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Star Trek Elita - The Discovery by Rony Tal
The Discovery
Captain's Log, Star date 55412.1: The last few weeks have been quiet, since we are now patrolling the outskirts of the neutral zone and are not inside it. Everyone has been less tense. We are currently cruising at sub light speed, with nothing but smooth sailing. I sincerely hope this lasts.
Captain Tal yawned silently in his chair, he leaned back and listened to the engines hum softly, his ready room was dimly lit. He checked the chronometer on the wall next to the window; it was 12:30 hours. Commander Lorei and Lt. Commander Blake would be wide awake somewhere. The ship was cruising on Impulse, so he saw the stars move slowly by, dots of light, some of them were merely balls of gas, some had life, civilizations circling them. He smiled at the thought of those balls of fire, acting like true myths and creating life on other wise barren rock. He had begun dozing off when he saw the yellow alert beacon go on and Commander Lorei's voice came through the transmitter.
"Captain, this is the bridge."
"What's going on, Commander?" he asked, now wide awake, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to sleep for a while.
"There's a situation", he didn't let her finish her sentence, since he had left his ready room instantly and arrived to the bridge, Commander Lorei looked up at him in mild surprise and took her seat on his right, he saw that none of the regular crew was here except Lorei, Blake and Targo.
"What's happened?" Tal asked as he took his seat.
Lorei's fingers flew over her board and she said "We've picked up a distress signal" she met his eyes and continued "It's Starfleet".
Tal steepled his fingers and asked quietly "What ship?"
This time Blake answered "The USS Discovery sir. It's an exploration vessel, Intrepid Class" he finished.
"Set a course, Warp factor 9" Tal ordered.
"233.9 mark 6" Lorei said to Targo.
"233.9 mark 6, Warp factor 9" he repeated.
"Engage" ordered Tal, and they were off. Feeling the slight surge in gravity as the ship cruised, the stars no longer dots but lines of light, trying desperately to catch up with the Elita. It was a few minutes when they arrived at the sight.
"On screen!" ordered Tal.
The screen erupted into colour, and the sight before the Graveyard Shift crew was disturbing. Ensign Targo's eyes widened, Lt. Commander Blake's breath came in shallow and quick, Commander Lorei's face lost whatever colour it had. Captain Tal's jaw was clenched and he said abruptly "Life!?"
Blake checked the sensor array "Yes, one, it's very faint" he said softly.
"Lock onto it" he pressed a button to the com-link "Sickbay, this is the bridge".
"Bridge, this is Dr. T'Jenn" said the voice.
"Dr. T'Jenn, we're having a patient transport directly to you, prepare a bed" he ordered.
"Yes, Captain" T'Jenn said crisply and cut the link.
"Are you locked?" he asked Blake who nodded silently.
"Energize"
Blake's hand pushed a few buttons on his consol and said "In sickbay".
Tal nodded and said "Commander Blake you have the bridge, Ms. Lorei come with me".
Lorei followed the Captain to the Turbo-lifts, as soon as she was in he said "Sickbay".
"Captain..." she began and hesitated.
"Say it Commander" he looked at her through his peripheral vision.
"Captain, that wasn't an accident".
"No".
"It was a deliberate attack".
He turned to her and locked eyes with her "Can you be sure?".
Lorei answered "Eventually".
Tal nodded, the Turbo-life stopped and they entered the sickbay, they saw T'Jenn and three other med-techs working quickly on the figure on the bio-bed. T'Jenn's sensitive ears picked up the pair that just entered her sickbay. She turned to them and told them in a tone that, both the Captain and the Commander would never admit that hearing that tone, made them feel they would rather fight an entire fleet of Jem'Hadar, "Leave" and she turned back to the patient.
Tal and Lorei again looked at each other. Tal jerked his head to the corridor and Lorei walked out. She leaned slightly against the bulkhead and waited for him to speak.
"What will you need to discover exactly what happened?"
"I'll need Dave Mai every minute of this investigation and" she paused and breathed deeply "Chief Thomas".
Tal nodded "You will have them at your disposal... and me"
"Thank you, sir"
There was an uncomfortable silence and Lorei bit her lip nervously, when she asked "Should we wait here, Dr. T'Jenn seemed pretty..."
"Adamant?"
"Yes... About us not being in there"
Tal shook his head, and clenched his fists in anger. Lorei noticed this and frowned slightly.
"Captain... are you alright?"
"Yes, I was just wondering."
"Wondering what?"
"When we will stop finding wrecked ships with all hands lost."
Lorei swallowed stiffly and crossed her arms over her chest. The two senior officers waited for the good doctor to call them back in.
Introducing...
Lieutenant Jonathan Mathers opened his eyes, then sorely wished he hadn't, the white light that bounced off the white walls of sickbay assaulted his vision. He quickly closed his eyes and groaned, he then heard an emotionless voice speak, at first he thought it was the computer, he then realized there was a dash of annoyance in the voice. He opened his eyes, the voice that belonged to a Vulcan female... a really gorgeous one, he thought absently.
"Lieutenant Mathers, keep your eyes open" T'Jenn's voice brooked no argument.
Jonathan did indeed keep his eyes open as T'Jenn passed a tiny tri-corder over them, he began to ask what she was doing, but was seized with a shortness of breath that caused him to sit upright, making T'Jenn raise a brow, she quickly and efficiently attained a hypo and instantly Jonathan breathed normally again.
"It would seem, Lieutenant Mathers, that you have experienced smoke inhalation, the hypo injection you have received will alleviate the pain, and if you ingest this narcotic, your blood and cytoplasm will be cleansed from any side-effects the chemical fire may or may not have caused you" she passed him a small cup of clear liquid, it looked just like water, Jonathan frowned at her and took the cup he gave it a cautious sniff, it had no smell. He mentally shrugged and thought: well it'll make me feel better, and downed it in one gulp. His eyes bulged in their sockets and he dropped the cup and grabbed his throat, the liquid may have looked like water, but it tasted like acid. T'Jenn spared him a side glance and said as she wrote something on a medical PADD, "Wait 10.7 seconds and the burning sensation will be replaced with what Humans call 'butterflies in your stomach', in truth, the blood will merely be thinned for 4.3 hours, after you have reached that point you will feel better" she handed him a small mini-hypo and said "You will feel dizzy for a period of 2.25 hours after that, this is against the nausea you are bound to experience".
He stared at her and asked in a croaking voice "How do you know my name?"
T'Jenn raised both her eyebrow and said "Lieutenant, you told me your name when I asked you?"
He blinked "When?"
"Right before you went into shock."
He blinked again and said "Oh."
"Indeed. Since it seems you have lost your recent recollection, I will henceforth refresh it for you... I am Dr. T'Jenn, Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Elita, you were rescued from the remains of the USS Discovery."
Jonathan swallowed stiffly and asked "Remains?"
"Yes, Lieutenant, you are the sole survivor of the USS Discovery."
Jonathan felt himself turn green, he lurched over the bio bed and heaved, T'Jenn frowned slightly, but realized that she could not give him any medication against this bout of nausea, since it was purely a physical response to an emotional reaction. When he was done, and as his breathing evened, he was given a tissue to wipe the bile from his lips.
"You will be fine" said T'Jenn.
He nodded miserably and lay back down on the bio-bed.
"Lieutenant... The Captain and First Officer wish to speak with you."
He nodded mutely and closed his eyes.
He distantly heard her speak, he could barely hear the words, Oh God, he thought, what the hell happened?
The doors to the sickbay slid open and he heard two pairs of feet walk over to him, the tallish blonde Human wore Captain pipes on his collar, the blonde Bajoran next to him wore Commander rank and he spoke softly to both of them "You'll have to forgive me, that I don't stand up Captain, but I feel that if I attempt to I'll just find myself lying down again"
"That's all right" the Captain said softly "My name is Christopher Tal, I am the commanding Officer aboard the USS Elita, this is my First Officer, Commander Lorei Karin."
"I'm Lieutenant Jonathan Mathers of the USS" he paused, his eyes glazing slightly "Former, USS Discovery."
"Lieutenant," began the Captain, he noticed Commander Lorei had taken out a recording device and held it close to both the Captain and the Lieutenant "Can you remember anything... do you know what happened?"
Jonathan swallowed the rising lump in his throat, for a moment he looked beyond the two senior officers and saw Dr. T'Jenn sitting and paying attention to what was happening between the three at the edge of the Sickbay. For some odd reason her presence comforted him. He swallowed again, trying to relax himself and began; "I worked in science... Analysis... nothing big, you know, just checking the natural phenomena, the gasses in the stars or the nebula's or stray planets, the metals, the matter, the stability, just routine readings that surrounded the... ship. I don't really remember what happened... it's kind of hazy, a big blur, but I remember that just before... the impulse drive collapsed" Christopher and Karin glanced as T'Jenn raised an eyebrow, whether it was in surprise or curiosity was hard to tell. Jonathan continued "Just before they collapsed, the readings on the computer were off the wall, nothing I'd ever seen before, I called the Science Officer to check, and he said the same thing was happening all over the ship... that's the last thing I remember" he paused "And a noise".
"What kind of noise?" the Captain asked.
"Sort off like whispers, murmurs, a lot of low voices speaking".
"You could be hallucinating, from the explosion" suggested Commander Lorei.
"No" he said at length and frowned, he slowly and gingerly picked himself up from the bio-bed and continued as he sat in front of them "It was coming from the computer"
He saw T'Jenn face remain closed and icy as she said, almost sarcastically "Perhaps you were hallucinating, as the Commander thinks... it is only logical that you would be hearing a voice of comfort at the time of trauma".
Jonathan blinked and looked at the Captain and the Commander and whispered "I'm sorry I can't help you any more Captain... Commander".
Lorei said "Just get better" she took the recording device and switched it off.
"Maybe when you are better," began Captain Tal, his eyes narrow and angry, but also compassionate towards the Lieutenant "You'll remember more". He nodded at the Lieutenant and gestured for Commander Lorei to join him. She smiled softly at him as she passed; he nodded and smiled as well. He heard the Sickbay doors slid open and closed and he shoved his face into his hands and breathed deeply.
