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PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

[Lieutenant JG Gideon Drake | Blue Tiran's Hideout | Maintenance Bays | The Versant] Attn: @Triage
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The hours after his “Correction” had been a blur for Gideon. He was still shaken from his narrow escape from Cross, when his boss lunged at him, losing control. But what happened next seemed to unnerve Gideon a little more, beginning with the holo-simulation of the Enterprise.

He easily knew he wasn’t on the real Enterprise. For one thing, there was no Enterprise-E; that ship had been destroyed, and the current Enterprise was an F. He could easily tell it was a holo-simulation, as opposed to being sent back in time; aside from checking the chronometer every so often, he recognized many of his crew mates from the Endeavour, not to mention how obviously convenient it was that they were with him.

He had noticed his boss, Cross, and as such, he kept his distance; he was still scared of him.

Then there were other crewmembers who seemed to be just as out of place, which further aroused his suspicions. It led Gideon to think that these people were also held captive and “corrected” by the uglies. He wondered just how many ships the uglies have been preying upon…

But he heard the name Theurgy crop up now and again, and he became suspicious were further aroused. He heard of the prototype starship and that it had gone rogue. He wondered what the uglies had against that lot…or was it just out of their convenience, again?

He had been curious about the Theurgy class starships, and had an interest in serving on one at the time. When his promotion came, he was offered many positions. He was sorely tempted with an offer to serve on a Theurgy-class starship. But after so much time of action against Orion patrols, even a rescue mission, which got him his promotion and his Grankite Order of Tactics, he felt he needed a break, a quiet posting, and before he knew it, he requested a transfer to the Endeavour. A Nebula-class starship wasn’t much, but a starship like that had less noisier missions. And a mission into the Azure Nebula was as quiet as they got. No Orions, thank God, just sirilium to study, among other things.

It was too good to be true. It had been slightly more than a month later that the Borg came and wiped them out. Much as he was glad to see other crew members had survived, it was a pity about their “Corrections” and being held against their will by the uglies.

So much for the quiet posting.

He hung around with his crew mates, careful as he was when it came to being around his boss.

He didn’t remember much, but the next thing he knew, he was due for “recycling” with the rest of the captives. He squeezed his eyes shut, ready to be brought to the Pearly Gates or the Celestial Temple, or whatever afterlife he was destined for.

He certainly didn’t expect Heaven or the Celestial Temple to look like an even uglier side of the ugly ship, and instead of Saint Peter or one of the Prophets, it was…Commander Tiran, who received them.

Well, it was no Hell, either, and Commander Tiran was no Satan or Pah-Wraith. It could only mean he was alive, along with the other captives.

Everybody has set up camp in Blue’s hideout. Gideon had decided to refer to the chief engineer to the name he heard she preferred: Blue. After all, even if she outranked him, she no longer had an Engineering to manage, a warp core to study, nor a ship to fix. The Endeavour was gone…along with God knows how many others. Either to their respective afterlifes or adrift in the Azure Nebula.

Gideon walked around the hideout, taking notice of the set-up. All in the raw as they were at first, they soon got the necessary materials from Blue’s contact…perhaps one of the uglies is in league with her? Much as it was good to see a reduction in nudity, Gideon wore his clothes around his waist for the time being, like a loin cloth; he was, after all, even more good-looking without a shirt, and he had no orders yet. Until there was a plan of action, there was no need to don the ugly suit.

As he was checking around the camp, and inwardly hoping some of the lasses would notice him and his guns and abs, he saw the eyes. Bright, glowing eyes shining in the darkness. It lead to a sense of unease. He remembered the ghost stories of his youth, his favorite involving Cat Sith, the fairy creature of Celtic fables, the sprite that took on the look of a big black cat. For a wild moment, he thought that Blue’s hideout was haunted by Cat Sith. But his eyes were growing better adjusted to the darkness, and a closer inspection with them showed a surprising reveal: A girl, not a cat fairy, whose eyes glowed in the dark.

Gideon was momentarily taken with her beauty; he usually was, as a lady’s man. But he didn’t know her, at least from the Endeavour; must be one of the Theurgy lot. He could talk to her, if he’d like, but he would have to be careful. For all he knew, anybody from the original Theurgy would be in no mood to talk to anybody they considered traitors. But then, the enemy of their enemy is a friend…for now.

Question was: What was this girl? What species was she? And what sort of "Corrections" did the uglies administer?

