A/N: Thank you so much!
C/W: Contains abusive behaviour, smut, and dub con/rape. Will contain Data/Tasha fluff. Lore is a master of manipulation.
This is a fic in which Lore (still his loveably flawed, chaotic self) plays the long con before showing his true colours. Also, Lore and Data have significantly greater capacity to feel than canon suggests.
After breakfast with Beverly, Lore managed to sneak in a discreet glance at her tablet.
There were no incoming messages.
He couldn't understand how or why Data and Tasha had failed to answer.
He was certain his message would have garnered a response.
In fact, his whole plan had rested on getting their location. Lore recognised that his friend the Crystalline Entity needed to feed in order to survive. Lore didn't want to risk losing her for richer feeding grounds.
He had to keep her fed and close.
But without knowing Data and Tasha's location, Lore didn't want to risk destroying the planet they were on. He viewed the near-miss on Tauphin IV as a sign.
Lore craved to break Data. He wanted to watch him suffer the way he had. In Lore's eyes, Data deserved to pay for what he had done.
He was going to isolate Data. Lore would watch gleefully from the shadows as Data lost everyone he loved. They would all turn their backs to him.
Data would learn to understand what it felt like to lose everything.
Feeling frustrated that he had not received a response, Lore decided to return to the holodeck.
It wasn't much, but it would provide a temporary fix.
Jean-Luc sat at his desk sipping on a warm cuppa Earl Grey as he scanned through the morning report. The Enterprise was due to arrive at Tendria III within the hour.
They had diverted their course there in hopes of finding some kind of answers. It was an M-class planet with a thriving pre-warp society near Tauphin IV and a popular spot among anthropologists as the terrain leant itself to duck blind studies.
"Captain," Worf's voice rang out.
"Go ahead, Mr Worf," Picard replied as he sat up straight.
"I believe you will want to see this," Worf said in a dark voice.
Jean-Luc put his saucer down on the surface of the desk. He rose from his chair and quickly tugged down his uniform.
As he strode onto the bridge, the sombre faces of the crew told Jean-Luc all he needed to know.
"How many people were on that planet?" he asked.
"Approximately four million," Riker answered.
"Plant and animal life?" Picard questioned.
"Same as before," Worf grumbled from the Operations Console.
Everything.
Absolutely everything had been wiped out just like it had been on Tauphin IV. The crew had scanned the area several times and found no trace of any recent warp signature or tachyon activity.
Just like last time, their early probe readings detected a substantial amount of Bitrium deposits. Bitrium was not naturally occurring on Tendria III.
Jean-Luc scratched his chin as he considered his options.
"I want a briefing with senior staff in twenty minutes," Picard ordered.
Over at the resort, Data and Tasha had hiked down the mountain.
They'd shared battle ration protein bars over a cuppa tea heated on the camp stove as they huddled in front the fire.
But they both recognised it was important to get their cabin back up and running. They couldn't very well stay freezing for the rest of the trip.
It had been a long journey down to the main lodge. The storm had blown great snow drifts onto the trail. Some were two and three metres high.
There were some downed trees and debris from the wind. It had caused significant damage to a handful of ice shanties on the frozen lake.
According to the crew at the resort, it would take hours to get up there and complete the repair – and there were far more pressing concerns at the main lodge and the village.
Unfortunately, they did not have any vacancy to accommodate Data and Tasha with a room onsite. The village was also booked up.
With the upcoming festival, space was at a premium.
"Well we could just hang around for a while," Tasha shrugged.
The resort had plenty of public areas that featured board games, an indoor pool, and music programmes. It was warm and they could get lunch at the café.
"Actually, if I may make a suggestion," the clerk offered.
"Mmm, I'm so glad we did this," Tasha said.
Upon the suggestion from the clerk, Data and Tasha had agreed to take them up on what was fondly referred to as the 'Toasty Lovers Package.'
Now they were both lying face-down on a massage table next to one another as a skilled team of massage artists direct from Risa worked their magic.
Inhaling deeply, Data's olfactory receptors identified the heady mix of amber, jasmine, sage, and vanilla that permeated every inch of consumable air.
Data's synthetic musculature did not share the same biological benefits of massage that humans experienced. But he still could appreciate and relish in the feeling of being pampered by expert hands as they kneaded his back and legs.
Data reached across and found Tasha's hand.
