Night terrors and other drama

Posted on Sat Dec 29th, 2018 @ 7:50am by Lieutenant Danica Kovitz

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Anya Neeze’s Quarters
Timeline: en route
3147 words - 6.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Danica was racing through the hallways of the USS Grissom. There was no time to lose. She knew the core was going to breach somehow. She didn’t know how, but she was certain. The doors to engineeeing flew open, but the breach seemed to already have happened. Everything was scorched. There were small fires still burning, but one pile caught her attention. As she approached, she came to the horrible realization. It was a body. Nadine, one of the Engineers.

“Oh no,” Dani said in fright. “Nadine, no no no.”

But the woman replied, causing Dani to almost leap from her skin. “Why? Why didn’t you save us Dani?”

The blonde scientist recoiled. “W-What? I tried, it was just too fas-“

“Why didn’t you save us, Dani!” The charred woman’s voice sounded like gravel. “You left is! Abandoned us! We’re dead because of you and you think you get to just keep living?!” The room was suddenly full of the charred bodies of the entire Grissom crew, all approaching her. “No. You are going to stay here with us!”

—

Danica awoke kicking and screaming, certain the specters were upon her. It took her a moment to realize there actually was someone there, saying something in a normal human voice.

Beside her on the bed, Anya sat with her hand on Dani's shoulder, stirring her awake. "You're dreaming, it's not real." The cabin was illuminated by a reddish hue, as from a fire, that was easy on the eyes but still allowed them to see.

Dani’s breathing was rapid and unsteady. She’d woken from one strange vision into another. It took her a second to realize that the room she was in wasn’t on fire. Anya’s face became recognizable a moment later. “What’s...oh. Oh god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to wake you.” She reflexively grabbed the hand on her shoulder and held it, as if to steady herself.

"Don't worry about it, it's alright", Anya said. "I know you've been through some tough shit." Everybody knew. "You're on the Elysium, you're safe now." She said what she thought one should say. She didn't actually know what would make someone feel better, she had never been in a similar situation and wasn't one of the most empathetic or sensitive people around.

“Right,” Dani said, trying to catch her breath. “Right.” She sat up. The form fitting t-shirt she’d worn to bed was soaked in sweat, causing it to literally cling to her now slightly cold form. ‘Great, now she’ll think I’m gross.’ Dani chided herself. She wasn’t exactly making a good impression on her cute new roommate. “Was I screaming? Because my throat feels like I was.”

"Mumbling, squirming", Anya said. "I'm a light sleeper." She offered a smile, barely visible in the reduced light conditions. "It's almost 0600, I don't know if it'll be worth going back to sleep at this point. We could start the day on a strong coffee."

“Yeah, I think that works for me,” Dani felt a little self conscious and pulled the blanket to cover herself a little more. “I’m sorry. I thought I was past these dreams. Waking you up was the last thing I wanted to do.”

"It's not your fault, all right?" Anya said. She figured she'd been told that a number of times, by different people. Based on what she'd heard Dani say during the dream, at least the woman's subconscious didn't seem to believe that quite yet. She got up and said, "Computer, increase lights, gradually." Then, with the push of two buttons on the replicator, her pre-programmed morning selection of coffee appeared twice, and she returned to the bed to hand Dani her mug.

Dani’s blonde and red hair hung messily around her face. While Anya’s back was to her, she tried to finger comb her hair into a more flattering style, with limited success. She reached out and took the mug, draping the blanket around her shoulders. “Thank you. Did I happen to say anything specific?”

"You mentioned a name. Nadya, or Nadira, hard to make out", Anya said, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. "And that you tried. I'm assuming you tried to prevent the breach?" Anya didn't mind Dani looking messy. It was to be expected. Nothing coffee couldn't cure, she figured.

“Nadine,” Dani nodded. “She was one of our Engineers. We were close, but she was even younger than me. A fresh graduate of the Academy. We had a bit of a big sister, little sister vibe.” Dani sipped the coffee, enjoying its warmth. “Back during the real breach, it happened without warning. There was never a chance to save anyone. But the dream starts me before the breach took place. I tried to stop it, but...”

"You've got a hard case of survivor's guilt, don't you?" Anya said. "Might not be very comforting right now but it does pass. You need to really believe you couldn't have done any better than you did, though."

“I think I actually know that. I tell myself that during the day. But then I close my eyes, and there they all are. I see her face. Or Liam’s. And the words they say are... cutting, to say the least. I guess that means it’s really my own brain saying them. But I don’t know where in my head those thoughts hide. All I know is I wake up cold and alone and the last thing my brain wants to process is that it’s not my fault.” Dani took a large sip. “I’m not really sure what will help me past it. Other than time, I guess.”

"Well, I'll wake you up as often as needed", Anya offered. She didn't think there was anything else to do. She was no counsellor. "I can listen, but don't expect any insight from me." She pointed to the table. "Breakfast?"

“Sure,” the blonde said with a slight laugh. “Not that into addressing emotions head on, huh?” Dani teased her with a playful pat on the shoulder.

