Atom Cats Garage, Southeast corner of Boston, MA
Clad in a suit of power armor salvaged from the Brotherhood of Steel, Vina stepped forth with determination to challenge an enemy she had never faced, one that made her nervous beyond anything she'd seen before with few exceptions: freestyle poetry night with the Atom Cats. Sammy was spending the evening with her sister and most of the Pokemon had chosen to roam the wilderness; only Shaggy lay in the back of the improvised stage as a small gathering of fellow power armor enthusiasts waited patiently.
"When I wear my plates, I feel as if I could move the Earth,
No bullet can stop me, no blade can pierce,
Yet when I think of love, the thing that is of most worth,
Armor cannot guard from a pain most fierce.
My dearest fights in the depths of space,
She rides a horse with silver wings,
But I know she yearns to return to this place,
And out to her, my soul doth sings.
Thank you."
Vina stepped down from the hand-built stage as her audience politely clapped and cheered, many of them wearing power armor suits of their own. She murmured thank yous as she took a seat next to a being in a suit of T-60 armor with red flames painted on it; his name was Duke, if Vina remembered correctly.
"Far out poem, pal," Duke said with a nod.
Vina nodded back. "Thanks. Never tried poetry before."
"Could've fooled me," the Atom Cat answered with a verbal grin.
Vina leaned over and began scratching one of Shaggy's heads while another visitor began reciting something about the joys of personalized armor. She politely clapped along with the rest of the group when he finished. Everyone took a turn reading, a generally-positive atmosphere purveying, until throats were dry and fonts of inspiration dryer. Once the event turned to mingling, Vina turned to leave, whistling to Shaggy before leaving the garage.
"You can read a poem next time, Shaggy," Vina promised. "Might even get you a suit of your own."
The Zweilous snorted.
Showing posts with label Vina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vina. Show all posts
Friday, April 1, 2016
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The Home Guard
Masaki Shrine, Okayama, Japan
At 7 AM, a woman and her daughter ran around a lake. Behind them were dragons, serpents, and a golem. It was a peculiar sight in most places...or would have been if anyone else were around. The sun rose and the chase continued. The woman shouted: encouragements, curses, promises, and threats. Of all the myriad beings involved in this affair, only she was used to doing it every day. It wasn't until they'd all moved to the region that she'd begun rousing them all for the chase.
"COME ON, YOU SLUGS!" Vina Sealander shouted, running backwards for a moment to watch her Pokemon.
A Zweilous, a Gabite, a Fraxure, a Dragonaire, a Gyarados, a Golurk, a Noivern, a recently-purified Arbok, and a Juraian girl all looked up from their impromptu rest break to keep running after their cruel mistress who insisted they train now that their other mistress, Rebecca, was off in space. Only Bruticus the Golurk failed to look winded and that was likely because nobody was sure if he even could be winded. The ambiguously-alive construct-like Pokemon simply stood in place before running again.
"Are you kidding me?!" Vina called out from a distance. "I'm an old lady! None of you should have trouble keeping up with me!"
The eight Pokemon and the girl looked at each other and nodded.
Then took off running.
"That's more like it!" Vina cheered, laughing as they all passed by. "Final stretch, buckos, then breakfast!"
It had been a few months since the Kobbers had scattered to the four winds and Rebecca had gone to space to battle the rampaging Decepticon armada. Vina, Sasami, and the Sealander Squad had stayed in Vegas for a time, leaving only once all of Yagren's Pokemon victims had been purified and adopted, save for Jorge the Arbok, who had elected to join the Squad, and Alakawhat, who preferred being a Lovecraftian demon who enjoyed exploring the other dimensions with his mind while sipping lemonade.
Alakawhat had also decided not to join the exercising.
Since then, they had moved their starship, the Royal Pain, to a remote rural area in Japan where Sasami's sister was living with a distant relation of some sort. Vina didn't understand the situation completely, especially when it also involved the relation's grandson and five other woman pining for him and...well, there were politics involved that'd threatened to engulf her until she'd shown off her wedding ring.
The morning was off to a good start though. Vina had gotten the rest of her workout done before the run and would make the Squad breakfast once they got home, followed by instructing Sasami in physics and history and...
And the house was on fire. Fortunately, the Royal Pain had been parked AWAY from there.
"I swear, this had better be an alien invasion and not..." Vina muttered.
"I SAW THE WAY YOU LOOKED AT TENCHI!" a voice shrieked. "THAT LEVEL OF LEWDNESS IS DEMEANING TO A MAN OF HIS STATURE!"
"Lighten up, Princess! Like you wouldn't look at him that way if nobody were watching!" another voice taunted back.
Vina sighed. It was, in fact, Princess Ayeka and an alien space pirate named Ryoko fighting over some imagined slight or more posturing for that boy Tenchi's affections.
"I shouldn't do this, but then they'd want to bunk on the ship," Vina groaned. "Iku, go douse the flames, then we do breakfast."
The Gyarados complied, spraying the house - and the two quarreling women - with her Hydro Pump as the rest of the squad settled in for breakfast. For a brief moment, long enough to bring a pang of longing to her heart, Vina wondered if Rebecca didn't in fact have the safer job at the moment. She shrugged the thought away, serving up sausage and eggs.
