Finish the Science Fiction Story, Part II

Cafe Society
61

Based on the industrial planet Ohkami, the Fingus Corporation is best known for its anti-grav propelled personal transportation craft designed to resemble Terran automobiles of the past. The XC-73, inspired by the rare 1973 Chevelle SS station wagon, was no exception. Naturally, the particular one that Skoop owned had all the options and a few modifications.

“If you don’t stop staring and get in,” replied Skoop with a smile, “I’m not going to tell you.”

“Oh, right,” said a sheepish Kal and he started helping load up.

Later, with everyone in the transport and headed away from the base, as well as the transport facility, Skoop laid out her plan for Kal’s idea. “You’re called ‘Shaista’, right?” Shaista nodded. “Shaista, we need you to act as an intermediary between M’Kayla and the droid. The device you’re wearing should make that more efficient.”

“Understood.”

“Now,” said Kal, “what’s the deal with this transport?”

Skoop smiled again. “You might say it was the family car. It belonged to my dad back in his lecturing days. I find it useful for hauling equipment around.”

On the Searcher, Tobe explained his sudden appearance. “I was way out in the Far Arm when I noticed a Zephyr was scheduled to pass through. I made like ‘Ford Prefect’ and here I am.” Kathy made a little laugh at Tobe referencing a book she had in her library.

62

“I can’t believe you would use a matter transmitter! Even though it was from only a few thousand meters. Aren’t you the one said matter tranference is for loons and suckers?” giggled Kathy.

“Well,” grinned Tobermory, “They have improved them somewhat. But enough of this chatter! I need to speak with you in private.”

Victor’s stoic manner gave away his annoyance at seeing Kathy and Tobermory chatting away like family, but nobody bothered to look his way just then.

The Captain offered his ready room for them, showing the cone of silence available for secret conversations.

“Don’t you look fat and furry!” teased Kathy as the cone settled over them.

“Be serious, Human,” Tobe bantered, there is more than my fabulous appearance at stake here."

Calming herself down, kathy asked, “What is going on, Tobe?”

“Have you felt anything different concerning your crystal lately?”

Since she had, she told him how she had sensed a different mind in several of her communications, and the powerful impulse to move the ship through non space to get out of the wake of the zephyr. “But I know that was just silly. No one can do that,” she offered.

“Actually,” countered the large Xavvian, “There is a chance that you may just be capable of doing at least something similar.”

“How could that possibly be?” she exclaimed.

“Well, let me tell you a few things…” and he proceeded to tell her the odd story of the Kel and their natural trans-crystal abilities. He ended with, “And since you are the only surviving human to ever have successfully joined with a crystal, there are still some things we are finding out about that union. Are you familiar with the Human phenomenon of ESP?”

Her brow furrowing in consternation and confusion, she anewed affirmatively.

“Well, it seems that the reason the other Humans who died in the cyrstal experiments had little or no inate Esper capabilities. You, however, already rated extremely high on the Condi Scale. Higher than even your parents. You are aware of this, aren’t you?”

“Of course!” she said. “So you are saying that esper and crystal abilities are somehow linked in Humans? What about Xavvians? OR Knicktolites?”

“No. All the other species can only use the crytals as communication courriers. Except for the drug enhanced Vorpal, of course. And, we now think he had some help. Even if he didn’t know it. By the way, I have seen Alkani.”

HE was expecting her to show surprise. She didn’t. In fact, what she next said shocked him to the bone… “I know.”

63

“You know!? How!?” demanded the large cat looking fellow.

“I’ll tell you in a minute,” responed Kathy. “But first, I want to know what you meant you said the other humans joined to crystals had died. They aren’t dead. Unless something has happened in the last two days. I even have young students with a crystal. Were you mistaken? Or is something I need to know?”

Tobermory pursed his lips. A very Human gesture that he obviously learnd in his years as Kathy’s house cat. “Well, let me explain…”

“Yes…?”

“I meant the other altered Humans.”

“I see,” she said icily.

