391 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
391 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
Message-ID: <052324Z31011994@anon.penet.fi>
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Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!news.eunet.fi!anon.penet.fi
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Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
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From: an67777@anon.penet.fi
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X-Anonymously-To: alt.startrek.creative
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Organization: Anonymous contact service
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Reply-To: an67777@anon.penet.fi
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Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 05:22:05 UTC
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Subject: Elizabeth (1 of 1)
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Lines: 378
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This story is a somewhat different, though not particularly
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serious, interpretation of Beverly. It has held up, more or less,
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through six and a half seasons, but I'm afraid that Sub Rosa will
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blow it out of the water. (I haven't seen it yet.) I would
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welcome any criticisms or comments that anyone might have.
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This story is dedicated to my best friend.
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Elizabeth
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by Bridget Olson
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Dr. Beverly Crusher was in the process of teaching the chief
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medical officer of the Bozeman some of the techniques that had
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been developed since his ship had been caught in the time warp,
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when she learned she was receiving a subspace transmission from
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Earth. Beverly turned him over to Nurse Ogawa and headed to her
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office. She was in a good mood. The Enterprise and its crew had
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just successfully escaped a time loop and now they were going
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home for a week. Beverly sat down and turned on her transmitter
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and smiled when she saw a picture of an unfamiliar room with no-
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one in it. For safety's sake, she held back her greeting until he
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spoke.
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As she had expected, it was Itzhak, but much to her surprise
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it was a rather distraught Itzhak. "What has been going on?" he
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cried out invisibly.
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"What do you mean?" Beverly asked, caught off guard.
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"Over the past two weeks, I've felt you die, I don't know
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how many times. I lost track after a while. You'd die and then
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you'd come back and then you'd die again, over and over. It was
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awful, and I couldn't reach you to find out what was going on.
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What has been happening?" Itzhak sounded as if he were crying.
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Beverly went white. "Oh, Itzhak, I'm so sorry. It didn't
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occur to me what it would mean to you. I know I died, but I don't
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remember dying. We were caught in a time loop and I only remember
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working to escape the last time when we succeeded. The loop must
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have been blocking communications."
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"So you are out of the time loop now and you're not going
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to die again."
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"Yes, we are out and I am not going to die again."
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"Thank God. I am so relieved, but I really wish you were
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here so I could see you in person."
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"Well, actually, I was going to ring you up later today,"
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Beverly said, rather outdatedly, a slip she would never have made
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in front of her crewmates. "We're headed to Earth right now.
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Jean-Luc is giving a speech at the Academy's graduation
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ceremonies. We'll be there in forty hours. Why don't you meet me
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in San Francisco."
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"I'll do that. I miss you and I love you, Elizabeth."
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"I love you, too, Itzhak." Beverly said, wishing it was
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enough.
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The one thing that Picard hated about being captain was
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always having to be the bearer of bad news. Especially when it
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regarded a friend. He went into Dr. Crusher's office and gently
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told her that Wesley had been in an accident but was fine. She
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seemed to have difficulty accepting that a person could be
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declared fine so soon after breaking a collarbone, but it didn't
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bother him. She was no doubt thinking about Jack, and perhaps her
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grandmother's stories of treating colonists without proper
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medicines. On Alveda III, during the disaster, a minor injury
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could easily become fatal and the stories had no doubt affected
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her.
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If you want to know what happened with Wesley's trial, watch
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the episode First Duty. Suffice it to say that Beverly spent
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almost all the time she didn't spend with Wesley, with Itzhak. By
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the end of her visit, Itzhak was pretty much recovered from his
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experience. It was a very stressful time for Beverly, being
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worried about both Wesley and Itzhak.
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The ceremony was over. The class was successfully graduated.
