View source for SIM:Cogud/Vedra - To the Madhouse pt 1

Cogud and Vedra begin to work together on preparing a course for the Sol System Rally, but it ends up in Cogud performing a racist attack on the Orion, Vedra.

[[SIM: Cogud/Vedra - To the Madhouse pt 2|Continued in Part 2]]

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==Characters==
*[[Cogud, Jorus|Jorus Cogud]]'''
*[[Raine Vedra]]

==SIM==

((Cogud’s Quarters, USS Discovery-C))

::Cogud stared at the PADD with the race track on it. The same layout he
had sent to Vedra the Orion, he predicted that Vedra would have the same
issue in deducing the PADD as well so decided to call him to Astrometrics
to look over the race on a larger display.::

COGUD: =/\= Lieutenant Cogud to Vedra, please report to Astrometrics to go
over the race. =/\=

VEDRA: ::tapping his commbadge:: =/\= Aye, lieutenant. Be there in ten.
=/\=

::For the briefest moment, Raine actually was struck by the thought that
perhaps Lt Cogud had made prior arrangements with Rostan, as part of a
bigger conspiracy, to get him away from Daisha so that the engineer could
have all the time he wanted with the ravishing Amazon.::

VEDRA: oO Oh stop it, Raine!! How silly! Positive thoughts now. That’s what
the Counselor prescribed. Oo

COGUD: =/\= Okay, see you there. =/\=

::The Chief of Astrometrics promptly excused himself from the group, trying
his level best to conceal his dismay, with a promise to return to them as
soon as he was done. Meanwhile, as Cogud headed out of the door towards
Astrometrics thoughts of his neck crashing against the wall of that grimy
public toilet by Krax and Krull arose again, thoughts of his family being
forced to live on the run aboard a Ferengi Smuggling Vessel run by Zug and
thoughts of heroic stories of his grandfather being murdered by an Orion,
all of these had one thing in common and all led to Cogud’s instant hatred
of any Orion he met, every woman, every child.::

((Ten minutes later))

((Astrometrics, USS Discovery-C))

VEDRA: Lieutenant. ::He nodded politely as he entered. The helmsman was
already present in the lab.::

COGUD: Mr Vedra, glad you could make it. ::Cogud quickly thought over how
Vedra had said “Lieutenant" trying to find any hint of animosity in the
Orion’s voice.::

::Raine immediately approached a console and after punching a few keys and
buttons, brought up the race course on the large view screen. Cogud looked
up at the screen, trying hard to get rid of the hateful thoughts running
through his head.::

VEDRA: I can project a 3-dimensional map within this lab if you like. It
might be good idea to run through a simulation of the race. I can also feed
in the shuttle parameters into the sim.

COGUD: Sounds great. ::Cogud put on a smile.::

::Raine nodded, pleased that Lt Cogud concurred with his suggestion, and
moved to another console to key in instructions for the simulation. Lt
Cogud stood near the console. Raine accessed the controls by reaching out
an arm to hit a button at the far corner of the console, in the process
unintentionally brushing against the Trill helmsman.::

VEDRA: Oh, excuse me----

COGUD: ::Immediately switching to a sarcastic and hostile tone:: Don't
worry, wouldn't expect anything less from your kind. ::Cogud realized what
he just said, but has hard as he tried he couldn't stop what he was
saying.::

::Raine was stunned speechless.::

COGUD: Don't look so shocked, do you feel any guilt? Anything for what your
species does to people, innocent people across the galaxy.

VEDRA: My..species? What the hell Cogud? Where is this coming from? ::It
was a reflex reaction. He became defensive because he became confused.::

COGUD: ::Ignoring what the man had just said, barely even paying attention
to it.:: You are filth, you know that? A stain on the galaxy. ::Cogud
brought his face in front of the Vedra’s, whispering his next sentence.::
Not even worth the air you breathe. ::Backing up and returning to his
previous position.:: The things your people do to innocent families is
horrendous. Do you know much about me?

