The Secret Space In Erich’s travels there were parts of the ship which were never silent. A hum persisted in rooms and down long access crawl ways. Erich sent Keb a message telling her to go to a corridor somewhere between engineering and sickbay. He arrived five minutes earlier, entered a maintenance hatch, and hastily set up camp. A single candle lit the dark tube. Only his face was close enough to the flame to give any hint of a presence. He waited and listened. Keb knew exactly where Erich had asked her to meet him, but it left her absolutely baffled all the same. There’s nothing there, she thought as she reviewed the instructions again, walking down the corridors. Erich wasn’t there. Is this some kind of joke? The corridor stretched ahead and behind her. The wall panels were blank, save for a solitary access hatch to her left. The hatch opened with a click, its lock status indicator going from green to red. The door swung open on its own. With a start, Keb turned to the hatch, biting her lip. “Erich?” she asked the air. No immediate answer. The Manticore's hum echoed from within the long crawl way. "Hmm?" A voice from within her questioned. "Come inside... first left." The voice sounded warmer the more it spoke. The voice made her jump, heart beating quickly, even though she had half-expected some kind of answer. It was him. She entered the door then crawled down the tube, where she could just see a flickering light. It looked like panel had shorted out, so she started to move a little more quickly, worried that he’d summoned her here because he was in trouble. "I'm over here," a real voice called out. "Sorry for the venue, but I did not have a lot of time. Come. Sit." Down around the corner sat Erich, a candle in front of him and a bubbling kettle of soup beside it. "The plasma here can't keep this warm forever." He gave her an inviting grin as he waved her to him. As it dawned on her what he had set up, Keb couldn’t suppress a smile. She slid next to him and kissed his cheek. “You’re so silly,” she said, quickly adding, “and I love it.” "I like soup, dark places," he hesitated, "And you. Thought I should put them together." She blushed, looking down at her hands in her lap. He put his hand on hers. "I asked the replicator for a human favorite." He waved the smell from the kettle to his nose. "Chicken soup?" With a nod, Keb helped him to start ladeling the soup into their bowls. So warm, she thought as she took a sip and closed her eyes in pleasure, which he felt as warm shivers through his own spine. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry standing up is not possible, but the hum in here quiets the voices a bit." He tapped her hand. "I, er, sensed, you wanted to talk." Keb twisted her hand around to hold his. “Do the voices bother you?” she asked, which wasn’t exactly the question she had for him, but easier to ask. "Here and there. They are always with me. Even dear friends can get on your nerves after a while. If you're lucky it turns to white noise." He twisted his fingers into hers. "But you have another question for me.” She bit her lip, holding his hand a little more tightly. “I guess since you already know what I want to ask...I...I was wondering if you could teach me how to...how to block it. You know, so I could keep a secret from you or not jump three feet in the air when you think something in my head?” Her words were both hesitant and rushed as she tried to explain it, not able to put it as kindly as she intended to. Erich pulled her over and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry it..I scare you in that regard. I'll do what I can to help you keep thoughts to yourself." He closed his eyes, pressed a little harder, then released her. She shook her head. “You don’t scare me, Erich. It...it just takes some getting used to. You’re the first person who ever talked to me inside my head that wasn’t me.” She stirred her spoon in the soup, watching the ripples across the surface in the candlelight. “And I don’t exactly want to keep secrets from you...just things like birthday presents and stuff that’s classified.” "So, do you run into a lot of classified information?" he asked with a knowing smile. She tilted her head, her eyes narrow with impatience. “We work on a black ops ship...and you’re evading the question. How...how do I let you in when I want to, and keep you out when I need to?” Erich tilted his head in the other direction, leaned in to steal a quick kiss. "You're right. I first found your mind when your emotions peaked, then I latched onto it...tight," he said while clinching her fingers. "Some of how this works is your amplified emotional state. Now don't get me wrong--this is what I love about you. You have to dampen this attraction the same way I am to ignore the thoughts of others: meditation." He focused on her. They were so close he could see the candle's light reflecting in the darkness of her eyes. "Doctor Abbingdon wanted me to start meditation to calm my own mind; I don't see why it can't help you." “I don’t want to lose our connection,” she said, letting her forehead rest against his as she spoke. “Just control it some. I guess we can try the meditation.” "It should, but it will take some time and dedication to learn." Erich spoke warmly and was glad she could not hear his mind now. "This is uncharted territory, for both of us."

