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Thread: Star Trek RPG - Mission #3: "Some Other Side of Paradise"

  1. #1151
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    "Are you going to tell Mr. Kylah you spoke to Hardin, as he requested," Delaney asks, "or would you like me to?"

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    "I'll tell her," Collins says, "when we see her."

  3. #1153
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    Jan leads Kylah to Room 237, on the second floor of the resort's hotel. She sees that he has a suite, with a living room furnished in the latest Altairian style, elegant and tasteful. He touches the entertainment system's controls and quiet jazz fills the room. He takes her into his arms. "You know, we could just dance here, if you like. We don't have to go out at all." Kylah finds herself beginning to sway to the music with him.

    The pull toward Jan is very strong, even stronger here for some reason, but Kylah takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "I think it is better for us to go to the nightclub. I... I hope you did not think I came up here for...." The longer she looks into his eyes the more difficult it is to concentrate. She swallows and manages to slip from his arms, backing away and looking at the windows. "You have a lovely view," she says quickly. "May I take a look at it while you dress?"

    "Sure," he says, smiling. "Be right back."

    She turns back and sees the last orange-red of the brilliant sunset as Omicron Ceti sinks below the horizon. The rest of the resort is spread out below her; not far away she can see the buildings of the Sandoval Colony. She looks up and sees the curve of a crescent moon - the planet has three moons, she recalls, but she cannot remember where in the sky the others would be now, if anywhere. She tries to gather her thoughts and then realizes that Jan has already returned. How did he do that so quickly? she wonders. The spores cannot alter my perception of time itself... can they?

    He is in formal clothes, a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled back, and black pants and shoes. He negligently tosses his black jacket over a chair. "You aren't easy to leave, you know," he says, coming close again and nuzzling behind her ear. "Mmm, this is a good song, too. How about a dance here before we go?"

    His strong hand drops to her hip, passing along Kylah's bared skin on its way to her hip, and a ripple of delight sweeps over her. There is no harm in just a dance, she thinks, and nods her head slowly. Just one. Her hand falls on his forearm and slowly glides up to his bicep, just as she steps into his embrace and lets her head rest beneath his chin. She can smell the light hint of aftershave above his not-quite-buttoned shirt collar. Her right hand slips up to his chest, fingertips running along the edge of his collar. With a rapturous sigh, Kylah closes her eyes and lets herself be pulled in whatever direction he wants. Why did she ever think the spores were dangerous? They are Safety. Indeed, she would be quite happy to just fall asleep now. The nightmares that haunt her would never reach her here.

    The music plays on....
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 10 Jan 2014 at 10:55 AM. Reason: Credits as before.

  4. #1154
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    As Rangin gets increasingly worked up, Graham is increasingly puzzled.

    Does everyone outside of Security think Starfleet flies us around to sightsee and boink? he thinks. We're on the job here...

    He's wondering how Rangin would react if he were to have the ship beam down some duty manuals he could use to illustrate the patient explanation of how to run an away team he's trying to organize in his mind--right up until Rangin utters his last sentence.

    Rangin turns away, and Graham momentarily can't hear anything: rather, it's as if the words hang, written in the air, between him and the science officer's back.

    He clenches and unclenches his fists. Then his shoulders slump and he says in a flat voice, "I'm sure she hates it too."

    Graham turns around and walks in the opposite direction.

  5. #1155
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    Rangin doesn't hear the sound of Graham walking in the opposite direction caught up in his own thoughts.

    The further he walks, the more he begins to wonder if he was wrong to say what he did. But each time he plays the conversation over in his mind, he hears Graham not getting to the point and playing buddy, buddy, Graham asking to spy on Kylah, Graham going on about curfew. No, Rangin thought to himself, he hadn't been out of line. It's not like Graham had ever listened to a word he had said.

    Noticing the others in the lobby, Rangin walks up to them, face still set in stone. "Evening.", the short curt greeting uttered forth.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  6. #1156
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    Collins acknowledges Rangin and asks "Where is Ensign Graham?"

  7. #1157
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    Where can a guy get a drink around here? Graham thinks.

