Post 486: Alone in a Crowd Part Two

Stardate: 71010.2100
Title: Alone in a Crowd, Part Two
Author: Ensign Rada Dengar
Scene: Seven
Time: Following Part One
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“Perhaps I am just punctual, neat and a nice guy,” Rada suggested.

“A punctual man leaves him self enough time, you leave yourself too much. A neat man keeps his uniform straight, you keep yours immaculate. Not to mention a nice man will inconvenience himself to help others but your actions indicate that you feel helping you to be great inconvenience…you’re terrified to be a burden.”

Rada knew she was right and just smiled. “Why do you know so much about me while I know so little of you?”

“You must ask what you want to know and yet I have seen that you rarely do.” she laughed

“Knowing your name would be a start,” Rada commented.

“But that’s not really what you want to know,” she continued to smile smugly “I told you I know you, and you’ve never cared about names.”

“I can easily find it out.” Rada said a smug smile starting of his own.

“Perhaps you can, but what do you really want to know?” she continued.

“Why are you here?” Rada asked with a laugh of his own starting.

“Close...but you still don’t care, you really want to know how long I’ll be here and this is just a way of asking.”

“How long are you here for then?” Rada asked

“I am not burdened by such things,” she said enigmatically.

“You suggest I’m afraid and yet you refuse to answer every question…that shows me true fear.” Rada smiled as wickedly as she had.

“Amazing, I’ve only just arrived and already you’re beginning to emulate me.” she laughed louder and for some reason Rada did too.

“I don’t know why…” Rada continued his words being drowned out with laughter “but I can’t seem to stop laughing.”

“It feels good to be extreme, doesn’t it?” she said laughter drowning out her voice too. Everyone was now looking in Rada’s direction.

“What’s the joke?” asked an unknown voice but Rada just ignored it.

“Tell me, Rada. How do you feel about this glass?” she asked cheekily and pointed at Rada’s empty glass on the counter as their laughter suddenly stopped.

Rada developed a huge grin on his face and said “I hate it.” then he began to scream “I hate it, I hate it!” then he grabbed it and smashed it on the ground. Suddenly they both began to laugh again, but this was not like their previous laughter, this seemed somehow sinister and much more vicious.

“What else do you hate?” she asked as they both continued to laugh.

Rada looked into the crowd of people around him and pointed to a member of the group. Then he grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him off the ground. Holding him up while he choked.

Suddenly everything was back as it was when she first arrived. Rada was sitting on the stool, his glass was intact and the people in Seven were going about their business as if nothing had happened.

Rada’s eyes suddenly took on a look of disdain as he stared forward facing the bar and he thought *What was the point of making me relive that moment?*

The woman was sitting back on the stool with a seductive smile on her face. She leant over and whispered in Rada’s ear. “Did you miss me?”

*Like a wound misses salt,* Rada thought bitterly, his stare never leaving the bar.

The woman pretended to pout and continued insincerely “That hurt. I thought you loved me.”

*No, you just loved yourself so much you couldn’t tell the difference.*

“You could at least look at me,” she said teasingly.

Rada kept staring straight forward.

*I know your form.*

“You do, don’t you?” she said smugly whilst kissing him slowly on the cheek.

Rada stood up suddenly and walked out which attracted attention from onlookers. They were all wondering why this young Ensign walked in, sat down, had a couple of drinks alone, stood up suddenly and walked off.

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Ensign Rada Dengar
Engineering Officer
USS Independence NCC-90791