From: Kim Toussaint (kimtoussaint_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Oct 03 2008 - 10:38:09 PDT
"The Durali Project continues"
( continued from Ran's "Animals on the loose" )
____________________________________________________
Location: GS2
Scene: Daisy's quarters
Stardate: 2.81003.0941
______________________________________________________
If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Unable to stop the
devestation of their homeworld, they'd literally contained themselves - hoping to be restored, body and soul -
once their world had had time to heal. However, they were never meant to exist this way indefinately. They
were meant to survive and be free like anyone else.
Something went wrong and they could have been lost forever. They could have just slipped away. Another
couple thousand years trapped in the void and whatever held their memories together, kept their souls 'aware'
and intact - could have crumpled, flickered and finally been extinquished.
When something is meant to survive, though...it won't be denied. Things fall into place. Things happen
the way they are supposed to so that life finds a way to break free and expand to regain it's natural state.
Sometimes, it happens painfully, even dangerously.....but it happens.
The natural state of any living, breathing people - is freedom. The proof of that is the length to watch a man,
woman or child will go to regain it once taken. They will break loose their chains, they will decimate their
enemies, they will try and try and try against all odds and against all prejudices to find their freedom. It
became a madness for some, a hunger - like when someone has been trapped underwater or drowning
and they need to breathe. Overwhelmed by the exhileration of being in physical bodies again - able to
breathe, touch and feel - being so close to finally having their freedom, not all of the Durali had the strength
or control to handle their new-found hosts with kindness and consideration.
Erika was one of the lucky ones. Erika had a half brother on her Dad's side. Petral frequently came to visit
the Wangel family home on BAJOR and then went home to his Mom and Stepdad. Erika had two half brothers
on her Mom's side. LJ and Gavi came to visit and sometimes Erika got to go home with them to visit Daisy.
None of her siblings stayed with her all the time, though. So - sometimes Erika was lonely.
This made Erika very happy to wake up with another child in her head. She was happy to share everything
with the Durali girl and quick to imagine her new sister would never leave her the way her brothers so often
did. Wangel Erek was devestated with worry. He'd only brought Erika with him to stay with Daisy because
she'd just been through an Orb experience and that was something signifigant to his daughter's Bajoran heritage
and now she was "occupied" by an alien.
When he wasn't scrutinizing her every move and scanning her repeatedly with a tricorder to verify that her
original neural pattern hadn't degraded - the Bajoran school teacher was constantly in discussions with other
Bajoran spiritual leaders, counselors and medical doctors asking about the progress of efforts to free his
daughter and any clue that could be found how to best help her 'recover' from this.
The little girl didn't *WANT* to recover, though. LJ had wandered off, of course. It was easy to see he
didn't like spending time with Wangel Erek. The little girl pretended to be asleep while Erek was busy
with Gavirosh - who hadn't been blessed with such a happy "match" and then Erika snuck out of Daisy's
quarters, looking for a place to hide.
A message came over the comm system that the crew was returning from the cloning facility and the
Durali project could begin it's next phase. Erek was eager to bring both Gavi and Erika to sickbay when
he discovered his daughter was gone.
"Computer, locate Erika Wangel Byrne."
Before he could hear the computer system answer his question, Wangel Erek fell under the same
technology that had affected most of the station. He simply dropped to the floor and Gavi was left
to walk to sickbay alone.
________________________________________________________________________________
Location: GS2
Scene: Corridor
________________________________________________________________________________
As they walked through the air lock and onto the station, Colonel Williams turned to Commander
Davidson and said, "Congradulations, Commander. It looks like this project is going well."
Daisy's body language changed once they were back on the station. She carried herself
differently, standing more rigidly as the weight of being back in command fell once again on her
shoulders.
She shook Hunter's hand and gave him a polite smile. Then, she chided him. "That's kind of you
to say, Colonel. However, I would appreciate it if you would join us in sickbay during the first
few transfers...."
Hunter's eyes widened. "Are you thinking you may need my assistance, Commander?"
"I'm sending for everyone with any type of natural abilities that may possibly help assure this
goes well. A skilled Vulcan, a skilled Betazoid and a P'Narran such as yourself to help monitor
our efforts and be available to use their natural abilities to possibly fill in whatever may be
missing in the blending of Dominion and Federation technology we have jerry-rigged here."
Daisy explained.
"It is a huge project..." Hunter acknowledged.
"Yeah." Daisy grinned weakly. "Those who aren't blessed with any telepathic abilities
have been ordered to...well....to pray."
Hunter politely nodded. "Yes, I'm aware of the signifigance some cultures place on prayer."
"Anyway....." Daisy sighed, fatigue showing on her face. "I'd appreciate you joining us in
sickbay after you've had a chance to freshen up."
The Marine raised an eyebrow and smirked, "If you're implying I stink, let me assure you
that you are rather 'ripe' yourself, Commander."
He was right. They'd all worked long shifts at the cloning facility with little time for the most
basic levels of personal hygene.
Daisy laughed awkwardly, Then, she replied, "Right - then off we both go to shower and
change."
Just then, a cluster of disheveled people came running down the corridor. They flew past
Daisy and Hunter abruptly - refusing to stop and explain what they were doing. Daisy
and Hunter gave each other an awkward, concerned glance and then the Marine stepped
up and announced,
"I think I'll walk you home."
Daisy rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself, thank you."
"I'm sure you can, Commander." Hunter replied flatly, "But I'll walk you home just the same."
_____________________________________________________
Location: Sickbay
Scene: Durali project area
______________________________________________________
Medical instruments mounted on the temples of the cloned bodies allowed them to remain alive
without any functioning "Higher consciousness". They were breathing. Their hearts were beating.
They were ready for Durali to inhabit them.
It would have taken too long to try and match the exact age of every Durali soul to a physical
body of approximately the same age. Bodies were made at approximately 12 years of age for
the children and 24 years of age for the adults. They were dressed in simple hospital gowns
and given bracelets with medical information saying which of the primary generations of DNA
they'd been created from.
There was speculation the DURALI had been bald in their original physiology - because they were
fascinated by hair. Dr. Poe had to scold one of the nurses - possessed by a Durali soul - that it was
ok to use a folicle stimulator to create decorative mustaches and goatees on some of the men but
that same type of "Facial decoration" was frowned on for most females. One of the new counselors
challenged that Durali Females could certainly have beards and mustaches if they wanted them and
the argument was becoming heated when Gavi walked into sickbay alone.
Heads turned to see the boy looking painfully awkward. The Teenage girl in his body gave him a
very effeminate stride. He was wearing one of Erika's pink feather boa's and some lipstick.
"The father of my sister's host - that Wangle person - collapsed. My sister's run away and
I understand the adoptive mother of this one has returned with her colleagues and I'll soon be
free of this boyish little body - is this true?"
_____________________________________________
NRPG:
TAG - everyone!
Justin and Sarah - I'm looking forward to Xana seeing Thomas. Either of you around
today?
Taylor - will LJ find his little sister before she gets into trouble?
Ran - well done! :)
Jamie - hope you're ok.
Peter - get off your ass :P
Kim Toussaint AKA Commander Daisy Byrne Davidson, M.D.
Commanding officer of GATEWAY STATION
"To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less." - Andre George Malraux (1901 - 1976)
From HyperNews_at_youth.net
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