    He sighs, surmising that getting to the closest place probably involves going back through the lobby. Bad enough for you to go off the deep end, he thinks, but it would be just that little extra bit of awkward if you were to wander past Collins and the team and give them a wave on your way to self-medicate in the bar…

    Where, in fact, do you think you’re going, Booker? He doesn’t know—only that he needed a few minutes alone. How would it have gone to have tried to respond to Rangin? He can’t help but laugh a little: “Ah, see, you’ve hit the nail on the had. The reason I am calm, cool, and collected while you get all in my face for what seem to me to be obvious common-sense things to do while on a mission is that whether you like me or not pales in comparison to the fact that my daughter does hate me. At least I think she does…or if she doesn’t—well hell, there’s the kicker. If she doesn’t and she really does want me around, then what does it mean that I’ve been away and messed up and in my own head for ten damned years? But thanks for mentioning it, let’s hang out some time, you can have dibs on pissing in my drink, buddy.”

    Graham takes a deep breath, shakes his head and stops walking. Well, time to get back on the clock, he thinks--might was well do this now and spare Rangin the trauma. He pulls out his tricorder to confirm Kylah is at the nightclub, first scanning for her communicator and then for Elasian lifesigns.
    Last edited by general_urko; 09 Jan 2014 at 10:22 PM. Reason: might as well turn it up to 11 added last para

  8. #1158
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    Graham's tricorder detects just a single Elasian lifesign. It is not in the nightclub, but several hundred meters to OC3's planetary west, on the second floor of the hotel. The communicator is within four meters of the lifesign.

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    Rangin stops and looks back over one shoulder and sees Graham hasn't followed him.

    Wondering where he has gone and what he is up to, Rangin decides against mentioning their last conversation. It wouldn't help the current situation.

    He pulls out his communicator and opens it. "Rangin to Graham. I'm here with the rest of the party in the lobby. What's your location?"
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  10. #1160
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    In the dimmed light of room 237, on the living room's thick Turkish rug, Jan and Kylah have been dancing for some time, or at least standing and moving to the music—their hands just as active as their feet, perhaps more so. Kylah’s fingers feel Jan’s lean, muscular chest, then his arms, and she hums the music with a smile on her face. She is aware that he’s moved her hair away from her neck and is kissing a trail from her shoulder, up her throat and finally back to her mouth. He is much taller than she is and she must stand on tiptoe for their lips to meet.

    When his hand clutches her hair to draw her even closer, Kylah starts to feel overwhelmed. She’s aware of his strength more than ever and, as euphoric as the spores and his own intense desire are making her, she senses that things are going too far. “Jan,” she says when their mouths part, “we were supposed to go to the club....”

    "Vacations are meant to be spontaneous," Jan murmurs. He leans back a little, touching Kylah's chin and lifting her face for another kiss, and she is again silenced by the thrill of this almost electrical contact. His free hand slips through a gap in her dress and touches her bare hip, then slowly moves upwards. He could be playing her own Elasian zither--his fingers stroke her and, like the zither’s fragile crystal strings, her flesh responds with a quiver, but could just as easily shatter.

    He then effortlessly unties the thin silk ribbon that keeps her dress’s halter top in place. She gasps in surprise when the silken material falls away and he caresses her bared skin. More than ever, she can sense the urgency of his desire. I am causing this, she thinks, torn between pride and alarm. She has never felt so powerful, yet so powerless. She has almost completely lost the ability to differentiate his instincts from her own. Just as on the Sakathian lab station, she is both attacker and attacked, predator and prey. Of course, Jan is not violent; her mind tells her he is a good man, and she knows he only seeks their mutual pleasure.

    Yet, despite the exquisite sensations her body is experiencing for the first time, Kylah still frantically tries to wrest her mind free, hoping to break the empathic link - but she finds she can't. The part of her mind bonded to his wants to complete the union, wants their bodies joined just as intimately as their emotions are. I must not let this happen, this is wrong… Even as her lips keep seeking his mouth, whenever they come up for air from a kiss she tries inarticulately to plead with him to stop. “Please... please, Jan, I cannot... I cannot control this....”

    "You don't need to," he says, a little short of breath. "This isn't about control, Kylah. This is about what we both need. What we both feel. Isn’t it?”

