Lunch with the Goddess

Posted on Sat Nov 3rd, 2018 @ 9:33pm by Commander Rita Paris & Captain Enalia Telvan & Lieutenant Asa Dael & Emergency Medical Hologram (Adam Power) Mk X & Hera
Edited on on Fri Sep 6th, 2019 @ 4:41pm

Mission: Escaped Pantheons
Location: USS Hera, deck 8, VIP quarters #11
Timeline: 2395

HERA
From Fedepedia, the United federation of Planets database.

Hera (/ˈhɛrə, ˈhɪərə/; Greek: Ἥρᾱ, Hērā; Ἥρη, Hērē in Ionic and Homeric Greek) is the goddess of women, marriage, family, and childbirth in ancient Greek religion and myth, one of the Twelve Olympians and the sister-wife of Zeus. She is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Hera rules over Mount Olympus as queen of the gods. A matronly figure, Hera served as both the patroness and protectress of married women, presiding over weddings and blessing marital unions. One of Hera's defining characteristics is her jealous and vengeful nature against Zeus' numerous lovers and illegitimate offspring, as well as the mortals who cross her.

Hera is commonly seen with the animals she considers sacred including the cow, lion and the peacock. Portrayed as majestic and solemn, often enthroned, and crowned with the polos (a high cylindrical crown worn by several of the Great Goddesses), Hera may hold a pomegranate in her hand, emblem of fertile blood and death and a substitute for the narcotic capsule of the opium poppy.


So that was the datadump on the woman… goddess… powerful cosmic entity that was currently being held in one of the VIP suites that had been modified to contain her. With two no-nonsense Security officers at the door, Paris was satisfied that sufficient precautions were being taken, in addition to the displacement field which the Captain had insisted on employing as an additional safety barrier for this interview.

Someone had to debrief Hera. It stood to reason to Rita that it might as well be the one she would be the most angry with, the one who had argued most vociferously to save her, the mortal whom had crossed her. None other than one Rita Paris, time-traveling transporter-phobic idealist of another age who would likely regret her altruism. But she just had to take a chance on saving the starship’s namesake. The woman was thousands of years old, and despite her bloody campaign across the stars, for some reason Rita was determined to see if she could be turned to the side of the angels.

Which had sounded a lot better when she was squaring off against the woman wearing power armor and carrying a rather unbelievably dangerous weapon. Now in the familiar halls of the Starship USS Hera, clad in her minidress uniform and armed with a PaDD, the concept of facing the angry goddess was considerably more daunting. But this was a situation Rita Paris had caused to come about quite deliberately through her choices and actions, and she could not in good conscience shirk her duty and send someone else to face the wrath. Taking a deep breath as she stood before the door, Paris spoke to the overhead.

“Computer, please unseal VIP quarters 11, authorization Paris, R, L-T-C-D-R, 8675309." As the doors obeyed, Paris continued the order. “Seal this hatch behind me and open only on my or Captain Telvan’s authorization, including a random security question from my file. Confirmed?”

=^= Confirmed, Commander =^= the computer replied.

Setting her shoulders and picking up her chin, Paris stepped in for an audience with the vanquished goddess.

Hera, for her part, was doing her best to enjoy what the replicator had to offer and had an array of food and drink out on the table from various worlds. Looking up at the intrusion, she glared at the woman, instantly recognizing her even without the armor suit and returned to poking some sort of Bolian finger sandwiches. "I see you're armed for a different sort of battle today."

In the battle Rita had left her helmet down, so that her human features could be seen and reasoned with, thus she was unsurprised that the defeated goddess recognized her. Besides, armored avenger or not, Rita tended to be memorable, and Hera had a memory that spanned centuries. And held grudges that long, which would likely be a hurdle to overcome today.

“I come in peace,” Paris offered, which was neither sarcastic nor was it meant to be inflammatory. “Not for battle. While any interaction can be seen as potentially thanotic and destructive, a meeting of cultures can also be creative and mutually beneficial. Of course, that choice rests entirely with you, Hera. As I mentioned when last we met, I’m Lieutenant Commander Rita Paris, of the starship USS Hera. I’m here to debrief you and discuss the possibilities of what happens to you next.”

Hera flashed a smile and raised a glass of red synthahol towards Rita before downing the remains. "Well I'm not dead and you're here with a symbolic laurel. Not only that, but you gave the Merosians their planet back. You have shown strength and mercy, yet others started with wreaths of holly and hollow words. I will parley with you and your captain, but not with your... Federation. They have proven to be spineless senators."

While Rita wasn’t entirely comfortable with the situation- after all, she hadn’t wanted to use violence, but the Commodore and the Captain had been the ones who had known better, which really meant that Rita was only following orders. But she hadn’t killed Hera, though she’d had her dead to rights and certainly would have been justified. Instinct told her to start with the details, so she brought it up, assuming it would be dismissed.

