From: 96906700afk@nene.ac.uk
Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 02:07:44 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Can't think of a title
MD 6.1637
Scene: outside CSO's Office
She was confused. She would not have thought that she could have
feelings for anyone who was so clearly a wimp. She was a trained fighter
pilot, she had worked hard to get where she was, and she had little
hesitation in using whatever she had to get where she wanted. Which was
the top ranks of the Starfleet Fighter Squadron. Flying was her world.
It was not just what she was but also who she was. She was the best pilot
the universe had ever seen. Without that belief she was nothing. Without
the chance of proving it she was nothing. It was better to be dead,
trying the impossible, than live without knowing whether you were truly
the best.
Or so she had thought. When she had found that the FCO seemed to
fancy her she had gone for it. Some women sold their bodies for money,
she would sell hers for a future as a pilot. He had seemed such a wimp -
it really didn't seem that bad. So she'd trick him into arranging a
transfer. Big deal. Other officers all over the galaxy did the same
thing every day.
Really, how could she have feelings for someone who was, without
doubt, the most gutless, spineless coward in the entire galaxy. And a
preposterous lier. Did he really think she'd believe he had witnessed the
Trojan war ? Started it, even ?
And yet - yet there was something about him. He was cute. She
did not know many cute men. And there was something odd about him. He
*cared*. She had noticed that before. He had not tried to take advantage
of her when she'd been drunk. Instead he'd tried to do the decent thing.
He had tried to avoid the eagle. That was a reflex action. Most pilots
she knew would have blasted it out of the sky or flown through it, but not
Ozwald O'Graeach.
Oh, it was just too vexing !!! Here she was, having the chance to
follow her dreams, and what did she do ? Fall in love with a man who had
beaten her twice by running away !
He was sweet, he was cute, he was fun to be with, but after some
thought she'd decided to talk to the CSO herself. There were rumours
about O'Graeach. Rumors that probably contained only a tenth of truth,
and even then would be pretty unbelievable. It seemed that he had managed
to upset the counselor, all the marines, the CSciO and the FO. So
perhaps it would be better to talk to the CSO herself.
She rang the bell. No answer. The secretary had said the boss
was in, so Clarissa pressed the <Open> button, and the doors hissed
silently aside. She stepped inside and hesitated. On the floor she
spotted Ens. Keyrin, cradeling what looked like a broken wooden box, and
some personal items. Keyrins back was to the door, and she was too much
lost in her thoughts to notice Clarissa. The pilot was suddenly very
glad. She wasn't quite sure what had happened, but perhaps those rumors
were true. Perhaps O'Graeach really had a knack for upsetting people...
Clarissa gently backed out, closing the door behind her. She had
not thought she would ever see the CSO look this vulnerable. Ever.
************************************************************************
MD 6.1646
Scene: O'Graeachs quarters
John Bullman had just knocked out Grach Zag. Which decreased
the odds for Bullman winning the competition to 3 to one. A good thing he
had bet when the odds were 20 to one. Oz decided to thank Ens Unit in the
near future. As soon as Bullman was announced winner of the Milkyway Full
Body Contact Competition, and Oz had collected his 2000 credits from his
bookie, that was.
Oz checked for the next fight, tomorrow during Alpha shift. Which
was his. Unfortunately. But there was nothing stopping him from
listening in via subspace radio. After all, he was in control of the
sensors. Some of them, anyway.
In the meantime - he could spend some time with Clarissa. She was
bound to be grateful for the transfer.
*Mhpf, whom am I kidding ? Women are never grateful.*, he thought
dryly. Which, in his experience, was perfectly valid. People were never
grateful where he was concerned. Something always happened.
The doors slid apart and Clarissa stormed in. "What have you done
to that poor woman ?", she accused him angrily.
"Nothing ! What poor woman ?", Oz replied, using the standard
strategy of denying everything before even knowing what he was accused of.
