Caution

Posted on Wed Dec 30th, 2020 @ 12:06pm by Lieutenant Anna S. Thesia M.D. & Captain Rhenora Kaylen

Mission: Healing of Minds
Location: sickbay

Captain Kaylen Rhenora headed down to sickbay as the Liberty warped towards her Homeworld, questions on her mind that she only trusted a select few to answer.
She had found a friend in Dr Anna Thesia, the ship's new CMO. There were things she needed to discuss before heading down to the planet, it was irresponsible to think otherwise. She strode with measured and confident steps, the hard wearing carpet muffling her foot falls. The doors slid open before her, revealing the calm and quiet halls of healing.

Anna was standing at the primary biobed, the reprogrammed EMH by her side, performing surgery. “Hm, peculiar”, she said as the captain walked in. “One should expect the cut here not to increase blood pressure. There must be some nerve connection either stimulated or severed here.”

“The cut you made will cause the patient’s death unless you work very quickly to repair the damage”, the EMH said.

“So we’ll need some other approach to get to the offending tissue”, Anna said. She’d considered using nanites, but that would not serve her purpose if she had to be quick. “Vulcan brains are very annoying to work with.” This was when she noticed the captain having walked in. “Computer, pause surgery programme.” She left her instruments by the biobed and turned towards the captain. “Brushing up on my neurosurgery techniques”, she said by way of explanation.

Suddenly a little self conscious Rhenora almost turned to leave. "I can come back later if you're in the middle of something" she said quietly, realising she was interrupting a training program.

“No, this can wait. The patient is just a hologram”, Anna said, heading towards her office. “Earl Grey? Since you didn’t like my green tea, I mean.”

"Coffee please" Rhenora smiled, old habits died hard. "Are we able to have a chat?" She asked as she followed Anna towards the office.

“A serious one?” Anna asked. “You weren’t offended by my little comedy routine last night, I hope?” She replicated coffee for Rhenora and tea for herself, setting both cups down on a small corner table, next to where an armchair and a sofa were located.

"Offended? Oh no of course not" Rhenora smiled reassuringly, settling herself down in the armchair. She felt at a loss as to where to start the conversation she had come here specifically to have.

“Good, good”, Anna smiled, taking a seat on the sofa. “I just felt comfortable telling it with Bajor as a backdrop because I worked there for a couple of years.” She had no idea why Rhenora had come, so she couldn’t help with the conversation starter either.

Kaylen took a deep breath, sorting her muddled thoughts a little, sipping the coffee absently.

"I need to know if having another orb experience will jeopardise my objectivity and mental soundness" she blurted "Remal and I are about to head off on a sabbatical to appease the prophets and I don't know exactly what it will entail."

“I’m fairly certain it will”, Anna said without having to think about it. “The orbs are insidious devices. Made to communicate from one species to another, they’re a marvel of technology, no doubt. But they work by altering a person’s sensory perception, and sometimes memory. So yes, it’s fairly likely that they can be used to manipulate you into doing the bidding of the wormhole aliens, who control them.”

Rhenora blinked a few times, processing this information that she hadn't expected to hear. Then again, what had she expected to hear? 'Sure go get yourself brainwashed by a weird alien species living in a wormhole that has convinced your people to serve them for thousands of years?'

"I…." Words failed her for a few moments. "I need to do this, it's a question of faith, I just need to make sure I understand the potential consequences."

“I won’t judge the concept of accepting a more powerful species as gods”, Anna said. “I’d resist with every fibre of my being, however. I learnt about Q and Captain Picard, I’m sure you have had an even more detailed briefing on the incidents. The wormhole aliens might be less flamboyant, and more clever in their machinations, but I don’t personally believe we owe them obedience, or that they have the right to determine our fates. This is why we have the prime directive, so we don’t become the gods of less developed species.”

The question of faith and religion was about as personal as it got to an individual. Some believed wholeheartedly despite the lack of direct evidence, others were staunchly opposed to the concept and that too was an individual choice. Rhenora accepted all beliefs as valid to the person. Heck, someone could worship the warp core and she wouldn't care so long as it didn't interfere with anything.

