Tickler Bart
2nd Level Orange Feather
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2001
- Messages
- 2,333
- Points
- 38
Border Dispute
[email protected]
NOTE: The following story contains several trademarks of Paramount Motion Pictures, Inc., which are used without permission. This use in no way is intended to present a challenge to said trademarks, & is made in the same vein as various Star Trek (tm) "fanzines" which routinely use them, which are sold for profit, & whose usage has not, to date, been challenged by Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Copyright 1997 [email protected] All Rights Reserved
"Captain's log, stardate 52349.2. The Enterprise is en route to the Romulan Neutral Zone after our unfortunate experience on Alpha Draconis VII. Starfleet Command has received intelligence reports that indicate a Romulan incursion into Federation territory may be imminent. The Enterprise is maintaining an alert status for the duration of our mission here. In the meantime, Counselor Troi & Doctor Crusher are getting over the trauma of their experiences on Alpha Draconis VII."
"It's not unusual for a person to experience nightmares after going through the kind of trauma you did. We did," said Counselor Troi in her soft Betazoid accent.
"I know that," said Dr. Crusher, seemingly exasperated. "I know. But I haven't been able to sleep for the last 4 nights. It's getting so I'm thinking about taking a tranquilizer."
"Perhaps if we talked about what happened on Alpha Draconis VII some more?" suggested Troi.
"Maybe that'll help. Where should we start?"
"How about with the little girl. Can you go over what happened for me again?"
"Well, they had locked my feet into the stocks, & my hands were tied behind my back," began the Doctor. "The guard who put me there took off my boots & left. Naturally I had no idea of what was going on."
"& then the child came," prompted Troi.
"Yes," said Crusher. "Then that sweet-faced little girl came up to me. She seemed friendly enough, & I didn't get the impression she was malicious in any way. But then she started tickling my feet, & oh, Deanna, it was horrible!"
"I know, I know. Go on."
"I tried to get out of the stocks, or loosen my hands, or something. Anything to get her to stop. I was completely helpless, & all she did was keep on tickling my feet. I was out of my head laughing so much, but that only seemed to encourage her. She was actually enjoying seeing me suffer like that."
"I'm not so sure," said Troi. "Perhaps she wasn't tickling you for the sake of inflicting torture. It hardly seems normal to send a child to torture a prisoner."
"That's true. But then why? & remember, it wasn't just the girl. All day long, the villagers would stop on their way somewhere & just sit there & tickle my feet! That happened all day long, & they were so casual about it! A few of them even had contests; one would tickle one foot & the other the other
foot, to see who could make me laugh loudest."
"Is that what bothered you? Their casualness?"
"That, & the fact that I was completely at their mercy. There wasn't anything I could do about it."
"Nothing else?"
"Well... I confess that there was another reaction."
"What reaction was that?" asked Troi.
"It's embarrassing, really. But I found that I was becoming sexually aroused during all of this."
"Hmm. Have you ever had similar feelings before? Ever experimented sexually with anything like bondage?"
"No, never. It never really appealed to me. But it wasn't as if I was enjoying what they were doing, Deanna. I would have done anything to get them to stop."
"Beverly, I want you to know that you're not alone. I felt the same way; I would have done anything to get them to stop the tickling. I was finding myself getting quite aroused during my ordeals as well. I'll have to have the computer do some research on the phenomenon for me. I'll let you know the results."
"I'd appreciate it."
"In the meantime, I wouldn't go to tranquilizers yet. Give it a few more days. The dreams should go away soon."
Around a corner but well within earshot, unnoticed, a new crewman, whose pointed ears marked her as a Vulcan, smiled as she turned off a sound recorder. Then she pulled a transmitter from her bag, but it was no standard Federation communicator.
On the bridge, the level of tension increased dramatically as the ship approached the Neutral Zone. The ship was on yellow alert, & everyone was intently monitoring their control boards.
"Still no sensor contacts, captain," said Data, the android 2nd officer.
"Continue scanning, Mr. Data," said Picard. "Mr. Worf, anything new from Starfleet Intelligence?"
"Negative, sir," replied the massive Klingon from behind the captain's chair.
"Sir," said Data. "Sensors are picking up an unusual energy disturbance at 97 mark 14."
"A cloaked ship?" asked Riker, the 1st officer.
"Possibly, sir. But the energy patterns are similar to a transporter's carrier wave signal," replied the android.
"Transporter signal?" asked the captain. "But why..."
The captain was cut off by the characteristic whine of a transporter. To his left, Counselor Troi disappeared in a halo of energy.
Picard stood up in disbelief. "Red alert! Raise shields! Mr. Data, initiate scan. Find out where that transporter beam came from!"
"Captain," said Worf. "Deck eleven reports that Dr. Crusher & Ensign Sorek are also missing. Possibly they too were beamed off the ship."
"Confirmed, captain," said Data. "Sensors are picking up 3 transporter trails. But whatever transported them is no longer there, sir. It was undoubtedly a cloaked ship, but it appears to have moved off."
"Mr. Data, begin an immediate sweep of the area. I want that cloaked ship!"
Disoriented from their sudden & unexpected transport, Troi & Crusher found themselves on board what was obviously a Romulan ship. 4 guards pulled their communicators off their uniforms & shoved them down the corridor. They were taken to a room with 2 tables & a variety of computers lining the walls. Roughly, they were put on the tables, their wrists & ankles secured with magnetically locking metal clamps, wrists above their heads. Captured in the lair of the enemy.
