<< OOC ... forwardying for Rangi >> *** Starbase Kinsi *** Rangi took a deep breath as she dropped her combadge back inside her bag and fastened the top.She looked around for the nearest wallmounted chrono and saw that it was almost three hours since she had left the quarters she and Shane occupied. Hoping that he would still be there, she set off at a fair pace for the nearest lift, wishing that their R&R on board the Starbase could have been the peaceful and romantic time they had planned it to be and not have it ruined by the potential problem that seemed to be looming up.She walked fast but not fast enough.The lift doors closed as she approached. {Fish} she thought crossly {...another delay} and with an annoyed expression she looked back the way she had come. "Oh!" She blinked, her lips remained parted after she uttered the word. Further along the corridor, just about opposite the conference room door where she and Acheson had been, sat a sturdy wooden chest. Rangi closed her eyes, counted to three and reopened them. The chest was now trotting towards her on the many little human feet it had. "No no no" Rangi murmured."This isnt happening" The chest pattered its way towards her exuding a merry air. Rangi swallowed. The chest stopped and sat down. They regarded each other. "ooohhh" Rangi looked around, hoping for someone to come to her aid. There was noone in sight. The chest stood up and took a few steps (using about 15 of its feet) towards her. Rangi regarded it cautiously. It came within reach and stopped. Raising her head and deliberately avoiding any eye contact with ..whatever it was...Rangi said aloud to herself: "Its not there...I cant see it" She looked up at the ceiling and studied the lights. "HEY!!" She stepped back quickly, dropping her attention to the chest which stood next to her legs. Even as she moved back, it did too, giving her another hard thump. "OW!..stop that!" she said reaching out her hands to prevent the chest from advancing. The lid opened a fraction and Rangi withdrew her hands instinctively. There was a 'stand off' situation. The chest, now blocking her way to the lift door, 'eyed' her in the same way as a hungry cat looks at a cornered mouse. Seconds ticked by. Rangi decided on a change of tactic. "You're not going to scare me" she said confidently, standing with hands on her hips. "I dont care what you do." She leaned forward a little and pointed at the chest, "YOU....are not real.You are a thing from a book 'The Luggage'...a picture Shane likes" She straightened up, pushed her hair back behind her left ear and took a deep breath. "Kindly move out of the way!" The chest didnt move one inch...neither did Rangi. "Look" Rangi said, a trace of annoyance in her voice. "You are simply a figment of my imagination and if I say ..."move out of the way"...then thats what you do...because I IMAGINE you doing it....and that's how it works....right?" Wrong...the luggage stood solidly in front of her, its little pink feet planted firmly on the floor. Rangi gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm warning you...." She took a step to her right. The chest took a step to its left.Rangi moved left and the chest moved right,so remaining always in front of her barring the way. The turbo lift doors slid open. Rangi glanced in at the four occupants, looked down at the chest who's attention was distracted, did a neat half turn and took a bounding leap into the lift. "Yeeeessss!" Rangi clenched her fists in a gesture of victory as the doors slid shut, blocking out sight of her tormentor. She looked around at the astonished faces of her fellow travellers, her smile freezing then fading. She found the floor suddenly very interesting. ** Five minutes later ** "SHANE!!!... Shane are you here?" Rangi stood in the main room of the VIP quarters breathing fast and hoping against hope that the XO would still be there. "Oh Shane" she cried in pent up agitation.She froze and closed her eyes. "Nonononono" Looking wildly around, she saw the door of the large wardrobe had been left ajar and sprinted across the room towards it.She pulled the door open, peered quickly in and the next moment was inside and pulling the door closed behind her.She stood in the semi darkness trying to slow her breathing to normal rate and waited. Through the slight gap she could see little of the room, only a part of the bed with its pale blue coverlet, a pair of Shanes shoes left where he had kicked them off and the bedside cupboard. She looked at the small glass vase that held the now forlorn and wilted red flower Shane had given to her.Although she looked at it her attention was on sounds..or lack of them. She moved her body in an effort to see a different angle of the room and took in a sudden gasp as the movement caused the empty clothes hangers near her head to clash and rattle together. "Shhhhh!!" she implored them reaching up to grab and silence the clatter.Slowly she released her hold and pressed her hand against the wall, listening for any sound. There was a faint hiss as the door to the quarters opened. {Shane!?} Rangi thought and squinted out.She could see the end of the sofa and nothing else.Not daring to go out of her hide away, she peered through the gap willing Shane to appear. When he didn't she squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. She opened them at the sound of gentle footsteps and saw that the luggage was partly visible beside the sofa. It stood quietly and seemed to be listening.... just as she was. Rangi held her breath as she waited to see what it would do.After a few moments it moved away, its little feet pattering on the floor. It seemed to be circling the room but then Rangi heard the door hiss open and close and there was silence for a long time. Slowly Rangi began to relax. She withdrew her hand from the wall and peered through the gap, moving as little as possible. The room was empty. She was virtually certain that nothing was waiting for her. Summoning her courage, she moistoned her lips, took a deep breath and very gingerly pushed the door open a hands width. Her eyes looked left and right into the still room. A smile of relief dawned across her face. She glanced down as she prepared to step out of the wardrobe.... ....and saw the luggage looking up at her........grinning. *** End Log *** LtCmdr Rangi summers CMO/2XO USS Chimera & The Luggage (npc) by itself!!