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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255)">Mission: Exogenesis</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255)">Day: 7</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255)">Stardate: 2446.06.07</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">(USS Iluminar - Deck 5 - Sickbay - Counselor/Bondmate - Temas Laredo - 1255)</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">There was the sound of a baby crying, echoing in his mind. It took him a moment to realize that the sound he heard was his own crying through the minds of his care takers. The next sound
he heard was a physical voice. </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">“Make it stop! Make it stop!” the woman cried. “It’s in my mind all the time. I can’t stop it.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">“Feed him,” the man demanded. “He’s hungry Just feed him.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">The man had realized that the other side of that crying was the sensation of pleasure they all shared when baby Temas ate. He ate with gusto and passion. And they all shared in it. It
was almost sexual. These were the sensations that had driven his real parents to abandon him. His lasrt set of surrogates had committed suicide. These surrogates were on the verge of insanity.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">Five year old Temas lay on the floor screaming. The continuous input of minds streaming through his never ceased. Surface thought of violence against him, deep thoughts that he barely
comprehended with his child’s mind. Every mind within range of his considerable strength. It had come to a point where he could not distinguish his own thoughts from others. But that went the other way as well. Others were unable to distinguish their thoughts
from his. </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">A pair of lovers were suddenly repelled by the intimacy that they were involved in. They were five years old and the other had cooties. A parent disciplining their child suddenly dropped
to their knees, crying, as he fought back for the one who could not. A thought came to him that he was able to hold onto.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">::It would be kinder to put him out of his misery.::</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">::And ours.::</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">Feeling of being alone. Helpless. Hopeless. Those were his. But they were. Someone else’s as well. Curiosity about anyone who suffered as he did overpowered the dismay. He looked
for the source. </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">A bright red light flashed anger. It wanted revenge. It was trapped. It wanted freedom. Unused to being alone it was secluded. Kept from its own kind. But knowing that it’s own kind
was gone. It was alone. Forever alone. And for a brief moment it was not. The strange ones had come and provided it with company, of a sort. But they didn’t understand. There was fear.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">Fear created the demon. The demon destroyed. But something else destroyed as well. But in the end it was alone again. Now it couldn’t trust that anyone who came would stay… or help.
It wanted to love. It wanted to haste. It wanted…</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">A face appeared in front of an adult Temas. He recognized the face.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">::Riven Mias? What is happening?::</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">::You have it in you to be in control Temas. You always have. Focus. Concentrate on who you are.::</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">Another voice called to him. ::My Temas.::</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">::Luma. You know.::</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">His eyes shot open and Temas was aware. He was surrounded by medical staff, but none of them were actually looking at him. Suddenly a pretty, young nurse looked at his readings and went
over to him, smiling at him. </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">“Doctor,” she called out, “he’s awake. Take it easy Temas. You gave us all quite a scare.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">His throat was dry, and it took him some concentration before he could speak. “Luma?” He reached into her mind to find her name. “Sakura, is Luma okay?”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">“I don’t know,” she replied. </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">::Luma.::</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">He looked at the nurse. “Sakura, I must speak with Commander Verin.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">“You’re in no cond…” she began to protest when he grabbed her arm.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">“No,” he said more forcefully. “Must.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">The nurse scurried away to get… somebody.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">Temas closed his eyes to wait.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">(reply Verin, any)</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(36, 36, 36)">(posted by Al Muir)</span></p>
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