BDP30
The Dragons were all sitting around the recreational area, talking in hushed tones when Moira Burke walked in. Ian smiled at her and stood with old-fashioned courtesy. He had been hovering around the door waiting for her until the rest of his unit teased him unmercifully for it. Nottingham had finally sat down, just to get them off his case. He knew they didn't mean anything by it, but it made him uncomfortable all the same.
Moira smiled back at him, but there was something off. She seemed distracted and upset. Ian wanted to go to her, but he knew that now was not the time or the place. He contented himself with watching her as she spoke.
Mobius fired off a spate of highly technical questions as soon as the door closed behind Burke. She replied in the same vein. The Dragons waited, initially content to let their leader ask the questions. Their heads moved slightly back and forth, rather like watching a tennis tournament, as the conversation moved rapidly beyond their understanding.
"This is all very fascinating I'm sure, but could we have non-geek subtitles for those of us who are just here to kill things?" Rook rolled his eyes, his patience exhausted.
"The new drug therapy was to much, to fast. We were basing our dosages on the data we had collected during an earlier study done with chimps. The amounts were increased based on the differences in body mass, actual use of the archipallium, and metabolism. Unfortunately, this was not the correct dosage. The archipallium, also known as the Basal or Reptile brain, has been enlarged very quickly, instead of the slow gradual growth we had projected. The adrenal medulla is one of the areas affected, which is pumping additional adrenaline into your body. As a result, you have not been given the time or tools necessary to deal with the increased output from this part of your brain. This manifests itself in aggressive and territorial behavior." Moira paused to see if she had made it simple enough for the others.
"So, the fact that I suddenly need lots of personal space and feel like hitting things for no apparent reason is because my brain is expanding?" Taurins shook his head slightly, eyes flicking up briefly from his sketchbook, as if surprised that could be the cause.
"My brain isn't the only thing that's expanding." Beck leered as much as he could with his face swollen from yesterday's beating.
Moira felt a blush heat her cheeks. She had really hoped not to be the one to explain this part, "Right, the primal instincts are coming to the fore. That means the drive to propagate as well, I'm afraid. We did see this behavior in the chimps as well, but it's not like we can put you in separate cages and bring in females."
"Ohhh, cages. I didn't know you were that kinky Doc." Rook chimed in. The teasing was something of a defense mechanism, but it helped finish what Beck had started, defusing the tension in the room.
"You should have seen the requisition slips we had to fill out for that." Moira grinned, willing to go along with the change of mood.
"Creative writing at it's finest, I'm sure." Taurins agreed, looking up from his drawing.
"You will be happy to know that we are using that creativity on your behalf right now. Quinn is working on bringing in prostitutes, since we really can't let you out among the civilian population at this juncture. An outburst like Nottingham had yesterday would have killed an untrained man. The brass isn't going to let us court that kind of attention." Moira lost her humor. She didn't know how she was going to handle watching Ian with one of the 'ladies of the evening'. Just thinking about it sent a spike of jealousy through her.
"So what is going to be done about keeping things like that from happening here?" Mobius reentered the conversation.
"We are cutting the dosage back from 200 cc's to 20 cc's, increasing your daily workout regimen," she paused for the chorus of groans, "and we're changing your training tapes."
"Are we going to get some recreational tapes while they're at it?" Rook bobbled his eyebrows, voice full of suggestion.
"I rather doubt it. Turn your hand over, I've been told it makes it feel like somebody else is doing it." Moira retorted in the same vein.
"So how long am I going to be stuck with Rosie? I know how the military is with requisition forms, even the creatively worded ones, and I will probably have carpal tunnel by the time the paperwork passes over the appropriate desk." Beck asked, holding his hand out in front of his face for inspection.
"We have a pretty high priority with the guys upstairs. They might approve our request by Thursday, which would mean you could be getting laid by this time Saturday." Moira flinched slightly at the thought.
It wasn't much of a reaction, but when Moira looked up, both Ian and Moby were watching her. Ian looked hopeful; he hadn't realized that they wouldn't be together when that happened. He'd be with someone else, and she'd have to stand by and let it happen.
