha bid her farewell with Owosekun and hurried away. Pike's eyes followed her for a moment before he turned his gaze back to Burnham's still form. The lieutenant moved quickly towards him, inhaling deeply as she sat down.
"I've managed to boost signal back to Discovery." She whispered. "I've left a signal telling them to wait for us to request the pull out than beam us out suddenly given we're too exposed to the locals But I've managed to get a look at a map and a small route for us to walk in to get us out of sight quickly and far enough that it won't be too exhausting carrying her"— her head nodding towards Burnham—"for a little bit."
Pike nodded. "Let's hope they follow that."
Owosekun nodded, "I've managed to get a simple stretcher to carry her. Amesha wants to do a full-body wrap to make it easier but…" Her tone shifted, undecided—uncertain even.
"But?"
"Burnham's weight might make it hard for us to carry her any longer than planned, our route does keep us in sight of the settlement for a few hundred meters."
Pike's lips pursed, sparing a glance to the vampire who still laid still. He couldn't deny the point. Burnham had been extremely heavy but he had been running on a shot of adrenaline… He could see why she was heavy. Not flesh and blood. Apparently no one had really paid too much attention to that aspect of them it seemed…opened up a whole new concerns.
"Are vampire's buoyant?"
"No." Burnham responded with instead, her faced breaking a fraction with the curl of her lips.
"Michael, you're dead; you're supposed to act like it." Owosekun reminded with a snort, though there was a lighter undertone of teasing despite their ranks.
Burnham's smile lingered for a moment before she fixed it back.
"I need to talk to Jacob." Pike mused. "Smooth things over here, move on and Discovery will get us out when they can."
It seemed right to do that, wounds had been inflicted. Jacob had been desperate for his sense of confirmation which while he still couldn't give, he could help soothe his guilt on this. Their cover was fully maintained. Pike pushed himself up to his feet, eyes flickering to Burnham then to Owosekun though removed his utility bag and left it next to her "Keep me updated if anything changes."
"Aye, Sir."
Jacob hadn't been far. Not really. The night was dark and imposing and there were torches that lit the way out and the pathways. The man had been hovering along the fence; unwilling to enter but unable to stay away. Immediately, the man stiffened up as soon as Pike spotted him.
"Jacob." He called out, seeing him ready to walk away.
Jacob paused though thankfully stayed, his arms coming to his chest. "I'm sorry about your friend. I didn't mean for her to get hurt…or killed."
Pike finally reached him though stood on the other side of the fence but he kept his expression calm. "It wasn't your fault, Jacob." He assured. "It would have gone off either way."
Though technically speaking, Jacob did escalate the situation, the weapon going off wasn't his fault. It just gave him a firm reminder that he needed the ammunitions officer to run checks on all weapons. From suddenly switching to kill then exploding, that didn't seem like it was purposeful on the child's behalf. Clearly a fault on the mechanics.
"It doesn't change the fact about what happened."
"No, it didn't." Pike inhaled heavily, shaking his head. "We're leaving soon. We've decided not to bury her here but we'll take her home. New Eden…shouldn't have this shadow."
Jacob's jaw tightened but nodded. "She…was a scientist, wasn't she?"
Pike paused at the question though he could see the opening of his questioning even now, after all this, he was still probing for answers. Testing their covers still, despite he still was doubting himself. Jacob was still only able to guess, to hope.
"She's from a family of scientists like yourself" He replied with. "She worked at our library before she opted to travel with us."
This didn't look to fully satisfy the man but Pike held his gaze firmly.
"What about you? What did you do before you traveled?"
"I know what you're trying to do, Jacob." Pike allowed his tone to drop in tone, unable to stop himself as he shook his head at him. "I thought you were here to pay your respects to Michael… I wanted to help relieve you of your feelings but if you think I will allow you to keep questioning my life, my friend's life based on the hope we can—as Amesha said—fulfill your fantasy of the impossible then I don't think I can help lighten the burden of what happened to her."
"I know you're not from here!" Jacob snapped quietly, his face flushing. "I know it."
Pike shook his head again, exhaling heavily. "Then I'm afraid to disappoint you, Jacob. You cannot make us to what you want us to be. I will not lie and tell you what you want to hear. My friend is dead and we're leaving."
