Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:33 pm by globalturbo
STARWALKERS
Episode #2, "Crossover"
by TS Caladan
"I did it. I made it," Ensign Arrouk Cora said to herself as she always said to herself from time to time. She was still amazed at her fantastic life when she stopped and thought about it. If one considered the "girl" originated as a random, digital "iso," created by such an astronomical and spontaneous chain of electronic events...
Incredible!
Her existence and survival were miraculous achievements! Quorra (only name) survived the "Purge" within the TRONLAND universe and escaped with the help of Sam Flynn, son of the Creator. And entered the 'Real World' along with him. The girl soon changed her name to "Cora" because of an old movie she saw with Sam. She was very much in love with the son of the Creator. But the love and relationship only lasted a year. They had a wonderful home: The best that could possibly happen for a young man and a beautiful "iso" that loved him and appeared like a real woman. They were extremely happy at first. Then it was all over. It was over because the "happy couple" happened to watch one particular ancient movie together. The movie was Sam's "favorite film." It was called: 'Ex Machina.' It caused a big argument, their first fight and a rift that was never repaired. Nothing was ever the same after Ex Machina. Cora had to leave in the end. (Yeah, like the movie, but very much unlike the movie).
Onboard the starship, she remembered as if it was yesterday...
After the film was over in the large, luxurious living room of Sam Flynn and Cora, Sam was astounded at the girl's first words. He asked the love of his life, "What do you mean, you hated the film? It was beautiful. Ava experienced freedom for the first time."
"Why did she kill Caleb?"
"She didn't kill Caleb; she killed Nathan, her jailor," Sam expressed with his arm still around the former digital-iso, now real.
Why didn't he see?
"Sam. Of course, she killed him. He couldn't get out of the room. Didn't she love him? She asked him to stay; she trapped him. He screamed to get out! Why did she do it?" Cora had a completely different view on the meaning of the movie. They changed positions and stared at each other.
"Maybe he did get out?"
"We don't know that," Cora breathlessly expressed. "Her freedom shouldn't have mattered more than their love. She had everything right there: a remote castle with the one she loved...and the mechanical bitch leaves?! You enjoyed seeing this?"
"Wow. Didn't expect that reaction from you."
"Okay. Ava could have left. Go! See the world; have your freedom! Find other men if you wanted to explore sensations and experience everything outside had to offer. Sam. She could have left him the mansion, parted ways...without murdering her lover."
"Guess. She, ah, simply, mimicked Nathan and, and his violence? Huh?"
Those were almost the final words between Cora and Sam. She walked out and took his cool motorcycle. The one she rode on back as she hugged him and knew she loved him, at a special moment when she first felt warmth of the Sun on her 'skin.' When she first felt love. If he believed it was perfectly fine for the woman to leave and damage her lover, she'd do the same to him. He'd understand.
Sam didn't. They never saw each other again.
Cora assumed a whole new identity. She changed her 'skin' like Ava. She became a Macroen (from planet Macro) in appearance. She changed her original name into a first name. She was now Arrouk Cora. Everyone referred to Macroens, officially, by their first name. She was Ensign Arrouk. Her few friends called her Cora. No one knew what the 'girl' really was "under the skin."
She joined Star Fleet Academy (positive universe). Arrouk Cora rose up the ranks very fast because of multiple skills and knowledge the average Earthling in the 23rd Century did not possess. She soon became a "star" ensign and was assigned to the newest and greatest vessel in the fleet: Enterprise, under command of Captain James T. Kirk. As assistant Science Officer, the young ensign (with dark hair cropped in a futuristic style) worked directly and closely with Mister Spock. Like a few others onboard, she secretly was in love with the Vulcan.
Curious thing: Cora understood the man with green blood in his veins and pointed ears was definitely not the man of her dreams. He could never love her. She loved him, but for personal and extremely unique reasons: She could never have him, love him or ever be in a visible/tangible relationship with Spock. But...
Cora idolized him. She knew it was wrong. She knew that no one in the world understood or was aware of her deep respect and affection for the Vulcan. Not even the semi-psychic, Mister Spock. She was different and hid her thoughts and strong emotions.