“Kathy! Please don’t take it that way. You know that the Professor had tried before. And failed. That’s the reason I was sent to monitor you in the first place. The other altered crystal bearers had all known they were altered, known they had crystals, knew what they were expected to do. But, without growing into their abilities naturally, they accessed things they couldn’t control. You didn’t even know about the crystal, buy you started using it unconsciously. That’s why we were attacked by the Wayre back on Ceres. You had been read. And deemed dangerous.”

“And now they are after me again? Vorpal wasn’t my primary danger?”

Then, she sat bolt upright. “Was Vorpal another one of your and Kneezr’s experiments?”

Tobermory affected an odd posture. He slumped forward, letting his hair fall over his face. His tail fell limp and he grabed his shoulders with either paw. The Xavvian attitude of sincere contrition. The unspoken gesture spoke more than any words could.

“I’m sorry, Tobe. I know you aren’t self serving or evil. I’m just growing a little tired of these revelations. Please, we’ll discuss this at lenth some other time. Why did you want to tell me about Alkani?”

Leaning back into the chair and straightening his facial fur, Tobe answered, “Because his real name is Tag. And you have met him. In a way.”

64

There seems to be a continuity error with #'s 62&63. Tobermory informs Kathy about Alkani, is surprised she already knows. Yet in #40 it was Tobermory’s message to Kathy on the Searcher that said Alkani may not be dead, and that Grav and tKani’sav’s worries may be justified. I can’t edit, and 62 and 63 are too involved(plus they’re too good) to remove. I will attempt to reconcile this in my post.

“Met Alkani? I don’t think so” said Kathy. “I think tKani’sav once spoke about his supposed death, back when Robert was rescued from the Floginim. He was an agent of tKan. But that was two years ago.”

“Well, ‘met’ is a flexible term, mistress. ‘Felt’ might be closer to the mark. I think Tag/Alkani was that fourth mind you felt, during the syncing attempt”

Kathy closed her eyes for a second, a reaction to the ugliness of the memory. when she opened them again she gave a cry of alarm. “Tobe!” she shrieked.

The big Xavvian had slumped over in the captain’s chair, and had begun to slide out of it. Kathy rushed to him, trying to support his greater height and weight, but all she could do was ease him to the floor and straighten him out. Reaching up to the arm of the chair, she hit a button “Medical emergency! Xavvian down!”

Help arrived almost instantly of course. When Victor burst into the room, along with Dr. Morgan and the other med staff, the first thing he saw was Kathy with her arms around Tobermory, trying to hold him up. “Maybe all I need to do is faint” he thought to himself. But along with Dr. Morgan and the other med staff he helped Tobermory be taken back to sickbay.

While Kathy waited and fretted Victor tried to calm her. "I’m sure he’s going to be all right,"he said, “He looked OK when he got here. Fainting spells aren’t dangerous, why, you should have seen my father when Vicki told him he was going to be a grandfather!”

Kathy really did appreciate Victor’s attempts to cheer her up, but still worried. “What if it’s more than a fainting spell? When I ‘saw’ him during that crystal message I thought he looked tired!”

At this point Dr. Morgan told Kathy she could see Tobermory, and she jumped up and hurried in. He did look rather drawn, lying there.

“You green idiot!” she chided him, “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t well? I told you during the crystal messaging you looked tired. But you said you’d never felt better.”

“I thought I could handle it” was the rather lame answer.

“Well, that explains that anyway!” Kathy remarked

“Explains what?” asked a puzzled Tobe.

“Why you yourself forgot that you had told me about Alkani!, during that very same messaging.”

“I did? Oh Mother! I must really be mixed up.”

At this point Dr. Morgan leaned back, in. "Kathy, Tobermory, I’m sorry to intrude, but Mr. Channing says we will be landing shortly. I need to see you are secured, in case of rough entry.

65

Skoop’s Fingus took off, ignoring the irate calls of the landing pad, demanding his flight co-ordinates. Shaista was shaking with fear, and M’Kayla was starting to feel rather sorry for her.

“Skoop, you’re going to lose your pilot’s license,” Kal warned as the beeping continued. Skoop gave a quick tug on some wires, and the beeping stopped.