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The captain's speech had been a success. The Enterprise was
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scheduled to leave in a few hours. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge
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was talking to the captain about some work that had been done on
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the turbolifts as they walked through the Academy gardens, when
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he saw something rather astonishing. Dr. Crusher was holding and
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kissing thin air. La Forge was flabbergasted. Then he became
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aware that the captain was merely looking displeased and that Dr.
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Crusher looked, not exactly guilty, but like she knew she had a
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lot of explaining to do. And from the thin air beside her, in a
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tone that matched her expression, there came a man's voice
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saying, "Oh, shit."
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Beverly recovered first. In the most matter of fact voice
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she could muster she suggested they all go back to the quarters
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she and Itzhak had been sharing and discuss things. The others
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nodded.
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They walked in pairs, silently. Beverly and Itzhak walked
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ahead, holding hands and agreeing through inconspicuous hand
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signals to tell everything. Jean-Luc and Geordi were too caught
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up in their private thoughts to talk. Beverly thought to herself
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how unfair it was that after everything else that had happened in
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the past week that this had to happen now.
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After they arrived, Beverly said, "I think, Jean-Luc, that
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we should start by showing you what Geordi is seeing. These are
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the rooms we always get in San Francisco. As you can see there
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are no mirrors on the walls. We do, however, keep one in here
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that I use sometimes." She pulled out a small mirror from a
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compartment under the sink and handed it to Jean-Luc.
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Jean-Luc had a little more warning than Geordi but was still
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visibly disturbed by the fact that he could not see Itzhak in the
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mirror. He could see everyone and everything else reflected, but
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no matter how he manipulated the mirror, or had Itzhak move, he
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could not catch Itzhak's reflection.
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"What the hell is going on, Beverly?" Jean-Luc demanded.
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"I will explain everything in due time, but there is more,"
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Beverly said with a stressed smile. "You now know there is
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something odd about Itzhak, but it's only fair that you know
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there is something odd about me as well. If we are to suffer for
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the truth, we will both suffer. Now take a seat and I'll be with
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you in a moment."
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Itzhak sat the two officers in chairs and appropriated the
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couch for himself and Beverly. He knew they both needed to be
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near each other. Beverly returned from the bedroom carrying an
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old fashioned photo album and handed it to Geordi, so that he and
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Jean-Luc could look at it together. Inside were dozens of photos
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dating from the nineteenth century, along with photos of
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portraits dating from even earlier. Beverly was in perhaps half
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of them. "You're free to test them any way you like and you'll
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find them to be completely authentic. Just, please, don't damage
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them. They're the only mementos I have left of a number of people
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I love."
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"Are you some sort of time traveller, Beverly?" Picard
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asked.
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"No, though I used that as an excuse once when I ran into an
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old acquaintance at a conference a few decades ago." She smiled
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briefly at the memory, but then grew serious again. "No, I'm not
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a time traveller, nor am I an extraterrestrial. To be honest, I
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don't know exactly what I am. I was born in Kent in 1486 with an
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identical twin sister named Margaret. I was named Elizabeth. For
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reasons I have never figured out, Margaret died of natural causes
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at age 73 and I didn't. I've run all sorts of tests on myself and
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I've found that I'm completely normal. The only thing that's
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unusual is that nothing's unusual. I'm not abnormally strong, I
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can't walk through walls, turn myself invisible or anything else
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that humans can't do. I just don't age and I have a remarkable
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immune system.
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"Anyway, I spent five centuries watching everyone I knew
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die. None of my children have been unusually long lived, though
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that hasn't kept me from watching Wesley for signs that he'll be
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the exception. I'd given up all hope of ever finding another
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immortal when 2012 happened. I met Itzhak and we fell in love. I
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was so happy when I found out he wasn't going to die."
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"But Beverly, you said and the records say you were raised
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on Alveda III." Jean-Luc said, a bit dazedly.