    She nods, almost hypnotized. Only when his head lowers to kiss her shoulder again does she see where they have moved, as if drawn by a magnet: the bedroom.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 10 Jan 2014 at 10:56 AM. Reason: Credits as before.

  11. #1161
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    Graham is already moving at a trot toward the hotel when his communicator beeps. He ignores the incoming call, instead initiating an outbound one of his own. "Graham to Collins. Ensign Kylah is not in the location she reported as her intended and final destination. I'd like permission to go bring her in, ma'am."

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    Collins is only a little startled. "Collins here, did Ensign Kylah give any indication that she was entering a risky situation? If not, then get your butt back here now." She presses the buttons "Collins to Kylah. Are you in any need of assistance?"

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    Rangin blinks in surprise at the sudden turn of events and snaps alert, his concern for Kylah overriding his current mood and waits to see what Collins orders.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  14. #1164
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    Goddamit, Graham thinks, is this Intergalactic Bust Booker Graham's Balls Day or what?

    He continues toward the hotel. This is not the conversation he wants to have least of all over the comm, but he's starting to get both annoyed and worried. "I doubt she'll answer, ma'am. Look she's in a freaking hotel room. I only see three scenarios: what she told us about the plan for this 'interview subject' was all true, but she's lost control of the situation. Or what she didn't tell us is that she's so worked up about proving her worth she thinks she needs to sleep with a guest to get information. Or her whole plan was a cock and bull story and she just had a crush on this guy, in which case we should drag her ass back and explain she should play romance novel heroine on her own damn time."

    Oh great, he thinks, is it too much to hope T'Var was not hearing this? Then another thought occurs to him: son of a bitch, if the third is what's going on, is Rangin running interference for her? He'd thought they'd seemed close at times...

  15. #1165
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    "Ensign Graham!" Collins shouts at her communicator, "Report to the lobby on the double!" She turns to the others. "I doubt Kylah's in any kind of trouble, but if she is, Graham is not the one to handle it, and certainly not alone." She taps the buttons again "Ensign Kylah. Please report." she repeats. Recalling Kylah demonstrating her knife skills to Graham, Collins believes Kylah can handle any situation just fine, even if she is a spoiled brat.

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    Hearing Graham's voice echo from the communicator, Rangin closes his own and can't help but comment, "I really hope he doesn't do anything violent to get a physical reaction. According to the records, its enough to remove the effects of the spores. That would not go down well."

    Rangin turns to Dr T'Var, "Sir, can I suggest you talk to him, I believe he is more likely to listen to you than anyone else." and then to the group, "Does anyone know the guest she was meeting or what the room number of the guest might be? Whoever it is will be non-violent...unless provoked."
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  17. #1167
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    "Come again, ma'am?" Graham replies, not stopping. "Lots of interference on this channel, Lieutenant." Graham says this in his best deadpan voice, not expecting Collins to believe a word, but figuring his best option is to stall for time until someone proves him wrong, does something useful, or he has to make the choice between complying and being obviously and irrevocably insubordinate.
    Last edited by general_urko; 10 Jan 2014 at 08:36 PM.

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    "Do you want to go on report, Ensign?" Collins says slowly and deliberately into the communicator.

  19. #1169
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    Graham comes to a rolling stop, counting out how long he can delay a reply before Collins likely feels compelled to pull the trigger...one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand...

    At a halt, he replies equally slowly and deliberately as he turns around. "It's your show, lieutenant." He lowers the communicator and exhales heavily, then lifts it back up. "On my way," he adds tightly.
    Last edited by general_urko; 10 Jan 2014 at 09:21 PM.

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    "Good man." Collins replies.

  21. #1171
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    Graham laughs out loud--not intentionally into the communicator, although he's not sure if he's snapped it shut before it bursts out. "Good man." Like I'm a "good man," he thinks. Way to twist the knife, L-T--are you getting crib notes from Rangin? he thinks.

    He claps his hands together. Well, out of my hands now. Maybe I'm just being paranoid and every thing's fine. Or... Part of him would be badly disappointed if his third hypothesis turned out to be right, but part of him hopes it is, since while it would be personally hurtful as well as a professional embarrassment for that to happen on a team he's on, at least it would mean nobody's getting hurt.

