The Secret Keeper (tentative) - PG-13...for now...

[brittany]

I giggle...

[TheLovecraftFactor]

Heh...I haven't gone to sleep yet, and yet here I am sitting here <yawn> watching the sun rise... (read: sleep-deprived)...oh well...<yawn>


3:25 p.m.

Robert was standing outside the Comms Center, waiting patiently for his turn. Kaneda hadn’t come out yet, having gone in ten minutes earlier to listen to his message. Leaning against the door, he stared out into the hall, his eyes not fixed on anything in particular. He doesn’t try to guess at what Kaneda is possibly being told right now, nor does he think about the potential contents of his own message. In fact, he doesn’t think about anything at all, for his mind has become a complete blank. He just leans against the door of the Comms Center and stares vacantly, his eyes now dull and glazed over. In the next moment, (or maybe even later on, for in his dazed state, he doesn’t perceive the passage of time) he faintly feels the sensation of something tapping lightly against his shoulder, but he ignores it. The tapping grows in speed and intensity, and he hears a voice distantly call out: “—to you!! Are you listening to me, Robert?! Hey…SNAP THE HELL OUT OF IT ALREADY!!” He feels himself being shaken, and not very gently, either. The motion causes him to jolt out of his daze. He shakes his head and rapidly blinks his eyes so he can focus on the person in front of him…and immediately regrets it…

“Hmph…took you long enough… What the hell was that? You were completely spaced out there, and that’s not like you at all, Robert…is there something you’d like to tell me?” Searle stood there, staring at him with something that looked like concern and disappointment rolled into one. 'No…not now…I am not ready to deal with you right now…’ Robert thought in annoyance. “What do you want?” he asked coolly. Crossing his arms against his chest and leaning against the wall, Searle replied in his usual calm voice, “Well, to be perfectly blunt, I’m a very sad person right now… Hmmm, I can see from the expression on your face that you really don’t care, but…would you at least listen to the reason why I’m so sad?” He waited for a response, but when none was forthcoming, he continued again. “You see, it grieves me deeply when a good friend of mine just up and abandons me for absolutely no reason. Granted, he’s very shy and reserved, and not the most talkative person – especially around me -- but I consider him a friend nonetheless. The fact that he now does everything in his power to avoid me is very confusing, and I don’t understand the motivations behind it. That’s what I want from you, Robert…to help me understand.”

Robert mulled over Searle’s words for a very long moment. He knew that Searle wouldn’t believe him if he told him straight out, so he decided to try a different approach. “Searle…ask yourself this question: during these sessions, do you ever listen to yourself?” Searle frowned at Robert in confusion. “You should know that I don’t. After all, my job is to focus solely on listening to all of you. What need would I have to hear myself speak, anyway?” Searle asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “Well, if you really want to understand why I left, maybe you should try listening to yourself for once,” Robert replied, a sly grin slowly forming on his face. Searle’s frown grew even deeper. “I – I…I don’t – “

“Searle!!! Get down to the kitchen immediately!!! Mace hurt himself pretty bad!!! I think his arm’s been burned!!!”

Corazon’s frantic voice echoed from Searle’s portable communication device. Searle looked apologetically at Robert. “Well, Mace needs my help. I guess…I’ll…take your words into consideration…” Trailing off, Searle activated the device, and briskly said “Corrie, I’m on my way. Don’t let anyone near Mace until I get there, okay?” Without sparing Robert a second glance, he ran off, listening to Corazon’s faint response.

-- zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[TheLovecraftFactor]

Moving on...

4:43 p.m.

“Okay…I’m hoping that whoever Kaneda is talking to, they didn’t bore him to the point that he ended up falling asleep in there…” Robert said to the empty hall in exasperation. He had been standing outside the Comms Center now for well over an hour, and he was bored out of his mind. ‘I’m most likely going to waste away and become a literal skeleton long before he ever finishes in there. Hmph…you know what, I’m going to work on the Payload for a while. Kaneda can reach me there once he’s done…’ he thought impatiently. Just as he was about to walk off, he heard a voice off to his right: “Hey there, Capa. I went over to the Payload because I thought you went back there after hearing your message, but you weren’t there…I didn’t think you’d still be waiting here. Ah, I guess the Captain isn’t finished yet. Oh, well, I brought your lunch: baked mozzarella sticks with sweet and sour sauce, a large sweet potato with marshmallows, and your personal favorite: cheddar coated garlic bread topped with pineapple slices.” Trey was walking towards him, holding a covered plate in one hand, and his trusty video game unit in the other.

