This is Not a Dream

Posted on Thu Dec 23rd, 2021 @ 7:10am by Captain Cynthia Jackson

673 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Mission 4 - A Rose By Any Other Name
Location: Somewhere

Cindy's eyes opened. She was alone. Worse, she could not move her arms or legs. She called out tentatively. "Kevin? Luke?" She lifted her head slightly and noticed that she was tied down on some sort of slab. Her neck, straining to see that much, allowed gravity to take hold and lower her head back on to the slab. She turned her head to the right side to see that there was a duplicate of her to the side.

"OK. Kevin? Luke? This is not funny, if this is your idea of a joke. I'm not laughing," Cindy called out defiantly, yet somehow cheerfully. "I mean, really, Luke, I thought we agreed not to have any more intimate relations after that whole Vivyara thing, right?" Her words fell into nothingness, as her blond locks fell away from her face, as she turned her head back up.

"I really don't like the idea of being a Barbie doll. I hated Barbie," she told nobody. "So, whoever you are, you can just let me go, now."

At that moment, Doctor Korby strolled into the room. "I'm really afraid that I can't do that at the moment, Captain. Or can I call you Cindy? I heard your crewmembers doing that."

"Why can't you release me? What's going on here? And no, you cannot call me Cindy under these circumstances." Cindy demanded.

"Well, Captain, your question regarding 'can't' release you, was an erroneous question and therefore erroneous return question. I should have said that I will not release you. I have it well within my capacity to do so. As to the remainder, I was hoping that the procedure would have been done before you woke."

"Procedure? What's going on here, Doctor Korby?"

"Ah, straight to the heart of the matter. That is an admirable quality, Captain. And, simply put, I am making another duplicate of you. And, your brain patterns are required for that."

"Another?"

"Oh, yes, Captain. The first one is running your ship and far from here by now. So, I should desire you to become much more comfortable here. I have no desire to keep you a captive, Cindy. I would like you to stay here of your own volition."

"And just why would I do that? You've kidnapped me and you've had some THING hijack my ship."

"Perhaps you could find a way to learn to like me, or even love me. I am all alone here. Nobody wishes to be alone. This marvelous machine. This planetoid could be ours and our children's." He paused dramatically for a moment. "I get ahead of myself. You are a scientist at heart, Captain, are you not? I have researched your dossier and history well. Would you not like to see the universe's mysteries? We could do that with this wonderful machine."

Cindy paused, her desire to leap before looking currently being suppressed by her predicament. "I am a scientist and what you say is true," she responded hesitantly.

"And I am a scientist, as well. We could see things well beyond either of our comprehensions."

"That may be true, Doctor Korby but I'm a member of Starfleet and as thrilling as that could be, without anyone to share my findings with, the achievement would be meaningless. After all, someone else would have to find it and document it for the universe to know."

"I never pictured you for an academic climber, Captain."

"I'm not," she replied softly. "But it would be like getting a hole in one and nobody else seeing it. There's meaning to other witnesses. Otherwise people just think it is a tall tale."

"I do not think that you are seeing what I am offering, Cindy." He paused and then started to turn and walk out of the area stating, "I will give you some more time to think about it while the procedure is finishing."

Cindy called out, "Doctor Korby! Come back! Doctor Korby! Doctor Korby!" The pleas became more demanding and desperate as he left, not answering her calls.

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