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"When Kzinti Minds Collide"
 Previous post “Emotions” by our lord and master Sabrina ::grin::
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--Below written by Francois--

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 63073.1530

The Kzinti office appeared at peace while on the biobed, her body perfectly motionless and at rest - alas her mind had not been so fortunate.
 
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay as seen through a black and white haze

"Where am I?" Hex thought to herself only to hear her own words spoken aloud as if someone else had said them.  The ANUBIS' Sec/Tac officer had easily recognized the ship's Sickbay but the obvious lack of colors and general haze that surrounded her had left the Kzinti to believe that she had someone managed to be somewhere else.

"You *need* to come home," a female voice said as clear as if the person who had spoken had stood right next to the Kzinti woman despite there being no one next to her.
 
"Mother?" Hex once again thought to hear her words spoken out loud.  If this had been a dream, it had certainly not been one of the pleasant kind.  "Great either I'm in another temporal anomaly or this is one of those dreams that I hate," the Kzinti openly said no longer simply thinking about her words.
 
"I do not know what you are referring to Hex," the voice of the Ensign's mother continued, "but it is time for you to return home.  There are many things that you need to know about becoming a High Priestess, one such thing being the ability to project your thoughts into the minds of others."
 
"You mean this is not a dream?"
 
"No it is not," Hex mother replied which a faint chuckle.
 
"Alright, if this is not a dream explain to me why I have never heard you this way before?" the Kzinti forcefully demanded still unwilling to accept that this had not been a nightmare of some sort.
 
"This is the first time that your mind is at peace enough to hear me," the voice explained with a certain tone of disappointment.  "I have tried many times before to reach you this way but your thoughts were too turbulent, too primal to permit you to actual hear me."
 
"All High Priestesses are able to do this?" Hex questioned as she allowed herself to entertain the possibility that this had been real.
 
"There are many things that a High Priestess can do," the voice further explained, "and if you wish to learn more you need to return home and take your rightful place."
 
Hex began to breathe heavily before she screamed at the top of her lungs.
 
"NEVER!"
 
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 63073.1535
 
"NEVER!"
 
"Never what?" Doctor Summers asked as she approached the biobed where the ensign had been resting.  The aCMO had requested the CMO's presence after some strange readings had appeared in the latest scan.
 
"Nothing," Hex said as she tried to dismiss the situation only to notice that the ANUBIS' CNS had been a witness to this little display.  "It was just a bad dream," the Kzinti added as she hoped that the explanation would be sufficient to get everyone off her case.

--Back to me--

"Hex, if there's something you ever want to... talk about, anything," the young aCMO said, noting that the scans had returned to normal and sighing with relief.

"No really, trust me it was just a bad dream, it doesn't mean anything to me," the fuzzy officer stated with an icy bluntness.

It was true after all, nothing of what her mother said had mattered in the least now. Hex was *never* going back home, not without good reason. To marry a priest and take control of her own town was not a reason that suited the Kzinti. Each town was controlled by a High Priestess, a religious icon who oversaw any and all developments to the village. It was a great responsibility, but not at all what the young fuzzball wanted out of life.

Hex noticed others in the room, but was only accurately aware of the two women in front of her. The Kzinti could sense a certain feeling of tension over near where the CO, Enaii and Drell were standing, but couldn't tell much other than that. They hadn't seemed to notice much but her scream either, so the Ensign turned her attention again to Aki and the CMO.

Both medical officers seemed unaffected by the coldness in the Kzinti's answer, or if they were affected they didn't let it show. Hex was determined to make them feel a bit more at ease with her around, even though she was just barely at ease enough to speak to them.

"I'm going to go back and take up my position, but when I get off we could all go to the Black Hole or something?" the Ensign noted with a plastered-on grin, her inner turmoil had begun anew and was beginning to make her feel sick again, her ear twitched twice, if only slightly.

The CMO shook her head, which resulted in a sigh escaping the Kzinti's lips. "I'm afraid we'll have to keep you here for a bit, after such abnormal readings, we can't be sure it won't happen again."

Hex understood the truth when she heard it. The Kzinti was surprised to realize that she was only somewhat dismayed at the fact that she couldn't return yet to her post. A rest would do her well, though the furry humanoid didn't plan to sleep. With Vladina able to jump into her thoughts at any given peaceful time, the Ensign wanted to keep her mind stressed, but rested.

"I'm not going to sleep... but I'll rest here awhile until I'm free to go back..." Hex stated a bit more gloomily than she had originally planned.

Seemingly satisfied, the aCMO and CMO went over to the others, though the Kzinti knew they'd be back. With a small inner determination, Hex decided to put these thoughts behind her and rest, while observing, if from a distance, the situation in Sickbay. Crowded as it was, the officers might need assistance if the Klingons were to go at it again. Not knowing really why, the Sec/Tac officer had taken a liking to Karg and didn't want to see him harmed.

Sleep, at least a peaceful sleep, was usually impossible thanks to the nightmares, but Hex was taking no chances. As the Kzinti lied back down on the biobed, she noticed that it was actually somewhat comfortable. A true grin escaped when the Ensign noted that anything would seem comfy if one spent most of her life sleeping on the hard stone ground.

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Ashley Shane (crazyoneofthenight@hotmail.com)
Ensign Hex Fanggot
Sec/Tac Assistant Officer
USS ANUBIS