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Post by Einar on Jul 24, 2018 11:56:55 GMT
very interesting!
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Post by spacedaisy on Jul 26, 2018 12:25:35 GMT
It had been three days since Zeke had spoken to her and she hadn’t seen him since. In fact, she hadn’t seen anyone since. Each day a tray was pushed through a small sliding panel at the bottom of her door, she never even saw who was bringing it to her. She had taken to pacing the length of her room. It was seven paces from side to side and nine from front to back. There were twenty six panels in the ceiling, each bolted in place with six bolts which meant there were one hundred and fifty six bolts. She had precious little to do while she was waiting for something to happen.
Finally, after three days, the door opened and she sat up, hoping it was Zeke. Instead she found Dagav standing in her doorway. He held a metal collar in his hand, which he unclasped as he moved over to where she sat on the edge of her bed. She drew back as he approached and he grabbed her still tender shoulder. She immediately stopped struggling for fear of injuring herself again. Once she fell still, he fit the collar around her neck and latched it. Straightening back up he gave her a smug look, “If you try anything stupid, that collar will give you an electric jolt. It might not kill you, but it will do you serious damage, so I don’t recommend you give us any trouble.”
He stepped back and jerked a thumb toward the door, “Let’s go.”
He shoved her out into a corridor lined with doors similar to the one she just left. More isolation cells, she’d guess. They moved along the corridor, taking turns here and there and as she moved steadily along the halls she could hear an increasingly louder noise. At first she couldn’t tell what it was, but as she continued it became clear that it was the sound of a crowd. There was an intermittent buzzer sounding and shouts interjected, though she couldn’t immediately tell what they were saying.
After the final turn she could see an open door at the end of the hall, that seemed to lead out onto a stage where the other Orion who had been in her cell that first day now stood. She could clearly hear now that the shouts were bids, and he was conducting an auction. She was about to be sold. She stopped and looked around in a panic, ‘What happened to Zeke?’ Her mind raced, but Dagav shoved her hard, and she stumbled forward. The threat of the collar kept her from trying to bolt, not that she had anywhere she could run. Instead she soon found herself pushed onto the stage, the lights blinding her as Dagav grabbed her by her uninjured arm and drug her up onto a small stand and the bidding commenced.
The next few minutes were a blur for her, with bids being shouted and the lights blazing down upon her. In the midst of it all, she anxiously scanned the room, her eyes searching for Zeke’s face. Surely he would do something to stop this? Had she been fooled by him? Before she knew it the buzzer signalled the end of the bidding and Dagav pulled her roughly down from the stand and off the stage.
“Hands out in front of you,” he demanded and she meekly complied. He slapped some shackles onto her wrists and locked them tightly before removing her collar. Pushing her into a small room, he slammed the door shut behind her and locked it to await retrieval by her new owner.
Mari leaned against the wall and slid down until she was sitting on the floor, her knees against her chest with her arms around them, hands cuffed in front of her. She rested her head on her knees and tried to keep herself from crying. How did she end up here? Barely more than two weeks ago she was a respected scientist. Now she was a slave, sold off like property.
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Post by spacedaisy on Aug 3, 2018 2:47:39 GMT
Mari sat with her head on her knees for quite some time, waiting for whatever was to come next. She could hear the noise of the auction continuing outside, but she had nothing to do now but wait. Eventually the door to the room opened and revealed an androgynous looking individual of a species she couldn’t readily identify. They were slender and tall, with a smooth bald head and a very slight purple hue to their skin.
“Who are you?”
Without replying to her question, they instead motioned for her to stand. Clearly they weren’t inclined to talk. Despite her hands being shackled together, she managed to get to her feet and they attached one end of the tether to her shackles before turning and leading her out of the room. Her escort took her through back halls, she assumed to avoid the crowds outside, until they passed into a landing dock. They continued on, weaving between the ships until they finally seemed to be approaching their intended transport. It was a small ship, probably no more than three decks, but by the sleek look of it this ship wasn’t designed for utility. It was designed to turn heads.
The escort took her up the ramp and into the lower deck of the ship, then made their way along a short corridor until coming to a stop at a closed door. They placed a hand flat on the panel and the lock released before the heavy door slid open. The escort stepped back and motioned for Mari to enter. She entered the room and they followed, taking hold of her shackles to unlock them. Then her escort left the room and the door closed and latched behind her. There was no mistaking the fact this was a prison.
‘Although a very comfortable prison,’ Mari thought as she surveyed the moderately sized room.
The walls were a calming slate blue color, and there was even a viewport. The room held a comfortable bed, a vanity, and a small, round table with two chairs. Additionally there were two doors aside from the one she entered through. Upon inspection she found that one of these doors led to a small room with a shower and toilet and the other was a closet. It was the contents of the closet that most surprised her. She found within an entire wardrobe of clothes, all in traditional Lo’Ami style. However, it more closely resembled clothing from before the Great Upheaval, lacking much embroidery or embellishments. Dimaik had supplied her with clothing when she was with him, so since she had run from his home she had been wearing loose fitting Romulan garb. The idea of being in clothes she was more accustomed to was at once comforting and concerning. Whoever had brought her here had gone to great lengths to make her feel at home in her imprisonment.
‘Right then, must be the rich asshole’s toy,’ she inwardly concluded, recalling what her cell mate had said.