Deeper In his rush to leave sickbay, he'd forgotten to change. Surveillance tracked him, and someone on the bridge spotted his assets. News of this got to the engineers along with most of the ship. Chief Jaenke's Betazoid telepathy had returned, after a few days in which he’d wondered if the ship’s silence was a permanent condition. It was not. The crew’s laughs, snickers, and Rear Admiral Jaenke digs were too much. It was his childhood all over again and he had enough. In a fit of rage he yelled at everyone. Ensign to Lieutenant Commander, every last engineer. He went on for a good three minutes, then, with a stare at the cruelest of thinkers, he stormed out. Erich marched out of main engineering. Away from all of the voices. In reality no escape while onboard was possible. After a bit of frantic running he decided to head to where only certain engineers go. A time and place before responsibility and leadership swallowed all his energy. Chirp. "Chief Jaenke, come in please." He tapped his chest. "What? Get Shelton to handle it." "O-Okay, but I am Shelton. How long are you going to be gone? Shall I run the diagnostic we spoke of earlier?" Feeling embarrassed, "Yes proceed. Make sure it can be broken on a moment's notice. Jaenke out." He closed the channel as he made his way to his only duty he had known upon arrival. Keying in his access code he entered Waste and Recycling Control, sealing the door behind him. He walked to the furthest corner and sat down next to the monitoring station. Stress flowed from head to toe like a giant wave crashing upon a rocky shore. All Erich could do was bow his head until the duress passed. Keb wanted to surprise Erich with a cupcake she’d picked up in the mess hall. She rang at his quarters, but he wasn’t there. She called Engineering, where she got a nervous Shelton explaining that the chief wasn’t in. Alarmed, she started for sick bay. Erich, you better be all right, she thought in a mix between panic and anger. He sat alone, but not for long. A singular voice stretched out among the masses. Twisted with emotion and thought, it was unlike any projection he heard before. "Hello," Erich asked the empty room. He had not heard a voice, but a thought, a desire. He shut his eyes. "I'm..fine...," he projected outwards. His eyes remained shut in waiting for a response. His voice filled Keb’s mind, and she felt her tense body relax in relief. She hadn’t heard his voice in her mind properly since he’d left the ship to go down to Titan. Where are you? she asked, trusting that now he could hear her again, too. "Aft," he shouted out with his ability. His breathing had become rougher as if stopping from a morning jog. He stopped and looked around frantically, then focused on the monitor, waiting. The way he shouted into her mind didn’t sound entirely like everything was all right, so Keb slipped into a turbolift. He’d told her once, in a quiet moment, that he had liked the waste and recycling area because it was so much quieter there. It took her a few minutes to get there, but she knew the inside of Manticore at least as well as the chief did. “Erich?” she called into the chamber as she opened the door, protecting the cupcake with her hand. Erich was perched in the corner next to the monitoring station, but got up as soon as the door hissed open. "Keb, was that you?" “Of course it was me,” she said. “Didn’t--didn’t you recognize my mind?” She stepped inside, concern filling every aspect of her being. "It was you." He stood there, disbelief melting. "You sounded different. I was not sure. So many voices over there," he gestured to the rest of the ship. He stood looking at her with his messed up hair and unshaven face. It had been a long day and the yelling at his staff did not help. "I needed to get away when the voices came." Keb retreated a step uncertainly. “Do...do you need me to go?” she asked, and he could feel the mixed worry and pain she felt. “I--I brought you a cupcake. I can leave it for you.” She held up the blue-frosted treat, holding it out as if she were afraid to get closer to him. "No, please stay. You ventured all this way..for me." He smiled through his stress. "I could use the company. We should talk...about us." She hovered near the door, still holding out the cupcake. “Is...is something wrong with...us?” she asked. She had thought that they were okay now--they loved each other. "No. I think we are more deeply connected than you realized or than I expected." He urged her to come over and sit. "Have you heard the term Imzadi?" She drifted beside him, setting the cupcake into his hand and licking a bit of the icing off her finger as she mulled over the term. She’d run across it somewhere in her reading. “It’s a Betazoid word, isn’t it?” she asked. "Yes, the most basic meaning is beloved, but it suggests a deeper intimacy, both physical and spiritual." He swallowed. "We seemed to have developed one of those, the spiritual." His face turned warm. "I wanted to know how you feel about it." Her cheeks reddened shyly, but he could feel the warmth of her emotions washing over him like a hot bath. She found his hand with her own, holding it tightly, and kept her gaze on their interlocked fingers. “I’m okay with that,” she said. “I told you...I love you.” Erich took a deep breath, leaning to reel from the sensation. He nodded. "One step at a time then."

