<USS Avalon> "What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You"

From: "Brad Ruder" <groundzero@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: avalon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 00:41:13 -0700

“What You Don’t Know Can’t Hurt You”
by Commander Javan Sierra
& Senior Lieutenant Caine Reilly McKinsely

Midnight served to be the best time to do it. A skeleton crew composed of ensigns and inexperienced lieutenants were the only ones on duty. Most were engrossed in PADDs with frivolous medical data or they were studying long-winded medical texts on every species known to exist, but none seemed to be helping patients. Granted it was shore leave, but someone always had a headache or an upset stomach - it was the nature of life.

Silently he slipped in and over to a medical closet and he quickly swiped the medical components he needed and then added it to the list of items to retrieve at the next restock. Without paying much attention he quickly exited into the hallway and back towards his quarters. In less than five minutes he'd gone in and out without much of a worry or care; he was glad that the doctors weren't security guards.

Hannah was asleep, Caine was happy for that, there would be no questions, not that she had to answer to an eight year old, but she just didn't feel like trying to get Hannah back to bed and at the same time, trying to leave to go to engineering. The entire ship was quiet; it almost seemed to be eerily quiet as she moved down the corridor and into engineering.

With a quick glance around, Caine quickly came to the conclusion that the only people in engineering was the group standing with their backs to her quietly discussing something that was on the screen they were looking at. Moving as stealthily as possible, Caine collected all of the parts she needed for the interrogation system equipment. After gathering everything, she made a hasty retreated and headed towards Javan's quarters, preparing to dump everything off there.

The supplies were on the table and he stood against the wall with his arms folded. His mind was racing and he didn't know whether or not to proceed with the operation, but he determined that if was for the safety of all. Javan ran his fingers around on his temples as he stared at the containers of fluids and powder. Taking a step forward he opened a few containers and began to mix the chemicals until they congealed into an ooze-like substance. Inserting it into a hypospray the only thing he could do was wait.

Not bothering to announce her presence by ringing the door chime, Caine walked right into Javan's quarters. "Hey Javan, I got everything and I swear no one saw me," she said as she began setting the equipment she had stolen from engineering on the table, not having bothered to really take a look around to see if Javan was in the living room or not.

"Good," Javan began to connect the equipment into what looked like an angel's halo. Activating the system it began to glow neon blue and hum almost silently. He looked at her, an ounce of remorse in his eyes, and then handed her the headband-like device. "There's no going back after this, Caine, once I start the procedure and begin the process there is no way to regain this information other than me telling you again. Are you sure you want to proceed?"

Caine nodded, "I don't want either of us getting hurt because I know something I shouldn't." Before she placed the mechanism, she leaned forward and pressed her mouth against Javan's, letting herself enjoy the feel and taste of him for a few short moments before she pulled away. "Just promise that I will remember everything else one more time and then I'll be completely ready." Her eyes were slightly pleading and though she tried to hide it, Caine was nervous and scared about what they were about to do.

"It's not going to painful at all, I promise," Javan sort of shook the device at her and then picked up the hypospray, "I love you."

"I love you too," she said softly, before closing her eyes with a small cringe, waiting for Javan to begin the procedure.

Placing the instrument on her skull he tightened it down and made sure the electronic diodes were nestled against her head. He sat her down in the chair and pressed the hypospray into her neck with the familiar hiss that accompanies such an action and then connected the headdress to the PADD that he rigged for the procedure. Tapping the PADD he activated the neural pathways.

Thoughts floated around in her head. Things that seemed to make sense yet didn't. Everything was disjointed and unfamiliar yet, at the same time, everything seemed familiar and comforting. Caine tried to grab hold of certain thoughts, but just like water, the thoughts slipped through her fingers. Part of her mind knew that these disorganized, incoherent thoughts were better off forgotten, even as she tried to hold onto them and bring them back. Caine felt lost and confused as she felt certain memories slipping away from her; they became dim and started to disappear, like a painting being destroyed. The thoughts and memories slipped from her mind until Caine didn't even know what she was trying to remember or hold onto.

He saw the blank look on her face and realized that the transformation and erasure of certain pathways of the brain had been successfully completed. Inside of him something died and he felt as if he had lost apart of himself, but he put it behind him and removed the device from her skull and placed it delicately on the table. With one move he dismantled the thing into its original pieces and then turned and looked at her. "Caine, are you with me?"

Feeling groggy, as though she had just woken up, Caine looked around the room she was in and immediately recognized it to be Javan's. Smiling somewhat sheepishly, she looked at the man kneeling in front of her. "What am I doing here?" she asked, a light blush covering her cheeks as she began to wonder if she had fallen asleep in Javan's quarters. Though, Caine didn't even remember going to his room, last thing she remembered was putting Hannah to bed.

"You dozed off," Javan said with a smile as he ran a hand lightly down her right cheek and rested it on her chin. After placing a kiss on her lips he motioned to the table, "you were ranting and raving about this equipment that you were trained with but vowed you'd never use. Remember? You just about to take it back to engineering and return to Hannah. You have an early shift tomorrow and Hannah needs you."

Caine sat for a moment, trying to remember doing all of then before she gave up and shrugged. "I guess your right," she said and stood, slightly uneasy on her feet. "I guess I should take that back to engineering and go to bed," feeling slightly mischievous, Caine added with a wink. "Too bad I'll be going to bed alone." Turning, she gathered the equipment from the table, a small grin still on her face. "Goodnight Javan," Caine said, smiling up at him and placing a light, lingering kiss on his lips. "I'll see you tomorrow." With that Caine headed for the door, her mind still trying to wake up from her nap.

She walked out of his quarters a little less knowledgeable and a little safer.

<USS Avalon> "What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You"

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