A New Proposition

Posted on Tue Oct 20th, 2015 @ 11:42am by Lieutenant Riley Sukotav & Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad & Ensign Reva Madhava & Lieutenant Commander Cyrus Thorn

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Academy / Promenade

Fisher had activated the collar again and she could feel the pain in every muscle and tendon; it felt like her bones were threatening to snap from the tension. Screaming, Reva begged him to stop. When he relented and stopped the torture, she cried, panting hard and shaking. He laughed, an evil, oily sound, and said her name, "Reva," as he held her down and covered her body with his. Refusing to give in easily, Reva screamed again and pummeled and clawed at him.

Fisher shouted her name this time, "Reva!", and shook her, hard. She got an arm free and hit him, hard -- the solid contact of her hand on flesh jolted her awake - so hard that she pushed away from her Assailant and fell out of bed to the floor. The hard landing on her hip woke her fully, dropping her completely into reality. Breathing hard, she realized she had blood on her hands and she screamed. The blood wasn't hers - it was a brilliant red. "Riley!", she shouted, almost into his face as he reached the bed's edge and looked at her.

Sobbing, she reached for him. His face bore her clawmarks, as did his shirt and chest. She'd hit him, hard enough to give a goose egg on his jaw and who knew where else. "Oh, no no no, Riley," she cried.

"Hey, it’s okay, I’m here,” he whispered and pulled her into his arms. “Nothing wrong that can’t be fixed.” His voice was soft and soothing, easing her back down from the dream. He slipped into her thoughts, purposely displacing the nightmare images. “I’ve got you.”

She held onto him and cried into his shirt. "I'm so sorry, Rye," she managed to say after a few minutes, "It hurt so much. I couldn't....," She swallowed, knowing that he already knew what she was going to say. "I should make a kevlar shirt for you to wear."

He laughed softly. “Or maybe just keep a regenerator in the nightstand?” he joked. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

"You may think that, but don't be surprised when someone at Piper wants to talk to you about domestic abuse," she said. "Maybe Raj would loan me a regenerator.... Granted, he'd have to teach... oh, Seyla has one. She could show me."

Riley’s expression grew more serious. “I think Seyla’s taught you enough for the time being,” he stated. “I’ll just call Raj. He’ll know what’s up.”

“Okay,” she nodded then carefully kissed him. “Perhaps we should get up, then. I have that meeting with Eli and LC Thorn. You have Alpha shift.”

“I do. I also don’t want to go but, duty calls.” He kissed her and hopped out of bed. She followed close behind him.

* Later *

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief, Gilroy spoke to Reva, who was looking haunted.

She frowned at the young spider on her shoulder, "Who has been teaching you to speak in riddles?"

Riddle me not. Chance had the computer read to me, she explained.

"Chance needs to be spanked," Reva said, warily looking ahead and behind her. Behind, she glimpsed Rekkar and relaxed a smidge knowing he was there. Ahead, she saw Eli. "Eli!", she called and willed herself to stop trembling.

“Funny, I was just saying that very same thing about Chance last night.” Eli grinned at her. “How’re you doing Reva?”

"Okay," she wanly smiled at him. "Did you know Chance had the computer read Shakespeare quotes to Gilroy?"

Eli nodded. “Believe me I know. I had to sit and listen to it. Gilroy Senior would be pleased though.” He stopped and looked up and down the corridor that ran outside the faculty offices. “You have any idea why we got called in?”

“No, I was hoping you did. And I’m hoping he doesn’t mind the spider - Jackson called as I was headed out with Riley. I didn’t want to leave her in my quarters,” Reva reached up and stroked one of Gilroy’s legs. “Shall we?” She reached out and pressed the doorbell.

From inside, a voice called, “Come in!” Reva glanced at Eli, shrugged and entered the office. “Professor Thorn?”

“Yes! You are Ensign Reva Madhava and Cadet Eli Ziyad. Good to meet you,” Cyrus smiled at the pair. “Come in, com-- holy shit... is that...,” he stopped and stared at Reva’s shoulder, where Gilroy was perched. Stepping around the desk, he headed straight for her; Reva quailed and ducked behind Eli.

“Easy Reva. I think he wants to see Gilroy.” Eli slipped an arm around Reva to reassure her a little. “Hello Professor Thorn. I am Eli, yes, and this is Gilroy Junior, one of Iggy’s offspring.”