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"I lied. I'm a doctor and I know how to fake a birth
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certificate. Jean-Luc, the herbalist grandmother I told you about
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was me. I applied my knowledge of herbalism to the planet's
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flora. The colonial council was grateful to me so they were happy
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to help me out when I told them what I was, especially since they
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realized I wouldn't have had the knowledge and ability to help
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them as effectively if it wasn't for my age."
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"Itzhak is a vampire!" Geordi suddenly exclaimed as
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realization dawned.
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"Yes, Itzhak is a vampire, but you must believe me when I
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say that he has never hurt or killed anyone," Beverly said
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earnestly. "He needs very little blood to survive. When I am
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around he uses mine. The stories about vampires are extremely
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exaggerated. Do you believe what I've told you about us?"
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The captain answered, "I shall have the pictures tested of
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course. Assuming that they prove to be authentic it sounds as
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likely an explanation as any I can think of. I don't see any
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reason for you to lie. In all the years I've known you, Beverly,
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I've never seen or heard of you hurting anyone without good cause
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and I am inclined to trust your judgement of Itzhak." Geordi
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nodded his head in agreement. "What I don't understand is your
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secrecy about it. You should have at least told me. I'm your
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captain and I should know your abilities. I realize there were
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witch-hunts in the past, so it would have been dangerous for you
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then, but we're beyond that now."
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"Are you sure, Captain? Yes, I wouldn't get burned at the
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stake, but look at what happened to Data. He nearly lost the
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fight to prove his sentience and he probably would have lost
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custody of his daughter, just so that Starfleet could make a few
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more androids. I could potentially give humanity immortality. I
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believe that if I were to come out, first the historians would
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pick my brains until I couldn't stand it anymore and then the
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doctors would dissect me and I don't think it would tell them
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anything either. If you think there aren't doctors who would
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dissect me in the name of science you haven't met as many doctors
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as I have."
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"You have a point," Jean-Luc admitted.
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"Captain, the reason I didn't tell you is because as captain
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it's your duty to inform Starfleet of any potential dangers. I
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would have told you eventually, but I needed to be sure you
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trusted me. Please, will you two please keep quiet about this.
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Please don't tell anyone."
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"You've got my word," Geordi said. "You're right about Data.
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The way I see it you haven't done anything wrong and shouldn't
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have to suffer for the way you were born."
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"Thank you, Geordi," Beverly said, gratefully. "And you,
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Captain?"
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"I won't say anything to Starfleet for now, but I do need to
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think the matter through. I have a lot of questions and I'd like
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to order my thoughts. However, I don't want things to look out of
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the ordinary to the rest of the crew. I do know you really are a
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doctor, so, for the time being, you may return to the Enterprise,
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and your duties in Sickbay, if you want. So, do you want to
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return to the Enterprise with us?"
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"Yes. I realize both of you must have questions. I'm willing
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to talk to either of you at any time. By the way, one thing that
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might interest you is that, I've been a doctor for centuries. I
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find going back to medical school, from time to time, is a good
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way to keep myself up to date."
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If anyone on the ship noticed a tension about Picard or
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Crusher, no-one mentioned it. Both had a lot of experience hiding
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their emotions. However, neither slept very well. Crusher was
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very aware of the fact that she was on probation. She had really
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put herself in danger by coming back to the Enterprise, but she
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really loved being in space. And so it was with some relief that
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she received Picard's invitation to tea two days later. She was
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apprehensive, but at least it would be over soon.
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"Hello, you're early." Picard sat with an indecipherable
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expression and a book.
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"I know, but I couldn't stand waiting any longer. Have you
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made up your mind about me?"
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"Yes. I've decided you were right. If Starfleet got hold of
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you, you wouldn't survive. I've done some research, and that
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included speaking to Wesley, by the way, and I haven't found any
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sign that you or Itzhak have ever done anything wrong, so I'm not
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going to turn you in. Also, you're an excellent doctor and I'd
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hate to lose you in Sickbay, so I'm not going to ask you to
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resign or transfer. However, I do have some questions, Beverly...