A man’s voice came over an intercom into her room, interrupting her thoughts, “You will shower, dress and be prepared to be presented for inspection in one hour.”
Mari might have been more inclined to be obstinate if not for the fact that she was still grimey from hiding under the shed. As much as she would like to escape, it didn’t seem immediately possible. At least she could get cleaned up and figure out how to escape later.
An hour later she sat on the edge of her bed, dressed now in a pale green wrapped dress, the excess fabric falling over her shoulder. The door opened and the escort stood in the corridor just outside, waiting for her.
“Who am I being presented to?” she asked without standing up. The escort simply stood still, waiting for her to come out, but giving no answer.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Still they stood there, waiting silently. Mari relented with a sigh and joined the escort in the hall. They walked a short way down to a small lift which took them to the upper deck, here there were no corridors. As soon as the lift reached the top, it opened into one large room. Not just any room, but a rather lavishly decorated room, with artwork and plush pieces of furniture. It seemed somewhat incongruent for such a small craft, but it reinforced the idea that whoever owned it wanted everyone to know they were wealthy.
As she was standing there taking it all in, a door on the far side of the room opened and a woman entered. Mari felt her heart sink. The woman’s distinctive high ridged bone plate on her head made her easily identifiable as an Elloran. Which meant that somewhere a Son’a was not far behind. She sauntered easily across the room, the heels of her boots clicking on the floor and high collared leather uniform clinging to her shapely curves with each step. As she reached Mari, she walked a slow circle around her until she came round to stop in front of her again.
“Very good, Tav. It looks like you were right about this one,” she had a satisfied smile as she looked Mari over. She paused a for a moment and shot questioning glance to the silent escort, “I thought the description said she was marked?”
A quick series of gestures followed and finally it hit Mari that the escort was mute. The Elloran nodded and grasped Mari’s right wrist to lift her hand and inspect it. “I’ve heard about these marks,” her voice trailed off as she traced a light fingertip over the gold colored triangle in her palm. Mari caught her breath and the woman eyed her coyly, “So it’s true. Tell me my dear, is it pain or is it pleasure?”
Mari clinched her jaw tightly and looked straight ahead, ignoring the question. Her captor didn’t seem to mind, instead she laughed, “I thought your people learned their place decades ago. It’s refreshing to find one with such a strong spirit.” She dropped Mari’s hand and reached up to run her hand along Mari’s jaw, gently but firmly turning her head towards her.
“I am e’Nue, but you will call me Mistress. You will do as I say, or there will consequences. Do I make myself clear?” Her voice had taken on a commanding edge as she spoke, but as Mari gave her a short nod, her face softened again, “I was once like you, but I proved myself useful to my Master and now I hold a place of privilege. Remember that.”
e’Nue turned to the escort again, “Well done indeed Tav. I was hesitant when I saw they weren’t established breeders, but you have found a diamond in the rough.” She looked again to Mari and brushed her hair away from her face, “She will make our more discerning customers very happy.” Mari struggled to keep her composure at this, feeling e’Nue’s watchful eyes on her, “Take her back to her room, we’re leaving immediately.”
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Post by spacedaisy on Aug 3, 2018 20:32:00 GMT
Water trickled from the faucet and splashed into the bowl of the sink. With her hands gripping the edge of the counter, Mari leaned in and studied her reflection in the mirror. She could feel despair overtaking her. Only forty five minutes ago she had felt the engines power up and the ship lift off. With it her hopes of Zeke getting her out vanished. ‘Now you have to get yourself out of this Mari,’ she tried to collect herself. She cupped her hands under the water and splashed her face. It was time to stop being a victim.
After toweling her face and hands dry once again, Mari began to walk slowly around the perimeter of her room. She trailed her hand along the wall, stopping every few steps and pressing it flat against the wall. Every small vibration and difference in temperature was a clue as to what could be on the other side of the walls. It all could be useful later for escape. Inside the closet she pushed the light fabric of the clothes aside and felt along the inside walls, mentally noting any irregularity. Stepping out of the closet, Mari draped the fabric of her dress back over her shoulder and looked around the room thoughtfully once more. Her vision still hadn’t fully recovered since her jump, so she was forced to rely on her other heightened senses.
Mari drew a deep breath to steady her anxious nerves, then closed her eyes to just listen. She could tell by the feel of the vibrations through the floor that she was on the same deck as the engine room. As she listened, she could faintly hear voices, but they weren’t close enough to understand. There couldn’t be many people on the ship, she hadn’t heard or seen anything to indicate much of a crew when she was presented. If there had been, it would’ve been hard to hide from her. So she guessed there was maybe two to three people aside from Tav and e’Nue.
A sudden explosion rocked the ship. She caught herself on the closet door frame and looked with concern at the viewport. Stumbling across the room as the ship rocked again, she looked out into space just in time to see another small craft zip past, firing on them. The shot struck home and the power flickered before going out. There were two more shots and then things fell quiet. Too quiet. Mari moved to the door and pressed her ear against it, straining to hear any little thing she could pick up.
Shouting from what sounded like the engine room, followed by what was the distinct sound of an energy weapon being fired twice. Then the heavy sound of footsteps pounding down the corridor. Mari drew back from the door, wide eyed as she realized they were coming towards her room. She ducked into the closet just as a shot rang out from outside, clearly striking her door. The metal scraped and creaked as the door was pried open from the other side. Mari peered out anxiously, unsure what new dilemma she would find herself in now.