“So let’s start with Meroset. Why that planet? Why did you choose to transform their society? How did you bring your troops to bear on the planet?” They were all questions that were likely answered by a Starfleet Intel report somewhere, but they got the ball rolling.

Hera shrugged and picked up a small fruit, popped it into her mouth, and chewed thoughtfully before answering. "Before your planet, I called Meroset home. About a hundred years ago, I simply went back and restored what was mine. They had made some interesting things in the seven thousand years since, but my temple was still standing and the southern continent was still very poor, so I took over. When the more advanced northern continent tried to resist... Something about logic and science... I showed them how to terraform by turning their lands to ash and sand over the course of three days."

The casual cruelty the woman displayed was either for shock value, or a display of the fact that she genuinely possessed no compassion whatsoever. Whichever it was, she was rewarded with the expression on the first officer’s face, which reflected her reaction to the sheer monstrous nature of the deed. Struggling internally, Paris managed to reign it back to just a disapproving expression. “I see. And the harpies, statues and minotaurs?”

"I bred them using the Merosians. The marble people were tricky, mind you... But much easier than trying to get Medusa to reproduce. Even of you put a sack over her head, eventually a snake gets out and bites someone or something or the babies get loose... Total disaster..." Hera feigned disinterest as she spoke of breeding mythological monstrosities while poking at the table of assorted foods and pretending she didn't enjoy the rise she got out of Rita. "The Amazonians are just drawn to me naturally, like fanatics, so I just told them where I'd go and they met me there themselves."

"So let's talk about that. You bred them. So are we to assume you transformed a limited number of the locals, then just put on some romantic music and let nature take it's course?" Rita had an idea of what she was doing... maybe. But she felt like she had an idea, and for her that usually led to a plan. "Here's your big chance to brag, terraforming queen. The Merosians are going to eradicate any hint of you from their culture within two generations, and Earth's legends of you are clearly inaccurate. So if you want to shock and horrify all of Zeus' illegitimate offspring across the universe, all the races he dallied with other than you... now's your chance to brag about just how amazingly clever and powerful you are."

Hera raised an eyebrow in response and glanced over at Rita. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to join me?" Sighing heavily, she resumed poking at her food. "But to answer your question, I chose married couples that loved each other deeply. It was their matrimonious love that gave rise to my forces. I simply strengthened that bond and gave them stronger children than they could have imagined. Some were proud, some were horrified... I think most were fascinated on an intellectual level at least to some degree. I think most of my people would agree with the outcome, if not the means. What do you think? If you and your husband had a child that was... Let's say... One quarter Vulcan, one quarter human, and half Ambrosian... Would you still love them? Even if they could throw lightning from their fingertips?"

"That's a very long term plan to breed an army. And it didn't explain how you did it, either. You harnessed the emotional energy of their bond and weaponized it to genetically manipulate the offspring of the locals? C'mon, big shot. We're all like ants to you, so lay out the science, dazzle the cavewoman. How did you do it?" Rita kept the conversation focused. Truth be told, she wanted to know, and this was a golden opportunity to learn something about the beings troubling the universe once more.

Hera shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "You start by harnessing the local psionic energies in the area and you channel it into your hyperbolic torsion matrix you're born with and reshape those energies into a three five six pattern based on your desired animalistic features. Then it's a simple matter of pouring that energy into the host and initiating a trans-quantum flux inside of them to initiate the transformation to your desired outcome. It's elementary power usage for us, my dear. We just need our power supply and enough nearby psionic energy and it's as easy as mating is to your kind. My unique specialties did aid me greatly in this endeavor though. Without them, I would have had to take a far different approach."

"Well, that's certainly a twisted take on 'patroness and protectress of married women'. Monster babies. Nice," Paris muttered as she consulted her notes. "All right, let's talk some more about your little speech in your throneroom. 'There is a far greater threat that lurks on the horizon. Those that gave birth to my people are coming back. I see now that they are behind our return as well as other disturbances I've sensed.' Care to elaborate on that?" Commenting on the immorality of an action wouldn't be part of one of these discussions, but Hera seemed to be getting off on Rita's disapproval, which she suspected would lead to an overabundance of arrogance. Playing her cards, Rita walked through the motions to see how this would play out.

Hera stared at Rita, sizing her up like you would judge a rabbit at a county fair before replying. "You seem competent enough to make hard choices. You're aware that the primordial oceans of most worlds were seeded with life by the Preservers, I assume. My people guided many of those cultures that sprang forth. Their first creations though... They were a bit of a disaster. They gave them the power to terraform whole worlds and even suns with a single motion. If you think my actions are wanton and careless... Gaia is but one slumbering Titan that I have sensed the attentions of, and she is in the mind of that woman you sent down to distract me. Indeed, this ship itself seems to have passed through the body of a Titan quite recently. It reeks of it immeasurably."