Robert didn’t realize exactly how hungry he really was until the moment he smelled the food. Almost instantly, his stomach rumbled so loudly that it could probably be heard back on Earth, and he had to physically restrain himself from violently snatching the plate from Trey’s hands and wolfing down the food in one swallow. As it was, it took all his self-control to gently take it. Once the plate was uncovered, he started immediately on the bread, not caring that it was still piping hot. “Uh, you’re welcome, Capa,” Trey replied, smiling widely. Robert had the presence of mind to look embarrassed at Trey’s words. “Oh. Sorry about that…thanks for lunch. I really appreciate it. By the way, what happened to Mace? I heard that he had been hurt.” Trey immediately started looking from side to side, as if to see if anyone else was nearby, then started giggling. Robert didn’t know what to make of that. He would think that getting hurt wasn’t something to laugh about. “Okay…I must have missed the joke…” That only caused Trey to erupt into full-fledged laughter. “Well – it’s…it’s – like – this…Mace decided to …show off -- while Corrie and I…were…cooking…” He took deep breaths to try to calm his laughter, and when he finally relaxed, he continued. “…Well, I won’t go into detail, cause it’ll get me laughing again, but all I’ll say is that it involved Mace, some pizza dough, and a pot full of boiling garlic butter. I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” he said, stifling another giggle.

Robert nodded knowingly. “Uh huh…so, is he all right?” Trey looked thoughtful. “Well, Searle said that he had a second degree burn on his forearm, and a deep bruise on his cheek…but that came from Corrie, who punched him for being, in her words, ‘such a stupid, inconsiderate ass, and for scaring the crap out of everyone with his overly dramatic screaming’. Don’t tell anyone, least of all her, but the real reason why Corrie was so pissed at Mace was that when the pot of butter fell, some of it splattered on her favorite shirt, and you know how hard it is to remove grease stains. I actually felt kind of sorry for him, being read the riot act by Corrie and forced to apologize and all, but you know…” he trailed off, noticing that Robert wasn’t really listening to him anymore. “Uh…am I boring you with this, Capa?” Now fully focused on the sweet potato, Robert nodded without realizing it. Trey’s head fell and he shuffled his feet nervously. “Ah, well…since you’re not really interested in Mace’s well-being right now…” he turned to leave, but stopped. “Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?” Robert stared at him incredulously. “The Captain asked me to wait here, and until he’s done in there, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Trey thought about that for a long moment. “Okay, well, here…take this,” he said, handing his video game unit to Robert, who looked at it in confusion. “… … What exactly am I supposed to do with it?” Trey wasn’t sure if he had heard that correctly. “You -- you’re kidding me, right? You don’t know what a video game is?” he asked, disbelief lacing his voice. “Of course I know what video games are,” Robert huffed. “I’ve just never played them before.” The expression on Trey’s face clearly displayed shock. “You’ve never once played a video game? You must have been a seriously deprived child,” he said. Robert glared at him. Pierced by that withering stare, Trey cleared his throat, thoroughly humbled. “Oh...um...Sorry about that, Capa. That was totally uncalled for…” he murmured. Not waiting for his response, Trey took the game and for the next five or so minutes, proceeded to explain how it worked. When he was sure that Robert had a suitable grasp on its operation, he handed it back and walked off, saying that he had to plan tonight’s dinner since Mace (who was supposed to cook tonight) was still being treated for his injury and Harvey had already cooked the night before. As he looked at the console, Robert realized that he didn’t know what type of game this was. “Trey…” he called out. “This game…what exactly is it?” Turning back, Trey replied with a smile, “It’s called ‘Pokèmon’…” before walking away again.

5:05 p.m.

You are kind and warm-hearted, but you disguise it with a moody and impersonal exterior. You are also intelligent, perceptive, and highly driven. You are compelled to conquer any challenge you face, no matter how impossible it may seem, for your ego demands nothing less. The Pokémon most suited to your personality is… the Ice Pokémon, Articuno...

“Okay. Now what…” Robert murmured to himself as the game displayed statistics for the blue bird-like creature on the screen. He had spent the last ten minutes answering questions used to develop his ‘Trainer’s’ personality, and now that he was done, the game had given the Articuno to him based on his answers. All he had to do now is figure out what to do next…

5:35 p.m.

The door to the Comms Center finally opened, but Robert took no notice of it. Right now, his Articuno (nicknamed ‘Frosty’) was battling a Gym Leader’s powerful Charizard, and he was holding his own…but just barely. It wasn’t until he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder that he turned away from the game to see Kaneda standing there, smiling gently. “So…I see that Trey finally managed to push that game on someone,” he said softly. Straightening up instantly, Robert immediately took note of Kaneda’s expression. Although he was smiling, he looked deeply troubled. “Captain… Are – are you all right?” Kaneda’s smile turned grim and he shook his head. “I’m fine…it’s just…” Looking into Robert’s concerned face, he replaced his grim smile with a firm stare. “Nothing… It’s not important right now. You should go in now.” With that, he walked away. Robert stared after him, clearly concerned. He wanted to go after him to find out what was wrong, but wisely held back. After a moment, he muttered a quiet “Okay…” and entered the Comms Center.

Kaneda stopped walking once he was sure that Robert had gone from the hall. Looking around, he replied softly: “Icarus, I want you to arrange a wake-up call for me after two and a half hours, and then, await my command to summon everyone into the Common Area.” Yes, Captain, came Icarus' response. Nodding, Kaneda walked in the direction of his room.

5:40 p.m.