Jacob let out a huff, frustration clear to see but the reminder stopped him from doing anything else.
Pike though kept his stance. Had to. He could feel for the guy. Understood the frustration of knowing but not able to find poof… but he had general order one to maintain. Here was no place to break it. While he didn't have Burnham's uncannily keen senses, he didn't know who was listening. He couldn't risk theses human's new cultures on the frustrations of one.
"Look, Jacob. There's nothing of proof that can confirm your ideas." Pike started again, "I won't beat my head against a wall about it. I've got too much to think about now. Arrangements to make and a long trip ahead of me. I just didn't want to leave a shadow here in our departure." He fixed him with a hard stare, preparing to leave him with the final word. He felt he had been reasonable. He had said his dues and done what he could to smoothen this out. Jacob's turn now.
After a moment, Jacob let out a heavy breath, eyes closing for a long moment before he nodded with slumped shoulders. "I…suppose," He huffed, sparing a look to the church "Again….I'm sorry for your loss, Christopher." With a glum expression, the man took his departure, disappearing down the pathway and into the dark.
Pike's eyes followed him until he was gone, letting out a heavy breath. Nothing else to be done now.
Pike returned back into the church, pausing a little as he saw both Amesha and the teenager—Rose, he believed, by Burnham and talking to Owosekun who had managed to put Burnham on a stretcher; wooden frame, canvas center that was stretched out and all three were tying a dark, linen cloth over the vampire's still frame.
"Chris, we're almost done," Owosekun called swiftly, her lips pursed; he could recognize the look in her face was crafted well to appear saddened and serious in her work. Though hearing his first name was not one he as used to from a Lieutenant.
"I'm glad." His eyes dropped though to either end of the stretcher though; both had two loops of canvas material. Shoulder straps. Clearly to ensure comfort in carrying. A small but good detail. Owosekun was right that Burnham was going to be heavy now he wasn't fuelled by an adrenaline rush.
Rose hovered, her fingers fiddling with the cloth for a long moment though didn't look up, instead, her gaze was down to Burnham's face before Owosekun pulled the fabric over her face, securing the cloth down before checking over the others again. The teenager moved away before bending down and picked something up. Pike watched though surprised as she came to him, holding out a slightly chard wooden book.
"I gave this to…her because she was interested to read about our version of history. You can have it now." Rose mumbled out.
Pike felt his expression soften before he took it from her, kneeling down. The weight of the event clearly weighing on her…much more than Jacob. He couldn't blame her; she had clearly gotten to know Burnham more
"Thank you," He spoke, "Are you alright?" A stupid question; they all knew the answer.
Rose shrugged, looking down to the floor. "I hope your trip goes smoothly."
"I hope you're not…blaming yourself for the accident." Pike asked, quietening his tone though her glance up told him the answer. "It's not your fault."
"I shouldn't have picked it up. She'd…still be alive if I hadn't."
"No, it would have gone off on the wrong movement, Rose. It would have gone off while we were walking on our travels." He pointed out, letting the book rest on his knee. "We would have been forced to bury our friend in the same site…we would have hated to do that. You didn't cause her death. She stopped anyone else getting hurt. Michael wouldn't have wanted that to be you or anyone. Something tells me that she wouldn't want you to be upset by what happened to her"
Rose's face still held a frown but she sighed heavily and nodded.
"I still hope the trip goes well." She forced a smile before she spared a final look to the end; to Burnham before she brushed passed him.
"She'll be fine," Amesha spoke up. "Loss is not easy, even as brief as it was."
Pike pushed himself up onto his feet, tucking the book into his bag and moved towards Burnham and the stretcher. "I hope so. New Eden is a good place. We never wanted a tragedy to occur…nor allow it to linger."
"This is a lesson, Christopher. We have learned and we shall grow from these experiences. Michael is with the ancestors as the generations before with our angel." Amesha answered, wilfully smiling. "I've taken the liberty to get you some food and water for your journey. I wish you well and peace be with you."
Pike smiled softly, nodding to her words. "Also with you." He slipped the loops over his shoulders and grasped the ends, waiting until Owosekun had got her grip and straps before he lifted….
