Return to Valjiir Stories
“Crazy,” Del sang in a self-parodying mood.
“Crazy fo' feelin’ so lonely
I'm crazy, crazy fo' feelin’ so blue..”
If he’d known that insanity could be so pleasant, he wouldn’t have fought it so hard for all these years.
“Worry, why do I let myself worry?
Wond'rin’ what in the world did I do?”
He was aware that terrible things were happening all around him. It was just hard to care. Events and emotions swirled about him like so much colored confetti. Nothing seemed real or solid… especially not himself. His physical presence in reality was becoming more of an abstract concept by the moment. Only Ruth held him here. Only Ruth. Only Ruth with death lying in tiny sparkling pools in her long legs was real or meaningful. The thought of her anchored him like an infinitely thin silk string on a kite straining to fly off into eternity.
“Crazy fo' t'inkin’ that my love could hold you
I'm crazy fo' tryin’ an' crazy fo' cryin’
An' I'm crazy fo' lovin’ you.”
“Hello, crazy person.”
It was an effort to remember that the collection of emotions and thoughts who had paused to gather empty glasses near him was Daffy. Daffy Gollub. Daffy, who he’d known since she was a skinny, flat-chested kid who cursed like a sailor and smoked like a chimney. Daffy. “Hey, darlin’. What you up to?”
“My nose,” she replied too quietly for anyone else to hear, “in Loonie bullshit.”
“Ain’t we all?” he asked mildly, then sang, “Meshugeneh. I’m meshugeneh fo' feelin’ so fachadick. I’m meshugeneh. Meshugeneh fo' gettin’ so farblondzhet…”
“A regular comedian you are today,” his audience said unappreciatively. “Menshugeneh or not, you should eat.”
If reality was a difficult concept, brunch was doubly so. “Got any bourbon?”
“And bourbon’s a food?”
“Where I come from,” he assured her.
“I can get you gruel in three different colors.” The chemist listed them off on her fingers. “Vegetarian. Faux non-vegetarian. Non-faux non-vegetarian.” She leaned in close again. “All of which come with a side of xeno-specialty of the house, if you know what I mean.”
“Shee-it,” he dismissed her concern. “Like that gonna make a difference in me now.”
Del could see the outlines of her concern and pity start to morph into the beginnings of grief.
“Don’t start that,” he warned, then gestured her towards the pillow beside him with the neck of the boshzier. “Sit down an’stay wit’ me awhile. Who knows when the two o’ us get a chance to talk again.”
“Why?” she asked, taking a seat. “You planning to go somewhere? I mean, other than going…”
“Crazy,” they sang together. “Crazy fo' feelin’ so blue…”
“Ah, it not so bad,” he assured her. “I actually kinda like it.”
She snorted. “You would.”
“I surely would love a glass o’ bourbon, though,” he said wistfully. “Wonder why the Loonies not keep it?”
“Probably because they’re…”
“Loony,”
Del sang. “Loony for eatin’ the faux-vegetarian gruels.
They loony. Loony fo' gettin’ strange tattoos.
They loony fo' wantin’ to conquer the universe.
Loony fo' tryin’ an' loony fo' dyin’…”
“Hey,” Daffy hushed. “Ix-nay on the Oon-lays. They might be listening. Worse yet, Jer might hear. Where is he anyway?”
“If he not here now, he surely be later.” Something bad was on its way. Coming pretty quick. The bad moon was on the rise. “Not to worry, darlin’,” he advised the chemist nonetheless. “Jus’ let it roll on over you.”
“Yeah,” she agreed dubiously, then sang in her sweet alto, “Worry, why should I let myself worry? Wondering what in the world I should do?”
“’Cause you’re daffy,”
he sang back. “Daffy fo' feelin’ so lonely.
You’re daffy. Daffy for feelin’ so blue.
Daffy fo' cryin’. Daffy fo' tryin’.
And daffy fo' lovin’… oh, shit, here he comes.”