"Not particularly good at it", Anya admitted. "Unless I know you a lot better than having a brief chat about skinny dipping and modelling, that is." She shrugged apologetically. "You know, I did join security for a reason." She stood and offered Dani a hand, that was something she was good at.

Danica took it, rising to her feet. “I can respect that. Maybe we should get to know each other better then. We are sharing a room after all.”

"I'd like that", Anya agreed. "Goodness, you're soaked. Are you sure you won't catch a cold?" From the looks of things, Dani wasn't feeling warm, at least. Anya smirked. "Not your worst look, though, I'm sure."

Dani laughed self-consciously, trying to cover up a little, though the compliment didn’t go unnoticed. “I was hoping you hadn’t noticed. I think the dream really has me worked up. But yeah, I am a bit cold...and this shirt is supposed to leave a bit more to the imagination.” She tried to loosen it up subtly.

"Too late, I'm afraid", Anya grinned.

“A bit uneven if you ask me,” Danica said, only briefly assessing Anya’s outfit.

"You think so?" Anya wondered, inspecting her more closely. "I mean, we all are, to one degree or another, but you don't look all that uneven to me. What am I missing?"

“Hey, there.” The blonde could help but roll her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I’m just saying, you’ve got me at a disadvantage. I prefer an even exchange.”

At least it had her thinking about something else. "Before breakfast? Dream on." Anya retrieved more items from the replicator. Blueberry-flavoured kefir, a salmon and smoked cheese sandwich with a liberal amount of lettuce, and tea.

“Alright, breakfast first.” Dani winked at her. She was feeling better already. Anya was better at this than she thought. Dani retrieved her own breakfast. A berry infused stack of waffles, bacon, and an assorted fruit bowl. Her own glass of tea came a second later. She settled down at the table, across from Anya.

"So, what did you do before you were involved in that mess?" Anya asked. She stuffed her mouth with food, chewing while listening. She realised she knew nothing about her house guest, except the bare basics. And bare other things, but that wasn't too polite, was it?

“Before the Grissom, I was stellar cartography and planetary sciences officer on the Bozeman. I’ve been doing a lot of basic surveys of Federation space. The Grissom was our first big mission. Honestly, that’s what’s exciting about the Elysium. You guys actually go to new places. It gives me a chance to actually see something new, not just retread the same old ground.” She took a small bite, before continuing. “What about you? Serve anywhere before Elysium?”

"Lots of places", Anya said. "All of them were assigned close to the border, but still in known space. Convoy escort, patrols, quick response units, the like. "But I've only been in for five years, before that I was a civilian on various ships. I wasn't actually allowed to join in any of the fun then."

“Well, it’s nice our paths got to pass each other then,” Dani said, eating as she listened.

"Don't start with the ships passing in the night stuff", Anya laughed. "Oh, but that reminds me. What does one tectonic plate say to the other has they bump into each other? 'Not my fault!'" She giggled, expecting a groan, maybe even a smack upside the head. "There's just too much friction between us."

Dani shot her a very teasing glance at the joke, but she just kept eating. In truth, she’d barely avoided cracking up. “So what do you do for fun, Anya?”

"I fight. I've got holodeck programmes, historical for the most part. Got a new one set in the Lord of the Rings universe, something about a quest for a lost gemstone. Have yet to try it out, though."

Lord of the Rings, huh? She wondered how much of this situation Estelle had planned. “I’m actually reading Lord of the Rings, believe it or not. So you’ll need to show me that program some time.” Dani wasn’t above following someone else’s lead, especially if it was headed where she hoped.

"Love to!" Anya beamed. She was hoping for company, especially pleasant one. "Are you up for anything active yet?" It would be physically demanding. "We could start after our shifts, if you like?"

“The Doctor said I should be good, as long as I don’t do heavy lifting. Physical activity should be fine, and I can use a bow.” Dani smiled, mentally marking to thank the doctor later.

"It's a date, then!" Anya replied enthusiastically. "A ranger is always good to have by my side. I just hope I won't get shot in the butt again."

“No need to worry your little butt. I’m a pretty decent shot.” Dani said with a wink.

"Good. I kinda like the nickname 'Toasty Buns' for the phaser burn, but with an arrow... I don't want any anal penetration jokes at my expense, really."

“Toasty Buns can be kinda cute. But I can’t think of a fun arrow related version,” Dani said with a laugh, before finishing her waffle. “By the way, who did the bun toasting?”

"One of the hijackers", Anya said. "I was dashing past a gap between two consoles to get to a better firing position and it didn't work."

Dani nodded. Phasers moved a bit faster than people. “Well, I’m glad they didn’t do any lasting damage.”

"They were trying to kill us", Anya said. "I got lucky in that it was but a glancing blow, and the phaser wasn't set up high enough to actually damage the equipment, as they still wanted to use it."

“I’ve been lucky enough to avoid getting shot at too often. I haven’t been hit yet and I’m not exactly looking forward to it,” Dani said as she chased the last bit of syrup on the plate.