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #1 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Maintenance Bays | The Versant ] Attn: @Multificionado
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Sinead considered Blue's friend or benefactor to be a curious individual, but whoever it was, she opined to herself, wasn't entirely familiar with the appropriate beneficial necessities in meals. Still, she wasn't one to judge, and thought she could learn to like these "twinkies"...if she were forced to rely on them in a desolate land where food and nourishment was scarce. She had been trying to consume her second piece of confectionery, when she became aware of the sensation of being watched, and she glanced up to see an officer she didn't recognize. Quickly searching her mind for all the personnel files she studied after boarding the Theurgy yielded nothing familiar, and she concluded he likely belonged to the Endeavour or other crews.

Her guard was up, and she noticed easily with her darkvision that the man had not dressed up appropriately, and posed a security risk.

Moving with feline grace, she smoothly shifted from her seated position to walking in a fluid motion, until she was standing before him, eyes glaring. “Yeh need t' dress properly.” she said, “Th' suit be designed t' mask our presence, and yeh stan' t' risk exposing all of us t' discovery.”

She stood there, arms folded over her breasts, in an imperious stance, waiting for him to act on her rather strong suggestion.

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #2 –
[Lieutenant JG Gideon Drake | Blue Tiran's Hideout | Maintenance Bays | The Versant] Attn: @Triage
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As surprised as Gideon was about the news about the suit, he was even more unnerved at the girl’s accent.

“It is? They’ll detect us if we don’t? Well, okay, I’ll get it on…”

He had just undid the knot made from the sleeves and widened it out when he stopped. He turned to the girl in surprise when he registered the accent.

“Hold on…are you Irish?” he said, standing so rigidly and in surprise. “Wh…how did an Irish girl…? What in God’s name did the uglies do to your eyes?!?”

He couldn’t believe that such a beautiful exotic girl was human. It had to be something with the eyes. If the uglies did that to her, he was going to be all the more motivated to eradicate them. Nobody would do such a thing to the poor girl and get away with it.

In a way, it somewhat felt satisfying to be in the presence of an Irish girl, and not just that she was a girl. Ireland was close enough to Scotland, as well as Northern England, and it was good to hear that particular accent again. The closest thing was Mickayla MacGregor, and he let whatever she said count, to take in the accent, for she was a woman of few words.

Regardless of the eyes, she was a beauty, like a mermaid stepping onto shore. He felt smitten, something he usually felt around the more beautiful ones.

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #3 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Maintenance Bays | The Versant ] Attn: @Multificionado
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He had at least the sense to do as told. She wondered why he hadn't dressed properly in the first place, and they could be found out already as it was. What he exclaimed next left her slightly flabbergasted. Maybe she wouldn't have to worry about the improper dressing to expose their location. His voice would do that for them. She studied his shoulders carefully, since it had been some time since she had to apply a nerve pinch and she wasn't quite as adept as Vulcans themselves at this.

“My people be descended from th' Irish, aye,” said Sinead evenly, her expression flat, “we had not set foot on Earth near on three hundred years nowh. I am Bringloidih, our eyes be like this b'cause of th' algae and moss we feed on in th' caves.”

She walked past him to study the exits from the dwelling, “Keep yer voice downh, now, mind, my hearin' be good enough, and until we be off th' Versant, stealth and quiet be yeh friend.” Her bright eyes rolled to study him keenly, “Who are you? I be lieutenant Junior Grade Sinead O'Riley.”

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #4 –
[Lieutenant JG Gideon Drake | Blue Tiran's Hideout | Maintenance Bays | The Versant] Attn: @Triage
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Gideon nodded as he dressed himself in the suit. He chided himself; he knew stealth tactics from since he was a kid. He wondered if he was getting fat, or rusty, when it came to those skills. He was going to need them in the coming hours, for whatever was going on.

At hearing her introduce herself, he replied quietly, “Gideon Drake, Lieutenant Junior Grade. I heard about the Bringloidi, one of the famous discoveries and mysteries solved by Captain Picard on the Enterprise. I never met one…until now. And I’m sorry about the mention of the eyes, I thought you were half-something, and made full-something by the uglies…you know, the Savi.”

He noticed her looking at all the exits. He could’ve done something similar. He chided himself again; it was something he should’ve done in any event.

At the same time, he was taken in by her beauty.  But he put that out of his head; this wasn’t the right girl to hit on. In fact, from her tact, she’d sooner hand his arse over to him in a rubbish bin than take in his handsome looks.

In any case, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #5 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Maintenance Bays | The Versant ] Attn: @Multificionado
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Since when were the Bringloidi particularly notable as a discovery? Sinead felt Gideon's remark was a biased one, most likely, and dismissed whatever import he placed on it. No doubt, it was noteworthy to discover a three hundred year old pioneering expedition not only succeeded, but spawned across two worlds into two utterly unique cultures and development. Then, in order to save one colony, and provide a new home for another, Jean-Luc had found the perfect solution by literally marrying the two colonies together into a mutual new group, the New Mariposans.

