SIM:Nicholotti The Final Straw

((Sickbay, USS Resolution))

::The surgery had gone well, and Kali's physical prognosis was looking up. The new heart gave her life, and her body was slowly healing from the multiple surgeries that it had endured. The biobed recorded her vitals as normal, and she looked somewhat peaceful as she lay there. On the outside, it seemed as if the danger was over, but inside her mind, the nightmares still haunted her.::

::The gentle voices that had been playing around her head had left her, and once again, Kali felt alone. It was not the feeling of being left in a room with no one else, but an emptiness so great that it made her want to cry. From the tomboy that never cried until her grandfather's funeral, this statement said so much.::

::The burning feeling in her chest was gone now, and she felt as if she were able to breathe much easier. She didn't connect this with the fact that she now carried a new heart, but she knew that something had changed. Inside the nightmare that she had been residing in since she was attacked, Kali was finally able to stand and try to look around. In the darkness, she saw very little.::

::The air seemed heavy, with moisture or dread she was not sure. She did know, however, that she would have to escape her own mind in order to return to the world of the waking, but she was not sure which direction to go. Turning around, she tried to ascertain the direction of the dim light, but it seemed to be coming from nowhere. Finally, she gave up and started off in a random direction.::

::As she walked, her feet splashed in puddles of various sizes. She could not see them, so she found it difficult to avoid them as she made her way in the direction she had chosen. The stench of whatever was living here, or dying here, was growing stronger, and had become nearly unbearable. Her feet were now soaked in the liquid from the puddles she had been walking through, and feelings of fear and terror seemed to flitter through her.::

::Kali trudged on, ignoring the smells and the sticky feeling that was developing in her boots. She had never backed down before, and she had never given up. She would keep the fear at bay...sure that her friends would come looking for her soon. They must realize that she was in trouble, and it was a trouble she could not seem to find her way out of alone.::

::The atmosphere grew thick as she walked along, the humidity around her rising as she walked deeper into this new world. The unseen source of light flickered, like a candle dancing in the breeze. Her steps began to echo, as if she had entered some unseen hallway. The liquid pools beneath her feet merged into one. It became hard to walk now, but still, she moved forward.::

::Out of habit, Kali reached for her sidearm, only to find that it was not there. The memory of the weapon sliding across the floor in the palace flashed into her mind, and Kali had to stop and catch herself. The memory had caught her off guard and nearly knocked the wind from her lungs. Her head was spinning, but she steadied herself on the unseen wall beside her and moved on.::

::The air was so thick now, that it could have been cut with a knife. The pool below her was growing ever deeper, and Kali realized with dread that she would probably have to turn around and head in the other direction now. Resigned to go as far as she could, yet exhausted from the long walk, she never saw the blade.::

::Splash! Kali whirled around to find herself splattered with the thick liquid. She reached into it, attempting to find what had fallen, and retrieved a Hirogen blade. Her face contorted in horror as she recognized it, and she dropped it as she turned to run. Deeper into the maze of nightmares, Kali was filled with fear that knew no bounds. Even as she ran, she scolded herself. She had never been afraid of the dark, never backed down to a fight. Nothing made sense anymore, except the panic that pushed her on.::

::Kali ran, faster and faster. Somewhere behind her, she could hear something. It was after her. Was it the monster, back to finish her off? What did it want? She could answer nothing as she ran, knowing only that facing whatever was behind her was impossible. Time seemed to go on forever, as did the hall, as the splashing from her boot steps resonated through the stone walls.::

::Suddenly, the ground fell out from under her feet. Instantly, she knew she should have turned back when she had the chance, as this was now quite obviously the wrong way to go. The thick liquid surrounded her, coating her and pulling her down. It was then she tasted it, and realized in horror that it was not water as she had somehow hoped. No, the puddles along the way had been blood!::

::Unseen hands grabbed at her and pulled her under; she was drowning. Kali clawed at what seemed to be stone flooring, in an attempt to pull her head above the dark pool again. As her face broke the surface, she gasped for air in the seconds she had before she was ripped under again. Desperately, she pulled herself up again, this time finding a dry ledge protruding from the walls surrounding her and the pool. Weak, but determined, Kali drug herself up on to the ledge.::

::Putting her back against the wall, she drew her knees up to her chest and huddled in the dark as a thick and heavy rain began to fall. Alone, afraid, and now soaked, Kali screamed, and this time nothing stopped her.::

::A blood curdling scream broke the silence in sickbay. Though the biobed maintained normal readings, Kali no longer looked peaceful. She was totally unconscious, but her face betrayed a look of pure terror; her body stiff and shivering, as if cold. Tears began to run down her face, and in her mind, Kali began to cry.::

--

TBC

2LT Kalianna Nicholotti
UFPSMC Marine Officer
USS Resolution NCC-78145

Return to Kalianna Nicholotti