Table Talk

Posted on Wed Jan 2nd, 2019 @ 5:06pm by Lieutenant Asa Dael & Ensign Avendar Jurot

Mission: Escaped Pantheons
Location: Sick bay

The ship still shuddered with the strain of making it through the energy barrier at the galactic core as Ensign Avender Jurot, ships Counselor, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Asa Dael, the Chief Medical Officer made their way to Sick Bay. The scrawny-looking androgynous El-Aurian doctor directed the beautiful Betazoid counselor towards their office.

Once inside, Dael went to the replicator to retrieve a couple of glasses of water and placed them on the desk. They motioned Jurot to a nearby seat and then moved to sit directly next to her instead of on the other side of the table.

The doctor’s usually sunny disposition looked a bit worried. The ordeal of making it through the barrier was rough on the ship, but also difficult on telepaths. Lieutenant Sonak had passed out and needed rescue by his wife, and the Counselor was not faring much better. The current psychic pressure combined with the recent revelation Jurot had been possessed for a significant period of time by a malevolent mind known as Gaia were all giving the doctor plenty of reason for concern.

There was also the matter of the Counselors behavior when planet-side on New Texas. She had been seen speaking to herself, and calling to the Captain- who had still been aboard the ship at the time. Dael was getting concerned the counselor was in need of a break.

As the counselor drank some water, Dael was scanning with their tricorder to see if there were any physical anomalies. The counselor was 2 full degrees centigrade too cool- bordering on dangerous territory, her psilosynine levels were reading as if Avender were in a psychic battle, and her metaconsciousness was not responding to fight off the intruding force. Asa quickly administered a shot of psilosynine-stimulant and a temperature regulator. The doctor also wrapped the counselor in nearby warm blankets and adjusted the temperature of the room to make her more comfortable.

Sitting next to Avender again, Asa asked, “So, how are you holding up? You still in there?”

"Yes. I felt something try to pierce my mental defenses, like a... like an offer. Gaia was offering me power... godhood," Avendar said.

She smiled at Asa. "I've already lost fourteen months of my life. I have no idea what Gaia did with my body in that time. One moment I was in sickbay aboard the Nobel, and the next I was in a primitive jail. Then I found out all that had changed... "

The young doctor moved to sit next to the counselor, wanting to have a more informal feel to their conversation. As they spoke, Asa tapped into a nearby PaDD orders for the ship's system to report in with any spikes in psionic energies around the ship and also to initiate ongoing monitoring of Jurot's body temperature. The ship would alert Asa if Avender fell into this body temperature range again, a good sign of an imminent attack, so the doctor would be best prepared to assist.

"I can only imagine how jarring that must have been. What were your thoughts on the offer you received? I doubt it comes without a cost..." Dael inquired softly.

"She didn't mention a price, but nothing is ever free," Avendar said. "There was almost a desperation to her message. I think she is afraid, but I can't imagine what she would cause her fear. I think the discs Ra left us kept her away."

The Counselor sighed. "We're dealing with beings who are worshipped as gods across the galaxy. It's a bit humbling, especially when they... well, I found Ra to be... needy."

That caused Asa a moment of pause. The doctor sat considering for a moment, and then replied, “Well, they were worshipped as gods all over…most of them seem to be less revered than before, and by extension, less powerful. I imagine they are desperate to return to their glory days. Which is actually a really good sign for us…it means we are winning.”

A sudden moment of inspiration struck the doctor, “Do you know if your psionic abilities operate at a certain frequency? A way we could track how they are coming at you? If we could nail down the wavelength these beings are on, that might help us see them more clearly and defend against them better.”

"I've never had it measured," Avendar said. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Ra mentioned that there's is a symbiotic relationship between the gods and their worshippers. Maybe, here in the core, their powers are shielded from their worshippers... and Gaia needed to 'feed' off of me."

"That.....would make a lot of sense. Once Hera could no longer access her psionic feeds, she became more than a bit desperate. IT stands to reason that Gaia, being more powerful, would be even more hungry. How do you recommend we track her signal back down?"

"Well, first, let's find out if my abilities resonate on a frequency. If so, we need to discover if that is individual, like a retina, or if it's common. For that, we'd need two more crew of different species with psychic abilities. If it's common, then we're back to square one. If so...". Avendar paused. "We could scan for the different frequencies, excluding those of the crew."