Mobius' face held understanding and compassion. It was nearly her undoing. Moira knew she had to get out before her resolve broke, but she couldn't just run off. It would make it clear to whoever was watching the surveillance footage just how upset she was at the idea. The last thing she needed was for Casca to realize she had a relationship with one of the Dragons. He'd really have her by the proverbial balls then.
There was one other who had noticed that uncontrolled response, and Rook did the only thing he could think of to pull all the attention away from Burke and give her time to recover. The Doc had gone out of her way to take care of them, and he appreciated it more than his joking demeanor would ever outwardly show.
"Well, if that's all the longer I'm gonna have to do this manually, I call dibs on the bathroom and Beck's porn stash!" Rook sprang off the couch and headed for the bunks.
"Oh no you don't! The last magazine you had, you had to throw out because the pages all stuck together. There's no way I'm letting you near mine!" Beck cut him off from the door, and everyone took sides and joined the heckling.
Moira took the opportunity to make good her escape, sliding out the door that led to the main lab areas. Guilt over not telling them the truth and jealousy over the idea of Ian with another woman combined to deafen her to the light tread dogging her footsteps.
Ian followed her down the hall. He could not believe she had left so quickly, and without speaking to him. He let one hand lightly touch her shoulder and simply said, "Moira."
She stopped, her feelings to raw to remain contained if she turned and looked at him, so she continued to face away from him. "Now is not a good time Nottingham."
The ice in her voice made Ian stiffen and pull back his hand. What had he done wrong? In a hurt whisper he replied, "As you wish."
"It's not what I wish, it's what has to be." Moira hunched her shoulders, her body giving away how miserable she really felt. "I can't talk right now."
Ian slipped in front of her, needing to see her face. Since that night in the kitchen, they were very adept at reading each other's eyes. It had been their only truly intimate link in the weeks that followed. Moira tilted her head down and averted her eyes, denying him the contact he so desperately sought.
One hand came up and cupped her cheek. Ian did not try to raise her head; he simply waited patiently for her to let him in. He was very good at waiting. Moira finally raised her head. Her eyes held guilt, jealousy, and under it all, fear.
That one glance told Ian that Moira had not been completely forthcoming this evening. She was holding something back, not because she wanted to, but because she was afraid. The reason for the jealousy wasn't quite as clear.
Surely she didn't think he would be with another woman simply to ease his flesh? The demands of the body could be ignored. He was much more familiar with that, as she was in a position to know intimately. Ian opened his mouth to speak and Moira reached up and squeezed his hand warningly.
Moira took his hand and slid it up slightly, so his palm was directly over her jaw hinge. Her eyes warned him to pay attention and then the muscle just over her jaw jumped under his hand. It began to pulse rhythmically, and he realized with a start that it was Morse code.
His eyes widened, but there was nothing else to betray his surprise. Ian had missed part of the first word, but she repeated it, 'Lab is bugged'
"I am sorry Nottingham, it appears you've made more of our friendship than can ever be. I hope you understand, and are willing to retain what we've built. I would hate to lose you as a friend." Moira's eyes warned him to go with it.
"The dreaded friend speech. Why thank you Doctor, for letting me down easy." Ian's tone suggested he felt anything but while his eyes held admiration for her creativity. His thumb was underneath her chin, in shadow, so he used it to lightly tap a reply on her skin, 'Where can we talk'
'Nowhere inside. Must get out of lab' Moira clenched her jaw in response, all the while looking as though she were feeling caught in an unpleasant situation. "These feelings you're having are just another side effect of the drugs. You'll see, as soon as the serum levels in your body drop, you'll forget I'm anything but another scientist."
Ian let his hand drop and said, "Perhaps." Then he turned and walked dejectedly back toward the room he had just left. Inwardly he was seething. The entire lab was being monitored, and Moira had obviously been threatened into silence. It was Casca's doing, he didn't doubt.
Well, there were many ways around surveillance, and he was well acquainted with them all. It would not take him long to figure out where the blind spots were in their system, or to create them where it would be most beneficial. He was also going to make a few discreet calls once he was out.