"Welcome aboard, ladies," said a familiar voice. Tasha! Thought Crusher, & then realized that it wasn't Tasha Yar. It was her half-Romulan daughter, Selar. Selar nodded to the guards & said "You may leave us." The guards left the room.
"We have so much to talk about, you & I," said Selar sweetly. "Such as your current mission. Why don't you tell me all about it?" She smiled.
"We have nothing to say to you," said Troi.
"Release us immediately! The Enterprise won't rest until they've recovered us, surely you know that," said Crusher.
"The Enterprise won't be recovering anyone. Or did you forget about our cloaking device?" replied Selar. The 2 Starfleet prisoners pulled against their bonds, helpless.
"You know you will tell me what I want to know eventually. Why not just spare me the trouble of having to torture you both?" said Selar.
"We'll never tell you anything," said Crusher.
"Oh, but you will," replied Selar. "You see, I know your weakness."
"Weakness? What are you talking about?" said Troi, puzzled.
Ensign Sorel, the newly-assigned medical assistant, entered the chamber. But she wasn't in a Starfleet uniform this time. Hers was a Romulan uniform. "Dr. Crusher, counselor Troi," she said, bowing her head.
"Centurian Andak here was quite helpful in assessing which of the Enterprise crew members would be most productive for our little conversation. Centurian?" Said Selar.
The Romulan spy produced the sound recorder & pressed a button. Crusher's voice could be heard. "No, never. It never really appealed to me. But it wasn't as if I was enjoying what they were doing, Deanna. I would have done anything to get them to stop."
& then Troi's; "Beverly, I want you to know that you're not alone. I felt the same way; I would have done anything to get them to stop the tickling."
She pressed the button again, & the tape stopped. Troi & Crusher looked at each other miserably.
"Now," said Selar. "Are you sure you won't be a little more cooperative?"
"No sign of any cloaked vessel, captain," said Data.
"Surely there is something we can do!" said Worf. "We could fire a spread of photon torpedoes. One would be bound to hit the Romulans."
"Mr. Worf, need I remind you that 3 of our officers are aboard that ship? We cannot simply open fire blindly until we can assure their safety. Other suggestions?"
"We could try to scan for their communicator badges. That'd give us a good idea of where they were," said Geordi LaForge.
"Mr. Data?" asked the captain.
"It is theoretically possible, captain. However, the cloaking device of the Romulan ship would limit the effective range of such a scan severely. It would take several hours to perform a full sweep," answered the android.
"Make it so. We can only hope that we don't find them too late."
"You know," said Selar as she pulled off one of Troi's boots, "ticklishness as a physiological response is not unique to humans." She pulled off the other. "In fact, it is one of the traits that humans & romulans share."
"Don't do this, please!" begged Troi. Her small frame, spread helplessly on the table, quivered with anxiety. Her tiny feet moved nervously, as if she could already feel the torture to come.
Selar ignored her as she went to Crusher's trapped form & began removing her boots as well. She slowly undid the zipper on the side & tugged, smiling as Crusher vainly tried to maneuver her foot to keep the boot on for even an instant longer. "Please, no," the trapped doctor pleaded. Selar once again ignored her prisoner & simply bared her other foot.
Selar smiled as she beheld Crusher's helpless body, her slender bare feet trapped within the metal bands that held her to the table. "This is your last chance to cooperate," she said.
"Never!" Crusher & Troi said together.
"Very well," Selar said, smiling. "We are going to play a little game, you & we. Centurian Andak & I shall fritter away our idle hours here tickling your feet, & incidentally listening to you beg for mercy! & we shall grant it! As soon as one of you decides to be more cooperative & give us the details of your current mission. The one of you who cooperates first will be spared. The other, I'm sorry to say, won't be as fortunate. She will remain here, & the tickling will go on, & on, & on. An interesting experiment in physiology & the psychology of torture, wouldn't you say, Andak?"
"Indeed, commander. A paper might even be produced from the results. We should record the proceedings."
"An excellent idea, centurian," replied Selar. "See to it." She turned to her helpless Federation prisoners. "Now, Andak, which would you like to take first? Since you were instrumental in their capture, I'll defer the honors to you."
"You're too generous, commander," the spy replied. "I believe I'll take the doctor first. I've got to release several weeks of frustrations that I acquired while working under her on the Enterprise." She smiled evilly, & produced a medical tray from a table. Arrayed on the tray, as if they were medical instruments awaiting a surgeon's call during an operation, were the instruments of torture.
"Of course, of course," answered Selar. The blond half-Romulan selected a long thin feather from the tray & walked over to where Troi was bound to the table. "I think I shall begin with this. Do you see this, counselor? It comes from a predatory bird on Romulus, the egatta. The egatta is famed for toying & tormenting its prey before the final kill. Appropriate, don't you think?"
"Please, I'm begging you," replied the half-Betazoid counselor. "If any of your mother's humanity remains within you, don't do this!"
"You'll have to do better than those cheap psychological ploys, Counselor. Now then, are you going to talk?" & with that, Selar brought the tip of the tan egatta feather against the soft flesh on the sole of Troi's small foot. Troi immediately jerked away, but her foot was held tight. She started to smile, & then a giggle escaped her lips. The feather moved steadily back & forth across her soles, Selar lightly flicking it against her sensitive skin.
"How does that saying go again? Ah, yes. Kitchy-kitchy-koo!" Selar tormented her victim, smiling sadistically. Troi had begun laughing out loud, helpless to do anything else.