The dark matter ion storm? That was the body of a titan? Chalk that one up as another new experience, Rita thought as she sent a report on that to the science department to start analyzing the data with an eye toward what Hera was saying. For now, another concern came to mind. “You said ‘is in the mind’- so it is your belief that Ensign Jurot is still carrying some element of Gaia within her?”

=^=Doctor Dael to Lt. Commander Paris- Permission to enter and join you? Hera is due for a checkup if now is an acceptable time. =^=

The interruption was unwelcome, as was the doctor’s presence in this debriefing. The mild-mannered medic was someone Rita instinctively felt protective of, so exposing them to Hera’s acidic nature wasn’t high on their priority list. On the other hand, the young doctor was a Starfleet officer, and they had followed Rita through a war zone. They were neither weak nor were they a child, and Rita needed to accept that. Besides, she reasoned, it might be interesting to see how Hera reacted. It might be quite telling. Blue eyes flickering to the bored goddess, Paris tapped her comm badge. “Paris here. Now is as good a time as any, Doctor. Join me at your discretion.”

The door opened about a heartbeat behind Rita’s response. Doc Dael was armed with the tools of their trade, all packed neatly in their ever-present medbag. The doctor was standing rigidly, their spine straight and movement precise as they entered the room. Upon seeing Hera in repose, the doctor held back most of the disgust they felt for this being and kept their face purposefully blank. Upon making eye contact with Paris, their eyes brightened a bit, with the creases showing a smile for the XO that was otherwise kept off their face.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything. Feel free to continue your… conversation. I’ll just be conducting some brief medical checks,” Asa said, making eye contact with both women.

Hera smiled politely as the doctor entered. "We were just discussing the finer points of my reign and why I chose to use what you all seem to consider horrific methods." She then pointed out a vein on her left arm. "If you need a blood sample, my normal physician usually aims for right about here. By his standards, I'm sure you'd be considered a witch doctor beating a drum around a fire... But I'd like to reassure you that I have full faith in your medical knowledge. I've seen some amazing things come from cultures similar to your own that have advanced even my own."

Asa immediately decided to play along, adapting the role of flattered rube. Better to placate this madwoman than exacerbate an already tense situation. "Well thank you miss. I'll do my best to keep the drum beating to a minimum." With that, Asa inserted a hypo into the indicated vein- well, almost into the vein. They purposefully narrowly missed Hera's vein, necessitating a second stick to reach her vein.

"Sorry about that!" the doctor said in their cheeriest voice, staring daggers at Hera's arm. "That just never happens. How embarrassing. So, the finer points of your rein, I'm sure that was an illuminating conversation. I'm curious, how are you feeling after the major psychic blowback you experienced? Any headaches?" they inquired, tricorder whirring as Asa scanned Hera's head.

"I'll chalk that up to unfamiliarity with the finer points of my anatomy..." Hera mumbled, staring out the window and trying to ignore the slight. "As for my head, it's still buzzing terribly. Of course, if it weren't not only would I be able to think clearly but I might be able to soak up some sort of psionic energy around me and do something about my captivity. It's like having a burnt finger, I suppose. You know it's there, but it's all tingly and numb and you can't actually feel anything, even though you can still technically use it." Whether Hera was trying to be inadvertently helpful or talking down to Asa, she was still trying to get some semblance of quality medical care. She knew that the Federation treated prisoners in a very civilized manner at the very least.

"We were discussing Ensign Jurot, as I recall." Paris brought the conversation back to the point that she wasn't going to be distracted from pursuing. "How about we get back to the answer to that question, Hera? The part where you said there is some element of Gaia within Jurot? I'd like to hear more about that. I'll bet it's bad news, and you do love delivering bad news, doncha?"

"Actually, I enjoy being correct," Hera corrected somewhat haughtily. She certainly did her best to live up to the term 'Goddess'. "Your crew member was infested with a sliver of the Titan Gaia and I did my best to rid her of it. I can not make any guarantees as to whether I removed all of it or if she'll reclaim your crew member. If you notice any sudden changes in disposition or powers, I recommend isolating or disposing of the person immediately."

"Why 'disposing'?" Paris asked as she hit Fedepedia.

In Greek mythology, the Titans and Titanesses were members of the second generation of divine beings, descending from the primordial deities and preceding the Olympians. Based on Mount Othrys, the Titans most famously included the first twelve children of Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky). They ruled during the legendary Golden Age, and also comprised the first pantheon of Greek deities.

The first twelve Titans were the females Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea, and Themis and the males Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius, and Iapetus. They begat more Titans: Hyperion's children Helios, Selene, and Eos; Coeus' children Leto and Asteria; Iapetus' sons Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius; Oceanus' daughter Metis; and Crius' sons Astraeus, Pallas, and Perses.

