Lt Jovenan – A game with unknown rules
Jovenan
((The Fifth Chalice, Oxeania Commercial District, Tharazad, Betazed))
There were few things as bizarre as the Q.
One can’t fight them. One can’t outrun them. The only way to get away from a Q was to keep playing with them until they got tired of you and hope they don’t dispose of their toys violently. But it wasn’t easy to make it through the game while the rules were secret and kept changing.
Until they’d learn what they were supposed to do, Jovenan and her colleagues’ best hope was to keep surviving.
Jovenan: Communication attempts might also alert the Dominion forces. I don’t think they’re going to be very friendly to us…
Adea: Absolutely not; we might need to get changed - my parents will have some clothes upstairs.
Jovenan looked at each of them. For all she knew, Genkos might fit in his parents’ old clothes, but the two women in his company were very different heights and sizes. Still, anything was better than roaming around in a future Starfleet dress uniform in a Dominion controlled town.
Sadar: B-But, wouldn’t it be better to remain in uniform? Surely none of us have official records at this point, so if we need to gain access to Starfleet resources, wouldn’t it be more expedient to remain in uniform?
Jovenan thought for a moment. If the timeline was otherwise similar to theirs, Starfleet officers might be prime targets for Dominion soldiers.
Jovenan: We don’t know if Starfleet is anywhere near us, but there might be a resistance cell or a ―
A sound.
Jovenan stopped talking immediately, and she noticed that at least Genkos also froze. It didn’t sound like a wind to her, it had to be someone with them in the house.
Jovenan: ::whisper:: There’s somebody in here…
Her saying that certainly alerted Doctor Sadar, whose demeanour also changed, albeit to an even more anxious one. But it had also alerted whoever was occupying the same building with them. First thing Jovenan noticed of them coming around the corner was the knife. Blades were vicious weapons, there was little one could do to defend oneself while unarmed. Little was also the person holding the knife. Jovenan’s initial fearful reaction was supplemented by confusion when she realised their potential assailant was a Betazoid child.
Elain: Who are you?
Jovenan didn’t want to underestimate the danger posed by an armed child, but she couldn’t stop looking at her. Short, slightly underfed and dirty, she had black, curly hair and a determined look on her face. She reminded Jovenan of someone. Granted, it might be just that many locals shared the hair colour and type, and other details relating to their appearance. Genkos did, as did Doctor Elain from the vet’s office… Wait. Jovenan quickly peeked at Genkos, locking eyes with him for a second. He knew it as well.
Adea: I am Doctor Adea, and these are my colleagues.
Jovenan opted to try to appear non-threatening.
Jovenan: Hello. I’m Jovenan.
Sadar: I’m D-Doctor Sadar.
Doctor, Doctor and just Jovenan. Leaving the Lieutenant out was probably better under these conditions. She kept studying the Child Doctor Elain. If they needed more evidence that they had travelled in time, here it was.
Elain: This is not your home, go away!
Genkos had clearly made the decision not to test his childhood friend’s childhood knife handling abilities and just leave through the front door. Jovenan followed him, keeping her upper body tilted towards Doctor, er, Tevet Elain, in case the child had decided to try and use the knife anyway. The three officers approached the door, which Genkos opened. However, almost immediately Genkos had cracked the door, it banged shut by almost a storm strength gust of wind.
Sadar: Wha-
Jovenan raised her eyebrows trying to comprehend the sudden change in air flow when she noticed that Genkos was raising his hand to point something. Jovenan turned immediately to that direction, just in time, again, to see the shape of a humanoid face dissolving to the thin air. Tevet didn’t seem to even notice that.
Adea: What in the four hells? I’m sorry little one, it appears we’re stuck here.
Why was CloQ keeping them in here? Was the encounter with Elain the point of this travel through time, or was there significant about the house? Or were they supposed to wait for something? Jovenan’s mind was running even though she should have been concentrating on the immediate danger posed by the armed child.
Elain: Response
Jovenan: ::calming smile:: We don’t mean you harm. We’ll leave you alone once it’s safe.
Sadar: I’m sorry we’re intruding, Miss. It’s, uhh… N-Not our intention, I promise.
As they moved away from the door and back into the room, Jovenan kept facing Elain just for safety. She also looked around the room they were in, trying to find something that could shed some light on their situation. There were small items one would expect for a Betazoid home, but there didn’t seem to be anything indicating it was still lived in. With Child Elain defending the house, a question arose to Jovenan’s mind. Where is Child Genkos and his family?
Adea: What are you doing here? I don’t think this is your home either…
Elain: Response
Jovenan: You live here now?
Doctor Sadar was inspecting windows, perhaps wondering if they could leave that way. Jovenan appreciated how rational the Doctor was being despite her apparent anxiety. She just worried that her behaviour might appear suspicious to Elain, who was still the only one of them with a weapon. They were trying to talk her down, though, creating a real connection to her so that she would know they weren’t a threat to her.
Sadar: Wh-Why did you choose here? Is it ‘safer’ here?
Elain/Adea: Response
Sadar: Well, all things are relative, but, uhh… ::looks around, suddenly feeling paranoid:: Perhaps heading down is the better option? Away from ‘prying eyes’?
Escaping Q by hiding in the basement? Probably not a very efficient plan, but it might be better than nothing if the Dominion were to look for them. That being said, they still had no idea what CloQ wanted for them. It might as well be something in the basement, or elsewhere in the house. Jovenan didn’t feel certain at all. As Sadar appeared to become less nervous, Jovenan’s anxiety over not knowing what to do was slowly rising.
Elain/Adea: Response
Jovenan: Is there something in the basement?
Elain/Adea/Sadar: Response
Jovenan: These two are doctors and I’m a scientist. Would you want that one of us takes a look in there and see that everything’s okay?
And distract you for a moment while we tried to figure out what to do next and maybe look around a bit.
Elain/Adea/Sadar: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11