In the small booth, Robert stared at the blank screen for a long moment before replying, “Okay, Icarus, access active link transmission, Code Blue Designation, Eyes Only: Robert Jason Capa.” Icarus responded with: Please input your Personal Identification Password now. Nodding, he typed the random combination of letters and numbers that made up his PIP. Next, Icarus said: Voice Pattern Recognition required for access to Eyes Only message. Please speak into the monitor to ensure accuracy. Leaning closely into the monitor, Robert said as clearly as he could:

“Never invite Him that Lurks at the Threshold…”

Checking… … … Voice Pattern recognized and accepted: Capa, Robert Jason. Eyes Only message successfully unlocked. Transmission engaging. Icarus stopped speaking just as the monitor flickered to life.

-- I guess you can tell what my mood was when I typed this up... ( : STOP RUNNING AND LET ME EAT YOU!!!) Anyhoo, this part languished on my laptop's Word program for two days because I thought it rambled on just a little too much... I came close to deleting the whole thing and starting over, but decided that it was too much of a hassle. Anyway, here it is...

[Starry_MelC]

Robert Capa playing Pokemon! Oh my...

[brittany]

I love it! Mace showing off... Trey (and Capa apparently) playing Pokemon? CUTE

[TheLovecraftFactor]

Ah, I'm here again...still haven't <yawn> learned my lesson about getting much <yawn> needed sleep...


6:00 p.m.

“You know, I’m beginning to wonder whether a cure for stupidity truly exists, for if so, there’s nobody else in existence who needs it as badly as you do…” Searle was saying to a brooding Mace. “Now, am I understanding this correctly? You were throwing a glob of fresh pizza dough in the air in an attempt to imitate what they do in pizzerias, yes? According to Corazon, after one badly-timed toss, you deliberately failed to catch it, whereupon the dough fell towards the handle of a pot of searing hot butter that Trey was using to make garlic bread, causing said pot to overturn, splattering its contents all over Corrie’s clothing and on your left arm…resulting in the second-degree burns you now suffer from. In addition, you were – again, these are Corrie’s words, not mine – ‘screaming your ass off like a little sissy boy’, causing her to punch you directly in the face, thus resulting in the large bruise on your right cheek. Would you care to explain to me exactly what you were thinking? I mean, really…that kitchen is barely big enough for two people, yet for some reason, you felt like intruding on Trey and Corrie to prepare tonight’s dinner early, even though it was still only lunchtime…”

Mace didn’t speak. He just stared sullenly ahead, not looking at Searle. It was bad enough to be humiliated and insulted by Corrie, of all people, especially in front of Harvey and Trey…but to have Searle sit there and act as if you were a baby was far worse. It almost made him feel like a schoolboy who was being scolded in front of everyone for acting up in class. He was very glad that Kaneda wasn’t around at the moment to see this, although he had a lurking suspicion that he would find out soon enough…and Mace knew with certainty exactly who would tell him… An annoyed grunt was his only response.

“Sorry, but I only accept responses made up of actual words. Come on, Mace: explanations…and be articulate.” Searle snapped his fingers impatiently. Mace groaned. “Fine…I caused the accident, but it wasn’t deliberate, like Corrie said. Trey wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and stepped on my foot right before I tossed the dough in the air. The pain caused me to throw it like a Frisbee rather than straight up, like I intended it to. Considering where I was in relation to where the dough ended up, there was no way I could have reached it in time, no matter what Corrie thinks.” Searle nodded sagely. “Okay…but what were you doing there in the first place?” Mace frowned. “Well, I was – I was just… All right, I didn’t have a legitimate reason to be there. It was almost if…I felt like I just needed to be there somehow…I really can’t explain it…eh, it must be one of those things, I guess.”

Searle nodded again. “All right. I hope you learned a valuable lesson here. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you not to do anything that stupid ever again, or else you may end up with something far worse than just a burn. Oh, by the way, was Corrie right when she said that you were screaming like a little girl?” Mace glared at him. “No, she was NOT right, thank you very much…” he huffed as he got up to leave. “Oh, and Searle…you really need to stop treating us like we’re five years old. It gets very irritating, always talking down to us like that… Tch, no wonder Capa keeps trying to avoid you all the time.” With that, Mace stalked out of the Earth Room, leaving Searle to stare after him.

He continued to sit there, unmoving, until suddenly, a wide smile formed on his face. Mace would probably never realize it, but he had just inadvertently revealed the answer to Robert’s earlier question: “Do you ever listen to yourself…?” His grin grew even wider as he said “Icarus, replay the interview I just had with Mace…audio only.” Icarus immediately replied with Yes, Dr. Searle, as the audio file kicked in, and he heard himself once again chide Mace for his stupidity. It wasn’t until Mace again said ”…You really need to stop treating us like we’re five years old… …no wonder Capa keeps trying to avoid you…” that Searle suddenly understood everything.