Just as Cronus overthrew his father Uranus, the Titans were overthrown by Cronus's children (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Hera and Demeter), in the Titanomachy (or "War of the Titans"). The Greeks may have borrowed this mytheme from the Ancient Near East.

"Unless you want an agent of either Gaia, Primordius, or Uranus festering aboard your lovely and expertly named ship, you'll have to do something." Hera eyed Asa as the doctor scanned with what she could only identify as some sort of medieval scanning stick. "Is that radiating in the tertiary theta quantum bands? You know that's dangerous to your poly-dimens... Nevermind... You're the only one aboard that might live long enough to have to worry about that anyway."

“Tomorrow always holds concerns of its own, “Asa replied gently, mentally filing away the slip the goddess just made to look into with Sonak when time allowed. Sensing Rita’s urgency to get answers regarding the counselor’s condition, Asa tried to guide Hera back to the point at hand.

“So, why do you think Counselor Jurot was targeted, Hera? What is it about her that drew the Titan? And how do you keep yourself safe from such attacks? “ Dael quit scanning Hera with the tricorder in an attempt to assuage the addled goddess. After all, Rita’s questions took top priority, and Asa decided it was time to use a little bedside manner to see if they couldn’t help things move along.

The doctor touched Hera’s arm lightly, ostensibly to feel the strength of her pulse in her wrist (an entirely unnecessary action, but allowed for a reason to try some skin on skin soothing with the woman), and allowed their hand to rest lightly nearby when complete, where Hera could easily graze their hand if desired.

With their free hand, Asa reached over and plucked some grapes from a nearby table and popped a couple in their mouth. They inclined their head towards Hera, affecting the posture of a curious supplicant.

The impish El-Aurian's posturing was not lost on Hera and she instantly took to the flattery, smiling brightly and grazing the cheek of the doctor with one finger of her free hand. "Since you're so kind and curious, I have no choice but to answer, now do I? Jurot, was it? I sensed within her a great telepathic potential that Gaia was able to exploit for her own purposes. She likely used it to edit the minds of those around her and if she had stayed aboard your vessel for long, she probably did that to your shipmates over time to settle her way in. That sliver was nothing but a probe... The eyes and ears of Gaia so she could meddle in affairs and track us down, likely for revenge for killing them the first time. As for protecting yourselves, I'm sensing protections on this ship and crew already, so how she was taken is a bit bewildering to even me."

Sighing softly, Hera picked out a couple more grapes and popped one in her mouth to chew on before offering one to Asa. "Your replicators are quite good at recreating the grapes of Earth from when I was there. It only took a little tweaking to the current program. My compliments to your artificers."

The doctor was surprised at their ability to stop the instant recoil from Hera’s touch that they instinctively desired, but instead leaned in ever-so-slightly to the touch, keeping a placid smile on their face. They shyly accepted the grape from Hera,

“These are certainly delicious, I am grateful for your correction of our programming. Hera, I’m scared. My people have some dormant empathy and telepathy, and I have no desire to be a pawn of a Titan. What protections do we have? How were you able to cleanse our counselor? Is it something I could do for her in the future, to ensure she can remain herself? I only want to heal…and we could learn much from you, even work together to ensure we all remain ourselves. Please, will you help me?”

Every word of Asa’s statement was true, and heartfelt. The doctor realized in that moment they would put up with any amount of condescension and obtuse wordplay if it would help the crew. Jurot had saved their life, and they owed it to her to ensure she could stay free of any outside influence in her mind.

Hera smiled brightly and booped Asa on the nose. "You and your race have a special innate power that rarely awakens. You can sense when the universe is not right and move to set it right. It normally takes a severe shock like dying to awaken that power. Even the Continuum fears that power." Leaning in so that her face was mere millimeters from Asa's and her hot breath could be felt on the doctor's, she spoke huskily. "You have the potential, by merely existing, to be the very antithesis of all that is chaotic and wrong in existence itself." Leaning back, she no longer had a smug or haughty look, but one more serious and fitting of someone she might consider equal to her. "As for the protections on this ship, I recommend you consult with your Captain about the shroud that hangs on this ship. I suspect that she knows far more about it than I could tell you."

“Well, that’s, um, quite a lot to live up to isn’t it? And here I thought finishing puberty was hard….” The tiny immortal stammered. They were flushing brightly, ears to toes, at the unexpected attentions of Hera. So much of their people’s heritage had been lost of forgotten, and the little Asa knew was proving to be erroneous. Mom and Dad had clearly left a few things out…..

Ever the nervous being, the young doctor reached across the table for what looked to be a plate of cheese and crackers and began nibbling on them. Since waking up in Sickbay after surgery, they had been positively famished, and found themself eating at every given opportunity. Realizing the faux pas, the doctor glanced at Hera tentatively and said, “Um, sorry about that. Hope you don’t mind? I’m just so hungry lately. Maybe it’s an invisible tapeworm or something, haha.”

