Hoplites, Thralls & Prizes 04

Damage Control

Erin and Marcus met Lana, Claire, and Michael in the middle of 'Central Park.' Claire and Michael were happy to see Erin again and were amazed at the change in her demeanor and afterwards, Lana introduced the younger prizes to her mentor. Claire nearly jumped into his arms, giving him an exuberant hug and kiss. Michael bowed slightly and shook his hand. They chatted for a bit and then Lana said they had to go.

As they approached the First Cohort's compound, they heard a commotion taking place. Someone - a woman from the sound - was screaming obscenities. It also sounded as if others were struggling with her. On entering the compound's central courtyard, they saw a woman was hitting and clawing at a man on the ground, who was trying to protect his head. Two men and a woman were trying to gain control of the woman and calm her down. Still others just stood where they were watching the proceedings occur, without getting involved.

Lana moved quickly over to them and yelled at the top of her lungs, "What the hell is going on here?"

Except for the man trying to control the screaming woman, everyone's eye locked on the tall long-haired woman who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

One of the women who was struggling with the one who was out of control gasped, wide-eyed, "Dana has gone completely over the edge. The Grim Reaper kept pushing her and she just snapped!"

Lana called out to the men who were standing around and ordered them to help control the woman and drag her off the man on the ground. She instructed Erin to go with them and get the woman calmed down. She then instructed Clare and Michael to find out what happened, by talking to the others.

As the Grim Reaper picked himself up off the ground. Lana commanded, "Sean, I'd like a word with you. Now!"

She turned on her heels and stalked away and he limped after her. They went into the second common room. Lana opened the door to her quarters and walked in, with Sean following.

When the door closed, gesturing with her hands, she screamed, "Boishi Moi! What the hell happened out there?"

Sean shook his head, trying to rid himself of the ringing in his ears from the kicks he'd received and said, "I must've pushed her a little too far. I never thought she'd grow a pair of balls and actually attack me."

As he said this, his head throbbed with each word. Sean went on to give a summary of the past two weeks, not holding anything back. He had learned long ago not to hide anything from Svetlana.

Lana got her emotions back under control emotions in check as he shared the recent events. She knew her lover's ego was damaged enough as is. He didn't need her stomping on it as well.

"Didn't you rear her profile," she calmly asked.

"Yes, I did," Sean said, defending himself and added, "I may not have read all of it, but I did read it."

Lana trying hard to conceal her disappointment, clenched a fist and rubbed her temples and breathing deeply replied, "Sean, if you had read all of it, you would have seen that she's been a victim of verbal and emotional abuse, for most of her life," and added, "You made a tough situation much worse."

Putting a caring hand on his shoulder, she said softly, "Lyubovnik, I don't mean to be harsh, but I know you mean well. You want them to do their best, but you can't achieve that by breaking them. Tempering the metal strengthens it, not constantly bashing it with a hammer."

He hung his head in shame at this and she came to him and embraced him. "We all make mistakes," she said and after a pause concluded, "It's how we deal with those mistakes that helps us to grow. We will make things right. Stay here. I will speak to the others.

Outside, while Clare and Michael were speaking to several of the hoplites, Erin was dealing with her first crisis as a Prize. It took several minutes to calm the woman down, then she just seemed to collapse. Erin learned that the two men were name Jorge and Dennis, while the other lady's name was Beth. The woman who they had been fighting to control was Dana.

Although she had been fighting like a harpy a few minutes ago, Dana now laid motionless and limp. From studying information on the data pad during her training, Erin knew this was catatonic shock. The trauma Dana had suffered had so completely overwhelmed her; her brain had unplugged itself. Dennis sat on the ground holding her in his arms. Jorge and Beth were both crying. They sat on the ground for several minutes until Lana walked up to them and asked Erin how the woman was doing.

"She collapsed," Erin said.

Lana nodded her head and said, "Here's what we are going to do. Clare, Michael, and I are going to get the situation under order here. You are going to care for Dana."

"Me," Erin asked, completely blindsided, "Why not you? You're the expert!"