“Mari?”
Relief flooded her senses as she recognized the voice, “Zeke!”
She could see him now, peering into the room. He motioned to her, “Come on, we need to get out of here before they get power back. They can’t transport us out if the shields are up.”
Mari rushed across the room and slipped easily out the partially open door into the darkened corridor beyond. “How…?”
He slid his weapon into it’s holster and winked, “I have my ways.”
Hitting a communicator he said to someone on someone on his ship, “I’ve got her, lock on and get us out of here.” Even as he spoke Mari heard the faint but distinctive sound of e’Nue’s boots moving along the hall. Despite her attempt to walk softly, Mari could hear her clearly. Just like she could clearly hear the sound of a weapon being powered up. She instinctively grabbed the phaser off of Zeke’s hip and whirled quickly around, firing into the dark. A dull thud followed, as e’Nue’s body dropped the floor just before a transport beam pulled them out.
As they rematerialized, Zeke turned an astonished gaze to Mari, “Shit…” he exhaled the word in surprise, “I didn't even see anyone, but you could?”
“No,” she held the weapon back out to him, “But I could hear her.”
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Post by spacedaisy on Aug 4, 2018 20:51:34 GMT
Mari sat nervously on a medical bed, her legs dangling over the edge. “Keep your eyes open and hold still,” a dark haired young woman told her as she scanned Mari’s eyes. Zeke stood behind her, arms folded over his chest as he leaned up against the wall. The scanner shut off and the woman looked down at the results. Mari looked questioningly at Zeke, “I thought you were a doctor?”
“I am,” he said with a small shrug.
The woman gave a dismissive chuckle, “Don’t let him fool you, he’s had basic field medic training. Everything else he comes to me for.”
“Mari this is Tessa. She’s a little uptight because she hasn’t been laid in a while,” Zeke smirked.
Tessa rolled her eyes, “And he’s just giving me shit because he’s jealous that I’m more into women than him.”
Mari look between the two, trying to sort out the dynamic when a Trill male entered the sickbay as well, cradling a bleeding hand, “Are they at it again?” He crossed the room and pulled open a drawer to take out a dermal regenerator.
“Rigan!” Tessa crossed over and snatched away the device and pulled his hand toward her to look at it, “How many times have I told you not to mess with my equipment! What did you do?”
He lifted an eyebrow at her outburst, “I’m perfectly capable of running a dermal regenerator. I just cut my hand when I was fixing a conduit.” While Tessa bent her head over his hand, Rigan looked blankly at Mari, “So this is her?”
“Yes, this is her Rigan,” Zeke flashed an apologetic look to her.
“Huh, she’s smaller than I expected.” Tessa let go of his hand and he flexed it a couple of times then left without saying anything else.
“He’s a little different,” Tessa fumbled with the right word to describe Rigan. Mari could easily see that, it was like he was emotionless. A blank slate.
“Who are you guys?”
Zeke and Tessa shared a look for a moment before he answered cautiously, “We’re what’s called assets.”
“Assets?”
He pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and moved over to the bed to sit next to her, “I really shouldn’t be telling you this. But -”
“Zeke!” Tessa interrupted with a concerned look.
He put up a hand, “She doesn’t have anywhere else to go, she ought to at least know what she fell into.” Looking back to Mari, he went on, “We’ve built a fairly good reputation for being trustworthy among some of the type of people who are less friendly to the Federation. I got approached by a certain organization wanting to take advantage of our connections. One thing led to another and we ended up buried in the Orion Slave Trade in order to get onto Shephelah. It’s the best way to get information on the Romulans these days.”
“So…you are Starfleet?”
“God no!” Tessa exclaimed.
“Since we’re just assets we have more freedom in our actions,” Zeke winked at her, “No muckity mucks to answer to.”
“They don’t care how we get the information, as long as we get it. In fact, the less they know, the better,” Tessa didn’t bother trying to hide her contempt for the people they worked with. It was still unclear to her who exactly those people were, but Mari didn’t ask.
“Is it just you three?”
“Plus Vik,” Tessa commented, tossing the regenerator back into the drawer.
“Viktor’s our pilot,” Zeke explained, “he’s not happy we decided to pull you out. Thinks it was too big a risk of exposing ourselves. You might want to steer clear of him for a while until he gets over it.”
“He’s a grumpy old bear. When he’s angry you just have to stay out of his way until he decides to hibernate again.”
“Bear?” Mari asked in confusion.
Tessa shook her head, “Never mind. Anyway, it looks like your optic nerve and retina have sustained some pretty severe injuries. It’s a wonder you can see at all right now. I think I have a course of treatments will help but I doubt you’ll ever be fully back to what you were before.”
“Ok, let’s do it. But what about this?” Mari gingerly touched the still fresh wound behind her ear where the tag had been put in.
“Well, I think we should change your registration. We’ll put you in my name.”
“I don’t belong to you, I don’t belong to anyone!” She wondered for a moment if this was all just about gaining ownership of her.
“Zeke, I think it might be better if she wasn’t in your name. You work too closely with them, they’ll know you weren’t the one who bought her.”
“So who do you suggest?”
“How about no one, since I’m not anyone’s property!!”
