EXETERRPG: (1 - 1430) FO Ailynn Bracken/Gabrielle Knight and Caity DuBois/Sam Buckmaster

[Mark Howard]

Mission: Lights, Camera….Action?

Day: 1

Stardate: 2446.01.01/2025.06.30

(Toronto, Canada -Pinewood Studios Toronto  - FO Cmdr Ailynn
Bracken/Gabrielle Knight and Caity DuBois/Sam Buckmaster  - 1430)



Ailynn was tired, and emotionally broken, meeting the kids on the
Children’s ward had been so utterly exhausting, that she felt like just
going straight back to her apartment, curling up into a ball on her bed,
and hoping that she’d wake up in a different place or time. The kicker had
been meeting Jenna. Jenna Brookes was a 16 year old girl who was stricken
with an aggressive form of cancer that her oncologist was running out of
options. Ailynn had been shown Jenna’s charts by her mum, and though it
wasn’t her precise speciality, Ailynn could see something truly horrific
and disturbing.



That were she back on the Exeter, with 25th century medicine, she wasn’t
certain that her chances of recovery would be very much higher.



She got out the car and bade farewell to Casey, and headed over toward
wardrobe to take her uniform back that she’d borrowed for the hospital
visit. Minutes later that simple task achieved, she left the main building,
and saw a figure that she was intimately familiar with. Heart ruling her
head, she quickened her pace, and caught up with the other woman. Slipping
her arm around her waist, Ailynn quietly said, “Tee...I’ve missed you so
much, I’ve been so worried.”



Smiling, she turned round, "So, what’s new, A? What new catastrophe is
heading our way?"



Ailynn sighed happily as Caity’s calming, normal manner began to settle her
mood. “You kidding?” She said gently, “Other than the one we seem to be
surrounded by at the moment?” Ailynn was used to Caity’s supportive,
questioning manner.



"You mean the terrorists?"



Ailynn stopped suddenly. “Wait...What terrorists? What are you talking
about hun?” There was an odd look about the woman next to her, little
details that she’d not noticed up until now.



"You know the…" She paused for a moment and looked at Ailynn,  "Wait a
second… did they put out new pages again?"



“Pages? Tee...I’m so confused. What are you talking about.” There was a
nasty feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.



"Those damn writers, I swear they are going to make me crazy with the
changes they keep making."



“Writers…?” She looked at her, a couple of thoughts settling in her mind.
She wasn’t certain how to move forward with the situation. “Okay this
conversation is getting weird…”



Ailynn remembered the cast photo, and remembered the names underneath each
person, but couldn’t remember what was written underneath Caity. Now she
thought about it, Caity had been stood nowhere near Ailynn. “How did we get
here?”



Putting her hands on her hips, Samantha looked at her, raised an eyebrow
and said, "Well, I drove here on my day off because you said you wanted to
run limes before filming starts."



“Read lines...filming…” Ailynn parrotted.

"But if that's not what you want to do then, I'm going back to my own
trailer and having a very large vodka."



“Caity….” she began.



"Sam."



“Sam...Sam...I’m sorry. I need to ask you a bunch of questions, and they’re
going to sound really strange…What happened on New Years, after we went to
bed?”



"We never…. Oh on the show?"



Ailynn could see her girlfriend's love, fading into the background. Caity
had become a constant in her life, a yin to her yang, but as she looked at
Caity...Sam, she could see none of that. “No…” Ailynn’s voice fell. “I
actually meant...together. I’m sorry.”



"What for?"



Ailynn wasn’t far short of tears, she was holding back by every atom of her
will. There had been odd things about Caity’s manner, posture that she was
only just understanding.



“We...We aren’t even friends...are we...It’s all acting...everything I
mean?” She spoke the remainder of her soul in that last sentence, Ailynn
wasn’t sure that she had the strength to hear much more.



"We act together…. What's going on Gabi? Did you get drunk, high or both
last night?"



“HIGH? THE F&@£ you think I am?” She snapped, her mood exploding. Her
temper cooled very slightly. “I asked a simple question, of someone that I
thought I had a connection with. You can accuse me of a great many things,
but for you to say that to me.” Her temper had got the better of her,
Ailynn knew she had faults, but for her girlfriend, her heart, her life to
say that to her...Caity may as well have used a knife.



"Well, I had to ask. I'm not your girlfriend. I may play her on the show
but I'm not in real life. You know this thing here and now. This is real
life. You know I have a husband."

“I asked you if we were friends...on any level.” Ailynn’s voice fell. “I
don’t feel that’s an unfair question. She sighed.



"We're work colleagues. Friends? I Don’t think we've talked much other than
here at the studio or doing press junkets for the show or at some industry
gig. Usually with a drink in hand."



~Not...Even...Friends…~ Ailynn looked at Cai...Sams eyes, and could see
only disdain, indifference at best. The day had started well, almost
perfectly.

~that should have been a warning.~ she thought to herself.



“So you’d only kiss me after a drink?” She knew she was needling Sam,
provoking a reaction, but Ailynn was tired, and had just had her soul torn
out of her.



"If you are really going there… which I can’t understand why, but you are
then truth you shall have. No. I'll kiss you if the damn script calls for
it. But that’s it. I just don’t really like you. You have this air about
you. 'Look at me! I used to be something in the modelling world!'