Lana said a curt, "Nyet! NO! I am needed out here. Marcus has told me the level of talent you possess. It's time for you to put that talent to use."

Lana gave her a code and coordinates to enter in the holographic array. Tersely instructing, "This is a very tranquil setting. It should help."

Lana then asked Dennis and Jorge to carry Dana to Erin's quarters. She then consoled Beth and said her friend would be aright and that she should rejoin the others.

Remembering where she was from two weeks ago, Erin led them to her room. As they were walking away, she could hear Lana gathering the others around her, to inform them of what was happening.

- - - -

As Dana returned to consciousness, she heard the tranquil sounds of crashing surf. It sounded so peaceful. Then, she heard a CLANG of metal striking something and then a woman exclaiming, "Goddammit, missed again!"

She opened her eyes and for the second time in recent memory wondered how she got here. The last thing she remembered was working-out and the Irishman berating her and now she was on a beach. It then hit her that all of this must be another holographic projection.

CLANG! "Well shit," exclaimed the voice.

Dana sat up and looked around. The beach was on the edge of a tropical forest. Palm trees filled with coconuts lined the beach's landward edge. A few paces away, a tall, blue-skinned woman was swinging a machete over her head with both hands and was bringing it down. She wore a sarong around her waist and had close-cropped bluish-silver hair.

She rose from the blanket that someone provided her to lay on and said, "Hello!"

The woman paused in mid-stroke and turned toward the source of the greeting that had been called to her. Dana noticed that her hair was cut short on the sides and back and longer on top, forming bangs in front that hung down over her right eye. As the woman swept the hair from her eyes with her hand and smiled brightly, set down the machete against a log and walked toward her. As she approached, Dana began to detect a scent of honey on the air, which smelled nice.

"Hello, my name is Erin," introducing herself and offering her right hand in greeting.

Dana noticed now there was some type of jewelry on her forearm and had a series of LED's on it. She lightly shook the offered hand. Erin was over a head taller than she was.

"Where are we, Erin and what were you doing with the machete," she asked, point past her to where the taller woman had been.

"I think we're on one of the Hawaiian Islands. Lana, I mean Svetlana gave me the coordinates and settings for it. When we got here, I wanted to make us a snack. I've gathered some mangoes and was trying to open a coconut. I love it and hope you do too," she said with a warm smile.

"Would you like some help," Dana offered.

Erin's smile broadened further, and she said, "Absolutely!"

They walked back to where Erin had been. Erin had a large coconut resting on a log. Dana hefted the machete and reset the coconut in a small notch in the log and raised it in one hand, brought it down in a single swift, strong stroke and lopped off the top of the nut and only allowing a little of the milk to spill out.

Erin was incredibly pleased and hopped up and down, clapping her hands. She picked-up the coconut and said, "To the victor goes the spoils," offering the nut to her Erin continued, "Would you like a drink."

Dana gratefully accepted the large nut and took a drink. The fragrant milk was delicious, and she drank a large mouthful. She wiped her lips and then gave it back to Erin saying, "Wow! That's good."

"I know," Erin agreed as Dana handed the nut back to her. She put the coconut to her lips and finished off the milk. "Even it's its fake, it still tastes good," and beamed a smile.

Dana turned to look at the water, amazed that all of this was an electronic illusion. Looking at Erin she shared, "If I didn't know better, I would think we were on Survivor or something."

Laughing at the comment, Erin said, "It looks like the water interests you. If you could do me a favor," holding up the coconut, "Could you chop this open for me? I'll get the meat out for us, and you can go for a swim."

Dana readily agreed and in a few swift strokes of the machete, the coconut was broken open into several pieces that exposed a thick layer of the fruit's meat inside. Erin sat down and began pulling out chunks and putting them in a woven palm frond bowl with pieces of mango.

Dana stuck the machete in the sand and said, "I'll be back."

She walked down to the beach and stood in the tidal band. As the waves came up on the beach dissipating energy, the warm water cascaded over her feet. It felt so good. Instead of walking out into the surf, she splashed out into the water, trying to time things right. As a wave crested, she dove into it. When she broke up onto the surface, she was treading water. She floated on her back with her eyes closed for several minutes, enjoying the sun and the sound of the surf. Afterward, she swam back to shore.

