What Are We Dealing With?

Posted on Sun Dec 6th, 2020 @ 11:21pm by Lieutenant Anna S. Thesia M.D. & Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Lieutenant Aurora Vali

Mission: Healing of Minds
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: After mind trip

{ON}

Aurora awoke, her head was still hurting but at least now it was a dull ache and not the pounding pain she’d had earlier. Her senses were alert if a little fuzzy but after the invasion of her mind she wasn’t surprised. She shaded her eyes as she opened them finding the lights a little bright for comfort.

The computer alerted Anna to Aurora waking up, and she walked over immediately. "Aurora, you're in sickbay. How are you feeling?" She figured she'd lead with the important point of where she was, as it also implied being safe.

Aurora moved her hand now her eyes were getting used to the light. “A little fuzzy, and my head still aches a little but better, thank you Anna.” She offered a brief smile.

"You're out of danger now", Anna said. "But the skipper will want to ask a few questions. We need to catch him." She was certain Aurora would agree, and she was strong enough to respond to a few questions now. Anna tapped her combadge. "Sickbay to captain. You can ask Aurora some questions now, ma'am."

A short time later the Captain strode into sickbay, eager to have a conversation with Aurora now that she was on the mend. A telepathic predator was a dangerous prospect indeed.

"Glad to see you are with us again" she said warmly as she approached the biobed.

“I’m glad to be here” Aurora smiled. “I feel safe here.” She paused. “Captain, whoever the man was who violated my mind he did so with ease. One minute I was in the marketplace and next I was trapped inside my own mind.” She felt a chill run down her spine. “I’ve never experienced a violation before, for telepaths it’s nothing short of ... rape.” She frowned and shook her head.

" I'm sorry to hear that you were targeted. I need to ask you a few questions, I hope it doesn't make you too uncomfortable recalling the events" Rhenora apologised before she began, knowing that it probably was going to be awkward and uncomfortable for the half Vulcan.

Aurora nodded. “That’s Alright Captain I’ll answer what I can, ask away.”

Rhenora sucked in a breath and composed herself, ordering her thoughts before speaking.

" Do you think this was a targetted attack or something more random?" She started, sitting down on a stool next to Aurora and pulling out a pad to take notes.

Aurora paused before speaking. “I don’t think I was specifically chosen, I got the sense that I was chosen at random.” She sighed. “At least at first ... he tried to ... make me submit to his control.”

"So it's a he, and he had the ability to try and get you to do things" Rhenora mused, making some more notes " Did you feel that this was a natural ability he was using a technological device?"

Aurora frowned as she had to recall, “The connection didn’t feel like one between telepaths. It felt ... artificial and he wasn’t a skilled telepath either.”

"So we're probably looking at some kind of telepathy device. I wonder if the Vulcans can scan for anything that would be emitting any kind of psionic signal" Kaylen mused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. " Do you think he knew you were a crewmember of this ship?"

Aurora nodded. “I think he knew from his connection to me.” She sighed. “The only reason he left my mind was because I cried out to Savar.”

"Could it be related to you seeing visions earlier, Captain?" Anna chimed in. "I'm seeing different brain activity in Aurora than I did in you, but your brains are different as well. The same device might be able to cause these separate effects."

Aurora looked At Rhenora in surprise. “That’s very possible. I don’t think he was experienced, he could be testing something or trying something out on different species to see what works best.”

"I honestly don't know, I've had visions before, but only with a shrine or an orb to guide and connect with. The temple felt a little different, but still organic if that makes sense." The Captain tried hard to express that which couldn't really be put into words.

“I think you’d have known if it was him Captain. The experience was ...” Aurora clenched her fists trying not to get emotional. “It was frightening. I’ve heard of violations before but I never truly understood the power ... until now. He’s dangerous Captain! If he invades someone’s mind and makes them do his bidding even the slightest error in his concentration upon withdrawing from a mind could cause his victim irreparable damage! I was lucky that he let me go.”

This concerned Kaylen greatly - not only did they have a situation where sensitive information could fall into the hands of goodness knows who - but this person also had the ability to do great damage to the minds of his victims.

"He's dangerous, and at this point we have no way of knowing who he is or how he is operating - let alone his agenda" Rhenora made some more notes on her padd. She looked towards Anna. "Is there any kind of neural defences we could employ to keep the crew safe in the meantime?"

Aurora looked at Anna waiting to see what she might be able to suggest. The only thing she could think of was neural inhibitors but whether they’d work against technology if that was what it was, she wasn’t sure.”

"I'm afraid not", Anna said. "I mean, there is technology that could do this, but we don't possess it, and I don't know how to obtain it. The Dominion can do it, I believe." They weren't exactly in a position to ask them for help, though. "Drugs? No." She shook her head for emphasis. "I can suppress neurotransmitters in a telepath's brain, but that won't protect them from being read. They might just not notice it happening. I'm not sure anyone who isn't a natural telepath would, unless this guy makes a mistake."

At that moment a dazed and confused crewman was assisted through the door - his eyes wide and vacant in a most concerning expression.

Anna looked at the door as it opened. "Excuse me", she said, walking over to see what was the matter. "What happened?" She couldn't see any external sign of injury, but she wasn't going to leap to the conclusion that they were dealing with the same problem in another victim just because they had just been discussing that possibility.

"Dunno Doc, I found him wandering on Vulcan like this, he hasn't said anything and he doesn't seem hurt but he sure as heck ain't right." The crewman's assistant commented, looking nothing more than wanting to run from the place lest he caught whatever it was his friend was afflicted with.

"Thank you Crewman" Rhenora walked over, her presence releasing the assistant from his duties of keeping his friend upright.

Aurora moved off her biobed and walked across by Anna giving the crewman a curious look. “I think it was him Captain, I can sense traces in his mind, the same as those Savar sensed in me.”

"Looks like he's on the move again" Rhenora said sagely, her expression troubled. She looked at Anna "Is there anything you can do for him?"

"I hope so", Anna said. She was out of her element too much to confidently say yes. "Let's get him to a biobed. We need to call for a Vulcan healer. Injuries of the mind are beyond my abilities, or expertise."

"Aurora, can you get hold of Savar? He's the best chance we've got at this stage. I'll let the Vulcan authorities know what is going on and request a skilled Vulcan healer" Rhenora instructed, feeling the pressure between her eyes start to build - so much for a relaxing shore leave.