She briefly considered doing something about the quarrel, but chose instead to sit down and eat. Then she got a great idea. One that was surely great and wouldn't make Rebecca freak out if she knew about it.
"Say, Sammy, how would you like to start learning to use Power Armor today? I think I looted a suit from the Brotherhood of Steel that'd fit you..."
At 7 AM, a woman and her daughter ran around a lake. Behind them were dragons, serpents, and a golem. It was a peculiar sight in most places...or would have been if anyone else were around. The sun rose and the chase continued. The woman shouted: encouragements, curses, promises, and threats. Of all the myriad beings involved in this affair, only she was used to doing it every day. It wasn't until they'd all moved to the region that she'd begun rousing them all for the chase.
"COME ON, YOU SLUGS!" Vina Sealander shouted, running backwards for a moment to watch her Pokemon.
A Zweilous, a Gabite, a Fraxure, a Dragonaire, a Gyarados, a Golurk, a Noivern, a recently-purified Arbok, and a Juraian girl all looked up from their impromptu rest break to keep running after their cruel mistress who insisted they train now that their other mistress, Rebecca, was off in space. Only Bruticus the Golurk failed to look winded and that was likely because nobody was sure if he even could be winded. The ambiguously-alive construct-like Pokemon simply stood in place before running again.
"Are you kidding me?!" Vina called out from a distance. "I'm an old lady! None of you should have trouble keeping up with me!"
The eight Pokemon and the girl looked at each other and nodded.
Then took off running.
"That's more like it!" Vina cheered, laughing as they all passed by. "Final stretch, buckos, then breakfast!"
It had been a few months since the Kobbers had scattered to the four winds and Rebecca had gone to space to battle the rampaging Decepticon armada. Vina, Sasami, and the Sealander Squad had stayed in Vegas for a time, leaving only once all of Yagren's Pokemon victims had been purified and adopted, save for Jorge the Arbok, who had elected to join the Squad, and Alakawhat, who preferred being a Lovecraftian demon who enjoyed exploring the other dimensions with his mind while sipping lemonade.
Alakawhat had also decided not to join the exercising.
Since then, they had moved their starship, the Royal Pain, to a remote rural area in Japan where Sasami's sister was living with a distant relation of some sort. Vina didn't understand the situation completely, especially when it also involved the relation's grandson and five other woman pining for him and...well, there were politics involved that'd threatened to engulf her until she'd shown off her wedding ring.
The morning was off to a good start though. Vina had gotten the rest of her workout done before the run and would make the Squad breakfast once they got home, followed by instructing Sasami in physics and history and...
And the house was on fire. Fortunately, the Royal Pain had been parked AWAY from there.
"I swear, this had better be an alien invasion and not..." Vina muttered.
"I SAW THE WAY YOU LOOKED AT TENCHI!" a voice shrieked. "THAT LEVEL OF LEWDNESS IS DEMEANING TO A MAN OF HIS STATURE!"
"Lighten up, Princess! Like you wouldn't look at him that way if nobody were watching!" another voice taunted back.
Vina sighed. It was, in fact, Princess Ayeka and an alien space pirate named Ryoko fighting over some imagined slight or more posturing for that boy Tenchi's affections.
"I shouldn't do this, but then they'd want to bunk on the ship," Vina groaned. "Iku, go douse the flames, then we do breakfast."
The Gyarados complied, spraying the house - and the two quarreling women - with her Hydro Pump as the rest of the squad settled in for breakfast. For a brief moment, long enough to bring a pang of longing to her heart, Vina wondered if Rebecca didn't in fact have the safer job at the moment. She shrugged the thought away, serving up sausage and eggs.
She briefly considered doing something about the quarrel, but chose instead to sit down and eat. Then she got a great idea. One that was surely great and wouldn't make Rebecca freak out if she knew about it.
"Say, Sammy, how would you like to start learning to use Power Armor today? I think I looted a suit from the Brotherhood of Steel that'd fit you..."
Monday, April 20, 2015
The Final Frontiers: Rebecca
Space...the final frontier...a frontier that, once you reach its limit, never fails to find new ways to grow...
These are the voyages of two captains upon whom Fortune has looked upon. Whether she smiled or frowned would depend on your point of view, but however you look at them, their lives were drastically changed by a single event.
Year 2400, Drozana Station, Donatu Sector
"What a delightful game," Alaric Brandes thought to himself. "I should come here more often. Such an amazing experience."
Unlike the other seven players in this game of Tongo, an exciting game of cards and dice the Trill's symbiote had never played despite hundreds of years traveling the stars, Alaric was having fun despite the massive amounts of latinum he was losing. His trip to Drozana had started as an unfortunate detour when the passenger ship he was riding on experienced engine failure and needed to get repairs before heading back to Trill, but he had made the best of it to experience a side of galactic society he hadn't any memory of.