"You acted on instinct. You can't be faulted for that, Burnham"
"I still almost blew our cover." Michael remarked, allowing Dr Culber to run his assessments of her side. Needlessly. Since being beamed back, Pike had insisted to get looked over though his demeanor had shifted; she could almost feel his…displeasure at her actions now they weren't needed to maintain a cover.
"But you didn't. I'd say being a vampire worked out better than Captain Pike or Owosekun being the one to jump on it given how long it took to actually beam you three out. If the blast didn't kill them, the wait-time after certainly would have."
Michael said nothing though she was glad to see him put the scanner away. The skin had healed, though discolored at the moment, the fluid had stopped building up and she had been fed up to the point she felt sloshy and bloated though being fully fed was a pleasing feeling. Though this hardly stopped the human doctor from his prodding and poking and refitting a scanner to the nape of her neck.
"Still, he's going to question me about it. I know I'll get a lecture on it."
"Then I'm sure he'll take your response well if you tell him why you did what you did on basic instinct."
"Doctor, I've been back on duty on this ship for just over 24 hours, I'm not going to drop the bomb on him now."
Culber's lips pursed, displeased by estimation but Michael didn't want to push it.
"If you do, then come to me. I want to see how your mental activity spikes."
Michael tittered but nodded. "I'm not an experiment…"
Culber glowered. "I'm not treating you like one, Burnham. I know what a stable neurological activity should look like and what doesn't and how it'll affect your behavior. Paul got aggressive, need I remind you."
He didn't to. Michael recalled how narky Stamets had gotten in that time as if it had happened hours ago. "I won't snap, Dr. Culber. I know what that feels like." Again, she could recall the last of those moments when she attacked Georgiou; the thirst the ache and the delicious blood the human Georgiou pumping through her veins. She could recall the taste just as easily that almost tickled her thirst again.
Dr Culber let out a heavy breath nodding. He moved away, putting the scanner away. "I'm sorry that I'm insisting but… I've been that human that been at the end of this before. It's not a fun feeling. Ignorance won't help him. Especially him in his position." The tone was soft, exposing the genuine concern.
It did tug a thread of guilt. She had time, plenty, and Hugh knew this but… he was right; he knew the human perspective of it than she did.
"If he starts to show any…symptoms, Burnham, I'll have to tell him. For his medical wellbeing and running of this ship. It will start to cause an imbalance in his system; he isn't telepathic and without context, his brain won't be able to organize the changes appropriately and will cause behavioral problems before they become physical issues. "
"Wait, it changes the human brain, to what degree." She had read and kept up to date, it seemed clear she hadn't invested enough into the human side, only the vampire's side. But this hardly felt good; telling her what she'd be unleashing onto Pike…
Culber nodded, his jaw twitching a little. "More data gathering of few human imprints have shown…the imbalances to affect the brain's control over body temperature, sexual arousal, and increase of activity of the hippocampus. Once the bonds formed, the changes balance out and the humans live with and tolerate the vampire body temperature and feel the bond themselves…if a bit weaker."
Michael found herself glowering at the doctor, not out of anger but…displeasure more than anything. She certainly was between a rock and a hard place. Tell him and risk their professional relationship or not tell him and let him suffer the effect of what she had done.
"I'll…keep the option on the table….but I'm sure as hell can't promise to tell him now," Michael muttered, shaking her head.
"I'm keeping the scans going live so I can monitor the activity as long as this goes on. Keep it on."
Michael nodded, slipping off the biobed and reached for her jacket and utility bag. "If you'll excuse me, doc, I have reported to do and a much-needed shower."
The doctor's words lingered like a shadow as she cleaned herself up and got to her report and began to debrief Tilly about what had happened on the planet— the woman had been curious to the new burn she had— though she barely had another few hours before she received the summons to the captain's ready room.
Her nerves— now feeling like a habit to feel— did increase the more the turbolift rose. She could see this going a few ways. One, he's discussing her actions, then it was done and over; nothing on her feelings would come up and all was well. Two, He still discusses her actions, then her personal feelings to why and inform him of the situation or three; her actions, feelings, and if he'd accept or shoot the whole thing down right here. Only the first option felt like it was reasonable in this situation.
The doors opened and once again, Pike was at his desk reading a PADD but the book from New Eden was also beside him, open.
"You wanted to see me, Captain," Michael spoke, stepping into the room.