"An excellent plan. Let's start by getting your baseline. We should have some baseline on file from your time at section 31 as well. I have all the tools here, and Nurse Vines has zero psionic ability, so there would be no interference from any psionic ability on her part If you were using abilities directed at her. Let's start with basic mind reading. "

Calling the human nurse over, Asa instructed her that assistance was required to get some readings on Counselor Jurot, and the nurse was asked if she minded having her thoughts read to assist. Ever compassionate, Nurse Vines agreed, laughingly stating there was nothing in her mind she hadn't said out loud at some point anyway.

Turning to face them both with a psionic subaural scanner in hand, Asa said " ok. So Nurse Vines, would you please think about some happy moment from childhood. One that others might not know of. Counselor, can you please describe this moment to us?"

The Betazoid beauty focused on the nurse. "Thank you for allowing me access to your emotions and thoughts, Nurse. I am honored with your trust." A few moments later, Avendar said "I sense a childhood... happiness... a place on Earth... a... mouse? Yes, a mouse. Disney World. Parents. Two brothers... a sister... A giant mouse, maybe 6 feet tall... no, a costume... a photograph... smiles... This is a picture she keeps in her quarters of a childhood visit to an amusement park when she was... five. Her family's last trip there before moving to... Alpha Centauri."

The trircorder in the doctors hand was whirring as they scanned both Jurot and Nurse Vines throughout the exchange. When is use, Avender's psilosynine levels were elevated at a rate of 13%, and the counselor fourth sub-hemispheric resonator along her left lobe was vibrating at a rate of 0.02 Hz. Noting this down and cross referncing other Betazoids tests of the same function, Dael remarked that results were within expected parameters.

The doctor pulled up Avender's physical results from during her time at OTI. Although the counselor may not remember it, it was only to be expected that extensive testing was periodically done on all active telepaths.

The results were....identical. Huh. Ok, well on to the next....

"Ok great, thank you both. Let's move on to emotional projection. Nurse Vimes, are you comfortable with the counselor projecting an emotion into your mind?" receiving a nod of approval, Dael continued, "Thank you, Nurse Vimes, that is very kind of you. Councilor, at your leisure, please implant an emotional state. Nurse Vimes, when you notice a change in emotion, please let us know, as well as what you are feeling, and to what intensity."

Avendar looked at the human. She was young, beautiful, and so... inexperienced in life. I need to shield my pain from her. Something wonderful... The counselor quickly erected barriers in her own psyche, then reached out with her thoughts.

The sunset played across the water, while on the beach, the newlyweds walked, hand in hand. They were married that morning, followed by feasting, music, and families. Now, she and her Izmadi finally had time alone. The ceremony, indeed the whole day, was performed in the nude. The entire day, in fact their whole lives, led them to this moment- they were now bonded, now and forever...

The Counselor broke the link gently.

Nurse Vimes was smiling broadly, lost in a moment not her own. When she came to, she glanced briefly at the Counselor and replied, "That was beautiful, thank you for showing me that."

Doctor Dael was continuing to scan and note results, putting them side by side from their time with Section 31. They replied once more, "Ok, great. Now for a suggestion for an action. Can you please plant a suggestion for an action for Nurse Vimes to perform?"

Avendar concentrated on the nurse, attempting to stimulate...

The nurse started giggling, then laughing like she'd heard something very funny. She then stopped.

The Betazoid beauty turned to the doctor. "Most humans enjoy slapstick humor of some form," she said, then smiled.

With a soft grin for the humor the counselor provided, Asa noted the results on their tricorder and quickly checked on Nurse Vimes.

"Thank you Nurse, that will be all. Counselor, I have a base-line for your 'frequency' if you will. Now to compare this to the data we have from prior scans both from you and other crew members, and to compare to the current crew compliment with psionic abilities. Can you think of anything else we are missing? What can I do to best help you heal while we are in proximity to such a huge source of psychic energy?" Asa inquired with a concerned look on their face.

"If there were another Betazoid aboard, I'd say compare my readings to theirs. As for assistance, Science Officer Sonak helped me build some defenses. I should be fine. If not, you'll be the first to know," Avender said, attempting a smile. "When will we have results?"

"Testing should take....one day? Two at the most," the doctor replied. "As soon as I have results, I will let you know. In the meantime, take what rest you can? It seems like it has been a trying day for you."

"Yes, doctor," Avendar said. "Perhaps you should as well."

"An excellent idea," Dael replied, and went to finish up what they could in their office.