A couple of players soon dropped from the game, fleeced of every scrap of latinum by a large reptilian man, a Gorn if he wasn't mistaken. The massive lizard man simply hissed a sarcastic sorry-not-sorry as he raked up their money, but one of the aggrieved players seemed to take umbrage and cocked his fist back, smashing his elbow into Alaric's face in the process. A broken nose wasn't a new experience in itself, but as part of a game it convinced the Trill academic to go find other diversions for the rest of the day. Doing his best to stem the flow of blood from his nose, Alaric gathered up his remaining funds and left the table.
Unlike the other players at the table, Alaric had no friends to watch his back. The sentient who had lost his money but hadn't elbowed him - the one who had was likely nursing a few nasty cut's from the Gorn's sword - decided to engage in an ancient pursuit of funds: an old-fashioned mugging. Alaric, a stone's throw away from the safety of the vessel he had flown in on, found himself experiencing a sudden stab wound from behind, draining his strength and forcing him to the deck.
"Such a unique experience," he thought to himself as he fell screaming to the deck.
Before his funds could be removed, the assailant was now the assailed as two of the ship's crew, hearing the guttural cry of pain, came to the rescue, brandishing long-barreled rifles that spat blinding stun bolts into the ne'er-do-well's chest. Cries for a medic were quickly answered and Alaric's pain was soon gone.
~
"Is it just me or does this suck?"
14 year-old Trill student Rebecca Solveig looked up from the magazine she was reading to look at the speaker. Her human best friend and current travel companion, 16 year-old Vina Sealander, was pacing about their cabin, pausing to look out the viewport at Drozana Station, long blonde hair swishing back and forth with each step. The two teens were en route back to Trill after a vacation/school trip to Bajor but found themselves stuck on the ship while it performed repairs.
"I agree. Absolutely," Rebecca absolutely agreed. "You know why they won't let us off though."
"For our own good," Vina said in a passable mimic of the ship's captain. "Don't you want to try anyway?"
"Of course I do!"
"SO LET'S!"
"YEEEEEAH!!!"
The two teens, fueled by youthful invincibility, boldly stepped into the passenger ship's central corridor and walked towards the airlock as if they knew what they were getting into. The airlock irised open, showing them the interior of Drozana's docking area. That was the moment they heard the scream and saw the blood flowing from the victim's back.
"Like I said, that's a comfortable cabin we have," Vina gulped.
"Absolutely, I agree," Rebecca gulped in turn.
Both girls quickly turned about to find something else to partake in as the ship's medic dashed past, first aid kit in hand. A grim feeling overtook Rebecca and she paused, lowering her sunglasses enough to watch the victim - a fellow Trill, she noted - be treated. Two crew members carried the man aboard on a stretcher. Rebecca turned to watch until she felt her sleeved being tugged insistently.
"As long as we're out of our cabin, let's go get a snack," Vina suggested. "I think an ice cream or a slice of cake would be good right about now."
Rebecca lowered her head, green pig tails sagging. "I-I don't think I want any food right now."
~
Hours later, Rebecca lay in their cabin trying to read as Vina wrote a letter to her folks about the trip. She'd gotten the magazine on small flight craft before the trip and had managed to read it enough times to memorize it, but the stories of pilot daring, pictures of new upgrades to the Federation's Peregrine fighter, and technical summaries she barely understood thrilled her too much to find something else. Like the craft she adored, Rebecca's head was in the clouds until a loud rapping on the cabin door stirred her.
"You've reached the suite of Solveig and Sealander," Rebecca answered through the door. "Solveig speaking."
"Good afternoon, ma'am. Ship's surgeon Fenton Alton," the caller said. "May I have a moment of your time?"
"Sure, if you don't mind talking through the door."
"That'll do, ma'am," the surgeon agreed. "The passenger list says you're a Trill, correct?"
"I've got the markings to prove it, yes. Why do you ask?"
A few beeps made it through the door as if Fenton was checking a PADD. "Another passenger, Dr. Alaric Brandes, was assaulted earlier today and injured badly. A Starfleet vessel was docked at the time and offered to examine him, but they fear his wounds are fatal."
Rebecca's gut chilled. She and Vina had SEEN it happen. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't know a lot of burial rites-"
"It's not that that we need your help with," Fenton interrupted. "Dr. Alaric is bonded to a symbiote named Brandes, who the Starfleet doctors have told me is unharmed."
The sound of nervously-shuffled feet made it through the door. "I hate to ask this of you, but you're the only Trill on Drozana; will you accept the Brandes symbiote? We sent word to Trill and they're sending a trained candidate, but we need to perform a transplant within the hour or else the symbiote will die as well."
If Rebecca had been nervous before, she was on the verge of panic now. On Trill, being bonded with a symbiote was something only adults did after undergoing years of training to prepare them for the experience. Only 1-in-1000 Trills could even bond, making it a privilege and an honor many of her race would fight for if given the chance.
It was not something she wanted though.
On the other hand...there was the being's life at stake and it was her obligation to try and preserve it.
"It'd only be temporary, right?" Rebecca asked, trying to keep fear from her voice.
"Absolutely. The permanent host should be here in a couple of days, well before the bond with you becomes permanent," the surgeon said with relief.
"O-okay, I'll do it then," Rebecca reluctantly agreed. "What do I need to do?"
"Come with me to the transporter room and we'll beam over to the Shelby," Fenton said.
