Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau - "Attraction"
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Amanda Nordstrom
Sep 23, 2020, 11:19:40 PM9/23/20
to StarBase 118 Ops – UFOP: StarBase 118
((STARDATE 239606.12 - Undisclosed Research Facility, Undisclosed Location))
The security guard towered above her, her stern face unyielding to any
smile Alora offered. She was all business, and pleasantries were not
going to distract her from her duty, not even for a millisecond. Alora
brushed off the cold, calculating stare and simply followed when the
security officer turned on her heel and stalked off, indicating silently
that the science officer should follow.
Alora did so, electing to remain quiet since it was obvious the woman
was in no mood for discourse. She was tall, at least six feet, and it
was obvious she kept herself in shape. The platinum blond hair was of
medium length, but pulled back in a ponytail. All in all, the woman cut
an impressive figure.
Through the hallways they traversed, the silence only broken by the
falls of their feet on the floor. Eventually, they came to a door and
the woman pressed the button that would announce their presence inside.
A moment later, those doors parted and she indicated Alora should go
through, but did not follow. As Alora glanced back, just before the
doors closed, she saw the woman turn and wait, her back to the door.
Focusing on the inside of the room, she found it rather chilly. Not in
terms of temperature, but more by the lack of decor. There was nothing
in there to indicate that it was someone’s office, though she knew it
was. A desk held little more than a terminal and a PADD. There were no
pictures, no knick knacks, not even any decorations to enhance the
profile of the desk itself. Behind it stood a woman who looked to be in
her sixties, but her age didn’t detract from her beauty. Large eyes,
full lips, clear, warm brown skin, was surrounded by wavy hair that
delicately framed her face. It softened the otherwise austere expression
that she wore.
In the corner was another figure. Alora’s eyes flicked over to him, and
for the briefest of seconds, she thought she detected surprise on his
face. It was gone almost as quickly as it came, a stony expression
replacing it. He was tall, as tall as the security officer, but his
hair was black - as were his eyes. Betazoid. Alora opened her mouth to
introduce herself, but the woman beat her to it.
Davis: Commander Alora DeVeau, we’ve been expecting you. I’m Captain
Eudora Davis.
A well manicured hand motioned to the only other furniture in the room -
a single chair that sat in front of her desk. There was no expression
on Captain Davis’ face at all beyond a cool, calm, and calculating
demeanor.
DeVeau: Thank you.
Normally, Alora would have attempted to ‘break the ice’, but this was
not a normal situation.
Davis: I know you’ve gone through a briefing on the classified nature of
what we’re doing.
Alora nodded, and it intrigued her. Honestly, she had to wonder why
/her/. Surely there were other scientists who were smarter and more
experienced than her in her fields. Despite that, she also wasn’t going
to complain - this was an opportunity of a lifetime.
DeVeau: Yes ma’am.
Davis: Good. Then I won’t bother doing it a second time. There is
another matter that needs to be addressed, however.
Davis turned slightly, evidently an indication for the man to step from
the shadows in the corner he had been occupying since Alora had
arrived. The scientist met his gaze without flinching and nodded politely.
Davis: This is Commander Kalin Teser. As you can see, he is a
Betazoid. More than that, he’s trained in a variety of techniques and
skills, some of which he will be teaching to you.
A single eyebrow arched upward and Alora canted her head, but she still
refrained from speaking. It was time to listen, not talk.
Davis: Due to the classified nature of our experiments, you will need to
learn certain skills to prepare you for any future possible telepathic
attacks.
Alora couldn’t help but wonder if this was related to what happened to
the Kindred. She could understand, though.
Davis: Commander Teser will teach you how to resist such mental
attacks. To continue any further, you must acknowledge that you will be
subjected to arduous mental stress in order to strengthen your mind.
Are you sure you understand? If you indicate yes, then you acquiesce to
this training, no matter the outcome.
Oh she understood all right, probably more than they even realised. At
the same time, Alora knew that if she were taught such techniques, even
if she never worked on any other special projects again, such an ability
could only help her personally.