Unlike the chemist, Del didn’t have to scan the cargo bay for Chekov and his two companions. They came into his awareness like a three-headed beast. Black-black. Black on black. Black rising like a black moon. A black moon in a black sky oozing black tears. “Shee-it, T-Paul. What become o’ you?”
“What?”
Not knowing which direction they were coming from, Daffy started to suddenly hear the navigator’s voice from behind her. The navigator also seemed disconcerted to find that the anonymous groupie beside Del was actually his former girlfriend.
Their dismay was only a fraction of what DelMonde was feeling, though. The peaceful cerulean blue of his coming insanity had suddenly been invaded by something entirely unexpected and unwelcome. He put the boshzier aside and rose to meet his former roommate. “You stained, boy. Stained to the core.”
Chekov blinked, overwhelmed by merely being in the presence of all the women he either was or wanted to sleep with at once. “Excuse me?”
Del put his hands out, trying to separate the black-black presence of the females flanking him from the Russian’s own essence. This wasn’t simply a blending, though. It was something different. Something worse.
“What is it, Del?” Daffy asked.
“He… he turnin’.” Del put his hand as close as he dared to the navigator’s chest. Where there should be nothing – no color, no emanations – there was now something that was… not nothing. A horrible, deadly black not nothing. It was as if the Russian’s singular lack of paranormal abilities was becoming something that wasn’t something -- a negative ability? “He fillin’ up wit’ black.”
“Noel,” Chekov said, rolling his eyes. “I’m wearing a black shirt.”
“It go deeper than that,” Del assured him.
The navigator made an impatient face, wishing nothing more than to get his unpleasant errand over with as soon as possible. “Noel, Irina and Chione wish me to ask you to…”
“No,” the Cajun replied automatically to what he read from the women. “Hell, no. I ain’t doin’ not'ing wit' them. They’s the one who done this to you, ya stupid fuck.”
“What?” Daffy was on her feet now.
The young woman with the long black hair looked alarmed. She pulled at the navigator’s arm. “Pavel, please…”
“She the one,” Del said, pointing to her and taking a precautionary step back. “You always been like a cool drink o’ water t’ her, T-Paul. So simple. So pure. So undemandin’. But now… She so black inside… And you becomin’ like a blotter. Ink-stained wit’ her… wit’ their black.”
“Noel,” Chekov chided, put his hand over his lover’s, who had visibly begun to tremble. The blonde woman beside them was biting her lip, somewhere between fear and eagerness. “This is uncalled for. They simply want you to play…”
“Hell, no, I ain’t gonna play,” Del replied adamantly. “You not see? Your dumbass li’l brain’s come up wit' a dumbass li’l scheme t’ protect itself. When it attacked, it t'inkin’ it can blunt the blow by absorbin’ what attackin’ it.”
“That’s ridiculous,” the navigator replied, turning apologetically to his companions. “Noel has always had something of a substance abuse problem…”
“Don’t believe me, then,” the Cajun spat back. “See if I give a damn. But keep the hell away from me. I not fuckin’ wit’ any y’all.”
“No one is suggesting…” Chekov began heatedly.
“The hell they ain’t.” Del glared at the two women. “You not see? You on the brink, T-Paul -- one last push could make you into somet'ing no Human should be – le noir morte – an abomination.”
“Pavel, please,” Irina begged quietly. “Come away. He’s frightening me.”
“Back off, bitch,” Daffy said, suddenly coming forward to jerk the Russian in the other direction.
“Daphne…” Chekov began, surprised.
Turning him towards her, the chemist silently mouthed. “The food is drugged.”
“Hey! Hey!” A pair of strong brown hands suddenly pulled Gollub backwards. “What’s goin’ on here? Irina, are you alright?”
“Jeremy,” Chekov said, now completely confused. “I was attempting to ask Noel…”
“Tell him t’ keep them damned black-hearted bitches the hell away from me,” DelMonde said, backing away furiously.