She turned and adjusted her position, lifting her head so that she could make eye contact with him.
Wordlessly, Data knew precisely how she felt.
Lore kicked the wall in frustration, cracking the polymer corner and sending a chunk of debris flying across his quarters.
He growled and resumed pacing.
Lore simply couldn't relax.
Hell, he couldn't even sit still.
His plans for a quick holodeck shot of artificial serotonin had been squashed by notice that the holodeck was temporarily down.
There was no ETA on when it would be functioning again and the stammering, idiotic excuses from La Forge only reinforced Lore's opinion that humans were a substandard lifeform.
Lore had pressed him for details about the cause.
Geordi had been evasive – offering a poor excuse that it would take hours to run a level one diagnostic.
I could do it in two. Lore scoffed as he continued pacing about.
He couldn't even lure Beverly away from sickbay for a few hours.
Ever since his heroic actions saving Atwood, Beverly was back in his arms. But it had come at the price of Beverly insisting on round-the-clock care.
Beverly herself wasn't in sickbay twenty-four hours. But she was splitting her time with two other doctors and that meant eight hours in which she was unavailable.
Lore and Beverly were planning on dinner together. Lore would whip up something grand and set the mood with music and candles. He was planning to pick up a flower from the arboretum.
He'd put her at ease with a little massage and she would melt in his hands – grateful for some attention after a long day.
They'd share a kiss and a cuddle.
And it wouldn't take much to convince her to spread her legs.
But that was still hours away.
Lore grumbled and slammed his fist down – stopping just shy of breaking the desk.
He took a long artificial breath and straightened his jumpsuit.
It wouldn't do any good to bust up his quarters lest Beverly get suspicious.
"We just completed a sweep through sections 18 and 19," Ensign Parker reported. "We didn't find anything unusual. Nothing that could explain this holodeck malfunction."
"Thank you," Geordi said, taking the tablet from Parker.
He quickly scanned through the report, making a show of reading it. Geordi knew they weren't going to find anything.
He felt a tad bit uncomfortable sending his team off to investigate a fictional problem – but if they wanted Lore to buy the excuse, they had to pull out all the stops.
"I'm going to head up to section 21 and take a look. Franklin, you and Parker check out 22 and 23," Geordi ordered.
It didn't take long for Geordi to reach the Jefferies tube near the astrogeology lab.
He pulled off the access panel and climbed inside. In an effort to make the most of his time, Geordi was using this as an opportunity to inspect the wiring in preparation for a future maintenance project.
He rounded the corner and ran smack into an eerie pair of yellow eyes.
"Whoa!" Geordi said as he stumbled backward.
Lore was startled too.
For a few tense seconds, the two men stared at one another.
On the outside, Lore was a figure of composure. He was grateful that he did not perspire, or it might give away just how nervous he was at being caught.
His mind raced for a plausible explanation.
"Lieutenant," Lore said coolly.
"Sorry, I wasn't expecting to find someone down here," Geordi said.
He frowned.
"What are you doing down here?" Geordi asked.
It took Lore an agonising 0.04 seconds to come up with an excuse.
"I have heard humans sometimes use these spaces for romantic interludes," Lore lied. "I was looking for a suitable location to…host a picnic."
Geordi seemed unconvinced.
Section 21 was sandwiched between the deuterium storage and wastewater reprocessing. The Jefferies tubes in this section weren't typically a go-to spot for a hot date.
They were too loud.
While many couples and throuples sought out the refuge of a quiet place off the beaten path, the wastewater reprocessing equipment caused a nasty echo. It reverberated through the tubes and piping in this section.
After more than a half hour, it was unbearable for most humanoids.
There also wasn't much space here.
Some of the Jefferies tubes had cosy junctions that allowed room to spread out with a blanket, basket, or bottle of wine.
Section 21 had one measly turn. Otherwise it was just a straight shot to the power conduit at the end.
In fact, that was the only thing down this section.
There was no reason for Lore to be down there.
A dark thought crossed Geordi's mind.
Unless he's conducting his own investigation.
Lore had seemed pretty miffed about the holodeck being down. His questions as to the nature of the malfunction had felt like an interrogation.
And it was odd that Captain Picard had ordered Geordi to purposefully take them offline.
Suddenly, Geordi felt very exposed.