"Are you sure?" he asked no one in particular, but the emotionless voice was predictable when she uttered the word "Positive".
"May I Sleep?"
"Lieutenant... I would recommend it".
The Lieutenant, the Doctor and the Rest of the Crew
Chief medical officer's log, Star date 55413.0: Lieutenant Jonathan Mathers has slept for approximately 8.79 hours, and I have diagnosed him with mild shock and temporary amnesia, which I have concluded will disperse as time distances him from the destruction of the Discovery. Other than a few percentiles of nervous twitches and a slight case of nausea, his health is in the 97 percentile.
Once T'Jenn had deemed Lieutenant Mathers fit enough to leave the Sickbay, he was given his own quarters, when he entered the dull and barren quarters, he sighed sadly. Lt. Commander Blake, who had accompanied him to his new quarters, asked him what was wrong.
"I had everything on that ship... my civilian clothes, the pictures I had that my parents sent me and..." he gave a bitter laugh "and my gold fish", he looked at Warren and continued "Isn't that pathetic, a grown man, raising gold fish"
"All the gold fish I ever had died before I could enjoy them" Warren intoned.
Jonathan asked "Why?"
"I never fed them"
Jonathan blinked, Warren smiled and they both burst out laughing. Jonathan landed with a thud on the couch and kept on laughing, as Warren just kept on smiling. Eventually they both just sat.
When Jonathan relaxed, and he turned to Warren.
"Captain Tal seems stressed"
Warren's smiled melted and he answered wearily "Yes, it's been tough out here, lots has happened"
"Oh," he said "Are you investigating the remains of the 'Discovery'?"
"Yeah, Commander Lorei insisted that we needed to stay here in order to understand what happened".
He frowned and asked "Wasn't everything scanned onto the main computer for further investigation?"
Warren smirked "She's thorough... yes, that's a good adjective for the Commander... thorough. Oh, a word of warning, if she comes to you and starts pissing you off by saying God awful things, she's just trying to jog your memories... or get vital information out of you, depends on the situation" Warren grinned and patted him on the shoulder, "C'mon I'll take you to Ten-Foreword, you can meet some people".
"Um-" began Jonathan, who had been staring at Warren blankly, but he was pulled to his feet by the much stronger Security and Tactical officer, who was also about half a head taller than the Lieutenant.
Warren took Jonathan to the Turbo-lift, where he had begun to feel slightly queasy, he leaned against the bulkhead of the Turbo-lift and he breathed shallowly through his mouth. Warren asked him worriedly "Hey. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a little... dizzy" he puffed his breath.
"Maybe you should sit down" suggested Warren with a furrowed brow.
"Yeah" Jonathan answered and slid down the bulkhead, just as the Turbo-lift doors opened, there happened to be standing Lt. Commander Dave Mai and Commander Lorei Karin. Dave immediately crouched to the fallen man as Karin asked Warren "What happened?"
"I don't know, he just said he was dizzy and slid down the bulkhead" he sounded slightly surprised.
"I think he's Space sick" said Dave as he helped Jonathan to his feet who said "Damn, I thought I was over those".
"You get space sick often?" asked Karin.
"I did in the beginning... I was only assigned to the Discovery three months ago, I had been constantly sick for about two... It had just started to feel like home there" said Jonathan in a low voice.
"C'mon, I'll take you to Sickbay. T'Jenn will have something for you".
"But I just left the Sickbay".
"People visiting this ship seem to always end up there" muttered Karin with a raised eyebrow, mimicking T'Jenn perfectly. Dave and Warren grinned at each other.
"Rain check on the Ten-Forward" said Warren.
"Sure" breathed Jonathan.
By the time Dave and Jonathan reached the Sickbay, Jonathan had changed colour at least three times, at the moment he resembled a rather bruised banana. The doors opened with a hiss and T'Jenn looked up to see who was bothering her... She noticed Dave and Jonathan and finished her thought... with inane trivialities.
"Bad case of space sickness" said Dave, as he sat Jonathan on a bed.
T'Jenn blinked once, took a few instruments and asked "When did you begin to feel ill?".
"About ten minutes ago" Jonathan said.
"Indeed" she muttered and passed the tri-corder over him "Your sense of balance has been disturbed, it is possible that the G force on the Discovery was a percentile or two higher or lower... You have an extremely sensitive ear Lieutenant Mathers".
"Please, call me Jonathan."
Dave gave a small chuckle, which was cut short by a side long glance from T'Jenn "Of course, Lieutenant".
She gave him a hypo and said "This is for the nausea, it will wear off in 5.3 hour, should you experience dizziness, shortness of breath and nausea at the end of that time period return here and I will attempt to devise you a more permanent cure... though none truly exist... it is unfortunate that you have a sensitive nervous system".
Jonathan swallowed nervously and looked at Dave for help, Dave just smiled, shrugged and patted him encouragingly on the shoulder.
T'Jenn put all her instruments away, looked up and asked in a voice that suggested irritation, but lacked the tone and consonance to show it "Why have you remained in Sickbay... You may leave."
It was at this point that Jonathan realized something the entire crew discovered upon being treated or checked up by T'Jenn. Her requests were to be regarded as orders... even Captain Tal, when he was in the right state of mind, conceded that point.
Chief medical officer's log, supplemental: My diagnosis of Lieutenant Mathers' health, was incorrect, despite his health being in the 97 percentile, the trauma of his ordeal, as well as the need to acclimate himself to a new ship has caused severe physical handicaps, his slight nausea has become somewhat permanent due to his case of... Space Sickness.
Christopher Gets a Headache
Captain Tal had given Lorei the observation deck for the investigation, she had all but moved in there with all the files that Dave Mai had about the sensors and Aaron Thomas' reports about the Intrepid Class and the history of the Discovery herself. Lorei at the moment sat at the edge of the long table, read the PADD and every so often glanced at the holograph of the Discovery, she looked out side the window and saw the actual ship still and broken, she felt her chest clench pangs of sympathy for Mathers. She knew she often came off as crass and uncaring of people's feelings, but he so obviously did not enjoy being in space, didn't like space travel and his worst nightmare had come true. She bit her lip in concentration and put the PADD on the table. She sat down on a chair and glanced at the holograph again, she passed her hand through the image, it fizzed and she felt the static tingles travel her skin. She was missing something, she knew she was, and it aggravated her to no end.
The doors slid open, she looked up and stood when the Captain came in along with Petty Officer Fox, carrying more Padds, she restrained herself from groaning, it wouldn't do for the Captain to know just how frustrated she was.
"How is the investigation, Commander?"
"Exasperating, sir" muttered Lorei, took the Padds from Fox and motioned for him to get out, she sat down again and bit her lip in annoyance. Captain Tal grimaced in sympathy and sat down next to her, staring at the holograph, he leaned back and stared the image. He absently rubbed his jaw, suddenly frowned and stated softly "Those aren't regular attack patterns".
Lorei snapped her head to him, then at the holograph, she walked around it, she leaned towards it, until her nose nearly disrupted the image again.
"You're right" she whispered and swore under her breath, she touched her com-link "Mr. Blake, come to the observation deck now and bring Lt. Commander Mai with you" she didn't wait for an answer she was already ordering Chief Thomas to get to the deck.
"I'm sending someone" Thomas said.
"Chief, I want you" Lorei demanded, getting annoyed at his flippancy.
"Look, Commander, there's tons of work to do here and none of the knuckleheads I work with know what to do, I'm sending you Ensign Rose", he cut the link before she could protest. Lorei gritted her teeth, how does he always do that. Captain Tal smiled very slightly, also annoyed at Thomas' flippancy, but found Lorei's anger amusing.
The doors to the observation deck opened, admitting Warren and Dave, who still looked confused at the First Officer's orders. She grabbed Warren's arm and dragged him to the holograph and asked him "What do you see?"
Warren expression held confusion and apprehension, he also did not like the killer look she was giving the window, he looked outside and saw the debris, just a few hundred kilometers away from the Elita. It was at that moment that he understood what the Commander wanted him to see.
"That ship wasn't shot at by Phasers..." he frowned and looked at the holograph "Or polaron beams... it looks like it just..."
"Fell apart" finished Dave, who had begun shifting the positions of the debris of the Discovery on the holograph.
"How... can an Intrepid Class exploration vessel, sent out into the Gamma Quadrant, just fall apart?" demanded Tal as he stood beside his staff, he suddenly realized, that his XO, his Science officer and his Tactical officer were all in the same room. His eyes widened slightly and he swallowed an angry outburst about the responsibility they all had to this ship. He noticed Lorei speak to him, but it was muted, her lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. He shook his head, and received a flash of pain behind his eyes.
Karin frowned and stopped talking when she saw Christopher pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Sir?" she asked.
The pain suddenly wrapped itself around his entire skull and he fell down, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
Karin's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she dropped to her knees beside him "Captain!"
Very curious.Chief medical officer's log, supplemental: A curious case has been presented before me. The Captain was brought to sickbay, unconscious. However, after performing the routine scans, I discovered his brain wave activity was still at the activity level of a healthy conscious Human male, quite suddenly flat lined, then resumed a dreaming cycle. At this point of the log, the Captain is in REM sleep.
Christopher woke up, and judged by the reddish tint he saw in front of him, that his eyes were closed, he distinctly heard the voice of the CMO, Dr. T'Jenn, telling him that she knew he was awake, and would be much easier for her to communicate with him, with the use of eye contact. Christopher opened his eyes, just a sliver, and winced slightly at the bright (though it was quite muted) light.
"Greetings Captain, I trust you are now rested" said T'Jenn.
"Doctor?" Christopher asked, still uncertain of what exactly happened.
"You are in sickbay" T'Jenn said and glanced at the readings atop the bio-bed.
"Why?" his voice rasped and he suddenly felt incredibly thirsty, before he could ask, he was handed a clear cup of water from T'Jenn.