The forced laugh was a bit mirthless and forced, but now was not the time to freak out. “We can certainly talk to the Captain about the shrouds. Hera, do you know why the Titans are awakening? What would they want?”

"Please, help yourself. Your impish energies have been completely diminished. You really need a baiser... But I doubt you'll get that..." Hera giggled knowingly as she motioned to the table of food. "As for the Titans, I know Gaia and Uranus are reawakening. I'm pretty sure Primordius is on the way back as well. As for why... I've been able to trace the source to near the center of the galaxy, but beyond that, even I'm at a loss. What they want is likely the same thing as always - to recreate everything in their images."

“If only I could process energy as you do, Hera,” the doctor replied, looking forlornly as the gloating goddess. “Then I would not be so hungry all the time. Why, surely you and the other Olympians could defeat the Titans together. You can summon forth matter and coalesce it as you chose, you can influence genetics with a thought. If a mortal were to try such a feat, why, they would surely explode. How do you manage to balance such incredible energies in your body?”

A doctor’s curiosity was evident now. Asa was determined to gain some benefit from this being, and to stop future experiments from Section 31 being necessary if at all possible. There was no reason Hera and the crew could not find a reason to work together to defeat a common enemy, and learn from one another in the exchange. Now, if only Asa knew what they could teach Hera….

Hera was definitely not immune to flattery, as she looked rather pleased and embarrassed. "Well... I can't say all of that is true... In fact, in a few hundred years or so, you might figure out ways of doing most of it yourself. Instead of using energy in this universe, your ships and replicators may some day pull from the same place ours do. Your transporters may be able to transpose genetics like I do internally. Your medical instruments as effective as our healers. Your Federation has great potential for such things if they apply themselves to the higher dimensions. As for defeating the Titans... I'm not sure all of Olympus could best them this time. We don't have the followers, you see. In fact, I myself have not had a proper offering since I left Earth..." Something akin to longing crossed Hera's face as she once again glanced out the windows into space. She may be immortal, but she was still a woman of emotions.

Asa was not sure they wanted to know what Hera considered a 'proper offering', but considering the power it would likely give the goddess, they were reasonably certain they didn’t want her to get it. However, the doctor was not without compassion, and hated to watch people suffer, even at their own hands.

“Well, I’m sure we have much to learn from you. These higher dimensions… are they similar to the Nexus my people were exposed to? I’m sure you can sense the energy on me, both my parents spent time inside it prior to my birth. If that is the type of energy needed to matter transmutation… would I be able to do it? I’m sure my abilities would be nothing compared to yours, but as a doctor, I would so love to be able to cure others with a touch. Perhaps then I could ease some of your suffering too…”

The doctor had lightly placed their hand atop Hera's over the course of speaking to her, and was leaning in, gazing directly into her eyes as a supplicant might.....or a deer might stare at oncoming headlights.

"I... Yes, those are similar energies, but not the ones needed. You need to..." Hera was actually blushing at this point before she realized something and stared deep into Asa's eyes, her own eyes wide. Hera reached up once more with her free hand and gingerly touched the El-Aurian's temple tenderly, a light tingle following it. For a moment, Asa could see what Hera saw - ribbons of energy weaving through everything, the static fields around the room, extra colors in space, the dull coloration inside the room, the impishly dancing fire in Asa's eyes, and a dark undercurrent running through everything.

Once it faded, Hera spoke again, somberly. "It seems your powers have been awoken quite recently. Did your battle in my temple take you that close to death? I may not be the best teacher, but I will teach you what I can in the time we have."

As for Rita Paris, she had stood off to the side and was content to let the Good Cop do their thing. It was getting them answers and making headway, and the scanners were watching the encounter very carefully. At the offer from Hera, Rita bristled despite herself. While she wouldn't want the El-Aurian doctor to be denied a part of their heritage, Rita had a very solid suspicion that nothing came from the goddess without a cost.

But Asa Dael was a Starfleet officer, and a good one. Paris kept her own counsel and remained silent, to see how this would play out.

Asa took in a quick breath, completely in awe of the beauty in the way of things as Hera saw them. The Universe was so full of… life! Energy everywhere, colors swirling, the life radiating from everyone in the room. It was how Asa always dreamt things could be…beautiful and full of promise.

When the tingling sensation had ebbed, they felt the loss keenly. How had this woman, their sworn enemy, become a mentor in the course of a quick meal? But they had to know more about this… whatever it was… growing inside them, and they were unlikely to find another tutor.

With a quiet voice, Asa replied, “I… I was injured by the explosion. It would not have been too serious if I had sought medical treatment immediately… but I knew I had 12 hours before it would be critical, and well, I could handle the pain, and others needed my help more urgently. So, I stayed behind and kept working to help who I could. I only made it back aboard in the knick of time, and even then I foolishly tried to wait to ensure those in Sickbay were tended to. The Doctor who worked on me was exceptional of course, no fault can be placed to him. I… I just pushed myself harder than I thought I was.”

