Ticking Psych Time Bomb

Posted on Thu Jun 29th, 2023 @ 8:03am by 1st Lieutenant Kayleigh London

Mission: Starship Side Quest
Location: Eldritch
Timeline: After Taking Prisoners

Alisa felt like crap. She knew a mental timebomb was going to implode, the question was how quick she was going to be able to get everything that she, as a leader, needed to get done before she went and got herself in a closet somewhere until the effect wore off. After they had beamed back aboard the ship and she was all too willing to get out of there, she walked back to the area to check on the other marines. She was doing her best to temper the manic feeling that was gnawing at every nerve she had. Her helmet was the first thing shed.

Simon walked up to her. "Ma'am?" he asked with warranted concern

"Fucking telepath got to me when I had lowered my barriers to find Gilohesh. It's a ticking time bomb, Rowe." Alisa had explained to him quietly what was going on. They had worked together long enough that he was familiar with some of the set backs of being a telepath.

"What do you need?"

She looked at him in earnest. "Right now, I need a stiff drink, and a dark quiet corner to hide in and sleep until this wears off and I get everything sorted."

"I'll see what I can do," he said sharply knowing that first things first this needed addressing.

"I need to check in with the squad to make sure that everyone is okay. We did good, textbook approach. I haven't seen a cluster like that in years," Alisa commented. "You good? Nice work by the way."

"Good, and I'll find you something strong." Simon walked off.

Alisa then went through the rest of her squad making sure that they were good. Simon came back with a bottle he found somewhere and handed it too her. Simon took the helmet from her as she took the bottle. "Where's London?" she asked realizing she hadn't seen the woman yet, and she wasn't in the sickbay area when Alisa had gone in there to check on one of her guys that had some injuries from a trap. One of her guys stated where she could be found. As much as she wanted to peel the rest of her armor off, she knew that staying in it right now might be the best thing, all things considered.

Kay came in that moment. She had been in sickbay waiting to hear on Ren and Sky and then took a moment to wash her face. She did not want to face fellow marines with eyes that were red from crying. Hell she did not want them to think she was a complete sissy, especially not the major. So Kay forced a neutral expression on her face and walked over.

"Where do you need me, ma'am." She asked quietly.

It didn't take a telepath to know the young woman was emotionally hurting. "You okay?" The Major asked, absent-mindedly scratching the inner suit liner around her neck.

"I am fine, ma'am." Kay said snapping out of her own misery. "But how are you?"

"In the after effects of a banshee tsunami. I dropped my walls to try to find Gilohesh when she disappeared. There was another telepath aboard that took advantage," Alisa commented. All the effects that she had felt on the station were now starting to well under the surface.

"I see." Kay said. "Why don't we go some place quiet." And away from prying eyes. Not good for morale for soldiers to see their commanding officer break down.

Alisa sighed as she closed her eyes feeling the storm trying to break free. "Yeah, I was going to find a corner in a cargo hold, or a closet somewhere." The Major's voice was laced with resignation of her current condition. It was evident her control was slipping and there was frustration brewing.

"That won't do, and you need someone to monitor you. Since I am the marine shrink, I am nominating myself. Let's go to your quarters." She was starting to take charge.

This was a small vessel and they had shared bunks. Alisa jerked her head and led the way to the small bunk room. When she entered, she tossed the bottle of alcohol on the bunk bed mattress. She quickly disengaged the locking mechanisms on the arms and shed those quickly. It felt like bugs were crawling underneath her skin and her mental fortitude knowing they really weren't there stared failing. Her mind started playing tricks on her as she clawed at her chest piece to get it off.

Kay had locked the door for privacy and then came to help to get the major out of her armor. "What do you need from me right now." She asked as she worked. She had also made sure that the lights were dimmed as stimuli usually did not help in times like these.

The chest piece fell away and clattered on the ground. Alisa took a deep breath as her eyes started unraveling the things she buried in the field. Her breath picked up and hee mind whirled. "Shit," she muttered,, as she staggered back into the wall. "I know it's not here. I know this isn't real." The space between her and the younger woman stretched further apart and warped. A black void started to whirl onto existence right where she stood.

"Why don't you lay down for a while and I will keep an eye on you and make sure you are safe." Kay said firmly.

As Alisa heard the words spoken, they warbled, morphed, turned into something that she barely could understand as it had been spoken. The feelings in the room, the ship, everyone's inner dialogues started hitting her like a tsunami. Still wearing her armored legs, Alisa slid down the wall into a crouched position mumbling words and curses under her breath, barely audible to anyone around her.

Taking a breath to try to batten her mental hatches and fortitude, she wrapped her arms around her dark green almost black armored legs. Though the Major knew the telepath was long gone, the lingering after effects were trying to needle their way back from the subconscious void she had shoved it in to ravage her consciousness.

"what helps? Do you need distraction or the opposite? Do you need me to just be quiet." Kay wished Tony was here, her friend had so much more experience.

"Sedation..." Alisa said. "...'nother telepath." Her eyes opened and it looked like insects were crawling all over her and the room. She closed her eyes again squishing them closed hard.

She got out the medkit and adjusted a tranq for the major's race and weight and injected the woman in her neck. "I will see if there is another telepath on board." Sky would have been ideal. "You try to rest."

Alisa just allowed the sedative course through her body and she melted to the floor in the same position that she had been in when she had been sitting against the wall. The cacophonous wall slammed her hard from everyone's inner thoughts came rushing through her broken down inner walls. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as it grew louder and louder in proportion to how heavy her body was becoming under the weight of the tranquilizer Kay had given her. She knew this was the better option than the alcohol that she was going to resort to. "Need sleep more," Alisa said as the woman said she would find another telepath. The noise started to fade into a din as she allowed the sedative to take over and knock her out.

Kay carried the major to one of the bunk beds and made sure she was comfortable there and checked that the other woman was asleep. The sedative should keep her unconcious for a while. Time for her to see if she could find another telepath.