From: Jamie & Ranjani (rantrek_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Jan 10 2008 - 18:29:33 PST
“Love Across Distances”
(Continued from “Don’t Cry for Me NOCTURIA” and “Home”)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Location: NOCTURIA
Stardate: 2.70110.2000
Scene: Hatchery
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Continued directly from “Sins of the Fathers”)
“I’m willing to take that chance, Doctor Aerdan.” Zipa Pleo returned, raising his weapon. He flicked the dial of the sonic emitter and it slowly began to glow a soft reddish color at the tip. He paused and listened for a second. In the courtyard he could he could hear Kayle inciting the crowds. This was good, Zipa Pleo thought. Mya Alcedo would have no choice but to speak with them, too. It bought him plenty of time.
Narrowing his eyes, Aerdan Jos stared darkly forward. “And you’re also willing to start a conflict with the Federation by attacking the officer that have come to help you?”
The elder Nocturian shook his head lightly, and slightly sorrowfully. “I am willing to take any measure to preserve my race. You and the fellow offworlders are a small price to pay to keep our traditions and values intact.”
“We’re not here to damage your traditions!” the Andorian shot back. He might have raised his hands to gesture how deeply he believed this, were it not for the weapon pointed at him. “We came by request of your Eldest One, specifically to help your people. And that is what I intend to do. Help them in any way I can.”
“I highly doubt that Doctor.” He/she dismissed the statement with a snort. “The Eldest One is blinded by grief. I do not know much of offworlders, but I do not believe you could hold the passion that we do. You could not possibly care enough for our wys to save them as you claim.”
Aerdan let his brows flatten into a thin white line. “I would not be so sure of that, Zipa Pleo.”
“No, I heard your talk with the Eldest One.” The green skinned Nocturian snapped back. “Mya Alcedo said heris self that you were closed off. I find that to be true of many offworlders. They do not feel as we do.” He/she turned and fixed the Andorian with an even stare. “Do you even have it in you… the capacity to love?”
The CMO’s whisper thin voice came out almost as a growl. “More than you can imagine.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Location: USS MERCY
Scene: Sickbay
Kate sighed, as she was currently tending to a wounded marine, who suffered from a couple of second degree burns and broken bones. Picking up a dermal regenerator, the half-Nuimon waved it over the burnt area to repair tissue damage. She glanced briefly at Daisy, whose eyes were fixed on Captain Kenta, who was lying unconscious on another biobed. The situation was tough for everyone involved in the war with the Dominion, but harder especially for the two COs.
How long could the whole conflict go on? That was a question found in the back of many people’s minds. Kate was not holding her breath over the war ending soon. The Scot felt rather than worrying over the big picture, she would instead focus on her job, which was tending to the injured and making them well. It was all she could do at the moment.
“How is it going?” Daisy inquired, placing a hand on the other woman’s shoulder.
MacNeil shrugged, her eyes switching from blue to hazel. “I’m managing.”
“That’s good to hear.” The blonde nodded her voice becoming soft. “It’s important we all stay strong.”
Kate agreed. “Right, we need to look tough in the face of adversity.” Glancing briefly at her patient, the doctor concluded. “You will recover.”
The young marine croaked. “Thank you, ma’am.” He watched MacNeil and Davidson move away from his side. “When do I go back out there?” He later questioned.
The Scottish woman sighed inwardly before replying with a weak smile. “Not for a while, I’m afraid…at least until I’m confident your wounds are completely healed.” She became grim at the sight of the disappointed look on the marine’s face.
“It’s a pity,” Daisy began out of the marine’s earshot. “No matter how much they all get hurt, they are still eager to go on fighting out there.”
Kate added, when checking up on another patient. “Well, we all need to keep going…I think to keep our sanity intact.”
The blonde CO concurred, glancing briefly at Kenta. “You’re right.”
**Wonder what he is doing right now. ** The MERCY CMO’s thoughts wandered to someone she had grown fond of and suddenly the young woman had a light bulb moment…she was in love, always had been. Only Kate wondered with sadness if she had blown her chance at love.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Location: NOCTURIA
Scene: Hatchery
The CMO’s whisper thin voice came out almost as a growl. “More than you can imagine.”
“Then you should hold that memory dear to you.” Zipa Pleo remarked casually.
Aerdan furrowed his brows. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“My dear doctor, if I had wanted to kill you; you would have been dead quite some time ago. But as you already pointed out, NOCTURIA does not need to provoke a war with the Federation.” The green skinned alien leaned down and fished through a tray of medical equipment. “All I really need is to make sure that the information you have doesn’t get passed to anyone else.” He/she picked up a thin metallic cylinder, which looked an awful lot like a hypospray.
“And how do you intend to do that?” the neurosurgeon asked dryly.
The elder Nocturian turned, staring back with unblinking eyes. “If you cannot eradicate the person, at least you can eradicate the thought.”
Aerdan’s antennae flattened against the top of his head, like a cat’s ears folding back. “So that’s why you’re delaying… you want to know how much I know, and what I might have told to others.”