"Woah woah woah!" Vina protested, leaping up. "I need to come too! For moral support!"
Rebecca silently thanked her friend for volunteering, a refusal on her lips is Vina's request was turned down.
"Of course," the ship's surgeon agreed. "That's a great idea. We'll bring you back here once the operation is complete, so you won't need to take anything."
Rebecca grabbed her magazine anyway, tucking it into her pocket, trying to ignore the black hole that seemed to have formed in her stomach even as Vina excitedly jabbered about being aboard a real Starfleet vessel.
~
U.S.S. Shelby, Sick Bay
After a hurried explanation of the procedure by the Starfleet doctor, Rebecca had been placed on an operating table. She turned her head to look at the injured academic, Alaric, whose skin had gone pale and whose expression suggested great pain despite the presence of several pain killers. She tried once or twice to say something, anything to the dying man, but she was too afraid of what was going on. A machine hooked to her wrist told the doctors of Rebecca's elevated pulse and adrenaline levels, prompting one of them to give her an injection of some sort that put her to sleep for the duration.
Vivid dreams assailed Rebecca's mind as she slept, images of herself giving speeches before a mixed-species audience, of herself sifting through a pile of dust to find trace amounts of valuable minerals, of herself belting out song lyrics in a language she'd never heard as she drove down a dusty road. They'd begun so suddenly, but she had no idea that it was due to her new passenger, the symbiote Brandes.
An unknown amount of time later, Rebecca could finally open her eyes again. The lights were dimmer than in the operating room, but still she flinched. They looked an awful lot like the study halls on Vulcan, she decided as she sat up. Pain caused her temples to throb, reminding her of that time she was forced to escape a cave-in and got clobbered with a falling chunk of malachite.
Wait a second...she'd never been to Vulcan. She didn't even know what malachite was.
Except she had been. She did know.
Or rather, Brandes had been and did know. The realization that her thoughts weren't entirely HER thoughts filled Rebecca with panic and fear, a maniacal sense of violation that caused her to scream. She'd screamed like that when she'd gotten stabbed on Drozana too. No...no, she hadn't been stabbed! SHE hadn't!
She was soon aware of a pair of strong hands grabbing her shoulders, a worried voice begging her to calm down, and golden locks rubbing against her face. Rebecca soon realized that her best friend Torres...no, Vina. VINA was her friend. Torres had been ages ago. Vina was holding her tightly and trying to calm her.
The sound of Vina's voice was like an anchor to a ship set adrift on the sea, holding it place long enough to get its bearing. Rebecca's thoughts began to quiet until her mind was still.
"V-vina..." was all she could croak at first.
Rebecca was suddenly caught in a squeeze as Vina hugged her tightly, thanking the Prophets and the Organians and the Q that she was alright. Rebecca gently reached up and returned the hug.
"What's going on?" Rebecca managed to ask.
"We're on our way back to Trill," Vina reported, releasing all of Rebecca except her hands. "We're still on the Starfleet ship, but they let me grab our stuff first."
"W-why not the ship we WERE on?"
"They said the Shelby would get us there faster but....they're still too slow," Vina answered, looking away.
"Too..late?"
"That ship that was bringing the permanent host was attacked by pirates on their way here. Something called a Badi Dea intercepted them, shot out their engines, and left them drifting. It's...it's been three days since the operation and even at Warp 9 it'll take them another two days to get us home."
The implication hit Rebecca like a speeding truck. After 93 of being joined, a symbiote and host were bonded permanently. It was a simple fact all Trill knew. And with 72 hours gone and more than 21 before the Shelby would reach another Trill, Rebecca was no longer Rebecca Solveig.
In accordance with Trill tradition of hosts taking on their symbiote's name, she was now Rebecca Brandes.
Even with Vina's support, Rebecca began to wail hopelessly until her strength was depleted and she fell once more into the embrace of sleep.
These are the voyages of two captains upon whom Fortune has looked upon. Whether she smiled or frowned would depend on your point of view, but however you look at them, their lives were drastically changed by a single event.
Year 2400, Drozana Station, Donatu Sector
"What a delightful game," Alaric Brandes thought to himself. "I should come here more often. Such an amazing experience."
Unlike the other seven players in this game of Tongo, an exciting game of cards and dice the Trill's symbiote had never played despite hundreds of years traveling the stars, Alaric was having fun despite the massive amounts of latinum he was losing. His trip to Drozana had started as an unfortunate detour when the passenger ship he was riding on experienced engine failure and needed to get repairs before heading back to Trill, but he had made the best of it to experience a side of galactic society he hadn't any memory of.
A couple of players soon dropped from the game, fleeced of every scrap of latinum by a large reptilian man, a Gorn if he wasn't mistaken. The massive lizard man simply hissed a sarcastic sorry-not-sorry as he raked up their money, but one of the aggrieved players seemed to take umbrage and cocked his fist back, smashing his elbow into Alaric's face in the process. A broken nose wasn't a new experience in itself, but as part of a game it convinced the Trill academic to go find other diversions for the rest of the day. Doing his best to stem the flow of blood from his nose, Alaric gathered up his remaining funds and left the table.