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Elizabeth."
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"Please call me Beverly. We can't have you slipping and
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calling me Elizabeth at an inconvenient time." She smiled, but
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she knew that their friendship was still on trial. She was elated
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that she was staying on the Enterprise, but Jean-Luc had been a
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good friend and she hated the idea of losing him.
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"Alright, Beverly. Why don't I get us some tea."
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As he headed for the replicator, Beverly picked his book up
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off the table. "What have you been reading? Ah, Measure for
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Measure. It's a good play as I recall, but I've never read it and
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I haven't seen it since it first played at the Globe. I liked it,
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but I never got around to seeing it again."
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Picard stopped and turned around at the replicator. "You saw
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first run Shakespeare," he said enviously.
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"Oh, yes. I lived in London for about twenty years around
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1600. I became quite a theatre buff. I was in Europe for the
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early part of Shakespeare's career and I left for America before
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it ended, but I saw most of his plays in between."
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"You must tell me about them some time." Picard started to
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smile, then stopped, remembering the situation.
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"I'd like to," she said quietly.
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Picard turned back to the replicator and, of course, ordered
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Earl Grey. "What would you like?"
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Crusher thought and then smiled mischievously. "Hot
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chocolate, a la Alma Diaz."
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"Who's Alma Diaz?" Picard asked, handing her the drink.
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"A good friend I had when I lived in Spain during the
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1570's. She introduced me to this. The spices are very different
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from modern hot chocolate. It has a lot of pepper and no milk. I
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can't imagine Troi drinking it."
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Picard made a face. "How's Geordi dealing with all this?"
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"He seems to be fine. He came by with the pictures yesterday
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and we chatted a bit. He made a point of inviting me to the next
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poker game. Of course, the friendship I've had with him has
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never been as close as yours and mine, so he hasn't taken my
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lying personally. Shall we get on with your questions?"
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"Alright, first I want to know why you married Jack when you
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so obviously love Itzhak. You always told me he was your cousin
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and I never suspected you were lying. You always acted so
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platonically."
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"I married Jack because I loved him. And I do still love
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him. Before we married, I told him about me and Itzhak and what
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we are. He didn't mind, as long as I was faithful to him while he
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was alive. He didn't want to become a vampire, because he loved
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space more than life. Vampires die instantly in space."
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There were probably as many theories as to why this was so
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as there were vampires. This was proven to be true when Elizabeth
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accompanied a suicidal vampire, who wanted his death to be
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useful, into space. He died within seconds of leaving the Earth's
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atmosphere. No number of attempts on Elizabeth's part were
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successful in reviving him.
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"I think what attracted me to Jack was that he loved space
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as much as I do. And that's why I married him. I'm not saying I
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would have stopped loving him if he had chosen to become a
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vampire. And I certainly wish he hadn't died so young. I really
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do miss him. I was expecting to get a few decades with him, not
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just a few years. What I mean is that I would never marry an
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immortal. Can you imagine spending eternity tied to one person? I
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can't. I spent three hundred years being monogamous with Itzhak
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and it was wonderful, but then we both needed a change for a
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while. If we were married, I'd feel obligated to stay on Earth
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with him and I'd hate him by now. But he's let me go and follow
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my own destiny and I love him for it. He encourages me even now
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after what happened with the time warp."
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"What was so special about the time warp? You've been in
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danger before." Jean-Luc sounded warmer.
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"Yes, but I've never died before. Jean-Luc, at the end of
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each loop, we all died. Including me, which I find a comfort
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really. I'd hate to think I could survive being atomized. Anyway,
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the bond between a vampire and his lover is very special. Every
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time I died, he felt it. He felt me die over and over again. He
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was a wreck when we got back to Earth. Between him and Wesley, it
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was not a fun visit for me. So I kissed him goodbye in the
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garden, because we both needed it. Unfortunately, we lost track
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of time. He was meant to be well gone before the ceremony ended."
