The Clock is Ticking
by Jariel Camen
71208.15
36 hours after "Ad Lib" and shortly before the events of "The Good Fight"
-=USS Alchemy=-
by Jariel Camen
71208.15
36 hours after "Ad Lib" and shortly before the events of "The Good Fight"
-=USS Alchemy=-
Camen sat quietly, staring at the wall of the small, empty room.
Beside him were a few seedlings he had grabbed before boarding the Alchemy, that he had wanted to nurse while they were looking for Liis.
He knew if he left them behind that they would not survive till he came back. They were wilted, however, as he had not touched them in the last day and a half, nor could he bring himself to now. He just didn't feel like it.
Salvek had brought him the bad new in person; that they had the coordinates on the planet, but did not know which planet the auction was to take place on. He admitted that they really had no idea where to look at this point.
Everyone, including Camen, had spent the last thirty-six hours trying to come up with ideas, but none of them worked out. Time was growing short, and Camen had no idea what more could be done.
He had been running from his thoughts for the last day and a half and as he took this moment now to sit still, they began to catch up with him. He should be doing more to help her, but he didn't know what more he could do. His head lulled back against the wall, his eyes closed, and he slipped away. . .
"Vedek Jariel."
Camen's vision was hazy, as he tried to focus on Salvek. He must have dozed off.
[[Yes Commander?]]
"You may speak here, Vedek Jariel."
As his vision cleared, he realized he was no longer on the Alchemy. He was in some sort of surgical suite, Ferengi were everywhere, most huddled around a table. The Prophet, appearing as Salvek, stood on his right.
"It is you? Why have you brought me to this place." The Prophets usually project familiar places and people from one's life, this time Camen only recognized Salvek. 'Lair Kellyn' stepped from the shadows, standing on his left.
"Her time is almost at an end, soon you will be free to return your focus to our word."
The Ferengi parted, and Camen saw her, Zanh Liis, laying prone on the table.
She had a gaping wound over her heart. Her skin was pale and gray. Camen felt his heart break as he came to understand why the Prophets had chosen to bring him here.
"You have to help her." He pleaded.
"We cannot. She does not wish it. She chose this linear course of her own free will, which she has always chosen over our guidance and love." 'Salvek' said.
"We had wished you would chose us over her, but it is of no consequence now." The Kellyn Prophet said. "Soon Zanh Liis will be removed from your view, and you can return to us."
"It is too soon." The Salvek Prophet warned the Kellyn Prophet. "He will not understand right away, he does not have the clairvoyance that we do. He will need what he calls time to recover from these events.
Camen rushed to the bed, and tried to touch her face, but he could not.
The Prophets continued to speak. "We return your voice to you, Jariel Camen. You will need what you call closure on this matter, before you can return to your teachings. We understand your need for these things."
The Kellyn Prophet touched him on the ear, and Camen understood. They intended him to take Liis back to Bajor, to be laid to rest with her own people, not left behind. Kellyn gave him location of the planet where she could be found. The Prophets knew his Pagh would never truly be theirs, as long as he knew Liis was not truly at rest on Bajor.
Camen stepped away from the table. As he did, Liis eye's fluttered, trying to open. The Ferengi gathered around the table once again, chattering over her in their own language. The Salvek Prophet stepped up next to Camen, his head tilted in curiosity.
"What is happening?" Camen asked.
"We... do not... know. A presence... We.... do not... understand."
"I thought you could see all, ahead and behind us?" Camen asked. "We may be corporeal beings, but are not as linear as you may think." He looked at Liis. She was struggling, and he could not tell if she would make it the next 12 hours or not, but he knew she was in pain. "Return me to my people now." Camen asked.
The Salvek and Kellyn Prophets watched over Liis, trying to understand what was happening.... it had all been so clear to them just moments before. Kellyn waved her hand, and the room dissolved around Camen.
His eyes opened, back in that small empty room on the Alchemy.
He rose from his chair and ran, as fast as he could.
As the lift doors opened, he burst onto the bridge. His heart ached for Liis, as his friends all stopped what they were doing to see why he had come here so suddenly. He looked around the room, and said a silent thank you for all they had done for her so far.
"May I help you, Vedek Jariel?" Salvek inquired.
Camen turned to him slowly, tears in his eyes.
"She is suffering." To everyone's surprise, he had spoken the words out loud. There was silence around him, as they could all see Camen was suffering with her.
Camen walked slowly around the bridge, coming up behind February Grace who was sitting at the helm.
"May I?" He asked.
February was not sure what to make of the request. She looked at Salvek, who nodded.
February relinquished her seat, and Camen sat down in it, pulling closer to the controls. He was not sure what to do. He shut his eyes, feeling the presence of the Kellyn Prophet with him.
He reached out for the panel, and typed in the coordinates. He stood up, nodded to Salvek, and left the bridge.
February sat back down at the helm, looking at what Camen had done.
"We have a heading, Sir. Aertok. A planet a few light-years from Ferenginar."
"How fast can we get there?"
"If we make a transwarp jump, then continue at conventional maximum warp.... eleven hours and fifty five minutes." February calculated.
"That's cutting it close." Dabin warned.
"Kellyn, ready the transwarp jump drive immediately. Mr. Blane, please take tactical and raise the transphasic shielding. We are running silent as of this moment." Salvek sat back down in the command chair, and steepled his fingers.
"Transwarp drive is as ready as its going to be, Salvek," Lair advised.
"Once the jump is complete take us to maximum warp."