The Dragons were all sitting around the recreational area, talking in hushed tones when Moira Burke walked in. Ian smiled at her and stood with old-fashioned courtesy. He had been hovering around the door waiting for her until the rest of his unit teased him unmercifully for it. Nottingham had finally sat down, just to get them off his case. He knew they didn't mean anything by it, but it made him uncomfortable all the same.
Moira smiled back at him, but there was something off. She seemed distracted and upset. Ian wanted to go to her, but he knew that now was not the time or the place. He contented himself with watching her as she spoke.
Mobius fired off a spate of highly technical questions as soon as the door closed behind Burke. She replied in the same vein. The Dragons waited, initially content to let their leader ask the questions. Their heads moved slightly back and forth, rather like watching a tennis tournament, as the conversation moved rapidly beyond their understanding.
"This is all very fascinating I'm sure, but could we have non-geek subtitles for those of us who are just here to kill things?" Rook rolled his eyes, his patience exhausted.
"The new drug therapy was to much, to fast. We were basing our dosages on the data we had collected during an earlier study done with chimps. The amounts were increased based on the differences in body mass, actual use of the archipallium, and metabolism. Unfortunately, this was not the correct dosage. The archipallium, also known as the Basal or Reptile brain, has been enlarged very quickly, instead of the slow gradual growth we had projected. The adrenal medulla is one of the areas affected, which is pumping additional adrenaline into your body. As a result, you have not been given the time or tools necessary to deal with the increased output from this part of your brain. This manifests itself in aggressive and territorial behavior." Moira paused to see if she had made it simple enough for the others.
"So, the fact that I suddenly need lots of personal space and feel like hitting things for no apparent reason is because my brain is expanding?" Taurins shook his head slightly, eyes flicking up briefly from his sketchbook, as if surprised that could be the cause.
"My brain isn't the only thing that's expanding." Beck leered as much as he could with his face swollen from yesterday's beating.
Moira felt a blush heat her cheeks. She had really hoped not to be the one to explain this part, "Right, the primal instincts are coming to the fore. That means the drive to propagate as well, I'm afraid. We did see this behavior in the chimps as well, but it's not like we can put you in separate cages and bring in females."
"Ohhh, cages. I didn't know you were that kinky Doc." Rook chimed in. The teasing was something of a defense mechanism, but it helped finish what Beck had started, defusing the tension in the room.
"You should have seen the requisition slips we had to fill out for that." Moira grinned, willing to go along with the change of mood.
"Creative writing at it's finest, I'm sure." Taurins agreed, looking up from his drawing.
"You will be happy to know that we are using that creativity on your behalf right now. Quinn is working on bringing in prostitutes, since we really can't let you out among the civilian population at this juncture. An outburst like Nottingham had yesterday would have killed an untrained man. The brass isn't going to let us court that kind of attention." Moira lost her humor. She didn't know how she was going to handle watching Ian with one of the 'ladies of the evening'. Just thinking about it sent a spike of jealousy through her.
"So what is going to be done about keeping things like that from happening here?" Mobius reentered the conversation.
"We are cutting the dosage back from 200 cc's to 20 cc's, increasing your daily workout regimen," she paused for the chorus of groans, "and we're changing your training tapes."
"Are we going to get some recreational tapes while they're at it?" Rook bobbled his eyebrows, voice full of suggestion.
"I rather doubt it. Turn your hand over, I've been told it makes it feel like somebody else is doing it." Moira retorted in the same vein.
"So how long am I going to be stuck with Rosie? I know how the military is with requisition forms, even the creatively worded ones, and I will probably have carpal tunnel by the time the paperwork passes over the appropriate desk." Beck asked, holding his hand out in front of his face for inspection.
"We have a pretty high priority with the guys upstairs. They might approve our request by Thursday, which would mean you could be getting laid by this time Saturday." Moira flinched slightly at the thought.
It wasn't much of a reaction, but when Moira looked up, both Ian and Moby were watching her. Ian looked hopeful; he hadn't realized that they wouldn't be together when that happened. He'd be with someone else, and she'd have to stand by and let it happen.