“If there’s been some kind of misunderstandin’…” Paget began, still keeping a tight grip on Gollub.
“We just wanted to ask him to play for the rally,” Chione said, looking hurt. “We were going to invite all of you.”
Chekov was shaking his head at DelMonde who had exited the bay. “I think he’s losing his mind.”
“And you should talk,” Gollub automatically replied.
“Of course we’re all gonna be more than happy to help out with the rally,” Jeremy promised loudly over her, giving her arm a none too gentle ‘shut the fuck up’ squeeze. “It sounds like fun.”
“Let me go, Jer,” Daffy demanded, pulling away.
“Daphne…” Chekov began helplessly as the chemist stalked away.
“Pavel, I don’t feel well,” Irina said, rubbing her forehead. “There are some tablets in my quarters…”
“Yes,” he said, dutiful if reluctant. “I will get them for you.”
“Let me get you a glass of wine,” Paget offered as the Russian retreated.
“I prefer water,” she said, then winced as if the admission caused her pain.
“Come sit down, Reeny.” The blonde solicitously took her friend by the arm.
His mind reeling with possibilities of disaster he may have not been in time to prevent, Paget quickly located the nearest pitcher of water and a glass and doubled back to follow the two women. What in the hell had possessed NC to…? No use contemplatin’ that… Laying out damage control scenarios in his mind with each step, Paget followed the sound of their light voices down a corridor that lead off from the cargo bay.
“What did he mean, Reeny?” he heard the blonde ask. The women had apparently halted around the next corner. “What did he mean about our little sweetheart turning into something?”
“I don’t know,” Irina’s voice replied wearily. “He has no abilities.”
Paget halted. Putting his back to the wall, he tried to look casual as he scanned the corridor.
“A lot of people don’t seem to…” Chione began.
“You don’t understand,” Irina cut her off. “Pavel’s different. He has nothing. No shields. No telepathy. No empathy. No potential to develop. It’s somewhat rare.”
“And that makes him nice for you,” the blonde’s voice took on a cloying childish tone. “Just like the black-eyed boy said.”
“He said… a great many things.”
“About absorbing…” Chione prompted.
“Yes. It doesn’t make sense. Humans don’t develop that way. It could be extremely dangerous.”
“Or extremely useful,” the blonde said slowly. “If we had a way of controlling the excess generated by…”
“Some things cannot be controlled, Chione.” Irina’s voice was firm, cold, and filled with regret.
“The black-eyed boy…” the other woman’s voice trailed off. “You know what needs to happen, Reeny.”
“I know.” Irina’s voice was curt and bitter.
The blonde’s tone became light and teasing. “Is our little sweetheart going to be jealous?”
“Let me worry about that.”
“Sure, Reeny.” Chione giggled for no reason Paget could discern.
“Who was that girl?”
“Pavel’s ex-lover. She’s the chemist.”
“We-elll…” the blonde strung the word out. “She’s going to have to go, isn’t she?”
Irina was silent for a moment. “I will speak to Tongo. At the rally, it should be simple enough.”
Paget closed his eyes. Oh, shit, he mouthed silently before fastening on a plastic smile and making a noisy entrance.
“Here’s your water, Irina,” he said. He filled the glass, handing it to her. He urged her to sit down and crouched beside her. “Don’t you worry none about NC. The boy’s always been more than a little loco. Half the time nobody knows that the hell he’s talkin’ about.” He chuckled. “And the other half he don’t. Don’t pay him no mind.” He took a breath, deciding whether or not to address the other problem. “And Daffy’s still bound to the whole monogamy thing. It’s just gonna take her a little more time to realize that Pavel’s free to be with who he wants. I can have a talk with her if you want.”
“No, it’s fine,” Irina replied. “It is only that she makes it difficult for him.”
“I reach that,” Paget returned.
“We can’t have her upsetting Reeny like this,” Chione put in.
