From: Margie Benham (madhron_at_yahoo.co.uk)
Date: Sat Apr 26 2008 - 13:29:12 PDT
Guys Please read or disregard as you feel appropriate.
I've been writing this to try and flesh out Rharn
more. :-) Anyway be gentle with my baby
M
"The Music of the Nocturians Part 1"
Location: USS STONEHENGE
Stardate:
Scene: Promenades (from a general view point) ->
Corriders -> Rharn's Quarters -> Holodeck
The promenades were full of people; on and off duty.
There were people holding hands, showing affection to
one another, some were even arguing, but above all
they were having fun.
T'nnent was no exception. He was currently sitting at
a small public piano, playing and singing Nocturian
ballads to a crowd of females; some of whom were
sitting or leaning against the piano. Their eyes
raptly staring at his exotic features, every now and
again he would flash a disarming smile at his growing
crowd of admirers.
Rharn was standing still and silent in the shadows
almost a statue; watching her male counterpart. As
usual apart from all of the action, most of the crew
had gotten used to her appearance and accepted her but
her position as Captain but a certain distance between
herself and them. Usually it did not bother her but
today it did.
She shifted slightly and wondered why she was putting
herself through this when there were other things she
could and should be doing. Rharn, however, even
acknowledging that she should be elsewere made no
attempt to move.
"It is funny when you find yourself, looking from the
outside. I am standing here but all I want is to be
over there." She wrapped her arms around her chest,
in a protective gesture.
"Why did I let myself believe that miracles could
happen? Because now I have to pretend that I do not
really care." She whispered under her breath, her
voice registering far to high for anyone with normal
hearing.
The young Nocturian Captain slid even deeper into the
shadows. Her thoughts keeping pace with her frantic
steps, as she stalked back through the busy decks
towards her sanctuary, trying to keep a lid on her
conflicting emotions.
"I thought you were my fairytale, a dream when I am
not sleeping. A wish upon a star that is coming true.
But everybody else could tell that I confused my
feelings with the truth; when there was me and you."
The with a soft whoosh the doors to her quarters slid
open and the crimson skinned alien stepped inside.
Her uniform jacket went flying across the room,
followed by her boots, vest and trousers. A soft
short dark blue tunic was pulled over her electric
blue hair, and belted around her waist. Her long toes
biting into the carpet.
Her thoughts continued to tumble from her mind, "I
swore I knew the melody, that I heard you singing and
when you smiled you made me feel, like I could sing
along. But then you went and changed the words. Now
my heart is empty, I am only left with used-to-be's;
and once upon a song."
Rharn made her way silently over the carpeted floor
and to her desk. A long claw sliding forward and
unlocking her desk. A small wooden box was extracted
from a drawer. Turning she ignored her shoes and
strode out into the corrider. The box clasped tightly
in her hand.
"Now I know you are not a fairytale and dreams were
meant for sleeping; and wishes on a star just do not
come true. Because now even I can tell, that I
confused my feelings with the truth. Because I liked
the view when there was me and you." Rharn returned
to speaking in Nocturian.
Without conscious thought she had made her way to the
holodecks and entered the first empty one.
A small disc was inserted into the arch way and the
door locked behind her. The black and yellow grid
disappeared from view and a forested track stood
before her. Rharn knelt on the floor and took out a
small holo-image of T'nnent.
A red clawed finger touched his smiling face in the
picture. "I can not believe that I could be so blind,
it is like you were floating while I was falling and I
did not mind because I liked the view. I thought you
felt it too, when there was me and you."
Without further thought and before she could change
her mind, Rharn picked up the hypospray containing a
bright purple liquid and depressed it against her red
thigh.
-[/\]-
Time index: One hour later
Consciousness was slow to return to the Nocturian, her
sense of hearing and smell the first to reappear.
Scents and sounds of a primeval forest filled her
mind.
Slowly she opened her black eyes to find that the room
was completely dark, only pale stars high in the
distant sky illuminated the complete blackness.
