Disclaimer: This piece of fiction has been written solely for the
enjoyment of the readers (and the author)   Disclaimer: This piece of
fiction has been written solely for the enjoyment of the readers (and the
author). No infringement of copyrights has been intended. This was
inspired by this afternoon's reading of Jane Peyton's "Cave-In," which
featured a very interesting conversation between a highly apologetic Kirk
and an unusually crabby Spock. In my head, a DS version would go something
like this.   FLOATING by Renny Ramos   It's cold in here.		  
		Cold? Nah. Sure, my lips are blue and my teeth		  
		     are chattering like castanets, but no, it's not	  
				  cold! Oh. I forgot.			  
	       Of course you did. No. I should remember.		  
		    Why should you? Sure, I've risked my life for you	  
				 twenty-four times, but nah, you owe me
nothing. I should remember. You're not as used to the cold as I am.	  
			      Your basic RCMP politeness won't change the
fact					    that we're drowning on dry
land, Frasier. You're upset with me again.				  
  Upset? Nah. Me, upset? I'm actually being				  
       very, very nice right now! Ray, can't you see what's happening?	  
				    What? What's there to see?		  
			 We're drowning!				  
      You think you're the only one with a brain?			  
	   Well, bite me, Frasier. You know what I think?		  
		Now, you decide to think! ... You're mad.		  
		     No kidding. Well. I'm sorry we're in this mess.	  
				  ... Yeah.				  
       ... Well, it was my fault, too. No. This is entirely my fault. If I
hadn't activated the sprinkler system, we wouldn't be caught in this ...
virtual flood and we wouldn't be wasting our air arguing.		  
		...					...		  
		     ...				     ... We're
gonna die and float to the roof like				      
bloated fish. ... ... ...  ... I concede the possibility.		  
		    Not a possibility, Frasier. More like a future	  
			 event about to take place in ... oh, let me see  
				      ... five minutes. ... ... ... ...
I'm sorry you got stuck with me, Ray. Poor company doesn't enhance poor
situations.				      ...			  
	   ...					   ... ... You must hate
me.					  ...				  
       ... No, I don't hate you, Benny. 				  
     I have the urge to throttle the living	    daylights out of you
... but no,	     I don't hate you.					  
					What we have right now is, well,
friction. Friction?					Yeah. Friction.
Just like the sparks that fly when two	rocks are rubbed vigorously
against each other?					   Yeah. You mean,
something like conflict, dissension, strife, agitation, discord, animosity
...				     If you want me to start hating you,
Frasier,				    you're on your way ... Sorry. 
				 ...					
...					... I've conceded error and
personal deficiency to you. What else do I have to do?			  
		 Well, for starters, you can shut up. Well.		  
		      ...				       I'm sorry
if I made you mad, Ray. 				     No problem,
Frasier. Being mad is my				    favorite past
time, you know. No one					  can prevent me
from indulging in it -- 				 you, least of
all. Ah.				  ...				  
       ...				       ... Cough.		  
		    ... 				    ... 	  
			 ... Well. Back to safe subjects.		  
		      If you insist. Cold in here, isn't it?		  
		   Colder than you think.   - The End - 10 May 1999  
E-mail the author: Blue_Grey_Eyes@hotmail.com