Putting on his best concerned and attentive face, Jeremy looked up at the blonde. “What do you suggest, Chione?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she replied offhandedly. “Maybe get her interested in someone else?” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Like you?”
Paget smiled. “I certainly don’t have any objections to that,” he said.
The woman giggled, and mentally, Jeremy frowned. There’s somethin’ about that giggle, he thought, then focused again on Irina.
“So when’s the rally?” he asked.
“Tomorrow,” the Russian woman replied. She started to get up and Jeremy stood, offering her his hand.
“You sure you’re okay?”
Irina smiled faintly. “Yes, I’m feeling much better now. Thank you.”
Paget hugged her gently. “Good.” He turned to Pony-Tail Girl. “You take care of her,” he said.
Chione giggled. “I always do, sweetie.”
Yeah, there’s somethin’ about that giggle I don’t like one little bit.
Jeremy managed only to have a brief conversation with the rest of his team. He told them of the rally, emphasizing that they absolutely had to stay in character, no matter what happened. Ruth’s only comment was a bitter, “And what else can I do at this stage of the game?” Paget sympathized and told her to be careful. DelMonde had reiterated that he’d be fine as long as the ‘black bitches’ were kept away from him, which warranted some explanation but which there was unfortunately no time for. Daffy had growled at him, which warranted a replay of Speech Number 17, which Paget made time for. Sulu and Sakura seemed to be the only ones with their heads firmly in the mission. And of course, the security chief had no time at all to speak to Chekov.
There were a good number of instruments of various types at Dreamland Base, ranging from simple maracas and tambourines through more standard Terran guitars, drums and keyboards, to the exotic, like Adam’s boshzier. Tongo had passed them out to all the members of the impromptu band, including Sulu, Daffy, Jeremy, Sakura and Pavel. Ruth and Del, of course, merited guitars. They had traveled to one of the cities on Coltada, Beta Navarre’s third planet, and were setting up in the town square.
“This is gonna be a rally to reach the people of this system,” Lace was explaining. “We want to show them the joy and freedom Dr. Sevrin’s message brings.”
“And raise a little credit to help defray expenses,” Tongo added.
“We sell what we can,” Irina put in, “but the work is so important…” She cast a knowing smile at Pavel.
“Indeed, it is,” he replied on cue. At Irina’s side, Chione giggled.
“So the idea is to play for the people, and if they can chime, we’re hoping they’ll dust out their heads and throw some generosity our way,” Madvig finished.
“What about those of us who can’t play?” Sakura wanted to know.
“Lend your voices to make the joyful noise, sister,” Lace replied.
“And if some of us couldn’t carry a tune if it had two handles and an anti-grav unit?” Sulu muttered. Next to him, Jeremy snorted.
“You can move, brother,” Phen said with a leering grin. “Dance for the people.”
“That be showin’ ‘em freedom right enough,” Del said, and nearly everyone laughed. Sulu tried not to glare at the engineer, but under amber’s gentle guidance, his annoyance faded into the memories of dance floors and Naois and venus’ fire and tapestries – and Jilla.
“What do you want us to play?” Ruth asked as she checked the tuning of the guitar she’d been given.
“You guys know so many songs that really reach,” Madvig rejoined. “Pick one that says it like it is. Something upbeat that will get the Herberts to open up their minds.
“And wallets,” Daffy said with a brilliant smile. Chekov frowned at her, and she noted with annoyance Irina’s approving nod.
Del turned to Ruth. “How quick you teach ‘em Free Ride,” he asked.
Ruth glanced at the rapidly filling public square. “Not in the next five minutes,” she replied.
He gave her a maddeningly evil grin. “I do it then.” And he closed his eyes.
Ruth felt her mind being immediately filled with both the melody and the chords, as well as an entire arrangement for the Valley Collection song Del had mentioned. From the looks of pleased awe on the faces of the other musicians, she knew they’d received it too.
Del, how did you…? she asked him silently. His only answer was a dark, knowing chuckle.