Scarlet skin gleamed in the inky blackness, electric
blue hair seeming to reflect the distant stars.
In the distance Rharn could hear drums beating. The
drugs were steadily streaking around her system,
heightening her senses beyond the Nocturian normal
range. **Right of passage. To seek my future.** Two
thoughts that managed to keep the young Nocturian
focused. She knew now that she only had a few hours
before her perceptions of herself and her world would
change, before then she needed to get to the Svitanik.
Taking a deep breath, Rharn rose to her feet and then
started to leap from rock to rock; bounding across the
silver shadowy sand. Claws clicking against the rocks
that tumbled from beneath four feet. Her body
becoming more and more fluid the further into her
stride that she went.
Finally exhausted Rharn Alcedo dropped to her knees
before a small pool. Her reflection echoing the pain
in her own black eyes. The forest and the clearing
stood on the opposite side of the shore. The drums
echoing louder and louder around the small clearing
around the pool.
"Everybody is always talking at me, trying to get
inside my head, I want to listen to my own heart
talking, but for now I need to count on myself
instead."
Her reflection's black eyes glittered back at her,
"Did you ever, loose yourself to get what you want?"
Her reflection seemed to taunt her. "Have you ever
got on a ride and wanted to get off?" She
deliberately splashed the water to scatter her
reflection.
With a fluid move she rose to her feet, "I always push
away the ones I should have held close. How do I let
go, would I even not know?"
"I am not going to stop, that is who I am. I will
give it all I got, that is my plan. Will I find what I
lost? I know I can; I can bet on it. You can bet on
me." She whispered to the shadows.
Carefully Rharn rose to her feet, light glinting off
her unsheathed claws. "I want to make it right, this
is the way to turn my life around. So today is the
day. Am I the type of woman who means what I say? You
can bet on it."
Her slow steps took her through the darkness towards
the pounding of drums. Her path stretching before
her. Gleaming in the starlight. "How will I know if
there is a path worth taking? Should I question every
move I make? With all I have lost my heart is
breaking, I do not want to make the same mistake."
The shadows seemed to reach out and envelope the
stalking figure, "Did you ever, doubt your dream will
come true?" They reached into her mind and asked her.
Louder now the voices seemed to surround her, "Did you
ever? Blame the world and never blame you?"
Rharn stood in the centre of the cleared hollow,
shadows lining the edges guarding the exits.
"I will never...." She answered. "Try to live a lie
again, but I do not want to win this game if I can not
play it my way. I am not going to stop, that is who I
am."
"I will give it all I have got, that is my plan." She
shouted defiently at the figures around the clearing.
A figure detached itself from the guardians, and
stalked forward. Slowly it reached up and pushed back
the cowl of it's cape. "That is our plan?"
Rharn stared into her own face. "Will I find what I
lost?"
"You know you can."
Rharn looked around her hair writhing around her head,
"I want to make it right, that is the way; to turn my
life around. So today is the day. I am the type of
woman who means what I say."
"It is no good at all, to see yourself and not
recognize your face. Out here on my own, it is such a
scary place?" Rharn looked at her mirror image.
"The answers are all inside of us. All I have to do;
is believe." Rharn spoke softly to herself. "Are you
ready?"
"I am not going to stop, until I get my shot. That is
who I am, that is my plan." She paused, "Will I end
up on top? I wanna make it right, that is the way to
turn my life around. And today is the day.
Am I the type of woman who means what I say?"
You can bet on me." Rharn smiled at herself, "Come."
without looking back the second Rharn led the questing
Rharn between two of the trees and into a deep dark
cave. She silently pointed to a spot in the centre of
the cave. Rharn serenely stepped forward and
immediately her senses were enveloped by a bright
light.
Her body was lifted into the air and slowly span
around in the bright column of light. Crystals
started to creep across her skin. Taking a deep
breath Rharn relinqueshed control of her body to the
forces within the cave. Gradually as she was cacooned
within the crystals her memories rose unbidden before
her minds eye.