‘So...that’s what all this is really about…isn’t it, Robert? You’ve been avoiding me all this time because you feel that I’ve been treating you like a child? Well, I guess that would explain a lot…’ he thought, that smile still on his face. ‘Alright, now that I know what we’re dealing with here…’ he trailed off as he stood up. “Icarus, can you tell me where Capa is now?” he replied, almost eagerly. Icarus was silent for a moment before she replied: Capa is currently in the Comms Center. Searle frowned. ‘Eh, he’s probably not finished yet…I guess it can wait for now…’ he thought. “Icarus, please notify me the moment that Capa leaves the Comms Center.” Yes, Dr. Searle, came the reply. Sitting down again, Searle began to incessantly drum his fingers against the table. Soothed by the repetitive noise, he found himself laying his head against the table, and within moments, he was asleep.

7:55 p.m.

Cassie wandered the halls of Icarus II, telling herself that she wasn’t heading for a certain place, but going straight to her room…that the place in question just happened to be along the path she was currently walking. She knew for a fact that there was an easier and far quicker way to reach her room, but pretended not to know that. So, it was after another five minutes or so of walking, Cassie found herself standing outside her intended destination…the Comms Center. She knew that Robert was still in there because Icarus had just told her so. With a wistful smile on her face, she leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and waited for him.

It turned out that she didn’t have to wait very long. Before she was truly aware of it, she felt herself being lightly shaken and heard a soft voice say “Cassie…Cass, wake up…” Slowly opening her eyes, she was met with a pair of deep, ice-blue orbs that stared directly at her. Robert was standing there, arms crossed and slight concern showing in his eyes. His body drooped heavily as if in deep exhaustion. “Are you okay? It looks like you dozed off there. Were you having a nightmare? It must have been a really bad one, if you were moaning that loudly,” he said, weariness clear in his voice.

At his words, Cassie blushed deeply, so much that she thought her head would explode in a most spectacular manner from all the blood that rushed there so quickly. Her moans weren’t derived from fright or pain, but rather from more…pleasant situations…all of them involving the man standing in front of her… In a desperate attempt to save face, she replied in a barely calm tone, “Y - yeah, it was pretty bad. Scared the crap out of me, that’s for sure. Would you like to hear about it?” The moment she finished speaking, she knew that she failed miserably when Robert tilted his head in his usual Sorry-but-I-don’t-believe-a-word-you’re-saying manner. His eyes no longer held concern. Now, they gazed at her with a chilly impassiveness...yet at the same time, they also looked troubled. Instead of calling her out on the obvious lie, he just shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “Not my business, really. If you’ll excuse me…” With that, he strode off without giving her a second glance.

[Starry_MelC]

I'm totally picturing Mace "screaming your ass off like a little sissy boy" LOL

[brittany]

Awww.... Capa not paying attention to Cassie? ...but Cassie is to him? Cute.

[nimue]

Ok, I'm totally screaming, "Capa, you fool!" right now. Poor Cassie.

[TheLovecraftFactor]

...That's right, I'm back. I've been feeling really down these last few days, so I haven't been able to give my full attention to this at all. I did try to type something, but I was deeply dissatisfied with what I wrote, and ended up deleting and retyping it, only to be unhappy with that, and deleted it again. I think I went through maybe eight or so different revisions before finally settling on this particular one. So...


Cassie watched as he disappeared down the hall. The haunted expression on his face unnerved her, and she could only wonder exactly whom he had been talking to and what exactly had been said in there. Her concern quickly dissipated when she thought of his indifferent reaction to her presence. She tried to pin it on the strange message, but found it very hard to do so. Granted, the real reason she was there was to try and flirt with him…again…but that didn’t give him the right to just brush her off like that. Frustrated, she paced back and forth, her mind racing. ‘Damn you, Robert!! After all this time…all these hints, and you STILL DON’T GET IT!! I have never met anyone so -- so…damned clueless…in my entire life!!’ she thought furiously. Kicking the doorjamb of the Comms Center angrily, she stood there and tried to calm herself down. Unexpectedly, the voice of Icarus suddenly piped up from her comm badge: Cassie, your biometric readings are indicating highly elevated levels of stress and agitation. Suggestions for reduction of high stress levels: exposure to the calm interior of the Oxygen Garden. Also: the employment of meditative relaxation techniques has proven effective as a stress reliever. Or: physical contact through the use of hand-to-hand combat techniques…jujitsu, judo, and karate are the most common forms of unarmed combat techniques. Lastly: cessation of stress-causing situation. Any one of these options is acceptable for reducing your stress levels.

Cassie almost broke out into hysterical laughter at Icarus’ words. ‘Heh, stressed and agitated…you have no idea, Icarus,’ she thought. She found herself running through the options that Icarus mentioned. ‘Hmmm…the Oxygen Garden, meditation, physical combat techniques, – eh, not the ‘physical contact’ I was thinking of, but… – and avoiding the situation.’ Mulling over these options, she was hit with a sudden flash of inspiration. ‘Oxygen Garden…unarmed combat techniques… Hey, that’s it!! I’ll ask Corrie for help!! She’s sure to have experience with stuff like this…I know she’ll give me good advice!!’ With an arch smile firmly on her face, Cassie bolted from the Comms Center, heading in the opposite direction from the one that Robert had went several minutes earlier.

8:05 p.m.

