Marie's Mind – End Game
by HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Marie St. Helene & Soghla' Jared

Post Details

Title		End Game
Mission		Marie's Mind
Author(s)		HoD Ro' Matlh & Soghla' Marie St. Helene & Soghla' Jared
Posted		Fri Feb 14, 2014 @ 12:38pm
Location		Marie's mind
Timeline		After talking to Linx

The temperature dropped as Marie stepped out of her room. Instead of the Fhew boom corridor she was expecting she was now standing in a carpeted office. The walls were all of the muted colours of the Moonshadow Institute and at the opposite end of the room was a large desk, flanked by a pair of lush green plants. At the desk was Dr Tem Par, working on some documentation. In front of the desk was a comfortable chair, Marie remembered sitting in many times.

Yet how could she remember that. She was sure she had never been in this room before. And yet she remembered asking Tem if the plants were real, and commenting on his lack of wall hangings. She had been on the Fhew only two steps, but now as she looked back through the still open door, all she saw was the long corridor past the reception desk. And she remembered walking along it and being grumpy at the receptionist.

Tem looked up and pushed his work to one side, "Ah, Ms St Helene. I am so glad you found your way here. I was concerned that you may have had another 'episode'."

“You,” she said archly. “What are you doing here?”

"In my office?" Par asked. "Where do you feel I should be?"

“I mean, here on the Fhew?”

Not waiting for a response, she turned and stepped back to the door. Opening it, she saw the receptionist’s back, not Lieutenant Moonshadow whom she was sure she had just been speaking to.

“Alright, I don’t know how you’re doing it but somehow you’re messing with my mind. I don’t know why and, quite frankly, I don’t rightly care. I just want you out of my mind so I can back to the life I know and hate.”

"Ah, so you have had another episode," Par asked indicating to the cahir on the other side of the table from him. "Why don't you tell me about it."

“No! You listen to me!” She was furious now. All the pent up rage at this Vulcan’s meddling was bubbling to the surface. “I am Marie St. Helene. I am Quartermaster on the IKC Fhew. I don’t have a serial number so I can’t give you that.”

"You were there, just now, weren't you, Ms St Helene?" Par continued in his infuriatingly calm manner. "And now you are here. Yet I have done nothing. Tell me, what were you doing? Who were you talking to? Perhaps we can find the reason you are back here together."

“I was talking to Moonshadow...Lieutenant Moonshadow. She’s new on the ship so she was moved in to quarters with Tell and me.”

"Moonshadow?" Tem almost registered surprise. "Tell me about her."

“She’s creepy. She was setting up a bed above the door. She said something about being able to observe everything that went on like a cat.”

"Fascinating," Par rested back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "You are experiencing a transition. I have not heard of this persona before. You have introduced into your system a connection to reality. This Linx Moonshadow is a real link to us here at the Moonshadow Institute. Your own mind is inviting you to consider what is on offer here; the chance at reintegration, to take your place as a functioning member of Federation society.

"It has left you confused and uncertain. Your certainty is lost. The fact that you can no longer even be certain of what is real is a good sign. You are on the verge of letting go."

Suddenly the room filled with the red glow and alarms that indicating a heightened alert status, even though there were no obvious lights or speakers. Par stood and moved around the desk.

"Marie, listen to me carefully," he said, with sudden intensity. "You are at a crisis point. Soon you will be faced with a choice about what you believe… what you want to believe."

There was a sudden violent crash from behind her and she spun in her chair to see the wooden door ripped from its frame. Through the debris stepped a giant figure in full battle armour. Marie instantly recognized May'bel.

May'bel was across the room before Par could do more than stand straight. He Grabbed Marie and made to drag her away but Par's hand lashed out. Marie could feel the force of the Vulcan's grip even through May'Bel's hand and there was as ick popping noise. May'bel did not release his grip, instead spinning his body to bring his elbow into the Doctor's face with a wet smack.

The Doctor released his grip of May'bel who released Marie and pulled his knife. The Klingon warrior swung for the Vulcan who deflected the blow and stepped in delivering a devestating nerve pinch.

Marie feared that was the end of the fight as May'bel scrunched his face, but the big warrior managed, incredibly, to stay standing and brought both his fists up with a blow that again forced the Vulcan back. As Tem fell back he tore at the clothing around May'bel's neck revealing a thin wedge of metal that had protect him from the nerve pinch.

May'bel moved quickly to follow up on his advantage, delivering a devestating palm strike into Temp's face. The Vulcan staggered but remained upright then struck out with his own fist. The blow carried all the formidable Vulcan strength and lifted the Klingon off his feet, dropping him to the ground next to Marie.

May'bel rolled back a few feet and regained his balance. Damn this was good! This was the May'bel, the joy of the fight at it's finest, but he had a job that needed doing and time was running out. In one fluid movement he drew his disruptor and leveled it at Dr Tem Par's chest.

"Marie, we are leaving!"

Marie hesitated. Words came floating back to her; Germite telling her to be ready to run when the time came. But run which way? Then something struck her. Par had referred to Linx Moonshadow but Marie had not used her full name, only her rank and surname. If Par truly was disconnected from all this how did he know her name.

Marie ran towards May’bel.

Tem held up a cautioning hand, his eyes leveled at the point of the disruptor. It didn't matter how good a fighter he was, he couldn't dodge a Disruptor bolt.

"Marie, stop! This is the moment. This is were your realities are blurring. You have a choice now. If you ever want to return to normality now is the time. You need to come over here and accept the FHew isn't real. If you choose to surrender yourself to this fantasy, you will be lost. I can't help you unless you want me too. Let me help you, Marie."

Marie ducked behind May’bel’s hulking frame. Life on the FHew was hard but it was preferable to the cold reality – if that was what it was – of the world Tem Par lived in. Ro’ could be cruel but he was fair; Tell was...Tell was lovely and a good friend; the Klingons were protective in their own way and Germite was a good doctor.

She peeked out from behind May’bel and stuck her tongue out at Tem. She hoped the childish gesture would infuriate him but doubted it would. That was the problem, nothing seemed to get under his skin; nothing ever changed his demeanor. His might be the real world but it was not a world Marie wanted to live in.

May'bel kept his disruptor aimed at Dr Par's face as he flipped his communicator, "Ju jol!"

The red glow of transporter beam blurred Marie's vision.