Meanwhile, Andak had selected from the tray of torture implements a stiff-bristled brush, much like an artist's paintbrush. The black bristles of the brush matched her raven-dark hair & eyes. "& now, doctor," she said maliciously, "We can see about those 4 weeks I was assigned to work for you. Do you have any idea how humiliating that was? You don't know the first thing about how to run a sick bay!" She held the brush up before Crusher's terror-filled eyes. "& now comes my revenge."
"Please, no! You don't understahahahahahahahand!"
Andak had already begun to drag the stiff bristles of the brush against Crusher's soles, & the effect was immediate. Crusher was laughing after the 1st stroke, & her laughter only got louder & more desperate as the tickle-torture went on.
"I understand only too well, doctor. I understand that after a few hours of this, you'll be ready to tell me anything." Andak said as she brushed the undersides of the helpless doctor's toes with the brush. "Of course, it wouldn't do you any good if the counselor were to crack first. Do you really want to take that chance? I could sit here & tickle your feet like this for days on end!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!" was the frantic doctor's only reply.
"Well, counselor," taunted Selar. "It seems like the good doctor is ready to crack already!" The half-Romulan dragged the feather lengthwise between each of Troi's small toes. "That would mean this torture would go on for you forever! You don't want that, do you?"
Troi was getting frantic. The pace of her laughter had increased steadily with the nonstop tickling. There were no rests, no breaks, no relief. "Nohohohohohohohoho!" was her only reply. Desperately, she pulled at the bands holding her fast to the table, but it was no use. She was trapped.
"Fascinating, isn't it, centurian?" Selar said, casually, as she kept up the ruthless tickling.
"What is that, commander?" replied Andak, just as casually.
"That a simple physical stimulus can evoke such a reaction. & it's not a simple pain reaction, either. In it's own way, it's more agonizing than pain. The body can learn to deal with pain-inducing torture. It's a known quantity. But this, this is something between pleasure & pain. The brain doesn't know whether to enjoy it or not!" Selar attacked the sides of Troi's dainty feet, around the ankles. New gales of laughter were forced out of the small ship's counselor.
"Indeed, commander," replied Andak as she switched from the brush to a hard & almost-sharp stylus. The 1st instant of contact against the doctor's hypersensitive soles brought a new round of pleading & laughing, which she savored. "An added complication is the fact that tickling is somehow linked to the female sexual response. In the later stages of this sort of torture, much of the discomfort of the victim stems from unresolved sexual desire."
"Is that a fact?" Selar said. Once again, she appeared as if her conversation was the whole reason for her being in the room; the fact that she was inflicting unbearable torment on Troi seemed almost incidental. In fact, quite the reverse was true. Her indifference was feigned; she was in fact riveted by Troi's plight, & was quite aware of the sexually stimulating aspects of this sort of torture. Quite aware. She switched back to Troi's toes with the feather.
Selar turned back to Troi. "Is that true? Is this making you aroused? Perhaps you want it to continue..."
"Nohohohohohohohoho! Stop it please! I'm going insahahahahahane!" Pleaded Troi.
"You know what you must do for me to stop. I'd hurry if I were you; the doctor looks like she's very close to breaking."
Indeed she did. Andak's new tactic; dragging the almost-sharp point of the stylus against Crusher's already tormented soles was having the desired effect. She was laughing almost silently now, now being able to catch her breath enough to even beg for mercy.
At that moment an intercom sounded in the room. "Commander Selar report to the bridge. Emergency!" the disembodied voice said.
"The Enterprise!" said Selar. "Andak, come with me. We can continue this pastime later." The 2 Romulan officers left the room, leaving Troi & Crusher still strapped to the tables. Both were covered in sweat, & spent the next minutes catching their breath. The soles of their feet were reddened, & tingled with the memory of the torture.
"We've got to find a way out of here. Another minute of that & I would have given in," said Crusher.
"I was just about to, too. But how?" asked Troi.
"Captain, we have a fix on what is most likely the Romulan ship. It is stopped, & in the lee of an asteroid, with cloaking device activated. But our sweep has managed to home in on the signals we were seeking," reported Data.
"Do we have a probable configuration for the Romulan ship?" asked Riker.
"Yes, sir. By the size of the energy emissions, we can safely estimate the Romulan vessel to be small. No larger than a bird of prey. Certainly no match for the Enterprise. Unless, of course, there is another vessel nearby that has escaped our scrutiny. That would not be an atypical Romulan strategy."
"Excellent," replied Picard. "Mr. Worf, prepare a security team, have them report to the transporter room. Mr. Data, open hailing frequencies. Let's give them a chance to cut their own throats."
The main viewing screen activated, & there was the face of Selar, who had lost her last 2 encounters with Picard & the Enterprise. She looked like the cat who swallowed the canary.
"Commander Selar. I must demand that you return my officers to the Enterprise at once, or I shall be forced to take action against you."
"Captain Picard," started Selar slyly. "We are not holding any of your officers aboard this ship. In fact, we were wondering what brought you within the neutral zone. That is a violation of the treaty, captain." She smiled.
"Enough of this verbal fencing. Commander, you must know that your ship is no match for the Enterprise. Our phaser banks are locked on to you. I give you 1 hour to return my officers to this ship or I shall disable your vessel & take them back. & just so you know that we mean business, Mr. Worf, if you please."
The Klingon touched his control panel & a lance of golden energy shot from the saucer of the Enterprise & hit the slightly-distorted patch of space square-on. For an instant, the Romulan ship was visible, its lights flickered, & then the ship was gone again, cloaked.
Just as Selar was about to make a rejoinder, her whole ship shuddered with the impact of the Enterprise's phaser blast. The lights dimmed as the power was momentarily cut off, but quickly came back on.