“Okay, let’s see: ’Quake’…’Doom’…’Half-Life’…’Halo’…’Metroid’…’Silent Hill’…’Castle Wolfenstein’…what am I in the mood to play today?” Mace muttered to himself. He was standing outside the Virtual Room, shuffling through a pile of game disks. Removing one of the disks from the pile, he stared at it for a long moment. “Hmmm…haven’t played ‘Half-Life’ in a while. Maybe I’ll – no, every time I play this, I keep picturing Capa in place of Gordon Freeman, and instead of actually playing, I keep leading him to as violent a death as possible…it’s pretty funny after the first twenty or so times, but it gets old very quickly…” he said with a slight tinge of amusement as he replaced the disk. Before he could say anything else, he saw Trey running up to him, calling out “Hey!! Look, Mace, I found it!!” Mace frowned when he saw what he was holding. “Uh-uh…no, Trey! There is no way you’re ever going to make me play that stupid Pokémon game again!” Waving the disk under Mace’s nose, he grinned. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re still pissed off that your giant Steelix got its ass handed to it by my well-trained Combusken. Accept it, Mace…your strategy sucked, that’s why you lost. Don’t go off blaming me because you trusted more in size than in tactics.”

Wide-eyed in disbelief, Mace was about to respond when suddenly, Cassie appeared from out of nowhere and plowed right into him. The force of the collision knocked them both to the floor, resulting in a tangled mess of limbs and disks. Quickly refocusing herself, she got up and ran off again, calling out “Sorry about that, Mace…” just as she disappeared around a corner. Still stunned by the unexpected collision, Mace just lay on the floor, surrounded by the scattered disks and shaking his head slowly.

“Shit…Trey? What…what just happened? A second ago, I was arguing with you about that stupid game, and the next moment I’m down here, watching four of you dance around me,” he slurred. Trey tried not to grin as he went over and helped a disoriented Mace to his feet. “Well, a moment ago, a wild, raging locomotive named Cassie barreled through here and headed straight for you. The collision happened so fast…I thought you had been knocked out cold from the fall. Does that help?”

Still struggling to regain his balance, Mace swayed on his feet, his head pounding and the four Treys still dancing around him. “…Cassie? Are you sure? All I saw was a fast moving blur,” he murmured, losing his battle with dizziness. Trey managed to catch him before he once again fell on his face. Gently setting Mace down against the wall, Trey smiled. “Yep, it really was Cassie. She looked like she was in a very big hurry. I wonder where the fire is…” he smirked as he went over and picked up the scattered game disks. Mace groaned. “Beats me…head hurts too much to care right now…” Trey patted his head and said, “Well, anyway, you just rest there, and I’ll go in to continue my quest to become the World’s Greatest Pokémon Master. If you want to join in, I’ll be waiting. Feel better, Mace.” With that, Trey went into the Virtual Room, taking all of Mace’s game disks with him. Sitting against the wall, his head now pounding incessantly, Mace laid his head against his knees while murmuring, “You know what…maybe I will play that stupid game again…if only to beat you, Trey, and I will beat you…next time…”

[Starry_MelC]

Wonder what advice Corrie will give to Cassie...

[TheLovecraftFactor]

...Trying to type this part drove me to utter madness...had quite a few Scanners moments, especially with the dream sequence... [tearing hair out in frustration] [head exploding spectacularly] ...meh...


At the same time, a brooding Kaneda was sitting in his room, staring intently at the blank monitor. He hadn’t slept at all, as he had originally intended when he got there. Instead, he had just finished replaying the message from Earth, still disbelieving the orders he had been given. ‘It makes no logical sense for us to interrupt our mission for this. If they already know the situation, then why do they deem it necessary to involve us? And why are they so adamant that we divert our course and investigate before we reach the Sun? It could have been handled on the return trip just as easily…absolutely no sense at all…’ he thought in frustration. Rising from his bed, he began pacing around, the small space limiting his movements. Firmly entrenched in his thoughts, he almost didn’t hear Icarus say: Captain, you asked for a wake-up call to take place at 8:05 p.m. It is now – “It’s all right, Icarus, I’m already awake. Cancel wake-up call,” he said wearily. Icarus replied with a brisk Yes, Captain.

Sitting down on his bed again, Kaneda rubbed his face in exhaustion and again stared at the monitor. Awaiting orders, Captain. Kaneda wasn’t expecting Icarus to start speaking again, and he started. “…Orders?” he responded blankly to the air. In response, as if she was speaking to a child, Icarus played an audio clip: “Icarus, I want you to arrange a wake-up call for me after two and a half hours, and then, await my command to summon everyone into the Common Area.” He looked up in surprise as he heard his own voice come from Icarus’ speakers. ‘Yes, that's right. I remember now. I really need to talk about this to everyone…’ he thought glumly. “Icarus, at exactly 9:30 p.m., call everyone into the Common Area.” Yes, Captain, Icarus replied. “Oh, and set my wake-up call for then as well,” he said, lying down on his bed. Icarus responded positively, but Kaneda didn’t hear it. His frustration had exhausted him, and he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

8:15 p.m.