DeVeau: I understand completely.
Davis: Good. Lieutenant Harrigen should still be outside. She’ll show
you to your quarters. You begin at 0700 hours tomorrow morning. Dismissed.
DeVeau: Yes ma’am.
There were many questions Alora wanted to ask, but she also recognised
that it wasn’t the time to ask them. She would have that opportunity,
just not right then.
***
The doors slid shut behind DeVeau and Eudora stared at them. For a
moment, silence reigned as the two officers thought over the interaction
with her. Finally, Eudora voiced her thoughts.
Davis: She saw you.
She shouldn’t have. One of Teser’s unique abilities was being able to
‘hide’ himself from the mind’s eye. Eudora had seen DeVeau’s gaze shift
over to him as she had come inside. It hadn’t been that furtive glance
that others had given, the one where they thought they might have seen
something, but were met with only shadows. No. Somehow, DeVeau had
managed to pierce through that shadow and see the man beyond.
The frown on Kalin’s face deepened. That had rather unsettled him,
though he didn’t want to admit it. She /shouldn’t/ have seen him. Even
most telepaths shouldn’t have seen him. So why had she?
Teser: I thought she wasn’t telepathic.
Davis: She’s not.
Teser: Impossible.
Davis: Improbable. Not impossible.
Teser: She’s has to have some sort of telepathy.
Davis: She didn’t register on the test. The most she got was a natural
sense of empathy which didn’t even register officially, but she seems to
read people well despite that.
Teser: Then /how/?
Davis: You tell me. You didn’t sense any ability with her?
No. He had sensed something else, which bothered Kalin just as much.
Actually, even more.
Teser: No. But…
Davis: But what?
How was he going to describe it? He had met someone like Alora before,
a long time ago when he was very young. That person had been an old
man, and speaking with him telepathically had been a delight. Easy.
Easier than even with another Betazoid.
Teser: I’m not sure how to explain it.
Davis: Try.
Kalin sighed and stepped around to face Davis.
Teser: She’s attractive.
Eudora blinked, taking her turn to frown.
Davis: Yes, as a woman, she is pretty, but I don’t see how…
Kalin waved his hand and shook his head.
Teser: No, I mean...not physically. Mentally. She’s attractive. I
could sense her as soon as she arrived.
Davis: Isn’t that normal for you?
He was getting frustrated. Davis wasn’t the sort to let him try to
explain telepathically where so much could be communicated that went
beyond words.
Teser: Yes, but this was different. It’s like...Earth.
Davis: Earth?
Teser: Yes, think of Earth. What do you see in the sky at night when
there’s no moon?
Eudora felt like she was being patronized, but she decided to play along.
Davis: Stars.
Teser: Right. That’s what you look up and see. But what happens to
your eyes when there’s a full moon high in the sky?
Davis: I guess I tend to look at that first, and the stars look dimmer.
Teser: Yes. You notice it first. You can’t help notice it first.
DeVeau is like that. She’s the brightest full moon among a sky of
stars. You can’t miss her. Not only that, she’s attractive. As a
telepath, I /want/ to touch minds with her.
She’s...immediately...comfortable. Easy.
Teser’s jaw tightened and Eudora finally realised that he was attempting
to communicate something that he couldn't because she, as a non
telepath, just couldn’t understand. Well, not fully anyway.
Davis: All right, I think I get a sense of what you’re saying. What do
you suggest?
Teser: Reject her.
Davis: What? Why? Because she’s too attractive?
Teser: Yes. I mean, you know what I mean by that word. She won’t last
a day, and she’s going to cause problems. It’s like she’s asking to be
a target.
Davis: Then give her a day. Let me know what you think tomorrow after
the training session. Until then, you’re dismissed as well.
Teser: But Captain…
Davis: I said dismissed.
Teser turned and swept from the room, displeased. That girl was a
liability, and he knew what the next day would bring. If the Captain
wanted to waste time, then he wouldn’t argue. After tomorrow, she’d
have to look for another candidate.