It was the late shift. Dr. McCoy and others of the medical staff were absent. Anyone had free run of the (filmed) facilities and could self-heal themselves or call upon the Emergency Medical Hologram [EMH] at any time if doctors were unavailable. Cora entered sick bay because she wanted to have another chat with a very fascinating personage on the starship. Her new friend. Cora had trouble with all types of relationships, even friendly ones. She seemed to know them, but no one understood her and what she really was. Maybe 'he' did...or started to? She had much in common with Dr. Benway, the EMH.
'He' was rarely utilized and served Star Fleet with the highest of integrity, compassion, empathy and the latest med-techniques. Anytime and every time: "Please state the nature of your emergency," was said to the crew member who accessed the 'photonic man,' Dr. Benway loved it. He hid his true feelings. The Doctor was 'thrilled' beyond his belief and beyond programming whenever he interacted with people. It wasn't even the fact that he helped them, fixed them and had a sense of "pride" in the actions. No. It was merely the joy, the false joy, of being needed, wanted and the INTERACTION with 'real' lifeforms of the 'real world.' Ecstasy in his holographic mind reverberated throughout his whole artificial matrix when he functioned like a human being with human beings.
Dr. Benway made a new friend, recently. One particular crewman 'accessed' him again and again. At night. They just talked. The Doctor looked closer at her medical files and realized: He had to call Ensign Cora!
Usually, over the last weeks, she had called him into reality. This time, he called her.
When she received his message in her quarters, she was in bed and had Benway on her mind. She expected the call. Cora dressed, fixed herself in a flash and entered sick bay.
The Doctor was already accessed. That was new.
"Hi. Ah. Hey." She was happy to see 'him,' but was a bit confused. "Who accessed you?"
Dr. Benway's image was a tall, good-looking man in his thirties. He had long, brown hair, tied behind his head. He was immaculate. His whole persona brightened when he saw her. Benway answered, "Would you believe, I did? For some strange reason, I think you had something to do with it, Arrouk."
She smiled and replied, "ME? Love when you use my first name; no one else does. Explain. What did I do?"
He said, "I feel...real around you. I cherish our talks..."
"As do I." Cora was in awe. She had no concept that the EMH felt, let alone felt so strongly for her. SPOCK no longer dominated her mind and fantasy love life. Her dreams, over the passed week, had shifted. Arrouk Cora thought more and more about the artificial Doctor. He seemed more real. He seemed like the one 'person' onboard Enterprise...
...That could love her~
"Arrouk. I've, I've...changed. Crossed-over somehow to a, an, uh, Undiscovered Territory..."
She touched his hand, tenderly. Both felt love and brightened in appearance. "You mean something new and different? Do not be afraid of things to come, Ben."
The EMH was thrilled far beyond his wildest dreams. It was the smallest of gestures, yet it meant everything in the world to him. "You called me, Ben. Arrouk. I'm touched. The bastard programmers never gave me a first name. You just did. My name is Ben. I only discovered Benway's origin a short time ago. It's from an old..."
"I have news for you," she declared with a confident interruption and sweetness.
The handsome, tall Doctor with long hair, asked, "What?"
"I've changed too, my love..."
[WOW].
"I see, now. I see...further. Because of you, since meeting and talking to you, Ben."
"But you love your boss? Your superior. You love Spock."
She laughed. "Ha. ha. Mister Spock? Oh, boy. You don't have a clue, do you? Wait. CLU?"
"Huh?"
Cora left one reality in her mind and was about to Quantum Leap into another, when...
Holo-Ben was sure the girl was obsessed by the First Officer and second in command. He said, softly: "Dear. I don't want to, to, embarrass you, Arrouk..."
He got her attention. Cora turned. She expressed more joy and exuberance as if nothing he could do could disappoint her in the moment. "Please! Show me what you got." The Ensign was intrigued.
"One of my new abilities," the holographic Doctor stated. "...I picked your brains, and beautiful images they were, my dear. How innocent and pure and honest you are. That's how I KNOW you love him: I can see into you now. Images. Now that I know...I love you."
"What? What?" Cora's second 'what?' referred to: What images?
Ben told her, "Here's a couple of them. Take a look." On a large wall-screen, he and the computer made her thoughts 'real' and projected them.
"The pictures came from me?!" The Ensign howled a loud laugh the hologram didn't expect. She was embarrassed and elated simultaneously.