-[/\]-
Time Index: Five years previous
Location: STATION
Scene: Corrider
Rharn's blue hair contrasted strongly with T'nnent's
golden hair. His arms wrapped tightly about heris
body as if holding herim would keep herim with him.
They were whispering in Nocturian as Rharn was having
trouble articulating heris feelings in Federation
Standard.
"T'nnent, listen, I have got to say what is on my
mind. Something about us does not seem right, these
days, life keeps getting in the way. Whenever we try,
somehow the plan is always rearranged. It is so hard
to say but I have got to do what is best for me. You
will be ok." Rharn reached up and stroked his soft
green cheek.
"I have got to move on and be who I am, I just do not
belong here. I hope you understand. T'nnent, we
might find our place in this universe someday; but at
least for now I have got to go my own way." Rharn
reached down and picked up heris duffel bag.
"I do not want to leave it all behind, but I get my
hopes up and I watch them fall, everytime, another
colour turns to grey. And it is just too hard to
watch it all slowly fade away." Tears stained heris
scarlet cheeks.
"I am leaving today because I have got to do what is
best for me. You will be ok." S/he tried to reassure
the other Nocturian. "I have got to move on and be
who I am, I just do not belong here. Please try and
understand we might find our place in this
universe someday; But at least for now I have to go my
own away."
T'nnent reached out and clutched heris crimson skinned
hand, "What about us? What about everything we have
been through?"
"I am sorry but what about trust?" Rharn asked
softly.
"You know I never wanted to hurt you?"
"But what about me?"
T'nnent closed his eyes, "What am I supposed to do?
"I have to leave but I will miss you."
"I will miss you."
Rharn closed heris eyes to hide his pain, "I have got
to move on and be who I am."
"But why do you have to go?."
"I just do not belong here; Please try to understand."
"I am trying to understand." The taller of the two
aliens admitted.
Rharn smiled sadly, "Remember, we might find our place
in this universe someday; but at least for now."
"I want you to stay. T'nnent pleaded.
"I now but I have to go my own way; I have got to move
on and be who I am."
"What about us?" He tried one more time.
"I have told you, I just do not belong here I hope you
understand." Rharn answered.
"I am trying to understand." He watched as s/he
walked away from him for the final time.
"We might find our place in this universe someday
but at least for now I got to go my own away." Rharn
turned once to look back at heris lover and then
stepped through to the future.
-[/\]-
Time index: Present Day
Rharn's body was almost completely encased in a huge
crystaline structure. The filaments were reaching out
and growling steadily across her face. Rharn took one
final deep breath. Images still flashing across her
minds eye. The Nocturian was at the point of no
return, but refused to panic, it was something that
she felt strongly she must do.
-[/\]-
Scene: Corridors
"Anybody seen the Captain?" Peter asked casually.
"Nope." Aerdan shook his head, "She was up on the
promenade earlier on, is it important?" The CMO asked
softly.
"Not really, just some reports." The British ExO bit
the side of his cheek, "Something just feels off, you
know what I mean?"
"Not really no." The Andoran Medic shrugged, "I still
do not fully understand the Human habit of trusting to
feelings. Logic is much more useful."
"We stick to our instincts 'cos we can't hear peoples
heart beats and such." Peter mildly teased the blue
skinned Dr.
"Well you could always *locate* her." Aerdan
suggested.
"I could, but she is technically off duty." Peter
drummed his fingers on the desk top. "I don't know,
it's probably nothing."
"But still you think something is up with the
Captain?"
"Yeah." Peter shrugged and then grinned, "I'll just
keep my eyes out for her whilst doing my rounds."
-[/\]-
Scene: Corridor in front of the Holosuites
Mya Alcedo stood silently before the holodeck door.
Heris hands gently touching the cold metal, "So it has
come to this." The crimson skinned matriarch sighed.