  22. #1172
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    While Kylah’s eyes widen at the realization of where they are, he again kisses her, and before she comprehends how it happens they are on the bed. Kylah knows he has not forced her here: she followed him on her own, her body willingly taking this path despite her doubts, and this makes it all the more frightening. She feels like a marionette pulled by some force beyond her reach, ignoring her own commands. Their linked emotions insist that this is right, that it is what was meant to be, what must be, but Kylah wants to scream. She isn't ready, she doesn't want this. Not here, not now, not with this man.

    Jan is even closer now. His weight atop her, his kisses almost muffling her, Kylah feels like a panicked animal caught in a trap. Somehow she has to explain that he must free her, because she cannot free herself. She does her best to push herself away so her weak voice can be heard. “You do not understand,” she breathes. “I—I have never done this before. I need your help...I do not… No, please!”

    "Shhh," he says. "It's all right. I'll help you." He kisses her again, deeply, hungrily. His hands never stop moving as they continue their slow, tortuous, rapturous tour of her body.

    Kylah's head falls back on the pillow and she digs her nails into his back when he unties the remainder of her dress. He suddenly stops short. "What is this?"

    Kylah opens her eyes to see him staring at her knife, still strapped to her thigh. Before she can speak, he continues with a chuckle. "I'd heard Elasian women were deadly, but I never realized... Do you mind?"

    She watches dizzily as he carefully removes the weapon from her and tosses it aside. Kylah says nothing, because there's nothing to say. What use would a knife be? Or her phaser? He is no danger to her--not nearly as much as her own mind is. The rueful thought occurs to her: No weapon can protect her from herself.

    Jan returns to kissing and exploring every inch of her. She knows their physical connection, his skin on hers, is only weakening her, and they must part in order for her to regain control, but the paradox is that she cannot seem to separate from him herself, not for a moment. “Help me," she whispers, almost a whimper. "You must do what I cannot. You must… be strong for me… You must release me....” But her own body is ignoring everything she’s saying--she is holding him close despite pleading with him to let her go. Why would he believe her? She despises herself—she should have learned how to protect her mind, but she did not, and now… “Please, Jan,” she says in a near sob.

    He stops and looks into her eyes. He says quietly, "My lovely Kylah, it's only natural to have some... qualms the first time. Although I’m surprised that someone like you has really never—no, forget that." He strokes away a lock of her hair, grins almost bashfully, and shakes his head. "Everyone is different. But if you want to go, go. If you really want me to stop, I will. You're a grown woman; you have to make up your own mind."

    But that is just it, I cannot! she thinks, her body limp and almost paralyzed by his nearness. He smiles again, as if the passing seconds are his answer. He leans in for another gentle kiss, and she closes her eyes to return it, unable to stop. His hands move with renewed purpose and in moments their clothes are gone, and there is nothing between them, nothing but Kylah’s fear.

    The part of her mind unaffected by the spores is crying out, ashamed and frightened and desperately trying to be heard, to prevent what's happening. But now she is but a tiny dot in a dark, wide and trackless ocean, drowning, submerging, and the tide is dragging her inexorably farther out to sea. Then, a moment later, an eternity later, it is too late. In one swift instant Jan is part of her, their bodies and emotions finally united.

    And having yielded herself entirely to him, Kylah finds she is no longer capable of speech, reason, or escape.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 11 Jan 2014 at 12:38 AM. Reason: As before, Kylah's dialogue by choie; Jan's by Elendil's Heir.

  23. #1173
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    Rangin addresses Collins "Sir, Ensign Kylah has not responded to her communicator."

    Nerves and worry begin to cross his normally calm demeanor.

    "Do you want to give her five minutes to see if she responds or would you prefer a pair of us to contact Mr Hsu in security, it is in the hotel and we should get their permission, and then have a couple of the team check out the hotel room that Graham said she was in, so we can confirm her safety."
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

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    "Mr. Rangin's suggestion is a good one," T'Var says. "I would be willing to accompany Mr. Graham to confirm the ensign's safety if you feel this is the best course of action."