"Sip it slowly" ordered T'Jenn.
He nodded and after he took a tentative sip he asked again "Why?" knowing she would know what he was asking.
T'Jenn raised her eyebrow in mild surprise "You do not remember?"
"Remember what?"
"Commanders Lorei, Mai and Blake were quite concerned when you collapsed on the observation deck" she picked up a tiny tri-corder and passed it over his eyes.
"What did-"
"Remain still" T'Jenn intoned forcibly.
"But-"
"Captain, remain still. Your neuro-synaptic connectors, according to my tests, readings and symptoms I observed while treating you, have been, metaphorically speaking, 'burnt out'"
Christopher blinked slowly and said "Doctor, I am sure you know what you are talking about. However, I did not understand the entire sentence you just spoke"
"What did you not understand?"
"What was wrong with me?"
"Your neuro-synaptic connectors, that is, the cells in your brain and brain stem that register what your nervous system receives through sensory perception, were over loaded with information they could not understand, thus your body reacted in the appropriate way."
"I got a headache and fainted?" Christopher stared at her incredulously.
"Correct... in layman terms."
"All right" he drawled "I have three questions".
"Proceed".
"Who is on the bridge?".
"Commander Lorei".
"Who's heading the investigation while she's there?"
"Lt. Commander Mai".
"Why did I get a headache and faint?"
"Unknown, Captain... However, the same symptoms were apparent in Lieutenant Mathers, when we brought him aboard" commented T'Jenn.
Tal's eyes lit up with interest and he shifted on the bio-bed to a sitting position "Really..."
"Please remain on your back, Captain. Yes, indeed, really, I believe there is a connection,"
"How?" Tal asked, looking at her in curiosity.
"Through intuition, the logistics and facts still escape me..." she sounded mildly displeased at not being able to explain her findings logically.
"Will you be able to find the connection?"
"I believe so," she glanced at him "Captain, please remain in bed, your body needs rest, you will return to the bridge in 2.5 hours" T'Jenn said flatly with a raised eyebrow.
Tal nodded and continued to stare at the Doctor.
The Investigation Continues
First Officer's Log, Star date 55413.2: The investigation is not going well, that is to say that we have not found anything significant. It is mind boggling. Lieutenant Mathers is a sole survivor, statistically it is possible, but it still bizarre. Dave Mai agrees with me, there is something wrong about the whole situation.
Plus, Lieutenant Mathers is a competent scientist; it's just very disconcerting seeing a man live completely off his nerves. No wonder he's always sick.
: By the time Ensign Rose arrived to the Observation Deck, two hours late, Lieutenant Thomas got a mouth full from me,First Officer's Log, supplemental
(Pause: I hope his eardrums split!)
Continue: Lieutenant Mathers had become quite green.
Ensign Rose agreed with what the Captain, Commanders Mai and Blake hypothesized, self destruct Omega pattern. I asked Commander Mai to go through every switch and wire that has to do with that escape pattern. Unfortunately Lieutenant Mathers became sick again and had to be escorted to sickbay... again.
However, an interesting (and frightening) point was made by Lieutenant Mathers; he told us that a distress signal was sent, but according to our readings and the debris of the Discovery no escape pods were launched as is protocol is such situations. I am very worried.
(Pause)
Maintenance has just finished in the Observation deck.
Christopher puffed the air out of his lungs in annoyance. How could he sleep when he was completely out of the loop and when he was under doctor's orders to lie down.
He hated lying down when he was awake.
The doors to the sickbay opened and both he and T'Jenn turned their heads to see who was entering.
Christopher hoping it was someone with news, T'Jenn hoping it wasn't going to waste her time.
In entered Lieutenant Mathers and Ensign Rose. Jonathan had regained colour due to the walk and Samuel was fidgeting with his fingers.
"You are ill again" T'Jenn stated, Jonathan wondered if she ever asked any one any thing.
He nodded and sat on the bio-bed she gestured to. Jonathan noticed the Captain looked at him.
"Good afternoon, Captain. Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm feeling fine" Tal said, looking directly at T'Jenn who actually answered;
"Then by all means Captain, you may go"
Christopher stared at her "Just like that?"
"No, not 'just like that', your readings are normal, there is no overload in your nervous system or your sensory perception, you are fit for duty".
"When were you going to tell me?".
"In approximately 5.2 minutes. However, Lieutenant Mathers asked about your whereabouts and you answered. I am positive that returning to duty 5.2 minutes before schedule should not interfere" The last part was said with a twitch of her lips.
"With what?"
"Anything, Captain... May I help you Ensign"
Samuel answered "What? Oh, I just helped the Lieutenant over here"
"Your mission is accomplished, now leave. Captain, should you feel anything... unusual, return here immediately".
"Of course, doctor" and practically ran out of the sickbay, fixing his collar on the way to the turbo-lift to the bridge, along with Ensign Rose.
"Bridge" intoned Christopher and sighed. Ensign Rose stood still and nervous.
When the turbo-lift stopped at the bridge and he exited, he smiled, happy to be back at his chair.
T'Jenn gave Jonathan another hypo and he immediately felt the nausea dissipate.
"Are you feeling better, Lieutenant?" asked T'Jenn.
"Yes, I am thank you Doctor... please call me Jonathan" he smiled weakly.
T'Jenn gave him a blank look before asking "Why do you require those around you to call you by your name... Your rank is suffice, as is your surname"
"Yeah, but that's so impersonal... and, well, I don't like being impersonal".
She raised an eyebrow "Curious".
"Why do you say that?" he asked.
"I was always under the impression, that the less personal one is, the more impartial one can become... do you not believe in neutrality, Lieutenant Mathers?"
"I do, of course I do, I'm a scientist, I have to be impartial and neutral, but it's not the same with people".
T'Jenn nodded and said "You are correct. People are not the same as scientific readings... nor are they their medical diagnoses. However, one would want them to be" she turned to him and looked into his eyes, they were a metallic blue and reflected her image like a mirror "Don't you agree... Jonathan?".
His smile widened "A little bit Doctor... T'Jenn".
She nodded and said "You may go... I believe if you sleep while the medication is still in your blood, the nausea will not be so acute?"
He blinked at her in surprise "Why didn't you tell me that the other day?"
"I had only reached the conclusion a few moments ago. Acute space sickness, is not something I deal with on a regular basis, it is often only a few days of dizziness and then the body adjusts to the nuances of the ship... you, Lieutenant, are special".
She showed him the door. And he couldn't help but feel cheered up by the fact that she had called him special, and he chose not to believe that she meant the acute space sickness. Before he left the sickbay he turned to her and said "Commander Blake was going to show me Ten-Forward, but I-"
"Became ill" she interrupted.
"Right" he blushed slightly and asked "Would you like to show it to me... When you're off duty, that is?"
T'Jenn paused and blinked once before she answered "We shall meet at Ten-Forward at 18:00 hours that is when my shift ends. Is that agreeable?"
"Very, Doctor T'Jenn" he smiled and left her in the sickbay.
T'Jenn frowned and rubbed her temple, suddenly feeling the day catch up with her.
A Dead End... so on to Ten-Foreword
"Mr. Mai" said Karin and threw down the padd in annoyance "We are at a dead end, we have exhausted all possibilities. The only plausible solution is temporary insanity from both the Captain and the First Officer... simultaneously" she widened her eyes skeptically.
"Somehow" she continued "I doubt it".
Dave crossed his arms and yawned loudly "I have to agree, ma'am".
"Yeah, well" she replied "that doesn't help us... and I don't know what can".
She rubbed her temple and looked at the chronometer on the wall "It's 17:56 hours, we've been working on this for five hours already, I'm exhausted." She stood "I say we go to Ten-Forward".
Dave stood as well and bore an expression of disappointment as he said "And drown our sorrows?".
"Oh, yeah" she sighed and walked out the door with Dave.
As Karin and Dave entered the Turbo-Lift and went for Ten-Forward he asked "Commander, do you think..."
"Dave, at this point I am not able to think... Please, let's have a drink and then we can discuss our disastrous investigation" she smiled bitterly at him and exited the lift as they arrived at the deck.
When they arrived at Ten-Forward it was 18:05 hours and both Karin and Dave were surprised to find Dr. T'Jenn sipping on Altair Water.
"Doctor, what are you doing here?" Karin asked tactlessly.
"I am drinking Altair Water... obviously" she looked into Karin's eyes a mocking twinkle in them.
Karin smiled back sarcastically "I only mention it because I've never seen you here before"
"Like wise, Commander. I often come here in the early morning, while you come in the dead of night. It would seem our schedules do not, in fact, coincide" she took another sip.
"Isn't that convenient for us both, Doctor" Karin smiled a sugary sweet smile, dripping with sarcasm.
Dave, sensing the imminent bickering that often came from the clash of the two senior women on board the Elita, asked T'Jenn "Doctor, would you like to join us?", he ignored the almost pained look on Lorei's face and the doubtful expression that appeared on T'Jenn's face through the raised eye brow.
"I am meeting Lieutenant Mathers here, he 5.25 minutes late. I expect he should appear in the next few moments" she ignored Karin's sly smile.
As Karin and Dave moved away (to a corner where Karin could at least see what was happening) Jonathan appeared and sat down next to T'Jenn at the bar.
Without even acknowledging his presence, which she obviously took for granted, she said "I took the liberty of ordering you an herbal tea from the replicator, since the hypo wear off too quickly for them to actually give you any relief, perhaps a traditional herbal tea will be good for your physiology".
Jonathan didn't miss a beat, as most of the senior staff accustomed to T'Jenn's crisp and to the point speech so he became accustomed to her (due to his frequent visits to sickbay in the past few days).
He smiled and thanked her and took a cautious sip. The last time she gave him something that looked normal, he got his throat burned for a few agonizing seconds, he was surprised to find the murky brown green liquid quite nice.
"What is this?" he asked and took another sip.