"Damn him! Damn him & his Galaxy class starship & his cockiness. He gives us an hour. Well, that hour is all we need. Come along, Andak. We have an interrogation to complete!" Selar stormed off the bridge of her ship, followed by the centurian. The other crewmembers studiously examined their instruments, for fear of being caught looking. The commander was capable of anything when she was in one of these moods.
"I think I'll take a turn with the doctor, centurian. You take the Betazoid."
"Yes, commander. I think I would enjoy that. She probably won't though."
"Remember, though; we've got a deadline now. & I want those answers. If this doesn't work, I might just decide to practice my technique... on you. Do you understand?"
Andak gulped audibly, & turned visibly pale. "I understand, commander. It will work, I promise."
"It had better, for your sake," muttered Selar as she entered the interrogation room.
Selar walked over to the spread-eagle form of Crusher & looked studiously at the medical tray. "Hmm, what shall I use this time? Perhaps..."
Selar wasn't able to complete her thought. Like a flash, Crusher's bare foot leapt off the table & caught Selar in the diaphragm, knocking the wind out of her & throwing her to the floor. Crusher leapt off the table &, with a quick chop to her shoulder, knocked Selar unconscious.
Troi acted as soon as Crusher did, & just as quickly disabled Andak. Acting quickly, knowing that a guard could come at any time, they lifted their tormentors to the tables & activated the magnetic locks. Selar was the first to rouse herself, but quickly discovered her predicament.
"What's going on here! Release me at once, I warn you!" she shouted.
Andak was awake by now as well. "How did you get out of the bonds? They're unbreakable!" she demanded.
"Simple," answered Troi. "When the power went out, the magnetic locks opened. & now the 2 of you are going to help us get off this ship & back to the Enterprise."
"Ha! Never! You don't think you can escape, do you? With a whole shipload of my troops to stop you?" answered Selar.
Crusher came back from the computer terminal she had been working on. "It's no use, Deanna. They've got a passcode on the communication system. If we could only get a message to the Enterprise, they could lock on & beam us out of here."
"You wouldn't happen to know that code, would you, commander?" Troi asked. "Perhaps you could be persuaded to hand it over to us."
"You wouldn't dare," answered Selar, a slight quiver of fear in her voice. "The Federation doesn't believe in torture."
"You said yourself there is no real pain involved," Crusher answered. "& this is an extreme case."
"Yes, very extreme," said Troi, who walked over to Andak & pulled off her boots. Romulan feet looked very much like those of any other humanoid, & Andak's had long, slender toes with green polish to highlight the slight green tint of her skin.
"Do not do this!" Andak said, trying to bluster her way through. "You will regret this, I swear!"
Crusher went to Selar, & pulled off her boots as well. Selar had inherited much of her human mother's physical attributes; there was no green cast to her skin. Her toes were pink & wiggled as she tried to free herself. But the bands were too well designed. "You're bluffing," she said. She didn't even believe herself.
"Over the last few weeks, Beverly & I have gotten to be near experts on tickling. Isn't that so?"
"Definitely," replied the doctor. "& I think that my knowledge of anatomy & nerve paths is going to come in handy as well. Unless, of course, you want to tell us the passcode to the computer now? I really don't want to do this. But I will if I have to."
"I will never tell you anything!" said Selar.
"Never!" echoed Andak.
"We'll see," said Troi, as she dragged her fingernails down the length of Andak's sole. The Romulan was visibly straining to keep in the laughter, & each stroke of Troi's sharp fingernails made it harder to resist.
Crusher had started in, too. She took the stylus from the tray & had started tracing designs on Selar's pink feet. Selar was unable to even make a pretense of resistance; she immediately started laughing uncontrollably.
"Hehehehehe! I-- I'll never tell you anything hehehehehehe!" she managed to get out.
"I think you will. One or the other of you," said Troi. She had picked up the feather from the tray & was wiggling it against the bottoms of Andak's toes, sending the Romulan spy into hysterics.
"Hahahahahaha! Please! No more! Hahahaha!" she begged.
"Just tell me the access code & we'll stop," said Troi.
"Don't, centurian! Hehehehehe! That's an order hahahahaha!"
Crusher's stylus was not tracing random designs on her "patient's" feet. She was using it to trace out the nerve patterns on the soles of Selar's feet. Her medical knowledge was making the tickling sensations even more excruciating.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Selar couldn't take any more. Crusher & Troi stopped tickling their feet long enough to hear what they had to say.
Once she regained her breath, Selar said "The access code is 1-5-6-9-1."
"This better not be a trick," said Troi, who waved the feather ominously in Selar's face.
"It's not! I swear!"
Crusher went over to the computer panel & entered in the code. The indicator went green, & a channel was open to the Enterprise! "Crusher to Enterprise! Beam us back from these coordinates! Hurry!"
Chief O'Brien's voice could be heard at the other end of the channel. "Right away, Doctor." Soon, Crusher & Troi disappeared from the Romulan ship in a nimbus of blue light. Just as they did so, the door to the interrogation chamber opened, & Pandav, 2nd in command of the ship, entered, along with 2 guards.
"Pandav!" ordered Selar. "Release us immediately & get the ship back across the neutral zone!"
"I don't think so, commander."
"What! That was an order!"
"I've taken command, Commander Selar. You have failed the Empire once again. No doubt it's that human half of yours. & this time, I am going to implement your punishment personally."
"What are you talking about?" asked Selar nervously.
Pandav motioned to the camera that was on the wall, all but forgotten. "We were having such an enjoyable time watching your plight that we couldn't bare to leave it so short." He smiled evilly as he walked over to the tray. "Now what should I start with...?"