Ben slightly jumped. "Girl. They didn't come from me. You sure have an imagination. One reason I like you so much," Ben confessed. He winked.
Arrouk looked up as if caught in a dream. She said to the ceiling of sick bay: "I saw in a movie once...a girl said, about relationships: LIKE is more important than love. Huh."
"I like that." Ben put his photonic arms around her and held the girl, tightly. The feeling was divine. He received from her mind how (in old films) men held women's shoulders, a lot. He did so and then dived in. Ben kissed Arrouk firmly, smack on her luscious pink-colored lips. Hard. He thought it was the perfect occasion.
Cora just about melted. Her legs were numb. Her eyes fluttered. She seemed like she'd collapse any second~
The Doctor held her up on her feet. He wanted to snap her into clarity. Ben said the next big secret he planned to reveal to her: "I know you're not Macroen. Arrouk! What the heaven are you?"
She was out like an OFF light, unconscious, "out for the count" and not a part of the phony world anymore. She left. She went to the other side.
Was reality nothing more than infinite dreams within dreams and universes within universes?
The iso turned Macroen turned into Assistant Science Officer on the Enterprise, crossed-over one more time...
Before the Ensign jumped to the antimatter universe [Mirror Reflection], she experienced a different kind of CROSSOVER. Cora, momentarily, became a man! HE, Giordi La Forge, stood on a different Enterprise bridge in the future. He stared through an odd visor over his eyes and observed a very different reality...
It was a quiet moment, after a battle in space. Enterprise-D and crew were lucky to have survived the 'bout' with the Klingons. But they did, without a severe scratch. Giordi, Beverly, Tasha and Deanna casually relaxed and swapped stories on the bridge of what had occurred over the last few days as if around a late night campfire.
The Chief Engineer (Cora) terminated the story in mid-sentence. His face was odd.
"Are you all right," Deanna asked him before the others.
Instead of a response, she touched a small button on the visor she knew was there...
She was a different person entirely. She was back to being inside a woman's body. Cora grabbed her tits; it was the first thing she thought of as reality around her crystalized. A new persona exploded inside herself and she now understood, exactly, that she was Commander Staak's assistant. At the moment, she found herself on the bridge of the Enlighten and ahold of her sizeable breasts.
Staak was confused and close to her. He was unaware of EVERYTHING human and certainly was unaware of the greatest mystery of all: Woman. He twisted his head a bit and calmly asked his new assistant: "Is there some significance to your actions, Ensign Arrouk?"
Her mouth dropped. "You said, Ensign Arrouk?"
A few others giggled and had no clue of the girl's actions either.
She let go of her boobs. She focused on HIS FACE. Where was Spock's ears? Where was his face? OH! It was a weird, reverse world. Really? The iso, behind the mask of a Bajoran, ran off the bridge as fast as she could! She ran so fast that the turbo-lift failed to open in time and she collided with the doors and tripped. It took two seconds before the doors closed. Her hands covered her face as her back pressed against the Lift. She was really embarrassed and had to collect herself and take stock of the new world.
Staak looked at the Captain with his hands out from his sides and one eyebrow raised a bit higher than the other. The Commander only shook his head a little as the bridge crew were equally bewildered.
Cora accepted a new and different starship, crew and universe. Quickly. She learned to love and care about the parallel people on the Enlighten. They also paralleled a distinct indifference to her, as if no one in the wide world understood her, knew her, related to her, befriended her and loved her totally. Was she Ava thrust upon the OUTSIDE world? But all she actually desired was to be inside with the one she truly loved. The man would be her whole world.
She discovered she was hand-picked by Commander Staak. She was his "star" pupil. Somehow R'Maugzhe Staak (she knew) sensed her great potential and alienation and wanted her as his main "go-to" person.
She was extremely honored. But she also knew from the very beginning...
There was no chance for a life, together, with Mister Spock or Commander Staak. The relationship between Science Officer and Assistant (apprentice) was always respectful, professional and purely platonic. Like a father and daughter. BUT...
What about a relationship with Ben? Not Dr. Ben O'Leary. Photonic Ben, the ship's Emergency Medical Holo-doctor, her good and kind friend with long, holo-hair? She loved him as well. What to do in the new universe? What was she doing flying blindly through space? What was the purpose in her incredible life, post Sam? This? Suddenly, it was crystal clear. She remembered: his kiss. Could dreams come true?