She let the surf carry her up onto the beach. When she stood, she saw that she was completely dry, and she shook her head in amazement. To verify the fact, she reached down and grabbed two handfuls of water and let it cascade over her breasts and down her body. Again, she saw the results was the same. She turned and walked back up the beach. Erin waved at her, and she returned the salutation. She was now sitting on the beach blanket and Dana joined her. As she sat down Dana said, "That was the first water I've felt since I've been here. For being fake, it felt SO good."

Erin said she was glad that she felt refreshed. She pushed the palm frond bowl toward her and encouraged her to eat something. Dana took a piece of mango and bit into it. The fruit was juicy and ripe. Some juice dribbled down her chin and she used her hand to wipe it off and then she licked her fingers. As she chewed, the sounds she made indicated she thought the fruit was delicious.

Erin then asked, "How have you been doing since the flight? You were the flight attendant in first class. I was sitting between an elderly woman and an older man. You got me some wine just before the crash happened."

Dana remembered her, but not as she currently appeared. She thought, 'Wow. The Caretakers really gave her a makeover.'

Dana looked away for a moment. When she looked at Erin again, she wiped tears from her eyes and said with a quivering voice filled with emotion, "The aliens made this place sound like it was Heaven, but frankly the last two-weeks have mostly been Hell."

Dana went on to describe trying her best to complete every task of her new life, including the simulated arena. Sadly, none of it had been good enough for the Irishman. She went on to say she would have broken down sooner if it hadn't been for Beth, Jorge and especially Dennis.

Erin got up and moved to sit beside her. With a hand, she placed Dana's head on her shoulder and hugged her. Erin said, "It sounds like it has been hell. If you would like, I can help you feel better," she then asked, "Would you like for me to help?"

Dana sat up and wiped her eyes again and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"As a Prize," Erin said, "I can't remove harmful memories, but I can suppress them, so they no longer cause you pain or prevent you from becoming who you're supposed to be. The Caretakes can heal and improve our physical bodies, but our emotional wounds and broken spirits enter Eden with us. The prizes are the Caretakes solution to the problem. I would never impose on your privacy. I think I can help you if you give me permission." She finished by asking, "Would you like that?"

With a look of pain and deep sadness, Dana nodded her head and said through another bout of tears, "My spirit is broken, and my emotional gas tank is running on fumes. If you can heal that, I would FOREVER be in your debt."

Erin flashed another lovely smile, reached out a hand to wipe away the tears streaming down Dana's cheek and said, "It's my pleasure to help, in any way I can!"

She crossed her leg, sat cross-legged, and patted her lap. She then instructed Dana to lay on her back and lay her head in her lap. She asked her to close her eyes and breathe deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth. She gently rubbed her scalp and spoke soothingly to her, beginning to massage her temples and lightly rubbing her forehead and cheeks. This was followed by lightly touching the lobes of her ears. She moved her hands back to Dana's temples and slid them to the back of her head.

Pressing her fingertips in just the right spot, Dana gasped and then again laid motionless. With her eyes closed, Erin began seeing a kaleidoscope of images flashing before her eyes. Erin saw an explosion of white light and it felt like she was flying. The sensation of her first counseling was exhilarating.

- - - -

In a flash, Erin was standing in the living room of an apartment or small house. Trash littered the floor and a man in a Marine Corps uniform and a young woman were arguing. A baby girl was sitting on the floor. Erin knew this was baby Dana. A stuffed animal was by her side, and she was playing with letter blocks. The woman was arguing with the man in uniform about his drinking. The man in a flash lashed out and struck the woman. The force of the blow drove her back against the wall, and she slumped to the floor. The man began kicking and stomping her as she screamed for someone to help.

Erin felt a chill course through her body, and she recognized it as Dana's fear. The six-month-old's eyes were wide, and she began crying. The man kicked at her with his foot and as he did so, Erin felt as if she had been struck by lightning as the fear was now coupled with pain. She heard the infant's thoughts, 'Daddy don't hurt mommy! I'll do better, just don't hurt mommy!'