They were completely alone in an isolated section of the ship. Only Franklin and Parker knew his location and he wasn't expected back in Engineering for at least another hour.
No one could hear him scream.
Lore's thoughts briefly toyed with the idea of harming Geordi.
He could so easily make his death look like an accident.
Lore had to suppress the desire to smirk as he imagined dear Data returning from holiday to learn of the tragic accident that had claimed the life of his best friend.
Geordi smiled, hoping to lighten the tension in the small, suffocating tube. At the very least, he was hoping that a show of friendship would get Lore to stop eyeing him like an object of prey.
"You, uh, you shouldn't be down here alone," Geordi said.
Lore's face twitched twice.
"Neither should you," Lore responded knowingly.
Geordi shuddered involuntarily.
Lore chuckled.
"I'll just be on my way," Geordi said.
To his relief, Lore let him pass without incident.
When he reached the power conduit, Geordi glanced back over his shoulder. Lore was gone but he still felt shaken by the encounter.
As he scanned the area and took note of wires that would need replacing, Geordi looked back several times to check behind him.
"Sorry I'm late," Beverly said as she came through the door. "I wanted to stop by and check on Atwood again before calling it a day."
She shrugged off her medical jacket and tossed it over the back of the nearest chair.
"Took a lot more time down there," Beverly said as she slipped her feet out of her boots. "Though I honestly don't know what for."
She sighed and fell back against the chair and stared at the wall with a deep, thoughtful expression.
On Captain Picard's orders, Beverly had joined an away team to investigate the situation. They had found the planet to be a desolate wasteland.
Once rich farmland had been stripped away to nothing more than rocky soil. All of the nutrients and microorganisms typically present in such dirt were gone.
Just as they had found on Tauphin IV, the plants, wildlife, and even water were gone.
It was as if all life on that world had been erased.
They had taken numerous readings, samples of the mineral deposits and air, and had left a discreet tracking probe that would send readings back for the next forty-eight hours.
Beverly understood why they had taken these steps. As a scientist and medical profession such research was essential.
However, she felt it had been futile.
There was simply nothing there.
"Everything was gone," Beverly sighed.
Lore's eyes lit up.
Briefly, Beverly thought this seemed like an odd reaction.
Before she could question this, Lore swooped in close.
"Then you won't be late in the lab tonight," Lore growled against her ear. "And I will have you all to myself."
Beverly relaxed.
Her fears about Lore's strange response were replaced with an understanding that he was just pleased to finally spend some time alone.
Lore stepped behind Beverly. He pulled her hair back to the side so he could nuzzle against her neck.
"Sit back," he instructed. "Relax."
Beverly closed her eyes and smiled as his hands began to work out the tension in her shoulders.
"I've made you something special," Lore went on. "We'll have a little nibble and then maybe another little nibble."
He chuckled.
"So just sit there and look pretty and let me take care of you tonight," Lore said.
Tasha looped her arm through Data's. Resting her head against his bicep, they rounded the trail. It was a clear, beautiful winter night as they walked back up to the cabin together.
They had spent all day down at the main lodge being pampered with the likes of a couple's massage, spa treatments, a swim, and a relaxing dinner in an intimate Moroccan café.
It had been a nice change of pace from the cold.
While they adored their little cabin, a dip in the heated pool with fruity drinks and kababs had been just the right way to spend the afternoon.
The sun set early, so it was dark but not late.
The weather had turned following the storm. Though clear, temperatures had dipped to dangerously cold levels.
There was a chill that hung in the air, penetrating right through to Data's internal skeletal construction. The lodge staff had warned Data to keep the temperatures up at the cabin so as to ensure the pipes didn't freeze.
In fact, it seemed the chill had penetrated everywhere except into Tasha.
She giggled to herself softly as they walked along the path. The sound of her laughter was the only other noise aside from the light crunch of the frozen snow under their boots.
Tasha felt warm.
Data thought it was adorable.
Tasha so rarely allowed herself to be carefree.
In fact, he hadn't seen her like this since the polywater incident.
"I think that pineapple had rum in it," Tasha giggled.
They had been lounging at the side of the steamy pool when a staff member had offered them a drink menu. Tasha hadn't intentionally ordered an alcoholic drink.
She so rarely consumed alcohol.
But Tasha had ordered the second one knowing full well what she was in for.