--
Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Science Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
M239008AD0
The security guard towered above her, her stern face unyielding to any
smile Alora offered. She was all business, and pleasantries were not
going to distract her from her duty, not even for a millisecond. Alora
brushed off the cold, calculating stare and simply followed when the
security officer turned on her heel and stalked off, indicating silently
that the science officer should follow.
Alora did so, electing to remain quiet since it was obvious the woman
was in no mood for discourse. She was tall, at least six feet, and it
was obvious she kept herself in shape. The platinum blond hair was of
medium length, but pulled back in a ponytail. All in all, the woman cut
an impressive figure.
Through the hallways they traversed, the silence only broken by the
falls of their feet on the floor. Eventually, they came to a door and
the woman pressed the button that would announce their presence inside.
A moment later, those doors parted and she indicated Alora should go
through, but did not follow. As Alora glanced back, just before the
doors closed, she saw the woman turn and wait, her back to the door.
Focusing on the inside of the room, she found it rather chilly. Not in
terms of temperature, but more by the lack of decor. There was nothing
in there to indicate that it was someone’s office, though she knew it
was. A desk held little more than a terminal and a PADD. There were no
pictures, no knick knacks, not even any decorations to enhance the
profile of the desk itself. Behind it stood a woman who looked to be in
her sixties, but her age didn’t detract from her beauty. Large eyes,
full lips, clear, warm brown skin, was surrounded by wavy hair that
delicately framed her face. It softened the otherwise austere expression
that she wore.
In the corner was another figure. Alora’s eyes flicked over to him, and
for the briefest of seconds, she thought she detected surprise on his
face. It was gone almost as quickly as it came, a stony expression
replacing it. He was tall, as tall as the security officer, but his
hair was black - as were his eyes. Betazoid. Alora opened her mouth to
introduce herself, but the woman beat her to it.
Davis: Commander Alora DeVeau, we’ve been expecting you. I’m Captain
Eudora Davis.
A well manicured hand motioned to the only other furniture in the room -
a single chair that sat in front of her desk. There was no expression
on Captain Davis’ face at all beyond a cool, calm, and calculating
demeanor.
DeVeau: Thank you.
Normally, Alora would have attempted to ‘break the ice’, but this was
not a normal situation.
Davis: I know you’ve gone through a briefing on the classified nature of
what we’re doing.
Alora nodded, and it intrigued her. Honestly, she had to wonder why
/her/. Surely there were other scientists who were smarter and more
experienced than her in her fields. Despite that, she also wasn’t going
to complain - this was an opportunity of a lifetime.
DeVeau: Yes ma’am.
Davis: Good. Then I won’t bother doing it a second time. There is
another matter that needs to be addressed, however.
Davis turned slightly, evidently an indication for the man to step from
the shadows in the corner he had been occupying since Alora had
arrived. The scientist met his gaze without flinching and nodded politely.
Davis: This is Commander Kalin Teser. As you can see, he is a
Betazoid. More than that, he’s trained in a variety of techniques and
skills, some of which he will be teaching to you.
A single eyebrow arched upward and Alora canted her head, but she still
refrained from speaking. It was time to listen, not talk.
Davis: Due to the classified nature of our experiments, you will need to
learn certain skills to prepare you for any future possible telepathic
attacks.
Alora couldn’t help but wonder if this was related to what happened to
the Kindred. She could understand, though.
Davis: Commander Teser will teach you how to resist such mental
attacks. To continue any further, you must acknowledge that you will be
subjected to arduous mental stress in order to strengthen your mind.
Are you sure you understand? If you indicate yes, then you acquiesce to
this training, no matter the outcome.
Oh she understood all right, probably more than they even realised. At
the same time, Alora knew that if she were taught such techniques, even
if she never worked on any other special projects again, such an ability
could only help her personally.
DeVeau: I understand completely.
