Beg, Steal or Borrow – Rehabilitation - Part 1
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
It was the prickle of gooseflesh that brought Talar round, cold dry air on his skin in dramatic contrast with the searing tightness that gripped the other side of his naked body.
“Where am I?” he asked through blistered lips, the image provided by the one eye that flickered open an indistinct haze of light and dark patches. “This isn’t heaven.”
The voice that replied was icily calm, devoid of any emotion. “You’re safe. I have given you an injection, in a few minutes, we will talk.”
“Why, Sulek? You already know my story,” he strained to lift his head.
“You sustained significant second and third degree burns, Talar as well as a number of internal injuries. Had I not been following you, you would almost certainly not have survived.”
“I’m not dead then? I thought this might be hell.”
Sulek paused, the sound of his breath loud in the dark and silent room, “I have resuscitated you because we need to talk. I have also administered a drug which is restricting your body’s own ability to anesthetise itself. Quite soon the pain you are feeling now will become unbearable. When I am satisfied that you are telling me the truth, I will stop it.”
“Torture, Sulek?”
“Expediency. I do not have the time to be kind, Talar. You are a Romulan, you are living in the Federation under false pretences. In the current climate it is logical for me to suspect your motives. In various locations you practice as a doctor … never too far away from a woman named Melanie Hemmingway, who, in her capacity with Starfleet would have access to information that would be of interest to a covert operative.”
“You’re wrong. Melanie is no more a spy than you are … what are you?”
Sulek ignored the question. “Seven weeks ago you arrive at Deep Space Five and begin work in the medical labs, not part of Starfleet, but a civilian medic, a Vulcan content to be governed by starfleet’s rules rather than establishing a practice of your own. In the same period a number of unexpected events begin to happen around the station and then, two weeks after your arrival, having noticed that I am beginning to pay attention to your movements you approach me, your motive, to focus my attention on your newly acquired desire to formally return to your Vulcan roots. Your ruse failed, Talar and only served to make me look more closely at where you came from.”
“I don’t know what you think I’ve done, Sulek. I told you who I was and what I wanted.”
“I don’t think anything. I am presenting you with the facts. What I conclude from those facts is another matter entirely. Today your people attacked this station, you are known to have met with Miss Hemmingway shortly before the attack commenced and then I found you in a corridor adjacent to the same critical systems that have been damaged over the last weeks.”
“I was going to sickbay, I’m a doctor.”
“Is that all you are, Talar? My evidence at this time is circumstantial, but that will change as we learn more. The story you came to me with is so far fetched that a rational being must question it.”
“Its true,” Talar interrupted, “Ask Melanie.”
“I don’t think you want me to do that,” Sulek said. “You claimed that you had no contact with Romulans for ten years. How is then that you travelled to Romulus, the planet you know as ch’Rihan three years ago?” he asked.
“How …? You melded with me while I was unconscious.”
“Who is Almek?”
“Why do you need me to tell you? You’ve already invaded my mind.”
Sulek pursed his lips. “I failed to access those memories. Such a resilient block can only be there for one purpose, to protect the man. He is your controller.”
Talar laughed, “typical yyaio, no imagination.”
“Using racial slurs will do nothing for your case, Talar. Who is Almek?”
“Almek is dead,” Talar replied. “it is not there to protect him its there to protect Melanie. She asked that I never tell her, and I cannot risk her picking the thought from my mind in a moment of distraction.”
“You murdered him?”
“I took revenge. That is not the same thing as murder.”
“Semantics.”
“Not really. It’s a matter of honour, of mhnei’sahe; under Rihannsu law his killing was legitimate, had it been a sister, or a friend I’d have done the same thing. Almek was in a position that brought him into contact with other powers, and he was prominent enough to be an awe inspiring character, one that his victims were unlikely to feel able to accuse.”
“What are you talking about.”
“He liked to abuse alien girls, especially those who were capable of projecting their feelings of fear and humiliation - not one of them had the courage to come forward and accuse him of raping them. Who would believe their word over that of a prominent diplomat, and if they did believe them … well, what would be done about it? I had the courage to do something, and when I found the chance I took away his power … one of those girls became very dear to me, and I swore that I would take revenge. I also swore that I would never tell her if I did it.
“Melanie is a Betazoid, if I don’t take precautions she can see practically any thought or memory she cares to should it be one that I have consciously thought of recently. I think of Almek almost every time I see her, and of the look on his face when I hung him by the wrists from the branch of a tree, stripped him, castrated him and waited as his screams softened into sobs as he bled to death in the dirt. I can live with that quite easily, it was nothing more than justice, but I’d protect her from that knowledge, because I doubt that she could look at me in the same way again if she thought me capable of such savagery.”
“There is nothing in my past to support what you want to accuse me of. I didn’t serve the empire because I wanted to, I did it because I had to and I found the least harmful way I could, and when I saw a way out I took it and I never once looked back. I didn’t fit in there any more than I fit in here. None of this matters anyway, she thinks I’m dead, so if you want to blame everything on me, go ahead, then maybe my life will have served some purpose,” he laughed, “maybe then when my family find out that I’m actually alive they’ll finally have been given a reason to be proud of me.”
Sulek twisted the hypospray in his palm. Quite how Talar was still able to talk was beyond him; he didn’t want to do this to the man, indeed, he found him a good conversationalist and they had spent many hours examining theories and philosophies over endless pots of plomeek tea. Sulek had no reason to suspect Talar and had thought him genuine, at first, now he was beginning to question what made him alter that perception and conclude that Talar had to be working undercover for the Romulans.
“You are being irrational,” Sulek said lifting the hypospray to Talar’s throat. “We will talk again when you have had time to rest.”