The guitar was bright and compelling, the beat lively. Barely two measures into it, the Sevrinites were jumping up, clapping their hands or playing percussion, whooping and laughing and starting to dance. Even the out-system police officers, present to ensure that the concert was a peaceful one, relaxed, nodding to the music, some even joining the Sevrinites in clapping in time with the beat. Del’s voice soared over the music, his face almost radiant with all the joy the music conveyed.
The mountain is high, the valley is low
An' you're confused on which way to go
So I come here to give you a hand
An' lead you into the promised land
Every one of the musicians and dancers joined in on the chorus. Sakura and Sulu danced around each other in leaping steps, Lace and Phen banging their tambourines, skipping through the crowd. Daffy and Jeremy stood behind Del and Ruth and Chione, playing back-up singers with unexpected gaiety. Even Pavel was keeping time with a pair of maracas, smiling at Irina, who smiled right back. The atmosphere was contagious in a way that Ruth didn’t like one little bit.
Come on an' take a free ride (free ride)
Come on an' take it by my side
Come on an' take a free ride
Again, Del’s voice took the lead, guiding everyone in the almost Dionysian celebration.
All over the country, I seen it th' same
Nobody winnin’ at this kind o' game
We gotta do better, it's time to begin
You know all the answers
Must come from within, so…
Again the Sevrinites started whooping and hollering, and not a few members of the audience were catching true-believer-fever. Tongo shoved a couple of floppy hats into Daffy and Jeremy’s hands and, to Ruth’s surprise, the two actually joined Lace and Phen, the four of them weaving their way among the people, soliciting donations with wide smiles and whirling, laughing steps.
Come on an' take a free ride (free ride)
Come on an' take it by my side
Come on an' take a free ride
Del drove the song on, the sound building a bizarre kind of high among both the Sevrinites and the assembled people. The dancers started bestowing quick, teasing kisses and brief but warmly genuine hugs on those in the crowd. Not a few in the audience were joining them, clapping hands, starting to move, jumping up and singing. And the hats were rapidly filling with credit chips. Tongo and Irina took them and emptied them into a large box, immediately returning them to the collectors – and Ruth noted Pavel was helping.
There was definitely more going on than good music and the call of the Flower Loonie. Ruth was suddenly reminded of the old fairy-tale about the girl who wanted red shoes to dance in, and how she had been cursed to dance until she withered. There was the same almost manic quality about the crowd, and Ruth glanced at Del, wanting to know if he felt it, too.
His eyes were fixed on his guitar. An intensity far greater than his usual concentration while playing flowed from him in waves. It was tangible, surrounding him, then reaching out and controlling all who it touched. And all who it touched shrieked with joy and rapture, dancing and singing, leaping into the air, embracing all around them, breathless, bright-eyed, nearly mindless in their ecstasy…
Chiming.
Reaching.
Del, stop! Ruth cried out to him.
Come on an' take a free ride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Come on an' take a free ride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Come on an' take a free ride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Come on an' take a free ride
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah….
The singing went on, the music went on. Del could feel the emotions around him, feeding him, being fed by him. All they were belonged to him, layers and layers of bright, fervent skin to wrap his soul in. He had called to them, every one. He had opened them, hearts and minds. There was none of his ever-present fear of being engulfed; none of the too-full cacophony of other minds – every mind was his!
Del, stop!
He heard Ruth’s horrified cry and turned his new-found control on her.
They don’t turn from me, he shouted savagely. They don’t run away an' pretend I not touch them! They want me, they want what I give them! An' I WANT THIS!!
He pushed with all his might, needing to force himself into her, to make her, too, become him.
On the Enterprise, Spock was giving Jim the latest report on the undercover mission. Using the Valjiir cloak, the heavy cruiser had been able to approach the system where the so-called Dreamland Base was located. Paget had been able to get off one, short transmission, detailing his concerns and a drastic, if potentially very effective way to deal with them, and it required the clandestine presence of the Enterprise. There was also a very good reason why the information had not been communicated through Ruth rather than the infinitely more risky subspace signal. It was a disturbing plan, but one that Spock had to admit was necessary.
