From China, with Love...

Posted on Sun Feb 23rd, 2020 @ 8:51pm by Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Ensign Paul Harrison

Mission: Mission 4: Flashover
Location: Harrison Quaters - Starbase 400
Timeline: 0300Hrs - September 20th, 2388

Racheal's eyes shot up as she sighed softly as she was sure
she had just woken half the house with the shriek she had let
out, in her dream, it was because of an Eastern Coalition solder
had jumped on her, armored to the teeth and extremely well
armed, he had landed on her with the intent to crush her into
paste with murder in his eyes, the battlefield was western china
and the ground was very open.

She breathed in and out slowly as she heard someone enter the
room, she turned and tried to move off the sofa but wound up
falling to the deck, she was all tangled in the quilt cover as she
sighed softly as she felt a set of hands reach in and gently untangle
her.

"Paul?" Racheal whispered.

"You screamed in your sleep. What's wrong?" Paul was concerned.

"I'm sorry I woke you..." she admitted softly as felt him
effortlessly haul her to her feet, he was so much larger and
stronger then she was as she tried to pull herself together.
"Nightmares..." she responded as she ran her hand over her
eyes.

He looked at her, "Do you want to talk about it. My grandmother
used to tell me that it sometimes helps."

Racheal looked at him as she marshaled her thoughts as the two
of them quickly remade her bed that she had made from the sofa.
"I was learning about the third world war... the eastern coalitions forces and their makeup.." she paused. "I was in a foxhole somewhere
in central Asia and... a forth world mercenary jumped me." she sighed
as she sat down on the sofa.

He sat down next to her, "Remember, it was just a bad dream.
I'm here now." He put his arm around her.

Racheal looked at him as she felt him haul her into his lap, she didn't resist as she smiled, she sighed softly as she felt him place both arms on her shoulders. "Well... for me, it was a dream but... once upon a
time, it was a very real event... China was expanding its influence and the Russian Federation had become Communist again.. one wonders how we survived..." she sighed softly.

Despite the fact it was warm in these quarters, she shivered and not because of the cold.

"Oh? Tell me more." He felt her shiver.

Racheal regarded him with her dark brown eyes. "Well the two of them
signed the Coalition alliance...becoming known as the Eastern Coalition,
they began expanding their borders to encompass other nations who
either surrendered and were purged or fought and generally were exterminated, an example was Laos who resisted and China crushed them, almost without mercy."

After listening intensely to her, "You've done your homework I see."

Racheal chuckled softly. "Well.. from there the war expanded into Africa and India who began fighting each other and China." she sighed softly "China then began attacking the various pacific islands with the Australians, the New Zealanders and the Americans resisting."

Paul looked at her and smiled as she talked. He thought that it was adorable the way talking about history made her glow.

Racheal thought about it. "The war began to escalate.. the International space station which was still in orbit was shattered by a low-grade nuke... then the nuclear exchange came..." she shivered a second time.

He noticed her shiver once again but didn't comment.

"An old acquaintance once said..." she paused suddenly as her eyes took on an almost glassy sheen to them as the pupils seemed to fade away to nothing and all that was left was the white orbs. "Everything exists only to burn...." and with that, she blinked as her eyes seemed to return to normal as she sighed softly. "My abilities..... they're developing..."

"What abilities are that?" Paul didn't know much about her race and it intrigued him.

"Telepathy, Empathy, a little Telekinesis and something we call Astral Call." she paused. "If we enter into a situation which causes extreme stress like a life and death situation, we go into a coma and create a psionic copy and have it broadcast to someone in authority or the nearest person... trouble it.. it will often take on a life of its own..." she sighed softly. "My people have abilities similar to Betazoids but not as powerful..."

"So you can cause a ruckus with your mind? I'd hate to be in a room with you when you are angry."

"Oh you mean can I throw things around the room?" she chuckled. "No.. maybe move one item at a time... like I can replicate a drink and call it to me but that's as far as it goes... Mom is infamous for using her abilities but she always was far more powerful then I am... Beth also is quite powerful... but Gabriel is not... he takes after Dad..."

"Oh, interesting to say the least. It's kind of cool if you ask me." Paul smiled.

Rachael looked at him. "Would you like me to show you?" she inquired evenly as a soft smile appeared on her face.

"Sure, I've only seen it in the movies."

Rachael pointed to the replicator as a drink appeared, then it lifted off from the food slot then it slowly flew across the room to her, as she held out her hand, one could see the exertion and the concentration required and she sighed softly as she grasped it. "I'm supposed to get stronger over the years.." she added as she handed him the drink. "Its cold water." clearly she wanted to share it.

He took a sip, "It sure is. Wow, what a life. To be able to bring something to you with a thought, cool."

"It gets exhausting," Rachael responded softly as she looked at him. "I probably won't have enough left to scratch my nose.." she added in a joking manner.

"That's okay. You have me. I'll scratch your nose for you." He smiled at her.

Rachael smiled at him as she gently kissed him on the cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. "Mmmmm.," she responded. "We'd better get some sleep... I know you need to be sharp tomorrow."

"Yes, let's." Paul stood up and held his hand out to her to help her up.

Rachael wasn't about to stop him from doing anything. "There are not enough hours in the day... you know?" she inquired as she followed him.

Paul nodded, "Yeah, I know." He walked to his room and stopped at the door. "Well," he said shyly, "Then I guess I will see you in the morning."

Rachael smiled as she looked up at him. "Yeah... thanks.." she said softly as she slipped her arms around his torso and she hugged him. "Thanks for being a gentleman" and with that she gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, he was so much more massive then she was because of his size and age yet she found she felt so comfortable around him because he didn't play games with her or feel the need to impress her, in her mind he was a real man and a keeper but at the back of her mind, he had yet to show his intentions towards her.

"I'm always a gentleman," he smiled at her, "especially with someone that I like a lot. I respect you and your family too much to do anything that we both might regret."

Rachael regarded him as she nodded her head. "Well... we'd both best get some sleep... the morrow cometh too soon and we have but missed the chimes of midnight" the last few words were a reference to Shakespeare.

Paul chuckled, "Nice. Good night m'lady."

Rachael smiled as she withdrew into the small bedroom, as she slipped into the bed and made herself comfortable but she surprised herself by passing out almost instantly.

Paul, on the other hand, laid there thinking about Racheal. It was hard knowing that she was in the other room. His feelings for her were growing. And even though his father was a real jerk, he did teach Paul one thing and that was scruples, emphasizing respect.