From rob4654@webtv.net Thu Oct 05 01:59:19 2000 Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: NEW TNG : A Loss Of Voice (Marrissa/Starting Over), 1/1, G From: rob4654@webtv.net (Rob Morris) Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 03:59:19 -0400 (EDT) Title : A Loss Of Voice Author : Rob Morris Feedback To : Rob4654@webtv.net Series : TNG/Starting Over AU/Marrissa Story Type : An AU short parallel to two other AU's Rating : G Characters : Marrissa Flores Picard, the crew of The D, TOS alumni Time-Setting : Veridian 3, 2371, the wrecksite of The Enterprise-D Pairings : N/A Archive : Mine Marrissa as presented here created by : Stephen Ratliff, used with permission Summary : Captain Picard's adopted daughter finds that her wunderkind status cannot prevent the worst tragedy in her young life from repeating itself. But can things be righted again? ------------------------------------------------- A Loss Of Voice by Rob Morris Personal Log, Ensign Marrissa Picard "When I awoke, Geordi was screaming orders, but then, that's Geordi. I'm only sorry Wes didn't slug our pal, after resigning his commission. Still in all, as I looked about, I could forgive him this once. The ship was gone." "Checking my head, I found I was 'undamaged' as Data might put it. Of course, now that Data is actually using expletives, all bets are off. I wonder if we'll all be assigned together again. Probably. My Dad is big on that kind of thing." "Worf seems to be walking as though through a dream. Its as though he didn't believe our ship could be destroyed. I hope we don't need security, because so far, he and I are it in the unblocked wreckage." "I don't envy Deanna. She seems to be trying to figure out who to comfort first. Not a good position in this nightmare. Suddenly, the jokes about her figure and Betazoid weddings seem cruel. We really do need her, in this once-floating tin can." "I briefly spot Guinan. She looks like a wreck herself. At first, I wondered what could be bothering her, but then it came to me. She's seen all this before, when The Borg scattered her people. Or is it something more? She can see things we can't. And is she purposely avoiding my gaze?" "Beverly stops by, says she's recieved word that her Aunt Viki and Uncle Pete are coming to inspect the wrecksite, for some odd reason. Now, Professor Kirk is Dean Of Xenobiology and one of the UFP's top biophysicists. Admiral Saavik plans good war sims. So why are they inspecting us? What possible interest could Veridian 3 have for the Kirks?" "I feel worst for poor Commander Riker. After Dad's vision-quest with Q, Will must have thought certain he'd have The D. I'd like to tell him its just a ship, but for some reason I don't. Words like that will tend to come back and haunt you." "It all starts to overwhelm me when I see the sweetest thing possible. Data found Spot, alive and well. He's-he's crying, I'd swear it. What an incredible day. Now, nothing more can bring me down." "We all assemble in a flash when Dad's transport arrives. Obviously, he stopped Soran. Duh. Like the Vulcans say, some things just are. Like me. For all my training, I am gonna run up to that transport and act exactly like a little kid. Because my Daddy is back, and he beat the bad guy. Everything is all right in the universe, and it always will be." "I wish all my friends weren't still in the blocked wreckage, but they're alive. Alex called to say that he and the others are comforting a little girl who left her doll behind. Boy, the things that hit you when you're not mature." "Now, the doors open. But my Dad does not emerge. Instead, I see a man who looks oddly familiar. One of those faces you've seen in every history book and half of the popular literature. He's carrying something. I can't make it out." "Ok, this is weird. Geordi is walking away from this guy, shaking his head. Data has just almost strangled poor Spot, and his hands are still shaking. Deanna is sobbing. Will's eyes are on Tellar and his jaw is 3 kilometers below the surface. My God, he hasn't looked like this since The Crystalline Entity killed his friend." "Worf just retrieved Alex--so why are they both howling? Who are they mourning? Was someone killed by shifting wreckage? Now, Beverly is howling, but its not a coherent howl. She has lost it." "Another duh moment. I recognize the man from the transport. Talk about half-wits. How could I not recognize Captain James T. Kirk? It all makes sense. The B. The Nexus. Dad needed reinforcements, and he never settles for second best. Ever." "He must be exhausted by the shift back to normal time, because I just saw him collapse in a heap. He gave whatever he was holding to Worf. Now I can see it. Its a body. Its a dead body. Its the dead body of a man who looks an awful lot like......" "......................" "...................." "......." RECORDER AUTO-SHUTDOWN AFTER 15 MINUTES OF NON-USE No obligation to click : Starting Over and other Short Stories : http://www.southroad.com/brightfame/ Ancient Destroyer : http://www.telepath.com/kkuhlman/