Stardate: 60333.1145
The HATHOR's Assistant Chief Medical Officer entered the room closely
followed by the Oltharian giant who had heard for the call for
volunteers. Although unexpected the first experience the Chief Engineer had with touching one of these crystals had left him wanting more, and since he
had felt perfectly fine, Elan had decided to offer his services to the
ship's First Officer.
Ensign Halliwell had wanted to follow the Oltharian claiming that she
had wanted to make sure that he would not suffer from any unforeseen ill
effects, but the engineer suspected that the Assistant Chief Medical
Officer had been curious about the unique properties of the crystals the giant
had spoken of while in Sickbay.
"Glad to see you again Lieutenant," the Shillian said welcoming the
Chief Engineering Officer and Assistant Chief Medical Officer in the storage
bay which had been adapted to accommodate their latest acquisition.
"Are those them?" Elizabeth asked pointing to the four crystals laying
on the table next to the HATHOR's First Officer.
"Those are only a few of them," Maya replied. "The others are still
inside the comet, but Ensign Kea is doing his best to beam them over as fast
as possible despite the obstacles that are in our way.
"Commander," the Oltharian said offering the Shillian a deep bow of
respect, "I was wondering if any of these new crystals were obtained from the
same general location as the first?"
"I am guessing that you liked what you experienced the first time," the
First Officer said with a grin, moving in front of the table towards
the far end.
"I have always been interested in the mythology of my own world as well
as that of other worlds," the Oltharian admitted, "and the story of Odgan
struck me as being a legend meant to teach children to reflect and
enjoy what they have as well as to respect the wisdom of their elders."
"I figured that you would be interested in expanding your experience,
so I asked Carft to get one from the same area for you," the Chief Science
Officer said pointing to the fourth crystal on the table which had been
put aside for now obvious reasons.
Thanking the HATHOR's First Officer with another deep bow, the
Oltharian turned and looked at Ensign Halliwell as if asking for the woman's
permission to proceed. Although she still had problems understanding
the attitude of the giant towards her and Doctor Summers, Elizabeth nodded
her consent which Elan acknowledged with a tilt of his head before turning
back to the table and ever so gently taking hold of the crystal Maya had
indicated to him.
Setting: USS HATHOR, Storage Bay
{The Nightmare arises from its lair in the swamp. As the poisoned land spreads, so does the Nightmare's rage and terrifying strength.}
--==(@)==--
To most living creatures of Domineria, the swamps were a place to be avoided at all cost, for death ruled throughout its murky waters and unnatural fog. Even the mighty Shivan Hellkite of the west or the Panther Warriors to the north dared not step within the boundaries of this realm of darkness and shadows. Only those who had been denied eternal rest or had been cursed from the first day they had drawn breath were condemned to live within this forsaken domain. So it came to no great surprise to learn that the Nightmare, one of the most feared creatures to have ever been known to travel the realm, referred to this place as its home.
To the High Guards of Lim-Dul, the beast which could at times be seen flying through the air overhead had over the years become a welcomed sign, an omen of plentiful days to come, or of victorious glory. Whatever the reason for the Nightmare's appearance, those who resided within the boundaries where Black Magic was at its strongest, celebrated the sighting with songs, dances and sacrifices to their rulers and masters.
The beast itself cared not for the celebrations nor the sacrifices, drawing all of its needs from the energy of the dark realm itself. As the poisoned land spread further onto the other domains of Domineria, so did its power, so it made perfect sense for the creature to survey the boundaries of its home to see how great its might had become since its last passage.
Being the unofficial guardian of the swamps had secured a place in history for the nightmarish beast, that it desired it or not. Many in the realm of Domineria sought fame and fortune, and for those whose ambitions were more demanding, greatness and power were what fuelled their dreams at night. Had they given the slightest thought about what form of creature lurked about while they slept, many would never have awakened at dawn. If good fortune was on their side and the angels of Serra had owed them a favour, these poor souls would have be granted passage into the other world, but for the others the night would have become their eternal home never to see the light of day again.
Mothers often told tales to their sons and daughters about the steed with the fiery mane which devoured anyone who ventured out of their beds once the moon had risen into the night's sky. It was true that the Nightmare was by itself a creature which needed to be feared, but once night fell the legions of Lim-Dul and those of Dauthi were far more dangerous than the steed could have ever been on its own. Yet the creature did not seem bothered by these stories or the way they made the children cower beneath their bed sheets praying with all of their hearts for them and those they loved to make it through the night unharmed.
As strange as it may have been, the beast described in the story actually cared nothing for the soft flesh of children, instead preferring the cool night breeze beneath its hooves. Although not sharing in the blood thirst of many of the other inhabitants of the swamps, the Nightmare was still not a creature to be trifled with, for its power and rage far offset its lack of appetite. Those who had challenged the beast on its own domain had been quick to realise this unfortunate truth, permanently becoming part of the realm they had wanted to invade. To go face-to-face with the beast was to invite and accept death, so only fools dared to try.
So parents continued to tell the tale of the terrifying steed and of its awesome might, silently hoping that their children, and their children's children would never be made to feel the Nightmare's rage should it one day decide to venture beyond the confine of the swamp and cast its shadow over the rest of Domineria.
--==(/\)==--
Elan opened his eyes and saw looks of curiosity reflecting on the faces
of the First Officer and Assistant Chief Medical Officer.
"So?" Elizabeth asked, "how was it? What was it about?"
"It will be my pleasure to explain," the Oltharian replied as he
suddenly felt a wave of dizziness sweep through his head, "but first it might be prudent for me to sit before I find myself falling all the way to
Domineria."
--==(/\)==--
Lieutenant Junior Grade Elan Talak Fairborn 2005 post #589
Stardate: 60333.1150
Setting: USS HATHOR, Storage Bay
Francois Charette {f_charette@hotmail.com}
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
&
Chief Engineering Officer
USS HATHOR