Zeke put an arm around her shoulder to try and calm her down, “We know that Mari, but think of what would happen if you get captured and aren’t registered to anyone? You’ll be right back where you were.”
“Put her in my name. I’m off the radar enough, and I can take care of her if she is injured or anything.” Zeke nodded at Tessa’s comment. It was logical.
Mari took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before giving an assenting nod. “Do it.”
He smiled reassuringly, “You don’t have to worry anymore, we’ve got your back. You’re safe now.”
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Post by spacedaisy on Sept 17, 2018 4:20:18 GMT
Mari sat at a table in the mess, poking a spoon at a goopy pile of something or other. She was staring at what they told her was food (though she wasn’t convinced), but her mind was elsewhere. The bench wobbled unsteadily as someone sat down with the full force of their considerable weight. With a surprised glance she found an unfamiliar man sitting next to her. He was taller than anyone she had ever seen, nearly seven feet tall she estimated. And he wasn’t just tall, he was big. Not big like someone who is just overweight, but someone who is very strong and just… solid. It was like looking at a mountain sprung to life. At the top of his head was a shock of red hair, and his substantial beard was the same color and reached halfway down his chest.
“So you’re the runt we risked our lives for,” he commented without looking at her. She didn’t know how to respond, watching wide eyed as he shoved an entire biscuit into his mouth followed by four heaping spoonfuls of the slop. It was less like eating and more like shoveling; she wasn’t even sure he was chewing. “Aren’t you even going to say thank you?” He demanded gruffly, barely even pausing between spoonfuls.
“Thank you,” Mari barely was able to say the words louder than a whisper, so taken aback by this man as she was.
He turned to her, his jaw working as he chewed his last bite now, studying her carefully. His eyes were pale blue, but the look in them was just as intense as everything else about him. “Don’t see what all the fuss about you is. Suppose if I had a plaything like you I’d more’n likely bust you in half.”
“You obviously have a lot to learn about Lo’Ami, Vik,” Mari felt a flood of relief at Zeke’s voice. It was unsettling being here alone with this mountain of a man who seemed none too fond of her. “They’re made of tougher stuff than most humanoids.” Zeke flashed her a charming smile as he settled down opposite her.
Viktor exhaled a noise of disbelief, “I’d crush her.”
She felt anger flash within her, a sudden knee jerk reaction. Mari was tired of being treated like an object to be possessed. She found herself suddenly retorting somewhat defiantly, “Then I guess it’s a good thing that you don’t stand a chance of ever finding me under you.”
She could see Zeke stifling a laugh and Vik’s head slowly swung around to meet her challenging gaze. For a long moment their eyes locked in a silent battle of will. Finally Vik tossed his head back and let loose a raucous peal of laughter that she swore shook the whole room. Once he finished laughing he looked at her again, now with an appreciative twinkle in his eye, “I like you kid, you’ve got spunk.”
She looked incredulously at Zeke who winked, “Looks like you’re ok by Vik.”
Tessa dropped down on her other side, “No fair, Vik hated me for the whole first year I was on the ship.”
“That’s because you’re an evil she devil,” Vik growled as he swallowed his last bite of food on his plate.
One of Tessa’s elbows nudged Mari as she whispered conspiratorially, “He’s just mad because I picked up a waitress he’d been pining over for years.”
Vik glared momentarily at Tessa, but then he noticed the untouched food on Mari’s plate and his grievance with the impish young doctor seemed forgotten, “Are you going to finish that?” She shook her head and pushed the plate across the table toward him. He wasted no time in diving in.
“Is that true?” Mari asked glancing between Zeke and Tessa. They both nodded and Vik spoke up mournfully, “Her name was Saishi, and she was the most beautiful Bajoran woman I’d ever seen. She had such a sweet smile and always took care of all her customers needs.”
“Oh she definitely took care of my needs... Heh, Saishi… I’d forgotten her name…” Tessa had a far off and deeply satisfied look on her face. Meanwhile, Vik ignored her comment by attacking his food again with a vengeance. Mari looked to Zeke who gave an amused shrug.
Tessa leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand and smiled at Mari with keen interest, “So what’s your story? I mean, I would love to get to know you better…”
Mari’s mouth gaped slightly in surprise, unsure how to respond to Tessa’s blatant overture. Luckily Zeke saved her from having to respond, “Come on Tessa, you’re making her uncomfortable.”
With a wink the doctor responded, “I can certainly help make her more comfortable anytime she’d like.” Mari’s cheeks flushed, the metallic sheen of her skin growing more intense as she did. She sought to change the subject quickly, “Where is the mechanic?” She couldn’t recall his name now.
With a dismissive wave of her hand, Tessa replied, “Rigan doesn’t keep normal hours. He usually gets lost in something he’s fixing down there and resurfaces once every few days. I’m not even sure when he sleeps.”
“Boy’s not right,” Vik grumbled under his breath.
Tessa fixed an angry glare on Vik, “Leave him alone old man! Just because he’s not like most people doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with him!” Her reaction was laced with a fierce protectiveness that startled Mari. Something about Rigan seemed to bring out an almost maternal response in the doctor.
“Alright you two, that’s enough bickering,” at Zeke’s words Mari could see the muscles in their faces, once tense from conflict, smooth out with ease. Glancing around at them seated at the table, Mari realized that for all their bluster they really were quite close. And somehow Zeke brought them together. She wondered how she would fit in here and what Zeke saw in her that caused him to bring her into the fold as well.