Cyrus pulled up short and recalled what Louie had told him. “Ensign, forgive me, I was about to come on strong, wasn’t I? May I see the spider?”

Slowly, slowly, Gilroy whispered.

Cyrus’ eyes went wide. “That was--,” he pointed at the spider, “--wasn’t it?”

Showing a shyness she’d never had before, Reva held onto Eli and nodded at Cyrus. “She’s sort of smart, Professor. She’s just warning you to go slow with her-- me, really.” Her smile was quick and fell away fast.

“Um... have a seat, both of you,” he backed off and gestured to the chairs. “Gilroy, would you like to be on my desk?” He wanted a closer look at the creature.

Yes. Reva?

Reva took a seat and carefully moved Gilroy to Cyrus’ desk. “What’s this meeting about?”

Eli sat down by Reva and turned his attention to Cyrus. It was only now that he recognized the face. “Hey, you were on the news yesterday! You’re that Lt. Commander Thorn. Oh wow! I should have known though, with Louie Le Noir here.”

“Louie Louie,” Cyrus nodded. “Bastard sent the press there to harass me,” he said, chuckling. “Yeah, we’re old friends. Emphasis on ‘old’.” He looked at Reva and smiled carefully. “I asked you two here to talk about the project you worked on together. And then I have a special favor to ask of you, Ensign.”

Reva’s tension ramped up. Gilroy turned to look at her.

“It was part of a course that used advanced computer imaging and tied into some of Reva’s ideas for a new type of body armour. She’s done some on a small scale but we wanted to see what was really possible. The holodeck recreations are still in the system.” Eli smiled at Reva, encouraging her.

“Iggy, Gilroy’s mother, and, well, all of the spiders in her family, have a vulnerability: if they get dropped or fall from any height, their prosomas,” Reva pointed at Gilroy’s, “could split open, killing them--”

Gilroy squeaked, making Reva stop what she was saying, This, I did not know! That is frightening!

“Yeah, so no jumping from desks, okay?” Reva said to the spider. “Anyway, there are other risks: being stepped on, thrown, fired at by phasers--”

Again, Gilroy squeaked.

“Shh,” Reva shushed her even as she wondered how the spider was making that noise. “Plus, they can’t communicate with the computer, so...,” she glanced at Eli, “Eli and I teamed up to see if we could create body armor that would protect them and allow them to access the computer. The concept, if it works, could be scaled up to be used for Security officers and Marines.” She looked to Eli to see if he had anything to add.

“So far the results look promising,” he added. The armor for Iggy and her brood are much trickier than for humanoids, obviously, given the number and style of their legs and how they attach to the body, but we can show you that when we hit the holodeck. The computer linkup is actually the easier part but for them will rely on a sort of sign language, or specific leg movements, that the computer can interpret.”

“Also, we have a former Borg on the Station. Lately... Eli, I haven’t seen you to tell you this, but I’d like to experiment with using her nanoprobes. Maybe they can be programmed to augment the spiders and link them to the computer or... something....,” Reva hesitated.

“That’s fantastic! Both the work you’ve already done and the idea you have there, Reva. Sounds like there’s more work to be done. Eli, will this be your thesis?”

Eli considered and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m going into Intel. Would something like this work for that? Or just as one of my regular classes?”

“It could,” Cyrus bobbed his head. “Especially if the technology could incorporate a cloaking device and render the wearer invisible.”

“Just the technology linking a mind to the computer... It’s been done before, but not with such an... alien mind,” Reva reached out and stroked Gilroy’s back.

Cyrus watched her and the spider, utterly fascinated. “I understand that the spiders are a challenge: there’s no real brain in there, is there?”

Lovers and madmen have such seething brains. Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend. More than cool reason ever comprehends, Gilroy quoted Shakespeare.

“More of a brain than some bipeds have,” Reva said, smiling at Cyrus sweetly.

Eli nodded. “It will take some time and some experimenting and overtime for Reva unless Chief Jenkins will let her split her time. Is that something you could arrange, Professor?”

“Oh, I think so, and that would work right into my other proposal for you, Ensign. I’d like to have you help with some of the Engineering courses here, if you’re interested,” Cyrus said, looking directly at Reva.

She glanced at Eli, seeking reassurance. “Ah... I’ll... think about that, Commander Thorn,” she said.

