The Glitch IV - Inversion (Ch. 1)

[SirNitram]

Albert wasn't watching the body language of Leah or, for that matter, Dr. Crusher. He was struck by those eyes. In them, he saw a predator. Like a rodent in a corner with a snake, he was hypnotized and unable to run.

He knew what was in those eyes. Hunger. Hunger like he couldn't comprehend. And he was terrified by it.

In his mind, something shifted.

The problem with snakes cornering rodents, is one occasionally turns out to be a mongoose...

[Dark Silver]

"Oh yes.." Crusher spoke, her voice low, husky..even as she looked upon Leah, her smile widdening, "Yuffie is going to be just fine...she's on her way to making a full recovery."

She went to reaches for Albert's chest, looking up to the half-giant again, her voice a low purr, "My...you are a big one aren't you...maybe you and I could..get acquiainted later...." She looked to Leah quickly, her smile widdening, "Both of you...lunch in my quarters...1200 hours..."

She brushed her fingers slowly over Albert's chest, just a small taste of the life pulse within him, a sudden, euphoric feeling that just whet her hunger, as she moved on, calling out behind her, "Deck 3, Suite 453"

She was gone not longer after, disappearing into a turbolift.

[Shark Bait]

They had a glass of wine and continued to talk, Rory holding herself together before cuddling up next to him and falling asleep with her head on his chest.

Ted put an arm arround her sleeping form as he looked up at the simulated night sky, a huge grin spread accross his face as the irony of the situation hit him. Here he was looking at a simulation that was inside of a much larger fantasy simulation of sorts, it was like a philosopher's wet dream.

He took a deep breath and looked down at Rory's sleeping form and it struck him as odd, here he was in an absolutly crazy situation surrounded by un imaginable horrors and yet he was happy. He smiled again and huged her gently as he drifted off to sleep finally.

[frigidmagi]

Magneto watched Dr.Crusher walk out... That was not normal... Not normal at all.

Something is wrong...Very Wrong! Whispered that voice in the back of his head. Magneto didn't like to admit it but he found himself agreeing with that voice. He really wished that voice would shut up however.

He took one look at the boy hovering around Yuffie, she would be alright. Best get Aurion and check out what was going on with Dr. Cusher. Something was wrong.

[LadyTevar]

Leah watched Crusher walk away, more than a little confused by both the doctor's actions and her own response to the doctor looking at Albert that way. "That was... weird...." she muttered to Albert, her blue eyes narrowed and shooting daggers as the turbolift closed upon the good doctor. If she touches him like that again I'll....
"I thought she had a thing for Capt. Picard...."

[Agent Fisher]

Jack finished his meal. He put the tray back into the replicator and it disappeared. He put on his ACU jacket and sat at the computer, looking up info.

[Comrade Tortoise]

After beating, and being beaten by holograms for a significant amount of time, a now very tired Justin ened the program and walked from the Holodeck toward sickbay.

[SirNitram]

"I thought she had a thing for Capt. Picard...."

'As did I." Albert blinked slowly, shaking his head. That was.. Odd. And it had upset the half-giant who was still convinced he actually existed.

[LadyTevar]

"Al...? I don't think I want to have lunch with her..." Leah said, still creeped out by how Dr. Crusher was acting. "Let's go check on Matt and Yuffie."

[SirNitram]

"Al...? I don't think I want to have lunch with her..." Leah said, still creeped out by how Dr. Crusher was acting. "Let's go check on Matt and Yuffie."

"...Quite." Albert shook his head slowly. "Best not to meddle in the strange affairs of this crew." The half-giant resumed walking, searching out sickbay, and Matthew.

[LadyTevar]

Leah couldn't help but look over her shoulder from then on... and it got worse when they reached sickbay and saw the nurses running around frantically, trying to deal with something in another room. Leah got the feeling something very bad had happened there... and the voice of a Nurse paging Dr Crusher only made it seem unreal.

"Albert... something's... really wrong here." Leah said. "should we tell them we saw Crusher?"

[Charon]

Matthew had stopped in his vigil with Yuffie and looked up as Leah and Albert walked in. It took him all of a second to realize what was wrong. They'd seen her. They knew.

They'd ruin it.

Matthew, smiling, kissed Yuffie's forehead quickly and then exited her room, making his way quickly over to the two.

"Leah! Al! Nice of you guys to drop by! Yuffie's doing better, they've managed to stabilize her but she still needs rest. You guys wanna see her?"

Matthew betrayed none of his own knowledge as he spoke to the two.

[SirNitram]

"Great news, Matt." Albert said, nodding. "But something's going seriously wonky, friend. Crusher..." He shook his head. "Leah, see what you can do with your rezz spells and such. I'm gonna alert her co-workers. I'm sure it'll all sort out well, but better safe than sorry when the god-like opponents of every game produced are against it, yes?"

[LadyTevar]

Leah paused, staring at Albert. "Umm... will they work?" she asked. "They've been locked since the castle, Al. I've not even been able to summon a ghost light. And this isn't Zion...."

[Charon]

Matt's smile faded. "Crusher? You sure? She seems like a nice enough woman to me." Matthew paused for a moment. "Are you saying she's a null now? That doesn't make much sense, how could they get up here? What happened?" Matthew looked at Albert, seeming to ask him the questions.

[SirNitram]

"...I didn't say a thing about nulls." Albert said slowly. "There's hordes of possibilities. A phase space definable mostly by the number of programmers since the first programmable analytic engine." He said, watching Matt. "...ANd none of the Nulls had that look in their eyes.. So... Matthew, why do you think she's a Null?"