Grounded The joint thing once more Erich started to wake from the most unusual rest he’d ever had. His body was not tired, but his mind was spent. Keb had let him sleep, trusting that his gentle breathing meant he was going to be all right, and grabbed her latest Bag O’ Stuff from under the bunk. There was little time if she was going to get everything together in time to leave the ship before it left orbit. She rifled through her things for anything she’d need for possibly an extended stay on Earth, oddly at peace even though she hated the idea. Perhaps the peace was Erich’s gift to her--the vision he’d given her before he passed out. When he began to stir, she was debating whether she needed both her teal and her aquamarine hair ribbons. He was able to watch her for a few minutes as she packed, but she noticed his open eyes at last. “Are you okay?” she asked first. “I-I think so.” He held the corner of his forehead with one hand. “I have the strangest headache. Whoa.” The room started to spin, no, he started to spin as he righted himself on her bed. Some time had passed, but he was unsure how much. The thought jolted him alert, but with a lingering panic. “This ship, the inspection... How long was I out?” “Only about ten minutes. You were breathing fine so I didn’t call sick bay...maybe I should have. I’m...I’m almost packed.” Keb sat down on the bed beside him, taking his hand with care. “It looks like I’m grounded for a little while.” Erich looked shocked. “Only 10 minutes?” He shook his head in disbelief. “It felt a great deal longer. Must have been instant REM sleep.” He saw the room in a dreamy haze, still not fully awake. The warmth of her hand slowly brought him into focus, but brought a sense of guilt. Could he have caused her distress enough to prompt her father’s action? He closed his eyes. “How long is a little while?” He asked as he raised a brow. She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I’ll do what I can to get back to y--to the ship, but...I have to convince them that I’m getting better, not worse. I think Dad was using the memorial service as...as a way to get me to come home for a while.” She was trying hard not to think that he might have other concerns besides a relapse of her breakdown--such as a boyfriend he might not approve of. The thoughts flitted too quickly across her brain to stop them, though. “A boy-what?” Erich thought as he picked that out of her darting thoughts. “Slow down. You are thinking a light year a minute.” He pressed harder into her hand and looked into her eyes. “I could speak to your father on your behalf, convince him to, I don’t know, consult Dr. Abbingdon. Surely she’s qualified. I’ll call him now. Get this straightened out.” Keb shook her head. “No...That would probably make things worse. He’s as stubborn as I am--I got it from somewhere, after all. And maybe he’s...a little bit right. If you hadn’t been there at the service…” She took a breath, trying to fight the emotions of grief. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard waves crashing on a shore; it steadied her. “Maybe I do still need some help,” she said quietly. “But I promise I will come back to you.” He knew she was right, but did not want to give in. A feeling deep in his stomach formed slowly. A hard swallow prefixed him bowing his head while he covered his eyes. Why at this moment? Something was happening between them and now...now it would screech to a halt like an emergency stop. Softly, “No, not now.” His eyes began to water. Her emotions with his own were hard to hold back. She ran her fingers along his cheek and then kissed him, soft yet there was an intensity to it. “It’s going to be okay,” she promised. “You’re…” Her mind raced for words to express what she was feeling; she just knew that he was worth fighting through anything to get back to. And she would, whatever it took. “You’re important,” she finally said. It didn’t explain it at all, but she could see in his eyes that he understood what she meant. A voice broke over the overhead comm. “USS Manticore will be leaving orbit in one-half hour. Final departures for