***Starbase Kinsi *** Rangi sat hunched up in the Jefferies tube. She sat there for a long time. Her mind ran over and over the events of the last few hours and the more she thought about them the stranger they became. Exactly why Shane was being hunted down by Kinsi security was a complete mystery to her. {But..} she thought, focusing on a rivet in the wall {...they're after me too...why? } She glanced to her right where the wooden chest sat patiently at arms length...it appeared to be sleeping. Rangi looked away. {...and then ...Lt Blackburn was convinced he was being followed...perhaps he was right. } It was all such a puzzle and Rangi sat perplexed half way along the jefferies tube where she had taken refuge. {But then again...its not just the security issue...almost everyone I meet seems to be...strange!..Its almost like a dream.....} She frowned...considering her own thought. {Yes...that 'must' be it...this is a dream...ALL of it's a dream. I am dreaming!} Her expression changed from concern to relief and she bit her lower lip as a smile formed. {Shane and I had that wonderful evening...} Rangi looked down to her clasped hands and smiled softly, remembering what Shane had said.She blinked herself back to the presnet. {...and later I woke up...and...} she glanced at the wooden chest to her right. {...that thing was standing next to the bed. Shane said he couldnt see it..he told me as I was dreaming..} Caught now in the excitment of her own explanation, everything seemed to slot into place. {...and then this morning...when Shane was in singing in the shower, I got the call from Georgia.} Rangi leaned back against the wall, amazed that the solution was so simple. { I went to the infirmary and what had she done? } Rangi questoned herself. {..only sedated her patients in order to have some peace and quiet!..oh right!!!...what CMO would ever do something like that! ...even if we sometimes would like to! } She grinned at her thought. {...Shane told me I was dreaming...and I was...I AM!!} Shifting her position slightly, she froze, thinking she heard a sound and listening intently,quickly turned her head and stared along the tube. Nothing happened. Rangi exhaled her caught breath, closed and opened her eyes...shook her head and told herself once more it was a dream. A few moments passed and Rangi turned her attention to the wooden chest at her side. She looked at it thoughtfully. {So why am I dreaming about you?} No immediate answer sprang to mind and she pressed a folded fist to her lips. {So...because you're a dream, then you cannot hurt me.You can snap... and show your teeth...but you can't hurt me...you have 'never' hurt me...I just thought you would...} But it was one thing to form a theory and quite a different one to prove it. Rangi studied the motionless chest, summoning up her courage. Tentatively she stretched out her arm until her hand was within reach. She took a deep breath and her finger tips touched wood. It was a shock. She hadnt expected to 'feel' anything so sat back in surprise. A moment later she 'felt' the Luggage look at her. "Right.." she whispered." OK...not a problem.." It was a time for decisions...Rangi made another one. Giving the luggage a wary look she thought: {So I have...something following me around..that's ok...} She frowned. {Cameron Sikes...that was the man I spoke to...HE had an imaginary rabbit!..ok...well..I can either sit here and wait to wake up...or continue with my dream and find my way home...} *** Eight minutes later.*** {Red Alert?} Rangi stopped and sat back on her heels.An eery red light flashed at one second intervals. {Now what?} She continued on her way, crawling on hands and knees at a steady pace.The luggage pattered behind her, but she took little notice of it now. An unmistakable sound of a phaser brought her to a sudden halt.The Luggage, pattering along in its own little world, cannoned into her. She gave it a withering glare and watched it lower itself to the floor. A few seconds passed and Rangi moved forward but with more stealth. Up ahead was a vent...an escape if she so chose,but she hung back, for dream or not, the sound and smell of phaser fire didnt encourage rash behaviour. She heard the bleep of a combadge and someone speaking. Gingerly edging forward, Rangi peeped through the grill, her eyes growing wide in shock as she saw Acheson fire in point blank range, at a security guard. In a dream, the guard would survive, and so he did. Rangi watched the man draw his own phaser and against all odds...as in a dream... it failed to fire. A fast and punishing fight resulted in Acheson gaining the upper hand. Once again he fired at the security guard..this time with success. From her hidden viewpoint, Rangi watched Acheson drag the body into a nearby room. Suddenly reality hit home she didnt know how or why but in an instant she knew its wasnt a dream.It was real. It was happening...and one of her own crew was firing on others wearing Starfleet uniform. Not waiting a moment longer, Rangi doubled back the way she had come, squeezing past the wooden chest and crawling as fast as she could, her mind in a whirl. {I have to get back to Chimera...but I cant call them...if security is looking for us they would track me on the combadge signal in no time.....oh I ' wish' I knew where Shane was....what can i do?...they'll have the shuttle bays covered....I need a shuttle...or a ship!} She smiled at her own weak joke and slowed her crawl. {A ship...I need a ship....a ship....{ a smile dawned on her face. { and I know who has one...} She crawled forward to the next junction, reading its position on the small metal plate. {ok...I need to get to .....docking port 5 ......outer docking ring,...... section 3...... level 12.} she studied the information plate. {now... where is that from here?.....} *** End Log *** LtCmdr Rangi Summers CMO/2XO USS Chimera & The Luggage (by Itself) :)