::While the Trill was hurling insults, Raine’s mind raced back and forth
between great animosity and a yearning to comprehend what was truly going
on in the Astrometrics lab. Why had Lt Cogud suddenly verbally attacked
him, unprovoked? What was it that he did wrong? Filth? Stain? The
corruption of innocents? Where the hell is all this coming from? These and
many other unanswered questions swirled and swirled in the Orion’s mind.::

VEDRA: ::clenching his fists and jaw to remain calm:: I know this much. You
need help. ::He gritted his teeth.::

COGUD: Of course you don't. ::Cogud found a place where he could look down
on the Orion.:: I was born to an honest family, my father was a simple
trader, he makes one mistake when selling something to your species and he
is marked for life, he had to flee his life and spend it on the run, I was
driven from my home and forced to live with Ferengi.

VEDRA: Oh, ::snorting:: now I get it. You’re blaming me, ::pointing to
himself:: ME, for your woes! I was the one who marked your father for life?
I was the one who forced him to flee and run for his life? I was the one
who drove you out of your home and forced you to live with the Ferengi? I?!
What the frak have you been smoking, mister?

::Raine could feel his anger simmering and reaching its boiling point. His
muscles were already tensed. His jaw ached and throbbed. His heart rate was
off the charts. His breathing became rapid and shallow, streaming out of
his flared nostrils. No one liked to be accused of something he hadn’t
done, let alone be insulted for that.::

VEDRA: oO Oh, I could crush you in my bare hands right now, imp!! Oo ::He
closed his eyes. He shook his head. He forced himself to purge the
thought.:: oO No. No!! This isn’t right! This isn’t right!! Stop this,
Raine. Now. Oo

COGUD: No you don't understand Orion, I learnt to read with the rules of
acquisition. I learnt to count by playing dabo, why should any child have
to live with those sort of people? And it’s not my father’s fault, or Zug's
or any of the Ferengi, it’s yours and your parents’ and you grandparents’
and any other Orion, you’re all the same, all of you. You should all be
punished for what you have done to innocents all over the galaxy.

VEDRA: So says the bigot. ::His voice was snake-like, cold and wicked and
full of venom.::

COGUD: Pardon. oO This guy has some nerve. Oo

VEDRA: ::fixed steely glare:: Oh you heard me all right. But in case you
were too busy listening to yourself whine and cringe and lament your
unfortunate past like you’re the ONLY mistreated person in the entire
galaxy, like you’re the ONLY victim of misfortune, like you’re the ONLY one
who suffered at the hands of another race, let me repeat that for you, you
self-centered, self-pitying, sanctimonious piece of sh*t. You are a bigot.
Oh, and not only that, you are a narrow-minded, racist bully who is so damn
insecure and immature to realize he’s still blaming an entire race, never
mind the entire universe, for something he can never go back in the past to
change simply because he doesn’t have the b*lls to deal with it like a man.

COGUD: oO Shut your mouth Cogud, shut your damn mouth. Oo You’re right,
I'm racist and from my point of view all of your species should be wiped
out, erased from existence!

VEDRA: Ah. ::icy tone:: Genocide. The simple answer to all that’s wrong
with the universe. ::pause:: A coward’s answer.

::People say violence only begets violence. Hate begets hate. Raine
regretted saying those vile and spiteful things almost as immediately as he
had uttered them. But it was too late. You can never really take back words
despite what everyone says. There was no reeling in the awful things he had
said. Nevertheless, he HAD said those things, he wasn’t going to deny it,
but only because he felt threatened and needed to defend his pride and
honor. For everyone, saint or sinner, had their pride and honor.::

VEDRA: Go ahead then. Do it. I dare you. If you think you’ll only be
satisfied after you’ve killed and annihilated every single Orion filth in
the universe, then go ahead. Start with me. Go on, do it! Start with me! Do
it, bigot, do it if you dare!!