[email protected]
NOTE: The following story contains several trademarks of Paramount Motion Pictures, Inc., which are used without permission. This use in no way is intended to present a challenge to said trademarks, & is made in the same vein as various Star Trek (tm) "fanzines" which routinely use them, which are sold for profit, & whose usage has not, to date, been challenged by Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Copyright 1997 [email protected] All Rights Reserved
"Captain's log, stardate 52349.2. The Enterprise is en route to the Romulan Neutral Zone after our unfortunate experience on Alpha Draconis VII. Starfleet Command has received intelligence reports that indicate a Romulan incursion into Federation territory may be imminent. The Enterprise is maintaining an alert status for the duration of our mission here. In the meantime, Counselor Troi & Doctor Crusher are getting over the trauma of their experiences on Alpha Draconis VII."
"It's not unusual for a person to experience nightmares after going through the kind of trauma you did. We did," said Counselor Troi in her soft Betazoid accent.
"I know that," said Dr. Crusher, seemingly exasperated. "I know. But I haven't been able to sleep for the last 4 nights. It's getting so I'm thinking about taking a tranquilizer."
"Perhaps if we talked about what happened on Alpha Draconis VII some more?" suggested Troi.
"Maybe that'll help. Where should we start?"
"How about with the little girl. Can you go over what happened for me again?"
"Well, they had locked my feet into the stocks, & my hands were tied behind my back," began the Doctor. "The guard who put me there took off my boots & left. Naturally I had no idea of what was going on."
"& then the child came," prompted Troi.
"Yes," said Crusher. "Then that sweet-faced little girl came up to me. She seemed friendly enough, & I didn't get the impression she was malicious in any way. But then she started tickling my feet, & oh, Deanna, it was horrible!"
"I know, I know. Go on."
"I tried to get out of the stocks, or loosen my hands, or something. Anything to get her to stop. I was completely helpless, & all she did was keep on tickling my feet. I was out of my head laughing so much, but that only seemed to encourage her. She was actually enjoying seeing me suffer like that."
"I'm not so sure," said Troi. "Perhaps she wasn't tickling you for the sake of inflicting torture. It hardly seems normal to send a child to torture a prisoner."
"That's true. But then why? & remember, it wasn't just the girl. All day long, the villagers would stop on their way somewhere & just sit there & tickle my feet! That happened all day long, & they were so casual about it! A few of them even had contests; one would tickle one foot & the other the other
foot, to see who could make me laugh loudest."
"Is that what bothered you? Their casualness?"
"That, & the fact that I was completely at their mercy. There wasn't anything I could do about it."
"Nothing else?"
"Well... I confess that there was another reaction."
"What reaction was that?" asked Troi.
"It's embarrassing, really. But I found that I was becoming sexually aroused during all of this."
"Hmm. Have you ever had similar feelings before? Ever experimented sexually with anything like bondage?"
"No, never. It never really appealed to me. But it wasn't as if I was enjoying what they were doing, Deanna. I would have done anything to get them to stop."
"Beverly, I want you to know that you're not alone. I felt the same way; I would have done anything to get them to stop the tickling. I was finding myself getting quite aroused during my ordeals as well. I'll have to have the computer do some research on the phenomenon for me. I'll let you know the results."
"I'd appreciate it."
"In the meantime, I wouldn't go to tranquilizers yet. Give it a few more days. The dreams should go away soon."
Around a corner but well within earshot, unnoticed, a new crewman, whose pointed ears marked her as a Vulcan, smiled as she turned off a sound recorder. Then she pulled a transmitter from her bag, but it was no standard Federation communicator.
On the bridge, the level of tension increased dramatically as the ship approached the Neutral Zone. The ship was on yellow alert, & everyone was intently monitoring their control boards.
"Still no sensor contacts, captain," said Data, the android 2nd officer.
"Continue scanning, Mr. Data," said Picard. "Mr. Worf, anything new from Starfleet Intelligence?"
"Negative, sir," replied the massive Klingon from behind the captain's chair.
"Sir," said Data. "Sensors are picking up an unusual energy disturbance at 97 mark 14."
"A cloaked ship?" asked Riker, the 1st officer.
"Possibly, sir. But the energy patterns are similar to a transporter's carrier wave signal," replied the android.
"Transporter signal?" asked the captain. "But why..."
The captain was cut off by the characteristic whine of a transporter. To his left, Counselor Troi disappeared in a halo of energy.
Picard stood up in disbelief. "Red alert! Raise shields! Mr. Data, initiate scan. Find out where that transporter beam came from!"
"Captain," said Worf. "Deck eleven reports that Dr. Crusher & Ensign Sorek are also missing. Possibly they too were beamed off the ship."
"Confirmed, captain," said Data. "Sensors are picking up 3 transporter trails. But whatever transported them is no longer there, sir. It was undoubtedly a cloaked ship, but it appears to have moved off."
"Mr. Data, begin an immediate sweep of the area. I want that cloaked ship!"
Disoriented from their sudden & unexpected transport, Troi & Crusher found themselves on board what was obviously a Romulan ship. 4 guards pulled their communicators off their uniforms & shoved them down the corridor. They were taken to a room with 2 tables & a variety of computers lining the walls. Roughly, they were put on the tables, their wrists & ankles secured with magnetically locking metal clamps, wrists above their heads. Captured in the lair of the enemy.
"Welcome aboard, ladies," said a familiar voice. Tasha! Thought Crusher, & then realized that it wasn't Tasha Yar. It was her half-Romulan daughter, Selar. Selar nodded to the guards & said "You may leave us." The guards left the room.