The last of what Asa said was in a near whisper. They had known things were dire by the time they signaled down the EMH, but Hera’s question made them realize how close things had come. The doctor felt all color drain from their face, and suddenly they felt cold.

“Thank you for showing me that. It was… wonderful. I would love to learn what I can.”

"I fear I may have forced you to use the last of your psionic energies, my child. For that I apologize and insist you take mine, if you'll allow it." Hera spoke softly and sincerely, the cold settling into Asa obvious to her. "It would break my heart knowing that I was responsible for the near death of such a young immortal fey twice in one day."

"I think that's going to have to be a hard pass, Lieutenant," Paris said a bit sternly as she placed her firm hand on the physician's shoulder. "Step away, Doc."

Asa's head was swimming, confused. Luckily, their trust in Paris combined with a respect for command kicked in, and the doctor stood and walked with Rita, stumbling slightly.

"I think, I think maybe I should sit down.." they trailed off, and plopped down on a nearby settee. "Commander, could you please hand me my tricorder? I feel....woozy."

With an icy glare to the goddess, Paris handed Dael their tricorder then looked to the overhead. "Computer, please activate the emergency medical hologram."

As the holographic physician materialized, the first officer cut him off before he could utter his canned catchphrase. "Doctor, tend to the Doctor, please."

Interrupted in his catchphrase, the EMH stepped over to Asa and checked over their vitals with his own hands before taking the tricorder and looking it over.

Striding back over to the casual goddess, Rita Paris snarled. "I get that whole 'swear vengeance on mortals that cross you' bit. But you leave the crew alone. You want your revenge, I'm your gal. I led the revolt in the streets and took your surrender after you pulled all of your troops out of your temple. You leave the rest of the crew out of it, understand?"

Standing, Hera faced Rita defiantly - a far cry from the kindness she was showing Asa just a moment before. The air was almost electric as she spoke with authority, her voice taking on a hint of that booming quality she showed in her temple. "Yes, and as the victor, my life is yours. I thank you for the mercy you have shown and I believe I have been compliant. Have I tried to escape? Have I resisted? Have I refused to answer your questions? I offer my essence... My life force to them freely which would weaken me unto near death itself and you scorn me for it as you would a pit viper. You may not agree with my methods, but now that you know my reasons, do you still trust me so little, child?"

For the first thirteen years of her life, Rita Paris was quite seldom called by name. Once her mother died, that was all her father ever called her- child. Albert he addressed by name, of course. Seldom was the word spoken with kindness or in good cheer, but usually with that scornful edge to it, no matter the tone. That inherent condescension that implied the addressee's incompetence, condemning them for being inexperienced in life- a child.

In the tone the commanding woman spoke, Rita Paris recalled all of that, and she knew that the goddess had done so deliberately to make a point. Inhaling deeply, the first officer eyed the Olympian. "Trust is a two way street, and where there is no trust, there is no negotiation."

With that, she stepped aside. "Your call, Doc and Doctor."

"I perfectly agree," Hera replied, much calmer. She then awaited Asa's decision.

The EMH, for his part, did his best to determine what was wrong with Asa but was coming up empty. "Sodium-potassium gates are fine, but synaptic activity is decreasing. Synapses are all structurally sound. There's nothing physically wrong... Even Devidian drain has more signs than this. Their mental energy is just... Gone. Commander, if she can do something and is willing to help... In good faith... Then I recommend it if Asa agrees to it."

Doc Dael felt the amazing, impactful, wonderful life felt so sharply moments before slipping away. They knew there was no other choice, and what's more... they wanted to learn what Hera had to teach. They didn't trust her, not by a long shot, but the promise of knowledge... that siren song of possibility.

"Please, Hera, help?" they asked weakly, no longer able to move across the room to sit where they previously had.

"As you wish," replied Hera with a bow of her head. Stepping over to Asa, she helped the doctor to their feet and cupped their head with one hand, her other arm wrapped around Asa's waist. "With no malice or ill will, I freely give of myself to you this Baiser."

And with that, Hera pressed her lips to Asa's in a passionate kiss. They both lit up in a golden glow and sparks seemed to fly between them as Hera's remaining psionic energies drained into Asa.

"Hey! Isn't the whole reason you declared war on the universe because your husband does stuff like this?!?" Paris protested as energy coruscated about the room.

The EMH did his best to scan them with the tricorder, but had step back as part of his matrix started to destabilize.

Once it was done, it was Hera's turn to look drained as she fell to the floor, pale as death and starting to fade from existence.

Asa snapped up, full of vigor once more, but immediately concerned that they had caused yet another death. “No!” they yelled, rushing over to Hera’s fading form.

The doctor was still slightly off kilter and began to stumble when they stepped towards Hera, their tears flowing freely as they looked around the room and screamed to whomever might be listening, “Someone help! There has to be something we can do!”