"Can someone call for Dr Jos for me?"
"Of course Ma'am." A junior officer nodded, "At
once."
Mya closed heris eyes, "Such pain little one?"
-[/\]-
Scene: Inside Holodeck
Rharn was completely embedded in crystals now and her
body formed the central core of a huge
stalagmite/stalagtite. Her black eyes were closed and
if you looked closely there could have been a hint of
a tear on her crimson cheeks.
The tall tower was encircled by tall shadows, each had
thrown back their hoods and a guardian from each of
the NOCTURIAN Clans stood hands glasped guarding the
young one struggling to free herself from her demons.
-[/\]-
Scene: Passenger Lounge
Time Index: Six years prior
A much younger looking Rharn stood on the deck of the
ship, heris black eyes staring fixedly on the stars
streaking past them. More importantly heris eyes were
fixed steadfastly on the rapidly dwindling white star
in the centre of the window, with the black rock that
was their home.
T'nnent appeared behind herim and wrapped his arms
around her waist. "Dronglk for them?"
"When I was a child, I played on that planet. I
always loved illusion, I thought make-believe was
truer than life, But now it is all confusion."
"Please, can you tell me what is happening? I just do
not know anymore, if this is real, how should I feel?
What should I look for?" S/he turned in his arms and
looked up into dark black eyes, "I have never felt
like this before."
T'nnent held the smaller Nocturian close, "If you were
smart, you would keep on walking, out of my life as
fast as you can. I am not sure that I am the one you
should pin your hopes on, you are falling for the
wrong kind of male."
"This is crazy! You know we should call it a day. Hey
that is sound advice, great advice but let us throw it
away." He gently kissed the top of heris head.
"I can not control all the things I am feeling, I have
not got a prayer. Well if I am a fool, well
I am too much in love to care." He admitted to them
both but honesty compelled him to continue, "I knew
where I was, I had given up hope made friends with
disillusion. There was no one in my life, but I look
at you and now it is all confusion."
Rharn rested heris head against T'nnent's chest.
"Please, can you tell me what is happening?
I just do not know anymore. If this is real, how
should I feel? What should I look for?"
Heris crimson hands crushing the soft fabric of his
grey tunic. "I thought I had everything I needed
My life was set, my dreams were in place. My heart
could see way into the future, all of that goes when I
see your face."
"I should hate you," S/he took a breath, "There I
was, the world in my hand. Can one kiss, kiss away
everything I planned? I can not control all the
things I am feeling, I am floating in mid-air. I know
it is wrong, but, I am too much in love to care."
T'nnent pulled herim even closer, "I thought I had
everything I needed my life was set, my dreams were in
place. My heart could see way into the future but
all of that goes when I see your face. This is crazy!
You know we should call it a day. But I can not
control all of the things that I am feeling."
"So if we are fools, well then we are fools who are
too much in love to care." Rharn smiled softly up at
him and gloried in the feel of his lips against heris.
-[/\]-
Time index: Present
Scene: Corrider outside of holodeck
Mya stepped back from the holodeck, relief flooded
heris face as she spotted the blue skinned Doctor
heading towards herim.
"Eldest One." Aerdan smiled, "I was told to come
quickly?"
"I appreciate this." Mya blinked heris black eyes,
"Rharn has gone into Svitanik and I do not think she
is ready for this."
"Svitanik?" The Andorian Doctor asked softly as he
started to enter his security over-ride codes into the
door.
"A quest." Mya tried hard to find the words that
would describe it, "Where we become one with our
planet."
"That wouldn't work on the STONEHENGE." Aerdan calmly
pointed out.
"It would, there have been many Nocturian's moving off
amongst our nearest stars, and they took a programme
with them...."
Aerdan slapped his COMM Badge, "Peter I need you
outside Holodeck," He leant back and noted the
number, "Seven. Immediately, if not sooner." Even in
his soft tones the urgency of the situation would not
be lost on the ExO.