Unlike the other players at the table, Alaric had no friends to watch his back. The sentient who had lost his money but hadn't elbowed him - the one who had was likely nursing a few nasty cut's from the Gorn's sword - decided to engage in an ancient pursuit of funds: an old-fashioned mugging. Alaric, a stone's throw away from the safety of the vessel he had flown in on, found himself experiencing a sudden stab wound from behind, draining his strength and forcing him to the deck.
"Such a unique experience," he thought to himself as he fell screaming to the deck.
Before his funds could be removed, the assailant was now the assailed as two of the ship's crew, hearing the guttural cry of pain, came to the rescue, brandishing long-barreled rifles that spat blinding stun bolts into the ne'er-do-well's chest. Cries for a medic were quickly answered and Alaric's pain was soon gone.
~
"Is it just me or does this suck?"
14 year-old Trill student Rebecca Solveig looked up from the magazine she was reading to look at the speaker. Her human best friend and current travel companion, 16 year-old Vina Sealander, was pacing about their cabin, pausing to look out the viewport at Drozana Station, long blonde hair swishing back and forth with each step. The two teens were en route back to Trill after a vacation/school trip to Bajor but found themselves stuck on the ship while it performed repairs.
"I agree. Absolutely," Rebecca absolutely agreed. "You know why they won't let us off though."
"For our own good," Vina said in a passable mimic of the ship's captain. "Don't you want to try anyway?"
"Of course I do!"
"SO LET'S!"
"YEEEEEAH!!!"
The two teens, fueled by youthful invincibility, boldly stepped into the passenger ship's central corridor and walked towards the airlock as if they knew what they were getting into. The airlock irised open, showing them the interior of Drozana's docking area. That was the moment they heard the scream and saw the blood flowing from the victim's back.
"Like I said, that's a comfortable cabin we have," Vina gulped.
"Absolutely, I agree," Rebecca gulped in turn.
Both girls quickly turned about to find something else to partake in as the ship's medic dashed past, first aid kit in hand. A grim feeling overtook Rebecca and she paused, lowering her sunglasses enough to watch the victim - a fellow Trill, she noted - be treated. Two crew members carried the man aboard on a stretcher. Rebecca turned to watch until she felt her sleeved being tugged insistently.
"As long as we're out of our cabin, let's go get a snack," Vina suggested. "I think an ice cream or a slice of cake would be good right about now."
Rebecca lowered her head, green pig tails sagging. "I-I don't think I want any food right now."
~
Hours later, Rebecca lay in their cabin trying to read as Vina wrote a letter to her folks about the trip. She'd gotten the magazine on small flight craft before the trip and had managed to read it enough times to memorize it, but the stories of pilot daring, pictures of new upgrades to the Federation's Peregrine fighter, and technical summaries she barely understood thrilled her too much to find something else. Like the craft she adored, Rebecca's head was in the clouds until a loud rapping on the cabin door stirred her.
"You've reached the suite of Solveig and Sealander," Rebecca answered through the door. "Solveig speaking."
"Good afternoon, ma'am. Ship's surgeon Fenton Alton," the caller said. "May I have a moment of your time?"
"Sure, if you don't mind talking through the door."
"That'll do, ma'am," the surgeon agreed. "The passenger list says you're a Trill, correct?"
"I've got the markings to prove it, yes. Why do you ask?"
A few beeps made it through the door as if Fenton was checking a PADD. "Another passenger, Dr. Alaric Brandes, was assaulted earlier today and injured badly. A Starfleet vessel was docked at the time and offered to examine him, but they fear his wounds are fatal."
Rebecca's gut chilled. She and Vina had SEEN it happen. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't know a lot of burial rites-"
"It's not that that we need your help with," Fenton interrupted. "Dr. Alaric is bonded to a symbiote named Brandes, who the Starfleet doctors have told me is unharmed."
The sound of nervously-shuffled feet made it through the door. "I hate to ask this of you, but you're the only Trill on Drozana; will you accept the Brandes symbiote? We sent word to Trill and they're sending a trained candidate, but we need to perform a transplant within the hour or else the symbiote will die as well."
If Rebecca had been nervous before, she was on the verge of panic now. On Trill, being bonded with a symbiote was something only adults did after undergoing years of training to prepare them for the experience. Only 1-in-1000 Trills could even bond, making it a privilege and an honor many of her race would fight for if given the chance.
It was not something she wanted though.
On the other hand...there was the being's life at stake and it was her obligation to try and preserve it.
"It'd only be temporary, right?" Rebecca asked, trying to keep fear from her voice.
"Absolutely. The permanent host should be here in a couple of days, well before the bond with you becomes permanent," the surgeon said with relief.
"O-okay, I'll do it then," Rebecca reluctantly agreed. "What do I need to do?"
"Come with me to the transporter room and we'll beam over to the Shelby," Fenton said.
"Woah woah woah!" Vina protested, leaping up. "I need to come too! For moral support!"
Rebecca silently thanked her friend for volunteering, a refusal on her lips is Vina's request was turned down.
"Of course," the ship's surgeon agreed. "That's a great idea. We'll bring you back here once the operation is complete, so you won't need to take anything."
