One of these things is not like the other - part 3

Posted on Sat Dec 3rd, 2022 @ 4:03am by Lieutenant Myne Redal & Captain Gary Taylor
Edited on on Mon Dec 5th, 2022 @ 6:06pm

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Deck 14 - Holodeck 4
Timeline: Prior to current mission
2741 words - 5.5 OF Standard Post Measure

//ON//

~~ Previously, on the USS Elysium ~~

"Well, hold on there goatboy. Deerboy? Ah right, cowboy! I used to be a xenoarcheologist. And you Humans were not on our radar when I was the host. So indulge me a few curiosities before we go to sleep. We are in no danger from this nanny program in any case!"

~~ And now... ~~

Morning light shone upon her eyes, chasing away the last vestiges of sleep. She felt strangely rested, though a bit worried. What happened last night? Did she black out again? Did she dream Gary? Maybe it had all been a really trippy, weird dream. Everything that happened had felt surreal in any case, it had to be a dream.

Opening her eyes she saw Captain Taylor. "Sooooo, not a dream." Myne sighed out loud and tried to move her legs and hands. "Yep, totally not a dream. Greeeat. Heya Captain! Happy seeing you here. You aren't tied up as well I hope?"

After talking with Naril about Humans and all things dealing with Humans, Gary had fallen into a dreamless sleep. A sleep that was now being interrupted by incessant chattering. Slowly opening his eyes, he was greeted to the sight of Myne lying a few feet from him, looking at him. "Morning Myne. Welcome back. No, I am not tied up. That seems to be an honor singularly reserved for you. How do you feel?"

"Erm... not the kind of honor I am looking for. Thank you Captain, for coming. As for how I feel? Tied up and with a epic headache. Did I do something or anything last night?" She asked and rolled to the side to look at Gary. "Another Myne blunder, hopefully this one remains contained."

"No, I imagine it isn't." Gary sadly agreed. "As for coming, of course you asked me to come, I wouldn't refuse you." He paused as Myne rolled onto her side to look at him. "I suppose that is about the only way you could feel. Sorry about the headache." He smiled and shook his head from side to side. "No blunder at all. It was very informative.... I spoke with Naril."

Myne went pale in a second as she heard Naril's name. "Oooh fudge. You didn't eat or drink anything he offered, right? Wait, there's no food around. That wouldn't stop him though." Myne seemed lost in thought for a moment before remembering that Gary is there. "I apologize for anything I might have done while I allowed that part of me to, erm, run amock sir."

Gary shook his head from side to side, "Nothing to apologize for Myne. I found him to be very open, very informative. Yes., easy to see he is a joker. We had some interesting conversations but there is nothing you have to apologize for or explain or be embarrassed over. He was for the most part well behaved even if he did want me to write a funny message on your forehead with a black marker. Relax, I didn't. Wouldn't do something like that to you."

Looking away, she sighed. "Yeah, he is kind of a trickster. Well intentioned, but there's always some annoying price to pay for his help." She paused and looked at Gary with clear worrying her eyes. "Sir, what did..." Myne felt a uneasy sense of trouble creeping in.

"What did he tell you sir?" She asked only to suddenly open her eyes out as she worked through Gary's short briefing. "Wait, draw something on my forehead? Sir, boss, please, you have to tell me what he wanted to write! It can be potentially important!"

Gary looked at Myne lying across from him tied securely hand and foot until they found the wizard, but it wasn't so much that she was physically helpless but also a sort of helplessness that she wasn't in control. "Myne, please relax. Don't stress over it. We have other things to worry about." His eyes go to her tightly tied wrists and ankles. "He didn't tell me anything, I promise you. he said it in passing, that it would be funny and that Garrett, correction Super Garrett would have done it. Called me a party pooper." Gary smiled as he remembered.

Myne narrowed her eyes and stared at Gary with little to no amusement in her expression. Behind her, she tried tentatively to free her hand as she spoke. "Sir, Captain Taylor, this is not funny. I know what I am doing whenever I let any of my other past selves memories take over. But not Naril. You have to tell me what he said and what he wanted to write. It is important hu... sir." She stopped herself because referring to her superior officer as just Human.

Gary saw Myne narrow her eyes, knew she was serious but so was he. "Myne, I promise you; he didn't give me any specific message to write or leave for you. It was said in passing and we moved on to other topics." He hoped Myne didn't think he was blowing her off. There was simply nothing else to add to what he had told her.

