Post 393: 'Ello, Love

Stardate:70815.2000
Title: 'Ello, Love
Author: Dabin Reece
Scene: Conference Room, USS Independence
Time: Following Remember Me: Part 2
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"It is time." Rigin called from the doorway of the conference room.

Dabin Reece let out a long puff of air, and squeezed Jaine's hand.

"Be careful in there, Dabin."

"It's ok Jaine, we're going to fix her up."

"No, YOU, be careful. I still don't think embodying Deveral is the best thing for you."

"It is not too late to change your mind Dabin." Rigin offered.

Dabin dismissed him with a wave. "I'm a big boy, I can handle this."

Dabin and Rigin entered the conference room. He nodded politely at February, his normal bratty behavior subdued by the seriousness of the zhian'tara and his own nervousness.

"I assume I don't need to explain to you how this works."

"Yeah Rigin, we've been here before. If anything goes wrong I need to reassert myself." Dabin's voice trailed off, as he let one nervous joke slip out "...and secure my own mask before assisting others."

"What was that?" February asked.

"Nothing." Dabin replied. Rigin began the link.

"I'nora ja'kala Grace zhian'shee,
Deveral tanus rem, Gondar February tor,
February zhian'tara vok. Tu Grace zhian'tani ress,
Zhian'par Deveral garu' koj."

Dabin's eyes opened, a devilish smile spreading across his lips. His fingers immediately shot into his hair, streaking it back and fiddling with the part at the top of his head.

Rigin was convinced by the incessant grooming that the transfer was complete. "I'll be outside."

The sound of Rigin's voice pulled Deveral from his manscaping. He watched Rigin leave, and turned to see he was alone in the room with February.

"'Ello Love."

"Deveral." She greeted him. February could sense his confusion, and was content at the moment to see how long it would take for him to find his bearings.

"Look, sweetheart, I'm going to level with you. I've woken up next to many a woman in my day, but I can honestly say that's the first time there has been a dude in the room too. . ."

"It's not like that Deveral." She reassured him.

"I am happy to hear this." That devilish smile once again spread across his lips. "So love, last night was just... wow. We got a gig tomorrow but I'm going to call you as soon as its over. I swear baby."

"It's REALLY not like that." February said, shaking her head.

Deveral's eyes began to scan the room, and the fog that generally clouded what he referred to as "reality" started to lift.

"This is not a hotel room."

"Indeed."

"If I offered you money it's because I was drunk. I want my lawyer... and my agent. Who are you anyway?"

"You don't often ask for a girl's name do you?"

"Ask, yes. Remember?" He shrugged. "Sorry, Love."

Deveral spun away from her, and walked to the window. Dabin Reece began to float his personality to the surface, and the voice became angry. "Remember huh? Does the name Tuli Reece ring a bell?"

Deveral: "Tuli, look its been a crazy couple of days, I'm not sure..."

Dabin: "I waited for you to call. You promised you would!"

"RIGIN!" Called February. The Guardian reentered the room, as the combination of Deveral and Dabin continued to "argue" on their own at the window.

"What is this?" Asked February.

"Reece has asserted himself but not totally. Their personalities are overlapping. I may have to cut this short."

"No." February implored him. "I can handle this. You can go." Rigin bowed, and dismissed himself from the room once again.

Deveral: "Tramp."

Dabin: "Pig."

Deveral: "Orion!"

Dabin: *GASP.* "Well, I never!!!!"

Dabin's retort was cut short as February grabbed him and spun him around, and pushed him back onto the couch. She leaned in, and looked into his eyes.

"Dabin. My zhian'tara. Back off."

Deveral's eyes refocused, as Dabin released his control. "Some crazy chick that was... wait. zhian'tara?"

"zhian'tara." February confirmed.

"Bloody hell, I'm dead? How?"

"You fell out of a coconut tree."

"Coconut tree... but I was like, saving a beautiful girl or something at the time, right?"

"You were drunk."

"Aye." Deveral nodded, "That would about do it."

"And my name is February Grace. Welcome to the USS Independence Deveral."

"Oh... OH! This is a starship, is it then? Federation?"

"Yes."

"And you are, what, the maid?"

"Maid? I happen to be the Helmsman." February stated proudly.

Deveral pursed his lips and shook his head. "Love, sorry but, I... I honestly don't know what that is."

"I navigate the ship."

"Sorry, still not there yet."

"I drive!" February said at last, and Deveral finally got it.

"Gotcha! Well good for you then love, that sounds very important. It's good to see that the Symbiosis Commission found a new host for Grace worthy of me good looks." Deveral winked at her. "So love, seeing as I'm dead, and this zhian'tara can't last forever..." He leaned back into the cushions of the couch and wiggled his eyebrows. February rolled her eyes.

"You're not my type Deveral, and can I remind you that you are in a host body? Dabin Reece would not appreciate being the vessel for another of Deveral's famous conquests."