[[On my way, situation?]] The British voice sound
cool and calm over the Comm.
"Rharn has instigated a programme that probably
over-rides our security protocols." Aerdan answered
whilst continuing trying to enter the holodeck, "She's
locked down the holodeck suite." The Andoran
muttered.
[[I'll get Kiros to meet us there, anyone else you
need Aerdan?]] They heard the swish of doors over the
open channel.
"Yes get T'nnent down here." Mya offered softly.
"Mya says we will need T'nnent." Aerdan told the ExO.
[[Consider it done.]]
The once silent and empty corrider suddenly seemed to
be filling up with officers. Security had closed off
the entire section including the jeffries tubes, and
Science was quickly erecting forcefields around the
entire area.
Kiros appeared around a corner, he calmly dropped a
tool box on the floor and within seconds had his hands
inside the control panel for the door quickly and
efficiently rewiring the door.
"Ok. Anything else that can you tell me that this
Svitanik entales?"
"We become one with the planet." Mya explained again.
"You said that already, how do you mean?" Aerdan
asked.
"We become encased in minerals and our mind joins with
the caves of Svitanik."
Aerdan cursed softly under his breath, "And this lasts
for?"
"However long the person feels is necessary, but it
takes at least two other Nocturians to bring you
back."
"I see." Aerdan closed his eyes and his atenna
drooped slightly, "What happens if there aren't two of
you around?"
"There could be complications." Mya sighed, "She
should have told us what she planned."
"Will it try and merge the STONEHENGE's systems with
it's own?" Peter arrived and asked calmly. His mind
already racing to find ways of damage control.
"No." Mya shook heris head, "It is purely the
Nocturian that becomes entwined with the programmes
systems."
T'nnent appeared his green skin looking pale, "Where
is she?"
"In there." Kiros motioned with his head, his voice
muffled as he held wires in his mouth.
T'nnent closed his black eyes, "This is all my fault."
Mya placed a lined hand on his shoulder, "There is no
point in recriminations." S/he looked sad. "You both
have to find your own way in life."
"She managed to much better than I." The green
skinned male sighed, "Out amongst the stars. I mean
look at what she achieved."
Peter stomped over, "She is not dead." He hissed,
"Now get a grip."
"We're in." Kiros sounded pleased, as the doors to
the holodeck slid open. The Trill CEO stepped through
and started opening panels and lifting them away so he
could gain better access to the archway controls.
Peter looked at Mya, "This is NOCTURIA?" He asked a
stunned look of disbelief on his face.
"It was." Mya lifted heris face and sniffed the air,
"Once a long time ago. Before the accident that
destroyed most of our vegetation." S/he looked
around, "This way."
"How do you know the way?" Peter asked but with a
courtly gesture offered the Elder One his arm.
"For each of us it is different." T'nnent offered,
"Because Mya was the first Nocturian to enter after
the doors opened it will fit to heris mindset."
"Which could cause problems when we get closer to the
caves." The elder Nocturian muttered. "The young
Kiros is still working on the controls?"
"Yes Ma'am." Peter lifted an eyebrow slightly, "Our
COMM channels are open so we can speak to him."
"Then have him make sure that the actual central part
of this *programme* remains intact." Mya asked.
Aerdan was scanning the local flora, "You did not add
fauna to this replication?" The Doctor asked.
"No."
T'nnent smiled grimly, "That is another programme. By
the way no-one touch the pink flowers.... Nor the
white ones," He chewed his lip, "Nor the blue ones."
Mya barked a soft laugh, "Please no-one touch anything
if at all possible, especially skin to plant contact.
This way." Without pausing s/he took the path to the
left.
The path became more and more overgrown.
"This is getting ridiculous." Peter finally muttered,
but before he could say anything else the black and
yellow grid of the holodeck appeared around them, and
the small group could see the caves looming ahead of
them.
"Am I missing anything?" Phia asked, as she stepped
from behind what was briefly a tree.
