What's good for the goose...

Posted on Sun Dec 15, 2013 @ 11:54pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson

2,935 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: A Whole New World, Part 2 - Durbatuluk
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: 62539.0 {Wed, 05 Dec 2384 13:15:00 GMT}

Nicole walked quickly down the corridor of the alien ship. Corridor was almost a misleading term; it looked more like a hall leading into a castle. The exterior of the ship looked like some Gothic cathedral, and the interior looked the same. It was dark,foreboding, all sharp angles and rough edges. She swallowed hard and gripped her phaser rifle tighter as she came into a large chamber, a grand staircase spiraling up the wall to a doorway on an upper deck.

She heard a noise behind her and with inhuman speed, she had twisted around yanked a throwing knife from inside her uniform top and, with an almost casual flick of her wrist, sent it hurling at the source of the noise behind her. It was only an instant's flicker of recognition that caused her to waver at the last second, altering the knife's trajectory enough that it barely grazed the intruder's cheek, rather than lodged in his eye.

Having some free time, Alec headed to the holodeck to once again become immersed in his vampire hunter program. However he was surprised to find the holodeck already in use and by none other than his verbal sparring partner, the Chief Medical Officer.

Chuckling softly at this little bit of information, Alec pondered his next move. Should he leave her and let her enjoy her program alone or should he repay the favor and enter her program just as she entered his? It was really no contest; pressing the control, he entered the holodeck and walked down the corridor in front of him, turning a corner......just in time to have a knife graze his cheek. Looking angrily in the direction the knife was thrown he saw the thrower. "I should have known. Nice to see you too Doctor. Do you greet all visitors so warmly?"

Nicole immediately swung her rifle up, firing point-blank, the beam passing a centimeter on the other side of his head and drilling a hole through the skull of the person coming silently up behind him. "Those who deserve it," she said. "Computer: freeze program and eliminate corpse."

The uniformed body disappeared as the program froze. Nicole suddenly rubbed her arm self-consciously, feeling somewhat exposed. "I took your advice," she said.

He turned just in time to see the plasma beam pass close to his head and watch it strike the silent attacker causing it to fall to the ground dead. A neat hole in the middle of it's skull. "So I see. Nice shot by the way. A little close for comfort, but a good shot. Mind telling me just what you're eliminating with such a ruthless abandon?"

Nicole tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked around. "The Heslings called them 'Soul Leeches,' your people call them 'vampires.' Same thing in the end, although these things don't have the charm or romanticism that I've seen associated with some of the human legends. They're animals, in short. Ruthless, merciless predators."

"I see. Just what do these Soul Leeches leech onto? If they're vampires as you say, do they drink blood like their human counterparts? Or do they indeed steal a person's soul?"

"They consume blood," Nicole said, sitting down on the stairs. "They'll tear into a body and exsanguinate it rather efficiently, however there is occasion where the victim won't be drained, and enough mutagen will be transmitted so that they'll end up becoming one. At that point, their soul is gone."

He listened as she explained about these creatures. When she finished, he spoke. "I can now see why you reacted as you did when you came into the holo-program I was running; these are nasty creatures, to say the least. However, I have two questions. First, are they as hard to kill as the vampires of Earth's folk lore? Secondly, is there any way to reverse the end result when bitten by one these Soul Leeches?"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "We learned that we could retool the phasers to operate on a higher frequency of the Q-band, and adjust the light beam to have a stronger UV factor. Those both caused more damage. A shot to the head is the most sure-fire way we've found to bring them down. And as for reversing the process..." she swallowed and looked down for a moment. "I wasn't in a position to find out. We destroyed the ship before we could do any experiments."

Alec saw the discomfort his question had brought to the CMO. "I apologize Doctor, I have no desire to bring back up unpleasant memories. However I confess to being curious. Just what does all this represent? Your initial encounter with the Leeches? Or just a holo program based on your experiences with them?"

"I was here," she said, her voice sounding more hollow as she looked around. "I was here with Captain Katana, and Michael, and we were the ones lucky enough to come across their King. He broke my ankle, gave the Captain a concussion, Michael only got a sprain, thankfully. I managed to kill their leader, and had to carry the Captain out in the end. It was...probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"I am sorry, Doctor." His tone sincere. He followed it up with another question. "Their King?" His tone indicating his surprise. "I thought they were mindless animals; I see I was mistaken. Are they capable of reason?"

She shook her head. "The members of the crew who were turned seemed to be mindless. They only wanted to feed. The leader of the creatures...he spoke to me, but I wouldn't say he could be reasoned with. His was a mindset that I can only define as evil. You're all food to them, nothing more. I suppose if he could have been reasoned with, that would mean he was reasonable, and they wouldn't have attacked in the first place." She looked up at him. "Is reason really the only thing that differentiates a monster from a man?"