Earth in ten minutes.” Erich sighed at the shortness of time. “I will walk you to the transporter.” He gave her the best smile he could under the situation. “Is there anything else you need to pack?” “Do you think you’d fit in the bag?” she asked, standing and picking up her Bag O’ Stuff. He looked at it longingly, imagining how he would fit. “I wish. Let’s go.” Erich held on to her hand and lead her out the door. While he may have cared to not show others his feelings toward another officer, he was beyond that now. He could hear their inner voices anyway, filtering real feelings from the front many people put on. Right away another engineer passed by. “Ensign.” The lower ranked officer rounded the corner. “So, where will you be, in a facility or some kind of camp?” “Sleeping at my parents’, spending the days at the same institution they sent me to when I had my breakdown.” She shrugged. “Maybe I can prove I’m getting better.” “Remember, if they have a Betazoid there anything you try to get pass them will likely not work. I mean I can feel a lot more than most, but your thoughts bubble to the surface.” He felt genuine affection for that, while other telepaths may find it hard to shield themselves from. He intertwined his fingers with hers as they walked closer together. “There was a Vulcan researcher there, but it’s mostly humans--it is on Earth, after all.” Keb relished the last few moments of holding his hand, feeling the warmth between her fingers. The transporter room was all too close, and despite her reassurances to Erich, she didn’t know when she could return to the ship. “I guess it’s time,” she said as the door to the transporter room opened for them. Erich turned to the Ensign on duty. “You are dismissed.” The woman simply nodded and left quietly. He led Keb up to the pad. Held both her hands for a long moment. It was the fountain outside the restaurant all over again and again he kissed her like before. Two seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds, then he let go. “Keb...” “Erich…” She wasn’t going to say goodbye. It wasn’t going to be goodbye. He gave her a final embrace. She felt his voice in her mind again; it was getting easier. “Remember the beach. It was a happy time for me from my childhood. Let the memory help you as it does me. Erich turned to walk to the console. It was hard to see her just standing there looking at him as if for a last time. “Keb, take care of yourself and remember the boy.” You too, she thought. He smiled. “Energize.” He activated the transport controls and she was gone.

Espresso Keb and Oolong Erich Keb pulled away from her protective embrace. She’d hugged Erich instinctively, and now felt embarrassed. She attempted to shield him from the panicked emotions that flooded him when the ship’s systems failed, and...it had somehow worked. Now as he calmed down, she realized his team had all seen them in an intimate embrace. Keb had wanted to help him, as he’d helped her...but perhaps she had only made things worse. “Erich...I’m sorry. I--I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” she said, though she was the one blushing. “I just...wanted to help you.” She wondered why she’d even thought she could help him. “When you grow up reading minds, the idea of embarrassment is meaningless.” Still, he was thankful she couldn’t read him. “I could have shoved you away.” He looked at the crew moving about Stellar Cartography, their silhouettes passing in front of lit consoles. “I think something is happening between us, perhaps on a chemical level.” Erich sensed her confusion and deepening self-consciousness. The dim light felt like a shield against prying eyes. “What do you mean--some kind of chemistry?” she asked quietly. “I was waiting to tell you, and after what happened earlier, I was not sure I’d ever tell you.” He turned away and then took a deep breath. “You have a very...open mind. It’s difficult not to hone in on your thoughts. It’s...intimate. I’m relaxed when I can hear your mind only, and I seem to have some calming influence on you as well. Your mind is an espresso in a galaxy of decaf.” He cringed at