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Post by Einar on Sept 17, 2018 11:24:14 GMT
yes! more!
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Post by spacedaisy on Sept 18, 2018 10:46:54 GMT
“Why don’t I give you the tour of our little Crackerbox Palace?” Zeke said as he pushed himself up from the table. Tessa had gone to take some food down and check on Rigan’s hand, while Vik had returned to the helm. Mari fixed a quizzical look on him, “Crackerbox Palace?”
He chuckled and shook his head, “Just a phrase from a very old song that stuck with me. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
A quick traipse would have been a better description than tour. It was a small ship. Just a couple decks, barely more than a shuttle. e’Nue’s ship had been a little larger and definitely more flashy. There was barely room for more than two or three people in what she could only call the cockpit. Which suited Vik, as he preferred to be alone in there and even still he took up a considerable amount of that space.
She had already seen the tiny room that functioned as a medbay. She hadn’t poked around it but it seemed from what little she saw that Tessa kept it pretty orderly. It was quite likely the cleanest room in the place. Which was reassuring.
He led her on, to a row of doors on either side of the hall, three on each side. Pointing to three of the doors in succession he said, “Vik, me, Tessa. And this…” he pulled the handle and slid the door open to reveal the room closest to them, “...is you.” Mari gave him a nervous look and stepped inside.
Like everything else on the ship it was small. The living space had just a bed and a small sofa. She could see a lavatory through an open archway. A small alcove looked to serve as a place to hang clothes. She turned back around to face Zeke, as he leaned casually against the door frame. He looked apologetic, “I know it’s not much, but you’re free.” She nodded slowly, considering this as she looked around once more. Somehow it didn’t seem so bad in light of that fact.
“What about Rigan?”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t mention which room is his, doesn’t he have one?”
He stepped backwards out the door and she followed, peeking in the direction he pointed, to the door on the other side of her. “Officially that is the room I gave him, but I don’t remember the last time I saw him go in there. He stays below decks nearly all the time, he’s got a hammock that he sleeps in.” Zeke shrugged as if he couldn’t explain Rigan.
She turned back inside and sat down cautiously on the sofa. She wasn’t sure if it was sturdy and it looked rather worn. To her surprise she found it very comfortable and grinned up at Zeke as he said, “Welcome home. How does it feel?”
“It’s quite soft.”
Zeke laughed again, he seemed to laugh a lot. Mari thought he had quite a pleasant laugh so she didn’t mind. He explained, “Not the sofa, how does it feel to make this your new home?”
“I … don’t really know. I mean everything has changed so much for me so quickly.”
He crossed the room and dropped easily into the other seat on the sofa. “You want to talk about it?”
“I’m not even sure what to say about it.”
“Well you could start with, ‘Hey Zeke, I’m from another parallel universe,’ and see where it goes from there.”
Mari searched his eyes for a moment, and found a playful twinkle there. She couldn’t help but smile back at him, his lighthearted nature was infectious. She deliberated for a moment about what she should say and then with a sigh she just started talking, “it wasn’t like this where I’m from. It’s hard to see my people like this, captured and used for slaves. They’re a shadow of what they used to be.”
“Not all of them.”
Her eyes looked questioningly into his, “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been working with the Orions for a while. Starfleet put me here to gather intel on the Romulans and your home world is their Achilles heel. But, I have more connections than just the Orion Syndicate.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ve been helping to rescue as many Lo’Ami as I can. There’s a couple colonies, hidden underground in the harshest environments on your planet. Some abandoned mines. Most of the people I rescue go to those.”
“Most? Where do the rest go?”
“There’s a smaller group that have resettled in Federation space. They have a more specific goal. They’re trying to rebuild. I run the genes, there’s a certain threshold they’re looking for. If someone we rescue passes that, we send them there instead.”
Thoughts tumbled through Mari’s mind as she considered it. It was encouraging to think that her race wouldn’t be wiped out or inbred until they were unrecognizable. Zeke was right to say they were made of tougher stuff than most humanoids.
“Why are you doing it? Saving my people could blow your cover. It seems like a big risk.”
For the first time the jovial demeanor faltered and Mari thought she saw a look of pain for just a second before he averted his eyes, “My wife was Betazoid. It literally hurt her to feel the suffering of the Lo’Ami. I promised her I would do whatever I can.”
It took a lot of control to not ask what happened to her, whatever it was left him with a very deep feeling of loss. Instead she said quietly, “I have a close friend, she was in trouble. I was trying to find her, help her. But something went wrong. I made a mistake and now I’m here.”
They were both silent for a long moment, each caught up in their own pain. Zeke had lost his love and Mari had lost her home, her people. It was the silence of two people who didn’t need words, they simply understood what the other was going through.
“Zeke?”
“Hmm?”
“Why didn’t you send me to my people in Federation space? Surely my genes pass the threshold…”
“Your genes are so far past the threshold that you can’t even see it anymore.”
“So why this?” Mari waved her arms at their surroundings, indicating the room he had so recently called her new home.
“I don’t know, you aren’t from our universe, I wasn’t sure how to proceed …” It felt like weak excuse and he followed it up quickly to cover that fact, “I can contact the colony if you want. You can go if that’s where you want to be.”