He looked her squarely in the eyes. "Doctor, I believe you already know the answer to that question but since you posed it, I'll answer it. No, much more than reasoning separates a man from monster, Khan Noonien Singh was a brilliant man, charismatic to a fault, highly intelligent. He could be reasoned with, but his morals were all out of kilter. Compassion, knowing our dark selves and keeping it under control. Accepting responsibility for our actions." he looked at her, "Shall I go on?"

"You had me at 'knowing our dark selves,' she said, dryly. She took a deep breath and stood up. "I never got to meet Khan Sing," she said. "But I met Julius Caesar. He couldn't be reasoned with, but he isn't a monster." She shrugged. "I suppose you're right: it all comes down to keeping yourself under control." She looked around the holodeck. "I suppose I just like to know I can still fight this battle."

A grin crossed his face. "It is a never ending battle, however it is one you, I and countless others wage and win everyday." He gave her a look. "I envy you, meeting Caesar. You'll have to tell me about it sometime."

"Don't feel too envious. He tried to have me killed," she said, a bit of her old brassiness returning as she stood up. "Well, I suppose I can put this battle away for now," she said, placing the rifle down on the staircase and walked towards the main deck, preparing to end the program.

"But you thwarted him," Hunter pointed out. "What are you doing? You aren't going to end the program because I wandered in are you? Please continue."

"I...don't think that would be a good idea," Nicole said hesitantly. "'Thwarting,' as you put it, was easier said than done."

"Why wouldn't it be a good idea?" Hunter pressed, "It looks challenging. Something that I would think you would embrace wholeheartedly."

"Their leader knocked Captain Katana near-unconscious and pinned Lieutenant Sailor on the deck, unable to help. 'Challenging' didn't begin to describe it," she said, sighing. "Computer," she said, after a moment's thought, "duplicate phaser rifle."

A second rifle appeared in the air in front of Hunter. "If you'd care for a challenge as well?"

He grabbed the rifle. "I'd love to. Now, you said a shot through the head, any other weakness I can exploit?"

"Underlings could be taken down with that. Their leader took quite a bit of damage, and was extremely fast," she said, checking the charge on her rifle. "It took a sword through the neck to bring him down and that was after nearly eviscerating him and shooting him twice."

Alec took in what the doctor was saying. His teasing demeanor gone. He was deadly serious now. "A challenge indeed. His recovery rate must be phenomenal," he observed "But there has to be a point where even he can't recover from the damage inflicted.''

"It was terrifyingly phenomenal," she said, "but it was a slice to the neck, severing major arteries that eventually brought him down." Her voice caught as she remembered her Captain then pressing the blade against her own neck. Her former counselor had told her she'd someday have to confront this nightmare again. She'd intended to do it by herself, but if he was fool enough to join her, so be it. She would just have to keep a tight grip on herself, which she'd planned on doing anyway. After all, if she couldn't win as an ordinary human, then there really wasn't hope.

"We should get going," she said. "Computer, resume program from this point, substituting Commander Hunter for Captain Katana's role."

The computer beeped and the lighting immediately dropped. "They know we're here," she said quietly, turning on the light on her rifle and training it towards the top of the stairs. "Just don't point that at me," she warned, as she watched Alec raise his light as well.

"Doctor please, I have no intention of shooting you. At least not yet." Alec added with a smirk. He replied as he switched the light on, all while making sure the rifle had a full charge. "I've got your six. Lead the way."

Nicole moved out of the way of the light's beam and shook her head slightly, moving up the stairs, rifle at the ready. As they approached the entrance of the bridge, she looked into the darkness, trying to discern any movement among the shadows. She entered slowly, ready for the strike she knew was coming.

As a shadow dropped, she dove to the left, rolling and coming up, firing at it at the same time Hunter did, twin beams lighting up the cathedral-sized room slightly as they struck the creature, incinerating it.

Alec followed, not too close, in case the doctor needed to move quickly....which she did suddenly, diving to her left as a figure dropped from the ceiling. He fired in a heartbeat, his shot and the doctor's reducing the whatever it was to nothingness. He quirked an eyebrow, his senses on heightened alert.

Nicole's kept her weapon up, scanning quickly. Technically, they were already ahead of the curve, compared to last time. So long as she could keep from getting ambushed--

Her luck abruptly stopped as she felt a large hand grab her by the throat, lifting her off her feet with ease. Her feet dangled above the ground as the Leech Lord, a beast clearing eight feet easily, held her aloft. She choked and grabbed at the hand, going for the thumb again, trying to pry its grip open.