"Speed locked in, Commander." February was ready, her hands hovering over the helm.
"Then by all means Lieutenant Grace, engage."
Beside him were a few seedlings he had grabbed before boarding the Alchemy, that he had wanted to nurse while they were looking for Liis.
He knew if he left them behind that they would not survive till he came back. They were wilted, however, as he had not touched them in the last day and a half, nor could he bring himself to now. He just didn't feel like it.
Salvek had brought him the bad new in person; that they had the coordinates on the planet, but did not know which planet the auction was to take place on. He admitted that they really had no idea where to look at this point.
Everyone, including Camen, had spent the last thirty-six hours trying to come up with ideas, but none of them worked out. Time was growing short, and Camen had no idea what more could be done.
He had been running from his thoughts for the last day and a half and as he took this moment now to sit still, they began to catch up with him. He should be doing more to help her, but he didn't know what more he could do. His head lulled back against the wall, his eyes closed, and he slipped away. . .
"Vedek Jariel."
Camen's vision was hazy, as he tried to focus on Salvek. He must have dozed off.
[[Yes Commander?]]
"You may speak here, Vedek Jariel."
As his vision cleared, he realized he was no longer on the Alchemy. He was in some sort of surgical suite, Ferengi were everywhere, most huddled around a table. The Prophet, appearing as Salvek, stood on his right.
"It is you? Why have you brought me to this place." The Prophets usually project familiar places and people from one's life, this time Camen only recognized Salvek. 'Lair Kellyn' stepped from the shadows, standing on his left.
"Her time is almost at an end, soon you will be free to return your focus to our word."
The Ferengi parted, and Camen saw her, Zanh Liis, laying prone on the table.
She had a gaping wound over her heart. Her skin was pale and gray. Camen felt his heart break as he came to understand why the Prophets had chosen to bring him here.
"You have to help her." He pleaded.
"We cannot. She does not wish it. She chose this linear course of her own free will, which she has always chosen over our guidance and love." 'Salvek' said.
"We had wished you would chose us over her, but it is of no consequence now." The Kellyn Prophet said. "Soon Zanh Liis will be removed from your view, and you can return to us."
"It is too soon." The Salvek Prophet warned the Kellyn Prophet. "He will not understand right away, he does not have the clairvoyance that we do. He will need what he calls time to recover from these events.
Camen rushed to the bed, and tried to touch her face, but he could not.
The Prophets continued to speak. "We return your voice to you, Jariel Camen. You will need what you call closure on this matter, before you can return to your teachings. We understand your need for these things."
The Kellyn Prophet touched him on the ear, and Camen understood. They intended him to take Liis back to Bajor, to be laid to rest with her own people, not left behind. Kellyn gave him location of the planet where she could be found. The Prophets knew his Pagh would never truly be theirs, as long as he knew Liis was not truly at rest on Bajor.
Camen stepped away from the table. As he did, Liis eye's fluttered, trying to open. The Ferengi gathered around the table once again, chattering over her in their own language. The Salvek Prophet stepped up next to Camen, his head tilted in curiosity.
"What is happening?" Camen asked.
"We... do not... know. A presence... We.... do not... understand."
"I thought you could see all, ahead and behind us?" Camen asked. "We may be corporeal beings, but are not as linear as you may think." He looked at Liis. She was struggling, and he could not tell if she would make it the next 12 hours or not, but he knew she was in pain. "Return me to my people now." Camen asked.
The Salvek and Kellyn Prophets watched over Liis, trying to understand what was happening.... it had all been so clear to them just moments before. Kellyn waved her hand, and the room dissolved around Camen.
His eyes opened, back in that small empty room on the Alchemy.
He rose from his chair and ran, as fast as he could.
As the lift doors opened, he burst onto the bridge. His heart ached for Liis, as his friends all stopped what they were doing to see why he had come here so suddenly. He looked around the room, and said a silent thank you for all they had done for her so far.
"May I help you, Vedek Jariel?" Salvek inquired.
Camen turned to him slowly, tears in his eyes.
"She is suffering." To everyone's surprise, he had spoken the words out loud. There was silence around him, as they could all see Camen was suffering with her.
Camen walked slowly around the bridge, coming up behind February Grace who was sitting at the helm.
"May I?" He asked.
February was not sure what to make of the request. She looked at Salvek, who nodded.
February relinquished her seat, and Camen sat down in it, pulling closer to the controls. He was not sure what to do. He shut his eyes, feeling the presence of the Kellyn Prophet with him.
He reached out for the panel, and typed in the coordinates. He stood up, nodded to Salvek, and left the bridge.
February sat back down at the helm, looking at what Camen had done.
"We have a heading, Sir. Aertok. A planet a few light-years from Ferenginar."
"How fast can we get there?"
"If we make a transwarp jump, then continue at conventional maximum warp.... eleven hours and fifty five minutes." February calculated.
"That's cutting it close." Dabin warned.
"Kellyn, ready the transwarp jump drive immediately. Mr. Blane, please take tactical and raise the transphasic shielding. We are running silent as of this moment." Salvek sat back down in the command chair, and steepled his fingers.
"Transwarp drive is as ready as its going to be, Salvek," Lair advised.
"Once the jump is complete take us to maximum warp."
"Speed locked in, Commander." February was ready, her hands hovering over the helm.
"Then by all means Lieutenant Grace, engage."
******************************************
Vedek Jariel Camen
Chaplain and Gardener
Currently on the USS Alchemy
Vedek Jariel Camen
Chaplain and Gardener
Currently on the USS Alchemy