Rebecca grabbed her magazine anyway, tucking it into her pocket, trying to ignore the black hole that seemed to have formed in her stomach even as Vina excitedly jabbered about being aboard a real Starfleet vessel.
~
U.S.S. Shelby, Sick Bay
After a hurried explanation of the procedure by the Starfleet doctor, Rebecca had been placed on an operating table. She turned her head to look at the injured academic, Alaric, whose skin had gone pale and whose expression suggested great pain despite the presence of several pain killers. She tried once or twice to say something, anything to the dying man, but she was too afraid of what was going on. A machine hooked to her wrist told the doctors of Rebecca's elevated pulse and adrenaline levels, prompting one of them to give her an injection of some sort that put her to sleep for the duration.
Vivid dreams assailed Rebecca's mind as she slept, images of herself giving speeches before a mixed-species audience, of herself sifting through a pile of dust to find trace amounts of valuable minerals, of herself belting out song lyrics in a language she'd never heard as she drove down a dusty road. They'd begun so suddenly, but she had no idea that it was due to her new passenger, the symbiote Brandes.
An unknown amount of time later, Rebecca could finally open her eyes again. The lights were dimmer than in the operating room, but still she flinched. They looked an awful lot like the study halls on Vulcan, she decided as she sat up. Pain caused her temples to throb, reminding her of that time she was forced to escape a cave-in and got clobbered with a falling chunk of malachite.
Wait a second...she'd never been to Vulcan. She didn't even know what malachite was.
Except she had been. She did know.
Or rather, Brandes had been and did know. The realization that her thoughts weren't entirely HER thoughts filled Rebecca with panic and fear, a maniacal sense of violation that caused her to scream. She'd screamed like that when she'd gotten stabbed on Drozana too. No...no, she hadn't been stabbed! SHE hadn't!
She was soon aware of a pair of strong hands grabbing her shoulders, a worried voice begging her to calm down, and golden locks rubbing against her face. Rebecca soon realized that her best friend Torres...no, Vina. VINA was her friend. Torres had been ages ago. Vina was holding her tightly and trying to calm her.
The sound of Vina's voice was like an anchor to a ship set adrift on the sea, holding it place long enough to get its bearing. Rebecca's thoughts began to quiet until her mind was still.
"V-vina..." was all she could croak at first.
Rebecca was suddenly caught in a squeeze as Vina hugged her tightly, thanking the Prophets and the Organians and the Q that she was alright. Rebecca gently reached up and returned the hug.
"What's going on?" Rebecca managed to ask.
"We're on our way back to Trill," Vina reported, releasing all of Rebecca except her hands. "We're still on the Starfleet ship, but they let me grab our stuff first."
"W-why not the ship we WERE on?"
"They said the Shelby would get us there faster but....they're still too slow," Vina answered, looking away.
"Too..late?"
"That ship that was bringing the permanent host was attacked by pirates on their way here. Something called a Badi Dea intercepted them, shot out their engines, and left them drifting. It's...it's been three days since the operation and even at Warp 9 it'll take them another two days to get us home."
The implication hit Rebecca like a speeding truck. After 93 of being joined, a symbiote and host were bonded permanently. It was a simple fact all Trill knew. And with 72 hours gone and more than 21 before the Shelby would reach another Trill, Rebecca was no longer Rebecca Solveig.
In accordance with Trill tradition of hosts taking on their symbiote's name, she was now Rebecca Brandes.
Even with Vina's support, Rebecca began to wail hopelessly until her strength was depleted and she fell once more into the embrace of sleep.
Monday, March 16, 2015
On-the-Job Training
Rebecca huffed and puffed as she slowly made her way up the cliff face. Even though her armor had a built-in A/C and a water dispenser, she was sweating bullets with each step up she took. For what seemed like the thousandth time that hour, she switched on her radio back to Vina.
"Hey V, remind me why I'm the one climbing up here and you're back on the ship watching," she asked, more to distract her from the burning in her lungs than to actually get information.
"You're far more stealthy in your body armor than I am flying around in my armor," Vina explained. "I could just charge in guns a'blazing, but then the mark would escape and I'd feel bad."
Rebecca snorted. "Okay, fine, that's reasonable. So why am I carrying Shaggy?"
"Deinos can't use ropes and pulleys and all that fun climbing gear, and you need his help."
Rebecca nodded. "Fine, fine. Why am I carrying Flutters?"
Although unable to hear the conversation over the radio, the Noibat perched on Rebecca's shoulder chirped happily.
"I don't know," Vina answered. "Have you tried asking her to fly herself up?"
Rebecca grunted, pushing herself now that the top of the cliff was in sight. "No. She listens to you and ignores me while making nests out of my shirts."
The next few minutes passed in silence; Rebecca continued to put one hand in front of the other, not breaking her concentration to tell the flying Pokemon to fly. Soon enough, she'd be at the top and she could catch her breath, have a drink, and then set up her weapons to provide some covering fire when Vina actually launched her attack on the bandit camp the two Sealanders had been hired to bust.