"Son of Bi.....!" Alec blurted up his finger already squeezing the trigger of his rifle. First a shot to the head and then to the legs, right at the knees, buckling them to loosen the hold on whatever it was that had the doctor.

Nicole cried out as the light from his rifle's scope reached her flailing hand, the skin blistering red. The creature dropped her and let out a roar, leaping into the air and vanishing into the shadows. She landed on the deck, coughing and massaging her throat, her phaser rifle lost somewhere in the shadows. *Deja vu,* she thought. *At least my ankle isn't broken this time.*

She stood and looked up, suddenly sprinting forward with superhuman speed and knocking Alec aside as the Leech landed, his long-clawed hand raking the air where Alec's head had been moment's before. The beast growled at her, its eyes narrowing.

Nicole stood up and whirled around to face him, a growl coming from her own throat, her hair beginning to curl and flutter.

"What are you?" it said. The voice was gravelly, bestial, but with enough intelligence behind it to chill her to the bone. She'd forgotten how terrifying that voice had been.

"A monster, same as you," she said coldly, the words familiar. She'd seen this confrontation several times in her head. She never did come through with a way to win on her own. She leaped up, seeing the claws slash towards her, but she kicked off at the last second, stepping briefly on his arm and flipping over his head, all her gymnastic skills coming to the fore. She landed behind him nimbly and rolled away, trying to buy time.

Alec gave her a nod of thanks as his hands found his rifle, raising and firing in a single fluid motion. He targeted the front of the head, then the chest and again the legs. Everything and anything he could to give the CMO an edge in her battle with this, this, monster.

The monster roared as it skin blistered and it staggered slightly, then reached out, ripping the rifle from Alec's grip and snapping it in half. It suddenly pitched back and howled in agony, turning to show Nicole clinging to its back by the handle of the knife she'd wedged into its neck.

The monster reached around and raked it's long, razor-sharp claws at her, connecting with her face and tearing into her cheek. She shrieked and fell to the ground, putting her hand to her face to keep the flesh of her cheek together. As the drops of blood leaked into her mouth, her eyes blazed red and she pulled herself to her feet, snarling and baring her fangs out of pure anger and frustration.

The creature ripped the knife from its throat, the wound closing almost immediately. It turned and snarled, advancing on her, licking her blood from its claws. "You taste familiar," it said, almost pondering before it dived forward at her.

A moment later, it dissolved and the program disappeared, leaving her sitting on the floor, knees to her chin with Hunter nearby. She didn't look up as she kept her hand on her cheek, and her hair was settling back and straightening, her eyes when she looked up were back to their usual icy blue. "Well, that was fruitless," she said quietly.

If Alec was surprised by Nicole's transformation he didn't show it. "I don't think not really." he paused, "Let me explain. You have undoubtedly run this program several times. I daresay, that you've learned from it and adapted your tactics. In that same vein, your adversary from what I've seen replies on his power and speed. Is single minded in his attacks. I believe his strengths can be negated. We adapt and overcome." He stopped and looked into her ice blue eyes. "I'd very much like to help you in this endeavor."

Nicole shook her head, wincing as she pulled her hand away and tried to subtly wipe the dried blood off her now-healed cheek. "This program was designed by a former ship's counselor. She tooled it specifically to my situation. Defeating him alone won't do it. Failing to isn't why the program ended." She sighed and looked up again, panic on her face. "Oh no...did you...did you see anything?"

Alec saw the look of panic on her face, knew exactly to what she was referring to, knew he could fake it but that wasn't fair to her. The CMO deserved to know the truth. Nodding, he took a breath. "Yes, I did." Then, in an effort to appease her panic he added, "It's all right. Your secret is safe. No one will ever know."

"Do you mean that?" Nicole said, standing up. "Can you look me in the eye and swear you can somehow not tell the Captain you have a monster on board?"

He met her gaze head on,looking squarely into Nicole's eyes. "Yes, I do mean it and I do swear it. Your secret is safe. No one including the Captain will know of it. Because there is no monster on board the Victory. You're the only one who feels that way. I certainly don't."

She cracked a small smile. "Thank you, Commander. I want to believe that's true, but I prefer a little assurance." Her eyes suddenly blazed red. "And you won't remember anything since you stepped onto the holodeck." She watched his eyes glazed over and gave a little sigh. "You're feeling very tired," she said quietly. As his eyes closed and he slumped to the floor, she caught him gently and with a slight twinge of regret, gave him a small thump on the back of the skull.

"Computer," she said, "reset hologrid and load program Anderson-Home-Two."


Nicole Anderson
CMO
USS Victory


Alec Hunter
Executive Officer
USS Victory

 

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