"Oh the pretty plants have gone." Izzy sighed and
looked around, "Are we going to end up in a fight?"
The smallest Sec/Tac Officer asked hopefully.
"No." Everyone snapped in unison.
"Oh." The small colourful alien sounded crestfallen.
T'nnent fell instep with the youngest officer, "I can
give you the other programme, where our fauna takes
over the planet."
"Is it fun?"
"Well if you like killing anything that moves, I guess
so." The green skinned Nocturian teased softly.
The small group passed into the cave and Peter swore,
"When you said encased....."
"Well she is." Mya stepped forward and gently touched
the red column. "T'nnent." S/he snapped.
T'nnent moved forward and placed two hands against the
crystal structure. It softly vibrated beneath his
emerald skin, "I am so sorry." He whispered softly.
"I did not mean to hurt....."
His head dropped so that it was resting against the
crystal, "You are the music in me." He paused, "You
know the words *Once Upon A Time*? Does it make you
listen? There is a reason. When you dream there is a
chance you will find a little laughter or our happy
ever after!" He sighed.
[[You are the harmony to the melody. It is echoing
inside my head, a single voice...]]
Peter lifted his head, "Can you hear music?" He asked
softly to Aerdan.
"Yes." The Doctor nodded, "It's coming from around
the caves."
"We sing, Peter Aspinall." Mya answered very quietly,
"All the time, our race love songs."
[[Above the noise, and like a common thread..]]
Aerdan was watching his tricorder, "There are
fractures appearing in the structure."
[[You are pulling me....]]
"When I hear my favorite song, I know that we belong."
"You are the music in me, it is living in all of us.
And it has brought us here because. Because you are
the music in me..." T'nnent finally admitted.
[[You are the music in me...]] The crystal structure
seemed to be vibrating even more now.
"It is like I knew you before we met," [[Before we
met]]
"I can not explain it, there is no name for it," [[No
name for it]]
"I am saying words I never said, and it was easy,"
[[So easy]]
"Because you see the real me.."
The crystals cracked beneath the sounds of the two
Nocturian's singing, and a hollow appeared. Rharn's
hand reached out and T'nnent grasped it.
"As I am, you understand; and that is more than I have
ever known. To hear your voice.." He continued
softly
"To hear your voice, above the noise. And finally I
am not alone, for you are singing to me.." Rharn sang
very softly and dropped to her knees.
Peter and T'nnent grabbed her arms.
T'nnent still singing to keep her concentrating, "When
I hear my favorite song I know that we belong. For
you are the music in me. It is living in all of us
and it has brought us here because you are the music
in me. Together we are going to sing."
Rharn opened black eyes and gazed up at the familiar
green face, "We have got the power to sing what we
feel, connected and real and I could not keep it all
inside." She tried to explain.
"Shhh, For you are the music in me. So when I hear my
favorite song, I know that we belong. For you are the
music in me. It is living in all of us; it has
brought us here because. You are the music in me."
"It is about time T'nnent." So saying Rharn closed
her eyes and with a soft gasp slipped back into the
darkness.
"She's got no out put." Aerdan snapped and pushed
past Peter, "Medical emergency, two to transport."
With that both the Doctor and Rharn disappeared.
"No......" T'nnent's howl went higher and higher up
the scales until Mya slapped him uncerimoniously
across the face.
Margie Benham <madhron_at_yahoo.co.uk>
Speaking for:
Captain Rharn Alcedo
Commanding Officer
USS STONEHENGE
NCC 12507
-and-
Captain Mad'hron Zanders
Commanding Officer
E4
-and-
Lieutenant Ronnie Zanders
aCEO
USS STONEHENGE
NCC 12507
-and-
Lieutenant Lara Kal'el
CNS
USS STONEHENGE
NCC 12507
-and-
Commodore Morelia Amethystina
Director Of Advanced Command Training
Starfleet Academy, EARTH
__________________________________________________________
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