[Round 17] - Lt. Alleran Tan - You Can't Control The Lightning

[+ LtCmdr Alexander Richards]

(( The Dreamscape ))

:: The rain came in waves, more horizontal than vertical, but things were warm and safe in Alleran's house. ::

:: More a large cabin than a house, really, the two story dwelling rocked and creaked in the face of the powerful winds, but its foundations were strong. It did not falter. The Trill watched the tempest raged outside, a warm cup of tea (Thelev's favourite) cupped between his hands, his spotty backside planted in a hand carved wooden rocking chair. He shivered slightly as the cold wind blew in from the stormfront, chilling him. ::

:: This was a good place. His own mind -- a place that was his own little fortress of solitude, aside from occasional visits from Sidney in times of great stress, a place he could be himself in a pure, maskless form. ::

:: But as was with the nature of joined Trills Alleran was not alone in this house. Hearing footsteps, he glanced over his shoulder. ::

Marlee: I see they don't have weather control systems in your dreams.

:: The ghost of his former host. Smiling warmly, Alleran returned his gaze to the storm outside, shaking his head and taking another sip of the warm tea. It helped stave away the cold. ::

Tan: They don't, no. I prefer my surroundings this way... wild, untamed and uncontrolled. It's just how nature intends it to be... it feels right. I don't know. I guess I just feel that weather control is... cheating, a little.

Marlee: Cheating?

:: Alleran sipped again, considering his next words carefully. ::

Tan: A lot of people seek control in their lives... power, authority, discipline -- control over their surroundings and their own minds, everything... me, well, I prefer a little chaos in my life.

:: A pause as a fork of lightning cracked into the ground beyond the treeline, the flash illuminating the pine forest that surrounded this place that was Alleran's enchanted room. ::

Tan: Entropy, I think... allows you to grow. You're a scientist, isn't that how evolution works?

:: The shadowy ghost of Marlee settled into a corporeal chair beside Alleran, emitting a low sigh. ::

Marlee: There are lots of misconception about how evolution works. All it is is organisms adapting to survive in their environment... those who successfully reproduce pass along their strengths, while those who don't quietly retire their weaknesses.

:: Another fork of lightning kissed the ground, followed by the dull rumble of thunder in its wake. Tan shivered again, sipping more of the warm tea. ::

Tan: So wouldn't that mean that everything eventually dies out, since as the environment changes, eventually there'll be something that can't survive there?

:: Marlee's ghost glanced over to her new host, grinning coyly. ::

Marlee: That's where your precious entropy comes into play. Each generation isn't a perfect copy of its parents... it's a mixture, but more than that it itself is different from *both* of them -- more than merely the sum of its fore-bearers, it is a unique and different creature with strengths and weaknesses all of its own.

Tan: But what if the parents could survive, but the child couldn't, due to its differences?

:: Alleran wasn't sure why he said that. Marlee gestured out towards the dark field right as another strike light it up with an eerie flash. ::

Marlee: Well then that's unfortunate, but it does happen. Goodness -- I tried for ages to have my own kids with Zee, and I lost one while I was at the joining academy, as you know... heh. ::she chuckled:: I think that one really hurt me for ages. I put off having another for so long... and by then it was too late.

:: Marlee rocked her chair, closing her eyes a moment. ::

Marlee: So I guess I was one of the quiet retire-ers, but... life's like that. ::a pause:: Evolution's like the lightning. It finds the path of least resistance, so it's mostly predictable, but sometimes... sometimes it strikes where you don't expect. Sometimes despite all your predictions life doesn't go the way you think it will. Of course, if you go about waving a golf club in the air during a thunder storm, I would make sure your will is up to date...

:: Tucking his legs up to his chest, Alleran sipped more of his tea. ::

Tan: Sidney's going to be okay, isn't she?

Marlee: How am I supposed to know? What am I, alive? ::she grinned, but the expression faded.:: You trust her, right?

:: The man's voice was laced with confidence, his attitude bolstered by the strength of his own convictions despite how cold he felt. ::

Tan: With my *life*.

Marlee: Then *trust* her. She's strong -- she wants to live, she'll put all her strength into it.

:: Tan stared at the storm, the tea slowly cooling in his hands. ::

Tan: What if she's a retire-er too?

:: Marlee's ghostly voice chuckled in time with the thunder. ::

Marlee: Then I guess you have a problem, hot shot...

(( Dream ends ))

(( Sidney Riley's Quarters, USS Independence-A ))

:: Awaking in the dark of Riley's bedroom, Alleran felt the cold acutely. The dream's energy had caused him to kick off the thick blanket that the two normally shared. Without Riley's body heat, which he had become accustomed to over the months, he hadn't realized just how cold the room could be. Reaching down he pulled the blanket around himself, sitting up in the middle of her bed, rubbing his arms to restore warmth. ::

:: He considered returning to sleep but he doubted he could. His dreams were rare but powerful, they tended to keep him awake. Still... he played with the thought for a moment. It was still early, too early even for dawn patrol, which he had excused himself from due to Riley's stay in sickbay. So many of the crew had been injured in the last mission... he wondered what their next briefing would be like, full of bandaged souls. Maybe they'd just hold it in sickbay to save everyone the bother. ::

:: Pulling on some shorts, Alleran stepped out of Riley's bedroom, the blanket still draped around his shoulders. He opened the door to Belleau and Tirzah's bedroom, glancing in, just checking on them, making sure they were still sleeping soundly. Satisfied, he stepped back into the main living room and moved towards the kitchen. ::

:: The broken cat's bowl caught his eye. Andy's food bowl... how had this happened? ::

Tan: [...] it... Zlix, Andy, Phoenix -- if I find out who did that, I'm going to skin them...!

:: Giving a low sigh, Alleran retrieved a small cleaner and zapped up the mess. Smiling in satisfaction at the cleaned up disaster, Tan replicated a new bowl (bright blue, this time) and filled it full of replicated cat food, placing it down. While he was there he fed the rest of the cats, and Riley's red fish whose name he hadn't learned yet, and cleaned up all their assorted mess. He washed his hands and then opened the cupboard which held his cooking utensils. ::

:: Breakfast was prepared for Belleau and Tirzah. Fried eggs and bacon, with the two eggs forming little 'eyes' and the bacon forming a big open mouthed smile, along with a side of orange Trill sweet cabbage arranged as 'hair' for the little faces. Breakfast for a couple of kids... Tan was quite proud of his work. A glass of orange juice each, along with half a grapefruit sprinkled with sugar and placed on a little saucer, completed the meal. ::

:: Both plates were placed on the table under a small heater to keep them warm, and then Alleran wrote a little note to go with them. ::

"Good morning kids,

Gone to see Sidney. Breakfast is on the table -- don't burn yourself on the warmer. Have fun at school. Call me if you need me.

- Al"

:: It was then time to bake the last thing. The last time Sidney had been injured he'd prepared her some happy food -- and now, far too soon, she'd been injured again. Tan was sure she'd be okay, but never-the-less, he prepared a full tray of cookies with white chocolate chips in them. A dozen in all, each as large as a fist and piled on a tray and covered with a metal lid. ::

:: His domestic duties complete, Alleran returned to Riley's bedroom, changed into his uniform, then stepped out to meet the day, tray in hand. ::

End...

-----

Lt. Alleran Tan

CAG

USS Independence-A

Gah, forgot to tag who it was by in the description line - Can a forum mod add that please

Edited August 29, 2011 by Ensign Alexander Richards