“Ooops. Comm malfuntion,” he shrugged. “We’ll reconnect once we get to…holy Bast!” he yelled. “That’s a VMC ship!”

Grav and Kal heaved sighs of relief. “I’ll reconnect the comm panel,” Kal said, and then Skoop began transmitting on a secure channel, coded in the Xavvian wedding rhythms.

“Are you hinting?” M’Kayla asked, with a sidelong glance at Grav, who cleared his throat nervously.

“Not unless you’re related,” Skoop said, concentrating on his flying. “Those are royal wedding tunes.”

M’Kayla giggled, as the Searcher responded.

66

ivylass, Skoop is a reptilian female, which of course doesn’t preclude her from using Xavvian exclamations, especially since she works around them a lot.

Skoop’s Fingus was strictly a planetary transport, not meant for space, or even really high flight, so it wasn’t able to meet up with Searcher in atmosphere.

Skoop manuevered the relatively tiny craft onto a different landing pad than that the Fingus had jumped off from, using her newly “repaired” comm unit. She could see an open topped port cart racing towards her vessel. As it drew closer she could see the faces of two irritated looking port officials

“Gentlemen,” she said to Grav and Kal, " We need to think up a good story fast."

Meanwhile, about a kilometer away, Searcher had landed. Having called ahead, Dr. Morgan and Kathy were preparing to accompany Tobermory, over his protests, to a Xavvian specialist’s clinic, for medical observation. “I don’t need any help” he grouched, “this will pass. Just leave me alone, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Like Hell I will” Kathy grouched back. I know enough about you to realize you just don’t do sick. Whatever this is, we’ll get you the help you need."

Dr. Morgan was reviewing some information sent ahead from the clinic. As she scrolled down her notepad, her eyebrows arched in surprise. She took a closer look at Tobermory’s eyes and checked his temperature, and asked his a couple of questions in a low voice. “Kathy, maybe we should do as Tobermory wants” she said.

“What?” Dr., you can’t be serious!"

“Mistress, my health is my business. I can to to the ‘vet’ by myself you know.”

Kathy felt a little hurt. “Tobe, it’s just that I was worried for you”

“I know, but just let me do this my way, will you, please? And right now, I think I see Jacob looking for you.”

She turned to go, with a suspicion of tears in her eyes.

Tag had reached the spaceport. He had witnessed, from a distance, the landing of the Searcherand his senses, having touched on those of Kathy, let him know she was aboard. ‘How to get closer?’ he wondered. ‘There must be a way.’

67

Tag’s current humanoid form was not so…odd… and peculiar as the one Shaista had dealt with. It was his favorite because it was the most useful, being able to fit into most types of humanoid clothing and space gear. He needed to get onto the field, and to do so in official uniform would make him less noticable.

There was a row of small shops to his left, selling useful and/or amusing items for travelers, a custom that seemed to span planets and centuries. After only a short time Tag saw a human that looked to be about his height, and dressed in an orange jumpsuit, go into a small shop selling inexpensive jewelry. Tag followed him, but as he arrived the young Xavvian proprietor began to lock the door.

“I’m sorry, we are closing” she said, but Tag blocked to door.

“You didn’t close for him!” hissed Tag.

As the human had disappeared into the back, the clerk explained. “He’s only here to pick up…Urk…” Tag had extruded two long claws from his left hand and they were now pressed into the side of the unlucky clerk.

“The longer we are out here the more chance I’ll be spotted, so if you do as I say I won’t kill you.” Frightened, the clerk walked Tag to the backroom, and found the customer using a loupe to examine a small, pink stone. He turned his head in annoyance at the disturbance. “Goaniav. I thought I said I was not to be dis…” Two more lengthy claws had extended themselves from Tag’s right hand and buried themselves and half of their fingers in the man’s eyes, reaching into his brain case as well. The unfortunate on dropped dead without all the blood that would have stained the victim’s clothing. The clerk, frozen in horror made no outcry as Tag denuded the body and dressed in it’s clothing. When finished he turned to the gasping clerk.