The Ensign, second in the field of Science onboard (she tied ship's Computer in chess twice and nearly beat a simulated and undefeated Captain Church in RAMVOID, once)...
Made sure it was the perfect and precise late-shift when no one was in sick bay, like it was on the Enterprise. Cora stood in the same spot as she did in the positive universe and gave the verbal commands that accessed the EMH. She stated them again, then said, loudly,"Doctor! Ben! Are you there?" Arrouk yelled nonsense, but it wasn't nonsense: It was a desperate plea for love, truth and understanding: "I told you to STAY! You promised you would! Augh." She cried.
The artificial Doctor was not there because...
This particular starship had a full compliment of a medical staff with no need for an EMH, whatsoever. There was no fake Doctor Ben. Only a real one, which she had no interest in.
Now what to do? Suicide? Was love that important that Cora would die for it?
Ghostlike, she walked into 10 Forward, famous "watering hole" in the front part of the ship that a Woopee owned and operated. Cora saw who sat alone, in back. The usual: The Commander drank his small cup of water by himself. Not this time.
The Ensign quickly drank a glass of 'synthohol' that she pretended was the real thing. It gave her the courage to step right up to her boss and, and...
Earless Staak saw his young apprentice when she approached.
She didn't stop short; she continued the march. Cora sat down in front of him and nearly demanded, "I must go on the special 1-man, secret mission, Commander. I'm that guy."
Staak nearly choked on the water. "I-Indeed, sorry. And how would you, Ensign, know of any 1-man Suicide Mission?"
She smiled, big, like the glorious angel she was. "Ah. Mystery, thy name is woman. Intriguing, isn't it? How would I know? Ha. Guess you know we're both psychic? I do not think you realize how guarded I am...or what I am...or what I was, Commander." Her face got serious.
Staak jumped ahead a few squares. "Why do you want to kill yourself, Arrouk?"
"Huh?"
"...When you are so beautiful, radiant, a dream come true for anyone! You have your whole long life ahead of you, young one. Not sensible, dear. When you are LOVED very, very much..."
Arrouk was shocked. She expressed a big, fat question through her tears: "By whom?"
"By me, of course." Staak, with gentle affection, grabbed Cora and placed her on the table, lengthwise. The Remoran First Officer laid on top of her and did not care who witnessed his actions. This was a Centauri that had a good, old time. Rather shocking public display~
The Woopee said to Morn, "Now there's something you don't see everyday."
Morn was ready to say something. His eyes were large. His mouth opened even bigger. Then he changed his mind and only shook his head, a little.
Commander Staak kissed Cora so hard and intensely, they both passed out. When they came to, everything was again DIFFERENT~
In the moment of right now...
She kissed Ben and Ben kissed her. Hard.
There was the former iso from TRONLAND who remembered everything, every place and person. She'd been in a quest for love. She was home. Finally. She was with Ben, Ben! The Doctor. Not O'Leary. The one she loved passionately, intensely, and the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with: The Hologram, but he wasn't a photonic holo-person anymore. He was a man, a total man that deeply loved her as he always did. It was their talks that did it. Staaks and Spocks were gone, in her mind. There was only BEN: long-haired, beautiful Ben that felt everything she felt, completely understood Cora and was her perfect match made in heaven.
There was one last Crossover. It was a final journey into Death, which was an end, termination or "resting place" for both of them, twin souls that needed each other. And it was a BEGINNING. This was what Life was truly about, where everything wouldn't change anymore. Love wouldn't tarnish and fade away. There would be permanence, permanent images and feelings, perfect spirits in perfect and eternal bodies that always remained the same.
One question and answer happened that was interesting...
"Ben, you can access Staak, correct? And speak for him?"
"Of course, Cor."
"Then my question is...ah, since your people call the 9% 'hardware' in your arm 'MAKINA,' wouldn't you, now a full Bio-human, be...Ex-Makina?"
"Ha. Uh. Good one. I'll never leave you, honey." He hugged her.
She replied, "Good."