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    Graham meets up with his shipmates in the lobby, and just as he does, his communicator beeps. He flips it open and hears the same woman's voice he heard earlier in Hsu's office: "Mr. Graham? This is Security Officer Carlisle. Chief Hsu asked me to tell you that I've just seen and spoken with both the admiral and his assistant. Both are fine, and they told me that they've had no problems. Both have Starfleet communicators with them and can be contacted directly, if you wish."
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 13 Jan 2014 at 03:17 PM.

  26. #1176
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    Graham acknowledges the security officer's report with sincere appreciation, if a little absently. "Uh, thank you, officer." At least that's one piece of good news. and one task we can get done without a parliamentary debate or tripping over each other, he thinks. He sighs and looks around mutely and without expression at his colleagues, unsure of what, if anything, they plan to do. I've said all I have to say, he muses.

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    Delaney responds to Rangin's earlier question to the group, "Kylah was meeting Jan Somebody-or-other. He's a Czech businessman we met earlier. I'm sorry, but I don't remember his room number."

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    "Good. Doctor T'Var, you and Ensign Graham check on Ensign Kylah. If she is not in any jeopardy, tell her to meet us back at the research station when she is done with her interview." Collins tells the others. "We'll wait here for your report."

  29. #1179
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    As Collins speaks Graham's head snaps to look toward T'Var with obvious alarm. Oh hell, he thinks. I wasn't even thinking about what I said earlier on the comm...T'Var must have heard. The Doc doesn't seem at all anxious about Kylah's safety, or jealous, or sad...or...anything, he thinks, but then would a Vulcan express any of those feelings publicly anyway? If so, how?

    He glances back at Collins quickly, looking for any insight as to what's happened while he was not with the group. He can't believe he's the only one to notice the relationship between Kylah and T'Var--subtle romantic cues are hardly my strong suite, he thinks. But since nobody's reacting at all, he wonders, maybe they all know something I don't?

    He grits his teeth. Well I've been complaining about all the endless bickering so for the moment I'll just keep my mouth shut and deal with whatever happens.

  30. #1180
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    Afterwards, Jan gently rolls off Kylah. He murmurs, "Excuse me, please. Be right back." He kisses her tenderly on the cheek, gets out of bed and pads into the bathroom, still naked.

    Now that their physical bond is broken and Jan has left her side, Kylah feels a sudden weight descend upon her: the blissful effect of the spores is abruptly diminished. She shudders and opens her eyes. For a few seconds she is disoriented, uncertain why she is so filled with remorse and sadness. Just as quickly, after looking down at her naked body, she remembers.

    No. I did not.... But she knows she did. Worse, her body is both sore and still tingling with pleasure, her physical senses still betraying what she herself did not want to happen. After the reality sinks in, Kylah clutches the blanket to cover herself and turns over in bed, staring numbly at her knife and crumpled dress on the floor. Sick and weak and disgusted with herself, she wishes she could throw the blanket over her and hide, not just from Jan but from her own thoughts. But her instincts warn her that she needs to get out, as quickly as possible, before Jan returns and she loses herself again.

    She hears water run in the bathroom, then he reemerges and climbs back into bed with her. His body is a little cooler now, she feels as he lies down beside her. "Are you all right?" he asks. "Did you like that? You were amazing." His smile gleams in the half-light. He kisses her again, then chuckles. "If I'd known this was in store when we met this afternoon near the pool, I never would've let you out of my sight."

    Swallowing, Kylah feels claustrophobic, afraid to be this close. She accepts his kiss but moves further away, still covering herself. And his light words--"never would've let you out of my sight"--seem more like a threat than the gentlemanly flattery she knows he intends them to be. I asked him to release me, why would he not do so? But she knows the answer to that: he gave her the opportunity to go. She made no effort to leave. She could not, then.

    She must now.

    "Thank you," she says automatically even as she pulls herself up to a seated position. She can hardly bear to look at him. In truth, she’s afraid to. As it is, she keeps her distance and hopes, hopes he will not close the gap between them. For more than one reason, she does not want him to touch her again. "I--I have to leave. To report to my superiors. We--" She scrambles her mind to think of a reason. Already the spores' familiar lassitude is seeping toward her; this time, unlike before, she fights it. "We must all meet for a final briefing of the day's events. I am sorry."

