Have you ever had a nightmare...

Posted on Sat Apr 29th, 2017 @ 11:29pm by Commander Bertrand Cuprum & Commander Cor Cordale

Mission: The Trial of Cor Cordale
Location: Engineering
Timeline: Before mission, after inoculations

There was a knock at the door to the Thux's office. It was unusual for people to use an archaic way to anounce themselves, but it was unusual to see Bertrand down this far in the bowels of the ship since making XO.

"Hey, Cor," Bertrand said, his subdued voice and informal greeting alerting the Chief Engineer that this was not a formal interaction. The man looked exhausted, more so than normally.

Being one of the only other sentients that knocked on a door, Cordale narrowed down the list of suspects quickly, though still called out "C'min" at the knock. A quick mash up of 'Come in' and the computer knew to open the door for Bertrand. "Hey, what's ... hey what's going on?" the Thux's tone immediately shifted to casual and concerned. Bertrand usually wasn't one for casual.

"You got any of that coffee on the brew?" Bertrand asked. "I need a strong drink and... well, coffee is a safer option."

"Help yourself. Standing rule almost forbids it from being empty." Cordale motioned to the silver icon of caffeine and warm. "Grab a mug and help yourself. Cream and Sugar are in the trash... I mean, the replicator should get you whatever you need to water it down." he smirked as he brought his own mug over for a refill. Bert first, though.

Bertrand picked up the old pot and for a moment had to work out how to operate the catch that lifted the lid to pour. He grabbed a big cup and poured it thick and black. he replaced the pot and then stared at the cup without drinking for a while.

"When does it stop?" he said suddenly. "Twenty years and they are always there waiting to leap out from my memory. Sharp, clear, crystal precise. Stupid shrinks say it is supposed to reduce every time you remember it, but for me it burns deeper, like the scoring on a..."

He picks up the cup, "Have you had your inoculation yet?"

The Thux took his refill as promised, "It doesn't."

"Do you know how many away missions the Chief Engineer gets called down on that happen to take place in caverns?" he asked, knowing full well the answer was about as many away missions that Bertrand got called on that happened to involve the Borg. "I mean, over the years sure it sucks less, but I don't think it ever goes away. Just when you think you have a handle on it, something reminds you. You get called in to check out a cave, or you have to investigate a rock quarry, or something completely unrelated but damn does it just trigger something." he paused...

"I did." He couldn't even avoid the conversation by changing topics, "I think mine was easier than most. I saw Sil and Cal, clear as day, and ... we had a chat. Probably a chat that was a long time coming. They aren't going anywhere, but it felt good to see them in something aside from a nightmare, or staring back from a mirror."

"I take it you're medical trip sucked?" he asked, direct as a brick.

"Well, I tried to kill the Doctor, and ordered the Marine Captain to lock up the CTO and shoot me if I... turned," Bertrand mused. "Or did you mean other than that?"

"Yeah that sounds pretty terrible." Cordale confirmed the obvious.

"I think Kevin is going to make it difficult for me. He is angry and looking at someone to strike out at," Bertrand observed. "Most things, I can just ignore; he's a kid who has been spoiled by his family and pouting at the world. But on this one..."

He took a deep drink of the coffee and grimaced, "That's awful! Bitter and overcooked and kept on the edge of luke warm so it is always drinkable fast. just the way we had it in JAG."

He took another swig and grimace.

"The thing is, I know I was mistaken, but... what if I hadn't been. What if I had been right and everyone had just written it off as Bertrand going nuts again? No one else here knows what it is like. No one remembers the Federation in it's golden time, before it was all about the war. No one knows what it is like to live with the Borg; have them crawling through your body every day."

He glanced at Cor, "Though you are probably the closest to that."

"First off, I usually put some cinnamon in mine to keep it festive." he paused, "Second, I have no idea how they do things in JAG, but if they're working off Engineering hours, then yeah we have the same coffee recipes." he actually chuckled.

"Yeah Kevin has a whole swarm of bugs up his ass about something. Everyone's a traitor or that whole 'only those who uphold their oaths get to be heroes' bullshit. He's practically calling everyone out on some trumped up slight. I mean by the Source, I guess the way the world works never unexpectedly changes in his part of the universe?" another swig of coffee.

"You're the one who gave all of us traitors and malcontents the means by which to go against our sacred oaths and vows and chase after a ghost while there was important work to be done here." Cordale said in a tone that was as ridiculous as the sentence itself was. "So in Kevin's little black and white world, that makes you a traitor as well. So welcome to the crew." he chuckled and hoisted his coffee mug in Bertrand's direction.

A long pause, another swig, "You know, being the Captain of the USS Told You So ain't all it's cracked up to be. So let's just hope that IF... IF... you ever get to be that Captain, you'll accept it with grace." a chuckle. "As for the whole... yeah..." a pause, "You know, we're so close to being in the same boat, just little differences. I bought my limb, but you paid for your's." he let that sink in for a moment, "Though to be fair, I don't have to live with the Borg, not in the sense you do. I get to deal with the looks. The looks you get from being the only Thux in Starfleet. The looks of not being taken seriously because you're the only Thux in Starfleet."

"Nevermind the prosthetic." he chuckled and took another swig. "Ooo, good batch." he complimented the sacred brew.

"Everytime I itch," Bertrand explained, "I imagine it is the nanites still inside me trying to take over. They couldn't get rid of all of them, you know. Some of the... bits that were replaced need them to maintain consistent function. This arm contains actual Borg Technology to fool the Nanites into I have a real Borg one on. If I leave it off for too long they... Start to build a new one. Repair me to the Drone they think of me as. The number of times I have considered walking out an airlock like Mickey threatened to do... God's this coffee is awful. It needs scotch in it. No I need scotch in me."

"Get me a list of all the parts they're working on. Or, if you're alright with it, get me a full schematic. Borg schmorg, between the two of us and all my engineer contacts, I might be able to replicate you up something less active. I know I get really pissed whenever folks entice me with an upgrade, so I won't dare say it'll be better. Hell, it may be slightly slower, less responsive, or just the wrong shade of blue. But, if I can help you make it through a cycle without that gnawing away at you, I'll jump at that chance."

"I replace my prosthetic often enough to get a ten percent credit on replicator rations." he said with a smirk, "Offer stands, no pressure, no obligation. No matter what the answer, nothing between us changes."

Bertrand drained the last of the cup with a grimace, "We'll be arriving soon. Gotta go and be all hard nose again."

Bertrand straightened and it was amazing to watch the familiar Bertrand step into place, "Thank you, Lt. As you were."

Watching Cordale stand at attention was the definition of watching something go from casual to professional. He usually slumped a bit normally, but to see him stand tall, stand proud, and to know what he went through to get here and stand where he was ... was just a sight to be seen. The Thux radiated a pride that had to be seen, had to be felt...

"Sir, always a pleasure. Doors always open if I can be of assistance sir."

Not a single obscenity. He cleaned up nice.

Bertrand nodded and moved back out into the regular life of ship's activity.