Waiting for the other shoe....

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 23159

Scott Chen

It is creepy. I speak of our young hostess, Karen, of course. For the life of me I could almost swear I should know her. Had the same feeling when I laid eyes upon Illura as well, but the feeling is much stronger with this young Ama...er...New Amazon. She had volunteered to look after my group while these other strangers (friends of Illura like that "Jarlath" guy and his gang) took care of the "foxtaurs" (lots of females and a few males). Have the distinct feeling that she did it more out of a sense of intense curiousity than anything else. She's been looking like she would like to ask a few questions herself instead of just answering ours. Frankly, I get a distinct feeling she has the same feeling of somehow knowing me from somewhere as I do of her.

However, as much as I would like to perhaps explore that immediately, I and the others would be better served in at least getting some kind of "lay of the land" in at least as far as what (as far as I can cipher out from what I've overheard so far) the aborted conflict we'd been dropped into was all about. Oh, I know that it perhaps might be a biased source, this Karen, but it would be much better by far than nothing at all. Somehow though I feel I have something along the lines of MUCH more common sense than many of my "brothers" (though my wife, Samantha, towers above me in any case), something tells me the greatest possible weapon against being hoodwinked would lay within my new friends, Mirage and Aladdin.

While Mirage might not be evil like her TV series version, I have a feeling that she has a better grasp on wrestling the truth from lies due in equal parts to her past existence (she'd confided in secrecy about it awhile ago, if you must know) AND in part due to her upbringing as a princess. While she might not be as experienced as perhaps a prince of her land, she strikes me as somebody NOT naive. As for Aladdin, while he may not have much political experience until recent times (what with his poor background of life on the street until meeting Jasmine....er....Mirage), I feel he must have some kind of "street smarts".

We are all strangers in a strange land (which I fear is growing stranger by the minute from what I've seen so far). Ignorance might not be deadly, but it would be a major handicap.

One might argue, by the way, that I and my wife's priorities should be (being members of Star Fleet) that we should rather be concentrating on aiding the distressed and disoriented vixentaurs and dogfoxtaurs. Frankly, I and Samantha would laugh in their face. Not only are we d*mn far away from our home reality, what with all our reality hopping (long story that I rather wouldn't go into right now, thanks).... we are d*mn far away from adequate supplies and equipment to even attempt such a feat! Oh, Samantha has her tri-corder (standard tool for diagnostic work down in Engineering, our workplace) still. It got swept along with us when things had gone insane down upon the Voyager. I still have the first aid kit I've grown to carry about me whilst on duty. It's useful now and then down in Engineering seeing that it can be rather dangerous in there during a crisis. Have grown rather skilled in its use not only from using it quite often but also due to the fact that I'm also crosstrained somewhat as a medic. That all said, there are just too many patients. That and I rather fear that the makers of this kit I have never dreamed of having to treat such patients as these! Frankly, the kit is good for only like perhaps a dozen human sized patients. The vixentaurs (the smaller of the species, as it turns out) are a bit larger than that. Finally, there is the fact that the foxtaurs' problems are entirely of a non-physical nature. While I am cross-training as a medic, I have not gotten as far as to take anything but the most rudimentary courses of psychology (and human at that). These vixentaurs and dogfoxtaurs aren't human any more...and are growing less human in mentality as we speak. Can almost see it in their eyes!

Gut feeling, however, tells me that they're going to make it without any mental collapses and such. Don't think that B*tch Jasmine would want to take a stark raving lunatic for a trophy (or wahtever that freak would want them for).

....

I was going to be d*mned if I was going to let that demon rape my little girl or wife...

....

Got a little sidetracked with the memory. Sorry about that, but you must admit...

Anyway, all that said, these friends of Illura seem to be doing well enough with trying to help the foxtaurs. The vixentaurs and others seem to now be VERY receptive to the New Amazons' message of equality for the sexes (and now equality amongst the species). Oh, figured they'd do that now that the shoe is on the other foot....but there is a little something in the converts' eyes that seems to speak of something more than lip service. The look of the newly converted and now a True Believer...

Well, nothing for that and frankly it is heartening, the subject of that talk. Very much like what we preach in the Federation, so to speak...

Still we ask our questions and get our answers. Things about Daria, the New Amazons and their struggle for equality (confirming what I overheard), and the odd turn of events. We do all that and basically determine that unless this girl (a true Amazon I would swear by her bearing and height) is a gifted actress, then we have a BAD situation on our hands. See, she let slip this business about "Rebecca" and the prophecy this religious order with a very foreign sounding name (for the life of me it sounds like I SHOULD understand when she tries repeating the name)...

Bad news.

I say as much as we, after begging for a little bit of privacy for conference, talk about what we have learned.

Before that, however....

God alone knows that I started badly enough (my new fox hackles rising almost instantly in shock) when I had heard the term "chaos energy" batted about by one of Illura's friends in the background whilst Karen is speaking. But when I turn back and listen to Karen, going on to tell us about this business about Game 3.... Not only is my own fur and tail (something I am used to having if only via memory of "prior lives") standing up on end, but also my wife and daughter, Naomi also bristled up in fright as well!

Well, it stands to reason that I and the others are rather eager to speak with this "Andrea" (a demifox vixen mage). Especially after I explained to both Mirage and Jasmine just what it was like (or at least scratched the surface) in there.

"First," I state firmly as Andrea opens her mouth to ask us how we feel, "we are in no danger from going insane due to our transformation, period. However, I need to talk with your friends ASAP because I fear that we may have another problem.

"First though, let me introduce my family and friends," I begin. "My name is Scott Chen and...."

I was going to go about the usual dodgy means of saying that I come from a far away land from here, implying that I was of this world but NOT actually saying it. Regulations DO rather frown upon a member of Star Fleet carelessly disclosing the existence of space travel and such to those protected by the Prime Directive. The case with Mirage was....different, by the way. Being what she was meant, I shall argue, she was knowledgable enough about other worlds and such so as me telling her whilst imprisoned along with her was NOT a violation of Star Fleet regs (and through MIrage being partnered with Aladdin allowed him to be in this loop). Oh, her knowledge was via mystical means, but d*mn it she knows enough! As for this litle fox eared (and tailed) woman before me....

See, despite everything I had foolishly THOUGHT that I'd better play it safe, despite the has I'd find out later that this and other chaotic events were having upon this world. She rather disproved my misconceptions when she interrupted.

"You came from Game 3 and were somehow part of the starship named the Voyager," Andrea says flatly, looking up at me with an inscrutable look on her face. "That and you are yet another source of Chaos Energy upon this land?"

"He's empty," Mirage says from the side solemnly. "That 'tri-corder' device his wife used said as much, but I fear that due to the association with Jasmine the demon, the same cannot be said for me."

I faintly wonder what exactly that association is, but however....

  1. "What can you tell us about what happened with the Voyager?" I whisper quietly, suddenly kneeling down to be more at eye level with Andrea.

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12/30/2002 1:08:05 PM

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