"We have so much to talk about, you & I," said Selar sweetly. "Such as your current mission. Why don't you tell me all about it?" She smiled.
"We have nothing to say to you," said Troi.
"Release us immediately! The Enterprise won't rest until they've recovered us, surely you know that," said Crusher.
"The Enterprise won't be recovering anyone. Or did you forget about our cloaking device?" replied Selar. The 2 Starfleet prisoners pulled against their bonds, helpless.
"You know you will tell me what I want to know eventually. Why not just spare me the trouble of having to torture you both?" said Selar.
"We'll never tell you anything," said Crusher.
"Oh, but you will," replied Selar. "You see, I know your weakness."
"Weakness? What are you talking about?" said Troi, puzzled.
Ensign Sorel, the newly-assigned medical assistant, entered the chamber. But she wasn't in a Starfleet uniform this time. Hers was a Romulan uniform. "Dr. Crusher, counselor Troi," she said, bowing her head.
"Centurian Andak here was quite helpful in assessing which of the Enterprise crew members would be most productive for our little conversation. Centurian?" Said Selar.
The Romulan spy produced the sound recorder & pressed a button. Crusher's voice could be heard. "No, never. It never really appealed to me. But it wasn't as if I was enjoying what they were doing, Deanna. I would have done anything to get them to stop."
& then Troi's; "Beverly, I want you to know that you're not alone. I felt the same way; I would have done anything to get them to stop the tickling."
She pressed the button again, & the tape stopped. Troi & Crusher looked at each other miserably.
"Now," said Selar. "Are you sure you won't be a little more cooperative?"
"No sign of any cloaked vessel, captain," said Data.
"Surely there is something we can do!" said Worf. "We could fire a spread of photon torpedoes. One would be bound to hit the Romulans."
"Mr. Worf, need I remind you that 3 of our officers are aboard that ship? We cannot simply open fire blindly until we can assure their safety. Other suggestions?"
"We could try to scan for their communicator badges. That'd give us a good idea of where they were," said Geordi LaForge.
"Mr. Data?" asked the captain.
"It is theoretically possible, captain. However, the cloaking device of the Romulan ship would limit the effective range of such a scan severely. It would take several hours to perform a full sweep," answered the android.
"Make it so. We can only hope that we don't find them too late."
"You know," said Selar as she pulled off one of Troi's boots, "ticklishness as a physiological response is not unique to humans." She pulled off the other. "In fact, it is one of the traits that humans & romulans share."
"Don't do this, please!" begged Troi. Her small frame, spread helplessly on the table, quivered with anxiety. Her tiny feet moved nervously, as if she could already feel the torture to come.
Selar ignored her as she went to Crusher's trapped form & began removing her boots as well. She slowly undid the zipper on the side & tugged, smiling as Crusher vainly tried to maneuver her foot to keep the boot on for even an instant longer. "Please, no," the trapped doctor pleaded. Selar once again ignored her prisoner & simply bared her other foot.
Selar smiled as she beheld Crusher's helpless body, her slender bare feet trapped within the metal bands that held her to the table. "This is your last chance to cooperate," she said.
"Never!" Crusher & Troi said together.
"Very well," Selar said, smiling. "We are going to play a little game, you & we. Centurian Andak & I shall fritter away our idle hours here tickling your feet, & incidentally listening to you beg for mercy! & we shall grant it! As soon as one of you decides to be more cooperative & give us the details of your current mission. The one of you who cooperates first will be spared. The other, I'm sorry to say, won't be as fortunate. She will remain here, & the tickling will go on, & on, & on. An interesting experiment in physiology & the psychology of torture, wouldn't you say, Andak?"
"Indeed, commander. A paper might even be produced from the results. We should record the proceedings."
"An excellent idea, centurian," replied Selar. "See to it." She turned to her helpless Federation prisoners. "Now, Andak, which would you like to take first? Since you were instrumental in their capture, I'll defer the honors to you."
"You're too generous, commander," the spy replied. "I believe I'll take the doctor first. I've got to release several weeks of frustrations that I acquired while working under her on the Enterprise." She smiled evilly, & produced a medical tray from a table. Arrayed on the tray, as if they were medical instruments awaiting a surgeon's call during an operation, were the instruments of torture.
"Of course, of course," answered Selar. The blond half-Romulan selected a long thin feather from the tray & walked over to where Troi was bound to the table. "I think I shall begin with this. Do you see this, counselor? It comes from a predatory bird on Romulus, the egatta. The egatta is famed for toying & tormenting its prey before the final kill. Appropriate, don't you think?"
"Please, I'm begging you," replied the half-Betazoid counselor. "If any of your mother's humanity remains within you, don't do this!"
"You'll have to do better than those cheap psychological ploys, Counselor. Now then, are you going to talk?" & with that, Selar brought the tip of the tan egatta feather against the soft flesh on the sole of Troi's small foot. Troi immediately jerked away, but her foot was held tight. She started to smile, & then a giggle escaped her lips. The feather moved steadily back & forth across her soles, Selar lightly flicking it against her sensitive skin.
"How does that saying go again? Ah, yes. Kitchy-kitchy-koo!" Selar tormented her victim, smiling sadistically. Troi had begun laughing out loud, helpless to do anything else.
Meanwhile, Andak had selected from the tray of torture implements a stiff-bristled brush, much like an artist's paintbrush. The black bristles of the brush matched her raven-dark hair & eyes. "& now, doctor," she said maliciously, "We can see about those 4 weeks I was assigned to work for you. Do you have any idea how humiliating that was? You don't know the first thing about how to run a sick bay!" She held the brush up before Crusher's terror-filled eyes. "& now comes my revenge."