"It is from my own personal files and a personal concoction I developed during my time on Delos IV" she answered and finished her Altair Water.
Jonathan smiled and asked "Where did you learn to be an Herbalist?"
"On Vulcan" she answered in a voice that clearly said 'where else would I learn such a thing?'
Jonathan laughed at her answer and finished the tea. He rephrased his question "I meant, when? Hebalism isn't in the Medical Fleet's curriculum"
"Ah, you should have asked that prior to where. I studied some of the traditional forms of medicine before I entered Starfleet, I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a doctor" she replied.
"What other forms of medicine do you know?"
"I..." she paused and blinked a few times, suddenly feeling a fit of dizziness.
Jonathan frowned and noticed the sudden change in her "T'Jenn?"
She blinked again and said "I apologize, my day seems to have drained me of whatever energy I had" she stood and said "Did you not want to see the rest of Ten-Forward. Unless you prefer to sit on the stool, drink your tea and observe the crew as it rests?" her voice was laced in playful sarcasm and her brown eyes seemed to shine with something akin to amusement.
Jonathan smiled widely at her and she raised an eye brow at the response, Humans and many other species seemed to smile at random all the time, needlessly, it was so much more efficient to express yourself verbally and literally. None the less, he stood up and followed her to the window, where he could see the stars still and bright. He was surprised not to see the wreckage of the Discovery and asked about it.
"I do not know. Perhaps this deck is at the wrong angle to observe the remains" she replied.
He swallowed stiffly and said "I never wanted to be assigned to a ship".
She gave him a side long glance "Why?" she asked.
He sat on a chair and waited for her to sit in front of him "Well, you see, until I joined the crew of the Discovery I had never left Earth, I mean except for mandatory explorations for the Academy. I was born in London, the old one, in England, the oldest one" he paused and looked at her face trying to gouge a reaction. He was unsurprised when her expression remained the same. He was surprised that she didn't say anything about his behavior being illogical (though it undoubtedly was).
"That is where you come from Mr. Mathers... not the reason for not wanting to explore the Galaxy" she replied, sounding curious and maybe a little bit confused at his statements.
"I did want to explore, but not field work. I wanted to understand what other people found and see how it actually related to us, you know, the people"
"That is illogical, the same and more efficiently, can be done from a Starship" she interrupted mildly.
"Maybe, but I never liked vehicles that took you a long way away and sometimes never returned".
"That, Mr. Mathers, is an irrational and illogical fear".
"I think it's very rational for a survivor of a ruined ship" he replied, angry at her deliberate misunderstanding of his feelings, he was surprised to find angry eyes and a doubtful raised eye brow directed at him.
"Lieutenant, do not think yourself unique... aboard this ship are many veterans of war (whichever one you chose), crew members of every department and rank come to me with fits of anxiety over a severe trauma. Many who have not been through such an episode, are sympathetic and in some cases empathetic to their peers ordeals. Further more..." She was interrupted by his swift cut of her sentence.
"I was... I am a sole survivor, out of hundreds of people, only I, a Lieutenant in Science Analyses, who didn't even want to be there, I'm the only one who lived. You have no idea what that feels like, the pain of having lost everyone I've known for three months, my home, knowing that someone else..."
"Would have lived if you had not" she said softly.
He stared at her.
"Again, Mr. Mathers, make no mistake, many people know what it is like to experience Survivor's Guilt. And I know what it is like to be completely alone" she locked eyes with him and almost dared him to dispute the truth of what she had said.
"I apologize I didn't mean-" he stopped abruptly when T'Jenn rubbed her eyes and temples, as though she had suddenly developed an intense migraine. When she let go of her eyes, Jonathan gaped at her in amazement. Her once soft brown eyes were hardened by a matt sheet, the lights of the room were swallowed by the membrane of her inner-eyelid covering her eye ball making the iris and pupil murky and smudged. She stood up gracefully and said in a voice resembling the computer's intonations;
"You are the last" before Jonathan could react, her hand wrapped around his throat and he was hurled onto the table, her other hand joining the strangle hold on his neck. He felt his lungs begin to constrict from the lack of air and he began to feel lightheaded.
Karin and Dave had stared in shock at the occurrence for less than a second before reaching the other side of the room. Dave tried to pull T'Jenn off Jonathan but her superior strength was too much for him and she simply pushed him away. Karin had already sent for a security team before calling loudly;
"Doctor T'Jenn! T'Jenn! Open your eyes!" she shouted.
T'Jenn continued her hold on the now extremely blue Jonathan, most of the people around her were too shocked to react. Warren had entered Ten-Forward with a team, he was shocked at the sight before him, but unperturbed he approached the Vulcan and with his own strength and technique managed to pull her off Jonathan, who was immediately tended to by Karin and Dave.
T'Jenn pushed Warren off her and said in the same mechanical voice "You are inconsequential" and turned back towards Jonathan. She was pulled back by Warren who punched her square on the jaw, she hardly reacted except with the slight movement of her head, she turned back to him slowly, her eyes still covered by the membrane of the inner eyelid, the only evidence that he even touched her was the thin trail of green blood flowing down her lip. Her tongue snaked out and tasted the blood. For a nano-second there was a complete silence around T'Jenn before she screamed. Everyone in the room had dropped whatever they were holding and blocked their ears, the horrific sound of T'Jenn's strained voice not only invaded their senses, but also their minds. Everyone in the room at that moment knew that the intense pain they all felt behind their eyes belonged to the Vulcan doctor. And as it started it stopped, the physical and mental pain stopped and everyone in the room saw T'Jenn's eyes clear and wide, her breathing labored and shallow. Her lower lip quivered and two tears streamed out of her eyes. She fell, her eyes wide open.
Warren completely unprepared for this situation only remembered to take action when he saw Karin kneel next to T'Jenn and promptly ordered him to "Get a Doctor! For both of them!".
Some Answers... Many More Questions
She walked slowly in an indigo void, not black, it didn't swallow the light, or what she conceived light to be at this moment. She looked up and saw the Discovery, whole and unmarred. The view shifted and suddenly she was on the bridge. She turned her head to the command chair and saw a man, his collar was red and his rank was Captain, she walked towards him and touched his arm. Her hand went through him.
There were only two logical explanations for this, either he wasn't real or she wasn't. His head rested on his hand and he grimaced in pain, he opened his eyes slowly, they were dark and mono-coloured, no difference between pupil and iris, he was obviously a Betazoid. He had to be Captain Swail.
The view shifted again, she heard emergency warnings and saw the people panic. She felt the ship jolt and heard the people panic again, she was still on the bridge and saw Captain Swail on his knees clutching his head, scream.
"Kea'at k'lasa" she whispered. Christopher turned his head towards the unconscious Vulcan, the shift Doctor stood up and looked pleased at T'Jenn's proclamation. Christopher noticed and asked "What did she say?"
"I don't know sir, but she's talking, so she'll wake up soon" replied the Doctor and went to the desk to file the report. Christopher leaned looked over again at the Doctor, he moved closer and smiled when T'Jenn opened her eyes, her pupils were dilated and unfocused. She frowned in concentration, trying to figure out who she was seeing, she touched his forehead and clutched the back of his neck when Christopher began to back away, uncomfortable at witnessing his Doctor's weakness.
"Solak" she slurred, then frowned deeply "nirsch... qomi", suddenly she shot out of the bed and stared at Christopher "I apologize, Captain. I seemed to be hallucinating".
Christopher smiled tightly at T'Jenn and answered stiffly "Not a problem Doctor. Why don't you get back to bed while Dr. Ross checks you over" he gestured to the young Doctor who appeared as she shot out of the bed. T'Jenn ignored him and the medical tri-corder reading her as she looked around the sickbay "Where is Mr. Mathers... I recall..."
"Doctor, he's fine, he was fine quite a while ago, you've been unconscious for forty-eight hours" said the Captain. T'Jenn nodded and muttered "Logical... Captain..." she seemed to hesitate for a moment before getting her bearings "I know what happened to the Discovery"
Christopher's eyes widened and said "Come with me".
Dr. Ross protested and was silenced by T'Jenn's glare. As she exited the sickbay, she noticed her attire and hair were not up to pare. With synthetic medical garb and undone hair, she was not presentable. But it was illogical to care about her appearance at the moment.
As they entered the Turbo-Lift, Christopher, noticed her hair hanging loosely, unbraided, her feet bare and not looking particularly presentable, still, he didn't comment.
As he entered the observation deck with her, he opened the com-link, "Commander Lorei, come to the observation deck, now".
Within moments, Karin came in, noticed T'Jenn, and also didn't comment.
Dave had continued the analysis on the Discovery, along with Jonathan, who seemed perfectly normal, besides the fact that he wasn't looking anywhere near T'Jenn.
She began without preamble "I know what happened to the Discovery".
All eyes focused on her, she sat down heavily on a chair and began her explanation.
"As you all know, I momentarily lost control of... everything. In essence, the control that I have over my mind and body, was taken away. The same happened to Captain Swail of the Discovery-" she was interrupted by Karin's question "How do you know that?"
"The Captain informed me that I had been comatose for forty-eight hours, during that time I believe I experienced what is known as kea'at knal'lur" she looked to Lorei. "Literally it means mind-eavesdropping".
"You mean you heard someone's thoughts?" Karin asked.
"No, I experienced, second hand I believe, the memories of Captain Swail, moments before the destruction of the Discovery." Her head suddenly felt heavy and she had to lean on the table, her hands supporting her head, her voice remained neutral as always as she continued her explanation "An intelligent entity of great mental powers took control over Captain Swail's mind, thus controlling him as one would a manikin. This intelligence is too... large, I would say... to take over the minds of non-telepaths" she looked to the Captain and continued "That is why you fainted, Captain, your mind was incapable of registering the mental control this entity put upon Captain Swail... and I. This entity, took over Captain Swail's mind, forcing him to able the self-destruct sequence, as well as control Commander Sacks, through Captain Swail's own telepathic abilities" she paused again and felt Jonathan's presence come closer to her.