Big wow! Modelling isn't that hard. I mean if the beefcake wrestler can do
it, anyone can."



“USED TO BE?” Ailynn’s temper exploded, the oddest thing was that it was
shored up by something so powerful she couldn’t explain it. “F&£$@#G USED
TO BE????” She continued.

“I walk off this lot right now I could sign up with anyone” The words came
unbidden to Ailynn’s mouth. “I could..” she was interrupted.



"Could… being the word. It's no secret that you need this as much as any of
us do. I mean, from what I've seen here and now, your legendary 'concern'
.." Sam punctuated this word with air quotes, "... for your co-stars has
reared its ugly head again."



~breathe...don’t react...just f*&£$#g breathe.~ Ailynn tried to breathe.
“My legendary f*&$@$g what now?” Ailynn was in what Trip would call ‘Full
Bracken’ “It takes a pretty low piece of crap like you to find fault with
someone looking up to someone...maybe you’re the type of scum that likes
writing all those pleasant comments on youtube no?”



"Wow… scum? That's a new one. You really have no idea about anything
outside your own little world, do you? You self centred, egotistical bitch.
Try looking on some social media other than your own for once."



“Says the little Prydeck who was just calling me out for looking out for
people?”



"Oh, so you know all about #prayforgen then do you?"



“What is ‘hashtag pray for gen? Gen who?" Ailynn said. Confused and
annoyed. The upset that her lover was being so cruel was killing her.



"Wow , Genevieve Rhodes, you know the one who plays the simpering little
witch Erin Cortez. Let me be the first to tell you that your little best
friend has been seen being taken to hospital in an ambulance. Passed out on
that cute guy that played Nix. But then again, you being the kind, caring
and compassionate person you are would already know that and have been to
see her."



Ailynn had utterly lost her temper. “You sanctimonious daughter of a loose
sitstar. Gen and I are not joined at the hip. If she's in hospital it's to
rest and recover, she doesn't need a steady stream of gawkers and hangers
on."



"Who is…." Sam started and was rudely interrupted.



“NO!” she snapped viciously. “You hold on.” Ailynn’s temper was all the way
to eleven. She could take the personal digs, but the accusation that she
didn't care. “DON’T YOU F&$£’%G DARE!”



“YOU WANT TO CALL MY ARSE OUT? THEN LETS GO. YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE I WAS
TODAY?"



Sam, folding her arms across her chest, defensively, simply stared at her.



“Happened to be in the hospital myself. Visiting a 16 year old girl who is
running out of options, oncology ward. She’s way too ill to be with the
other kids, so she’s in a room smaller than your trailer's living area, and
may never leave that room again. Seems that ‘Exeter’ is her favourite show,
and looks up to m...Ailynn as her hero, and up to you for having the
strength to be part of Ailynn’s life. So you’ll excuse me if my manner is a
little fraught. Accuse me of anything you like Sam I genuinely don’t care,
but a heartless junkie isn’t two of them.”



"In my defence,  I never said those words. You did. But, heartless? No. Not
to your fans anyway. So, tell me one thing. If you and Gen are big time
compadres, legends on the party scene I hear, is it true that she got
engaged last night? Some are saying marriage of convenience, if you get my
drift."



Ailynn sighed. “I haven’t heard that no, Even if it’s true, it’s only my
business if Er...Gen decides it is. Otherwise maybe the engagement might
just be because you know...they like each other.”



"Well, she would date that, what’s his name…. The Australian… Kyle. Yeah.
That's him. Never liked the guy myself. Seems a bit…  too low brow for her.
She's a good kid but troubled."



“They like each other, that’s all that matters, everything else is no one’s
business. Sure she may have had her issues, but she’s growing out of them.
Most people do eventually.” Ailynn replied. Whoever this was in front of
her, it was unrecognisable as Caity. Caity would never be such a spiteful,
judgemental and obviously nasty piece of work. It tore another piece of her
soul out, she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.



Raising an eyebrow, Sam glared and headed for the door, "Oh and, just so
you know, I'd have a word with Tristan. Man, that guy I swear he thinks he
is still big league. Half of the people that watched the first season were
waiting for him to bust out some old wrestling move. Never happened and, to
boot, he got his on screen wife in the club… Player if you ask me but
that's the rumour. Me, I'm going to go and sink a large Irish coffee before
heading down to wardrobe. Catch you later!" She smiled, disingenuously, as
she walked away. ~swear she should stick to modelling. Airhead.~



Ailynn watched Sam stride away from her. Sam hadn’t given Ailynn a chance
to reply, but in truth, if she’d have stood there stock still then Ailynn
would still have never had a retort. Her heart had been utterly utterly
ripped out of her chest and stamped on. Tears welled up in her eyes, and
broke the already weakened dam. She turned away, turning her back on the
girl who only minutes ago she’d considered her everything. The tears ran
openly down her face as she walked toward where she’d been pointed toward
her trailer earlier.



(Reply any, none)

(Posted by Mark and Jackie)
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://startrekfreedom.com/pipermail/exeter-rpg_startrekfreedom.com/attachments/20210514/06b857e2/attachment-0001.html>