Was it where she wanted to be? Since she arrived she had been running from one problem to the next. She hadn’t had time to wrap her mind around the fact that this was the universe where she would live out her days, let alone consider where she wanted to make her new home. But didn’t she have a responsibility to help her people? Maybe she could find some atonement for the sins of her ancestors against the lower castes by doing this. Not to mention being surrounded by others like her, it had a certain appeal. So what was holding her back?
She spoke haltingly, “I … think that maybe … maybe you should. At least I could, I don’t know … talk to them before I decide?”
He nodded without looking at her. “I’ll take care of it first thing in the morning.”
Mari watched him get up and leave her room, giving only a succinct, “Goodnight Mari,” as he left her alone in her confusion.
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Post by Einar on Sept 18, 2018 12:14:22 GMT
great log Annie! keep them coming
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Post by spacedaisy on Dec 2, 2018 10:18:42 GMT
“Hello?”
Mari ducked under some loose wiring as she stepped into the engine room. There were tools and parts scattered haphazardly around the room and in the corner a hammock swung gently where it was strung up in the corner of the room.
“Rigan?”
A clatter came from an open door on the far side of the room and she picked her way across the room in that direction. Just as she reached the door, the Trill mechanic popped suddenly out of the doorway.
“Oh!” Mari jumped and pressed a hand against her chest, “You scared me!”
Rigan’s face was blank, as always, “Why did it scare you? Didn’t you come here to see me?”
“Yes, I just didn’t expect you to come out of the door like that.”
“But you called my name.”
His eyes stared back at her in genuine confusion. He truly didn’t understand why she would be startled by his sudden appearance. She cleared her throat uneasily, “Right, well I actually could use your help.”
He stood there waiting for her to go on without saying anything and she continued awkwardly, “The sonic shower in my room isn’t working. Any chance you could take a look?”
He glanced over his shoulder back into the room he had just come from, and then back to her, “Give me thirty minutes, I have to finish this calibration of navigational sensors and then I can help you.” As soon as he said this, he turned and went back into the other room, leaving her standing alone in the main engine room. She stood there, uncertain and surprised, before she shook her head with a chuckle and headed out. Rigan might take more getting used to than anyone else on this crew.
True to his word, within half an hour Rigan was bent over the panel where the controls for the sonic shower were hidden. He worked intently, with very little intervening conversation. Occasionally asking her for a tool or handing one back to her. At least he made her feel useful.
Mari tried to make small talk, “How long have you been on the ship?”
“Two years.” His answer was brief and to the point. It made conversation with him difficult.
“Do you like it?”
He handed her a spanner and gave her one of his signature confused looks, “What do you mean?”
She thought it had been fairly straight forward, but it seemed Rigan needed things to be very specific. “Living here, do you enjoy living on this ship? Does it make you happy?”
“I haven’t thought about it. The ship is better than she looks. Just a little rough around the edges.” His voice had a touch of pride. It was the most emotional thing she had heard him say since she arrived on board. Seemed he felt a closer connection to the ship than to any of his fellow crewmates.
“Do you get along with everyone?” Mari thought of what Vik had said in the mess earlier.
“I don’t see the point of fighting with them. They mostly stay out of my way. Except Tessa, she’s always holding me up.” This complaint didn’t hold a tone of annoyance. It was, like everything Rigan said, matter of fact.
“How does she hold you up?”
“She’s always bringing me food, even when I’m not hungry or too busy. Sometimes she tries to talk to me while I’m working. And she always forces treatment on me for every bump and scrape. It’s time consuming.”
Mari considered all this thoughtfully for a few moments as he continued working. Finally she said, “She does it because she cares about you.”
“Yes.” There was no feeling of reciprocating Tessa’s emotions. He looked at Mari, “But not like Zeke and you. She likes women,” he looked back into the panel as he went on, “And I don’t have time for nonsense.”
The room fell quiet again, except for Rigan’s work. ‘But not like Zeke and you?' Her mind swirled as it registered what he had just said. What did that mean?
Before she could ask him he suddenly announced, “She lost her baby.”
With a blink, Mari tried to catch up with what he was saying, “Who?”
“Tessa.”
“I don’t understand what you mean … “
He gave an exasperated sigh as he turned to face her once again, “It’s why she does all that stuff, she lost her baby. It helps her to take care of me.”
Her grey eyes watched him in surprise as he fit the panel back into place. Could it be he was more in tune with what the others were feeling than it seemed? If so, what did he mean about her and Zeke? He carefully replaced his tools in the toolbox and brushed his hands off, “Anything else before I leave?”
Mari shook her head, “No I think that’s it. Thank you Rigan.”
He gave a curt nod and left her alone to puzzle over his words.
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Post by spacedaisy on Dec 7, 2018 11:10:39 GMT
“He’s here. It’s time.”
Mari looked up at Zeke standing in the door to her room. She leaned over and zipped her duffel containing the few pieces of clothing she had collected in the last three weeks. She slung it over her shoulder and turned to face him, but he wasn’t there. Her stomach knotted, but she shook the feeling off and headed out towards the dock.
He was there waiting, leaning casually against the side of the ship as he chatted with the man who was going to take her. “Hey gorgeous, were you going to leave without saying goodbye?” Tessa’s voice came from behind her, and she turned to offer a sheepish grin to the doctor.
“I’m not good at goodbyes.”
