Limbo Too (Not Two)

[Cdr Rian Kwai 0]

“I told you…if you had had a symbiont, you’d have been dead by now. Think you could get yourself into any more trouble, Rian Kwai?”

 

“You mean I’m not dead yet?”

 

“Nah, just asleep, drugged to the spots, and I’m a figment of your imagination.”

 

“Oh good…”

 

“You sound relieved?”

 

“I am. Who’d want to be stuck with you for eternity?”

 

“Watch it, Spotty.”

 

“Look who’s talking,” Republic’s Commander Rian Kwai smirked at the apparition sitting cross legged on a raised platform.  “Finally nice to see the face behind the voice, oh great Wizard. Is this Oz? And how do I get back to Kan-sassy.” Rian started to fold her arms across her chest, but felt pain in the movement, so she settled for putting her hands on her hips.

 

“It’s Kansas, you goof.” The ghost, appearing as an eighteen year old version of Rian Kwai, narrowed her dark brown eyes at her . “…and this is the image your imagination gave your subconscious voice. So if you have a problem with it, see the woman upstairs.”

 

“Hey, I have no problem with it. But what I do have a problem with….there’s not place to sit around here.” Rian frowned slightly, stalling as she tried to figure out where she was and what she was doing here.

 

“Oh please,” the ghost waved her hand and another platform seemed to drift into existence. “Better?”

 

“How about a cold drink?”

 

“Honestly! This is not some resort. I’m not here be at your bid and call.”

 

“Well, I’m going to be here a while, I might as well make myself comfortable. It’s kind of dull in here, don’t you think?”

 

“This isn’t a vacation, Rian.”

 

“Then what is it?”

 

“Well, it….err….well…”

 

“It’s not a coma, is it?”

 

“No! I said you were just unconscious. Blame it on the drugs….you’re going to be knocked out for a bit.”

 

“Well, then, this is a dream,” Commander Kwai hopped up onto the platform and sat facing her subconscious ghost. “And you’re my Jiminy Cricket…sans the Cricket. At least you didn’t appear as Lunch or I’d have really freaked out.” Rian brushed invisible lint off her pants as she spoke of her former pet grasshopper Lunch.

 

“I suppose you can put it that way.” The younger Trill smiled serenely. “Now then…let’s talk.”

 

“What a minute, this isn’t one of those time where we’re going to sit back and analyze everything I’ve done wrong, or the path I should have taken, or whatever self analyzing fluff you can come up with?”

 

“Self reflection and examination is a wonderful tool for personal growth. I think that….”

 

“Nah huh…Nope. Not going to do it.” Rian looked at her smugly.

 

The ghost looked taken back by her refusal. “Uh…what do you mean you’re not going to do it?”

 

“I mean I’m not going to do the cliché  ‘let’s examine our life for self-worth’ depressing pity party. If this really is a dream, my imagination and I’m stuck here for a while, then I’m going to do something…fun. We’ll save the pity party for when I can really relish the suffering….like when I’m awake.” Rian answered smugly.

 

“What?!?” The ghostly figure jumped down from her platform and looked angrily at Rian.

 

“Yep, right now…I think it’s time I start to enjoy my drug inducted hallucinations.  Like…” she furrowed her brow as she thought. “…how about island beach, sunny skies, the perfect breeze, a fruity drink and a cute cabaña boy to wait on me hand and foot.” She snapped her fingers, and soon the nothingness of her subconscious melted away into a tropical setting. She smiled, leaning back on her platform turned beach chair and started to sun herself.  A tall dark haired cabana boy set a fruity drink down next to her and bowed.

 

“Now what just a minute!”

 

“My dream. My imagination. My vacation. You can join me, or you can storm off into the dark reaches of my mind and bug me later. Your choice, Jiminy. Sun and fun or dark and dreary.  Do the Limbo or be in Limbo.”

 

“Well….”

 

“Well what?”

 

The ghost smiled, sliding back into her beach chair, “Well, I guess even Jiminy Cricket needs a vacation now and then,”