“Perceptive, aren’t we?” Pleo perked a brow, calibrating the hypospray with one hand while still keeping the sonic weapon level.
“No, it was a logical conclusion.” The Andorian countered. He blinked, edging forward to see the reaction.
“Don’t.” The Nocturian jerked his focus forward, pointing the weapon directly at the CMO’s face. “You may have keen hearing, Doctor, but I assure you that mine is far better. Sneaking forward is an invitation to getting hurt.”
“I don’t think I would mind the pain, if it meant keeping my mind intact.” Dr. Jos snapped back, not backing up.
Zipa Pleo waved the weapon, casually. “Ah, but you see you would attack me, and I would subdue you, and then I would still use the A’avenette to erase selective memories.” He/she might have smiled. “You have your choice of painful or painless.”
Aerdan bristled at the name of the drug. The crew had already encountered some of the strange and damaging side effects of A’avenette. It didn’t change his resolve. “Nothing you have done so far has been painless. How many lives have you destroyed by refusing to accept change? How many more will you hurt?”
“I will not listen to the poisoned lies of an offworlder.” The elder returned. “What I do is for the protection of my race!”
“What you do is for yourself and you alone!” The CMO fixed the brilliantly hued alien with a stark, even glare. Despite the softness of his voice, he had raised it to a point that made Pleo wince.
“I will not accept that, Doctor! Stop trying to save yourself!”
The Andorian’s tone dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Saving myself is irrelevant at this point. Saving your planet is.” Pleo caught a breath, and was too caught up in thinking how to respond to that to realize that the doctor was moving.
Before Pleo could activate his weapon, the doctor’s shoulder impacted solidly into his chest, sending both aliens flying backwards against the hatchery wall. Both scrabbled a moment to catch their bearing and Aerdan grabbed the green wrist holding the sonic weapon and beat the back of the hand up against the edge of the table he had set the scanner on. The gun tumbled to the ground and skittered away. A second later the Andorian found himself hauled up by the collar and slammed down on the tabletop.
For being an elder creature, Zipa Pleo was still agile and strong. He rammed hiser elbow into the smaller Blue man’s throat and pinned him to the table, fumbling once again for the hypospray. “If I were you,” the Nocturian hissed, “I would start thinking of what memory you hold most dear; because I think I might just dose you high enough to wipe out large chunk of everything else.”
Aerdan’s eyes went wide, as he struggled to fight free.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Location: ANDALISUIA 7
Scene: Outdoor Viewing Platform
Time Index: Slightly more than a year ago. Before Rixx’s attack on the holodecks and the ensuing Borg madness. Flashback based on the post ‘Watching Snowdrifts’.
Kathryn MacNeil stood just beyond the doors, close enough to feel the halo of heat radiating from the lounge, but just far enough outside to watch as her breath froze and turned into white little ribbons of fog that drifted lazily upwards to the navy velvet sky. Just in front of her she watched as Ishe Jos proved her balance did not falter in icy conditions by sliding completely down the wall that banked the stairwell on her feet before jumping off into the snow and giggling like a maniac.
“I’m guessing it has been a long time since she’s been in snow?” Kate asked, her eyes shining a soft lazy blue tone.
“Almost a year.” Dr. Jos admitted, turning towards her. He was lounging over by the railing, letting the wind run through his hair. He paused a bit and let the faintest smile play over his features. “Are you cold?”
She chuckled slightly and shrugged. “I remembered a coat this time. But it’s been awhile since I have been in the snow as well.”
“It’s wonderful.” Aerdan murmured, brushing off a seat beside him.
Putting her hands in her pockets to keep them warm, Kate walked over. “Says the man who grew up on an ice planet.” She clicked her tongue in mock-chastisement. “There are many species who would disagree with you.”
“And they can all relax on Risa.” He smirked lightly.
The Scot giggled. “You’re not a big fan of Risa, are you?”
The Andorian groaned. “Too warm for me. I could never understand the fascination most species have for vacationing on a warm planet.”
“Perhaps, the Scotland highlands would be more for your liking,” the half-Nuimon grinned.
Aerdan remarked. “Well as long as it’s cold.”
“Trust me, it will,” The Scot assured, coyly.
Kate lifted her head, her eyes shining as Ishe walked back up to join them. “Look at the sky... It… glows.”
The young girl leaned up against the Nuimon hybrid and followed her gaze. “Why does it do that?”
“The atmosphere is very thin on this planet, so a lot of light gets reflected from the water and snow-cover.” Aerdan explained.
“Ahh, yes. And then if there are clouds, the cloud formations reflect the light onto the night sides of the planet.” Kate reasoned, leaning back against the aCMO to enjoy the warmth. “It must be close to sunrise.”
The Andorian furrowed his brows. “I didn’t think it was that late.” Ishe looked up at him and shrugged innocently, as if to say ‘it wasn’t my fault, Dad!’
“With Daisy’s pregnancy, our schedules have been fairly odd.” The CMO turned, giving a short, shining smile. “That’s alright. I love watching the sun rise.”