Both his eyes and head rose before an assuring smile rose to his lips, his hand gestured to the seat opposite. She complied, sinking slowly into the chair though she kept her gaze at him. Pike's gaze moved back to the PADD before he placed it down, a small indentation forming between his eyebrows.
"I do want to start off by thanking you for keeping to our cover. I know and I'm fully aware that it could have turned lethal and I'm glad that it didn't." Pike began, "Owosekun managed to disable the beacon and found the camera attached to a helmet that we're going to be looking through once data-recovery has had a look at it."
Michael nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. Ensign Tilly also updated me about the potential devastation that was about to hit the planet. Airiam and Tilly were able to recover several samples of the asteroid before they used the main to clear the debris. Airiam's currently monitoring the projection of the asteroids to ensure they crash onto a moon in an uninhabited system."
Pike acknowledged her words as he seemed to smile with only a light uptake of his lips. "I'm glad to hear. How many samples?"
"Four, I believe. We'll be keeping two and the other two with be given to the scientists at the Starbase."
"Just two?"
"The applications for dark matter samples can be applied to different areas of science. One team has one claim and Tilly wants to see about refitting some into the spore drive for enhancing it for Commander Stamets. She believes it could be beneficial given the…nature of his physical body." She could see where Tilly was coming from; no one wanted to scrape the Commander off the floor again by a result of a jump too far.
Pike nodded though he requested an update about that, Michael though observed him more closely than what she was seeing in front. Their bond, still weak, it gave her much more to feel with. Shadows of…emotions, even. Curiosity, caution… debate. Glimmers that were gone before she could properly see them. Out of her reach.
"Burnham," Pike's voice drew her back, "getting back to our mission; I do want to point out that while it's…effective on keeping us safe. Your own nature can also have the same potential for exposure."
Michael nodded only once. "I had a feeling you'd come up with a good solution. Humans can't walk it off."
"I can't exactly go with injured, they could have had medics and your…" He paused though she knew what he was going to imply, "your physiology would have been noticed. Trying to keep people from actually touching you is not that easy when they think you're dead and we know otherwise. So, you cannot just jump on weapons for us because it won't help if the General order is broken if they saw that you're not human."
Her eyes drifted down from him as he spoke. Despite it was not a lecture but a reminder, it felt as much but it had a valid reason. Logical. "Sorry, sir."
Pike sucked in a heavy breath. "How are you though, from the blast?"
"In perfect shape. My body is highly resilient." Her hand touched over the healed area. A snapped-off a limb was worse because the thousands of nerves had to touch and fuse back together; this was easy when the outer-membrane layer was singed; the fluid build-up had helped to create a sterile layer for her cells to rebuild the damaged crystalline.
"Good." Pike nodded, pleased. "Just…please don't do anything like that again without at least consulting me or proper plan—"
"I don't think I can promise that sir—" Michael forced herself to stop as the words caught up with her—the fact she had interrupted him too. She cursed herself. Damn it
Pike's eyebrows perked at her answer, his head tilting with inquisition. "Why not?"
Michael wanted to curse herself again. She had opened herself up for that without thinking ahead…damn it. Damn her… It made a flush of embarrassment wash through her though she tried to flicker through the opening responses to it. She knew he felt it was deeper than intended; she couldn't lie to him so easily.
"It's just that…I didn't react because I knew I'd survive." Michael started, dancing around the subject. The doctor's words echoing back… god, why was this so hard? "I…did it instinctively because I could see you were going to do that."
Pike's jaw flexed though the pull of his brow deepening. He didn't look….troubled though nodded for her to carry on. Stepping into a new sense of territory. Something more…personal. They could both see it now.
"I think that… a part of my mind sees you as…more than a captain since I came on board" Not incorrect, but she couldn't just…blurt it out. A starting ground to edge him into it than 'Oh, by the way, captain, I Imprinted on you. I hope that's okay'
Pike's face shifted subtly, his head coming to bob softly in a flash of understanding with a mild flush. "I…can't say I'm not flattered, Burnham. Honestly, but… as captain, I do have to…maintain a professional distance with my senior officers." Pike started softly, though his stance didn't change, he relaxed back, pushing out a more informal approach that should have felt assuring.
It didn't.