"Mr. Mathers, you mentioned voices, whispers... coming from the computer console. The explanation for that is that the intelligent entity is not biological, but artificial."
Dave's mouth dropped "You mean AI? Is it positronic?"
"No, it is not. The intelligence as you say is AI, but it is housed in a body I could not, cannot comprehend, all I know, is that this entity is hostile towards invaders of every kind. The Discovery was not the first ship to be destroyed by this AI, but it was the most recent, it has designs to destroy the Elita, through me, that my own telepathy will take control over you Captain" she looked to Tal "and you Commander" and at Lorei. They both frowned at this news.
"But why destroy the ships at all?" Jonathan asked, speaking for the first time and looking directly at T'Jenn.
"It perceives this part of the sector as its territory, so I believe, I can think of no other explanation" she stopped and stood "Captain, with your permission, I will retire to my quarters and get ready for-"
"Bed, Doctor" said Christopher "I want you resting, despite your coma, you look like you haven't slept in two days, that's an order".
"With all due respect sir, that was not my intention. I meant, changing out of this attire and turning my self in to Commander Blake".
Dave and Jonathan both looked completely surprised at her exclamation "What ever for?" asked Jonathan.
T'Jenn gave him a side long glance "The strangulation I put you though surely must have been severe for you to forget my unprovoked attack on you, Lieutenant. It is still illegal to attack a Starfleet officer".
"But you just explained-" he began.
"The explanation is irrelevant" she interrupted. She turned to Christopher and said "I will escort myself to my quarters. Please send a security team in approximately 45.5 minutes." She turned to Dave and Jonathan "Gentlemen" to Lorei and Tal "Captain, Commander" and left the room via the Turbo-Lift.
Jonathan's mouth open and closed his mouth like a fish, attempting to say something, Dave however managed to do so "Why would she do that?."
Karin looked at them and said "I believe for our own protection" she turned to the Captain and continued "Captain, I think she doesn't trust herself at this time, this entity she speaks of may still have a link with her and-"
"And might take her over again. I agree, her course of action was the logical one" he sighed and said "Well, Mr. Mai, Mr. Mathers, start looking outside the ship for irregularities. Commander, come with me"
Tal and Lorei left the two scientists and went onto the bridge, before Lorei took her seat at his right Christopher beckoned her over for a more private conversation;
"Commander, just before Dr. T'Jenn woke up she said a few things in Vulcanese"
Karin frowned and nodded, people often reverted to their mother tongue in timed of thoughtlessness.
"I know the basics, yes, no, thank you, etc. However, just before she woke up she said 'kea'at k'lasa'"
Karin's eyes widened at this and said "Captain, kea'at k'lasa, is mind rape"
The Captain tightened his lips and released a muttered "Damn it".
Jonathan stood in front of T'Jenn's quarters and pressed the notification bell. He waited a few moments and the doors slid open. T'Jenn sat on a mat, her hair tightly plaited; she wore lilac meditation robes, sleeveless and light, spread over the floor around her. It would be illogical to wear the entire uniform when she would be off duty for an indefinite time. Her hands steepled in front of her and she looked up.
"Hello" Jonathan smiled and sat down on the floor.
T'Jenn nodded in acknowledgment and went back to looking between her steepled fingers, separated into the customary V's.
"I thought you were supposed to meditate in front of a fire pot and IDIC symbol?" Jonathan said softly, the dimly lit room not letting his voice rise.
"That is true" she answered "I, however, am not meditating. I am merely contemplating"
"Contemplating what?" .
"Nothingness".
Jonathan frowned and said "I don't blame you for what happened".
T'Jenn's expression remained blank, her voice flat "You have no grounds for such a statement; there is no evidence that the occurrence was not my fault".
He blinked "But you told us-".
"-Irrelevant," She interrupted, "It is merely an oral testimony that no witness can attest to" she said and lowered her hands to her, she gracefully stood from her cross-legged position and walked to the replicator "Tea, Darjeeling" the drink appeared, she took the cup and asked "Anything for you Lieutenant Mathers?"
Jonathan mentally groaned at the most impersonal form of address, he answered dutifully "I'd like some more of that anti-nausea tea we had at Ten-Forward"
She nodded and said "T'Jenn blend 44".
She handed him the steaming liquid and sat, he sat opposite her and he said "So what if it's only an oral testament, there are dozens of witness' that could attest to the fact that you were not yourself".
"Yes, temporary insanity" she raised a dismissive eyebrow at the term "I assure you it was not insanity, it was a violation of the worst kind"
"Violation?" he asked, completely confused.
"When one enters the mind of another individual without consent, it is termed violation, is it not." It was not a question "Violation, is also a euphemism for rape. Rape and mind rape are the only crimes punishable by death on Vulcan, even murder is not considered so heinous a crime as those two... atrocities" her words carried the anger her voice did not. Jonathan marveled at the control of the Doctor and said "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware..."
"Most people are not. Lieutenant-"
"Call me Jonathan."
"Jonathan" she said reluctantly "I am currently under a house arrest. One, I might add, Commander Blake was very unwilling to give. What are you doing here?"
He smiled impishly "I got a permit, from Commander Lorei... Don't worry it's on the record."
"I have no doubt" she remarked dryly.
"T'Jenn... now that we know that something is out there-"
"'Something' that invades telepathically able minds and uses them as hosts to its own devices" she intoned.
"This investigation will soon be concluded."
"Perhaps."
Jonathan frowned and stated "You doubt that."
She glanced at him and said "Yes, I do. This... entity... has formed a link with my mind. I can feel it, tickling the edge of my conciseness. I do not know the exact strength of this sentience, but I know my own. And I am not strong enough to sever this link, I have tried, and was still trying when you came in. Severing a marriage bond takes fifteen minutes. To sever parental bonds takes thirty minutes... I had not managed to sever this link after an hour of profound meditation and two extra hours of..." she paused stared into his eyes and let her lips quirk slightly "nothingness" she concluded.
Jonathan swallowed at the thought of being mentally linked with this murderous... entity.
"Are you afraid?" he asked cautiously and slowly moved to sit beside her on the couch.
"Fear in an emotion" the answer automatic.
"You didn't answer my question" he pushed gently.
"I do not fear this entity; I do not have the capacity for such fear. The link is troublesome. It may prove to be an obstacle" she explained.
"An obstacle?"
"Should we discover this entity and destroy it..." she paused "This sentience has proven to be very telepathically able, it took over my physical body and pushed my mind aside. There is no logical reason for it not to do so permanently" T'Jenn looked at Jonathan "If this entity does as I speculate... my mind will be lost as well as-"
"Your Katra?" finished Jonathan.
T'Jenn raised an impressed eye brow "You have gained knowledge you beforehand did not posses".
He smiled ruefully "I read up on Vulcan and Vulcan culture after I... well, after I got to know you."
"Your premise is mistaken, you do not know me".
"Maybe not your past and history, but I think I have a pretty sure grasp of your personality."
"And what, Mr. Mathers, is my personality?" her voice was challenging and unwavering.
He smiled nervously and shifted in his seat, unconsciously moving closer to her. "Well," he began "You're direct, abrupt, accurate, curious and professional in your work. You have an almost sarcastic humor; you say what you mean and mean what you say. And you have an almost revenant regard for life".
A small furrow became apparent between her sweeping eyebrows and she said "You have keen observations".
He chuckled "I am a scientist".
She gave him a short nod and took a sip of her tea, the spice potent enough to reach Jonathan's nose. As she put the cup down and visible tremor went through her fingers, causing her to falter and spill half of the beverage on the table.
She stared at the spreading puddle and said in a deadpan tone "You had better leave."
He frowned creases of worry across his forehead and began "T'Jenn-"
Her strong hand covered his mouth, her dilated eyes boring into his, her voice was as hard as a diamond when she spoke "Why did you come here?" her question was rhetorical, as her hand was still sealing his mouth. She shifted her body and was now lying on top of him, trapping him. She spoke again, her eyes still dark, only again covered by the hard membrane of her inner eyelid.
"You want her" her voice said, but a different mind spoke. Jonathan's eyes widened.
Her hand slid off his mouth and was replaced by her mouth. Jonathan blinked in shock, his breath caught in his lungs. The kiss was closed mouth and was merely the brush of the lips. She sat up and touched his cheek with her hand. He swallowed, then realized her hand was again around his throat, not squeezing, just holding him still as the fingers of her hand spread over his face, to his temple, his eye, his nose and his jaw.
Jonathan breathed a shuddering breath as he tried to stop the onslaught on his mind.
"T'Jenn" he tried to say, but only a constricted gasp escaped his mouth.
The probing of his mind continued for what seemed to him to be hours, while only seconds passed.
The door to T'Jenn's quarters opened and Warren entered, he stopped short at the sight before him, and before he could even respond, T'Jenn stood before him, blank as an empty page and grabbed his shoulder.
He was down, she looked back at the violated man lying shaking on the couch, she stepped over the unconscious body of Warren, and walked into the corridor.
When Karin and Dave entered her office they were completely surprised to find the Vulcan doctor, her back towards the door, sitting patiently in the guest seat. Wearing her meditation robes. Dave and Karin gave each other confused and worried looks and Karin asked "Doctor, aren't you under house arrest?"
"Yes, She, was" came the toneless answer.
Dave approached T'Jenn quietly and gently touched her shoulder "T'Jenn are you-" the question remained unfinished as Dave crumbled to the ground, T'Jenn stood before the First Officer, regal, strong and completely out of control.
"T'Jenn" Lorei began, her voice soothing and warning "I know you're in there, this isn't you"
"You are correct" said T'Jenn's voice "I am not T'Jenn T'Aduna'Solak of the city of ShirKahr on the planet Vulcan, her body is a convenient host for my plans" as she spoke she glided closer to Karin, who kept on backing up until she reached her desk, where she unobtrusively pressed her silent emergency signal.
The entity inside T'Jenn noticed and abruptly tore the computer console off Lorei's desk, pulling the desk off the floor at the same time.