The doctor was aghast to watch Hera fade. Death was always horrible, but this felt somehow more final. A dying body still had a chance to be revived, but a person who was just no longer there? There was nothing in their training to prepare them for that. Asa allowed the artificial gravity to take its toll and collapsed to the floor, openly weeping from the ordeal.

Hera smiled weakly and raised a translucent hand towards Asa. "It warms my heart to see you better, child. I'll be fine with some rest, so please dry your tears. Even if I faded from this plane, it is not the end for my kind."

“Aw, dammit…” Rita Paris muttered. Life in the future seemed delighted to make her compromise and change her mind. Sonak would likely say that was the very nature of life, to grow and evolve beyond our preconceived notions. In this particular case, she might have been content to let Hera fade away. But Rita had fought too hard to save the goddess who was the starship’s namesake, and if Hera killed herself saving Doc Dael it would scar the young immortal for life. Considering that life might go on a lot longer than Rita could imagine, she felt a considerable responsibility to not scar it early.

Hunkering down next to the fallen and fading immortal, Rita Paris sighed, suspecting that she would deeply regret this course of action. “Come on, Hera. Don’t give up on us yet, old gal. You may be a merry murderess and a manipulator and the whole of Starfleet may want you dead, but… I believe in you. So c’mon, stick around, Tinkerbell. I fought my ass off to keep you alive, and I’ll be damned if I let you kill yourself in your first debriefing in a few thousand years. You live for this stuff, so… c’mon. I have a little faith in you- not a lot, but a little.”

The goddess laying on the floor smiled up at the supercentenarian space explorer. "You have faith? In me?" Rita's words seemed to perk her up and return some solidity to her, giving the woman a small measure of strength back. "Thank you, my dear. You're very strong and beautiful, by the way. I see Freya's blessings in you."

”Ah... thanks. Well, don’t let it go to your head. You’re supposed to be this noble patroness and protectress of married women, so I’m really trying to overlook genetic manipulation for monster babies, crushing a planet’s infrastructure and enslaving the population to look on the nobler side. Helping Doc here does restore a little faith… I guess in a literal sense.” Internally, Rita kicked herself as an idiot, and she could just see herself standing a court-martial later trying to defend her actions. Thus she vocalized what she would say then as she knelt beside the fallen goddess now. “We’re Starfleet- we are defined by our compassion and the quality of our mercy, not killing off ancient beings of the cosmos when it isn’t necessary.”

Asa staggered to Hera's side, reaching for the fallen goddess' hand. "H-Hera...if you can stay, please do. I would like to learn from you, and even though I don't condone your past actions, I want to see you be part of our future. We can all learn and grow from past actions- no matter what they were- and build a better future for all life. Won't you try? Please?"

Their tears were still falling, eyes wide and mournful. The doctor would not say they 'believed' in Hera- faith was not something they were prone to in a religious sense- but they trusted in the innate goodness that had made Hera who she once was, and hoped it was still there.

"I'll do my best for you, young one. I swear to you I'll do better, for your sake and the galaxy's," replied the weakened goddess. "I doubt you have any, but if you have some real wine... Not replicated... A glass would help greatly."

Asa glanced at the EMH, "Do you have any more emergency supplies?" they asked.

“Eh, pretty sure I got some as a wedding gift, and given Sonak’s views on drinking it’s unlikely I’ll ever drink it,” Paris admitted, rising smoothly from the floor and turning to the holographic healer standing beside her. “Doctor, are you alright? Your… ah… digital parts all still intact?”

The EMH nodded pleasantly. "Yes, my matrix has stabilized, thankfully."

“Good to hear,” Paris patted the photonic physician’s shoulder fondly. “Please pop into my quarters and check the cabinet to the left of the sink, and you should find a few bottles of wine. Please pick one and bring it here, if you would be so kind. Thank you.”

With one more glance around, the EMH nodded before dissolving, presumably to reappear to Rita's quarters. It only took him a minute to return, though it was in the form of the door chime to Hera's quarters going off and the voice of the EMH coming though. "I've returned with a bottle, but these fine security personnel won't let me return. May I please come in?"

Picking Hera up- she was surprisingly lightweight at the moment- Paris was arranging her on a couch when the call came in. Tapping her left breast, the curvaceous commander called out. “Paris to security detail, VIP room 11- on my authority, please unseal the hatch and let the Doctor in. Good work, people.” Turning to greet the incoming delivery, Paris was unprepared for the random security question.

=^= Security authorization required to unseal hatch. What was your first pet's name? =^= the computer asked.

"Never had one," Paris answered curtly.

=^= Confirmed =^= the ship's computer offered as the door slid open, and Rita continued issuing orders. “Doc, how about you find us a corkscrew and a wine glass, please?”

Dael shook themselves off mentally, and rose to their feet. “Affirmative, ma’am.”

