Clearing the Air, Part 2: You Oughta Know

Posted on Mon Apr 13th, 2020 @ 8:55pm by Lieutenant Jane Sinclair MD, DVM & Lieutenant Commander Charlotte Hudson & Vivyra
Edited on on Mon May 4th, 2020 @ 2:29pm

2,507 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Mission 2 - Love ORION Mistaken
Location: Brig

Jane had just finished pouring her heart out to Bec, and while it hadn’t concluded the way she would have wanted, she was ready to confront Vivyra. With Bec by her side, she had the strength to make her points to the Orion who had done so much damage to her life.

Bec gave Jane's arm a light squeeze of reassurance just before the reached the brig's doors. This was going to be hard for all of them, but she wanted Jane to know that she was there for her. Even if she didn't like doing this at all.

Data card in hand, she entered the brig. She nodded to the brig officer and headed right for Vivyra’s cell. She took a deep breath. “Hello, Vivyra.”

"Jane!" Vivyra screeched excitedly. "You've come to get me out and take me back to your quarters? I can hardly wait! I have been so lonely in here but Bec did tell me when this all got sorted out that you would come back for me. I can't wait to hold you again! I've missed you so much!"

Stay strong, Jane, the Doctor told herself. She took another deep breath. “Vivyra...I’m not taking you anywhere. You’re going to stay here, where it’s safe.” For everyone.

Bec stood just behind Jane and slightly to her left, attempting to be a reassuring presence without getting in the way. She winced at the screech and the excited tone of Vivyra's voice.

"Here?" Vivyra asked shocked, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Why here? I need you, Jane. You're my owner! I have to be with you! Don't do this to me!" she pleaded. "I'm not a threat to anyone. How could I be?"

“I don’t know for sure if I can believe that, Vivyra.” Jane’s eyes watered. This poor girl was pleading for her. Begging to be taken home. But Jane knew she was dangerous. A very real threat. And she had done more harm than anyone could have believed. “You’ve not heard me sing before, have you?”

"You can't believe me?" Vivyra visibly broke down and fell to her knees, her hands over her eyes as she cried. "I came here seeking amnesty. I wanted to save my friends. And now you say I'm a threat?" Vivyra bawled for several moments, wiping away some tears with her forearm, as she tried to gather herself. "You're going to sell me now, aren't you? And no, I've never heard you sing."

“Your friends didn’t need saving,” Jane explained. “They sent you here to drug us, so they could enslave us. And it’s so, so very hard to tell if you knew what they had planned. Or if they just used you to get to us.” She wanted to put the data disc into the computer, let it play background music so she could sing properly and say what she needed to. But she also wanted to lower the force field and reassure the Orion girl.

"Drug you? I don't have a drug! You're talking nonsense, my lovely owner! How could I do that?" She got up on a knee and begged, "Put me through any test. I'll prove it to you! I've done nothing wrong."

“If that’s true, then what they’ve done to you is beyond unforgivable,” Jane admitted. “But I can’t separate their culpability from yours. Whether intentional or not...you’ve hurt me, Vivyra. So...bloody...deeply.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I need to get this all out now. The music will help.” She slid the data disc into a nearby terminal and a piano melody came out over the speakers.

Bec placed a reassuring hand on Jane's back. Trying to stay neutral was hard, especially with her anger and confusion over the whole ordeal. She couldn't help but wince every time the woman called Jane her owner. How could Vivyra be so bloody stupid? How could she not see that everyone fawned over her when she touched them? Bec wasn't sure if this Orion woman was an amazing actress or was just that plain naive and stupid.

"I don't understand!" Vivyra cried. "How could I hurt you? I've done nothing but love you. Wasn't that what I was supposed to do? Did I displease you?"

She then saw Bec put her hand on Jane and accused Bec, "Did you make her like this, Bec? I thought you were my friend!"

“This isn’t on Bec,” Jane said firmly. “Leave her out of this. She’s here to support me, because telling you this is beyond hard. Vivyra, I don’t know how much you’ve been told, but your skin and your various...fluids...contain an addictive pheromone. It’s made us fall in love with you. That first time with you was real, at least I think so, but the rest of it? All that lovemaking...no, all that fucking...was me being mind-controlled. It was against my will. Same thing when you fucked Xenia and Eric and anyone else you had contact with. And among humans and most Federation races, that’s one of the worst sins, worst crimes imaginable. So yes. Whether or not you meant to, you displeased me.”

Vivyra broke down and her head touched the floor as she bent over on her knees. "I never wanted to displease you! I only wanted to please you. Make you happy. Love you...." Vivyra audibly cried, her heart hurting.

The piano music played on a loop, resetting the introduction and waiting to hear additional input before proceeding to the first verse of the first song.

Jane closed her eyes, took a deep breath, waited for the cue, and began.

"Do you remember I searched you out?
How I climbed your city's walls
Do you remember me as devout?
How I prayed for your calls
I
Stood
Still, it's what I did
Love
Like
Ours is never fixed

I stuck around
I did behave,
I saved you every time
I was a fool for love
I was a fool for love
I was a fool
I was a fool"

Somewhere in the middle of the song, Vivyra stopped crying. She then cried out, "You're not a fool! We are in love! We can make anything work, Jane!"

Jane ignored her. The piano tune increased in tempo, and lowered in pitch. It was no longer soft. When she played and recorded this, Jane was letting out so much rage. And as she spoke the first line of the second song, a dam burst within her and all the pent up anger against Vivyra, held in check by the girl's pleas and cries, was released in a torrent.

"You seem very well
Things look peaceful
I'm not quite as well
I thought you should know

'Cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able
To make it enough for you to be open wide
No
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me you'd hold me until you died
'Til you died
But you're still alive

And I'm here
To remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair
To deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know"

"This makes no sense, Jane," Vivyra shrieked. "I've not made you a mess. My love is still here! And I'm not well! I want to be with you!!!"