Once again, he is here. Everything is the same as it was the last time, and every other time before that. He stands at the heart of the Observation Deck as he always does, staring at the dying Sun. As before, he senses it long before he hears it…and this time, it is very close now… Its discordant and disjointed voice echoes throughout the room as it always does, the very sound causing him deep physical pain. ‘StOP lYinG tO mE! YOu KNow wHaT iT Is anD AlSo THAt He hoLDs iT!’ OnCE aGaiN, I’m ORDeRinG YoU to TELL ME WHAT IT IS!!’ He steadfastly focuses his attention on the dying Sun, terrified of turning back and facing it. At the same time, he raises his hands in a pleading gesture while cringing in pain as he has done many times before. “Please…I’m telling you the truth! I don’t know who or what you’re talking about!! I don’t even know who you are! How can I explain something that I have no knowledge of –" 'IT IS POINTLESS TO PROTECT HIM!!' it booms, interrupting his panicked cries. The force of its raging shout causes him to fall to his knees, the pain now so great that it completely overwhelms him.

“I – I don’t know…what…it…is – stop…don’t…ask…me…anymore…” he gasps, his burning throat struggling to force out the words. It stops speaking; the very silence that now pervades the room is far more oppressive and frightening than its rage. With the pain lessening somewhat, he stands up again, kneading his temples. After a moment, it speaks again, anger clear in its voice. 'I’m gOinG to gIVe YOu oNe FinAL cHaNCe. AlL yOu haVe to Do is JUsT tELl mE wHat iT is…iT’s THat siMPLe…' Shaking his head, he replies defiantly, “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. Maybe you should tell me who you’re talking about first…” Suddenly, it screams in hatred just as his body is wracked with such intense pain that he almost falls unconscious. It takes a moment for him to realize that it is saying something, but as he focuses on the distant words –

-- Searle bolts from his chair, shouting. Disoriented, he gazes wildly around the darkened area around him, taking a few moments to realize that he’s sitting in his office just outside the Earth Room, and that Icarus had lowered the lights when she saw that he had gone to sleep. Reacting to Searle’s sudden movements, the room lights flicker on again, and Icarus speaks. Dr. Searle, your increased heart rate and respiration, as well as a panicked reaction to darkened area, are indicative of a heightened state of fear. Recommendations for reduction of – “That’s not necessary, Icarus. I’m all right now,” he says softly, shaking his head. Yes, Dr. Searle, Icarus conceded.

Sitting down again, he dropped his head in his hands. ‘Damn it…what the hell is going on? I just don’t understand…what exactly is this dream trying to tell me?’ he thought sadly. Unconsciously, the dream began to replay itself in his mind. At first glance, it played out the same way as it always did…the same location, the same conversation…but this time, something was different. He realized it just as his mind’s eye replayed the angered scream he heard right before he awakened. It seemed that after it screamed, it had said something unclear at the exact moment of his awakening. Forcing himself to focus his full attention on that split second moment, Searle tried to make out its words. The effort was exhausting, causing him to lower his head against the table, a splitting headache quickly forming. As the throbbing in his head escalated from a dull ache to the equivalent of a thousand large drums pounding at once, he hears it again…its words are unclear and distant at first, but they slowly become clearer and more intelligible. As he tightly closes his eyes, trying to shut out the pain, its last words suddenly spring into sharp focus…and he realizes that what he heard was not angry ranting…it was a name…

8:25 p.m.

Cassie had always enjoyed the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the Oxygen Garden because it always made her feel content, no matter how stressed or upset she got. It was no different now. Just standing among the lush foliage and feeling the cool air on her skin made her feel relaxed, and for a moment, she had forgotten her reason for coming here. As she walked among the dense plant growth, she just happened to notice a small, isolated grassy alcove hidden in a distant corner of the Garden. It looked like two people would just barely fit there… ‘Hmmm…that spot looks pretty cozy…it would be the perfect place for Robert and I to –' She stopped walking, frowning deeply at her mind’s mention of Robert’s name as she suddenly remembered exactly why she was here in the first place. Shaking her head, she started walking again, trying to find any trace of Corazon's presence.

After about five minutes of searching, she was about to activate her comm badge and ask Icarus for her whereabouts when she suddenly heard what sounded like grunting sounds. A moment later, the grunting grew louder, and this time, Cassie thought she could make out a second, deeper set of grunts. ‘Oh no…they’re at it again…’ she thought in irritation. Making her way towards the sounds, she soon found herself at the back of the Garden. Looking around, she saw that her thought was correct. Corazon was sitting at one end of a small table, tightly clenching her hand against that of the other person sitting on the opposite end. “Damn you, Harvey!! You’re not stronger than me…you never were…” Corazon gasped, using all her strength to keep her arm from being slammed against the table. Grinning maniacally, Harvey forced Corrie’s arm halfway towards the table while saying, “That may be true in the gym, where you're clearly superior with those fancy moves of yours, but when it comes to arm wrestling, I’m the best there is. Admit it, Corrie…you’re about to lose.”