Mobius' face held understanding and compassion. It was nearly her undoing. Moira knew she had to get out before her resolve broke, but she couldn't just run off. It would make it clear to whoever was watching the surveillance footage just how upset she was at the idea. The last thing she needed was for Casca to realize she had a relationship with one of the Dragons. He'd really have her by the proverbial balls then.
There was one other who had noticed that uncontrolled response, and Rook did the only thing he could think of to pull all the attention away from Burke and give her time to recover. The Doc had gone out of her way to take care of them, and he appreciated it more than his joking demeanor would ever outwardly show.
"Well, if that's all the longer I'm gonna have to do this manually, I call dibs on the bathroom and Beck's porn stash!" Rook sprang off the couch and headed for the bunks.
"Oh no you don't! The last magazine you had, you had to throw out because the pages all stuck together. There's no way I'm letting you near mine!" Beck cut him off from the door, and everyone took sides and joined the heckling.
Moira took the opportunity to make good her escape, sliding out the door that led to the main lab areas. Guilt over not telling them the truth and jealousy over the idea of Ian with another woman combined to deafen her to the light tread dogging her footsteps.
Ian followed her down the hall. He could not believe she had left so quickly, and without speaking to him. He let one hand lightly touch her shoulder and simply said, "Moira."
She stopped, her feelings to raw to remain contained if she turned and looked at him, so she continued to face away from him. "Now is not a good time Nottingham."
The ice in her voice made Ian stiffen and pull back his hand. What had he done wrong? In a hurt whisper he replied, "As you wish."
"It's not what I wish, it's what has to be." Moira hunched her shoulders, her body giving away how miserable she really felt. "I can't talk right now."
Ian slipped in front of her, needing to see her face. Since that night in the kitchen, they were very adept at reading each other's eyes. It had been their only truly intimate link in the weeks that followed. Moira tilted her head down and averted her eyes, denying him the contact he so desperately sought.
One hand came up and cupped her cheek. Ian did not try to raise her head; he simply waited patiently for her to let him in. He was very good at waiting. Moira finally raised her head. Her eyes held guilt, jealousy, and under it all, fear.
That one glance told Ian that Moira had not been completely forthcoming this evening. She was holding something back, not because she wanted to, but because she was afraid. The reason for the jealousy wasn't quite as clear.
Surely she didn't think he would be with another woman simply to ease his flesh? The demands of the body could be ignored. He was much more familiar with that, as she was in a position to know intimately. Ian opened his mouth to speak and Moira reached up and squeezed his hand warningly.
Moira took his hand and slid it up slightly, so his palm was directly over her jaw hinge. Her eyes warned him to pay attention and then the muscle just over her jaw jumped under his hand. It began to pulse rhythmically, and he realized with a start that it was Morse code.
His eyes widened, but there was nothing else to betray his surprise. Ian had missed part of the first word, but she repeated it, 'Lab is bugged'
"I am sorry Nottingham, it appears you've made more of our friendship than can ever be. I hope you understand, and are willing to retain what we've built. I would hate to lose you as a friend." Moira's eyes warned him to go with it.
"The dreaded friend speech. Why thank you Doctor, for letting me down easy." Ian's tone suggested he felt anything but while his eyes held admiration for her creativity. His thumb was underneath her chin, in shadow, so he used it to lightly tap a reply on her skin, 'Where can we talk'
'Nowhere inside. Must get out of lab' Moira clenched her jaw in response, all the while looking as though she were feeling caught in an unpleasant situation. "These feelings you're having are just another side effect of the drugs. You'll see, as soon as the serum levels in your body drop, you'll forget I'm anything but another scientist."
Ian let his hand drop and said, "Perhaps." Then he turned and walked dejectedly back toward the room he had just left. Inwardly he was seething. The entire lab was being monitored, and Moira had obviously been threatened into silence. It was Casca's doing, he didn't doubt.
Well, there were many ways around surveillance, and he was well acquainted with them all. It would not take him long to figure out where the blind spots were in their system, or to create them where it would be most beneficial. He was also going to make a few discreet calls once he was out.