Delinda Sharee Posted August 20, 2008 Posted August 20, 2008 (( Executive Officer's Office, USS Tiger )):: The door to her office split apart, and Lily took in the carnagethat lay within. She knew what had happened, in the essentials - sheknew that the bridge group had fled from the Reapers down to heroffice, where they'd held it before storming back onto the bridge. Theship hadn't been taken and the Reapers were gone, and while she didn'tblame Sidney or her group for the shambles of her office, she didnudge her overturned aloe with her foot and feel a flash of annoyance.The holo-cube had been turned on its side, and so the walls of theoffice were their normal, boring gray-pink again. Her PADDs were asscattered as ever, but the most annoying thing were her pictures: Theonly one left standing showed an eighteen-year- old Lily and EnsignAbby Roberts, huddled over a library table during Lily's freshmanyear.She took two steps into the room before she felt a crunch. She liftedher foot for two smiling faces - her own, and Nick Parks's, justbefore she'd been assigned to the Triumphant. They were on a Risanbeach, she saronged and he shirtless, with orange-yellow sandspreading out to the waves behind them. A perfect, happy day. Shegrimaced, picked up the frame, and set it on the desk. Things changed.Ships fell apart, and relationships, friendships, childhoods. She madesure the glass didn't cut her when she stepped back again. ::(( The Black Tower, Starbase 118 ))::After finishing up with her medical, Quinn took the opportunity tolocate and visit her office in the Black Tower. For once, it wasn'tto bury her head in work, rather she wanted the chance for a longoverdue catch-up with an old friend. Taking a seat in the comfortableblack chair, she looked at the black screen on the desk for a few longmoments before taking a deep breath and speaking.::REYNOLDS: Computer, open a comm channel to Lieutenant Commander LilyVentu, USS Tiger.COMPUTER: Working...::Tapping her fingers lightly on the console as she waited for thechannel to be established and answered, Quinn leaned back in herchair. It had definitely been a hell of a year, so far. All shecould do was hope that things were going to improve with her newposting.::(( Executive Officer's Office, USS Tiger )):: The broken glass had been recycled, and several more brokenpictures had joined Lily and Nick on the desk. Lily held anothershattered frame now, and looked down at herself, smiling not up at herfuture self but at the others in the picture: Hayden Reynolds, who wasalone smiling for the camera, and his cousin, Quinn, who was lookingserious and away.The incoming signal alarm rang off on her monitor, and she consideredignoring it: The crisis was past, the crew was relaxing, and troublecould wait. Still, she decided to ask: ::VENTU: Computer, where's that coming from?COMPUTER: Working.:: While the computer figured it out, she dropped the broken frame onthe pile, and then it beeped again. ::COMPUTER: Signal triangulated to Sector 118.VENTU: The Trinity Sector?COMPUTER: Affirmative.VENTU: ::frowning:: Who the hell...?:: She walked around the desk, sat down, and tapped the monitor on.Her curiosity had outweighed her annoyance. ::VENTU: Screen on.COMPUTER: Signal parsing. ::beat:: Connection established.:: The Starfleet logo snapped off, and a face swam into focus. Lilyblinked, rubbed her eyes, and then still didn't really believe it. ::VENTU: Quinn?REYNOLDS: Hey Lily. How are you doing?:: Annoyance vanished: She was alive, and there was nothing tocomplain about. She spoke quickly, curiously. ::VENTU: Great, but where are you? Sector 118? Why are you there? How are you?REYNOLDS: I'm fin- ::She smiled wearily and shook her head.:: I'vebeen better. But I think things are on the mend.VENTU: Well, good. That's good.REYNOLDS: So how's the Tiger?:: To answer, Lily spun the monitor around, giving Quinn a 360 of heroffice and