"You are obsolete; you are physically weaker than T'Jenn and are unable to block an attack from her mind"
Lorei, using whatever momentum she had, rammed into T'Jenn, knocking her down and running to the door. Karin had no plan to take on a mentally unstable Vulcan. Said Vulcan, however, stood up and caught Lorei by her arm and flung her to the opposite wall. T'Jenn was upon her in an instant and already had both her hands at the psi-points on Karin's face.
She tried to grab the wrists near her head, but the mind-meld that T'Jenn was attacking her with drained her of whatever energy she had. She felt the little tendrils of foreign thought enter her mind, wrap around her psyche and take control of her own mind. It seemed to last forever, but eventually, T'Jenn let go of Karin's head and asked, her voice devoid of anything, her eyes still blank "Whom do you obey?"
Lorei's own voice was devoid of personality when she replied "You"
T'Jenn and Lorei left the wrecked office, the fallen science officer, still unconscious on the ground.
New Awakenings
Warren heard a groan and felt the vibrations of the sound go through him. He opened his eyes and realized the groan had come from him. He slowly turned his head and winced as the movement made his head feel like it had been split open. He gingerly touched his head and looked at his hand, no blood, so it was only a sensation and not physical. He tried to think what sort of weapon caused these symptoms and realized the nerves to his brain had been momentarily severed. Meaning a Vulcan pinched him, not just any Vulcan, T'Jenn, who was out of her mind... literally. He got on all fours and concentrated on not falling flat on his face, he stood, closed his eyes and waited for the dizziness to go away. He opened his eyes again and could see everything normally, nothing looked like a kaleidoscope. He looked around and saw Jonathan sit up and stare at his hands. Everything that had happened came rushing back to Warren he felt the memories physically crash into him.
"Jonathan" he said softly.
Jonathan raised his head and looked at Warren, he swallowed stiffly and breathed out "We're doomed."
Warren had heard that kind of desperation only once before in his life. If what they were facing was worse than the Jem'Hadar he would have to move quickly.
T'Jenn and Lorei walked deliberately towards the bridge, the Vulcan and the Bajoran in their own right had their names before them. The Vulcan well known for her lack of a bedside manner, and the Bajoran known for her lack of manners. Personnel around them moved out of their way, not wanting to be in the way of two of the senior staff when they were looking so... unstoppable.
They entered the Bridge and split. T'Jenn walking towards the Captain's ready room and Lorei to the Operations consul.
Lorei walked towards Monica, she said, her voice completely monotone "Lieutenant, remove yourself from your seat".
Monica blinked and asked, confused "You want me to do what, Ma'am?"
"I want you to remove yourself from the Operations console – Or I shall remove you" Lorei's eyes were completely dilated, as if she were looking at Monica in a room completely dark.
Monica swallowed stiffly and tried to say "Ma'am-" but Lorei caught her arm in a vice grip and flung her towards the viewing screen, she began typing co-ordinates into the consul and then when they were fed she destroyed it. Sparks and burnt wires making the Bridge reek of melted plasma. The entire bridge crew stared at her, stupefied and unresponsive.
Targo quickly helped Monica stand up and walked up to Lorei "Ma'am, are you quite insane?"
She ignored him and sat down at the helms, pressing a few buttons making sure the co-ordinates were fed and that the ship was sailing in the right direction.
"Commander-" began Targo but was cut off by Lorei's harsh emotionless voice; "Speak again and I will make sure your mouth is sewn shut".
By now, every person on the bridge was aware of the fact that their First Officer was not herself, many of them began to close around her, while others tried calling security, yet no one truly wanted to contemplate what they were required to do in this kind of situation.
Except Targo.
"No, Ma'am" he said and struck. Hitting the side of her head with his hands clasped together in a punch.
She fell to the floor, her head hitting the hard surface knocking her out quite efficiently.
Monica stared at him, then at Commander Lorei and back at him again.
"Erim," she began.
"Call someone from engineering" his voice shook slightly and he couldn't tare his eyes from the sight of the unconscious Commander on the floor "We have to fix the console and... and get someone from sickbay"
For both of us, he thought, feeling quite nauseous.
Completely oblivious to what was happening on the Bridge, Captain Tal sat thinking about their situation, he was contemplating the Entity as T'Jenn entered uninvited.
Tal stood up abruptly, and said in a soft voice "What can I do for you Doctor?"
"It's more what I can do for you" she answered, her voice harsh. Tal noticed her inner eye-lids were down, he remained behind the relative safety of his desk and asked "Who are you?"
T'Jenn stopped for a few seconds, as if pondering the question, before continuing on towards the Captain.
Tal moved backwards and quickly withdrew his Phaser, "Stop. I really dislike shooting people"
T'Jenn raised a contemptuous brow and too fast for him to respond, T'Jenn held his hand in a vice grip along with his throat.
"Carbon-based entities are quite pitiful... but useful" she gripped the hand that held the Phaser tighter, making him drop the weapon and moved it to his face. As with Lorei, Tal began to feel the tendrils of T'Jenn's abducted mind invade his, he closed his trying to concentrate about making her leave, but she pushed deeper and deeper when abruptly he felt her leave him. Mentally and physically.
He opened his eyes and saw commander Blake stand in front of him, he was holding an unconscious T'Jenn in his arms, her nerve cluster at her shoulder obviously pinched, he was breathing heavily, as if he had been sprinting for a long time.
"Are you," Warren paused for breath "all right sir?" he asked.
"Fine. Thank you commander" he said emphatically "How did-"
"Commander Lorei's office is trashed sir, and commander Mai was just waking up, I made sure he was fine and ran to your office... just in time it would seem" he gave Tal a melancholy smile.
"Take the Doctor to sickbay, I'll go to the Bridge. Get back as soon as possible... Oh, where is Lieutenant Mathers?"
"He's in sickbay, sir"
"How-"
"I don't know, sir. There was no time to ask him, I just called medical personnel and started running laps on the ship".
Tal nodded and walked to the bridge. The sight he saw was disturbing though not surprising.
Medical personnel and engineering were all over the place. He saw by the helms that Lorei was on a stretcher, her cheek sporting a very nasty looking bruise. He noticed a medic looking at Targo's hand. His eyes widened in realization, he did not want to be in the same room Lorei was in when she woke up.
The Operations consul was being treated by none other than Thomas himself with Ensign Rose there for all the assistance he would never need.
The Captain walked towards Targo and said softly "Ensign"
Targo immediately got to his feet, making the medic sigh in frustration, Tal put his hand on Targo shoulder and made him sit.
"Ensign, tell me exactly what happened".
And he did, from the moment Commander Lorei came to the moment he did.
Tal nodded and said, in mild trepidation "Lieutenant Thomas you have the bridge, contact me the moment, the second something happens, am I clear?"
"Crystal, sir".
The door of Tal's ready room opened and Blake came out carrying T'Jenn in his arms, he allowed the sight of the bridge to sink in.
Tal walked to the Helms and read the co-ordinates, he turned to Lieutenant Wellsh.
"Lieutenant... Where are we going?" his voice was calm, his eyes were not.
She swallowed "I don't know sir," she glanced at Lorei on the stretcher and T'Jenn in Blake's arms and said "I would think the Commander and Doctor T'Jenn would know, sir".
Tal licked his lips and glanced around him, he saw T'Jenn hang limply in Blake's arms and knew exactly what to do.
"Commander," he said to Blake "Have a security team watch over Commander Lorei and Doctor T'Jenn, I want them supervised at all times and I want status reports every hour... medical or otherwise"
"Yes, sir."
Tal strode quickly to the turbo lift, not waiting to answer the questions he saw in the Crew's eyes. There was no time for this.
"It has to end... soon" he muttered to himself.
The turbo-lift doors closed.
"Sickbay" he said clearly.
It was the longest turbo travel ever. He sprinted into the room and nearly knocked Dr. Ross out of the way when he saw him treating a shaking and dazed Lieutenant Mathers. His constant shakes worried him but he realized it must have been a side effect from T'Jenn loosing consciousness. Tal realized the easiest way to immobilize the poor Lieutenant would be to cripple him mentally. He hoped it wasn't permanent.
"Lieutenant, I must ask you a few questions" the Captain said.
Jonathan raised bleary and unfocused eyes to the Captain, he was exhausted and depressed. He felt so bad he wasn't sure that answering the Captain's obvious questions were worth his attention. He lowered his gaze and concentrated on not falling on his side, onto the medi-bed.
"What is it, Captain?" as with Blake, Tal didn't think he had ever heard someone so defeated.
"Where are we going?"
Jonathan's brow creased and he asked "What?"
"Lieutenant, I am aware, that you are at this moment not entirely focused, but please concentrate on what I'm asking you... Where are we going?"
"554 mark 8.249" Jonathan answered automatically, his eyes widened a bit at his answer.
Tal nodded in encouragement "What are we going to find there?"
"It" Jonathan's head snapped up and he jumped off the bed "Oh God, we're headed right towards the... the..."
"Entity" completed Tal softly.
Captain's Log, Star date 55419.5: At this very moment we are heading at Warp 8 towards an uncharted piece of the Gamma Quadrant. Commander Lorei in comatose and Dr. T'Jenn has already awoken from the invasion to her mind.
I am deeply worried. Lieutenant Thomas is doing his best to fix the Operations consul as fast as he can. Unfortunately, Commander Lorei was through when she reportedly pulled the consul off its station.
I dislike
(strike that!)
I hate this lack of control.
I am also quite tired of my CMO being possessed by this Being.
This Thing, whatever it is... has hurt this ship, its crew and the surviving member of the Discovery long enough.
Christopher watched the viewing screen intently; Commander Mai had ordered the sensor array team to put on maximum. Christopher wanted to know about anything and everything drifting out there. He glanced to his right and frowned. He did not like going into these kind of situations with out Commander Lorei's input (despite the fact that he sometimes ignored her advice). He looked forward and watched Targo watch the screen; a look of intense concentration on his face. He didn't want to miss anything either.