“If by not good, you mean skipping out on them entirely, then yeah you are,” Tessa gave her a warm hug and whispered in her ear, “You don’t have to do this Mari.”
Extricating herself from the hug she responded, “Yes I do.”
Tessa gave her a concerned look, but only said, “Vik asked me to tell you goodbye too.”
Mari smiled and nodded her thanks.
“Hey, your ride isn’t going to wait around forever,” Zeke called gruffly and motioned for her to join them. As she got closer her introduced her to the other man, another human. He was a great deal younger than Zeke and she wondered how he knew him. “This is David, he runs the freighter I told you about. Keeps his head down so you should be safe with him. Assuming his bucket of bolts doesn’t fall apart on the way there.”
“Watch your filthy tongue! Bonnie is a sturdy old matron, and I won’t listen to you insult her honor like that!” His eyes sparkled at the banter.
This was the moment she would have expected him to turn to her and give a conspiratorial wink, but he didn’t look at her at all. He just went on talking, “They’re expecting you, so don’t delay. She’s precious cargo for them.”
Precious cargo? It seemed she was back to being considered property. She hated to admit how much it hurt her to hear him refer to her like that. David reached out and shook her hand, “I’ll get you to your destination safe and sound, Scout’s honor!” He held his fingers up in a symbol she didn’t recognize, but she could gather from context what he meant.
“Thank you David, I appreciate it. So are we ready then?”
Zeke finally looked at her and nodded, “Nothing keeping you here so we’ll turn you over to him.”
Standing there awkwardly, she wondered for a moment how to say goodbye. A hug? A handshake? He decided for her by giving a stiff wave and leaving her there alone with David. She watched his form retreat into the ship a little sadly until David interrupted her thoughts, “Shall we?”
Forcing a smile, Mari nodded and followed him to his ship.
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Post by spacedaisy on Feb 25, 2019 4:25:21 GMT
'Marika!'
She studied the young Lo’Ami man approaching them with some apprehension.
‘I hope the journey has not been too difficult.’ It was the first time she had someone speak into her mind in weeks. The last time had been in the Orion jail cell.
‘It was comfortable.’ Mari motioned to the man standing next to her as she spoke the next words out loud, “David made sure that I had everything I need.”
He dipped his head in greeting as the other man turned his gaze to him. Reaching a hand out the Lo’Ami man said, “We are grateful for your kindness. My name is Nem’an, I’m the overseer of our settlement.”
Mari tensed as she heard the word overseer and Nem’an gave her a quick look of concern, but she smiled and shook her head slightly to indicate she was okay. He went on, “We want to invite you to stay with us for the night, or longer if you would like. It’s the least we can do for delivering her safely home.”
As David thanked him for the offer, she wondered if this would ever feel like home. Right now it felt entirely foreign. Nem’an had someone else show David to the room they had prepared for him. Then he turned a broad smile back to Mari, ‘We’re so happy you’re here. I have something to show you.’
He motioned for her to follow as he hurried off down a dirt path. It wound between plots of land with low fencing to mark off the properties. Her grey eyes wandered over the properties and paused for a moment as it hit her that it was just like Shephelah. Each property had open air rooms, several on a property. There were winding paths among flower beds and vegetable gardens connecting the pavilion like rooms. She was instantly transported back to her childhood home. She could almost smell the Dionarila'h Drussila that their caretaker grew. ‘We have no Dionarila’h Drussila unfortunately,’ Nem’an interrupted her thoughts, ‘No one managed to bring any seeds when we came here. They are nearly wiped out on Shephelah as well. They are difficult to obtain.’
She hurried to catch up with him as he stood wating some short distance down the path. As Mari passed, she noticed other Lo’Ami watching them from the edge of their pavilions. Some even wandering to the edge of their properties. It was clear now that each compound housed multiple families. Nem’an followed her gaze and explained, ‘We have a small colony, most families share compounds, with some private areas and some shared. We find it makes us a closer knit community this way.’
‘jai ori’aenare orihana’ a child’s voice asking if that's her cut into Mari's thoughts, and with it she started to realize there were other voices bleeding through into her mind. She felt their interest focused on her and she looked again at Nem’ah, this time with a questioning glance. ‘You must forgive them, they have heard of your coming and everyone is excited.’
‘What have they heard about me?’ she asked as her gaze glided over the expectant faces looking on her with curiosity.
‘Marika, your genes are stronger than any Lo’Ami has had in thirty years or more. Your importance can’t be overstated!’ When he saw the uncertain look cross her face he placed a hand reassuringly on her back and guided her forward down the path, ‘I realize it’s a lot to take in. For now let’s get you settled in. It’s not far now.’
Quelling the anxious feeling that had begun to creep into her stomach, she moved quickly past the onlookers and around a bend in the path where her guide stopped her with a gentle hand on her elbow. ‘What do you think?’ Nem’an motioned to a compound in front of her. It’s gardens were dense and well tended. Garden plots full of vegetables and fruit trees could be seen on the back of the property beyond the pavilions. Everywhere else was thick growths of flowers. Tall hedges on each side of the property instead of fences. It was only from the front gate that you could see onto the property. She looked in, searching for who might live there. It was a large compound with five pavilion rooms, surely there were multiple families living there. Seeing no one she asked, ‘Why did you bring me here?’
‘This is your home.’