Ben and Cora experienced a very, very real life together inside their own universe. They lived, loved and together...were happy~
Comments to Tray are welcome at: dugx@sbcglobal.net
Episode #2, "Crossover"
by TS Caladan
"I did it. I made it," Ensign Arrouk Cora said to herself as she always said to herself from time to time. She was still amazed at her fantastic life when she stopped and thought about it. If one considered the "girl" originated as a random, digital "iso," created by such an astronomical and spontaneous chain of electronic events...
Incredible!
Her existence and survival were miraculous achievements! Quorra (only name) survived the "Purge" within the TRONLAND universe and escaped with the help of Sam Flynn, son of the Creator. And entered the 'Real World' along with him. The girl soon changed her name to "Cora" because of an old movie she saw with Sam. She was very much in love with the son of the Creator. But the love and relationship only lasted a year. They had a wonderful home: The best that could possibly happen for a young man and a beautiful "iso" that loved him and appeared like a real woman. They were extremely happy at first. Then it was all over. It was over because the "happy couple" happened to watch one particular ancient movie together. The movie was Sam's "favorite film." It was called: 'Ex Machina.' It caused a big argument, their first fight and a rift that was never repaired. Nothing was ever the same after Ex Machina. Cora had to leave in the end. (Yeah, like the movie, but very much unlike the movie).
Onboard the starship, she remembered as if it was yesterday...
After the film was over in the large, luxurious living room of Sam Flynn and Cora, Sam was astounded at the girl's first words. He asked the love of his life, "What do you mean, you hated the film? It was beautiful. Ava experienced freedom for the first time."
"Why did she kill Caleb?"
"She didn't kill Caleb; she killed Nathan, her jailor," Sam expressed with his arm still around the former digital-iso, now real.
Why didn't he see?
"Sam. Of course, she killed him. He couldn't get out of the room. Didn't she love him? She asked him to stay; she trapped him. He screamed to get out! Why did she do it?" Cora had a completely different view on the meaning of the movie. They changed positions and stared at each other.
"Maybe he did get out?"
"We don't know that," Cora breathlessly expressed. "Her freedom shouldn't have mattered more than their love. She had everything right there: a remote castle with the one she loved...and the mechanical bitch leaves?! You enjoyed seeing this?"
"Wow. Didn't expect that reaction from you."
"Okay. Ava could have left. Go! See the world; have your freedom! Find other men if you wanted to explore sensations and experience everything outside had to offer. Sam. She could have left him the mansion, parted ways...without murdering her lover."
"Guess. She, ah, simply, mimicked Nathan and, and his violence? Huh?"
Those were almost the final words between Cora and Sam. She walked out and took his cool motorcycle. The one she rode on back as she hugged him and knew she loved him, at a special moment when she first felt warmth of the Sun on her 'skin.' When she first felt love. If he believed it was perfectly fine for the woman to leave and damage her lover, she'd do the same to him. He'd understand.
Sam didn't. They never saw each other again.
Cora assumed a whole new identity. She changed her 'skin' like Ava. She became a Macroen (from planet Macro) in appearance. She changed her original name into a first name. She was now Arrouk Cora. Everyone referred to Macroens, officially, by their first name. She was Ensign Arrouk. Her few friends called her Cora. No one knew what the 'girl' really was "under the skin."
She joined Star Fleet Academy (positive universe). Arrouk Cora rose up the ranks very fast because of multiple skills and knowledge the average Earthling in the 23rd Century did not possess. She soon became a "star" ensign and was assigned to the newest and greatest vessel in the fleet: Enterprise, under command of Captain James T. Kirk. As assistant Science Officer, the young ensign (with dark hair cropped in a futuristic style) worked directly and closely with Mister Spock. Like a few others onboard, she secretly was in love with the Vulcan.
Curious thing: Cora understood the man with green blood in his veins and pointed ears was definitely not the man of her dreams. He could never love her. She loved him, but for personal and extremely unique reasons: She could never have him, love him or ever be in a visible/tangible relationship with Spock. But...
Cora idolized him. She knew it was wrong. She knew that no one in the world understood or was aware of her deep respect and affection for the Vulcan. Not even the semi-psychic, Mister Spock. She was different and hid her thoughts and strong emotions.