To be continued …
OFF
Doctor Talar and Sulek
NPCs played by Louise
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
| Title | Rehabilitation - Part 1 | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek | |
| Posted | Sun Apr 26, 2009 @ 2:24pm | |
| Location | Sulek's quarters | |
| Timeline | SD 8 - After the attack |
“Where am I?” he asked through blistered lips, the image provided by the one eye that flickered open an indistinct haze of light and dark patches. “This isn’t heaven.”
The voice that replied was icily calm, devoid of any emotion. “You’re safe. I have given you an injection, in a few minutes, we will talk.”
“Why, Sulek? You already know my story,” he strained to lift his head.
“You sustained significant second and third degree burns, Talar as well as a number of internal injuries. Had I not been following you, you would almost certainly not have survived.”
“I’m not dead then? I thought this might be hell.”
Sulek paused, the sound of his breath loud in the dark and silent room, “I have resuscitated you because we need to talk. I have also administered a drug which is restricting your body’s own ability to anesthetise itself. Quite soon the pain you are feeling now will become unbearable. When I am satisfied that you are telling me the truth, I will stop it.”
“Torture, Sulek?”
“Expediency. I do not have the time to be kind, Talar. You are a Romulan, you are living in the Federation under false pretences. In the current climate it is logical for me to suspect your motives. In various locations you practice as a doctor … never too far away from a woman named Melanie Hemmingway, who, in her capacity with Starfleet would have access to information that would be of interest to a covert operative.”
“You’re wrong. Melanie is no more a spy than you are … what are you?”
Sulek ignored the question. “Seven weeks ago you arrive at Deep Space Five and begin work in the medical labs, not part of Starfleet, but a civilian medic, a Vulcan content to be governed by starfleet’s rules rather than establishing a practice of your own. In the same period a number of unexpected events begin to happen around the station and then, two weeks after your arrival, having noticed that I am beginning to pay attention to your movements you approach me, your motive, to focus my attention on your newly acquired desire to formally return to your Vulcan roots. Your ruse failed, Talar and only served to make me look more closely at where you came from.”
“I don’t know what you think I’ve done, Sulek. I told you who I was and what I wanted.”
“I don’t think anything. I am presenting you with the facts. What I conclude from those facts is another matter entirely. Today your people attacked this station, you are known to have met with Miss Hemmingway shortly before the attack commenced and then I found you in a corridor adjacent to the same critical systems that have been damaged over the last weeks.”
“I was going to sickbay, I’m a doctor.”
“Is that all you are, Talar? My evidence at this time is circumstantial, but that will change as we learn more. The story you came to me with is so far fetched that a rational being must question it.”
“Its true,” Talar interrupted, “Ask Melanie.”
“I don’t think you want me to do that,” Sulek said. “You claimed that you had no contact with Romulans for ten years. How is then that you travelled to Romulus, the planet you know as ch’Rihan three years ago?” he asked.
“How …? You melded with me while I was unconscious.”
“Who is Almek?”
“Why do you need me to tell you? You’ve already invaded my mind.”
Sulek pursed his lips. “I failed to access those memories. Such a resilient block can only be there for one purpose, to protect the man. He is your controller.”
Talar laughed, “typical yyaio, no imagination.”
“Using racial slurs will do nothing for your case, Talar. Who is Almek?”
“Almek is dead,” Talar replied. “it is not there to protect him its there to protect Melanie. She asked that I never tell her, and I cannot risk her picking the thought from my mind in a moment of distraction.”
“You murdered him?”
“I took revenge. That is not the same thing as murder.”
“Semantics.”
“Not really. It’s a matter of honour, of mhnei’sahe; under Rihannsu law his killing was legitimate, had it been a sister, or a friend I’d have done the same thing. Almek was in a position that brought him into contact with other powers, and he was prominent enough to be an awe inspiring character, one that his victims were unlikely to feel able to accuse.”
“What are you talking about.”
“He liked to abuse alien girls, especially those who were capable of projecting their feelings of fear and humiliation - not one of them had the courage to come forward and accuse him of raping them. Who would believe their word over that of a prominent diplomat, and if they did believe them … well, what would be done about it? I had the courage to do something, and when I found the chance I took away his power … one of those girls became very dear to me, and I swore that I would take revenge. I also swore that I would never tell her if I did it.
“Melanie is a Betazoid, if I don’t take precautions she can see practically any thought or memory she cares to should it be one that I have consciously thought of recently. I think of Almek almost every time I see her, and of the look on his face when I hung him by the wrists from the branch of a tree, stripped him, castrated him and waited as his screams softened into sobs as he bled to death in the dirt. I can live with that quite easily, it was nothing more than justice, but I’d protect her from that knowledge, because I doubt that she could look at me in the same way again if she thought me capable of such savagery.”
“There is nothing in my past to support what you want to accuse me of. I didn’t serve the empire because I wanted to, I did it because I had to and I found the least harmful way I could, and when I saw a way out I took it and I never once looked back. I didn’t fit in there any more than I fit in here. None of this matters anyway, she thinks I’m dead, so if you want to blame everything on me, go ahead, then maybe my life will have served some purpose,” he laughed, “maybe then when my family find out that I’m actually alive they’ll finally have been given a reason to be proud of me.”
Sulek twisted the hypospray in his palm. Quite how Talar was still able to talk was beyond him; he didn’t want to do this to the man, indeed, he found him a good conversationalist and they had spent many hours examining theories and philosophies over endless pots of plomeek tea. Sulek had no reason to suspect Talar and had thought him genuine, at first, now he was beginning to question what made him alter that perception and conclude that Talar had to be working undercover for the Romulans.
“You are being irrational,” Sulek said lifting the hypospray to Talar’s throat. “We will talk again when you have had time to rest.”
To be continued …
OFF
Doctor Talar and Sulek
NPCs played by Louise