Redirecting Energy

[tasha_yar]

It's been a few days since she was twelve. And Lucy thinks this place is boring.

The reports have been made and filed. Most of the reunions she sought out have happen. The most memorable one was pure chaos. Maybe she should have expected that?

No, you really don't expect to be twelve twice. Especially not while in the quarters of you best friend. Who got displaced between his bridge shift ending and entering his quarters. Who now has a daughter. Who collapsed in your arms earlier in the day.

Strength enough to bend par-steel, but likely held back by the Laws of Robotics, and she felt helpless.

Yar has always had a duty to the helpless. Even more than that, she's a sweet kid.

The buzzer to Lal's quarters chimes.

Comments

[tasha_yar]

What brief bits she does catch makes her stomach lurch.

Casinos? Only being know - truly known - by a few like-minded souls? Paranoia? Imprisonment? And she's seen the night life on Orion, thank you very much. She's seen, and heard, enough.

What the hell could ever make him into that?

She gets up and re-enters the ring. As she turns, just like that, Lal can see the shift. The warm welcoming woman she's been talking to condensed into herself and becomes ice. Ice too cold and slippery to hold onto and sharp enough to kill.

"You don't." Her tone slices through the air like a scythe. "If your fits are about panic and being out of control, we're going to make sure you have defenses, even if you go back."

Even if you have to throw that wraith across a room to do it.

[usescontractions]

"Well, I'm better now! Mostly... My father forgot that he suffered from the same episodes when he was young. When I died before, it was because he had not known to pass on a specific subroutine to me."

She looks almost embarrassed as she goes on. "Of course, having a fit is disruptive, but I am able to repair myself if I go to sleep."

[tasha_yar]

There's more of a statue there than a human being. Only her lips move.

"Blinking back there is a possibility," she intones. "Do you feel prepared to face whatever might be there and not lose yourself?"

[usescontractions]

She stares off into the distance thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugs. "There probably isn't much to face. Maybe boredom. I was hoping that my father would let me go out on my own, now that he knows I won't suffer another cascade failure.

I am worried about my father in my time, though. I have been gone a very long time, and if time has continued in my absence, I do not think he will stop searching for me."

[tasha_yar]

It's like she's a million miles away now. "We may never know what happens. If they succeed, we will not even realise that these events occurred."

She's not even blinking.

[usescontractions]

"What?"

She steps closer to Tasha, concerned, but unsure. "If who succeeds?"

[tasha_yar]

She blinks, groans a little, and puts her hand on her head. "What was that? What was I saying?"

She's still tense, but...human tension.

[usescontractions]

"Are you alright? You said 'We may never know what happens. If they succeed, we will not even realise that these events occurred.' I don't understand what it was in reference to."

[tasha_yar]

She shakes her head. All of a sudden she has a splitting headache.

"I - think we've done enough today." She rushing past Lal quickly to get a towel.

Because, damn if she knows. In her head, that wasn't even her voice for a moment.

"And, just so you know, I'll try to keep listening to stories, because I know you need to talk, but..they bring up memories of things -" She screws her eyes shut. "I would never want you to know about."

[usescontractions]

That was so strange, and she's not even going to attempt to explain it?

Lal starts after her. "Tasha, I'm sorry, I didn't know." It was true. She knew a little about Tasha's past, but she had no idea her life would remind her of anything. And while she's resolving not to bother Tasha with any of that anymore, she's not actually going to voice that part.

Instead, she'll steer right back into that... What even was it? A trance?

"Do you want to go to sickbay? I can accompany you."

[tasha_yar]

Interesting.

"Wait. That didn't filter though in your memories? Where I grew up? He never said anything?"

The headache is going . she doesn't think she needs Sickbay, but give her a moment more. Besides, she wants to hear this.

[usescontractions]

"No." Her answer is a accompanied by a slow shake of her head.

"I knew that it was bad, but not much more than that."