"I don't worry about it too much", Anya shrugged. "Comes with the territory. That's like having a doctor who says she hates the sight of blood."

“Avoiding phaser fire is one of the luxuries of the sciences", Dani said, getting up to place her plate back in the replicator. She took a look at the time, she might as well get ready for her shift. She had the replicator produce a towel. “I’m going to take a shower quick, but you can keep talking. I’m going to take advantage of the holoemitters and use some water!”

"Yes, those things have made us decadent fairly quickly, haven't they?" Anya laughed. "Let me know when you're done, I want one myself."

“It’s just more fun that way! Plus it’s holograms, so it’s not as wasteful as a real shower.” Dani headed over into the bathroom, beginning to peel her shirt off before ducking out of view. “Computer, activate one water shower on 30 second delay. Water temperature moderate heat.” A small stack of clothes appeared in the doorway just as the sounds of water began. “God this is lovely! It’s been so long since I’ve had a shower like this.”

Anya proceeded to clear the table. This lifestyle was great, she had to admit. She just hoped they'd not run out of power some day. It made her think about that colony they were going to help. People would be in a surly mood with all their creature comforts taken away, even if just for a little while. They'd be worried about not smelling nice enough and embarrassing themselves with the people around them, and they'd learn an entirely new feeling: hunger. It wasn't going to be fun, that particular assignment.

Dani peaked her soaked head out from around the corner. She’d forgotten some of the logistics of luxuries. The Grissom had been an older vessel and its amenities had been rather spartan. “Hey, can you toss me a hair tie from my bag? I forgot how much your hair gets in the way like this.“

"Sure", Anya said, then proceeded to rummage about in Dani's possessions. It didn't take her long to find. "There you go", she grinned, tossing it in her direction. 'Officers', she thought, 'not the best organisers.'

“Perfect, thanks.” Dani said, ducking back out of view. “So tell me more about this holoprogram. I want to start planning my outfit.”

"It's a high fantasy setting", Anya said, undressing and tossing her used clothes in the replicator, waiting for the shower to be vacant. "So there are magic swords, and you can have perks for your character that boost your abilities, such as you might be able to hear things you otherwise can't. But most of it is just classic style adventuring. Hiking, solving riddles, fighting off ambushes, just with the dull bits of hours of walking cut out."

“That sounds awesome. I’m definitely going for a short bow. I’ll figure out exact details of my costume in the meantime. Cape could be fun, if it doesn’t get in the way.” Dani turned off the water, wrapping herself in the towel as she exited. She nearly dropped it in surprise at Anya though, as she felt her face flush. She didn’t know where to look. She knew where she wanted to look, but she was doing her best to be respectful. She wasn’t being very successful. Her voice came out startled amid nervous laughter. “Oh! I... had I known, you probably could have just taken the rest of the shower for yourself.”

"I actually prefer the sonic shower, especially in the mornings", Anya said, perfectly comfortable in her own skin. "Saves me from having to get into my uniform all damp and steamy." She squeezed past Dani into the bathroom, as the other woman was apparently still getting used to things. She turned on the sonic shower and revelled in it. It was so much more thorough, she felt.

“That’s a fair point,” Dani said, collecting her clothes pile and moving over to the bed. She had promised not to leave clothing piles after all. “I probably won’t make a habit of using the water. It was just a nice break from the monotony.” She didn’t feel as comfortable as Anya, not by a long shot. ‘I suppose I did say she’d have to even the playing field.’ Dani thought. She began toweling off. Once done, she decided to take inspiration from Anya, casting the towel aside on the bed as she rummaged through her bag for her uniform.

It took Anya only a fraction of the time for her morning routine, returning to replicate a fresh uniform. She had three in storage, to be prepared for certain replicator rationing or other reasons for power consumption restrictions, but as it was, she left those where they were, safely stored where they couldn't collect dust. "This is better, you're getting the hang of it", she commented. 'And not bad either', she thought.

“I won’t pretend it feels natural, but I had good motivation,” Dani said, looking over her shoulder with a wink. She kept her back to Anya. She could preserve a little mystery. At least for now. “Besides, as I said, I like a fairly even exchange.” Her eyes followed Anya, but only for a moment.

As Anya got dressed, she said, "So as soon as you've got officer quarters, I can come crash with you?"

‘Oh?’ Dani thought. Had she caught her attention or was this just asking Dani to return the favor. “I think that’d only be fair. You let me crash here after all.” Dani started getting dressed herself, still keeping her back to Anya. “Of course, there’s only going to be the one bed.”

"I didn't think that would be a problem for you", Anya teased. Not based on observation, it wouldn't be. "Just don't kick in your sleep."

‘That would not be a problem.’ A broad smile spread across Dani’s face as she pinned the badge to her uniform. That was a bit more concrete. “I think I can agree to that.”

"Looking good", Anya said, referring to the fresh, undamaged combadge. She had to admit, Dani was one fit girl, especially for a science officer, and the uniform suited her just fine.

“Why thank you,” Danica replied. “You’re looking pretty sharp yourself.”