"Please, no! You don't understahahahahahahahand!"
Andak had already begun to drag the stiff bristles of the brush against Crusher's soles, & the effect was immediate. Crusher was laughing after the 1st stroke, & her laughter only got louder & more desperate as the tickle-torture went on.
"I understand only too well, doctor. I understand that after a few hours of this, you'll be ready to tell me anything." Andak said as she brushed the undersides of the helpless doctor's toes with the brush. "Of course, it wouldn't do you any good if the counselor were to crack first. Do you really want to take that chance? I could sit here & tickle your feet like this for days on end!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!" was the frantic doctor's only reply.
"Well, counselor," taunted Selar. "It seems like the good doctor is ready to crack already!" The half-Romulan dragged the feather lengthwise between each of Troi's small toes. "That would mean this torture would go on for you forever! You don't want that, do you?"
Troi was getting frantic. The pace of her laughter had increased steadily with the nonstop tickling. There were no rests, no breaks, no relief. "Nohohohohohohohoho!" was her only reply. Desperately, she pulled at the bands holding her fast to the table, but it was no use. She was trapped.
"Fascinating, isn't it, centurian?" Selar said, casually, as she kept up the ruthless tickling.
"What is that, commander?" replied Andak, just as casually.
"That a simple physical stimulus can evoke such a reaction. & it's not a simple pain reaction, either. In it's own way, it's more agonizing than pain. The body can learn to deal with pain-inducing torture. It's a known quantity. But this, this is something between pleasure & pain. The brain doesn't know whether to enjoy it or not!" Selar attacked the sides of Troi's dainty feet, around the ankles. New gales of laughter were forced out of the small ship's counselor.
"Indeed, commander," replied Andak as she switched from the brush to a hard & almost-sharp stylus. The 1st instant of contact against the doctor's hypersensitive soles brought a new round of pleading & laughing, which she savored. "An added complication is the fact that tickling is somehow linked to the female sexual response. In the later stages of this sort of torture, much of the discomfort of the victim stems from unresolved sexual desire."
"Is that a fact?" Selar said. Once again, she appeared as if her conversation was the whole reason for her being in the room; the fact that she was inflicting unbearable torment on Troi seemed almost incidental. In fact, quite the reverse was true. Her indifference was feigned; she was in fact riveted by Troi's plight, & was quite aware of the sexually stimulating aspects of this sort of torture. Quite aware. She switched back to Troi's toes with the feather.
Selar turned back to Troi. "Is that true? Is this making you aroused? Perhaps you want it to continue..."
"Nohohohohohohohoho! Stop it please! I'm going insahahahahahane!" Pleaded Troi.
"You know what you must do for me to stop. I'd hurry if I were you; the doctor looks like she's very close to breaking."
Indeed she did. Andak's new tactic; dragging the almost-sharp point of the stylus against Crusher's already tormented soles was having the desired effect. She was laughing almost silently now, now being able to catch her breath enough to even beg for mercy.
At that moment an intercom sounded in the room. "Commander Selar report to the bridge. Emergency!" the disembodied voice said.
"The Enterprise!" said Selar. "Andak, come with me. We can continue this pastime later." The 2 Romulan officers left the room, leaving Troi & Crusher still strapped to the tables. Both were covered in sweat, & spent the next minutes catching their breath. The soles of their feet were reddened, & tingled with the memory of the torture.
"We've got to find a way out of here. Another minute of that & I would have given in," said Crusher.
"I was just about to, too. But how?" asked Troi.
"Captain, we have a fix on what is most likely the Romulan ship. It is stopped, & in the lee of an asteroid, with cloaking device activated. But our sweep has managed to home in on the signals we were seeking," reported Data.
"Do we have a probable configuration for the Romulan ship?" asked Riker.
"Yes, sir. By the size of the energy emissions, we can safely estimate the Romulan vessel to be small. No larger than a bird of prey. Certainly no match for the Enterprise. Unless, of course, there is another vessel nearby that has escaped our scrutiny. That would not be an atypical Romulan strategy."
"Excellent," replied Picard. "Mr. Worf, prepare a security team, have them report to the transporter room. Mr. Data, open hailing frequencies. Let's give them a chance to cut their own throats."
The main viewing screen activated, & there was the face of Selar, who had lost her last 2 encounters with Picard & the Enterprise. She looked like the cat who swallowed the canary.
"Commander Selar. I must demand that you return my officers to the Enterprise at once, or I shall be forced to take action against you."
"Captain Picard," started Selar slyly. "We are not holding any of your officers aboard this ship. In fact, we were wondering what brought you within the neutral zone. That is a violation of the treaty, captain." She smiled.
"Enough of this verbal fencing. Commander, you must know that your ship is no match for the Enterprise. Our phaser banks are locked on to you. I give you 1 hour to return my officers to this ship or I shall disable your vessel & take them back. & just so you know that we mean business, Mr. Worf, if you please."
The Klingon touched his control panel & a lance of golden energy shot from the saucer of the Enterprise & hit the slightly-distorted patch of space square-on. For an instant, the Romulan ship was visible, its lights flickered, & then the ship was gone again, cloaked.
Just as Selar was about to make a rejoinder, her whole ship shuddered with the impact of the Enterprise's phaser blast. The lights dimmed as the power was momentarily cut off, but quickly came back on.