“I said I wouldn’t kill you, but I lied” he said, as he vented some pf his remaing frustration. Licking green blood from his sixth digit, Tag casually left the shop and headed out in the direction he had seen the human man comiing from.

68

I’ve been spending way too much time reading the SDMB lately. This is a notice that I hope to not be around as much.

69

Darn! Jeff, will you at least be around to help us finish the story, pretty please?

70

I still have nights & weekends to think of additions to the story line. :slight_smile:

71

M’Kayla quickly yanked the wires loose again from the comm panel, and stood with the others as port officials came striding up. Skoop, doing her usual slick talking, invited them to look inside her ship and investigate the comm panel for themselves.

“Fine,” the taller official said as he emerged from the vessel. “We will hold your ship here while your communications array is repaired. You will be fined for leaving space dock without a working comm array, and for not filing a flight plan. Furthermore, we are taking you all into custody for kidnapping.”

“Kidnapping?” M’Kayla cried out. “What are you talking about?”

“Shaista was reported missing by her supervisor when she did not report for her duty shift. Her quarters have been vandalized. We find her in your company, and from the looks of her,” Shaista half-heartedly wiped at the teartracks on her cheeks, “she did not go willingly.”

“Shaista, say something!” Kal demanded. “You came to us!”

Shaista shook her head miserably and kept silent. More security guards came at the female official’s gesture, and the group was taken inside the space dock.

I made two boo-boos with my last post. Skoop is female, not male, and M’Kayla should have been glancing at Kal, not Grav. Carry on.

72

Wicked plot twist ivylass! I like it.

In spite of his protests against it Dr. Morgan insisted that Tobermory not walk to the clinic. But he did refuse to recline, instead having the anti-grav pallet adjusted so that he could sit up and look around him.

“I am not an invalid, no matter what you might think” he railed at the doctor.

“I know you’re not, but at this point do you want Miss Swanson to know what’s really going on? This way is better, for appearances sake, and you are unstable, no matter your protests.”

“You’re the doctor” Tobe grumbled.

“That I am.”

As their little party moved through the terminal Tobermory saw the larger group of M’Kayla, Skoop, et al. Skoop did not know him, but Kal did and as his eyes met those of Tobermory he shook his head. Tobe was puzzled at the reaction, as the presence of security around them hadn’t registered at first. But then he saw more guards coming and noticed the straps on their wrists. “Oh frell, what now?” he whispered to himself. He waited until he was out of the building, then, closing his eyes, began a crystal communication with Kathy.

Kathy was surprised to hear from him in such a fashion. "Tobe, she said, “you can’t be more than a couple of kilometers away, what’s going on? You’'re not well, you shouldn’t strain yourself.”

“It’s a secure way to call, that’s why.” and he hurriedly explained what he had seen.

But secure to ordinary surveillance was, unfortuneately, not secure to everyone else. Tag felt the “transmission” too. “Close, oh so close” he breathed in anticipation.

73

The female official noticed Skoop was acting strangely. “Trying to hide something, eh?” She reached into one of Skoop’s pockets.

“I wouldn’t touch that,” said Skoop.

“Oh? And why not?” asked the official, holding a small shiny object with a few buttons.

“You’re liable to…” a series muffled explosions came from outside the dock “…too late.”

“What the frell was that?”

Skoop smiled. “You just woke up a security droid.”

74

I’m back!

I’ll try to find the continuity error and fix it when after I get some sleep. Not too many posts to catch up to, tho… What up, dawg? :slight_smile:

75

I see baker already fixed it. Now for a story post:

Being so close to the two beings “communicating,” Tag could finally look into what was puzzling him about the Human woman and her cat. (He chuckled to himself, enjoying his rude joke.)

Anyone passing by the gentleman sitting in the lounge wouldn’t have given him a second thought. He appeared to be a off world tourist, dressed nattily in the Cnetral Worlds style, and seemed to be quite absorbed by the old style book he was reading. Books have been coming into style among the wealthier of Central Worlders, as had faux-crystal jewelry.