    "Really? So soon?" He looks genuinely regretful. "Couldn't you just check in over the hotel comm system, or on your, what's it called, communicator? I enjoy your company so, Kylah. I hate to see the evening end so abruptly, just after we... well, you know."

    Abruptly. Kylah somehow manages not to grimace. The evening did not end nearly as abruptly as it should have. "I am on a mission," she says weakly. "Not a guest here. I--I cannot do as I might wish. It was difficult getting the permission to go out for dinner in the first place without having to check in every five minutes..." And they were right, everyone was right. I am a fool, I would not listen. I earned this. She blinks back tears and manages to grab her dress and underwear from the floor. She desperately wants to shower, but she cannot do so here. As much as she still wants to hide her nakedness from Jan--although he's already seen more than anyone else ever has--she is forced to drop the blanket in order to slip the black dress over her head. Even its silken material makes her shiver with revulsion. If it were up to her she would never wear it again.

    Once dressed, she stands up, unsteady on her feet. "I am sorry," she murmurs, and rather than meet his gaze she looks down at her bare feet on the floor. Her shoes are somewhere in the other room, probably near her purse. "I do not know what is... what is correct, after this sort of..." Kylah cannot end the sentence. She just insists: "But I must leave. I will be in trouble if I do not."

    And truer words she has never spoken. She backs away until she almost stumbles on her purse, and then bends down to grab it and her shoes. They are cradled in her arms like a baby when she finally faces him again. "Good night. Thank you for..." Kylah is overtaken by a swell of nausea. She does not want to thank him for anything. "For a lovely evening."

    Jan quickly puts on a thick green bathrobe and comes over to her. He touches her cheek, but when she flinches he then drops his hand. He says quietly, "It is I who should be thanking you, Kylah. You're upset, I can see that, and I'm sorry." The calm of the spores has returned - or is that how he always is? His tenderness only makes her more queasy. "May I see you again? Maybe tomorrow? I would hate for things to end like this."

    It is all Kylah can do not to back further away. Where before his height and strength seemed protective, now they are intimidating. Still, she senses the all-too-seductive pull of the peaceful, utterly treacherous comfort emanating from him, and every ounce of her is struggling to fight it, to put up a wall. Her concentration is so intense her muscles tremble. "Do not apologize, it is my fault," she says miserably, looking sightlessly over Jan's shoulder. "I did not want... I was not expecting anything like this. As for tomorrow, I am not sure of my duty schedule. The mission..." Kylah shakes her head inarticulately, trying to keep herself together, but her voice is getting more and more hoarse. "Perhaps. That is all I can say."

    She turns and goes to the door, not even stopping to put on her shoes. "Good night," she whispers, glancing back in his general direction before slipping out of the room to the safety of the hallway.

    The last she sees of Jan before the door slides shut is him standing there, barefoot, looking baffled and sad.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 13 Jan 2014 at 09:04 AM. Reason: The usual credits.

  31. #1181
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    Rangin nods at Collins orders, takes a couple of deep breaths and sits down in one of the nearby chairs and pulls out his tricorder to review his days findings to take his mind off what may be happening and start writing his reports.

    He trusts in Kylah to have been sensible and in his colleagues to find out quickly, probably that nothing is wrong and for the matter to be sorted. Its probably going to be like the Collins and Graham's concern over the Vice-Admiral all over again. If he is needed, Collins will no doubt order him to do something.

    But it doesn't help much and he winds up drumming his fingers on the device, while waiting.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  32. #1182
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    Kylah walks down the elegantly decorated corridor, each step harder to take, because each step takes her farther from the influence of the spores. At last her mind is completely free, and the utter absence of the unadulterated, ephemeral happiness she’s experienced for however long it’s been—she cannot even fathom the time—leaves her with only her own emotions to deal with. She sways and lets herself lean against the wall, her eyes closed. She feels hollow. Sick.