It usually worked.
"Ens. Keyrin, of course, you damn fool !", she shouted. "What
have you done to her ?"
"Nothing !", Oz repeated his claim of innocence. "I just asked
for the transfer. That's all." There was no need to tell her he had made
a pass on the CSO. The truth was only for some ears. Most people wanted
to be lied to.
"Then why is she sitting on the floor of her office, looking
pretty devastated ?"
Oz shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe she's just as mad as everybody
else on board. Like the Science Officer. Maybe it's catching."
She gave him a shove and he stumbled backwards, falling on the
bed. "Don't be so callous ! Maybe Anne Murrey got a reason to be the way
she is ?"
"She's a nutcase ! You didn't see her on the bridge when she had
a breakdown !"
"People have reasons for their breakdowns. Didn't you learn that
at the Academy ?"
"I nearly flunked counseling. Never was any good at it. So
what's hers, then ?"
"What d'you mean, 'what's hers ?' ??? How should I know ?",
Clarissa blustered.
"Hey, I'm not entirely stupid. I can tell when people know more
than they let on. Most of the time, anyway.", Oz grinned.
"I can't tell.", she replied steadfastedly
"Why not ?", Oz asked.
"Because.", she replied. "And stop asking me. Let's just say she
got enough on her plate without you kicking her when she's down. And if
I ever find out you've been mean to her I'm gonna kill you !"
"It's this rabbit thing, innit ?", Oz asked worried. "The rabbit
thing pushed her over the edge ?"
"It didn't help, but I don't think it did much harm. Just - be
nice to her. Treat her with respect."
"That's a novel concept.", Oz said surprised.
"What, treating a woman with respect ?", Clarissa asked surprised.
"Nah, I do that anyway. No, dealing with someone who's more
vulnerable than myself. You think I ought to apologize ?"
"I can take your apology, if you want to. I don't think it would
be a good idea if you two met right now."
Oz nodded thoughtfully, then dove into his bag, digging through
it, retrieving interesting knick-knacks and things he had 'found', tossing
them back in, until he retrieved a smooth silver egg.
"Here, can you give her this ? As an apology for the rabbit thing
?", he asked, handing her the egg.
Clarissa took the egg, curious. "What is it ?", she wondered.
"I - um, found it.", he lied. It wasn't really a lie, he told
himself. Just an exaggeration, a bit of a bending of the truth. After
all, he had not meant to steal it. Things just had happened, and he had
not had the time to return it to the temple. "Hold it in your hands."
Clarissa wrapped her hands around it. Her eyes popped open and
her mouth formed a nice large 'O'. "This is nice !", she murmured. "It's
like being held by your mum."
"I wouldn't know, I lost mine when I was five.", Oz said dryly.
"Or she lost me. Anyway, the priests use it to help people with emotional
difficulties. Um - dying people."
"Are you sure you want to give this away ?", she wondered.
"Hells, I got no use for it. Yeah, it feels nice, but it ain't
real. I looks nice, though. She could use it as a paper weight."
"This could make her feel better !", Clarissa insisted.
"It ain't magic. It makes you feel secure, but it's not real.
When you put it down you're back to normal. It's only temporary, you
know.", Oz said. "It's fine for dying people, they don't have to face
reality without it because they die, although very happy. But all it can
do is make you feel safe and relaxed. Some sort of giant stressball. It
won't remove whatever is causing her to behave strangely. And it got a
built-in safety mechanism so you don't get addicted to it. So - it's a
paper weight. But a nice one."
"I'll give it to her.", Clarissa promised. "I'll tell her you are
very sorry and it won't happen again."
*I hope*, Oz added mentally.
NRPG:
Well, it's time he realised what was going on. The egg is merely a
gesture of goodwill.
It's late, I'm off to bed.
Sweet dreams,
Fabian Alexander
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Just because you've won the human race doesn't mean you can kill everyone
who comes second.
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