"For the love of whatever you Earthlings are praying to this century. Try to remember Human!" Myne angrily spat out, clearly taking Gary's response as him blowing her off. "Naril always leaves a message. I know this might confound you and your short lived, Earth centric and obsessive Terran beliefs, but I've been alive for longer than your people have been traveling the stars. So drop the funnyman act and tell me what Naril has said. If he thought it was important to come forth, then he had something to say!"

Myne's words were biting and angry, with a look to match. And she was looking at Gary and scolded him as if she only saw a child instead of the executive officer of powerful ship like the Elysium. What is more she was straining hard to free her hands and feet from her bindings. Being so utterly helpless in all regards was frustrating and infuriating.

Gary stared at Myne as she snapped at him, her words were cold and angry. As if she were speaking to a child. Up until now, he had been amazed at how calm she had been given her current situation, but she was calm no longer. Myne was downright angry, and he couldn't blame her for being pissed at being tied up. He saw she her lying there, straining hard and vainly against the ropes that held her so tightly. He watched as she brought her bound ankles up and tried to grasp the ropes holding them together. Her fingers clawed and fluttered uselessly in the air but got nowhere close to the knots at her ankles.

"Myne, I'm telling you, he came forth because he said you needed a rest. He also said, as I told you earlier that I was a party pooper and the Garrett would have written on your forehead.'' He finished as Myne continued to struggle against her ropes.

Myne was still struggling against her ropes and muttering angrily. "I swear I am sick and tired of Humans and their..." She stopped suddenly and stared at Gary with gaping, wide opened mouth. "Oh, ooooh crap. The Garrett would have written io my forehead?!" All anger seemed to just wash away from her as she started to laugh, hysterically almost.

"By the stars, of course. Naril you accursed trickster. Don't you see hu... Captain? Super Garrett is here. The whole set up, the damsel in distress, the comic relief companion, this is like a Super Garrett episode. I should know, I made the vast majority of them!!"

Chuckling and giving Gary a super wide smile, she looked apologetically. "Aaaany chance you were deaf suddenly in the past few minutes or suffer from a sudden bout of amnesia sir?"

Gary looked at Myne as she suddenly stopped her struggles (which were getting her nowhere) and lay still, she was still held firmly in the ropes grasp. She told him that Super Garrett was here, that this was like a Super Garrett episode.

He shook his head in disbelief but it somehow all made sense. "A Super Garrett episode? You are obviously the damsel in distress. It's why your PaDD said for us to find the wizard. Only then would you be free."

He gave her a bright smile of his own. "You know I must have zoned out because I can't remember hearing anything you said in the last few minutes up until right now. Strange how that happened." He looked at her again, "You okay now? I mean I know you don't like being tied up."

Looking away grateful and embarrassed, Myne nodded gratefully. "Thank you Captain, sir." Rolling onto her back, the young Trill sighed and looked up at the sky. "If only it were as easy as singing the Captain Garrett theme song, and have him fly in to save the day."

"And yes boss, I am alright. Being tied up brings back memories. Erm, rather terminal memories. Somehow in the history of the Galaxy, no one thought to use rope to tie people up for fun activities. Rope would be quite useful in the bedroom, I am fairly sure of it." Myne mumbled completely oblivious.

Gary watched and listened as Myne rolled onto her back and said she was fine and if singing the Super Garrett theme song to bring him here to free her, she would do it. "Don't think it is going to be that easy Myne. I think we have to actively search for the wizard." Her comment about being tied up brought back memories and it made him curious. "Um care to elaborate Myne? Whatever you say, stays between us."

Hesitation and concern was written on her face as she turned her head to face Gary for a short moment. Before of course returning to stare at the sky. With a sigh and a shrug, Myne stalled for time a little bit. "So sad things are easy as singing a song. You'll have to carry me most likely sir."

"As for your question. Naril died hanged for being a sky demon by a primitive tribe during one of his expeditions. Luckily, there was another Trill on the expedition. And the other time I am not really eager to share sir. Some of the things I have done in my previous incarnations are things that cannot be shared with a Starfleet officer."