The bridge doors opened and a flushed Ensign in blue ran towards Dave Mai who was sitting at his post. Christopher turned and watched the exchange. The Ensign was speaking in an excited whisper and gesturing wildly with his hands. Mai nodded and frowned a few times and said "Thanks, and good work".
Mai turned to the Captain and said, also looking flushed though a lot more worried than the Ensign "Captain, I've just received a report from Analysis and there seems to be abnormal debris floating in this strip".
"Meaning?" asked Christopher as Mai handed him the actual report.
"Meaning it has the same composition as the escape pod we salvaged months ago. As soon as the sensors detected it, Analysis checked and double checked. Captain, wherever we're headed, there will be a load of the biosynthetic alloy. The same that constructed the pod and the scraps we found on Ocean View Station".
Christopher blinked a few times slowly and nodded. He turned to Blake who had been listening in.
"That alloy..."
"Practically indestructible, sir, regular photon torpedo and Phaser-" Warren began, but was interrupted by the officer at the Science post.
"Sir, we have something large on the sensors"
"I want a visual!" ordered Tal and walked to his seat, the screen flickered and something indistinct appeared. It was a blue sea green colour mass that seemed to shift and move, as though the surface were a liquid.
Christopher, Dave and Warren recognized it. It looked exactly like the biosynthetic alloy pod found months ago in Avalanche Ocean, but it was a ship, at least 50 meters long and 20 meters wide .
"That's a lot of alloy" muttered Dave, a worried frown on his forehead.
Jonathan woke with a start and a headache, he turned onto his side and saw Commander Lorei lay still; her chest rising and falling gently to her breathing. He glanced at her bio-readings and came to the conclusion that she was comatose. He sat up and turned to his other side and saw T'Jenn stare at him. Her eyes were focused and uncovered, the inner eyelid was absent.
"You must contact the Captain for me... we have arrived" she said in a toneless voice. As though the words she was saying were of no real significance. Her face was drawn and tired, but quite emotionless.
"It will just take you over again" Jonathan argued, very wary and still depressed from the ordeal his mind went though.
T'Jenn raised an eyebrow very deliberately and her mouth thinned in what could only be an imitation of contempt and said in the tone she used to make sure everyone knew there will be no nonsense while in her presence "No... It will not".
Jonathan believed her.
He called a security officer and asked him to contact the Bridge for him.
T'Jenn waited.
It Speaks
Captain Tal received the message from the security officer and waited for T'Jenn, Jonathan and the security men accompanying them to arrive.
Monica gave a startled yelp when the repaired Operations Consul began to go haywire. Science and engineering officer came to her to see what was wrong, when the computer began to speak, not as the Elita, but as something else completely.
"USS Elita NCC-63827, This is Prototype Lunas 001. Acknowledge"
Christopher turned to Monica "Open a channel"
"Sir... All channels are open, they were ripped open by the... the Thing"
"At least now It has a name. Prototype Lunas 001, I am Captain-"
"You are irrelevant... Your mind is too small for I to enter" the computerized voice interrupted.
Tal scowled angrily at screen and turned to Mai, "Does it have weapons of any kind?"
"No sir" Dave shook his head negatively, "According to sensor reports, all it has is a computer core, a warp core, though it is made in it's entirety from the biosynthetic alloy"
Christopher nodded and turned to Blake "Send a warning shot to its engine"
"Captain, the alloy is light resistant, the Photon torpedoes and Phasers will barely scratch it" Warren put in.
"I'm aware of that, Commander. However, I want to show it we mean business."
Warren nodded and went to his post, he suddenly swore under his breath.
Christopher turned and gave him a worried look "Sir... our weapons have been disabled."
The entire bridge goggled at Warren, who looked very uncomfortable, "I beg your pardon Commander" Tal said in barely restrained anger.
"Our weapons have been disabled, the systems aren't responding".
The doors to the bridge opened and an immaculate looking T'Jenn walked in, flanked by two security officers and Jonathan behind them. Jonathan broke into a cold sweat at the sight on the screen.
T'Jenn didn't bother to glance at the screen and said in a clear voice "Prototype Lunas 001, you have over stepped your boundaries... It is with fair warning that I tell you to leave the system of the Elita" T'Jenn sounded as though she were having an average day's conversation with an acquaintance.
"USS Elita NCC-63827, do not threaten I."
The expression on T'Jenn's face could only be a smirk; she walked to the Operations Consul and asked Monica to please get up. Monica looked at Warren and Christopher and they both gave her the OK.
T'Jenn turned to Christopher and said "Captain, would you please press in your operating code."
Christopher frowned, but nodded; he strode quickly to the consul and pressed in his personal code; the code that let him claim practical ownership to the Elita, the code that opened its operating systems like proverbial guts. T'Jenn sat at the consul and placed her finger tips, her psi points, on the consul and thought to herself; It is illogical to mind meld with a ship. That, however, was overridden by the fact that the ship she was to meld with had a mind. It had invaded hers... she could do the same. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the circuitry pulsing beneath her fingers, she quickly discerned the Elita's pattern and found the foreign pattern twisting inside the molecular circuitry of the Akira Class ship.
Her mind caught the pattern of Prototype Lunas 001 and began to travel towards its own circuitry in the actual ship.
Lunas 001 spoke privately to her; "You are irrelevant... I will destroy USS Elita NCC-63827"
"I was not irrelevant but a 5.3 hours prior... you needed me... now, you shall have to deal with my mind inside yours" T'Jenn answered It, and though both Vulcan and Machine had no emotions to involve in this duel, T'Jenn was aware of the smell of fear, no matter how illogical it was, and the pre-Reform Vulcan hidden deep within her subconscious grinned hungrily.
As her mind walked the patterns, she managed to formulate herself and her thoughts took a shape and the pattern became a muddy path. She walked it slowly and deliberately. As she neared the actual ship, the Elita's patterns (looking like pure blue streams of water) began to disappear and the pattern of Prototype Lunas 001 became dryer and more solid. The path became wider and wider until it became a plain, almost a deserted plateau. On the horizon she saw what looked like a humanoid and it walked towards her. It was Jonathan.
She raised an eyebrow "You believe me to be emotional and actually take this apparition as verisimilitude?"
Faux-Jonathan smiled and changed shape to Christopher, Lorei, Warren, Dave Captain Swail of the Discovery and a young Vulcan female.
"You are quite the Changeling, it is easy to see who designed you" T'Jenn commented.
"I am real... Mother" said the young Vulcan.
"You are an illusionist, nothing less... certainly nothing more" commented T'Jenn, sounding as bored as a Vulcan could.
Lunas 001, blinked and changed once more, into a Vulcan male. T'Jenn's eyes narrowed minutely.
His hair was, as all Vulcan's hair, black, his eyes were deep set, the colour of a cut jade and his jaw was square, he wore a Star-Fleet uniform, with a yellow collar and his voice was deep as he said "Aduna"
T'Jenn regarded him and said "Yes I was... but he died, I have mourned years ago and have moved on. It was logical. You are a cheap imitator... and I am stronger than you" without warning she launched her hand into the Vulcan's chest, who frowned.
"To imitate Solak was beneath both our intelligences" she said and pulled out the heart.
The apparition stared, and fell backwards, it began to change shape rapidly and said in a voice that suggested a multitude of voices speak together "Operate emergency system override".
T'Jenn knelt and placed the heart beside her, she touched the apparitions changing head and commanded "Commence self destruct; rutha-melga-nualan-rel. Prototype Lunas 001 you are now out of commission".
The apparition quite suddenly wrapped its hands around T'Jenn's neck and said "This belongs to I, you have no right..."
T'Jenn caught the hands that squeezed her neck and said "You attacked the Elita and the Discovery, without provocation. It is obvious that you were designed by those who do not know that to survive one must create. Not destroy" she threw Lunas 001 off her and began to run back to the path she kept visible.
The voice was shrill when it shrieked "To destroy is what I am. And USS Elita NCC-63827 will die with I... and so will you, T'Jenn".
T'Jenn no longer listened and concentrated on leaving the ships circuitry as fast as possible.
She counted the seconds; 25...24...23...
22...21...20...
The bridge crew of the Elita watched T'Jenn's hunched form over the Operations consul. Her finger tips trailed over the flat surface and perhaps thirty seconds passed since T'Jenn melded with the ship. Suddenly she gasped and fell backwards out of the chair. Jonathan was the first to reach her and he held her up.
"Captain, we have 15 seconds!" she said loudly.
Christopher frowned and heard the cacophony of the bridge exclaim that all their stations were back on line.
He also realized from the quite urgent tone in the Doctor's voice that they should leave. Now.
"Ensign!" he shouted to Targo "Turn us around. Go!" he said.
With swift fingers, Targo fed in the information and the ship began to turn around, it took two seconds.
"Warp 9!"
"Aye, aye sir!"
As the Warp engines activated he heard T'Jenn say "I apologize, Captain".
The ship was bombarded with a shockwave. Christopher actually saw the immense explosion of the Living Ship and crashed into Warren who in turn was propelled into the wall. Monica and Erim managed to roll onto the floor and Jonathan covered T'Jenn protectively.
In sickbay, as the ship exploded Karin's eyes snapped open and she sat up in a gasp, just in time to lose her breath by falling over the bed. Her eyes were wide and surprised, the ship shook and shifted and she smelled smoke. She looked up and saw the duty doctor and nurses on the floor in shock as well.
The doctor turned his head shakily and had a shocked expression on his face to the sight of a conscious Lorei; "How are you feeling, Commander?" his voice shook as his body shuddered.
Karin blinked, swallowed and muttered "Never better".
Christopher scrambled to his feet and ran to his chair "Status report!" he said as calmly as possible into the com-link.
There was too much static to make out what, whoever it was, was being said, all his mind could stay on were the words injured and casualties. He gritted his teeth in anger and closed off the com-link. He contacted sickbay and ordered out medical teams to all damaged levels and departments.