Dana's father had killed her mother. The poor little girl was passed from one dysfunctional relative's family to another and with each transfer, Erin felt colder. She suffered emotional and verbal abuse in each situation and was finally removed from all of them at age five and placed in the foster care system.

The poor girl was them passed from one family to another, as happens with many children in the system. She was ridiculed in school and by other children in the home she was placed with. She discovered that by touching her developing clitoris it would comfort her during the times of severe stress she suffered. Often when the foster parents saw her, they called what she was doing dirty and that she was a little pervert. Many times, these foster parents punished her, just for trying to find relief from the stress from which she was suffering.

She had an indominable willpower and she had to fight for everything she got. As a teen and young adult, she drifted from one verbally and emotionally abusive relationship to another. One relationship left her pregnant, and the little boy became the life ring for which she was desperately grasping.

She got a job as a flight attendant, and she juggled having a career and being a single mom. She made some good friends within the apartment building where they lived, and these neighbors cared for little Jase when she was on flight rotation. Her beauty made her the target for many pilots and co-pilots on the make, but because of her inability to have a stable relationship and her inability to connect with people, she felt a constant loneliness.

One coworker, Beth, encouraged her to attend a martial arts class. Dana found that she was quite good at taekwondo, and it also helped to improve her self-image. She advanced to black belt and even competed in several tournaments. Jase became fascinated with obstacle course competitions and loved the TV show, Survivor and he got Dana hooked on them as well. Although Dana was very fit for being in her forties, she didn't have enough confidence to try it herself.

Another co-worker Dixie Liu, a petite Chinese firebrand had urged her to see the world when they were on layovers. Her, Dixie, and Beth (and other attendants) would hang out together, but Dana always felt uncomfortable and was reserved with others. She didn't realize that her abusive past had made it all but impossible for her to have any type of healthy relationship, with others. Her life fell into a very lonely routine. Most nights she would have several drinks by herself - she told herself she would never become a drunk like her father - and then she would masturbate in her darkened bedroom (or the hotel room she stayed in during trips) and then cry herself to sleep.

Erin felt as if she would freeze, it was so cold. She wondered if this was what loneliness felt like.

She then saw images from the last two-weeks. Because of her previous abuse, the verbal jabs and emotional abuse immediately took her back to her abusive childhood. As Dana fought against it, anger rose within her. Erin felt the cold replaced by a burning heat. The feeling of burning subsided briefly when she met Dennis Foster.

If ever someone needed a Cinderella story, this was it. Erin centered herself, spread her arms, pushed off the ground and then took flight in Dana's memories back to her beginning. When she arrived there, she set to work.

Dana became the youngest child of stern but very loving and caring father. He was a Marine, who was fortunate enough to be stationed in southern California for most of his lengthy career. Dana had the same light blonde hair and looks like her mother. She had three older brothers. They had gotten married young and quickly started a family. As the boys got older, the mother had longed for a daughter. They made several attempts to conceive and after two miscarriages, the third time was the charm. Nine-months later little Dana was born into the world.

Dana's father had to leave on occasional deployments and in her infantile mind she wondered where da-da was and would become sad, mirroring the emotions of mama. Things would change; however, because she then remembered being in a big crowd of people. Mama was holding her and then she saw da-da and she was happy again.

In her memories, Dana would now remember losing her mother at an incredibly early age to a terrible sickness called cancer. Her father was grief stricken at the loss of the love of his life, but he vowed to do the best job he could being a single parent. Her father pulled strings to get an assignment at the Marine Corps 'boot camp' outside of San Diego, so that he could raise his four children.

Dana was truly her father's little girl. Although she had a few pink outfits, red and gold were her colors. Her favorite stuffed animal was Chesty, her bulldog that dad had given her. He worshipped the ground she walked on, and he called her, "His little Bulldog." She remembered playing drill instructor games. She would wear her dad's Drill Instructor hat and hold the riding crop he used and 'inspect' her company of stuffed animals and dolls.