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Trojan Horse 133 & 134 "Barbaric"[On.] [Hollodeck, USS Pegasus] Sulan stood in a shredded uniform covered in her own greenish blood, and the holographic blood of the senior staff of the Pegasus. She swayed on her feet slightly, and fought the urge to sit, instead forcing her self to remain standing, looking carefully at her handiwork. Petrova, a dagger buried in her throat, LaBrie, lying a few meters away, both arms severed at the elbow. Each of the holographic crew bore various wounds that she, in a rage had inflicted in a blur. Lastly, she looked at Hannah, but was unable to gaze for very long before emotion forced her to look away. She'd hesitated in combating her hologram, which had caused her to be wounded. "Computer:" she asked dryly "What was the total time of the combat operation?" The computer replied with a chime: "Five minutes, thirty seconds." Sulan sighed, "My skills have atrophied, of late." "Sulan, what is this..." The real Hannah said, from behind her. She had entered silently, hoping to talk some sense into her former lover. She was disgusted at the sight before her. Sulan spun, and drew a throwing dagger and nearly threw it before realizing that the O'Driscol that spoke was real, and not a hologram. "Ah, Hannah... Or perhaps I should address you as Lieutenant ODriscoll? What you see before you is a training program that I have devised. I am currently finishing it's initial testing before attempting to use it as a training mechanism." "These...these are my friends...that's...me?" Hannah said, in complete horror. "Correct." Sulan said without further comment. "Wha.." Hannah was at a loss for words. Sulan gestured at the fallen holograms as she walked, limping ever so slightly. "Do you know that humanity possesses a strong flaw that keeps them from being seen as warriors by other species?" She nodded to herself more than Hannah. "Yes. the inability to slay comrades when the situation warrants it. It is that, which I shall eliminate from my security crews." "Sulan, this is barbaric..." Hannah pleaded with her. "Barbaric? Barbarism, is being slaughtered by a race that can fight in circumstances that you cannot. I myself was nearly slain by the inability to destroy your hologram." She kicked the holographic O'Driscoll, and pulled a throwing dagger from the hologram's eye socket "Any one of the crew would hesitate to fire on their comrade if I would order them to. A changeling, would use this deadly advantage against them without hesitation." Hannah turned away, sickened. "You see? your own reaction reveals your weakness." Said Sulan coldly "And slaughtering them, covering yourself in their blood was necessary also?" "Yes, of course. I have to rid myself of my own weakness." "Don't lie to me, Sulan - you never could." Hannah said. "You enjoyed this." "Yes. I did. But... blood lust is how the strong survive, isn't it?. If slaying holograms with the safeties deactivated keeps me at my peak, then, so be it, O'Driscoll." She smiles slightly. "Your hologram was the most realistic of them all, did you know that? Your left arm is weak, so I broke it at the elbow and used the hole in your defense to deliver the killing blow to your eye socket. Your double never saw it coming. Ah, I find humor so fascinating..." "Sulan, stop this!" Hannah shouted. "Do you still love me?" "Love? Love is for the weak. You taught me that, and I thank you for it." She suddenly moves forward, her face centimeters, from Hannah's. "Do you feel it?" She asked, smelling her human sweat, with it's salty tang. "No Sulan. No I don't. Maybe I did once, but now, all I have for you is contempt." Hannah said, growing in confidence. "I guess I thought you were something you aren't - a real person, instead of the cold hard shell you try to be." Sulan nodded. "Correct. have you ever heard the earth tale of the fox and the scorpion?" She sad, turning her back on her, and pacing among the corpses. "No." Hannah said. "I imagine it involves bloodshed, though." Not in the way you think, O"Driscoll.... There once was a kind fox, who tried to help everyone. He defined his life by it, using his swimming skills to help other animals cross a great river. One day, I scorpion asked to across. 'No.' Said the fox, you do nothing but sting. 'I will not!' said the scorpion, 'if I do that, we'll both drown' Finally the fox agreed, seeing the logic in it. But halfway across the river the scorpion stung the fox, and they both began to drown. 'Why did you do that?!' The fox cried, 'Now we both shall die!' 'I cannot help it.' said the Scorpion, 'It is my nature.'" Sulan nodded to her. "Do you see, O'Driscoll "*I* am a scorpion, and can only be what I am." Not in the way you think, O"Driscoll.... In the story, there once was a kind fox, who tried to help everyone. He defined his life by it, using his swimming skills to help other animals cross a great river. One day, I scorpion asked to across. 'No.' Said the fox, you do nothing but sting. 'I will not!' said the scorpion, 'if I do that, we'll both drown' Finally the fox agreed, seeing the logic in it. But halfway across the river the scorpion stung the fox, and they both began to drown. 'Why did you do that?!' The fox cried, 'Now we both shall die!' 'I cannot help it.' said the Scorpion, 'It is my nature.'" Sulan nodded to her. "Do you see, O'Driscoll "*I* am a scorpion, and can only be what I am." "I see." Hannah said, turning away. "I'm glad I finished it with you Hannah - I guess betrayal is a inevitability of inviting a scorpion into your bed." She left the holodeck, eyes dry. Sulan simply stood there, among the corpses, her face expressionless. "it's not me, you should be afraid of, my dear." [Off] A joint post by: Lt. (j.g.) Telek Sulan Chief of Security USS Pegasus "Humans fear what they do not understand. Fear is a weapon that can be used against them." & Lt. (j.g.) Hannah O'Driscoll Chief Tactical Officer USS Pegasus "It's finally over...and all I feel is relief." |
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