[ROUND 1] Ensign Tressa - Projections Of The Mind

[Alleran Tan]

(( Aeroshuttle, USS Victory ))

Kidora: Tressa?

:: Tressa stirred... at least she thought she did... ::

Kidora: Tressa? My little B it's time to wake now...

:: Tressa opened her eyes slowly; but was greeted by darkness. She frowned and

attempted to move a hand in front of her face to check her vision, but found she

couldn't move. She tried to look down but couldn't. There was nothing. Only a

sense of existing and fear; she was afraid. ::

Tressa: :: Trying to look around :: Kid?

:: The woman seemed to appear out of the darkness, materialising in front of

her. The older Gideon woman looked at her with compassion in her speckled eyes,

so very much like Tressa's. She reached out and cupped Tressa's face with one

hand, looking at her comfortingly. ::

:: Tressa didn't feel the touch... there was no sense of feeling, just knowing.

She knew Kid was touching her, but couldn't feel it, only sense, only know. It

was an unfamiliar feeling, an unfamiliar sense... ::

Tressa: Kid, where are we?

Kidora: A better question, my little B, is where are you? :: She let her hand

drop. ::

Tressa: :: Shaking her head :: I... I don't understand... I'm... I don't know...

::She tried to look around again... there was only darkness :: I'm... here?

Kidora: What do you remember? Before here?

:: Tressa frowned... before... the shuttle. The Areoshuttle, the warbird, the

freighter, the Victory, Ensign Eisaran... the memories came flooding back. No

sooner had her mind touched on the memory of the aeroshuttle than the darkness

lifted, flitting away like it was blown away by an unfelt breeze. As the

darkness fled the Areoshuttle [...]pit came into view. Tressa frowned; she was in

the [...]pit, staring at the back of the seats, the viewscreen in front of them.

::

Tressa: Kid.. I... I was here. :: As soon as she recalled that part of the

memory, a copy of herself materialised in the seat she had been seated in. It

was strange seeing herself from another view. :: We were... Ensign Eisaran... ::

The second Ensign faded into view in the seat beside her other self. :: Kid...

:: Her voice choked on the words.::

:: As she replayed the events in her mind the images around her played. The

contact alarm, the warbird, the first shock, her desperate attempt to contact

the Victory, the console explosion, the burning, her body crashing into the

bulkhead; she couldn't look away from the events. The vibe around her seemed to

change. She could feel the shuttle. As though she were back there again. ::

:: Tressa's eyes misted, she was crying... and yet she wasn't. There was the

sense of tears falling, of the sensation of crying, but she couldn't feel the

tears; they just weren't there. ::

Tressa: I'm... I'm unconscious... :: She tried to look to Kidora, but

once again couldn't move. The woman appeared to move into her view anyway. ::

... Kid... You're not here. Are you?

Kidora: :: Shaking her head :: I'm sorry my little B, but no. I'm a part of your

subconscious. A projection by you.

:: More sadness, mingle with fear, uncertainty... so many feelings... more

tears. Kidora moved towards her and Tressa had the sensation of arms around her,

warmth, comfort. ::

Kidora: You know I would be here if I could.

:: Tressa felt she was being held. Kidora was behind her, her arms around her.

It was comforting... but at the same time... ::

Tressa: :: Sadness ringing in her voice :: Your not really here. You're just my

imagination...

Kidora: :: A thoughtful tone in her voice :: No, I'm not really here... But the

fact that that you brought me here, must mean something.

Tressa: I don't know. You're in my head, you figure it out.

Kidora: :: Smirking. :: Sulking won't help, my little B. How do you feel now?

:: Tressa hadn't seen the smirking expression, but she knew. She knew Kid so

well. ::

Tressa: How do I feel? I- :: She paused :: I... feel scared, Kid. :: Her eyes

fell on the crumpled form of her own body by the bulkhead. ::

:: Tressa began to sob, her eyes closing as the sadness overwhelmed her, she

blocked out the sight of her body, the Aeroshuttle [...]pit. The arms around her

tightened as Kid's voice began to hum a gentle tune. It was familiar to her, but

at the same time, Tressa didn't really know it. The sound soothed her, and soon

the sound of Kid's humming was complemented with the sounds of instruments as a

memory stirred. It was recent, new, the vibe, the atmosphere, around her changed

as she slowly remembered where the song was from. ::

:: Tressa opened her eyes slowly, Kid continued to hum, the music grew louder as

the memory became stronger. The Aeroshuttle was gone now, replaced by Jaxx's

quarters. She was eating dinner with him, the music... ::

Tressa: Do you know this tune?

