An Ill Dreamwind Blows

Posted on Wed Dec 18th, 2013 @ 5:44am by Captain Liarra Von & Ensign Corrine Steiner
Edited on on Sat Jan 4th, 2014 @ 10:16pm

Mission: Manhunt
Location: Quarters, neutral Civilian Liner at Port

ON:

Corrie tossed and turned in her sleep, "No!" A succession of fragments and images unfolded before her.

First came the running. Men in Starfleet uniforms were after her. In her dream, she darted around a corner, unfortunately into a dead end. As she turned to look back, a red shirt came into view and fired his phaser.

Next came a brief fragment. Hands primed a hypo-injector. She could read the ampule medication label. A voice explained, "This'll keep her down deep for hours."

That glimpse vanished, replaced by the circumstance of Corrie pointing a phaser at a woman. Her uniform was Starfleet, a captain. Her eyes... they were not angry or fearful. They were calm, even kindly. What she noticed then upset her so much that the sleeper cried out again. The phaser-2 setting light indicated maximum power.

Corrie wanted desperately to study that surrounding more, but it was torn from her in a moment. Next, she found herself putting a phaser into overload in some unidentified corridor.

Crawling through a dark place, a hand reaching discretely for a button on a console, painful light, circuits sparking on overload, and laying on a sickbay biobed under forcefield restraint all flashed by.

It was too much. Corrie burst out of her sleep with a scream. Another woman sat aside her bed, "Corrie!"

At first disbelieving that she was actually awake, she had to look around, feel the grip of her friend. Then, relaxing, she fell back. "How long was I out?"

"Twelve hours."

"Twelve HOURS?" She grimaced, "No..."

The worried woman brushed back her hair, "Corrie, I've never seen you this bad, before. What happened? What did you see?"

Damp with perspiration, Corrie sat up. "I have to get out of here... Now."

"What? Wai-wai-wait! Hold on! Explain to me!"

"Millie, they're going to find me. And if they find me with you, you'll be in trouble." She hurried off the bed and began grabbing for personal items.

"Corrie! Do you hear what you're saying? You're safe here! Neutral port! If you go barreling out of here, it could be a self fulfilling prophecy! That might be the very reason you get caught!"

Corrie went to the woman and gently put her hands aside her cheeks, "Millie, you must understand. Nothing I can do will change what is soon to happen. I will get caught. It won't matter if I stay here or run." She stepped back and softly declared through her tears, "I have to go."

As she haphazardly tried to leave, Millie stopped her. "Corrie, now STOP. Look at yourself! You're a mess! Neutral sector or not, you will stick out like a sore thumb!" The panicked girl relented a bit. Millie also calmed, "We're going to get you cleaned up, fed, and properly packed. And you're not leaving here until we have a good plan of action."

With a pained expression, Corrie staggered a bit, "Can't think clearly."

"That's because you haven't gotten any real sleep." At receiving a pleading look, she took her in her arms, "I am so sorry. I wish I could do something to help."

Corrie sniffed, trying to collect her wits. "You already have. Okay. You're right. Let's do this right."

"That's better. Now tell me, is there anything you can do? Even if you do get caught, can you maybe contact an advocate to get you out?"

Corrie stood frozen in a stare, remembering the dream flashes. She didn't dare mention the overloading phaser. Her voice sounded of painful resignation. "No. There will be no one to help me. I'm going to have to do this myself."

OFF:

Ensign Corrie Steiner
Operations Officer
Starbase 332
Pegasus Fleet