Within the camp, bandits milled about as they sorted the goods from their latest haul. Marauding men and women casually exchanged insults, jokes, and anecdotes as they went about their business. Rebecca could see some basic detection equipment - probably good enough to detect tanks, planes, or robot armors - but the camp lacked more than a few bored sentries for keeping out spies.
"Alright, Shag, you sit there while Mama Rebecca sets up her toys."
Rebecca patted the Deino on his head and began setting up several new toys the Sealanders had been given: an automated mortar, a light machine gun, and some kind of tranquilizer-laden missile or something. She wasn't entirely sure what was in it, but she went about setting it up as Vina had repeatedly instructed and drilled her on.
"Good job," Rebecca's wife had said in praise. "We'll make a passable infantryman out of you yet."
Once the last weapon was set up, Rebecca sent a double-click over her radio: the signal for Vina to move in. With the call made, Rebecca immediately activated the weapons. The mortar scattered explosive shells about and the missile shot into a tent and scattered a paralyzing white mist pouring out while Rebecca laid down a blanket of suppressive fire, cutting down any bandit too brave or stupid to find cover. It was a rather easy job: hold down the trigger, move the barrel around, and ignore the occasional bullet casing bouncing off her helmet.
Once the return fire came, it got slightly more serious. Long range pistol shots weren't going to do much to her, but once the bandits got out a grenade launcher, Rebecca was almost convinced to bug out.
Then Vina arrived in 15 feet of heavy metal, firepower, and thrusters; her beloved heirloom power armor Siebzehn. A big blue hulk, Siebzehn barreled through the bandit defenders like it hadn't even noticed they were there. The only sign that Vina HAD noticed anyone in her way was a volley of missiles fired behind her as she burst into the tent and burst out a moment later with an unconscious humanoid in her arms.
"I've got the mark," Vina reported. "Call for the ship and let's go get paid."
Rebecca nodded, summoning their new spacecraft. She could never remember the current name, the ship's serial number, off the top of her head. She really should get around to naming it. That would have to wait though as a bandit had managed to get close to her position.
Rebecca stared down the barrel of a pistol, wondering if a shot at this range would be able to pierce the lenses on her helmet. A purely academic question though, as the bandit soon found his shooting arm clamped between a pair of vicious, burning jaws as Shaggy took offense to someone pointing a gun at his master. Flutters fluttered about, clawing at the bandit's back as the ship finally showed up.
"Alright, pets, it's time to go home," Rebecca ordered, picking up the gear hastily.
"Hey V, remind me why I'm the one climbing up here and you're back on the ship watching," she asked, more to distract her from the burning in her lungs than to actually get information.
"You're far more stealthy in your body armor than I am flying around in my armor," Vina explained. "I could just charge in guns a'blazing, but then the mark would escape and I'd feel bad."
Rebecca snorted. "Okay, fine, that's reasonable. So why am I carrying Shaggy?"
"Deinos can't use ropes and pulleys and all that fun climbing gear, and you need his help."
Rebecca nodded. "Fine, fine. Why am I carrying Flutters?"
Although unable to hear the conversation over the radio, the Noibat perched on Rebecca's shoulder chirped happily.
"I don't know," Vina answered. "Have you tried asking her to fly herself up?"
Rebecca grunted, pushing herself now that the top of the cliff was in sight. "No. She listens to you and ignores me while making nests out of my shirts."
The next few minutes passed in silence; Rebecca continued to put one hand in front of the other, not breaking her concentration to tell the flying Pokemon to fly. Soon enough, she'd be at the top and she could catch her breath, have a drink, and then set up her weapons to provide some covering fire when Vina actually launched her attack on the bandit camp the two Sealanders had been hired to bust.
Within the camp, bandits milled about as they sorted the goods from their latest haul. Marauding men and women casually exchanged insults, jokes, and anecdotes as they went about their business. Rebecca could see some basic detection equipment - probably good enough to detect tanks, planes, or robot armors - but the camp lacked more than a few bored sentries for keeping out spies.
"Alright, Shag, you sit there while Mama Rebecca sets up her toys."
Rebecca patted the Deino on his head and began setting up several new toys the Sealanders had been given: an automated mortar, a light machine gun, and some kind of tranquilizer-laden missile or something. She wasn't entirely sure what was in it, but she went about setting it up as Vina had repeatedly instructed and drilled her on.
"Good job," Rebecca's wife had said in praise. "We'll make a passable infantryman out of you yet."
Once the last weapon was set up, Rebecca sent a double-click over her radio: the signal for Vina to move in. With the call made, Rebecca immediately activated the weapons. The mortar scattered explosive shells about and the missile shot into a tent and scattered a paralyzing white mist pouring out while Rebecca laid down a blanket of suppressive fire, cutting down any bandit too brave or stupid to find cover. It was a rather easy job: hold down the trigger, move the barrel around, and ignore the occasional bullet casing bouncing off her helmet.
Once the return fire came, it got slightly more serious. Long range pistol shots weren't going to do much to her, but once the bandits got out a grenade launcher, Rebecca was almost convinced to bug out.
Then Vina arrived in 15 feet of heavy metal, firepower, and thrusters; her beloved heirloom power armor Siebzehn. A big blue hulk, Siebzehn barreled through the bandit defenders like it hadn't even noticed they were there. The only sign that Vina HAD noticed anyone in her way was a volley of missiles fired behind her as she burst into the tent and burst out a moment later with an unconscious humanoid in her arms.