Her head was just the right amount of hazy. She was still light on her feet. And her body tingled with excitement.
She was safe with Data and could allow herself this indulgence.
When they reached the cabin, the lights were already on and the staff had turned the heat up.
"I will run a bath," Data said.
They would need to wash off the salt from the pool and he figured they could both do with a warm-up after the long, cold walk back.
Data in particular was hoping a good hot soak would heat his internal system. Though artificial, it felt uncomfortably cold.
"I'm just going to check the terminal," Tasha said.
They were on holiday, but Tasha wanted to stay up to date. With the power outage overnight, she hadn't had the chance to browse through the day's news.
Tasha queued up the terminal along the wall. She was surprised to see the small blinking icon that signalled there was an incoming message.
As soon as she clicked to read it, Tasha frowned.
The thundering sound of rushing water carried out into the main room. A moment later, Data stepped out from the bedroom after turning on the tap.
"Would you like some coffee?" Data offered.
He thought it might help her sober up.
"I'll be there in a minute," Tasha replied without tearing her eyes from the computer.
Tasha's response wasn't scathing.
But she had been just minced enough to answer with a level of honesty that was only reserved for the dearest of friends.
Or former friends. Tasha thought darkly.
Beverly's communique had felt like a betrayal.
While it did not request a response, Tasha had sent one. She had shared how deeply hurt she was by the message and how she mourned the loss of their friendship.
The two women had become fast friends during their time serving together on the crew. As women and fellow senior officers, Tasha had appreciated Beverly's curiosity and headstrong attitude. Beverly found Tasha refreshingly honest and adored her sarcastic sense of humour.
Things had been strained lately – more since Beverly had dismissed Tasha's claim of sexual assault at the hands of Lore.
Tasha had never imagined Beverly would reject her like that. Tasha had allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. It had taken great strength of character to make such a confession.
And Beverly's response had only reinforced all of Tasha's fears about coming forward.
It had felt cold and cruel.
Now his letter just added insult to injury.
'Professional opinion' my arse. Tasha scoffed.
Beverly was a physician – not a counsellor.
There was a correlation between Beverly's field of medicine and the mental health of her patients. But as a doctor, Beverly was a far cry from a professional counsellor.
Beverly had no right to advise her that it was 'in Tasha's best interest' to avoid any and all intimacy with Data. In fact, the advice went against everything Tasha had worked so hard for with Deanna.
It was a huge red flag and it felt personal – almost as if Beverly wanted to try and disrupt Tasha's holiday.
Tasha clicked send and then powered down the terminal.
It may not have been the most eloquent of responses, but it came from the heart.
Only Tasha had no inkling that this letter had not come from her once dear friend nor that her response was headed for the hands of her tormentor.
When Tasha turned around she found Data waiting in the door frame.
"Is everything alright?" he asked.
Tasha stepped over to him. Pulling him into a tight squeeze, she snuggled against his chest.
"Perfect," Tasha replied.
"Something wrong?" Beverly asked from the door to the bedroom.
After dinner, she had stepped out to slip into something cosy. She returned to find Lore in an unusual state.
His jaw was clenched. His temple was twitching.
Lore looked almost apoplectic.
He seemed to radiate an aura of anger.
"Lore?" Beverly pressed as she stepped closer.
He turned and his face instantly softened.
Without a word, he got up from the table and scooped Beverly up.
"Oh," she remarked in surprise.
"Shh," Lore said, nuzzling against her face.
"This is nice," Tasha said.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her nose against Data's face.
"You feel nice," Tasha went on.
They were sitting in the tub. Data was leaning back against the edge and Tasha was sitting in his lap. She had her arms snaked around his neck. Ever since slipping into the water, she had been rather more enthusiastic than Data had anticipated.
She'd had more than a snootful and was keen to acknowledge her existence as a sexual being.
"Perhaps it would be best if we were to have that coffee now?" Data suggested.
"I don't want coffee," Tasha purred.
Data took an artificial breath and did his best to ignore her lips as they nibbled at the spot below his ear.
"Tasha, I know you are feeling quite…amorous," Data began. "But I believe we should-"
He paused as Tasha captured his lips with a slow, wet kiss.
She rolled her hips against Data, wordlessly conveying her intentions.