his own metaphor. “There must be a chemical reaction between us.” Keb’s discomfort increased as he further explained; she stepped away from him, protesting what he was saying though she’d experienced it herself. She wasn’t used to being an open book, or being somehow special. “I...I don’t know much about how Betazoid telepathy works,” she said, looking for a way to put her confusion in words. It was far more...diplomatic than where her thoughts were; it was one thing for him to read a moment of public shame, and quite another for him to know her most private thoughts. His eyes captured hers. “It normally doesn’t work this way. Your private thoughts should be just that, private. Look, you are very attached to this ship. I’ll put in for a transfer after this weather disaster passes us.” His heart fell into his stomach. “Wait, what?” she asked, shocked. “N-no, you--you shouldn’t have to leave just because of me.” He felt her dismay and walked past her, sitting against the rear wall of Stellar Cartography. It felt good to sit and talk even in the midst of the chaos. “I do not wish to leave, but I don’t want to make your life here more difficult.” Swallowing, Keb hesitated a moment before she sat next to him. “You haven’t made my life more difficult...you helped me just a couple hours ago when...you know. And whatever you did--I dunno, I just felt...lighter somehow. In a good way.” It was hard to put it into words, but Erich sensed how what he’d done made her feel closer to him and less isolated in her recovery. She should be angry over the mental violation but couldn’t bring herself to feel that way. And it wasn’t just that she didn’t want him to go on her account--it was that she would miss him. Erich looked at a spot on the ground in front of him. Her thoughts touched him. “That’s very nice of you. Not since leaving Betazed has anyone mentioned missing me.” Perhaps they could make coexisting on the ship work. He smiled as some thoughts from others filtered into his own, slipping through Keb’s tangled web of emotions. He laughed out loud at one of them, then looked up at her puzzled expression, hearing her question before she spoke. “Ensign Nosy over there thinks we should get a room. Someone’s getting a double shift.” He glanced around, wondering what her reaction would be. “Not the first thought like that I’ve heard.” Her cheeks glowed in the darkness. “I...was seen emerging from your quarters the other night. You know how gossip is on this ship.” “Gossip is second to only hydrogen as the most abundant element on a starship.” He smiled. “What’s done is done.” “I just don’t want it undermining your authority.” Or further undermining mine, if there’s any left. She bit her lip, curious. “Do...do they think we make a good couple?” she asked. “I do.” He hadn’t intended to let that slip, and hurried his next statement. “They think we are two dilithium crystals short of a matter/anti-matter reaction. So, yes. I’ve not sensed anyone thinking otherwise.” He mused for a moment. “I could send a poll to all crew asking that very question.” Keb looked alarmed until she realized he was teasing about the ship-wide poll. The notion of dating Erich hadn’t crossed her mind before; it felt strange at first, like tasting Klingon bloodwine for the first time. And yet the flavor of the idea had an appeal she couldn’t shake. “Bloodwine? That smarts,” he said playfully. “I’d like to think I’m more like Oolong tea, myself.” Realization dawned that he could hear her considering him, feel her appraising gaze from both sides. She buried her face in her hands. He changed his tone. “Seriously, you don’t have to feel ashamed around me. I’d be concerned if you blindly considered it.” He lied, a little. Seeing her embarrassed was an evil treat. Delicious emotions cascaded through her. She was amused, intrigued--and fearful of the sudden shift in their relationship. “We don’t have to jump straight to the reaction chamber, but let me buy you dinner when we get power back.” He wrapped his pinky finger around hers, a small gesture to break the ice. She curled her finger around his in acceptance. “Okay.”

