From: eah4@po.CWRU.Edu (Elizabeth A. Hlabse) Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: No Escape from Reality Part 11 Date: 12 Apr 1993 21:58:27 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA) Lines: 144 Message-Id: <1qcom3$qnh@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> Reply-To: eah4@po.CWRU.Edu (Elizabeth A. Hlabse) Nntp-Posting-Host: slc12.ins.cwru.edu I'm posting this for Terri who had problems with the net and other things. You'll get your regular poster with part 12. Part 11 Hugging the walls, ducking into doorways, Sam managed to avoid the security guards that were working the search pattern, trying, he knew well, to find him. He knew the ship, his mind obediantly showing him the blueprints he'd memorized. Back in his quarters, he'd managed to rip off the tracking device, and hoped there wasn't something sewn into his clothes that would assist them in their search. Crounching on the ladder of one of the gangways, he hovered upwards. He had no preconcievied notions that he'd be able to somehow get down to the planet; certainly they could prevent that, but he wanted access to the ship, and to discover where he wsa and if it was all they said. Trust was something he'd learned you could accept initially, but only after exploring all options. Plus the fact being out here, pursued by security and God knew what else sure as hell beat sitting on his duff waiting for nothing but self-pity rushes. Landing on his feet, he found himself two decks below where he'd initially started. Fortunately, security hadn't found it's way here, not yet. Voices, of children? Startled, he slid into a doorway, watching as a group of kids and adults went by him, too occupied in their conversation to notice him. What were children doing up here, he wondered? Did this Federation allow crewmembers to bring thier families with them while on duty in space? It seemed practical, and good for morale, he thought. Right now he was more occupied with finding a place to hide and think things through then with the many intricies of shipboard life. "You can't run away, you know." Holding his breath for a moment, Sam peered around the corner of the doorway at the woman speaking to him. She stood there calmly, arms crossed over her chest, her face, wise, eyes dancing with suppressed laughter. A soft hat rested over her long, thick, hair. His first impulse was to run, but something held him there, fascinated and annoyed at the same time. "I don't see what the problem is, Sam." She smiled at the look he gave her. "Oh, I know your name, and that you're pretty shook up by all this." One warm, brown hand touched his arm, gently guiding hm from is hiding place. "My name is Guinan. Let's go down to my place and talk." "You're not going to turn me in?" "Not unless you want me to, although I think it would be the right idea." Her voice was warmly conversational, as if they were old and dear friends. "You know, the Captain isn't a bad guy, nobody is, except maybe Worf, but that's his job. They aren't kidding when they say they want the best for you. Not only that but aside from yoiu, they have a lot more on thier minds. You really caused a lot of problems with this amateur trick you pulled." "Amateur..." Sam felt himself bristle slightly, not sure what she meant or what she was referring to. "You'd better explain that, because I'm about to take offense." "No reason you should and all explanations in good time." She glanced behind her, then reached and took his hand. His grip was a little tight, but nothing she couldn't handle. "We'd better take this discussion down the corridor or we'll be interrupted." The handsome, vulnerable face in front of her still looked uncertain. "C'mon, Sam," she coaxed. "I'll make you a drink, a little talk, and answer a few questions. It won't hurt, I promise." It was almost a relief to allow the woman to lead him down the corridor and into what seemed to be a bar or lounge of sorts. Even better, he noted, was that she locked the door behind them, not to keep hm from escaping, but to keep out unwelcome security types. "I hear you like tea," she said, standing behind the bar as he sat down on one of the stools. "Name your poisen; Earl Grey, orange spice. The skies the limit." "Orange, I guess," Sam managed, feeling his heart begin to slowly return to a more moderate rythum. "Is this your job here? Sort of a bartender? "Among other things." She took the steaming cup of tea from the wall dispenser and set it in front of the man. "I'm a listener, a mover and a shaker. I also keep my ear to crew gossip. You travel in time, not by your own choice, and you're from the 20th Century. Always liked that particular time; the way things changed so quickly, all the slang, the music. I know a lot about you, Sam Beckett." The tea was strong and sweet, and he wondered briefly how Guinan knew he liked it that way. "What else do you know about me? he asked, between sips. Her smile was mysterious and Mona Lisa-like. "You have a sister and a brother, both of whom you haven't seen for some time. And your mother, too, of course. A nice family. You hold lots of degrees, in many fields, which impresses me, and you spent a good part of your life building a time machine." "How did yoiu know all this?" For some reason, Sam didn't feel odd hearing her say things he'd not told other members of the crew. "Do you have access to my records, too?" "It must seem to you that everyone here wants to dissect yoiur mind, and I'm not that type. You fascinate me. I've been wanting to speak to yoiu since you arrived. And it's not idle curiousity, no, none of that. I like you. You're one of the most completely unselfish people I've ever met. You think first of the other guy, and not yourself. For a 20th Century male, that's pretty fantastic." "You don't know how much I really want to be selfish! Even though I was brought here against any of the laws I've encountered previously, out of my own lifetime, and even into space itself, which I never thought was possible, I have this feeling I'm here to do something, to help someone. I want to ignore that part of me that says I have to stay here and do soemthing. You dont' know what it's like to travel without direction, hopping in somewhere, then leaving the moment you feel like you're getting used to the situation, and then, falling back into some other situation. "Oh, I think I know very well." She leaned on the bar, cradling her head on her arms as she looked up at Sam. "I'm going to tell you one of my deep dark secrets, something no one here knows, but I think a few suspect. I'm a time traveller, too." She smiled at her companion knowingly. "I've been doing it, well, for longer than I care to mention. You might say I've got someone out to get me, eventually, but I'm safe here, for now. My sitaution varies from yours becasue I can stay somewhere as long as I like." She grinned again, wrinkling her nose as she did so, like a playful child. "And I really like this gig, too, Sam. You'll grow to like it, too." "I...I'm not sure if I want to like it." The physcists face was downcast, thinking again of his friends and all the work he'd left behind that was still to be completed. "My hope is that i'm not going to be arond long enough to adjust to all...this." His hand waved in a general way, taking in the room around them, the ship. MOre to come... my fingers have died. QL Last Episode spoiler in sig. Proceed at your own risk. -- Beth Hlabse eah4@po.CWRU.Edu Assistant Sysop The Science Fiction and Fantasy Sig (GO SCIFI) ______________________________________________________________________________ SPOILER! Al's Place: Where Leapers can be themselves! SPOILER!