Kidora: No. You know I hate classical stuff. :: She paused :: This music soothes

you, this memory.

Tressa: :: Her eyes on the Betazoid man seated at the table. :: I liked it; it

has such a comforting, haunting melody.

Kidora: And you have returned here, to this memory because you need that

comfort.

:: Tressa didn't say anything to that. It made sense, having the projection of

Kid there helped her nerves, the memory of the dinner, the music... all so

comforting.

Kidora: He was there for you when I wasn't. When I couldn't be there.

:: Again Tressa said nothing. She merely watched the Jaxx sitting at the table,

watched as he looked at the Tressa sitting with him, and gave her that look of

comfort, of reassurance, that no matter what, we get better. She remembered it

so clearly, knew that just seconds before that she had admitted her fear for

Chailess' safety on the Starbase, her pain at James' sudden departure... James.

::

Tressa: :: Not taking her eyes off Jaxx. :: He's not here.

Kidora: He left you. :: It was a simple statement. :: No warning, no mention,

no note. Just left.

Tressa: You know, if Jaxx hadn't done this I would have spent the night crying

over James. :: Her lip curled :: How sad, pathetic... if I die... that's what my

last night would have been.

Kidora: But it wasn't.

Tressa: No, it wasn't. because of Jaxx...

:: Tressa almost smiled then. Her eyes still on the scene before her, it had

changed now. Jaxx and Tressa were eating the large chocolate dessert he had

arranged for her. ::

Kidora: You like this moment.

Tressa: It was a good dessert...

:: Kidora laughed, and Tressa smiled... it was quickly cut short as she felt

pressure on her chest, her breathe caught in her throat. Pain. It was real...

This she felt. ::

Tressa: :: Panic in her voice :: Kid? Wha-

:: More pain, piercing pain, in her chest. She couldn't breathe... She strained,

tried again, only to find herself gasping. The burning... in her hands, along

her arms.. She could see Kid's face, full of panic, full of concern. ::

Kidora: Something's happening outside!

:: Panic, fear. What if it was the Romulans? Was the Victory ok? Was she ok?.

She was choking, her body ravaged by pain. Tears sprung to her eyes again, a new

thought arose... Was this what it was like to die? ::

:: As the pain grew worse Kid's image in front of her began to fade. Tressa's

eyes grew wide as the woman began to disspear. ::

Tressa: Kid! No, no, no, no! Come back, don't go! Please!

:: More pain, more tears. ::

Tressa: Kid! :: She tried to reach for her, willed her to return, tried to

conjure the image once again, to no avail. ::

:: The pain began to envelop her, surround her, crush her. She could feel

herself being dragged back into the darkness, more panic, more fear. The memory

began to fade, the music was gone. Tressa felt tears as her eyes fell on the

Jaxx seated at the table, her eyes pleading, begging the image not to disappear,

not to leave her alone. Her breathe was short choking, the burning, the pain, it

was too much... She couldn't take it any more... As she succumbed to the pain in

her mind and through her body, her eyes drifted close, her hope left her... as

she descended into the darkness once more she screamed for Jaxx. ::

---- ---- ---- ---- --- ----

:: Voices. There were voices piercing the dark. She could hear a woman... she

didn't recognise her. There was pain, but it seemed so far, so disjointed from

her... her breathing, was hard, difficult, but better. Confusion... she was so

confused... She wanted to talk, wanted to ask were she was, but it all seemed so

far away. Was any of this real, or another illusion conjured by her mind? ::

---- ---- ---- ---- --- ----

:: On the biobed in Sickbay Tressa's breathing settled into a steady, shallow

pattern after the hypospray. There was no movement from the young Gideon as the

team of surgery nurses began to prepare her for the coming operation... ::

Ensign Tressa

Science Officer

USS Victory