Into Darkness A log something of Keb and Erich With the weather control system online and the engineering staff managing it, Erich and Keb headed toward their respective quarters for some desperately needed rest. The helm officer found herself walking down the same corridor as the engineering chief, half on purpose. She was worried about him; he still looked shaky. “What did that doctor give you?” she finally asked. "An inhibitor and anti-caffeine medication," Erich said as they walked down a nondescript corridor. "I can't feel anyone; the ship is empty. You,” he gazed upon her face. “You are different." A part of Keb disappeared. He heard her words, but their soul, the thoughts dancing alongside while she spoke...gone. Keb could not understand what his world twisted into. This was Keb’s reality he shuffled through now. A protracted moment passed before he spoke again. "You do not need to follow me around, Keb. I'm just in withdrawals. This is my own damn fault. I did not do myself what I ordered you to do. All I needed was a long nap." Erich could feel a sensation of shaking. Did it manifest itself to others? He did not know. He looked up before rounding a corner. Keb took his arm to steady him; he definitely did not look okay. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. I’ll sleep better knowing you made it to your quarters. Besides, mine are this direction anyway.” “Really?” he spoke under his breath. Erich squinted as if struggling to remember where he was. “I can’t believe that this idea worked.” Keb smiled, supporting him with her arm wrapped around his. “Hey, it did work, though,” she said in a soft voice. “Everyone on Earth is safe...well, safer. My family’s safe.” “Oh?” Erich perked up. “Where do they live? I can make sure the area is fine. Do they like telepaths?” Why did he ask that? Talk about putting the warp field before the ship. Keb squeezed his arm. “They’re in San Francisco,” she said. “Don’t worry about it now. We got that covered--Starfleet Command was a high priority area anyway.” She wondered about his question regarding telepaths. Sometimes her father had interesting ideas--though he was usually diplomatic about it. “My...father’s an ambassador,” she added after a moment. “Retired admiral.” Erich swallowed hard and coughed. “Admiral?” He looked at the numbers on the door. “Oh, here we are. My quarters.” He waved a hand as if it was the entrance to a grand palace. The door opened and remained so, even as he teetered slightly. “This is my stop I suppose.” Keb didn’t let go of him; in fact, she had to catch him as he wobbled just a little too far. Whatever they’d given him, between the drugs and the exhaustion, he was dead on his feet. “I...” he said as the medicine sedated him further. Something Dr. Scott warned him about. Suddenly Erich collapsed against her; he would have fallen to the floor if not for her support. She leaned against the door to support his weight, and adjusted her hold. “Erich?” she asked, scanning the room beyond to see how difficult it would be to get him to his bed. His accommodations were modest. Keb wondered if this was the broom closet. The bed sat against the far wall, straight ahead. “Mmm,” he murmured. “What happened?” His legs felt rubbery. Keb wasn’t sure how to answer, as she didn’t know. “Lean on me,” she ordered, pulling his arm around her shoulder and wrapping her arm around his back. “Just a couple steps.” Half carrying him like this, she managed to get him to the bed, where she helped him sit down; the effort was equally exhausting for her, and she sat down at the foot of the bed, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. He stared at her in confusion and smiled like it was the first time he laid eyes on her. He blinked. “Commander, what are you doing in my bed? I did not hear you enter.” His head bobbed a bit, his body caught between wake and sleep. “I’m not in your bed, I’m on your bed,” Keb said. “Get your boots off and lie down. You need it.” She closed her own eyes, not moving, using the wall for support. “How are you doing that, keeping your secrets from me?” He felt off his nacelle. Was he dreaming? he asked himself. His own mind did not realize the suppression it was under. “Keb...Kebbers, Kebberly...Uhm.” Erich awoke, his body delivering a parting shot of adrenaline . “I should remove my boots,” he said with a big smile. “Are you awake?” “I’m here,” Keb murmured, shifting slightly against the wall. She didn’t open her eyes; she was barely conscious and hadn’t heard most of his rambling as she’d been slipping in and out of microsleep for the past few moments. After some tugging one boot flew into the air, flipping end over end until it landed with a plop. A thud came from the far side of the bed from Erich’s head hitting his pillow. The world he once knew blackened in sight, sound, and thought. The exhausted engineer made an indistinguishable moan; a body so tired the mind could not get him comfortable. Meanwhile, the sounds had almost no effect on Keb, who had drifted off against the wall without meaning to. Both of them were completely asleep. *** When Keb finally woke up, she felt embarrassed to find herself still on the end of Erich’s bed, her hair mussed and matted from shifting against the wall. As she slipped out of his quarters to go to her own for a shower, she passed Ensign Tim Tam, and quickly turned her reddening cheeks away, counting in Klingon under her breath.