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"I see. And what about Odan? You loved him and yet you
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rejected him, or should I say her? I would think someone as long
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lived as Odan would be appealing. Or was it because of Itzhak?"
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He now sounded more curious than concerned. He'd never really
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gotten to know Odan very well.
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"Oh, how do I explain. I didn't leave him out of loyalty to
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Itzhak, if that's what you mean. I left him because I have Itzhak
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and Data and other people who are less mortal than humans in my
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life. I spent five hundred years searching for a friend who
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wouldn't die. In Itzhak, I found both a friend and a lover. If I
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could somehow have met Odan before I met Itzhak and before
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interstellar travel, I would have stayed with him, no matter what
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he turned into, though it would have been incredibly difficult
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for both of us. I love him, but I can't deal with his changes.
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It was enough of a stretch learning to love an alien. If that
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sounds awful to you, consider that in my youth, it was considered
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shocking to sleep with someone who was not the same skin color or
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religion. Anyways, I can't be Odan's lover and being lovers was
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an integral part of our relationship, so we can't just be
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friends. Maybe someday, maybe in a few centuries, I'll learn to
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deal with it and I'll go see if he's still alive and still in
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love with me. And then I'll have to deal with two long lived
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lovers, which should prove interesting. Actually, if you think
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about it, it makes more sense for me to reject him as an
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immortal, than as a mortal. As a mortal widow, I might really
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like the idea of someone who would be more likely to be there in
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my old age. As it is, I'm not expecting old age, so that isn't a
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factor."
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They sat in silence for a while, absorbed in their thoughts
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and sipping their drinks. After a while, Picard spoke
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reflectively.
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"I guess what I've been afraid of is that you might no
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longer be human. That you might be like Q and see us as nothing
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but a game to keep you amused through the centuries. But you do
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seem to honestly have feelings for us. Now I just wonder how you
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have managed to survive and still remain human."
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"I don't really know how I do it. I just do it. It's
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extremely hard sometimes, but I have to survive and I couldn't
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live with myself if I didn't stay human. Being only human, I do
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spend some time thinking about the past and speculating on the
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future, but I work at concentrating on the good things the
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present has. Yes, I miss Jack, but now I have you and Wesley
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and, yes, you will die, but you're alive now. And I miss the life
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I had with the Shawnee after I left Jamestown, but now I'm in
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space and I love it here. If I'd died then, I wouldn't be here
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now. I don't know if that answers your question at all."
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"Somewhat. It will do."
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"Do you have any other questions?"
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"For now, I just have one," Jean-Luc hesitated. He wasn't
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sure if he was asking too much, but he very much wanted the
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answer to be yes. "Feel free to say no. I don't want to sound
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like one of the Starfleet historians you're so afraid of, and I
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don't want to force you into reliving the past. But would you
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mind, as a friend, telling me about your life, at least the high
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points? It must be fascinating."
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"It will take a long time," Beverly warned with a smile. She
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felt truly happy for the first time in days.
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"I don't mind. We've got many teas ahead of us."
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"Should I start at the beginning?" Seeing her friend's nod,
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she began, "I was born in 1486 with a twin sister. The War of the
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Roses had ended the year before and King Henry VII had just
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sealed his victory by marrying Elizabeth of York who was the heir
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of the rival family. My father had a minor position in the new
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king's court and being an ambitious man, he wished to move up.
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Accordingly, he named us after the new royal family in an effort
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to please them. I, of course, was named for Elizabeth of York.
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I'm sure that if the name had existed he would have named my
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sister Henrietta after the king, but it didn't exist yet and he
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wasn't imaginative enough to make something up so he named her
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Margaret after the king's mother. We were raised..."
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Due to the double-blind, any mail replies to this message will be anonymized,
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and an anonymous id will be allocated automatically. You have been warned.
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Please report any problems, inappropriate use etc. to admin@anon.penet.fi.
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