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id="docs-internal-guid-ed8f1c32-7fff-df4e-5a76-e402efb4a714"><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Mission: A Cure Delayed</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Day: 4</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Stardate: 2445.10.28</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">(USS Illuminar - Deck 3 - Gregory's Quarters -- COps/3rdO Lieutenant Dieter Gregory and CSO Lieutenant (jg) Jaton Alyl - 18:47)</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">"Dieter, it's Jaton. Can we talk?"</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Slipping on a robe, Gregory stepped over to the replicator in the main living space of his quarters. "Come in, Jaton, it's open." he said.</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jaton entered as the door slid open and took a deep breath. Gregory turned around, "I have a training session at 19:00. Can I get you anything?"</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Uh, no,” Jaton said hesitantly. “I just wanted to talk to you about last night now that we’re in private. Can we sit down?”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Gregory waved his hand, “Grab a seat,” he said as he took his tea from the replicator. “What about last night?” he asked as he sat opposite of Jaton. </span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Well, it was the encounter we had at the Prancing Pony,” Jaton replied as he sat down at the table. “I feel like we need to talk about what happened.”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Do you mean how you came up to me, put your hand on my shoulder as if you were trying to stake a claim to me? Or the kiss to the forehead?” Gregory replied. “Is that what you wish to talk about?”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Gregory paused, looking at Jaton. “I don’t know what you think or expect. We had one date, a very good date. However, that is all. No expectations, no strings. Or is there some Trill ritual that I am not aware of?”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“No, no ritual that you missed. I was just surprised to see you there in public with two women fawning over you just a couple days later, and I must admit jealousy got the better of me.”</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">
</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">
</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Again, why? We had a good time. I like to have a good time when I’m not on shift. There is a lot going on, as you know, and physical release is good and necessary. That you are jealous, I can’t help. Green is not a good color on you.” </span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Gregory paused, “I’m not one to be exclusive with anyone, it’s not something I am seeking at this time. What are you looking for?”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I don’t know what I’m looking for, to be honest. I might’ve been out of line, but at the same time seeing you out with someone else after so short a time after we had such a good time, which is something we agree on, just hurt a bit.”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Jaton took a breath and looked Gregory in the eyes. “I wish I could be rational about this but I can’t. Maybe because my last relationship ended so badly, but I don’t know. I like you. I’d like to see where this goes if you are still interested. But if we need to set some boundaries, we should talk about that now.”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Jaton, I work hard and then I play hard. On a starship there are not a lot of options to play hard. I’m a gambling man, but taking money from your crewmates isn’t a good practice. Holoadventures are boring. I take risks, I like to solo free-climb. As the Vulcans say, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“So, if you want to explore with me, play hard, I’m all for that. But if you want some sort of monogamous relationship, I can’t do that. I’d resent you and the relationship and would sabotage it at every opportunity. If you can live with that, great. If not, I’ll remember our adventure together with fondness and move on without regrets.”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> Jaton thought for a moment, before getting up from the table. He walked around it, and knelt down besides Gregory. “Here is my answer.”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">He kissed Gregory firmly on the lips.</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Gregory returned the kiss. “That is settled,” he said. “Now I have to get ready, I have a training exercise.”</span></p><p
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style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">(Reply none)</span></p><p
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