He turned to the bridge and saw that it was quite intact except for a small fire as the Science station (meaning he need to wait for his actual status report), which Dave was vigorously fighting. Many of the people were all right, though Warren was rubbing the back of his head. He wasn't worried too much, not much could break Warren.
He turned to the Operations consul and saw Jonathan help T'Jenn stand up.
"Doctor?" he said, not really a question, more of a quest for confirmation.
"The link between the Elita and the AI are severed, as it is with me" she answered.
Christopher's com-link blipped and he answered "Captain Tal here"
"Captain, what happened?" asked a quite distraught Commander Lorei.
Christopher was pleasantly surprised to hear his XO, but grimaced at her question "That's what I would also like to know Commander. I will be accompanying Dr. T'Jenn to sickbay at this moment"
"T'Jenn? But-"
"As soon as we get to sickbay, Commander" he disconnected the link and looked over at T'Jenn, who stood calmly, her legs slightly spread to give her balance and her arms crossed over her chest, she waited patiently for Tal to speak.
Christopher sighed.
Captain's log, supplemental: The Elita is back under our control, Commander Lorei is awake and Dr. T'Jenn is fully punctual.
The Doctor explained everything that happened as Dr. Ross examined her once again.
She seemed completely herself as she described the disturbing confrontation between her and the Lunas 001, her conclusions as to its makers are, as always, logical. It is quite clear that the biosynthetic alloy found on Ocean View station in the Avalanche Ocean asteroid field is identical to the alloy that composed the ship. My fears, as entered on star date 55333.3, turned out to be well placed. The Dominion developed a biosynthetic alloy that is strong enough to withstand the Vacuum of Space. The repercussions of this discovery will be further investigated.
The damage to the Elita herself was not severe, however the shockwave of the explosion caused many malfunctions, particularly around the warp nacelles and shuttle bays, where they got hit almost directly.
6 crew-members died instantly, 12 were mortally wounded and could not be saved, even though the medical teams did everything they could. I will, over the upcoming week, contact each of the families. It is the least I can do fort those who died under my command.
24 crew members are in various conditions. Dr. T'Jenn insists on treating them, and she is. Most will be released from sickbay over the next week. Their families will be contacted as well by both Commander Lorei and myself.
I am very tired.
Chief Medical Officer's log, Star date 55420.1: The 24 crewmembers under the care of the medical team are healing quite quickly; I expect many of them will return to duty over the next 7.9 days. The link between the ship: Prototype Lunas 001 and I is completely severed, there is a sensation of tearing within my mind that I have been mediating upon. It is my assumption that the trauma of the severing should be realized over the next 78.3 hours.
Lieutenant Mathers is currently hovering around me person, for an analytical being he is surprisingly sensitive to his Human sensibilities. It is, however, pleasant to spend time with him, until the Captain and Commander Lorei are finished speaking to Admiral Wyngarde about his reassignment.
This experience has also brought forth issues that need explaining.
Lieutenant Mathers has questioned me about Solak and T'Lass.
T'Jenn and Jonathan sat in silence at the window table in Ten-Forward. T'Jenn sipped every so often at her Darjeeling tea, while Jonathan drank the herbal tea that made his nausea settle. Jonathan broke the silence;
"Commander Lorei informed me that there's a position in the Science Department on Star Base 1005".
T'Jenn nodded and said "And you are satisfied?".
"I think I am... it'll take coping, but what doesn't?".
"Indeed".
There was a pause.
"How did Solak die?" Jonathan turned to look at her.
"I am curious to know how you obtained the information about my late husband.. and my daughter" T'Jenn raised an eyebrow.
"When you melded with me... and it was obvious you had lost someone very close to you, when we had our first conversation here, your daughter, also through the meld. She takes after her mother." he smiled awkwardly.
She nodded and answered, ignoring his comment "He was killed in Wolf 539, he was an engineer aboard the USS Chekov, T'Lass at this time resides with my brother and his family on Betazed... It was painful".
He frowned and asked "What do you mean?" he knew she meant Solak's death.
"Solak and I had been bonded since we were seven years of age. We both came from traditional families and we had known each other since we were two. We studied the Disciplines together and our families decided against separating us" she sipped on her tea and continued in the same monotonous tone "We were bonded and that was it. We grew and went to school, we both, independently, decided to enter Star Fleet. I wanted to be a Doctor, he an Engineer. He was... there is a word for it in Vulcan and the closest I can think of is 'Tinker'. He was very good with his hands. I claimed he would have made an excellent doctor, he rebuked by saying I would have made a very good engineer. We had our wedding ceremony in our last year at the academy and then we separated, I to Star Fleet medical to retain my medical degree and he to the ship he was assigned to. We saw each other once more, a few months before he was killed. I knew the moment he died, the bond was severed and I was comatose for 18.25 hours. I was informed 5.7 hours later that he had died and received a special leave. I returned to Vulcan and then asked for reassignment. I no longer wanted to be aboard a Star Ship, so I was assigned to Delos IV, where I studied various kinds of medicine intensively" she turned to look at him and saw a slightly stunned expression on his face.
"Why did you return to Vulcan?" he asked, then winced wishing he could kick himself for his stupidity.
She answered regardless "To mourn and to deliver the message to his family directly. I am still counted as their daughter... My family accompanied me to Mt. Seleya where I worked though the pain of losing a mate. Vulcans are not immune to tragedies as many suppose, we merely work through the pain and do not overcome it... I see it is difficult for you to comprehend" she said due to his questioning frown.
He nodded "No matter" she replied "It is considered a mystery and not spoken about to aliens" her mouth quirked.
"It is easier for Humans and other emotionally motivated species to hear that the tragedy was tempered by the birth of my daughter that same year" she continued.
"You had a daughter the year he died?"
"As I said, we had one more meeting before he was killed."
"But... Oh." His cheeks reddened slightly and then he frowned "Wait a second, that would mean your daughter-"
"-T'Lass"
"Yes, T'Lass, would be twelve now."
"That is correct."
"You left a twelve year old, all by herself?!" he sounded genuinely surprised.
"She is with my brother Sorel's family on Betazed, your reaction is illogical, she passed her kas'wan five standard years ago, had it been my will she could have been able to fend for herself, quite legally and efficiently on Vulcan. She currently studies creative and functional art and design at the Mollaron Academy of Progressive Art on Betazed. According to regular reports from her teachers, my brother and T'Lass herself she is progressing at an accelerated pace and should be earning her first degree in 2.3 standard years... Solak would have been most pleased" he small furrow appeared on her forehead and she finished her tea.
"Did you love Solak?" he asked quietly after a long pause, trying to absorb everything she said about her family and her experience.
"I loved him as I feared Prototype Lunas 001... Do you understand?"
"No... but I guess that's the only way you can explain, huh?"
"You unfortunately do not speak Vulcan."
"I could learn."
"Indeed, so when you speak it fluently you will understand what I mean by saying that Solak was my adun aisha" she raised an almost amused eyebrow. He smiled back.
Captain's log, Star date 55420.2: I have just spoken to Lieutenant Mathers, he is seems quite enthusiastic about the position on Star Base 1005. I suppose he'll be happy to be in a place that does not move too much. A shuttle from the Base is due to arrive in half an hour. I'll be happy to get out of this sector and back to patrolling the neutral zone.
Lieutenant Mathers expressed his thanks to us and more importantly to Doctor T'Jenn who truly deserved it. She accepted it with a nod and nothing else. The good doctor, while back on duty as though nothing happened, seems to be even more withdrawn than usual, I am hoping it is merely an adaptation to her ordeal, but I am beginning to think we may need someone the crew can speak to about their emotional ailments, not just physical.
Commander Lorei walked with Lieutenant Mathers to the Transporting room and asked him "How are feeling Lieutenant?"
"I'm fine Commander, and you?" he replied politely.
"No more foreign thoughts in this head" she said completely serious.
He smiled and just before they entered he asked "Commander you speak Vulcan right?"
Lorei looked at him surprised and asked "Why do you ask Lieutenant?"
"Well, Doctor T'Jenn told me something and I was wondering if you could translate it for me"
"Um, okay. What did she say?"
"Uh, it was adwon Eisha. I think."
"Do you mean adun aisha?" she looked at him shocked "Dr. T'Jenn actually said that?"
"Yes" he nodded "What does it mean?"
"Um... I think you should probably study the language first. You know Vulcans; never lie, always confuse" she smiled. He nodded and they walked in to the transporting room.
"Good luck on 1005 Mr. Mathers" Lorei said sincerely,
"And thank you Commander, for the investigation."
"That collapsed."
"That made me feel better."
She paused "you're welcome Mr. Mathers".
He walked onto the platform and waited, the voices from the com-links seemed dull as he concentrated not getting sick as his molecules separated and rearranged themselves as he changed ships.
Karin walked towards sickbay and entered. T'Jenn was at her desk and reading up on the injured in the bay. She looked up as Karin approached and asked "How may I help you Commander?"
Karin gave her a sickly sweet smile "Adun aisha, T'Jenn?"
"It was logical he would ask you... did you tell him?"
"No, and how was he supposed to understand the meaning of 'Husband Love' in the Vulcan mindset?"
"Do you?"
"I studied the language, I think I understand its nuances, it's just that I think he won't and when he translates your words, he'll end up confused."
"Yes... that was the point."
"You're a devious thing."
T'Jenn raised and eyebrow and went back to her reading.
Karin smiled, went to the Turbo-Lift and headed to the Bridge. The doors slid open and she took her seat next to the Captain. Christopher turned to her and she said "He went off without a problem, sir"
Christopher nodded and turned to Ensign Targo "Ensign set a course out of here, full impulse!"
"Aye aye, sir!"
And as the ship moved, Christopher felt the engines hum beneath him and he smiled as watched the stars streak across the screen in front of him.
- The End -
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 | Last modified: 10 Apr 2012 http://fiction.ex-astris-scientia.org/the_discovery.htm |