But Tag was busy. Busy indeed. The patterns which lingered in non space around the Human woman showed several branches which indicated her amazing abilities. Amazing for a courrier, that is. He could see that she was awakening to her latent powers, but the tendrils of certain branches had the tel tale pattern of non use. She doesn’t even know she can shape shift and space jump herself! the creature realised with glee.

The machinery associated with her friends was disturbing, though it was nothing he couldn’t deal with as long as Wayre assisted him. Stil, the thought of machines (!) approaching the realm of Akakslag abilities was very troubling. Soon, he realised, he would have to deal with that buding branch of science. He had done quite well 3000 some odd years ago, discrediting such sciences as sensationalistic grandstanding by religionist scientists. The ruined carreers of several prominent researchers was almost as fun as the assasination of the entire Council, he remembered fondly.

Something about that damned Xavvian Tobermory, or qStant’Lit the Favoured (as he was properly titled to Xavvian royalty) was showing up… He is ill! the creature determined. He has been trying to augment his crystal capabilities. The fool. He will die. And I won’t get to chew on him at all. The taste of his blood is my right! Probing deeper, Tag could see exactly where Tobe had modified himself. How the Xavvian even knew to do that was yet one more troubling piece of this multidimensional puzzle.

A uniformed guard tok notice Tag’s being alone and came to offer him assitance in rejoining hs party. The droid problems were affecting the tourist industry and tptb didn’t want any more mishaps.

“May I help you, sir?” the guard asked pleasantly.

“Yes,” Tag answered, thinking quickly of a plan, “I have to meet a client at the Control, but I have forgotten my pass.”

Trusting him completely, and not being too bright to start with, the guard easily surrendered his own clearence chip. Tag left the book with the guard and headed into the restricted corridor nearest him.

Are you ready for me? You frelling cat! he tag said to himself, his movements as smooth and casual as could be to anyone taking notice of him.

Suddenly, Kathy recoiled in disgust. An almost physical dread threatened to overwhelm her.

76

Shaista returned to her room, mired in a complete depression now. She had declined to make a statement to the security officials about her “kidnapping,” claiming fatigue. She also ignored the messages from her supervisor, at first concerned, then shading into worry, and finally ending in frantic. Her stint as a medical student was over anyway.

She fell onto her ruined bed, her mind racing. She was right back where she started from, and she couldn’t even rescue her rescuers. Telling security there was no kidnapping would lead to even further questions, questions she would not dare to answer.

Her mind tried to stay away from the only obvious answer, but finally, after an hour or so of avoidance, she realized she only had no other choice.

Making sure her room was secure, she set up her communications array, retrieved from Skoop’s ship, and signaled Victor Channing. He would be none too pleased to hear from her.

But as the elder Channing’s face swam into view, eyebrows knitted in annoyance, she realized she did have a tiny advantage.

“Major? What is going on? You beg me for help, and then you disappear?”

“M’Kayla and her friends have been arrested for kidnapping. If you want my further assistance, you will help them immediately. Otherwise, I will contact—”

“Fine, fine, Major. There is no need for threats. Tell me the details and I will do everything in my power.”

“That’s not good enough. Once I hear from them, from your own communication module, then, and only then, will I continue working for you. You have two hours.”

77

Victor Channing snorted in disgust as he broke the link with Shaista. Perhaps her shouldn’t have used her after all. But despite her “threats” he wasn’t too worried about what she could reveal, after all, he knew things about her as well.

But there was no time for that now, some people of his needed help. Putting through a call to the port authorities on Sevastol himself, he used his name and influence to get right to the top of the bureaucratic food chain. Speaking with Voniaxav and the head of Security in a three-way conference, he arranged the release of the M’Kayla/Skoop party. He didn’t even have to mention legal action in response to the flimsy charges, just that a VMC R&D faccility, which had been in the planning stages for Sevastol, had been offered a deal that sounded sweeter, by authorities on Nenia 4.