“…and since their likely method of disposal will require the use of either the tractor beam or the transporters, as warranted…” Spock was saying, when he suddenly went rigid, his entire body tensing.
“Spock?” Jim asked, immediately alert.
Horror and sudden fear screamed through him, Ruth’s mind crying out in alarm and desperation. He felt the terrible strain on her abilities, a push that came from outside her, one determined to conquer and dominate her telepathy and empathy. He recognized the feel of the mind that warred with her, and was taken aback at its new power. Then he pushed in return, adding his strength to Ruth’s, forming a stronger shield and barrier against Noel DelMonde’s assault.
The touch of Spock’s strength was all Ruth needed to conquer her own horror and block Del’s attempt to take control of her mind, as he was obviously controlling all the others around him. She knew his dangerous power wouldn’t last – the xenoneurophene burnt itself out quickly. And if it can ease his skinlessness, even for a short time…
Don’t go thinking like that, Valley! she chided herself. This is a dangerous game he’s playing - we’re all playing – and the stakes are too high for you to go all soft in the head, even if it is Del…
Her arms and legs started burning and she gasped. For one terrible moment, she knew that if she didn’t let go let go of her mental block, she was going to die, but that if she did, she was going to be overwhelmed by Del’s strength. A plea for Spock to forgive her started within her.
Abruptly Del’s mental communication ceased and he let the song wind down. Ruth gasped, dropping her mental shields in relief. The crowd cheered, the applause deafening. “Give us another, Brother Del!” Madvig cried excitedly, and Ruth could tell from the brightness of her eyes that she was still under Del’s Bacchanalian spell. The Antari felt another mental ‘broadcast’ of another Valley Collection song; and though the sentiment was the same, as Del began to sing, the feel of the song was darker.
Freedom - keep walkin'
Keep on your toes an' don't stop talkin' 'bout
Freedom - get goin'
Lots to be learned an' lots to be knowin' 'bout
People - gotta reach 'em
Sit 'em right down an' then you gotta teach 'em 'bout
Freedom - gotta win it
Gotta put yourself smack dab in itHey tomorrow
Now don't you go away
'Cause freedom
Just might come your way
The dancing was more structured, but just as abandoned, the harder edge to the song making the movements more suggestive, demand rather than joyous welcome. The thank-you embraces given to those in the crowd who dropped money in to the still-circulating hats became sensual, with more than a hint of a promise of the things that could be had if the giver would join the Sevrinite cause. With alarm, Ruth realized that the person getting the most contributions was Sulu.
Freedom - keep tryin'
People stay alive an' people keep dyin' fo'
Freedom - so don't lose it
Ya gotta understand ya jus' can't abuse it
Freedom - get movin'
Never gonna stop till ever'body groovin' on
Love fo' - one another
Callin' some friend an' callin' some brotherHey tomorrow
You not so far away
Mother freedom
We know you well someday…
It was going to get out of hand, and the only thing Ruth could do about it was hold out and pray that Del’s magnified telepathy would stop before someone – like her – did something very suicidal.
Pavel could not understand the strange behavior of his fellow officers. He had at last come to understand the necessity of the pretense they had all agreed to play, and was finally throwing his considerable determination into performing as was required by the mission. But pretense and the mission could not explain why Jeremy Paget and Sakura Tamura were fondling strangers in the crowd. And it certainly could not account for his helmpartner’s increasingly obvious flirtation with a repetition of the disaster of LiLing. He found himself keeping a close eye on Daphne, despite Irina’s nearness.
That was the worst of it. He had to allow himself to be taken in by Irina’s charms – and that is so very difficult for you, he chided himself, stubbornly refusing to think about Chione – but in doing so, he was creating a situation by which Daphne’s ability to keep to the charade was becoming seriously compromised. With as closely as he was watched, there was no time or place in which he could reassure her that it was a charade – you would lie to her so blatantly?
