it's like playing the lottery with you ( OPEN )

[ethnobotany]

WHO: Beverly Crusher
WHERE: hospital, House 20, Inn
WHEN: Nov 4th and onward
OPEN TO: ALL
WARNINGS: will update as needed

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hospital - Nov 4th

Of all the things Beverly had expected to find in the hospital, it wasn't a red, sealed envelope. She was alone in one of the rooms, looking through their supplies. She'd turned around to pick something up and there it was on a table. It hadn't been there before. Frowning, she hesitated for a few seconds before reaching out to pick the envelope up and turn it over. It has a wax seal with the same insignia as the one on her backpack. Not a very comforting thought.

Slitting it open doesn't seem to produce any terrible consequences and she pulls out the letter inside. She doesn't really know what she's expecting, but this sort of letter, or these instructions, definitely weren't on the list. A frown crosses her face, one definitely of disgust and confusion.

"What in the world...?"

House 20 - Nov 4th-5th

As soon as she gets back to the house on the 4th, she builds up a nice fire and tosses the envelope and its letter inside. Whatever the Observers might want of her, she isn't about to obey. That isn't the type of person she is. When it reappears in her room, again when she's alone, on the 5th, she does the same thing again.

"Whatever you want, it's not going to happen."

She stands over the fire with her arms crossed, watching the paper curl and burn, until it's all a mess of ash and fire and she can't tell what is fire and what was letter.

Inn - Nov 6th

Eventually, she ends up at the Inn, throwing the next letter into the fire there, on the off chance that it was somehow the fire that meant it came back. Unfortunately for her, that doesn't seem to have much effect either, so she spends most of the 6th looks really put out and actually more than a little unsettled. Somewhere towards the end of the day, she returns with another, flops into a chair, and stares at the red letter she's set on the table. What do they want?

Comments

[ethnobotany]

On the plus side, at least it's slipped down into something more pensive by now. And he hasn't earned the looks she usually reserves for Q. That's always a good thing.

"They did," she responds, answering the question of the paper in the fire first. "It said I had to steal something of value from someone else and leave it at the base of the peach trees in the other village. If I do, I'll be rewarded." With the fire properly banked, she stands, brushing dust and dirt off her thighs. "I don't think I need to tell you that I'm refusing to comply."

[pretendtoneedme]

"...Huh." That's... entirely a new one. He hasn't heard of anyone else getting this kind of letter, but maybe it's a new thing or maybe it's a rare thing or maybe just no one wants to talk about it. Or all of the above, who knows. Clint pauses in his firewood stacking to look into the flames, gaze unfocused enough that it's not blinding him, before looking back at Bev. "Do you want me to do it for you?"

It's an entirely serious offer. He's willing to try just about anything to get himself home, short of actual murder, and this isn't anywhere near that level. There's also no way he'd be caught doing it, either.

"Did they say anything about what'll happen if you don't?"

[ethnobotany]

She doesn't exactly give him a startled look. Much as she may have hoped for the opposite, she had suspected there would be some willing to complete the objective. She does, however, shake her head firmly.

"No. Not unless I get more incentive than some vague reward."

Whatever that incentive is, it'll have to be good to get her to even consider stealing something. Her ethical code is far too high for that.

[pretendtoneedme]

Oh he's more than willing. And really, considering his past occupation, this is minor - he's definitely done things like this before, under much, much worse conditions. (He was the one Fury told to break into the Helicarrier to make sure of its defenses, after all.) In the village it would be even easier, since no one was able to lock their doors - just walk inside, take something that wasn't part of the standard "house" set, and walk out again.

"I gotta wonder if that 'reward' is information on how to get home. I've gotta imagine there's people here who'd be willing to try it for that." Well. Besides him. His own ethical code isn't nearly so sparkling as hers and he's not apologizing for that.

"But nothing saying what'll happen if you don't do it?"

[ethnobotany]

"I doubt it," she replies. "I can't think of a single entity or people that would kidnap people, experiment on them, and then offer a moral dilemma just to send them home. Whether or not it's a reward for good behavior, it's too easy."

Beverly isn't normally prone to thinking negatively, not even during situations like this. But even she knows how to face reality. She might want nothing more than to go home and believe fervently that one day they'll manage, but she also knows her own experiences with kidnappers, let alone the various reports she's read over the years she's been in Starfleet. Cardassians, Romulans, even Ferengi. None of them would let anyone go this easily. Not without a catch and not permanently.

"No, nothing on the letter." She's also not dumb enough to imagine there wouldn't be unstated consequences. At this point, that's a risk she's willing to take.