[LadyTevar]

Leah looked from Albert to Matt and back again. She'd just barely caught the comment, but Albert had jumped on it. Unfortunately, the idea was enough to explain a lot. "Is it just me... or are Dark Rider-style nulls sex-crazed..." she asked, basing it on her experiences thus far.

[Comrade Tortoise]

It was at the mention of Dr. Crusher perhaos being a Null when Justin walked into sickbay.

He stood quietly, listening, waiting for someone to notice he existed.

[Charon]

Matthew blinked a few times in mock confusion as he looked between the two. "You mentioned god-like opponents and that was the first thing that came to mind. She couldn't be one though. They couldn't get her up here, and why would she fall?"

Matthew looked over at Leah for a few moments. "Sex crazed? Maybe crazed for my blood but they've never tried to have sex with me." Matthew smiled, trying to make a joke to break the questions. "Crusher was in the room with Yuffie and I a few minutes ago and the both of us are fine. You guys are just being paranoid. Come on, let's get something to eat, I haven't eaten in a day."

Matthew began ushering them out of the medbay.

[Dark Silver]

"Will.." Crusher's husky called out as she entered the First Officer's quarters. It was still early, and Riker wasn't due on the Bridge for Alpha Watch for another few hours...Data woud be on the bridge now...

"Will?" she called out again, before the deep voice responded, "Beverly? That you? I was just having breakfast...want some?"

Crusher moved to the dining nook, where Riker was getting ready to eat his eggs..

"Are you ok Beverly," Riker asked slowly, looking his friend over. Beverly had changed clothing, no longer in her uniform, she was in a form fitting dress with a flowing skirt. Though it covered her form, it still tantalized and teased the male mind. She looked like she hadn't slept or eaten in along while, her face was haggered and sunken in, her eyes burning with some feirce inner light. Her hair was limp, tangled...

William Riker rose from his chair, and rushed to his friend, "oh my god, Beverly, are you ok? Come..sit..."

She felt the rush of Life Force as soon as he touched her, "Kiss me..." she said, her arms coming up around Riker's neck.

"Beverly..no...we shouldn't..Captain Pica...." his words cut off as her lips met his, his arms wrapping around her waifish form. He closed his eyes, returning the kiss, before they sprung open. He struggled, trying to push Crusher from him, but she held him fast. He tried to scream, but her tongue shoved into his mouth, then down his throat.

He choked once, gasping as Crusher's arms wrapped around him, crushing his arms and chest.

Imzadi.... he thought, shortly before the good Doctor Beverly Crusher's tongue burst through his chest, spearing his heart as his lifeforce revitalized her body....

------------


"Computer, locate Doctor Crusher" the Nurse called out finally, having grown tired of paging her.

"Dr Crusher is in Commander Riker's quarters."

The nurse frowned, then turned towards the patient again. The body was quickly decomposing....what the hell could cause this.

------------

Riker's body was a empty husk, a sack of shriviled flesh that fell from her arms, and piled onto the floor. The Moments later, the husk turned to dust..and even that disappeared from the plush carpetting.

Beverly Crusher looked in the mirror, smiling as she fixed her hair. She felt better, full...

She looked down at the spot where her friend's corpse had been, smiled lightly to herself, and walked out of his quarters.....

[LadyTevar]

Leah stopped dead in the room and refused to be moved. "Matt... why won't you let us see Yuffie?" she asked bluntly. "And why are you in such a hurry to get us out of here?"

She did take a moment to nod greeting to Elwyn, and give him a glance that she hoped he'd understand as 'something's Seriously Wrong here... help us out'.

[SirNitram]

Albert was distracted, having started to go to the nurse to inform her. When he heard the computer respond, something in the back of his head went off. "...Leah.." He said, calling over to her. "..Should I be concerned that she went straight to the First Officer's..?"

He started back, long strides carrying him to Matt. "Matthew. Something's getting twisted. Why can't we see Yuffie? And if you think this place is foolproof, you are waaaay too complacent for you. You're the paranoid one."

[Comrade Tortoise]

he gave her a look that said 'fill me in'

"Yeah Matt. What's up?"

He noticed the nurses running around frantically as well.

SOmething was definitly wrong

[frigidmagi]

Magneto was in 10 forward, hoping that he could talk to the doctor in a public place. No such luck. He didn't come here often, prefering socialization with less public view. damn, we're screwed whispered that annoying voice.

He walked over the the the lady of the bar, and spoke quietly.

"There is something odd happening with the doctor I think. Tell the Captain something may be wrong." He swept out of the bar before anyone could respone.

"Computer where is Doctor Crusher?" He asked. He burst out with an unmagneto like curse at the answer and began to run...

"Computer update me on Doctor Crusher's location, starting now!" He demanding has he picked himself up and began to fly, it was faster this way.

[Charon]

Matthew smiled at Leah. "Well, she's stable but the doctors aren't quite sure about her condition yet. It took me forever to get permission to see her. Though if you wanna see her I might be able to sneak you guys in. And like I said, I haven't eaten in a day. Now that Yuffie's feeling better..." Matthew looked back at the room where Yuffie was, he stopped talking as he watched her now steady breaths, the color that was back in her cheeks. She was going to live. Matthew smiled softly as he slowly looked back at the others. "Well, I think things are gonna be ok for her. So now I need to at least get something before I come back to her."