“I do too.” Aerdan murmured back. He looked out over the plains for a few long moments of silence, before turning to her again. “Have I ever told you my theory on sunrises?”
The Nuimon hybrid shook her head. “No, I don’t believe you have.”
He watched her for a few long seconds, sapphire eyes smiling.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Location: USS MERCY
Scene: Sickbay
TI: Present
‘Theory of sunrises’ by Aerdan Jos. Kate recalled fondly the time when Aerdan demonstrated his theory of sunrises to her and Ishe, back in ANDALUSIA. The doctor remembered feeling awed at the enthusiasm the Andorian radiated. Kate wondered, when did she really fall in love with Jos. She only realized recently of being in love with the blue man. Was it the first time they went out on dinner with Ishe? Or was it in Andalusia during the theory of sunrise demo.
Kate inquired, turning to Daisy after the CO had finished her conversation with Eishnala. “Do you miss Cade?” The Scot had no inkling of Daisy’s relationship with Ben.
Before the commander could answer, she was interrupted by the chirping of her comm. badge. Daisy excused herself to take the call, leaving MacNeil floating in her sea of thoughts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Location: ANDALUSIA VII
Scene: Outdoor Viewing Platform
Time Index: directly continuing the above flashback scene
The Nuimon hybrid shook her head. “No, I don’t believe you have.”
He watched her for a few long seconds, sapphire eyes smiling. “Have you ever watched a sunset in the middle of nowhere?”
She thought about this for a few seconds. “I don’t quite know what you mean.”
“I mean… a place where you can’t see the modernity of things. No lights or devise or transportation.” To help prove his point he stood up, and walked just inside the deserted lounge, turning off every light and closing the window shades, until the outside platform was bathed in blackness. “Come…” taking Kate’s hand on one side and Ishe’s on the other he led both to the far reaches of the platform, where the Andalusia complex was mostly obscured behind the trees. The dark starry sky spread out in front of them, like an endless river with a bank of silvery snow. The glow on the horizon had faded as the clouds had dissipated, leaving only the moons and the stars.
Aerdan drew in a long, crisp breath. “A funny thing about light… we are all so used to it. Everywhere on a starship is lit. Everywhere in our cities. There is no boogeyman behind the tree, because you can call for a light and see that instead it’s just a snow oxen or a person lost off the path. I think it makes us… forget.”
“Forget what?” Dr. MacNeil furrowed her brows a little.
“What it was like when there was no light.” The Andorian smiled enigmatically. “Think about it. Here we are, waiting for the sun to rise, and yet somewhere, deep down inside of all of us, is this primal little voice that fears.”
“Fears what, Daddy?” Ishe asked, looking up. Aerdan knelt, and picked her up, setting her on the railing so she could see well.
“Fears that today might be the day that the sun doesn’t rise.” He murmured.
Kate chuckled slightly. “But we know that the sun is going to rise. The sun always rises.”
“But we didn’t always know that.” Dr. Jos countered back, a smile playing across his lips. “If you don’t believe me, watch. You can feel a little tinge of fear, trepidation, and then suddenly… relief.”
She stared back at him, perking a brow, as if she wasn’t too sure about that, and they all three turned, watching the horizon silently.
Sunrise on ANDALUSIA was a majestic sight. But in the dawning moments, there was a second, as the sun threatened to appear, but hadn’t yet crested the horizon. Like a swimmer trying to break the surface of the water before they ran out of air, two doctors and one little girl held their breaths before the sun finally crashed upwards into the sky, sending a swath of color across the crystalline plains.
Kate let out her breath and then started to laugh a little. “That’s amazing… you do wonder for a second if it will really rise.”
He turned to her and smiled. “And yet it does, every day.” He gave a slight pause. “A little bit of hope, a tiny reward for our faith.”
“My grandmother once told me that a smile is like the dawning of the sun.” The memory brought the smile to Kathryn MacNeil’s face.
“And so it is.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Location: NOCTURIA
Scene: Hatchery
“If I were you,” the Nocturian hissed, “I would start thinking of what memory you hold most dear; because I think I might just dose you high enough to wipe out large chunk of everything else.”
Aerdan’s eyes went wide, as he struggled to fight free. “I would rather die.” He muttered, swinging an arm free and pushing back with every ounce of will he had.
Pleo skittered back, snarling and he slid against the floor.
Aerdan stood, with a partial look of triumph on his face, holding the hypospray full of A’avenette aloft. “I have your drugs.”
Pleo stood, matching his smirk evenly, and he held up Aerdan’s commbadge. “I have your communication’s device.”
“I still have my hope.” He snarled fiercely. “My sun will still rise.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NRPG: So this is a great experiment in that movie device of split scenes. We hope that both crews will be able to enjoy this!
Kim: Hope you like this one ;-)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jamie LeBlanc
Lieutenant Aerdan Jos
Chief Medical Officer
USS STONEHENGE
~and~
Ranjani Sabarinathan
Speaking for...
[/\]o..
Lieutenant Commander Kathryn MacNeil, MD
GS-2 Guest
Temporary Chief Medical Officer
USS MERCY
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