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"
<Oku Ramin's quarters, 1 hour past the beginning of the night shift>
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.