round 13 Lt.Jg. Sabina Tiam: Repercussions

[Sedrin Belasi]

((Tiam's Quarters))

::Her quarters were illuminated only by the faint dark purple glow of her artificial window. The image of a swirling nebula glittered above the bed of the young Betazoid woman. The countless pillows that adorned her bed were tossed unceremoniously around the room. Her plush comforter had become tangled, wrapped around her legs. Though the room was cool, a thin sheen of sweat had covered her pale skin. Instead of the deep and uninterrupted breaths of a peaceful sleeper, hers were shallow and intermittent.::

((Dreamscape))

::Sabina stood in the middle of an elaborate hallway. The marble under her feet was beautifully placed in shimmering spirals of white and silver. The walls too were ornate and covered with tapestries and oil paintings depicting the great history and mythology of her home planet. Paintings of members of Betazed’s ruling houses long gone since the works were commissioned hung alongside gorgeous landscape pieces of some of the most vivid natural wonders of her world. She would learn the names of those people and places by heart one day. She would study them under her mother’s guidance, committing the information to memory as if it were one of the most important things a person could know.::

::But not today. Today was the last day of her very first visit to the capitol. Being only nine or ten, her father had taken her and was showing her all the places he worked. He was sure to remind her that she too could grow up to live in the capitol, working to make their home the best place it could be. She had prattled on with question after question; wanting to know every detail about the people and places they encountered. Her father had been so good natured, answering all he could. But something had been different that morning. Something about him…::

::And now, in this fevered memory, she knew what it was. As the realization hit Sabina’s subconscious, The world around her began to rumble. Fear swelled in the young girl’s belly and she ran. Her small footsteps echoed in the hall and she willed her body to move faster. The booming crashes from outside were growing louder, Sabina whipped her head from one side to the other, trying to spot her father in the maze of offices and official chambers.::

::Breathing heavily now, she called out for him. There were screams outside the building. Tears welled in her dark eyes, obscuring her vision. Finally, her small body collided with the lower half of another, much taller, person. She looked up, desperately hoping for help. Before she could see clearly who it was, the man had already picked her up and was running with her clutched tightly against his chest. It was an embrace she would know anywhere and for the briefest of moments relief washed over her. Her father had found her. He was with her now and she would be safe. Whatever was going on, he would protect her through it.::

::As he ran out of the building, heading swiftly for it’s annex, Sabina had no choice but to look at what had triggered the chaos. She could see buildings that had stood just yesterday turned to smoking rubble. She saw too that they weren’t the only ones running. So many people filled the walkways that had been lovely yesterday in a panic. Some carried injured, some simply gave in, collapsing there on the pavement in heavy heaps of desperation.::

::As they reached their destination, a man stood waiting for them. Sabina recognized him as her father’s assistant.::

Bre’eth: Micah! ::He called out to Sabina’s father.::

::Micah handed Sabina over to him, prompting tearful protests from the child.::

Micah Tiam: Take her! You know the way? ::He referred to the emergency evacuation route all government employees were trained to follow.::

Bre’eth: We’ll wait for you at the checkpoint, just outside the city.

Micah Tiam: No. ::She had never heard her father sound so commanding.:: You get her transport back to Ritva as soon as possible. I’ll return when I can.

::There was a moment between the two men that Sabina was not privy to, but whatever reservations Janji Bre’eth might have had were firmly put to bed. The men shared a nod and both began to move. Bre’eth was taking her to safety, taking her home. But Sabina had to watch as her father ran back, straight into the face of danger.::

::That was when the ground opened in front of her father, stopping him dead in his tracks. Up out of the ground came a creature. A large, serpentine beast covered in a rancid goo faced her father. A mask made of mismatched features adorned the snake’s head, like a Picasso come to life. The creature reared up with a roar-::

((Present))

::With a stinging intake of air, Sabina shot up in bed. Her chest heaved as she tried actively to remind herself that she was fine. She was on the Starbase. It was just a dream. That was all.::

::Slowly, she climbed out of bed, replacing the discarded pillows as she made her way into the living space. Clearly, what she had gone through during their encounter with the telepathic entity and Y-Rocck was still reverberating through her. It gave her chills to know her mind could be read through and manipulated so easily. All her life she had trained to make sure that wasn’t the case. She was young, but she had put in the hours and she was a skilled telepath by any measure. Still, it hadn’t mattered at all to these beings. And know her own memories were her nightmares; her fears and vulnerabilities throttled to the forefront of her mind.::

::Retrieving a cup of tea from the replicator, Sabina sat on her couch. She pulled one of the throw pillows over and hugged it against her chest with a sigh. Checking the chronometer, she lamented at the early hour. She wanted to call someone. Not out of need, of course. She was fine. She was fine with all of it. What was in the past couldn’t harm her, and nor could her dreams so, there was no real reason to be upset. But still, she wanted to reach out to someone. Maybe just to have them listen, to be witness to her authentically.::

::But, Misha was traveling and Sabina didn’t think she had quite forged friendships here on the Starbase that would withstand early morning “Hey, how are you? I just had a totally weird dream!” calls. So, she would approach the situation differently. Perhaps she would have to make good on her promise to set an appointment with counseling quicker than she had expected.::

::For now though, tea. Tea, breakfast, and a little R and R.::

Lt.Jg. Sabina Tiam

Tactical Officer

SB:118 Ops