Mari looked at him in alarm, ‘This is too much Nem’an! You could fit many families in here. This can’t be just for me!’
‘It is our hope that you will fill this house with children.’
Children. She knew that was what they wanted from her, but it had seemed so remote a thought. In the past there had been a limit of how many children a woman could have, population control to deal with their long life span. It had never crossed her mind that they would want her to have more than two, but of course they would want that! This was their single minded purpose, to preserve and perpetuate the Lo’Ami as they were before forced inbreeding had done such damage. ‘I’m not even seeing anyone yet, it’s hard to imagine filling this compound with children…’
It was Nem’an’s turn to look surprised, ‘Forgive me Marika, but we have identified the male with the strongest genetic makeup…’ he trailed off, he had assumed she knew what her responsibility here would entail. She looked into the compound with unseeing eyes. Of course. An arranged marriage. That was logical. So why did she feel so troubled? Nem’an could sense it, but he was unsure what to say, ‘I’m sorry if it was unclear. If it is any reassurance to you, Ephair is well respected among our people. He’s a kind and good man. You will meet him at dinner, he is looking forward to seeing you.’
The rest of the evening passed in a hasty jumble for her. Ephair was indeed a kind man, and seemed very pleased to meet her and ready to perform his duty in marrying and having children with her. However, she had felt numb ever since the full impact of what they wanted had hit her. That night she lay staring up at the roof, listening to the sounds of strange wildlife in a foreign place and she had never felt more dread.
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Post by spacedaisy on Feb 26, 2019 9:28:06 GMT
“Rigan!” Zeke’s voice bellowed as he thumped down the corridor and into the engine room. “What the hell is going on with the navigational sensors?!”
The young Trill blinked at him blandly, “They are down while I perform some routine maintenance.”
Zeke pinched the bridge of his nose and growled, “When did you plan on telling me this?”
“I checked with Vik and he said we weren’t scheduled to leave port for another two days.” He didn’t see why Zeke was so worked up.
“Since when was this Vik’s goddamn ship? Plans change, you should’ve told me!” He stormed out without waiting for a response. Rigan watched him go and then calmly returned to his maintenance.
Tessa looked up from the medical journal she was reading as Zeke came into the mess hall. He grabbed a cup off the counter and threw it against the wall. She lazily lifted an eyebrow at his rage, her lips curled into a small smirk. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
He dropped angrily on the bench across from her, “I’m still the Captain of this ship, right? Because I never seem to know what’s going on around here anymore.”
Tessa twisted a long strand of dark hair around her fingertip with an air of boredom as she looked back down at her article without answering. This only served to make Zeke even more furious and he reached over and snatched it from her hands, “Hey! I’m talking to you!”
Her dark eyes slowly lifted to his face. If he had been in a better frame of mind himself, he would have recognized the look in her eye meant trouble was about to fall on him. Tessa leaned across the table, and somehow her wiry frame commanded the situation. Her fingers wrapped over the top of the padd he had just yanked from her, staying there as if allowing him a moment to realize his fatal mistake. When she spoke her voice was one of quiet fury. “If you ever treat me like that again, you will regret it.”
His face went pale and his hand released its hold on the padd. She leaned back easily, and went back to reading. Zeke passed a hand over his unshaven face as he realized just how tense he actually was feeling. “I’m sorry Tessa, I haven’t been sleeping and it seems like nothing’s going right lately.”
Her demeanor almost immediately returned to her normally playful, mocking one. “Why don’t you just call her, Zeke?”
“Call who?”
Tessa snorted sarcastically, “We all know why you’ve been such an insufferable ass lately, don’t play dumb. You’re upset that Mari left.”
“You’re always so arrogantly sure of yourself Tessa. But you’re wrong this time, I don’t care what Mari does. She’s not my problem.” His repentant moment has passed, now angry with her again, he stood and stormed out of the mess hall as well. Stopping short just outside the door, he stared in surprise down the corridor. Mari walked confidently toward him as if summoned by Tessa’s accusation against him.
As she drew near he said softly, “You came back.”
Mari nodded silently, searching his face for some indication what he was thinking. He saw it and could almost feel Tessa’s eye boring holes in his back as she listened in. Zeke stiffened and tried to act more composed, remarking cooly, “Why did you come back, weren’t you supposed to be your people’s saving grace or something?”
She winced at the bitter sarcasm dripping from this statement, but drew a deep breath and replied, “I don’t belong there.” Mari had expected him to be cold.
“Oh yeah?” He crossed his arms and studied her, waiting to see what she’d say next.
“Yeah.” She knew he wanted her to say why, but she wasn’t giving an inch. Not yet, not now.
They stood silently for a few seconds, regarding each other. Finally he seemed to accept that answer and simply jerked his chin in the direction of her previous quarters, “You know where your room is.” His gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before he retreated back into the mess.
As she turned to walk away she heard him say, "It's good to have you back."
With a smile at him over her shoulder, she nodded again and headed off to her room.
Tessa gave Zeke a knowing look, “I thought you didn’t care what Mari does?”
“Shut up.”
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Post by Einar on Feb 26, 2019 16:31:13 GMT
I finally caught up! So happy to have more to read great job
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Post by spacedaisy on Feb 26, 2019 21:08:21 GMT
I finally caught up! So happy to have more to read great job I'm glad you're enjoying it!
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