Cassie crossed her arms and huffed in impatience. She needed to talk to Corazon now, and she was not willing to wait for Harvey to finish gloating over his superior strength. Quietly walking over to them, she went and stood behind him, and then bent her head down towards his ear. She lightly brushed her lips against his ear while whispering, “Harvey…” The sudden distraction caused him to jump in surprise, allowing Corrie to pull her arm up from where he had almost pinned it. With a cry of triumph, she slammed Harvey’s arm against the table. At his shocked reaction, Corrie replied with a smug grin, “You were saying…”

Turning to Cassie in disbelief, Harvey sputtered, “Cassie?! W – w – what the hell was that for?! I was on a roll there!! How could you just barge in here and – ” Leaning her face close to his, she whispered, “Harvey…shut up. You see, I have to talk to Corrie about something important; it’s a rather private conversation, which means that you can’t be here. When we’re finished, the two of you can go back to one-upping each other all you want, but for now…get out.” He was about to say something, but seeing the icy glare on Cassie’s face convinced him otherwise. Taking the hint, he quickly got up and made his way towards the exit, but stopped. Turning to Corrie, he pointed at her and called out, “This isn’t over, Corrie! I’m officially calling interference… Next time, be prepared for total defeat!!” With a sly grin on her face, Corrie replied, “Looking forward to it.” With that, Harvey walked away again. Luckily unheard by either woman, he murmured to himself, “…Has to be PMS…man, even Sandy never had it that bad…”

Corrie watched as Cassie wearily plunked down in the seat Harvey had been sitting in. A second later, she sat down as well. “I’m so sorry for interrupting you, Corrie, but I have a problem, and I just don’t know how to handle it. I figured that you could help, because you’re sure to have had some experience with this, and…I don’t know…I guess I need another woman’s point of view.” Corrie crossed her arms and gazed at Cassie questioningly. “Okay, I’m listening.” Encouraged, Cassie smiled wryly. “Well, it’s like this…”

[insanity]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

I like this so much, Robert not noticing Cassie even though she has major thing for him

[TheLovecraftFactor]

Yes, I'm finally back. Sorry for not posting in a while, but all this time, I've been fighting an uphill-on-an-icy-slope battle against a raging case of the dreaded WRITER'S BLOCK!! [tearing hair out in frustration] [head exploding spectacularly] ...I think that just about covers what my mood was at the time... I found it really strange that while I was stuck here, my brain decided to instill me with another dream...but that's another story entirely...

I'm also not good with giving advice at all, so writing about someone who's giving advice to someone else was another major hassle...so don't mind if it gets a little long-winded...



Her face suddenly turned serious, and she darted her head back and forth, making sure that Harvey had really gone, and that nobody else was around. “Corrie, before I say anything, will you promise me you won’t tell anyone else about this…?” She gave Cassie a wide, sly smile. “Why? Is it something bad?” Cassie groaned. “Please, Corrie! You have to promise me!!” she huffed. Laughing, she replied, “Okay, okay…I promise… Now, what did you want to talk about?”

Cassie laid her head against her folded hands, and focused on something behind Corrie, a longing expression on her face. “…Have you ever been madly in love with someone that you instinctively know is the right one for you, yet he doesn’t know or even care that you exist? And no matter what you do to get his attention, he runs off the moment you approach him?” she huffed in irritation. Corrie tried not to grin. ‘Oh…I see…so you still haven’t had any luck in getting Robbie’s attention… That’s what this is all about. I should have seen it immediately,’ she thought in amusement.

Cassie’s obsessive longing for Icarus II’s perpetually brooding physicist was no secret among the crew, although they did their best to pretend they didn’t see it. In fact, a running bet was in place between Mace, Harvey, Trey, and Corrie over what – and how long – it would take for Cassie to finally pull Robert out of his self-imposed shell and make him notice her. Searle would not join their bet, saying that it wasn’t any of his business, nor should it be any of theirs (although, he knew that if it ever should happen, the boxes he kept hidden in the back of the medical supply closet would be ready for them). Even Kaneda (who considered himself a matchmaker of sorts in his younger days), who also refused to join the bet and often chided the others for doing it, believed that Cassie and Robert were perfect for each other (And if anyone were to ask him exactly how he would know that, he'd shrug his shoulders nonchalantly and respond in a wry tone, "Well, there's an old adage that you may or may not be familiar with. It rang true back then and continues to ring true today: 'opposites attract'...").

“Well…so how are you going about it?” Corrie asked matter-of-factly, staring intently at Cassie, who cleared her throat in uncertainty. “Oh, you know, throwing hints around, insinuating certain things…being rather subtle about it – ” “Whoa, whoa, wait. Okay…pause it right there,” Corrie interrupted, raising her hands in a halting gesture. “See, that’s what your problem is: you’re not being clear enough with your intentions. You’re beating around the bush with him, and he’s just not getting it. Normally, being coy would do the trick, but Capa seems to have some kind of shielding that protects him against all forms of subtlety,” she replied in a faintly sardonic tone. Cassie laughed at the image that Corrie’s words elicited. “So what do you suggest?” she asked hopefully. Stroking her chin in thought, she remained silent for several moments. “Hmmm…” she finally said. “The only thing I can see working for you is to go right up and say straight out how you really feel about him – ” “NO!!” Cassie abruptly shouted in panic. “I can’t just walk up to him and say ‘Hey there, Robert. I just wanted to say that I’m madly in love in you…I'm hoping you feel the same way about me’…I’m afraid that if I approach him like that, I might scare him off for good,” she cried desperately.