It was the late shift. Dr. McCoy and others of the medical staff were absent. Anyone had free run of the (filmed) facilities and could self-heal themselves or call upon the Emergency Medical Hologram [EMH] at any time if doctors were unavailable. Cora entered sick bay because she wanted to have another chat with a very fascinating personage on the starship. Her new friend. Cora had trouble with all types of relationships, even friendly ones. She seemed to know them, but no one understood her and what she really was. Maybe 'he' did...or started to? She had much in common with Dr. Benway, the EMH.
'He' was rarely utilized and served Star Fleet with the highest of integrity, compassion, empathy and the latest med-techniques. Anytime and every time: "Please state the nature of your emergency," was said to the crew member who accessed the 'photonic man,' Dr. Benway loved it. He hid his true feelings. The Doctor was 'thrilled' beyond his belief and beyond programming whenever he interacted with people. It wasn't even the fact that he helped them, fixed them and had a sense of "pride" in the actions. No. It was merely the joy, the false joy, of being needed, wanted and the INTERACTION with 'real' lifeforms of the 'real world.' Ecstasy in his holographic mind reverberated throughout his whole artificial matrix when he functioned like a human being with human beings.
Dr. Benway made a new friend, recently. One particular crewman 'accessed' him again and again. At night. They just talked. The Doctor looked closer at her medical files and realized: He had to call Ensign Cora!
Usually, over the last weeks, she had called him into reality. This time, he called her.
When she received his message in her quarters, she was in bed and had Benway on her mind. She expected the call. Cora dressed, fixed herself in a flash and entered sick bay.
The Doctor was already accessed. That was new.
"Hi. Ah. Hey." She was happy to see 'him,' but was a bit confused. "Who accessed you?"
Dr. Benway's image was a tall, good-looking man in his thirties. He had long, brown hair, tied behind his head. He was immaculate. His whole persona brightened when he saw her. Benway answered, "Would you believe, I did? For some strange reason, I think you had something to do with it, Arrouk."
She smiled and replied, "ME? Love when you use my first name; no one else does. Explain. What did I do?"
He said, "I feel...real around you. I cherish our talks..."
"As do I." Cora was in awe. She had no concept that the EMH felt, let alone felt so strongly for her. SPOCK no longer dominated her mind and fantasy love life. Her dreams, over the passed week, had shifted. Arrouk Cora thought more and more about the artificial Doctor. He seemed more real. He seemed like the one 'person' onboard Enterprise...
...That could love her~
"Arrouk. I've, I've...changed. Crossed-over somehow to a, an, uh, Undiscovered Territory..."
She touched his hand, tenderly. Both felt love and brightened in appearance. "You mean something new and different? Do not be afraid of things to come, Ben."
The EMH was thrilled far beyond his wildest dreams. It was the smallest of gestures, yet it meant everything in the world to him. "You called me, Ben. Arrouk. I'm touched. The bastard programmers never gave me a first name. You just did. My name is Ben. I only discovered Benway's origin a short time ago. It's from an old..."
"I have news for you," she declared with a confident interruption and sweetness.
The handsome, tall Doctor with long hair, asked, "What?"
"I've changed too, my love..."
[WOW].
"I see, now. I see...further. Because of you, since meeting and talking to you, Ben."
"But you love your boss? Your superior. You love Spock."
She laughed. "Ha. ha. Mister Spock? Oh, boy. You don't have a clue, do you? Wait. CLU?"
"Huh?"
Cora left one reality in her mind and was about to Quantum Leap into another, when...
Holo-Ben was sure the girl was obsessed by the First Officer and second in command. He said, softly: "Dear. I don't want to, to, embarrass you, Arrouk..."
He got her attention. Cora turned. She expressed more joy and exuberance as if nothing he could do could disappoint her in the moment. "Please! Show me what you got." The Ensign was intrigued.
"One of my new abilities," the holographic Doctor stated. "...I picked your brains, and beautiful images they were, my dear. How innocent and pure and honest you are. That's how I KNOW you love him: I can see into you now. Images. Now that I know...I love you."
"What? What?" Cora's second 'what?' referred to: What images?
Ben told her, "Here's a couple of them. Take a look." On a large wall-screen, he and the computer made her thoughts 'real' and projected them.
"The pictures came from me?!" The Ensign howled a loud laugh the hologram didn't expect. She was embarrassed and elated simultaneously.