    How could I let that happen? Why was I so weak? Kylah can hardly stomach the memories of Jan touching her, of wanting to stop but being trapped by her own inability to act, of the sense of being invaded, of her own reactions she could not control. Everything she has fought to maintain, all the careful protection of her privacy… gone. And not for someone she cared about, someone she trusted. A stranger she has known for less than a day.

    Her body almost stiff with self-loathing, she bends awkwardly to put on her sandals. But her trembling fingers make it difficult to tie the straps around her ankles. The more she struggles with the effort, the more tears blur her vision and make this simple task more arduous. Finally a sob escapes her, which she covers with her hand. She forces herself to stop. And at last the shoes are tied and Kylah, wiping her eyes of the tears, continues down the hall.
    Last edited by choie; 13 Jan 2014 at 09:51 AM.

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    "I will follow your lead, Mr. Graham," T'Var says. "Shall we check on our wayward ensign?"

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    Graham clears his throat. "Uh, yeah, right," then adds with more alacrity, nodding, "Let's get to it."

    While they are on the way he checks his tricorder again for Kylah's location.

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    Dr. T'Var and Ens. Graham are walking towards the resort's hotel tower when they see Ens. Kylah, in black dress and sandals, emerge from the elevator.

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    Kylah sees her crewmates in the distance and nearly stumbles in shock before stopping in place. She was hoping to hurrry back to the research station without running into anyone.

    T'Var and Graham are possibly the worst combination of people she could see right now. T'Var was right about her being a liability unable to control herself, and Graham was right about her being a stupid, callow fool who must be protected. But Kylah cannot let them know. She cannot let anyone know.

    She has dissembled and hidden her feelings all her life. and knew she'd have to lie when talking about the dinner to the others; she just thought that wouldn't be necessary until tomorrow morning. Apparently she must do so sooner than she expected.

    Girding herself, she lifts her chin and starts walking again. When she reaches them, she says quietly: "Good evening, Dr. T'Var. Mr. Graham."

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    Graham glances to and from T'Var and Kylah, looking for any reaction--and feeling terribly awkward to be in the middle of their meeting.

    Well, given how the day's been going, he thinks, whatever I do will probably blow up in some way. So I might as well try to do my job...and not through fuel on the fire. Intentionally, at least.

    His eyes narrow only slightly as he looks at Kylah and tries assess her physical and emotional state.

    "Is everything all right, Mr. Kylah?" he asks in as neutral a tone as possible, trying to keep both concern and irritation our of his voice.

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    Kylah rather desperately wishes there were a mirror anywhere in the vicinity--she has no idea what she looks like. "Yes," she says carefully. "Everything went well. I suppose... you are still looking for the Admiral?"

  39. #1189
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    Bullshit, is the singular thought Graham's instincts are shouting at him, but since the nature of what happened is totally unclear he certainly doesn't want to open that can of worms here and now.

    "Uh, he's fine," Graham replies. He unconsciously shifts a little foot-to-foot.

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    T'Var and Graham both observe that Kylah appears somewhat dishevelled, with tousled hair and a strap on her dress twisted. Her eyes are a little red.

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    "That is a relief. Then..." Kylah looks from Graham to T'Var, and back again. "Why are you two here? Did she-- did Lieutenant Collins change the watch schedule yet again? Should you not be off-duty by now?"

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    Well isn't this a Kobayashi Maru, Graham thinks. Either there's no Security issue, and she just cheated on her girlfriend who's standing right next to me. Or there is, but if the past is any guide, if I ask her about she'll probably clam up or freak out. Or she was in over her head and Collins' orders have made that much more of a mess of it. All I need now is Rangin looking over my shoulder telling me everything I'm doing wrong.

    Partly because of Kylah's appearance, he's starting to feel increasingly angry at everything and nothing at all. Either I ought to go up there and drag this guy out of this hotel and into an interrogation room, or this is probably all the result of some screwed-up interpersonal thing between Kylah and T'Var. Or Kylah and Collins. And if Collins had let me check things out earlier I wouldn't be standing here, goddammit.