Deveral sat up and clapped his hands together. "I suppose you're right February. Where can I find a drink and a smoke around here?"

February sat down beside him. "Deveral, I'm not Grace's first host, since you died. There was another."

"How come I don't remember her zhian'tara?"

"She never made it that far. The life you lead took quite a toll of Grace, and the Symbiosis Commission ran some crazy experiments on it. Let's just say that last host couldn't take it all."

"He quit?"

"SHE, Wen, committed suicide."

"Oh." Deveral said, realizing the meaning of what she was saying.

"If you wanted to live such a wild life, why did you ever join the initiate program?" February asked.

"It was the thing to do love. I always wanted to be a star but never had much musical talent. So I figured getting joined would be a way to make it big. I didn't share that with the Commission. Once I was joined though this ability to sing and play just came from... somewhere! The rest is history after that love."

"So you wanted to get joined just to make a name for yourself?"

"Love, when you have no name for yourself, you need to make one." Deveral snapped, perhaps a bit too curtly. "Why did you join Starfleet? And become a driver, eh? You wanted to make a name for yourself."

"I wanted to do something I love, and make a difference somehow."

"Yeah." Deveral looked at the floor.

"Did you ever think about all the women you went through? About people like Tulila? About the consequences of living life in a haze of music and alcohol and women? My goodness Deveral, you died falling out of a coconut tree."

"It filled a void Love. Made up for whatever wasn't there, I found happiness the way I knew how."

"Filled what void Deveral, what were you looking for?"

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"You're lying, don't be a coward Deveral. You owe that to Wen. You ripped through life like a supernova and it almost destroyed Grace, and me too."

"Love, everyone knew my name, but nobody knew Deveral. All they want is one more song or one more kiss. So I gave them what they wanted. You may think I never game a damn about all the women and your probably right, but none of them ever gave a damn about me either. I'm dead now so I guess it doesn't hurt to tell you that all that fame wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The drinks and the girls were like a pain killer that made it all better, and once it wore off you had to get that next pill. Don't get me wrong Love, I lived life to the fullest, I enjoyed what I did, but sometimes, I just wish... I could have had something more. Actually been close to someone."

He turned to February. "And what about you February Grace? Are you close to anyone?"

February wasn't ready for that. She looked away. "Not really. Well, there is someone, but it's never going to work I guess."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Who's next?"

"Next? I haven't thought about that."

"Are you serious, Love? You aren't carrying some kind of torch still are you? You just said it isn't going to work."

February didn't have an answer for him. Deveral leapt up off the couch and strode to the door. He looked around and saw Rigin, who he recognized from earlier, and Doctor McKenna.

"You!" He said, pointing at McKenna. "Come here."

"Are you all right Commander Reece?" McKenna asked, as he walked towards Deveral.

"This is still Deveral, I need your help." Deveral grabbed McKenna's wrist and pulled him into the room. The door closed.

"Mate, are you single?" Deveral asked.

"I beg your pardon?" McKenna asked, baffled.

"Married, are you married?"

"No, why do you..."

"Get the bloody hell out of here!" Deveral shouted. He pushed McKenna back out through the door, then spun on his heel towards February, and threw his hands up in the air.

"Love, it took me 10 bloody seconds to find a good looking single man on this boat of yours. Its a great big sea love with lots of beautiful fish. Believe me I know. I bet you spend a lot of time staring out the window thinking about 'what can never be'."

Deveral clasped his hands together and talking in a high pitched feminine voice to punctuate the end of the sentence. "Well its time to stop feeling sorry for yourself!"

"Its not that easy." February said.

"Oh bull-symbiont. I'm not saying you need to turn into the next Deveral, but Love, life is short. Today you are the driver of a Starship, tomorrow you're bloody dead on a beach surrounded by coconuts and paparazzi and you've never really been in love with anyone who felt the same way. DON'T WASTE LIFE. The Federation, they are explorers eh?"

"Of course!"

"Then EXPLORE, February Grace. You didn't join this Starfleet to sit in orbit of the same planet all your life did you?"

"No," February said.

"Then if there is nothing to see on the planet below, its time to drive somewhere else."

February, stood up, smiled softly, and took Deveral's hands in hers. "Thank you, Deveral. It has been enlightening speaking with you. I expected this to be many things. Enlightening was not one of them."

"Yeah, and it better be at least 150 years before I speak to the next host Love. Take care of yourself."

February summoned Rigin, and he transferred Deveral's memories back into Grace, and Dabin Reece once again owned his own body. He kissed February on the cheek, and thanked her for the opportunity to participate. He left the room with Rigin, and sat down next to Jaine Hood. He leaned his head on her shoulder.

"Well?" She asked finally. "What was he like?"

"Shallow, crude, arrogant on the surface....."

Jaine expected that answer, but could tell there was more. "And?"

"Underneath it all? Lonely."

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Commander Dabin Reece
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USS Independence NCC-90791