"I've got the mark," Vina reported. "Call for the ship and let's go get paid."
Rebecca nodded, summoning their new spacecraft. She could never remember the current name, the ship's serial number, off the top of her head. She really should get around to naming it. That would have to wait though as a bandit had managed to get close to her position.
Rebecca stared down the barrel of a pistol, wondering if a shot at this range would be able to pierce the lenses on her helmet. A purely academic question though, as the bandit soon found his shooting arm clamped between a pair of vicious, burning jaws as Shaggy took offense to someone pointing a gun at his master. Flutters fluttered about, clawing at the bandit's back as the ship finally showed up.
"Alright, pets, it's time to go home," Rebecca ordered, picking up the gear hastily.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Vina and Rebecca in "Hog Hunting Pt 1"
“Madams Vina and Rebecca"
Aboard the tramp freighter Ivory Port, Vina Sealander and her partner-in-crime/wife Rebecca looked at the massive crate with interest. Aside from the note written by Gluttony, there was not a scrap of paper to be found on the container's exterior. Even the courier who delivered the thing didn't even have an invoice or shipping manifest to give to them. Vina briefly thought about getting into a suit of power armor as the couple's pet Deino, Shaggy, pawed at its side.
"I still think we should throw it into space and just go to 264," she decided.
"Oh, come on! Where's the fun in that?" Rebecca protested, grabbing a crow bar. "I want to see what inside."
"Even though the box clearly scans as containing explosive?" Vina asked.
"BECAUSE it clearly scans as containing explosives!" Rebecca countered. "The note even says it has guns in it."
Before Vina could protest any futher, Rebecca had already pried the top off of the box and dove in. The various "ooh" and "aah" sounds attracted the notice of Flutters, the Sealanders' other pet Pokemon, a Noibat, who looked into the box and almost fell off as Rebecca popped out hefting a large weapon.
"Check it out! A light machine gun, a bundle of RPGs, and even a big ass bazooka!"
Rebecca dove back into the crate, examining the contents even as Flutters hopped in. The Noibat squealed happily as he flew back out wearing a pair of goggles.
"Come back! The goggles...they do something!" Rebecca shouted, finally pulling herself out.
Vina casually continued to watch her partner wallow in a pile of unarmed explosives and armor-piercing ammunition. By this time, Shaggy had scampered off to play in the galley or the escape pod or the reactor core...Vina was never sure where the little Pokemon got to.
"I hope you realize that you just volunteered to inventory those bullets you're so happily scattering," she said at last.
That put an end to Rebecca's shenanigans at least. Probably temporarily, but oh well.
"Alright, alright, I'll count the bullets later," Rebecca conceded. "Does this mean we're going to Sector 246?"
Vina nodded. "It's half of Gluttony's gift after all. So thoughtful of him even though we barely know him."
Vina then spun around on her heel, heading off to find Shaggy as a steady "1...2...3..." echoed behind her.
Aboard the tramp freighter Ivory Port, Vina Sealander and her partner-in-crime/wife Rebecca looked at the massive crate with interest. Aside from the note written by Gluttony, there was not a scrap of paper to be found on the container's exterior. Even the courier who delivered the thing didn't even have an invoice or shipping manifest to give to them. Vina briefly thought about getting into a suit of power armor as the couple's pet Deino, Shaggy, pawed at its side.
"I still think we should throw it into space and just go to 264," she decided.
"Oh, come on! Where's the fun in that?" Rebecca protested, grabbing a crow bar. "I want to see what inside."
"Even though the box clearly scans as containing explosive?" Vina asked.
"BECAUSE it clearly scans as containing explosives!" Rebecca countered. "The note even says it has guns in it."
Before Vina could protest any futher, Rebecca had already pried the top off of the box and dove in. The various "ooh" and "aah" sounds attracted the notice of Flutters, the Sealanders' other pet Pokemon, a Noibat, who looked into the box and almost fell off as Rebecca popped out hefting a large weapon.
"Check it out! A light machine gun, a bundle of RPGs, and even a big ass bazooka!"
Rebecca dove back into the crate, examining the contents even as Flutters hopped in. The Noibat squealed happily as he flew back out wearing a pair of goggles.
"Come back! The goggles...they do something!" Rebecca shouted, finally pulling herself out.
Vina casually continued to watch her partner wallow in a pile of unarmed explosives and armor-piercing ammunition. By this time, Shaggy had scampered off to play in the galley or the escape pod or the reactor core...Vina was never sure where the little Pokemon got to.
"I hope you realize that you just volunteered to inventory those bullets you're so happily scattering," she said at last.
That put an end to Rebecca's shenanigans at least. Probably temporarily, but oh well.
"Alright, alright, I'll count the bullets later," Rebecca conceded. "Does this mean we're going to Sector 246?"
Vina nodded. "It's half of Gluttony's gift after all. So thoughtful of him even though we barely know him."
Vina then spun around on her heel, heading off to find Shaggy as a steady "1...2...3..." echoed behind her.
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