Davis: Good. Lieutenant Harrigen should still be outside. She’ll show
you to your quarters. You begin at 0700 hours tomorrow morning. Dismissed.
DeVeau: Yes ma’am.
There were many questions Alora wanted to ask, but she also recognised
that it wasn’t the time to ask them. She would have that opportunity,
just not right then.
***
The doors slid shut behind DeVeau and Eudora stared at them. For a
moment, silence reigned as the two officers thought over the interaction
with her. Finally, Eudora voiced her thoughts.
Davis: She saw you.
She shouldn’t have. One of Teser’s unique abilities was being able to
‘hide’ himself from the mind’s eye. Eudora had seen DeVeau’s gaze shift
over to him as she had come inside. It hadn’t been that furtive glance
that others had given, the one where they thought they might have seen
something, but were met with only shadows. No. Somehow, DeVeau had
managed to pierce through that shadow and see the man beyond.
The frown on Kalin’s face deepened. That had rather unsettled him,
though he didn’t want to admit it. She /shouldn’t/ have seen him. Even
most telepaths shouldn’t have seen him. So why had she?
Teser: I thought she wasn’t telepathic.
Davis: She’s not.
Teser: Impossible.
Davis: Improbable. Not impossible.
Teser: She’s has to have some sort of telepathy.
Davis: She didn’t register on the test. The most she got was a natural
sense of empathy which didn’t even register officially, but she seems to
read people well despite that.
Teser: Then /how/?
Davis: You tell me. You didn’t sense any ability with her?
No. He had sensed something else, which bothered Kalin just as much.
Actually, even more.
Teser: No. But…
Davis: But what?
How was he going to describe it? He had met someone like Alora before,
a long time ago when he was very young. That person had been an old
man, and speaking with him telepathically had been a delight. Easy.
Easier than even with another Betazoid.
Teser: I’m not sure how to explain it.
Davis: Try.
Kalin sighed and stepped around to face Davis.
Teser: She’s attractive.
Eudora blinked, taking her turn to frown.
Davis: Yes, as a woman, she is pretty, but I don’t see how…
Kalin waved his hand and shook his head.
Teser: No, I mean...not physically. Mentally. She’s attractive. I
could sense her as soon as she arrived.
Davis: Isn’t that normal for you?
He was getting frustrated. Davis wasn’t the sort to let him try to
explain telepathically where so much could be communicated that went
beyond words.
Teser: Yes, but this was different. It’s like...Earth.
Davis: Earth?
Teser: Yes, think of Earth. What do you see in the sky at night when
there’s no moon?
Eudora felt like she was being patronized, but she decided to play along.
Davis: Stars.
Teser: Right. That’s what you look up and see. But what happens to
your eyes when there’s a full moon high in the sky?
Davis: I guess I tend to look at that first, and the stars look dimmer.
Teser: Yes. You notice it first. You can’t help notice it first.
DeVeau is like that. She’s the brightest full moon among a sky of
stars. You can’t miss her. Not only that, she’s attractive. As a
telepath, I /want/ to touch minds with her.
She’s...immediately...comfortable. Easy.
Teser’s jaw tightened and Eudora finally realised that he was attempting
to communicate something that he couldn't because she, as a non
telepath, just couldn’t understand. Well, not fully anyway.
Davis: All right, I think I get a sense of what you’re saying. What do
you suggest?
Teser: Reject her.
Davis: What? Why? Because she’s too attractive?
Teser: Yes. I mean, you know what I mean by that word. She won’t last
a day, and she’s going to cause problems. It’s like she’s asking to be
a target.
Davis: Then give her a day. Let me know what you think tomorrow after
the training session. Until then, you’re dismissed as well.
Teser: But Captain…
Davis: I said dismissed.
Teser turned and swept from the room, displeased. That girl was a
liability, and he knew what the next day would bring. If the Captain
wanted to waste time, then he wouldn’t argue. After tomorrow, she’d
have to look for another candidate.
--
Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Science Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
M239008AD0
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