His executive assistant had already set up a call to Searcher, getting things straightened out there. The elder Channing even called the clinic that was Tobermory’s destination, after learning of his collapse, and impressed on them the *importance * of their upcoming guest. “God” he siad to himself. “It feels good to lean on people sometimes.”

Skoop, M’Kayla, Kal, Grav, and the rest, were relieved at their release, but annoyed it had taken so long. They knew the evidence against them had a million holes, even with Shaista’s lack of response, but to be treated like common criminals was disgusting. Kal was particularly angry. It hadn’t felt good to keep his temper in check, but if he’d been difficult he might have been seperated from M’Kayla. She was starting to droop a little from the stress, as in spite of good medical treatment she had been injured.

Granthiaxav was also fuming. “How dare they treat someone like me in that fashion?” he raged. “I’m a Firstborn! I have rank on this planet. Those pouchless, Motherless, frelling…” and he continued to fume.

Skoop herself was not in as bad a mood, as she spoke with M’Kayla. “I’m not even going to face those bad flying charges. Apparently Victor Channing mentioned spreading the word about some of the security problems that the ‘paradise planet’ has been having, to other businesspeople he knows, and even the other disabled couriers like youself.”

“That reminds me” said M’Kayla. Their party had nearly left the building, to be transferred to Searcher, but she turned and walked back to Voniaxav. Looking him right in the eye, she drew back and slugged him right on his jaw. "You knew!"she crid, “You knew about the other couriers and their crystals, but you didn’t warn us!” Voniaxav tried to make an apology, but M’Kayla wasn’t having it. “My crystal is still dead!” she snarled. Getting hold of herself she turned and walked slowly back to the rest of the party, head held high, and feeling a little better.

Victor Channing Jr. had come from Searcher, to guide them all and their gear back to the ship. As the transports neared the vessel he said “After recent events I figured we would be safer together, than split up. Unless you have other pressing business you are all welcome. We could be a bit crowded but things should shake down.” A couple of Skoop’s assistants elected to go home, but the rest stayed.

Jacob Kenezr met Victor Jr as soon as he arrived, giving him the news that now Kathy was feeling peaky. “What next” he wondered to himself, as he walked to the bridge to make that call that would be relayed to that foolish Shaista.

If it wouldn’t have made him conspicuous Tag would have howled in frustration. He kept getting so close to his goal, but always something happened to interfere with his plans. He saw the party already heading out for their ship, but to approach them now would be too conspicous. However, having a keen eye for detail he noted that neither Shaista or Tobermory was with the group. Which one to choose? he wondered.

78

Shaista’s comm unit chimed, and she answered. She was relieved to see that it was Victor Channing Sr. facing her.

“I took care of your guilty conscience for you” he said. “They’ve been released and charges have been dropped. I didn’t do anything for you however. The authorities may not be too happy about the fact you didn’t speak up with the truth, and caused them trouble.”

Shaista was relieved. “Do you have the relay so I can speak to them? There are some other things they need to know, from me.”

“You would do better to speak to them face to face for once. I didn’t do the relay, but here is the code for Searcher, the ship they will be on. You’d better call soon and get it over with.”

"Just a moment, Mr. Channing, and I will call. And as I promised I will continue to…excuse me, someone’s at my door, I’ll be, Oh frell, NO! she screamed.

Shaista lunged out of view of the comm pickup. Victor thought he heard more screaming, but could see nothing, then the screen at his end went blank.

“What’s she up to know?” he wondered, mentally rolling his eyes.

79

On the other end, a very frightened Shaista was confronted by the almost continuous shape shifting figure of the creature Tag.

“You have broken the contract,” he slithered, “And now I shall break you.”

“Please no! No! I’ll do what you want, I wasn’t thinking, it’s not my fault, I needed your help, please don’t hurt me…” she whimpered.

“To late, darling Shaista. You will be broken and the Wayre will inhabit you. You’ll still be alive, of course, but no longer will you have any free will.” He paused. His constant shape shifting focused on one form. “Of course, you could do something for me,” this new form said as a fearsome appendage between his legs began to swell. Tag removed the tourist clothing allowing Shaista to see what he had in mind.