its chaos. ::VENTU: It's been better ... the ship, I mean. The crew's great ...well, what's left of them.REYNOLDS: Oh. Wow. That's... I'm sorry to hear that.VENTU: But where *are* you? The Independence hasn't been reassigned, has it?REYNOLDS: No, just me. I've been transferred to Starbase One-One-Eight.VENTU: Oh. ::beat:: With Captain Rocar? He's still there, isn't he?REYNOLDS: Yeah, he's still around. All of him. ::Absently.: : Areall Ktarians that huge?VENTU: ::shaking her head:: I've only ever met him, so I couldn't tellyou. ::beat:: Are you their new engineer?::Quinn blinked then, and shook her head, looking sheepish.::REYNOLDS: No... I'm, uh... I've been assigned to the Black Tower.Starfleet Intelligence.VENTU: ::wide eyes:: Wow. How'd THAT happen?REYNOLDS: I can't really talk about it. ::She shifted awkwardly.::How's Hayden?:: Lily smile-frowned, and turned her head to the side for a moment.She wasn't really surprised that intelligence positions were hard totalk about, but she was curious why Quinn would've gotten such, unlessthere was something she didn't know. Her friend was brilliant, but SI?Didn't that imply some sort of ... moral turbidity?And then they came to Hayden. She hadn't been avoiding thinking of himby any means, but there was a large difference between cycling it inher mind and voicing those cycles. ::VENTU: Right. Hayden. ::beat:: He had an accident during our last mission.::Quinn's expression immediately turned to one of concern and she shotforward in her chair.::REYNOLDS: What happened?VENTU: He was attacked by one of the Reapers, and spent a couple ofweeks in a coma.REYNOLDS: Coma? Is he alright?VENTU: ::too loudly:: He's fine, he's fine. I mean, physically.. ..::Leaning back again, the Intelligence officer looked suddenly relieved.::REYNOLDS: Don't scare me like that.VENTU: But he's been promoted-REYNOLDS: ::She beamed a smile:: That's great!VENTU: -and reassigned.REYNOLDS: ::The smile fell off her face.:: Oh.VENTU: Yeah. That's about it. "Oh."REYNOLDS: Where's he being sent to?VENTU: The Antares, a medical ship. ::twisted smile:: It's a commandposition. What he's been waiting for since he returned.::Quinn visibly flinched, then shook it off as quickly as it had appeared.::REYNOLDS: But... What about you? I mean... The two of you?VENTU: Yes. Well, that's the question, isn't it? ::beat:: There's aphrase, usually only used by people in security positions. "Holdingaction."REYNOLDS: I don't think it's supposed to describe couplehood.VENTU: I know. But it still fits. ::another beat:: He - we, sorry, we- never had a date. It was always after this mission or that mission,after we made some new rank, in two or three or six months. It's allcome and gone, now. And where are we?::Quinn managed a wan smile and shook her head.::REYNOLDS: You've gone nowhere, yet everything's different?VENTU: Exactly. We, neither of us, are who we were on the Independencelast year.REYNOLDS: ::Quietly.:: Tell me about it.VENTU: ::shrugging: : People change. It isn't an end, and I'm not ...you know, angry. Just disappointed. Not in him, either, just ingeneral. ::staring into the distance:: You have all these perfectideas of how life is going to be, and then life itself comes along andplays hell with all of it.REYNOLDS: I'm sorry it's not working out the way you hoped.VENTU: ::back to the screen:: But enough about this nonsense. Tell meabout how you're doing!REYNOLDS: ::She frowned.:: I'm not sure what to say...VENTU: I know you can't tell me how you got into it, but can you ... Idon't know. What *can* you tell me?REYNOLDS: I guess... Ask and and find out.VENTU: ::small smile:: Well, what about *your* love life, MissReynolds? Cody isn't coming with you, is he?REYNOLDS: David- ::She glanced down with wince.:: David chose toprioritise his career.VENTU: Oh. I see. Uhm.... All right. How's life been these past fewmonths? What's the Independence been like?REYNOLDS: I actually wouldn't know.:: Lily's left eyebrow went up unbidden, and her right eye narrowedconsiderably. ::VENTU: You ... wouldn't?REYNOLDS: Lily - I haven't been on the Independence since the accident on TE-IV.VENTU: ::almost laughing:: What?REYNOLDS: The explosion, it was a cover for the Breen to take me andreplace me with... Well. Suffice to say, no one could tell thedifference. And I hear she gave you and Hayden an interesting tripdown my memory lane.VENTU: That ... wasn't you?:: But even as she struggled to assimilate what Quinn was telling her,her mind was already connecting the pieces: A Deltan, especially aDeltan hybrid, should have had no way to mind-meld with a full human,as Quinn ( oO The fake Quinn! Oo) had done. Odd behaviour, strangepowers, and now logical connections. ... ::VENTU: So, then the memories I saw-::Absently, Quinn rubbed her right temple.::REYNOLDS: Oh, they were all real. She had pretty much on-demandaccess to my memories, thanks to a modified version of one of theircortical implants.VENTU: ::quiet:: What happened with the Breen?REYNOLDS: They, um.... They wanted... ::Fumbling for the words, shesighed and shook her head.:: They weren't gentle with me. It...::She grimaced and rolled her shoulder awkwardly.:: You know what,it's a little raw. I'd rather not talk about it. ::She paused for amoment, a wry smile creeping on to her face.:: It's driving thecounsellors nuts.:: Lily leaned forward in her chair, until her nose was at most threeor four inches from the screen. ::VENTU: Then I won't ask you about it. I want you to remember me asyour friend, not your therapist.REYNOLDS: ::Vaguely amused.:: You're on a different ship, Lily.You're not dead.VENTU: ::frowning:: "Remember"'s the wrong word. That's not what Imeant. I want you to *think* of me as your friend. If you want itdropped, it's dropped.::Looking visibly relieved, Quinn nodded and sank a little furtherinto her chair.::REYNOLDS: Thank you.VENTU: But maybe you should think about kickboxing with some holographic Breen-REYNOLDS: Lily!VENTU: All right, all right, it's dropped!::The Intel Officer's mock scathing glare was followed by a softchuckle and a small grin.::REYNOLDS: Old habits die hard, counsellor? ::She glanced at somethingout-of-view, then looked back to her friend.:: It's nearly time forme to head off. I have a... thing I have to attend and I need to getready.VENTU: Yeah, I can see that you're getting close. ::beat:: Listen,Quinn, I want to make this more of a regular thing. I know you'll bebusy, and so will I, but I....:: She trailed off. "Don't want to lose you" was poking out of hermouth, but she couldn't say it, exactly - she'd already lost Quinnseveral times, to the ether and to her own fears. What else was thereto say? ::VENTU: Just ... keep in touch, all right?REYNOLDS: I will. And you make sure that ship of yours stays intact.Or, you know. Strategically break it where you can put into theStarbase for repairs.VENTU: ::Wavery smile:: If she breaks up, I'll know who to take herto. ::stronger:: Unless being an intel woman goes to your head.:: Lily ended it with that and a smile. No goodbyes, because itwasn't, really, just a pause. Intermission, maybe. But not an end. ::::In her office, Quinn reached a hand forward and tapped thecommunication channel closed. With a heavy sigh, she hauled herselfup and out of the chair. She wasn't the first Starfleet Officer tolament the way Starfleet had a tendency to wrench friends (andsometimes more) apart, and she wouldn't be the last... But that pieceof knowledge didn't make it the slightest bit easier.::--Lieutenant Commander Lily VentuExecutive OfficerUSS Tiger&Lieutenant Quinn ReynoldsIntelligence OfficerStarbase 118 Ops
Salak Posted August 20, 2008 Posted August 20, 2008 (edited) Simply. Brilliant.5 stars, easily. Loved the conclusion. Edited August 20, 2008 by Salak
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