They made their way to the replicator and retrieved the desired items, returning swiftly to Hera’s side. As soon as Asa handed both off to Paris, their tricorder was in hand scanning their patient. Hera’s coloring was slightly off, still looking a bit wan, and her pulse was weak and thread. The doctor moved to ensure they could hold Hera’s head as she drank if needed.

“Doctor, thank you so much. I’m sorry I didn’t check on you sooner. Would you be kind enough to mind sickbay for me until I can return?” Asa asked their colleague, regretful of earlier oversight.

"Belay that order, Doctor," Paris declared as she worked the corkscrew like an expert. Before her life and career were on track, Rita had become acquainted with a great number of bottles of wine, and old skills returned easily. "I have a doctor in need of a doctor here. I need scans being performed by someone who can interpret them and, no offense Myx Dael, but you are neither objective nor uninvolved here." Popping the cork free, Rita poured out a half glass of the rich red wine and handed it off to the Greek goddess on the fainting couch.

Asa nodded in acquiescence, and attempted to move from their current position beside Hera. The universe seemed the thrum slightly, and it was as if their vision zoomed out and then back in again in rapid succession three times.

“You… may have a point there. Thank you ma’am, Doctor,” Asa said as they rested again, waiting to be cleared from the Doctor that they could resume regular motor functions.

As Hera gratefully accepted the glass of wine, she savored the scent before sipping the contents. "Oh my, that's the best wine I've had in over a thousand years. Are those Trill grapes?" The matronly goddess definitely seemed to be recovering as she savored every drop of wine.

The EMH was scanning both Asa and Hera in silence and frowning as he did so. Once he finished, he moved over to the miniskirt clad commander to confer with her. "My readings show that Asa is overflowing with mental energy now and that Hera is slowly recovering, but severely depleted. Other than that, I'll need tools and scanners that I don't think have been invented yet in the Federation to make any further diagnosis."

Hera raised her now empty glass to Rita. "Thank you, my dear, for this most delightful offering. I am now at your service."

Pouring another glass, Rita sighed. “We’ll see how that plays out. For now, I’ve no further questions, and you seem… stable... ish, and the ship’s surgeon no longer appears to be in imminent danger, so I think we’ll call this a day for today. Doctor?” Paris turned to the EMH, and patted him on the shoulder. “Good work. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mind staying online for the next 24, analyzing the data, seeing what you can make of it and coordinating with the science department to see if we can’t advance Federation diagnostics by a few years. You did good work today… thank you.”

"Yes, ma'am. I'll do my best as I'm programmed to." The EMH gave a bit of a salute with the tricorder before packing up Asa's medkit.

“Doc, I want you off duty for the rest of the day. Let the Doctor run some scans and you can work with him to analyze the data, but light duty until 07:00- that’s an order. Understood?” Paris fixed the young physician with a stern expression that made it abundantly clear that she would not be tolerating any argument.

Their head still reeling, Asa could think of nothing they wanted more at that moment than their bed, "Yes ma'am," was all they said.

“As for you, lady, let’s try to keep the shenanigans to a minimum. ‘They were touched by the divine’ is a little hard to explain in an official report, and I’ve already overextended my credit with the Captain and the Commodore in defying orders with you. So please, try to not give me cause to regret it?” the chagrin on Rita’s face was easy to see, as she was once again trying to adapt to footing that was shifting beneath her, and a situation she had lost control of despite her determination not to do precisely that.

"Lieutenant Commander Rita Paris, was it?" Hera asked, making sure to pronounce the name carefully, savoring another sip of her wine before continuing. "You have shown me mercy as a conqueror when you could have easily snuffed out my life force not once but twice. For this I owe you greatly. I would grant you any boon within my power."

"I'll be sure to bear that in mind," Rita replied with a dubious nod. Tapping away at her PaDD, she locked it out of the system, activated the internal memory and brought up the menu. "Surprising how much cinema has survived into the future. It seems data is never lost. Here are all of the films and entertainments the computer could come up with in which you or a number of your pantheon are depicted. These are the retelling of the Earth's myths that survived- this is how you are remembered. I mentioned earlier that they were a bit... erroneous." Tabbing the in-window preview, Rita started the trailer for Clash of the Titans.

"We should go, doctors," Paris made to shepherd the physicians out the door.

Doc Dael trailed shortly behind Paris, trying to keep pace, and said as they left, "Thank you, Hera. For my life and your sacrifice."

Hera didn't say anything as the woman, the androgyne and the construct departed. She had been willing to sacrifice everything, after all. Even start an unjust war with the rest of the galaxy on the very weak premise that they were descendants of Zeus's infidelities.

Picking up the bottle of wine that that holographic golem had brought, she looked over the label, reading it to herself. "Artan Family Vineyards... Blessed by a thousand years... Interesting... So there are still people that follow the old ways..."