Subject: Grail: "Last Look Back"

Subject: USS Grail - "Last Look Back" - "Mea culpa" and OOC: Oops!

[Alfonso Barnechea Rey]

OOC: Oops! I have sent a message of that bacteria stuff, but it is wrong =

and was not supposed to go to everyone but the CMO. So, sorry, I=B4m =

just getting started with this sort of game. Forget about that story for =

now.

USS Grail - "Last Look Back" - "Mea culpa"

Here he was, this guy Oku Ramin, sitting at his too-comfortable couch in =

the small living room he could arrange in his quarters on deck 13. He =

had this nice view from the bottom of the saucer but he couldn=B4t see =

outside. It wasn't the view. He had his mind out of focus. He was =

thinking (or drinking too much ale). His eyes were as red as no other =

has seen red in such a way.

"I am here" he thought. "But why?"

"Why does a being who had two million lives in his hands lies here in a =

Galaxy-class ship and has the duty of caring everyone else's life, once =

more? Who, in the name of Dosha, has this second chance in life, even if =

it's inside a ship Starfleet Command thinks it=B4s condemned to fail? If =

we do. If we don't, I=B4ll be able to make my life again."

"Is destiny so kind with a man who thinks he has the power to decide who =

lives or dies, just because of his hate towards a group of men who =

killed his father?"

"WHY HAS DOSHA CHOSEN ME? He wants me for something. He wants payback =

for the evil I have done".

He started to cry, silently. He was now lying on the floor, as he let =

himself slip down the couch to the floor. He was truly depressed.

"I DO hate Horus! Any Horusian is for me the incarnation of evil! But I =

am here, and I know that about Horusians is not true. That Betazoid =

psycho-iatrist, made me see my mistake... No, those sessions were not. =

It was the time, those months I spent as a prisoner at Ramal. They were =

a torment, not a physical one but one deep in my very soul. I have seen =

every Horusian killed by my negligence before me, each of the two =

million, one hundred thitry three thousand, two hundred ninety four =

children, elders, women, men, babies... I can hear them now..." he =

whispered"... they speak to me, no.. NO! LEAVE ME!" He yelled.

Then he started to hallucinate those voices which were saying "THOU HATH =

KILLED ME! THOU HATH SLAIN ME! THOU ART THE GUILTY! THOU WILT CARRY THE =

SHAME FOR THE REST OF THY LIFE!"

A voice, seeming to be the one of a little girl said "THOU KILLETH MY =

FATHER, THOU KILLETH MY MOTHER!"

Then a voice, like the one of an elder "THOU WILT HEAR US ALWAYS! YOUR =

DEED HATH TIED THEE TO US FOREVER!"

Suddenly, all the voices started to yell disorgnaizaedly, "THOU ART THE =

MALEFACTOR OF US ALL! THERE SHALL BE NO MERCY FOR THEE, NO MERCY, NONE, =

NONE!

"NOOO" Oku shouted "LEAVE MEEEEE ALOOOOOOOOONE!"

He raised his right arm making a fist with that hand, and shook it so =

violently that the china vase that was on top of the nearby table paid =

the price, falling down as he hit that table. The vase happened to fall =

down to his very leg, breaking itsel into many pieces, and one of them =

incrustating on his right shoulder.

Silence. Now there was silence in the head of Oku. He realizaed that. =

Then he stood up as fast as a ship going into warp. He grabbed the piece =

of china that was hurting him and ripped it off his shoulder, threw it =

away violently, looked for his medikit and when he found it, he sat, =

opened it over his legs, took his tissue regenerator, turned it on and =

applied it over his wound. It healed instantly, as it wasn=B4t very =

deep. He turned the device off.

"Computer", he said, " Thairian ale, 270 degrees Kelvin"

The beep sound, and after this chirrs and whirls of technobabble =

materialization, the replicator showed inside it a glass with a greenish =

liquid, bubbling and emanating cold vapors like ice does. Oku stood up =

slowly, and still shocked for that small incident and the thoughts he =

had earlier, walked through the room to the replicator, grabbed the =

glass with ale, and swallowed the whole content of it in a single =

movement of his arm and mouth. He stood still for a few seconds. Then =

his face suddenly shrunk like a "wouf, strong stuff" expression, =

relaxing slowly afterwards.

"Well" Oku thought "I can have more of it, so I won't hear". But he =

wasn't right. Ale awakened his mild schizophrenia. Yes, he had that =

hidden deep in his mind. Not the diagnosis but the illness itself. It =

only came up when he got this guilt depression. His medication couldn't =

help him in these situations.

He turned around slowly and was about to order the replicator again when =

a thought crossed his Thairian mind. A glance of light had awaken this =

thought, coming from the low-lighted desk with the dark field microscope =

he had, something he has had since med school. It was there, in the =

middle of his desk, turned on, ready to be used; that little device had =

been as faithful as a Bethazoid dog, and was just? there. Beside it, =

were the tissue samples he was to analyze from the wounds of several =

officers that were on Sick Bay. It was like a call, making Oku forget =

all of his problems his depressions, his illness... even the seventh =

glass of ale he was about to drink, or even the next drinks to come?

(NRPG: suggestion: Can we make USS Grail lack of synthehol? Rude people, =

rude ways?)

Oku gazed at the microscope. Then he left the glass down in the =

replicator's shelf and pushed a button. As he started to walk to his =

desk, the replicator was making again those chirrs and whirls and lights =

and the glass dematerializing out of Oku's sight.

"Now I know why" Oku thought, smiling calmly, yet trembling "why I am =

having the second chance. Here is the payback. This ship. These people. =

My care will help pay back that two million lives deed."

He sat on his floating chair, and put his red eyes onto the lenses of =

the microscope.