Where Are We...

Posted on Wed Mar 17th, 2021 @ 3:10pm by Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*) & Johnathan Anderson Junior

Mission: Mission 12 - Railway
Location: Unknown
Timeline: MD05 01:30
1221 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

The daytime was hot again, and He had to keep to the shadows to stay as comfortable as possible. Of course, the notion of comfortable was one He had not felt in a long time, especially since the assault a few weeks prior. While most of the bruises had begun to fade, He was still having difficulties breathing normally.

He hadn't seen His angel in His dreams for a while now, and He was starting to wonder if it was all a hallucination, brought on by the trauma that He had been through. In His heart, He hoped that that wasn't the case.

Cassie was relieved to be back in her own body but she was still longing to find out what was going on with Johnathan. Burnie had said he had not experienced any odd dreams which had brought up what was up with herself. It was hard to explain but as she finally slipped into sleep she was surprised to find herself in the strange damaged landscape of the connection between herself and her missing husband.

He was sleeping fitfully again, when suddenly, He entered that deep level of subconsciousness again. As He slowly stood, He looked around, then stopped. His angel had returned! “Kaaa....Kaaa,” He tried to say the name that brought warmth to His soul. “Kaaa...seeee! Ka’see! Cassie!!!!”

Cassie turned up the voice unsure if she was hearing correctly or not as the man finally made sure that she heard him properly. “ so you finally speak my name then?” She demanded not coming towards him completely. She was still trying to sort through his thoughts from the last night and she had still not admitted to the others that she was in contact with him.

He fell to his knees before her and, while His words were a bit rough, He spoke in near-perfect Vulcanese. "Belove bond haver. I..I have pain...no knowing of...of then I. Me trusting all days you. Me knowing you all love care me. You knowing me all love care you. Me..." He seemed to be getting weak from the effort of speaking. Reaching out to Cassie, He took a deep breath and seemed to out all of the energy He had left into the next few words.

"You need me find!! Me pain much deep. Hold you search me until! Helping me...pleases..." He started to collapse forward, His outstretched hand still seemingly beg to be held by Cassie. Then, it started to drop as well.

Cassie took the man but looked at him confused. She did not understand what he meant other than help me. "I have no idea where you are. Nothing is making sense." She whispered hoping her words were heard and understood.

As soon as Cassie took hold of His hand, Johnathan's mental avatar brightened considerably. Slowly standing, he smiled warmly, though still a bit weakly. "Cas!" He reached out with both arms and pulled his wife to him in as strong a hug as his weakened energies would allow.

"Beloved," he whispered in her right ear. "I wasn't sure if were real! I feared that you were just a fever dream, brought on by my current physical state!"

Cassie was unsure as to why he suddenly seemed himself compared to how he had been moments before. "Well, we are still connected as I have been unable to disconnect us." She admitted pulling back to look at him.

This statement made his smile falter. "You...you wanted to..." keeping his right hand on her as he stepped back slightly. "I...I didn't realize that you... you no longer wanted to be bonded to me." He looked as if his guts had been ripped out by a Gorn. Looking down, his avatar started to fade slightly as his grip started to loosen. “If you...if you wish to be free of me, then..”

Cassie saw him flinch away for a moment felt a moment of satisfaction that she’d hurt him as much as he had hurt her. It had been a year where she’d had no contact and no idea whether he was dead or alive. It’s been haunting not knowing and it left a sleepless on many nights . “I don’t want to be free but it seems you do.” It was easy to see the usual emotionless hybrid was showing her human side a lot more than usual. Much had changed about her since the other universe. “You left me. What did you expect to happen with the way it was done? You keep leaving me and putting others first. You left twice to follow Michael.” She wondered watching him changing.

The pain of hurting Cassie was clearly evident on Johnathan's. He responded in a whisper. "You're right, beloved. I did leave. I pledged my assistance to everyone on the ship, claiming them all as family. But, I pledged to you first." Looking back into her face, it looked as if he was about to lose all emotional control. "I relinquish all rights to choose our path. I do not deserve that right. The choice is yours. If you truly wish to be free of our bond," he raised her arm, to show where he still held physical contact to her, "then I will release you and never trouble you again."

Cassie frowned at him as he spoke the words to her. He sounded Vulcan. He sounded more Vulcan than even she did at that moment. She didn’t need proclamations like that. She needed to know where he was. “Nathan?” She questioned. “I just need to know where you are to come and find you. Please just tell me where you are and we can fix this. I don’t want to break our connection but I’m fed up of being second to everything. I was second my whole life till you came along. I know you’re treating me like second.”

Johnathan turned to look Cassie in the eye. "I make you a solemn vow, Cassie Anderson. When we are reunited, I will never put you second again, so long as I live." He then closed his eyes and flashes of his memories began to appear around them. They were images of every location that he could think to show her, hopeful that even if she didn't recognize anything, it might give her clues to feed into the computer.

After several moments, the images ended and Johnathan looked exhausted. Looking at Cassie again, he said, I need to rest no, beloved. But before I lose what strength I have, know this...while we are communicating easily here, on this mental plain, my physical being and consciousness are still damaged, and will need time to heal. I beg you to be patient with me."

Cassie frowned but nodded as she tried to focus on the images to draw them and be able to use the information. It was something she had to do. “I will try.” She whispered.

Johnathan nodded, knowing the the journey they were about to embark upon would be their most difficult yet. "Please.....' he pleaded as his image began to fade out. "Find me. Bring me back home...."

And then his image was gone, leaving Cassie's image alone in the ethereal realm.