Cyrus nodded. “Well, then... Eli, keep me up to date on this project; Ensign, let me know what you decide about helping with Engineering courses,” he had no doubt that having her as a teacher’s aide would boost interest, at least in the male cadets, “and if you make any progress on using Borg tech for the spiders.” He looked Gilroy over, admiring her red knees and the red pattern on her back. “I’d love to meet the other spiders, as well.”

I will tell Madre de Dios, Gilroy answered.

“I think it’s a great idea Reva. You’re bored at work anyhow generally, and don’t tell me you’re not.” He grinned at Cyrus. “You want to meet Kahuna, check Commander Rousseau’s office. They were making plans for a baseball game tonight.”

“Oh, I will! Is Iggy the mother of gods?” Cyrus laughed.

“So she informed her offspring and it sorta stuck.” Eli looked over to Reva. “So? You want to go for a stroll and think about his offer?”

“Um...,” Reva was on the edge of saying ‘no’ but she recalled that Rekkar would be there, plus Eli and Gilroy..., “A stroll, sure. Commander Thorn, I’ll be in touch,” she stood, gathered Gilroy and was quick to head for the door. At the last moment, she stopped and turned back, “Are we dismissed?”

Surprised, Cyrus nodded, “Yes! Dismissed, both of you. Enjoy your walk.”

* The Promenade *

Eli waited for Reva to step off the lift first, then fell in step beside her. “What do you think of him?”

She looked away then back behind them. Sure enough, Rekkar was there. “Thorn? I don’t know, Eli. He... concerns me,” she admitted, though she had absolutely no reason behind her concern. “What do you think?”

“Why is that? He was with the Academy on Earth for thirty years and went right back into the Fleet as soon as they were recovered. You have heard that story, yeah?”

"Who hasn't?", she answered, looking Eli up and down. "But so what? He gives me the creeps." She pulled at her uniform tunic - a move that was in lieu of tugging at her sweater, which she wasn't wearing for once. Riley hadn't let her take it out of her quarters when they'd left together.

“Why?” Eli was genuinely concerned, and curious. “He’s impressed with your work and has offered you something that should be more interesting than the mundane stuff you’re doing now. It will mean more time for you to work on this project too.”

"Eli...!" She passed him a look that questioned his sanity, "I'm not working right now. I don't know when I will go back." They'd come to an area of the Promenade where the decks split and several levels up and down could be seen. Stopping, Reva was surprised by the fear that rose up. "Ah.... Maybe we could stop at Java and have a mug of something?"

Eli sensed it and decided not to give in. “Nope. We’re going that way.” He pointed off to the right. “Granted you’re not back on shift but you were bored before, admit it. And you won’t be sitting home forever. I think, honestly, that may be part of the problem.”

"Bored? I was out of my head with it. You know she had me cleaning out air scrubbers and biowaste filters? Ugh. At least Niro let me work on his engines. Oh!", she clutched his arm with enthusiasm, "Do you want to go see Robart's ship? I forget... Did I tell you about it? It can go warp ten. I haven't been out of my quarters much... well, out of my quarters and still on the Station, I should say, since everything happened. I haven't had time to go see the engines." While chattering about engines, she'd dropped her fears and walked along with Eli. "Since I've been back, I've tinkered with some little robot sentinels. The second generation is better; the first nearly took Riley's toes off when he got out of bed to go pee."

“TMI,” Eli laughed. “But listen to yourself. See what I mean? You need to get busy, not sit home and stew. Call Thorn back, tell him yes.”

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief, Gilroy spoke up, recycling the same quote she'd used on Reva earlier. It had more impact this time.

"How is it that they're two weeks old but this one can spout on-target Shakespeare? It took me weeks just to understand some of Shakespeare's sentences," Reva shook her head. "I want to talk to Riley before I tell Thorn anything."

“Makes sense, but do think about it? It will be good for you. Trust me.” Good one Gilroy.

Tis Chance's doing, the spiderling replied.

"I need to consider who will be in the courses, too. But we'll see." She smiled slightly. "Will you be taking any engineering courses this term?"

“One I think,” Eli answered. “Especially if we’re continuing this project and it turns into a long term one, or my final thesis work. I’ll need it. Does that help convince you?”

Smiling again, Reva glanced at him and took his arm in hers. "Sure. I like working with you. Now, really, how about some coffee?"

“Deal. But make sure it’s decaf for the little one,” he joked as they made their way back to Java.

**********************
Lt. Commander Cyrus Thorn
Lt. Riley Sukotav
Ensign Reva Madhava
Cadet JG Eli Ziyad
Gilroy, Jr.