Paget implied that she understood.
Understanding is not always the same thing as believing.
And what would you have her believe? That Irina means nothing to you? She is no fool, despite the way she sometimes behaves.
No, only that she means more.
Does she?
“A roubel for your thoughts,” Irina murmured softly in his ear. He blinked, glancing at his fellow Russian. She was smiling at him, but her eyes were gleaming. “You were miles away, Pasha,” she continued.
“I was watching my friends,” Pavel replied, knowing that for him, the best course was to mix as much truth with the deceit as possible. “It has been so long since I have seen them so carefree….” He let the sentence trail off into a sigh. “I only wish I could join them.”
“And why can you not, my so-serious Pavel Andrevitch?” She teased him as she always had, and the familiarity was both welcome and dreaded.
“You know I am mind-null,” he returned with an attractive pout, “but even I can tell they are experiencing some kind of elevated emotional state due to their contact with your people. I cannot feel it the way they do.”
“And your inhibitions will not allow you to make a fool of yourself with such abandon, da?”
He shrugged, flushing a little.
“Perhaps, then, all you need is to make the elevated emotional state a little more personal,” Irina suggested with a sensual smile. She walked over to the musicians, speaking quietly with them. Tongo Rad glanced over at Chekov, grinning nastily. “I reach, sister,” he said.
A lively, syncopated beat began, and before Chekov realized what was about to happen, Irina started dancing in front of him. Then she began to sing, with Madvig and Chione joining in.
You and I are betting on words
You and I are wandering worlds
Apart from each other, joined at the heart
Irina pressed her hand to her chest, and Pavel noticed Daffy’s sudden glare.
You and I escaping from Earth
Tasting tears for all that it's worth
Apart from each other, joined by a thought
Again Irina gestured, this time touching a finger to her temple, and, Chekov could’ve sworn, glancing toward Ruth Valley.
Can you believe me?
Still sitting pretty with a pistol in hand
Living to love you, will you be my man?
If I beg,
Her hands came together in a gesture of prayer.
If I plead
Her body bent at the knees as if in supplication, her full mouth in a delectable pout.
Would you please, please, please satisfy me?
Anything goes in this cosmic dare
Anything goes, so take care
Can’t you hear my heart beat to your lies?
Listen close, sweet love of mine.
Chekov found himself flushing furiously as panic began to set in. Surely she couldn’t be saying she knew they were all only pretending! Then his brain realized the words that had come prior to those, would you please, please, please satisfy me, and his blush increased.
You and I are traveling time
You and I, a moon rocket’s climb
In tune with forever, never say never, we're toldYou and I are floating in space
You and I are waiting to make
The most of a moment alive in this silence so great
Irina’s gaze was fixed on his, her words winging straight to his heart, jumbling his already divided thoughts. You and I, they kept repeating. You and I…
She broke your heart, Pavel. She is a traitor. She manipulates and barters her honesty for…
And are you not now engaged in the same kind of deception?
I am fulfilling my duty to the Federation and to my oath as a Starfleet officer…
An oath she never took. She left the Academy, remember?
You and I, you and I…
What of Chione?
And what of Dafshka?
Can you believe me?
Still sitting pretty with a pistol in hand
Living to love you, will you be my man?
If I beg, If I plead
Would you please, please, please satisfy me?
Irina came close to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, her voice breathy and relentlessly inviting.
Anything goes in this cosmic dare
Anything goes, so take care
Can’t you feel my heart beat to your sighs?
Mon amour, sweet love of mine.
Distantly, Chekov heard DelMonde’s evil chuckle. Irina bent her head, her lips touching his, repeating in a sensual murmur, “sweet love of mine…”
And all hell broke loose.
Go To Part Sixteen
Return To Part Fourteen
Crazy by Patsy Cline
Free Ride by The Edgar Winter Group
Mother Freedom by Bread
Cosmic Dare by The Seatbelts