"Damn him! Damn him & his Galaxy class starship & his cockiness. He gives us an hour. Well, that hour is all we need. Come along, Andak. We have an interrogation to complete!" Selar stormed off the bridge of her ship, followed by the centurian. The other crewmembers studiously examined their instruments, for fear of being caught looking. The commander was capable of anything when she was in one of these moods.
"I think I'll take a turn with the doctor, centurian. You take the Betazoid."
"Yes, commander. I think I would enjoy that. She probably won't though."
"Remember, though; we've got a deadline now. & I want those answers. If this doesn't work, I might just decide to practice my technique... on you. Do you understand?"
Andak gulped audibly, & turned visibly pale. "I understand, commander. It will work, I promise."
"It had better, for your sake," muttered Selar as she entered the interrogation room.
Selar walked over to the spread-eagle form of Crusher & looked studiously at the medical tray. "Hmm, what shall I use this time? Perhaps..."
Selar wasn't able to complete her thought. Like a flash, Crusher's bare foot leapt off the table & caught Selar in the diaphragm, knocking the wind out of her & throwing her to the floor. Crusher leapt off the table &, with a quick chop to her shoulder, knocked Selar unconscious.
Troi acted as soon as Crusher did, & just as quickly disabled Andak. Acting quickly, knowing that a guard could come at any time, they lifted their tormentors to the tables & activated the magnetic locks. Selar was the first to rouse herself, but quickly discovered her predicament.
"What's going on here! Release me at once, I warn you!" she shouted.
Andak was awake by now as well. "How did you get out of the bonds? They're unbreakable!" she demanded.
"Simple," answered Troi. "When the power went out, the magnetic locks opened. & now the 2 of you are going to help us get off this ship & back to the Enterprise."
"Ha! Never! You don't think you can escape, do you? With a whole shipload of my troops to stop you?" answered Selar.
Crusher came back from the computer terminal she had been working on. "It's no use, Deanna. They've got a passcode on the communication system. If we could only get a message to the Enterprise, they could lock on & beam us out of here."
"You wouldn't happen to know that code, would you, commander?" Troi asked. "Perhaps you could be persuaded to hand it over to us."
"You wouldn't dare," answered Selar, a slight quiver of fear in her voice. "The Federation doesn't believe in torture."
"You said yourself there is no real pain involved," Crusher answered. "& this is an extreme case."
"Yes, very extreme," said Troi, who walked over to Andak & pulled off her boots. Romulan feet looked very much like those of any other humanoid, & Andak's had long, slender toes with green polish to highlight the slight green tint of her skin.
"Do not do this!" Andak said, trying to bluster her way through. "You will regret this, I swear!"
Crusher went to Selar, & pulled off her boots as well. Selar had inherited much of her human mother's physical attributes; there was no green cast to her skin. Her toes were pink & wiggled as she tried to free herself. But the bands were too well designed. "You're bluffing," she said. She didn't even believe herself.
"Over the last few weeks, Beverly & I have gotten to be near experts on tickling. Isn't that so?"
"Definitely," replied the doctor. "& I think that my knowledge of anatomy & nerve paths is going to come in handy as well. Unless, of course, you want to tell us the passcode to the computer now? I really don't want to do this. But I will if I have to."
"I will never tell you anything!" said Selar.
"Never!" echoed Andak.
"We'll see," said Troi, as she dragged her fingernails down the length of Andak's sole. The Romulan was visibly straining to keep in the laughter, & each stroke of Troi's sharp fingernails made it harder to resist.
Crusher had started in, too. She took the stylus from the tray & had started tracing designs on Selar's pink feet. Selar was unable to even make a pretense of resistance; she immediately started laughing uncontrollably.
"Hehehehehe! I-- I'll never tell you anything hehehehehehe!" she managed to get out.
"I think you will. One or the other of you," said Troi. She had picked up the feather from the tray & was wiggling it against the bottoms of Andak's toes, sending the Romulan spy into hysterics.
"Hahahahahaha! Please! No more! Hahahaha!" she begged.
"Just tell me the access code & we'll stop," said Troi.
"Don't, centurian! Hehehehehe! That's an order hahahahaha!"
Crusher's stylus was not tracing random designs on her "patient's" feet. She was using it to trace out the nerve patterns on the soles of Selar's feet. Her medical knowledge was making the tickling sensations even more excruciating.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Selar couldn't take any more. Crusher & Troi stopped tickling their feet long enough to hear what they had to say.
Once she regained her breath, Selar said "The access code is 1-5-6-9-1."
"This better not be a trick," said Troi, who waved the feather ominously in Selar's face.
"It's not! I swear!"
Crusher went over to the computer panel & entered in the code. The indicator went green, & a channel was open to the Enterprise! "Crusher to Enterprise! Beam us back from these coordinates! Hurry!"
Chief O'Brien's voice could be heard at the other end of the channel. "Right away, Doctor." Soon, Crusher & Troi disappeared from the Romulan ship in a nimbus of blue light. Just as they did so, the door to the interrogation chamber opened, & Pandav, 2nd in command of the ship, entered, along with 2 guards.
"Pandav!" ordered Selar. "Release us immediately & get the ship back across the neutral zone!"
"I don't think so, commander."
"What! That was an order!"
"I've taken command, Commander Selar. You have failed the Empire once again. No doubt it's that human half of yours. & this time, I am going to implement your punishment personally."
"What are you talking about?" asked Selar nervously.
Pandav motioned to the camera that was on the wall, all but forgotten. "We were having such an enjoyable time watching your plight that we couldn't bare to leave it so short." He smiled evilly as he walked over to the tray. "Now what should I start with...?"