"Myne, I had no idea about Naril. I am so sorry I like him." Gary said honestly and simply. He didn't push her to explain or divulge what had happened with pasts hosts, he respected her right to privacy. "As you wish Myne, I won't push you." He smiled as he said his next. "If I have to carry you, I will, and you know why? Because you ain't heavy, you're my sister and we are in this together. Not only as crewmates but I like to think as friends as well and friends help friends."

"Yeah, I like him too. He's the fun part of me." She commented as she looked at Gary with a strange new expression. One bordering on vulnerability, hope and genuine happiness. "Sister? Do I have to call you big bro now sir?" She chuckled and smiled warmly. "Thank you... Gary." Myne spoke his name in a strange manner, as if afraid of offending him or breaking protocol, while at the same time eager to be able to say it.

"You were kind to me from the moment came aboard, and I like you too. A good man, that is what you are Gary. And I am happy and grateful to be your friend. So yes, friend Gary, you can carry me." Chuckling again, Myne sighed a bit and looked a tad embarassed. "Also, you shouldn't have seen Naril. That is not how us Trill work normally. I just did something that it is frowned upon. Well, I might have abused it a bit honestly."

"You can call me Gary; you can call me brother. I am your friend and will always be your friend. I thank you for the compliment, I think you are a compassionate and caring woman, and it is my honor to have you as a friend." He said sincerely. "As for seeing Naril, I won't tell anyone your secret is safe. Just like i won't say anything about you being tied up. It is no one else's business." He stopped and smirked at her. "Well sis, what if I don't want to carry you." He teased, "What are you going to do?" He was curious if Myne would call his bluff and wait for him to pick her up or stop hopping in any direction she picked just to show him, she'd do it.

"You got it big bro boss!" Myne giggled and blushed at the assault of compliments laid upon her. "Thank you Gary. This would be a embarrassment hard to live down." Looking up at him with a raised eyebrow, she shook her head. "If you won't carry me, then I guess I'll have to roll after you and trip you! Rolling Myne for the win!"

Gary chuckled at Myne's statement. He was glad she was handling this as well as she was. He shook his head, "No, no rolling for you. I'll carry you and we'll find the wizard and get you free." He said determinedly. He walked over and bent down to gently help her to stand and make sure she didn't topple over, bound as she was. "Before we get started, any idea in which direction to go?"

"Not the wizard, but Super Garrett! Come on Garyman, savior of the downtrodden! Carry me to freedom!" Myne said confidently as Gary helped her up. Then after looking around for a few moments she nodded confidently. "I am extremely confident that I have absolutely no idea! Pick a random direction and walk? In theory we are in the same limited space of the holofeck after all."

"Right, Super Garrett." Gary answered nodding his head. "Garyman? I like it." He said smiling. "Well, at least your confident." He teased. He looked around, "West, we'll go west and for absolutely no reason at all." He told Myne as he prepared to pick her up. "Ready to find Super Garrett via Taylor moving where our motto is When you have absolutely nowhere to go and no idea of where you are going or when will get there."

"Garyman seems fitting. A spinoff series of the Super Garrett universe. I can already see the Garyman mythos forming. A d yss, Garyman gives me confidence!" Myne chuckled as Gary started to rhyme. This triggered Myne to start singing as well, a tune from Earth's ancient history.

Go West, Life is peaceful there,
Go West, In the open air,
Go West, Baby you and me,
Go West, This is our destiny,
Go West, Sun in wintertime,
Go West, We will do just fine,
Go West, Where the skies are blue,
Go West, this is what we're gonna do.

"Hey not complaining at all! It is nice you say I give you confidence, but I think you've had it all along." Gary returned as he bent and gently scooped Myne into his arms and started to walk as she sang. He soon joined in singing.

Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam
Where the dear and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard, a discouragin' word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Home, home on the range
Where the dear and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard, a discouragin' word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
How often at night, when the heavens are bright,
With the lights from the glitterin' stars,
Have I stood here amazed, and asked as I gazed
If their glory exceeds that of ours?
Oh, give me a land, where the bright diamond sand
Flows leisurely down the stream
Where the graceful white swan goes gliding along
Like a maid in a heavenly dream
Then, I would not exchange my home on the range
Where the dear and the antelope play

And their search continued.

~~ To be continued ~~


//OFF//

Captain Gary Taylor
Executive Officer
USS Elysium

&

Lieutenant Myne Redal
Assistant Chief Operations Officer
USS Elysium

 

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