Jane’s eyes opened and she stared daggers of fire into her former lover. “You have made me a mess, Vivyra.” She took another deep breath to try to calm herself. “You believe yourself to be my property. So act like it. Kindly shut the fuck up and let me express myself.”

Taking a deep breath and gulping Vivyra whimpered, "If that's what you want...."

Through all of this, Bec just simply stood there, glaring at Vivyra. Something was seriously wrong with that woman and she still didn't know if it was all an act or if it was sincere. Part of her wanted it to be sincere because then some of this wouldn't be quite so bad for Vivyra. But the other part of her wanted it to be an act so that the desire to beat the crap out of Vivyra wasn't quite as wrong as it would be otherwise.

The music shifted slightly, speeding up from 105 beats per minute to 143. Jane had done well in timing this piece. She listened for her cue to resume.

"It's getting late
To give you up
I took a sip
From my devil's cup
Slowly, it's taking over me

Too high, can't come down
It's in the air and it's all around
Can you feel me now?

Oh, the taste of your lips, I'm on a ride
You're toxic I'm slippin' under
With the taste of a poison paradise
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic?"

"Except now I'm free of your influence," she continued, now speaking softly, voice straining to say such harsh words, "and I understand how toxic being in your presence really is, Vivyra." Jane stepped closer to the brig forcefield. The music slowed to a bit over half of what it was.

"Tell me something. Do Orions have religion? Do you believe in a higher power? A Creator, something like that?" Jane sighed as she thought of her own teachings. "The original British colonists on Vega brought their faith with them. Ancient tradition and belief in something bigger than ourselves helped us those first shaky decades. More so when we were threatened by the Romulans. Faith got my people through the Battle of Britain, and through two years of Romulan blockade."

"We have Gods. They embody the aspect of the, what I think you would call a creator God. Of course, the most worshipped God in our society is Ankshira, the goddess of seduction, lust, and love. What would you like to know about them, Jane?" Vivyra asked softly.

Stifling a groan, Bec folded her arms over her chest and bit her lip. Religion wasn't one of her favourite subjects, it tended to turn into heated arguments. Plus, there was that one time she nearly got recruited into a cult of fanatics. That wasn't a pleasant memory. Still, she was here for Jane and would stay regardless of what the conversation turned to.

"Well, Vivyra, I sincerely hope you're able to turn to Ankshira, or whomever else you think can help you," said Jane. "Because after all this pain and suffering you've inflicted on me, accidentally or not, I don't hate you. I want you to get better. I want you to take this time to think and pray and do what you need to do to come out of this a better woman. And I'm going to look back on this time and remember how badly you hurt me, but how I came out of it stronger."

The cue came around, and the doctor resumed singing.

"I'm proud of who I am
No more monsters, I can breathe again
And you said that I was done
Well, you were wrong and now the best is yet to come
'Cause I can make it on my own, oh
And I don't need you, I found a strength I've never known

You brought the flames and you put me through hell
I had to learn how to fight for myself
And we both know all the truth I could tell
I'll just say this is 'I wish you farewell'

I hope you're somewhere prayin', prayin'
I hope your soul is changin', changin'
I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees, prayin'

The music faded. The communicated her feelings. Self-pity for having been such a fool. Anger at Vivyra and the Orion's toxicity. Sincere hope that Vivyra would take the experience and become a better person for it.

"Vivyra, I've sold you to a friend of mine. Her name is Dr. Vörös Judit is a good friend of mine. She's a trained psychiatrist and her team at Starbase 5 will help integrate you into Federation society. Her team will also help cure you of the engineered pheromone you're putting off, so you can lead a normal life. You'll spend some time isolated in a bedroom, bigger than this one and better furnished, but until you're cured they can't expose you to people not inoculated. Judit is also a registered sex therapist. She understands your libido is high and will do her best to make sure you're not driven mad."

Jane did a mental calculation. Her anti-pheromone drug should still be maximally effective. She approached the forcefield and opened a small hole through it. She reached her hand through and clasped Vivyra's. "It will be okay. Dr. Vörös is a lovely woman. I want you to listen to her. Do as she says. If she tells you something that seems strange, give it serious consideration anyway. She's there to help you. Judit and I were classmates in medical school. I trust her with my life. And to use Orion parlance, once we beam you to Starbase 5, she'll be your Mistress."

Vivyra's eyes were wide and glassy. She could not believe her ears. "You...you...sold me? I don't know how I could have displeased you.... I don't want to be sold!" Her lips grew more pouty. "But...but...." Dejectedly, she sighed. "But, if this is what you want, I will do as I am required but I doubt I will ever have another owner like you." She sniffed several times and pulled away from Jane and moved to the bed. "I guess I will just wait here, then." She bowed her head and lifted her legs and tucked them inwards, so that she was little more than a green ball with a tuft of black hair.

“I sincerely hope that Judit is able to help you, Vivyra,” Jane said, removing her hand from the cell and closing the forcefield aperture. “And maybe one day we’ll see each other again. Not as owner and slave, but as equals. And when we do, I’ll cook you dinner and we’ll catch up. But until that time, you’ll do as you’re told and listen to Dr. Vörös. Until I see you again, Vivyra.” She waved and then left the brig, pulling Bec with her.

Once they were in the corridor, Jane broke down and cried.

Though she felt awkward, Bec knew that Jane needed it, so she pulled the other woman close and wrapped her arms tightly around her. She didn't care who saw them, nor what they thought of it. All she cared about was Jane's well-being. She stood there, silently holding her tight, waiting for the tears to stop.

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