But Data had no desire to acknowledge her advances. Tasha had been drinking – a behaviour she normally avoided at all costs because of her past struggle with sobriety. Alcohol had been a hallmark of her early days at Starfleet Academy.
Tasha had been so desperate to dissociate from herself that she felt the sweet release of intoxication was the answer. Tasha had learned to associate the false sense of confidence from intoxication with a sense of healing.
At that point in her life, it had been the only time she felt attractive.
And the only time she could stomach sex.
But that hadn't been where Tasha's mind was at when she'd drank down at the lodge. She felt good. She felt safe.
And now she wanted Data.
Tasha sat back and giggled.
"Tasha, please do not-" Data requested.
But Tasha's mind was on one thing and one thing only.
She pressed another ardent kiss against his lips. Her tongue traced the bow of his lips and Data reluctantly allowed it entrance into his mouth.
He had permitted Tasha to deepen the kiss, but Data had no plans to go any further.
When the expected function did not activate, Tasha pouted.
"Not tonight," Data said.
Tasha stuck her bottom lip out and looked up at Data with a longing expression.
"But isn't this so nice?" Tasha asked.
Her hands wandered across his bare chest, over his shoulders and then back up cup his face.
"I want you," Tasha whispered.
"You are inebriated," Data said.
He kept his voice polite, but firm.
"Mmmm, I know, and I want to jump your duranium bones," Tasha replied playfully.
Her fingers were in his hair now and Data was briefly reminded of their polywater experience. Eventually, they had worked through that and were now lovers.
Data had no wish to repeat the trauma of the event that had brought them together.
"I would like to get out of the bath and get that coffee," Data declared.
Tasha frowned.
Data gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"I love you, which is why I must ask you to stop," Data said.
Tasha did not respond.
"And so I will hold you, make you coffee, read you love poems, and do anything you may need in order to remind you of just how lovely you are," Data said. "But I will not make love to you while you are intoxicated."
Tasha bit her lip.
She was embarrassed by her own behaviour.
"Because I love you," Data assured her.
Beverly collapsed down against Lore's chest. She was breathing hard as she attempted to catch her breath.
With one hand on the small of her back, Lore rolled them, so he was on top.
Beverly gasped as Lore nipped at the pulse point of her neck. His hands closed around her breasts, kneading them with such force that she later found bruises.
"Lore-" Beverly breathed.
He shushed her before turning his attention to her collarbone.
He was still hard.
Beverly made a small noise of complaint as he slowly rocked into her.
"Lore-" Beverly repeated.
"Let me take care of you," Lore urged.
In truth, he was hoping to take care of himself.
His plan had worked. Tasha's response had allowed Lore to trace the transmission. While the contents of that letter had been infuriating, it gave away their location.
As soon as he'd had his fill, Lore was planning to transmit a message to the Crystalline Entity. He would send her in the opposite direction of Data and Tasha. It would give her a chance to feed but keep her close.
Lore didn't want her drifting too far off in search of food.
The enormous energy requirements of such a beautiful lifeform meant she was constantly looking for her next meal, consuming any and all life she came across.
Lore couldn't risk her wandering too far out of range. He needed her close.
Just like the Crystalline Entity, Lore had needs.
He longed to be wanted, appreciated. He needed Beverly to need him.
Lore planted one hand on the bed and resumed driving into her.
"No," Beverly said as she tried to push him off.
Lore immediately stopped.
He looked as if he'd been slapped.
Beverly reached up to cup his face.
"I can't," she admitted.
She was exhausted. Lore may have been unstoppable, but Beverly had her limits.
"You've worn me out," she smiled.
Lore blinked a few times. He was unsure what to say.
Beverly had reached her own blissful climax twice. Now she was ready for bed and keen to bask in the sweet afterglow of sex.
But Lore was not.
Beverly could sense he felt dejected – a first in their relationship as he had always been so accommodating to her needs.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke as Lore's erection hung between them like an awkward elephant in the room.
Beverly was really in no mood to continue. It had been a long day. She enjoyed her sexual relationship with Lore, but it could be exhausting.
Yet, she couldn't help but feel guilty.
He had always been so tender and affectionate, seeing to each of her needs with meticulous care. She felt obligated to indulge him.
Leaning forward, she gripped the base of his cock.
Lore shuddered at the feel of her lips around it.
He groaned and let his head fall back, relishing in the sensation of being so loved and adored.