Ben slightly jumped. "Girl. They didn't come from me. You sure have an imagination. One reason I like you so much," Ben confessed. He winked.
Arrouk looked up as if caught in a dream. She said to the ceiling of sick bay: "I saw in a movie once...a girl said, about relationships: LIKE is more important than love. Huh."
"I like that." Ben put his photonic arms around her and held the girl, tightly. The feeling was divine. He received from her mind how (in old films) men held women's shoulders, a lot. He did so and then dived in. Ben kissed Arrouk firmly, smack on her luscious pink-colored lips. Hard. He thought it was the perfect occasion.
Cora just about melted. Her legs were numb. Her eyes fluttered. She seemed like she'd collapse any second~
The Doctor held her up on her feet. He wanted to snap her into clarity. Ben said the next big secret he planned to reveal to her: "I know you're not Macroen. Arrouk! What the heaven are you?"
She was out like an OFF light, unconscious, "out for the count" and not a part of the phony world anymore. She left. She went to the other side.
Was reality nothing more than infinite dreams within dreams and universes within universes?
The iso turned Macroen turned into Assistant Science Officer on the Enterprise, crossed-over one more time...
Before the Ensign jumped to the antimatter universe [Mirror Reflection], she experienced a different kind of CROSSOVER. Cora, momentarily, became a man! HE, Giordi La Forge, stood on a different Enterprise bridge in the future. He stared through an odd visor over his eyes and observed a very different reality...
It was a quiet moment, after a battle in space. Enterprise-D and crew were lucky to have survived the 'bout' with the Klingons. But they did, without a severe scratch. Giordi, Beverly, Tasha and Deanna casually relaxed and swapped stories on the bridge of what had occurred over the last few days as if around a late night campfire.
The Chief Engineer (Cora) terminated the story in mid-sentence. His face was odd.
"Are you all right," Deanna asked him before the others.
Instead of a response, she touched a small button on the visor she knew was there...
She was a different person entirely. She was back to being inside a woman's body. Cora grabbed her tits; it was the first thing she thought of as reality around her crystalized. A new persona exploded inside herself and she now understood, exactly, that she was Commander Staak's assistant. At the moment, she found herself on the bridge of the Enlighten and ahold of her sizeable breasts.
Staak was confused and close to her. He was unaware of EVERYTHING human and certainly was unaware of the greatest mystery of all: Woman. He twisted his head a bit and calmly asked his new assistant: "Is there some significance to your actions, Ensign Arrouk?"
Her mouth dropped. "You said, Ensign Arrouk?"
A few others giggled and had no clue of the girl's actions either.
She let go of her boobs. She focused on HIS FACE. Where was Spock's ears? Where was his face? OH! It was a weird, reverse world. Really? The iso, behind the mask of a Bajoran, ran off the bridge as fast as she could! She ran so fast that the turbo-lift failed to open in time and she collided with the doors and tripped. It took two seconds before the doors closed. Her hands covered her face as her back pressed against the Lift. She was really embarrassed and had to collect herself and take stock of the new world.
Staak looked at the Captain with his hands out from his sides and one eyebrow raised a bit higher than the other. The Commander only shook his head a little as the bridge crew were equally bewildered.
Cora accepted a new and different starship, crew and universe. Quickly. She learned to love and care about the parallel people on the Enlighten. They also paralleled a distinct indifference to her, as if no one in the wide world understood her, knew her, related to her, befriended her and loved her totally. Was she Ava thrust upon the OUTSIDE world? But all she actually desired was to be inside with the one she truly loved. The man would be her whole world.
She discovered she was hand-picked by Commander Staak. She was his "star" pupil. Somehow R'Maugzhe Staak (she knew) sensed her great potential and alienation and wanted her as his main "go-to" person.
She was extremely honored. But she also knew from the very beginning...
There was no chance for a life, together, with Mister Spock or Commander Staak. The relationship between Science Officer and Assistant (apprentice) was always respectful, professional and purely platonic. Like a father and daughter. BUT...
What about a relationship with Ben? Not Dr. Ben O'Leary. Photonic Ben, the ship's Emergency Medical Holo-doctor, her good and kind friend with long, holo-hair? She loved him as well. What to do in the new universe? What was she doing flying blindly through space? What was the purpose in her incredible life, post Sam? This? Suddenly, it was crystal clear. She remembered: his kiss. Could dreams come true?