“Oh… no. Please. PLEASE! I won’t. You can’t, I’m not built that way…” He advanced on her relentlessly, " PLEASE NO!"

In her stateroom, Kathy again felt the wave of almost physical revulsion. She was sure of its non space origin this time. But, by focusing on it, she could sense that it was not concerning any of her friends. Still, someone was being hurt. Physically, emotionally, religiously, non spatially.

How anyone could be affected on all planes like that confused her. But soon, she realised what was happening. Someone close by was having their very being, their soul if you will, raped. And the destruction of the person attacked was a complete destruction. There is no surviving this kind of crime. Not in any real sense anyways.

Kathy’s anger and compassion overwhelmd her and she collapsed to the deck, howling in rage and pain.

Every courrier on the planet, including Tobermory in his weakend state, felt the outpouring of rage mixed with compassion. Suddenly, everyone was trying to talk over non space at once.

A batle droid, keyed to react to unusual non space traffic, was awakended from its dormant state. Searching with its advanced circuitry, it soon decided on a course and speed.

Leaving the room, Tag turned back to his former employee.

“Do you understand what I need you to do?” he asked.

The Shaista figure responded, “Yes.Wayre will do what it must. You will have your meeting with this Human.”

“Good,” he said, and shifted back into a nondescript Human form.

“Good.”

He smiled and left.

Yes. It WAS good. VERY good indeed…

80

Of course it wasn’t only couriers that experienced Kathy’s “broadcast”. Those aboard Searcher were shocked at the tone of her angry, desperate keening.
It made them want to clap their hands over their ears, to shut out the sound. Jacob and Martel, being couriers, were temporarily stunned into inaction, so it was Victor Channing who was first to reach her, overriding the lock on her door.

Kathy was now kneeling on the floor, leaning on the edge of her bunk with her hands tearing at her bright red hair. “No…you can’t…make it stop…don’t kill” she was moaning.

Victor went down on the floor beside her and grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face him. He was shocked at the empty and helpless look of her, for he knew her to be a woman of unusual strength and determination. “Kathy, can you hear me? Whatever it is, we will help you deal with it! Let it go for now!” We’re here! I’m here!"

She stared blankly at him, as if seeing him for the first time, then, throwing her arms around him in a grip who’s strength surprised Victor, she began to cry more naturally, as a child seeking consolation and refuge. He let the storm pass over, occasionally murmuring “it’s okay, it’s okay”, and waving off M’Kayla, who had brought a sedative. M’Kayla’s crystal was still dormant, but she still had the sensitivity to realize something extraordinary was happening to Kathy.

Finally Kathy wound down. She released her clutch on Victor’s arms(there would be bruises later), and tried to rise. But she didn’t have the strength, and so Victor picked her up and laid her gently on top of her bunk. He had never had any real psi talent but… somehow… he felt she needed women around her, so he let M’Kayla and Skoop come forward now. He turned to go, but as he did Kathy’s hand clutched at his sleeve. He looked down at her. “Thank you” she whispered simply, and closed her eyes.

Later, when Jacob and Martel were over their shock, they , along with M’Kayla, Grav, Skoop, Kal and Victor gathered in Searcher’s galley, to eat and discuss what had happened. Kathy was still in her cabin, in a deep sleep that the med tech assured them was now natural.

“Capt. Petrie told me that when Kathy started making all that “noise” his comm units started going crazy.” said Victor. “Whatever she was feeling, or making felt, it reached into non-space as well.”

Jacob, as always intrigued by new crystal phenomena, asked “You mean this event had physical results that could be measured?”

“All the captain knows is that for a period both regular and our own non-space lines indicated they were ‘busy’. Indicators were off the charts, and we couldn’t have made a call on planet if we had wanted to, but things seem to have returned to normal now.”

“Skoop and I aren’t sure what happened” said M’Kayla. “Kathy couldn’t talk much, she was so drained.”

Skoop reminded her “Just before she dropped off she said ‘she’s gone, she’s dead’, pity her,’”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Grav.