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Reve
(This was originally dreamed/conceived as NextGen Trek, between Ensign Ro and some unnamed so-and-so from the medical section. with a bit of shoving, it could be set anywhere, really.) An alien species' natural cycle of reproduction has been interrupted due to some natural catastrophe that they couldn't circumvent themselves. They come to (the Federation/NoSanNoOs/Moridani) for help. The 'female' part, an egg roughly the shape of a coconut, and the 'male' part (a sort of spongy mass like a handful of steel wool) must be combined, at exactly the right time, and then maintained at exactly the right temperature, for a certain period before the egg can be fertilised. It is then returned to the host for a brief period (somewhat a la Trill), then removed again, allowed a few day's exposure to the elements before being returned to the host, where it will begin producing a significant percentage of the next generation of whichever species it is. During this few days' exposure, it must be in close contact with at least one living being not of its race (for reasons which aren't gone into); it exudes a sort of gelatine-like coating that covers the hand of the thing holding it. When touching this stuff, one can just barely sense the thoughts of the potential thousands of beings inside the egg. If two people are in contact with the stuff, they are joined, psychically, at a level several degrees more intimate than your average Vulcan mind-meld. Part of the alien's reproductive cycle - well, more traditional than anything - is something very much like a game of softball, minus the bat, plus a ball about the size of a netball - symbolic of the egg. There are three bases, which may be occupied by no more than two of the team 'up for bat'. Female-Protagonist (who is in contact with the egg) gets to third base, where Male-Protagonist also makes contact with the egg. They do their respective stunned-mullet impressions while realising the differences in each other ... the point of the egg being in this game is that while in contact like this, they can coordinate their movements to a very fine pitch. Together, they race for home base and make it by a bare tenth of a second (as recorded by the cameras). They decide to let the other team have the victory anyway, because it means they can spend a bit longer melded through the egg. When separation comes, it's painful. Definite sense of loss. |
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