Eleven

Posted on Wednesday, 16 December 2020 - 5:42pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Siana Ilian

Mission: Operation: Ouroboros
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: MD3

This was... not really helping.

While an impressive recreation of the underground caves of her home world; this was nevertheless just an illusion. Submerged beneath the surface of one of the larger pools, Siana was both comforted and unsettled. The symbiote within her able to recall in vivid detail its own time in these pools before joining with Kaen so, so long ago. And while she was seeing the caves of Mak'ala for the first time, it was not right. For within the vast network or interconnected pools which spanned the underground caves, they were quite alone.

There were no others.

And yet...

Surfacing, Siana drew in a deep lungful of air. The warmth of the water encouraged her to sink back down into it's depths while a part of her wanted to be very much back on solid ground. She began to move before she stopped herself. She, Siana, was not afraid of water. Quite the opposite. And she could easily stand up in the pool if she wanted to. No. She would stay.

Sinking back beneath the water she closed her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips as Ilian indulged its memories of those times before her eyes flew open in panic. She couldn't breathe! Beneath the calm surface, her mind reeled and her body felt paralysed. She couldn't move! Her foot brushed against a rock, enough for reality to kick back in. Pushing back against the rock she propelled herself away from it and up, coughing and spluttering as she surfaced, quickly moving to the edge and crawling out before collapsing on a heap on her back, staring up at nothing really. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, her lungs burned as if starved for air for minutes and not seconds...

Erise.

The name of Ilian's third host came to her with hint of sadness. Their joining had been brief, just a few short weeks, yet fondly remembered.

After that, memories came thick and fast. Some out of order, others completely out of context and far too many to truly comprehend. Ten lifetimes of memories, of joy and sadness, love and grief and so many many wonderful times. She felt it all, threatening to overwhelm her. And now, in amongst all of it, was Siana. Eleventh host to Ilian and the first to be joined to the symbiote without the slightest preparation.

Shaking she climbed to her feet and walked to the edge of the pool. The fear came back, the panic... but it was not her fear. She loved the water. She loved to swim. She was not Erise...

And she was getting back in the pool.

 

Comments (1)