Beg, Steal or Borrow – Rehabilitation - Part 2
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
The next time he woke Talar felt no pain. His wounds had been treated and dressed and he was covered in a thin blanket. He still had the use of only one eye it seemed. He allowed his gaze to wander; he was in someone’s quarters, Sulek’s, he assumed. The lights were dimmed. Tentatively, he tried to raise himself, but the Vulcan had taken the precaution of retraining him, crudely, with straps.
His eye turned toward the sound of gentle shallow breathing. Sulek was sitting by the side of the bed staring into the middle distance.
“How long have I been here?” Talar asked.
The Vulcan did not relax his position. His lips barely moved as he spoke. “It doesn’t matter. I want to talk about the murder.”
“There was no murder.”
“You took a man’s life.”
“When you invaded my mind while I was unconscious and refused to medicate me you lost any claim you might have had to moral ascendancy. I slew a rapist, you tortured an injured man. Which one of us should be judged more harshly?”
Sulek sighed. “This really is not the time for a philosophical debate. You showed no reaction.”
“Because I didn’t weep or cry from the pain? As a Vulcan you should know that feeling and sensation can be controlled. I’d sooner die in agony than give satisfaction to a torturer. Oh, that wounds you, doesn’t it,” Talar said seeing the flutter on the Vulcan’s face. “You so much want to hold yourself above such base devices yet you chose to use it when it was expedient.”
“The safety of the station was at stake. I had to act quickly.”
“But it wasn’t, was it? The attack had already happened. If I had anything to tell you it would have been too late. You wanted me to be part of this so that you could once again hold yourself distant from us; hold your hands up and say ‘I am not like him’.”
“You’re quite the psychologist, Talar, but that is all supposition.”
“How long do you propose to keep me here?”
“As long as it takes.”
“What, to force a false confession from me? Whoever you are you are not what you pretend to be; a shop assistant in an antique store? Don’t make me laugh. I believed you when you told me that you worked with those who wished to leave the Empire and become part of Vulcan society, resuming Surak’s path you told me. Your repressed world isn’t that attractive, Sulek. We may be stoic on the outside but in our homes and with our families we choose to enjoy life. The Elements know I’m cold, but not as cold as you are.”
Talar reached out his hand and placed it on Sulek’s chest. “What are you doing?” he asked, puzzled.
“Checking to see if you have a heart,” Talar said with a slight smile. “I understand you, but you are incapable of understanding me, so you attribute the most negative motivations that you can think of … after all, how could a Romulan be motivated solely by love? In your reality there has to be something more – something underhand or baser motive ...”
“You did kill that man.”
“Oh yes, and I’d do it again. Look Sulek, why don’t you look? Why don’t you learn how it feels to feel something, even if it is only the brief magnificence of revenge?”
The Vulcan hesitated, “I already looked,” he said eventually.
“But you did not understand,” Talar said. He closed his eyes, “I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not saying anything further. You choose, Sulek, either hand me over to the authorities and explain just why you’ve been hiding me in your quarters while I tell them just what it was that you attempted and failed to do, or take a leap in the dark – risk losing yourself and becoming something much greater than you currently are.”
“I don’t seek greatness,” Sulek said, his fingertips brushing Talar’s cheek.
“Nor did I, but when the opportunity came my way I didn’t run from it – nothing had prepared me for it, but I did it anyway.” Talar could feel Sulek’s fingers seeking out the particular points that would allow him the connection with his own consciousness.
“You took no pleasure in the act," Sulek siad eventually, "It was no more your nature to kill than mine.”
“And that my friend is why you want to blame me, because you look at me and you see too much of yourself – our species not only look alike, but we think alike too, yet you think that if you can push that away and see me as a murderer or a conspirator then you can distance yourself again. That’s an emotional response and no matter how disciplined your mind is, how many hours you waste in meditation it will always be with you.”
OFF
Doctor Talar and Sulek
NPCd by Louise
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
| Title | Rehabilitation - Part 2 | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek | |
| Posted | Fri Jun 12, 2009 @ 6:52pm | |
| Location | Sulek's quarters | |
| Timeline | SD8 - after the attack |
His eye turned toward the sound of gentle shallow breathing. Sulek was sitting by the side of the bed staring into the middle distance.
“How long have I been here?” Talar asked.
The Vulcan did not relax his position. His lips barely moved as he spoke. “It doesn’t matter. I want to talk about the murder.”
“There was no murder.”
“You took a man’s life.”
“When you invaded my mind while I was unconscious and refused to medicate me you lost any claim you might have had to moral ascendancy. I slew a rapist, you tortured an injured man. Which one of us should be judged more harshly?”
Sulek sighed. “This really is not the time for a philosophical debate. You showed no reaction.”
“Because I didn’t weep or cry from the pain? As a Vulcan you should know that feeling and sensation can be controlled. I’d sooner die in agony than give satisfaction to a torturer. Oh, that wounds you, doesn’t it,” Talar said seeing the flutter on the Vulcan’s face. “You so much want to hold yourself above such base devices yet you chose to use it when it was expedient.”
“The safety of the station was at stake. I had to act quickly.”
“But it wasn’t, was it? The attack had already happened. If I had anything to tell you it would have been too late. You wanted me to be part of this so that you could once again hold yourself distant from us; hold your hands up and say ‘I am not like him’.”
“You’re quite the psychologist, Talar, but that is all supposition.”
“How long do you propose to keep me here?”
“As long as it takes.”
“What, to force a false confession from me? Whoever you are you are not what you pretend to be; a shop assistant in an antique store? Don’t make me laugh. I believed you when you told me that you worked with those who wished to leave the Empire and become part of Vulcan society, resuming Surak’s path you told me. Your repressed world isn’t that attractive, Sulek. We may be stoic on the outside but in our homes and with our families we choose to enjoy life. The Elements know I’m cold, but not as cold as you are.”
Talar reached out his hand and placed it on Sulek’s chest. “What are you doing?” he asked, puzzled.
“Checking to see if you have a heart,” Talar said with a slight smile. “I understand you, but you are incapable of understanding me, so you attribute the most negative motivations that you can think of … after all, how could a Romulan be motivated solely by love? In your reality there has to be something more – something underhand or baser motive ...”
“You did kill that man.”
“Oh yes, and I’d do it again. Look Sulek, why don’t you look? Why don’t you learn how it feels to feel something, even if it is only the brief magnificence of revenge?”
The Vulcan hesitated, “I already looked,” he said eventually.
“But you did not understand,” Talar said. He closed his eyes, “I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not saying anything further. You choose, Sulek, either hand me over to the authorities and explain just why you’ve been hiding me in your quarters while I tell them just what it was that you attempted and failed to do, or take a leap in the dark – risk losing yourself and becoming something much greater than you currently are.”
“I don’t seek greatness,” Sulek said, his fingertips brushing Talar’s cheek.
“Nor did I, but when the opportunity came my way I didn’t run from it – nothing had prepared me for it, but I did it anyway.” Talar could feel Sulek’s fingers seeking out the particular points that would allow him the connection with his own consciousness.
“You took no pleasure in the act," Sulek siad eventually, "It was no more your nature to kill than mine.”
“And that my friend is why you want to blame me, because you look at me and you see too much of yourself – our species not only look alike, but we think alike too, yet you think that if you can push that away and see me as a murderer or a conspirator then you can distance yourself again. That’s an emotional response and no matter how disciplined your mind is, how many hours you waste in meditation it will always be with you.”
OFF
Doctor Talar and Sulek
NPCd by Louise