But more interesting right now, was her findings on this man, Gideon Drake. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled downwards the more he spoke. He was highly unattentive, attention-deficit, foolish, and motivated by a clouded opinion, most likely not possessing an open mind or a creative streak.

“Jus' call them Savi,” said Sinead, studying their surroundings but keeping the man's position and proxymity to herself in check, “after all, we most likely no be lookin' t' be very attractive t' them. Whatever wrong they may have done, we conduct ourselves as Starfleet officers, hear.”

She had turned to leave when he made a strange remark, and she whirled around on him, her eyes reflecting a dangerous glint as she stalked towards him, “What d'yeh mean wi' that, lad?”

Her hands stayed on either side of her, but her posture seemed more fluid and loose, like she could move in any direction without warning, and she was indeed standing ready to act swiftly. “Are yeh wi' th' Endeavour crew?”

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #6 –
[Lieutenant JG Gideon Drake | Blue Tiran's Hideout | Maintenance Bays | The Versant] Attn: @Triage
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Gideon’s quotation must’ve been inadvertently spoken aloud; in any case, O’Riley whirled around. She stared at him hard. He had seen such stares before; he nicknamed it “The Paddington Stare,” in reference to one of his favorite childhood stories. But with those bright eyes, “The Paddington Stare” had taken in a whole new level; he felt as if O’Riley was scanning him, like her eyes were x-raying him.

And it was a little unnerving to hear her refer to him as lad; she talked like she was older, but she looked ten years younger, perhaps as young as he was. But he knew looks were deceiving.

“Uh, yes,” he said, his voice suddenly attaining a high octave; he was feeling unnerved by the girl. He cleared his throat before he resumed, “I mean, yes, I’m from the Endeavour. I knew Commander Tiran back on the Endeavour, though I’m surprised she’s here…although I think it sounds better to refer to her as Blue, the name she prefers; after all, it’s not like she has a ship to work in and work on anymore.

“I also recognize a few others, like my direct superior, Lieutenant Cross, though I think he’s having a hard time coping with his Vulcan self…”

It occurred to him that O’Riley may be from a different ship entirely.

“If I may ask, what ship are you from, and how many other ships did the ug…the Savi…are there where they’ve taken mongrels to ‘correct?’

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #7 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Maintenance Bays | The Versant ] Attn: @Multificionado
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She continued to pierce him with a silent stare, to the point of awkwardness, but she didn't flinch or look away, and her face did not shift or change in expression, long after he'd finished answering and asking her a question in turn. “I be of th' Resolve,” said Sinead, which was not a lie, but a selective truth, “There be members of th' crew wi' me 'ere, but I do not know how many others there be from other ships. Th' Savi have a keen interest in forcing folk of mixed birth t' choose one pure form or another.”

She turned her gaze away to resume studying her surroundings, making note of every person, every item, every corner and every pattern that her darkvision allowed her to perceive. The place was not the most ideal, and without proper weapons, it was not very defensible. “They corrected yeh,” she said without looking back, and her tone was not a question, but a declaration of fact, “what were yeh b'fore?”

She decided to find out what she could of him, and then she would act accordingly as more details were uncovered.

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #8 –
[Lieutenant JG Gideon Drake | Blue Tiran's Hideout | Maintenance Bays | The Versant] Attn: @Triage
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Gideon didn’t like the way O’Riley stared at him. She stared so long, a classic “Paddington Stare,” except with those eyes, she could more than just be x-raying him, she could easily be staring into his soul. Or perhaps that she could easily kill him just by looking at him. Either way, she stared at Gideon long enough to unnerve him.

It almost seemed like forever before she answered.

He heard of the Resolve, that it had gone missing. True, three years being absent was normal, but if you didn’t report in after a certain period of time, that was being lost.

And the uglies had a keen interest in forcing choices of pure forms on mongrels? That was an extreme form of perfectionism in his book.

“I was half-Bajoran,” he said, when O’Riley asked about what he used to be. “You’d never notice the ridges, really, but if you looked closely, they were there. Besides that, a thorough scan and a DNA test would inform you. Frankly, to be honest, much as all these ‘Corrections’ are detestable, I frankly don’t mind being fully human; I don’t miss the ridges, that’s for sure. Nobody notices the ridges anyway.

“Still, forcing mongrels to choose a pure form…extreme perfectionism.

“What happened to the rest of your crew, from the Resolve?” he asked. “Did the ug…the Savi recycle the rest of them, while the Borg finished off the ship off?”

