Coming Clean

Posted on Fri Apr 17th, 2015 @ 7:10pm by Suresh & Marabeth

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: Suresh's Quarters

* * * Suresh's Quarters * * *

Following Li's hasty departure, Suresh had lingered at Lao's, enjoying the last of the sake and mentally examining their conversation. He had touched a nerve with Li, there was no doubt about that, but which nerve? The situation with the old Suresh was so damned complicated and there seemed to be many sore spots. He wondered how many times in future conversations she would suddenly bolt because of something he said. Who knew? Maybe it wasn't even his words but some expression, some mannerism that seemed too much like her old nemesis. It only served to pique his curiosity.

He'd left Lao's finally and made his way home. The quarters the original Suresh had inhabited were lushly furnished and he appreciated that, expecially after the shot-out husk that had been his own 900. He poured himself a glass of wine and settled on the sofa, still puzzling over his current situation. His gaze fell on an image on the corner desk that held the terminal. Setting the wine aside, he rose and moved over, lifting the picture.

Suresh and Isha. Well this version of her, and a false one.

Li...

He had the impression that she had been unaware that this image was being preserved. In the picture, Suresh was looking at her and seemed utterly lost in her. Li, on the other hand, was looking over his shoulder at something unknown. He wondered what had caught her attention. He wondered as well what she was really like when she shed her professional persona and was just Li - not the first officer, not someone's wife...just Li. He was willing to bet that seeing her that way was rare. He knew she had an intel background and that explained a lot. Suresh realized now that he was even more curious. He was also willing to bet that perhaps the former Suresh had seen deeper into her than she was comfortable with, if that argument on the other 900 was any indication.

The door chimed, interrupting his thoughts and he crossed to open it. The visitor was a surprise.

"Marabeth."

"Hello, Suresh. We need to talk."

"Oh, so you're asking before you barge into my quarters this time?" He still stood in the doorway, blocking her entrance.

"That was him, not you." She smiled at Suresh. "Yes, I know but don't worry, that's going to stay between us." Marabeth looked down at his hand, noting the picture he held. She rolled her eyes and pushed past him. "Don't tell me....."

"Oh, do come in." His voice dripped sarcasm. "And don't tell you what?"

Marabeth took the picture from his hand. "That you're going down that road?" She looked down at it, then tossed it to the sofa.

"That woman doesn't exist here, but thanks for your concern. You know on my world, Isha was real and tried to kill me?" Suresh picked up the picture and placed it back on the desk before moving to the bar. He poured a second glass of wine and carried it to Marabeth. "Have a seat. I assume you have come for a reason and not just a social visit."

Marabeth took the wine and settled in a chair as Suresh resumed his spot on the sofa. "How is that possible?"

"Suresh shrugged. "If I could explain the vagaries of alternate dimensions, I'd be a very famous man."

She let that sink in for a moment, then reached into the low neckline of her dress and pulled out a small isolinear chip, which she held out to him.

"What's this? Besides a chip?" He slipped it off her palm and closed his hand around it.

"That's why I was in your--his quarters while he was in the brig. That prosecutor, Ivor, that he was paying off sent me to get it. He wanted to make sure the records of his payoffs were gone when they searched these quarters."

That wasn't what Suresh expected. "I see. So why are you bringing this to me now?"

Unexpectedly, Marabeth's cheeks flushed a faint pink. "Because there was something else hidden in with those records, something I am guessing he didn't want anyone to find which is why it was tucked away in some business records that no one would be interested in. It's...well watch it and you'll see but it's not something I should have."

"Care to enlighten me?" Suresh reached for his glass and sipped from it.

Marabeth shook her head. "You'll have to watch it. But..." She looked past him to the picture on the desk. "Perhaps it will tell you a bit more about him. If you expect to make this your life, you'll need to know some things, appear to be some other things. Otherwise, you might find yourself in danger from those who might be glad he is gone."

Her concern surprised him and touched him as well. "Thank you Marabeth. I mean that sincerely."

"Of course." She finished her wine and set the glass down on the table. "Watching your back down here is a necessity but then you know that if you're planning to step into his shoes. Are you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He smiled at Marabeth. "That's the safest place to be."

She nodded and stood to go. "Just don't let it do to you what it did to him. Watch what's on that chip, then make sure what you want is for the right reasons. Goodnight."

He watched her hurry out, even more curious now. What the hell had she meant by 'what you want'? He ran back over the conversation in his mind, her words, her movements. The picture. Of course. And it related to this chip. Whatever it was had been enough to urge a woman with a tendency to be underhanded to come clean. It must be a doozie.

He moved over to the desk and sat, inserting the chip into the terminal. The screen lit up with page after page of records detailing Suresh's dealings with Ivor. The man was meticulous, that much was certain. He finally reached the end, according to the date and the records were replaced with computer recorded footage. Various scenes of Isha, which gave way to images of Li on the promenade, in the Nexus Club, at the Wormhole, moving about the station. Following it were countless entries...Suresh's journal. He skimmed a few entries and he could understand Marabeth's concern. Where one might expect to find obsessive rantings, he found instead descriptions of his time with Li/Isha that were poetic and heartfelt, deep and vibrant with emotion.

This was, indeed, something useful. It gave him a good look at the man no one else but Li had seen. How had she not been affected by such depth of feeling? Now the former Suresh's actions on the alternate 900 made sense. He turned off the terminal and ran a hand over his face, feeling like a voyeur. As he sat, sympathy for Li threaded through him unexpectedly. The situation sucked on all sides. What he saw in this journal was emotion so fiery, so overwhelming that it made obsession even more dangerous. He could understand why she was glad he was gone. He also knew something else: this journal belonged to her, not him. She needed to see it destroyed for her own peace of mind. And the sooner the better.

He stood, slipped the chip in his pocket and hurried out.

**************
Suresh
Some Things Cannot Be Unseen

Marabeth
Looking Out For Another