    "You weren't...where I expected you to be," Graham says a bit tightly. "Or responding to Collins' communications." He adds quickly and a little loudly, with a vague hand gesture, "maybe the two of you want some space to talk." He realizes this may be a non sequiter but he's heartily interested in an exit strategy--something he feels a little guilty about, but Graham's now sure either he isn't going to be able accomplish anything useful, or that he'd be barred from doing the right thing if he were. Which only makes him that much more frustrated.

    He turns and starts walking back. He flips open his communicator. "Graham to Collins. We located Ensign Kylah, Graham out." He snaps it shut.
    Last edited by general_urko; 13 Jan 2014 at 03:25 PM. Reason: Added last line

  43. #1193
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    Kylah stares at Graham, feeling a flush warm her cheeks. Since he has left, she turns to T'Var. "I--I told you we were going to Mr. Švehla's room so he could change before going dancing. Our plans... We did not... we did not go dancing. And I did not hear my communicator. My purse was not..." Her hands tighten around the bag protectively. "I apologize for causing you any concern for my welfare. There was no reason for it. There was no need to--to track me down."

    Her throat is so tight it hurts, and she swallows painfully while casting a confused glance at T'Var, desperately wanting to change the subject. "Why does he think we should speak alone? I do not understand, and in any case I have nothing further to say. If Lt. Collins wishes to speak with me I will talk with her."

    Kylah opens her communicator. "Kylah to Collins. I apologize for not responding to your hail. I did not hear it in my purse from where I was--" She cuts herself off. "I did not hear it. There are no problems. If you do not need to speak with me personally I should like to return to the station."
    Last edited by choie; 13 Jan 2014 at 03:50 PM. Reason: Edited because Graham decided to have a hissy and run away.

  44. #1194
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    What the hell was that? Collins thinks looking at her communicator and immediately beeps Graham back "Is she okay? Did she get the information she set out after? And in what universe is it okay to end communications with a superior office before that officer has a chance to respond?"
    Last edited by anyrose; 13 Jan 2014 at 03:47 PM.

  45. #1195
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    "Not obviously injured," Graham replies to Collins. "I suggest you ask her directly. Ma'am." He stands holding his communicator with the channel open.

    Timing: It would be convenient if Kylah's call now hits Collins thereby letting Graham off the hook for this call...but obviously GM decision.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 13 Jan 2014 at 04:40 PM. Reason: Changed color from lime to green for ease in reading.

  46. #1196
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    Rangin looks up immediately on Collins communicator going, waiting to hear news of Kylah
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  47. #1197
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    Collins's communicator gives the distinctive quiet chime of a simultaneous message, and she switches over to hear Kylah's report after Graham's. The Yorktown landing party's commanding officer now has an open channel to Kylah; Graham is on hold.

    Four Aurelians, two adults and two juveniles, walk by Collins and the others. One of the juveniles looks over as they pass.

    http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Aurelian
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 13 Jan 2014 at 04:44 PM.

  48. #1198
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    Collins taps her communicator to receive the incoming call, then responds "Collins here, Mr Kylah. Glad to here you're unharmed, but in the future, please always keep your communicator within reach. We'll meet up back at the research station." She turns to Rangin and Delaney. "I don't know if she got any useful information, but they must have talked a lot. Her voice was a little hoarse." she taps her communicator again "Collins to Graham, return to the research station ASAP" Collins looks up again. "Since the Admiral and his aide are also fine, I think we can return to the station as well. Shall we go?"

    As she turns, she notices the Aurelians, and nods at the young who looked their way.
    Last edited by anyrose; 13 Jan 2014 at 04:47 PM. Reason: because

  49. #1199
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    Closing her communicator, Kylah stares at it for a second or two before addressing T'Var. "I am to meet her at the research station," she says softly. "I suppose that is where we are all to meet. I hoped I would..." Her words trail off in thought. All she wants is to take a bath or shower. Her body feels repellant and she so wants to be clean. She can't imagine how she'll handle seeing the entire crew right now; being questioned by everyone: Collins. Graham. T'Var. Delaney. Rangin.

    But she has no choice. She starts off to find her way back to the research station, paying no attention to whether T'Var is following--or to anything other than forcing one foot in front of the other.

  50. #1200
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    "Wait," says Dr. T'Var. "You are clearly upset. Would you like to talk? Is there anything I can do to help?"

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