Corrie stared at her in exasperation. “…Then, I don’t know what to tell you, Cassie. I’m wondering why you’d think that he’d isolate himself completely if you told him your true feelings – ” she stopped, frowning deeply. After a long moment, she brightened, a look of understanding dawning on her face. Cassie looked at her in confusion. “Corrie…?” Now smiling widely, Corrie again stroked her chin in thought. “Corrie!! What is it?!” Snapped out of her reverie, she turned back to Cassie, still smiling. “Hmmm…you know what, there might be another possibility we should consider.” Cassie gestured impatiently. “Well?!”

Corrie stared evenly at her and said, “Okay, now you said that Capa keeps running from you every time you approach him. What if…it isn’t you that he’s afraid of?” Cassie tilted her head in confusion. “What are you trying to say?” she asked. Corrie grinned. “I’m saying that he might actually be afraid of himself…or more specifically, afraid of his own feelings. Assuming that’s true, it would stand to reason that he’s just as attracted to you, but he’s deathly afraid of showing it. It would also stand to reason as to why he’s always avoiding you: when you get flirty, he knows exactly what you’re doing. He also knows that your actions are only making the attraction he feels that much stronger, and it’s scaring the shit out of him. He’d rather suffer in silence and stay away from you indefinitely instead of embracing those feelings.”

Cassie sat back in her chair, slowly digesting Corrie’s words. “You mean…he’s hiding from me because he likes me? That doesn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t Robert want to –?” She broke off, sighing deeply. Corrie shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe it’s because he’s a geek, and geeks are usually very shy and nervous around women. Or maybe…” she trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Groaning, Cassie buried her head in her hands. “It’s just not fair…I finally meet the man of my dreams, yet the only way I can ever get close to him is through my fantasies.”

At those words, Corrie’s eyes lit up and an eager expression formed on her face. “Oh…I am so glad you brought that up. You haven’t told me if you’ve been having any more of those ‘Around the Ship’ dreams recently. Cassie’s face turned a bright red, although she really had no reason to be embarrassed…at least not around Corrie. Her ‘Around the Ship’ fantasies consisted primarily of Cassie and Robert engaging in blatantly…erotic…activities throughout various points on Icarus II. Although…when she first told Corrie about them, Cassie never once mentioned whom the other person involved was, saying only that his face was always shadowed. Now, she was sure that Corrie had a clear idea… “Truthfully, I – ”

“Ah, excuse me, ladies. Was I interrupting something?” Both women turned to see Searle walk towards them with a concerned expression on his face. He was holding a small glass bottle in his right hand. Corrie looked at him in surprise. “Wow, this is a first for you, Searle. I guess the idea of you pulling yourself away from the Observation Deck to step foot in here must not be as revolting to you as I thought. I think that this might be a good time for you to remove yourself from that floating gas ball you worship so much for a while, and spend time basking in some real beauty, the kind that can only be found here.” Searle frowned at Corrie’s words. “Eh…some other time, perhaps.” Turning to Cassie, who was glaring at him, he said, “Cassie, are you feeling alright? Harvey said that you were a bit…under the weather, so to speak.” Looking at the bottle in his hand, Searle shook it lightly for a second and then gave it to Cassie. “Okay, these are pretty strong, so you’ll only need one every twelve hours. They’re very effective against cramps and bloating, although they’ll make you drowsy. I suggest – ”

Cassie’s glare became a look of disbelief. “Searle…” she hissed. “Whatever Harvey may have told you earlier, I’m telling you right now that this is not my time of the month. I had important matters I needed to discuss with Corrie that just couldn't wait, and Harvey just happened to be in my way at that moment…so, I needed him gone. Now, you can go right back and tell him that I said he’s such a complete – no, wait. Forget it, I’ll just go and tell him myself.” Standing up, Cassie stalked towards the Garden’s exit, thrusting the bottle of pills in Searle’s hand as she passed. Corrie got up from her seat and called out after Cassie: “Hey, just remember what I said! If I’m right about this, neither subtlety nor direct action alone will work! Once you figure it out how to make it work, let me know…oh, yeah, don’t forget to tell me about that thing you saw!” She didn’t turn back, but raised her hand in acknowledgement as she disappeared from the Garden.

Searle watched Cassie’s hasty exit, and then looked down at the bottle. “Hmph…” he murmured. Turning to Corrie, he asked, “So…what was that all about?” Grinning slyly, she replied, “Nothing…just a little girl talk…” Searle nodded, instinctively knowing that there was more to it, but wisely decided not to press the issue. “Okay, then. You know, Corrie, I’ve noticed that you’ve missed one or two of your daily sessions with me…would you like to talk about it…?”

[brittany]

Capa is a geek... hehe