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #9 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Maintenance Bays | The Versant ] Attn: @Multificionado
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Sinead took note of how fixated he was in his nose-ridges from his Bajoran heritage. He claimed nobody noticed his ridges. But the amount of time he spent talking about it...and extreme perfectionism was perhaps one way to describe what they were doing. From the little she had gathered, due to her isolation from the others, there was some deeper purpose behind their acts, some sort of drive to enforce this genetic corrections on the hybrids as they were doing. But what?

“Yeh say people didna see your ridges?” said Sinead, “And yeh didna care fer it? Yet yeh speak aboot it with great interest an' concern.”

She wasn't trying to be testy or antagonistic, but her self-control and mastery over her emotions weren't at their best at present, and she was unable to refrain from being a little terse with the man. Still, he was a Starfleet officer, and while she felt a little wary around him due to him not being a member of the Theurgy, she saw no reason to make an enemy of him. He seemed just naturally curious.

“It is fear an' a firm belief in righteous justification tha' motivates th' Savi, Gideon Drake,” said Sinead, explaining what she gathered about the Savi's purposes from the other hybrids, “they take pride in conducting their operations perfectly.”

She didn't defend them, not exactly, but she sought understanding, wording it out loud with Gabriel helped her articulate her thoughts more vividly. “Nae, many of us survived,” she reported, then turned her eyes on him again. He was only slightly taller than her, roughly by three inches, yet she inclined her head in such a manner, whilst locking her eyes with his, she managed to somehow give the impression that she was looking down at him, “We didna run int' th' Borg. That be all yeh need t' know.”

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #10 –
[Lieutenant JG Gideon Drake | Blue Tiran's Hideout | Maintenance Bays | The Versant] Attn: @Triage
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With great interest and concern? Gideon realized that it didn’t occur to him, that those ridges meant a great deal to him.

Perhaps, inwardly, he had been thinking about his Bajoran mother, to whom he had dedicated his cause to, the very motivation that led him to be the way he was today.

“I didn’t think of that, the concern and all,” he admitted. “I suppose it’s because of my mother, who’s a Bajoran herself, and a former slave to the Cardassians, a pleasure woman. My indignation at her suffering, physical or otherwise, led me to the man I am right now. I used to live on Tracken II, a planet the Federation gave to the Cardassians, a planet that was one of many causes for the Maquis to exist. For me, even when I was a kid, the Maquis felt like a perfect excuse to fight Cardassians, get even for what they did to her. I suppose the Bajoran somewhere in me feels peace, and many other Bajorans would’ve accepted what I did.”

He realized he hadn’t talked this much in a long time. Not about his past. This was another surprise. Then again, it all boiled down to how, inside, he missed the Bajoran side of him.

“Funny you should mention righteous justifications,” he said when he heard it from the girl. “Another motivation on my part. But it seems the Savi operates in a different way. And they take pride in their operations perfectly? They could easily be enjoying their jobs too much.

“You didn’t run into the Borg?” he said when she answered on that regard. “I won’t pry further on the matter, then, if that’s your wish, but I will say this: Consider yourself lucky.”

He wasn’t planning on prying anyway, his curiosity notwithstanding. He knew better than to do so with some women, and even some men, he encountered. Sometimes they were prickly about their pasts. It was a lesson he often learned the hard way, and as such, he was extra-careful in getting-to-know-you bases.

With this girl, however, his caution would need to reach a whole new level. Especially in light of what went down with Cross earlier.

Re: PRO: S [D05|2345] Things That Don’t Go Bump In The Night

Reply #11 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Maintenance Bays | The Versant ] Attn: @Multificionado
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Sinead could barely repress a sigh. Gideon was overly talkative, and it didn't appear to take much to get him started. The better question was how to get him to stop. One or two officers stirred as the man's spiel went on. They were looking over at them, and the Bringloidi felt her impatience growing. He was incredibly talented at bringing up inane conversation and unwanted history lessons. She was also sore, tired and very unhappy. She finally decided on a course of action to take to ensure her own peace of mind and keeping Gideon from being a threat to the people gathered.

“Yeh talk too much, Gideon Drake.” said Sinead.

She drew closer to him, and placed her hand between his neck and shoulder, searching for that spot from memory. It took her a long time to master this, and she didn't practice with it often enough. Still, she did eventually find what she was looking for and said, “We have many hours yet ahead, an' we shouldh seek rest.”

Pinch.

She barely caught his limp weight with both arms and settled him as comfortably as she could on the ground. Shaking her head, she sought out the deepest shadows, where even her eyes could no longer perceive, and curled up, placing her back against the walls, and keeping her eyes on as much of the room as she could see, before she let sleep take her.

-FIN
 
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