"You're not…the first one to have approached me on that particular topic, I doubt the last," His lips curled up to a soft chuckle, blue eyes light though distant enough to indicate his recalls of those events. "But that shouldn't give you a reason to jump on a phaser or bomb for me. I don't want you to do that because then this…could cause professional difficulties. You are my chief science officer. I value your skills and your professional opinion because that is good. Personal bias cannot attribute—"
He continued to talk and Michael only nodded to his words… but she could feel her mind starting to respond to it… to his choice.
For a second of a moment, she wasn't just staring into his face… those blue ocean eyes that tugged at the weak bond within her. Since the moment of the imprint, she had felt the constant draw and the threads that connected them, still so new and not yet mutual for it to get any stronger. The cable line bond that was entwined with threads of a hundred that pulses with his warmth and light…his mind…
Each one snapping.
It almost felt her gravity-draw to him was being snipped away in the process. It didn't stop… she could feel the ties to her emotions turn numb to a degree with each one, it spread a feeling of…coldness into her chest where her heart had once beaten. It created a sense of of…emptiness. Like a void was settling within her, sucking away the depth of emotion; the desire and pleasure and there was a…ache that echoed around it.
Then she was back, staring at his face before the second had finished.
Michael blinked, removing her eyes from his to her hands but the hollow feeling was ever-present, more so than the ache.
Yet, she knew he remained unaffected; nothing in his body or posture seemed to change. Just as the initial imprint had been, it seemed. He had…no idea. Too human to feel it, too ignorant to try.
"Of course, sir." Her tone dropping in tone but she forced herself to put emotion into it like before, to cover herself until she could figure out what had occurred. "Are we on our way to Starbase 17 and Dry-dock?"
It didn't escape him her quickness of topic change though nodded though his eyes shifting with a look of caution. "You'll have access to Spock's quarters once we're there."
Michael didn't nod, instead, she shot to her feet in an instant; the movement itself startling the Captain if the blink was any indication.
"I believe I need to go, Captain."
Pike frowned though rose to his feet with a look of…apprehension to her abrupt mood change but she could figure he thought she was running with her tail tucked between her legs out of embarrassment. He wouldn't be wrong but she knew she had to leave.
"Of course but if you need to talk to me, my door is open." He offered, "I don't want you to… withhold if something's wrong, Burnham. You're a good officer, I'd hate for…anything to compromise our…ability to work together. Especially over anything personal in nature. " It was clear he said enough to try and soothe her 'feelings' on the matter. That she shouldn't be embarrassed about coming to him.
Michael nodded once, glad for her practice to put up an assuring human smile. "Of course, sir."
Feeling his gaze, she flittered from his ready room and though the Jefferies tubes to the main deck weaving throughout the corridors until she reached her quarters…
Locking the door. Michael forced herself to sit at the end of her bed…. The tightness in her body increasing but she felt the familiar taste of blood rise in the back her mouth, the tight in her stomach turning physical as if someone had shoved their hand into her gut and squeezed. It wasn't like a human wrenching up—she lacked the requirements to make such a feat with any such force but it the blood came up and passed her lips, dripping down her chin like a soft leak of water out of a pipe, the soft patters as it dripped from her chin or the feel as it rolled down her flesh…the scent of blood in the air… though she didn't pay it any heed as it stopped…
Notes:
kay, well I feel a little evil by doing this but I figured... something should happen. Pike is ignorant and he didn't read much more into it than what he thought was another officer implying a personal interest in him and was trying to let her down softly as he'd done in the past; unfortunately, human tactics don't apply to vampire tactics and a brick will probably be dropped on him when he realizes this. Who knows, is this temporary or permanent I shan't spoil it hehe
I also want to show that, an imprint loss or rejection isn't gonna kill the vampire either, it's not gonna send them into madness or suicidal but there is a darker change.
Michael throwing up wasn't... going to be in the plan but there was the physiological aspect that became physical-she had overfed too-didn't help but I found it to be more poetic. Plus, a vampire throwing up isn't like a human throwing up. They don't need to and only in **rare** conditions. Like their imprint's death or rejection. Dilated blood and digestion fluid is pushed up after the stomach is contracted and is much slower and without force. Like...imagine you have a small mouthful of water and you open your mouth. Like that for a little long