He took a fistful of red curls and guided her up and down the length of him, watching with delight as she gagged.
Beverly was uncomfortable.
A part of her felt that Lore should have just respected her desire to be done for the night. But a tiny voice in the back of her mind couldn't let this go.
Relationships were funny like that, and Beverly didn't want to take advantage of his android nature.
Just because he could deactivate his sexual programme didn't make it right or fair.
And Beverly firmly believed healthy relationships involved give and take.
So she swallowed her discomfort as she sucked Lore along to his own release.
Beverly's discomfort was only reinforced when they were done.
Lore gave her a quick peck on the cheek before scurrying off out of bed after making a feigned excuse about having to check the environmental controls.
He'd left Beverly alone in bed without so much as a soft caress or thank you.
She felt used.
Beverly had been expecting some kind of cuddling or aftercare, particularly after such an emotional and selfless act.
But Lore had gotten what he'd wanted.
His mind was wholly fixated now on feeding his beautiful crystalline companion.
He grabbed his tablet off the table and punched in a series of graviton pulses. He would tack them on with the next ship-wide message drop to Starfleet Command in order to disguise his message.
Slipping back into bed a moment later, Lore curled up next to Beverly and activated his sleep programme.
Back at the cabin, Tasha and Data were lying awake in bed staring at the stars through the skylight on the ceiling.
They had said little since climbing into bed, content to simply lie there next to one another and stargaze.
"Data?" Tasha asked with a yawn.
"Hmm?" Data responded.
"Thank you," Tasha replied.
She could practically feel Data's confusion.
"Thank you for respecting me," Tasha clarified, referring to early.
She rolled and snuggled up against him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder.
"I love you," she whispered.
At 03:27, Lore tiptoed out of bed and into the main room of his quarters.
He retrieved his tablet and clicked open to check if there had been a transmission back from the Crystalline Entity.
The glow from the screen was the only light in the room.
His message was still sitting there unset.
Eager to get on with it, Lore decided it would be worth the risk to transmit regardless of the cover from the other transmission provided.
It should have gone out at 02:00 precisely with the rest of the messages. Lore surmised there must have been some kind of error.
As he clicked to send, nothing happened.
Don't tell me communications are down. Lore thought.
He wanted to grimace at the thought. No doubt it would take that idiot La Forge days to figure out a ship-wide communication error.
Lore tapped the screen to check if there was an alert on the notification system.
He scowled.
By order of Captain Jean-Luc Picard all outgoing communications will be suspended for the next forty-eight hours under Starfleet General Order 8794 'Security Parameters -' Subsection J14 'Ship-wide Communications Blackout.'. We thank you for your patience during this time.
Lore chucked his tablet across the room.
He froze and strained his audio receptors.
Fortunately, Beverly was still fast asleep.
Just my fucking luck. Lore lamented.
He was furious at this latest inconvenience. It felt as if the universe was conspiring against him.
Lore hastily threw on his jumpsuit and stalked off into the night.
Jean-Luc Picard had risen early that morning.
He wanted extra time to prepare for a ship-wide announcement he'd be making at 09:00. He felt he owed the crew and civilian personnel an explanation for the communications blackout.
There was no telling what was out there – but Jean-Luc was vigilant.
The Enterprise did not have the ability to cloak. But they could take steps to minimise their presence and proceed with stealth toward their next target.
He didn't want any subspace particle traces giving away their location to whatever persons or creature was lurking out there.
After ordering his traditional coffee and croissant from the replicator, Jean-Luc stepped over to his desk. He set down his own breakfast before turning back to the replicator.
"Silverside, one serving," Picard ordered.
Taking the two small, semi-frozen fish from the tray, Jean-Luc dropped them through the top of Livingston's tank.
"I must admit I'm quite nervous about this announcement," Picard confessed aloud.
There were times Jean-Luc couldn't help but laugh. There were secrets that fish knew that could never be spoken aloud.
He reasoned it was probably a good thing he'd selected a non-verbal companion.
Jean-Luc watched as the meal drifted down through the water.
He blinked a few times, waiting for his beloved companion to swim by and snatch them.
Jean-Luc had a sinking feeling as he watched the silversides continue to sink toward the bottom of the tank. His eyes followed them until they caught sight of Livingston's exquisite stripes lying on the bottom in the rocks.
He was not moving.