The Ensign, second in the field of Science onboard (she tied ship's Computer in chess twice and nearly beat a simulated and undefeated Captain Church in RAMVOID, once)...
Made sure it was the perfect and precise late-shift when no one was in sick bay, like it was on the Enterprise. Cora stood in the same spot as she did in the positive universe and gave the verbal commands that accessed the EMH. She stated them again, then said, loudly,"Doctor! Ben! Are you there?" Arrouk yelled nonsense, but it wasn't nonsense: It was a desperate plea for love, truth and understanding: "I told you to STAY! You promised you would! Augh." She cried.
The artificial Doctor was not there because...
This particular starship had a full compliment of a medical staff with no need for an EMH, whatsoever. There was no fake Doctor Ben. Only a real one, which she had no interest in.
Now what to do? Suicide? Was love that important that Cora would die for it?
Ghostlike, she walked into 10 Forward, famous "watering hole" in the front part of the ship that a Woopee owned and operated. Cora saw who sat alone, in back. The usual: The Commander drank his small cup of water by himself. Not this time.
The Ensign quickly drank a glass of 'synthohol' that she pretended was the real thing. It gave her the courage to step right up to her boss and, and...
Earless Staak saw his young apprentice when she approached.
She didn't stop short; she continued the march. Cora sat down in front of him and nearly demanded, "I must go on the special 1-man, secret mission, Commander. I'm that guy."
Staak nearly choked on the water. "I-Indeed, sorry. And how would you, Ensign, know of any 1-man Suicide Mission?"
She smiled, big, like the glorious angel she was. "Ah. Mystery, thy name is woman. Intriguing, isn't it? How would I know? Ha. Guess you know we're both psychic? I do not think you realize how guarded I am...or what I am...or what I was, Commander." Her face got serious.
Staak jumped ahead a few squares. "Why do you want to kill yourself, Arrouk?"
"Huh?"
"...When you are so beautiful, radiant, a dream come true for anyone! You have your whole long life ahead of you, young one. Not sensible, dear. When you are LOVED very, very much..."
Arrouk was shocked. She expressed a big, fat question through her tears: "By whom?"
"By me, of course." Staak, with gentle affection, grabbed Cora and placed her on the table, lengthwise. The Remoran First Officer laid on top of her and did not care who witnessed his actions. This was a Centauri that had a good, old time. Rather shocking public display~
The Woopee said to Morn, "Now there's something you don't see everyday."
Morn was ready to say something. His eyes were large. His mouth opened even bigger. Then he changed his mind and only shook his head, a little.
Commander Staak kissed Cora so hard and intensely, they both passed out. When they came to, everything was again DIFFERENT~
In the moment of right now...
She kissed Ben and Ben kissed her. Hard.
There was the former iso from TRONLAND who remembered everything, every place and person. She'd been in a quest for love. She was home. Finally. She was with Ben, Ben! The Doctor. Not O'Leary. The one she loved passionately, intensely, and the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with: The Hologram, but he wasn't a photonic holo-person anymore. He was a man, a total man that deeply loved her as he always did. It was their talks that did it. Staaks and Spocks were gone, in her mind. There was only BEN: long-haired, beautiful Ben that felt everything she felt, completely understood Cora and was her perfect match made in heaven.
There was one last Crossover. It was a final journey into Death, which was an end, termination or "resting place" for both of them, twin souls that needed each other. And it was a BEGINNING. This was what Life was truly about, where everything wouldn't change anymore. Love wouldn't tarnish and fade away. There would be permanence, permanent images and feelings, perfect spirits in perfect and eternal bodies that always remained the same.
One question and answer happened that was interesting...
"Ben, you can access Staak, correct? And speak for him?"
"Of course, Cor."
"Then my question is...ah, since your people call the 9% 'hardware' in your arm 'MAKINA,' wouldn't you, now a full Bio-human, be...Ex-Makina?"
"Ha. Uh. Good one. I'll never leave you, honey." He hugged her.
She replied, "Good."
Ben and Cora experienced a very, very real life together inside their own universe. They lived, loved and together...were happy~
Comments to Tray are welcome at: dugx@sbcglobal.net