"What of the physiological effects?" She asked. "You mentioned previously there was a marker or something in my brain from previous experiences."

“The orbs are capable of changing someone”, Anna said. “They don’t have to, and it happens rarely, but it can be done. It depends on what the wormhole aliens want to do, as they control the orbs. There’s no way to predict whether it’ll happen to you.”

"Not the reassuring 'you'll be fine' I was hoping for" the Captain admitted, filing that particular snippet away for future reference. "Best to avoid any further experiences?" Doubt started to fill her mind, concern and fear flirting with her rationale.

“We don’t understand this technology well enough to guarantee it is safe to use”, Anna said. “The likelihood that something will go wrong is fairly slim, but you should always keep in mind these are manipulative life forms who think they’re better than us mere humanoids. That makes them dangerous.”

"Nothing would make me happier than to put this behind us and getting on with a new mission" Rhenora admitted, having always struggled with the faith side of things, preferring the solid facts of things she could control. "I trust if this fries my brain you can put me back together?" She looked hopefully at the talented surgeon.

“I can’t make any promises”, Anna said. “But I shall certainly try, and find the best expert available. I know a doctor Jati Niall from the war, her mother studied the Bajoran orbs during the occupation, and she’s now the head of the Cardassian Ministry of Science.”

Kaylen was cautious of a Cardassian doctor but knew well enough to keep her mouth shut. Some doctors had committed atrocities during the occupation in the name of medicine but they all couldn't be tarred with the same brush. "I trust it won't be necessary, but one can never be prepared enough. I'm thinking the week long sabbatical could be worse than any orb encounter"

“How so?” Anna wondered. Taking a week off wasn’t so bad, especially since shore leave on Vulcan hadn’t worked out the way it had been intended.

"We're spending some time with a brotherhood then I feel there may be a trek in the forest to fully appreciate what we have and what the Prophets mean to us," Rhenora admitted. "I'm not sure I'm looking forward to either activity."

“How do you figure you’ll find that out in a forest?” Anna wondered. “Not that I’m knocking forests, I love them and I love every chance I get to spend time in one. But they don’t seem like the place to find those kinds of answers. Shouldn’t you ask those aliens what it is they offer you in return, negotiate like you would with any other alien species?” Anna was really uncomfortable with the concept of religion, mostly based on personal and historical bad experiences.

Rhenora chuckled a little "It doesn't quite work like that. For some faith is a lifeline during hard times, the feeling that they are part of something bigger than themselves and that someone is looking out for them. I'm still trying to decide where my place is in regards to it all. Most cultures don't have a direct dialogue with their deity, we are lucky that we do, although interpreting said dialogue can cause you to go mad" she explained. "Whatever we perceive them to be, a deity can provide comfort in dark times and gratitude in good times." She explained, somehow able to explain it better to someone else than she could to herself.

“Most cultures have imagined their own deities, rather than have some aliens come in and pose as them”, Anna said. “Which is how these cultures eventually managed to evolve beyond religion. It’s a bit harder to do that in the Bajoran example. One more reason to celebrate our prime directive. I’m glad that I didn’t grow up with that kind of baggage. You can find solace at the bottom of a glass, but it’ll only work as long as you delude yourself into thinking that it does.” She shook her head. “Thousands of years ago, Orion commoners dethroned and killed their god-kings and priestesses. One way towards a free society. Sabotaged later by the slaver movement, but... well, you can’t have it all, I suppose.”

"Indeed, society always had a way of working out what it wants. Each is unique", Kaylen echoed. "I hope nothing will happen while I'm on the planet, the Prophets did allude to a great challenge. I'm hoping that it was merely another double meaning. Remal agreed to a week, so we shall see what happens. I have my full faith in you to either unscramble our brains or put us back together again afterwards." She put on her most reassuring and confident face despite the churning in her stomach.

“I could implant you with a hidden emergency transponder that’ll both allow us to monitor your health from a distance, as well as beam you up quickly if the need arises”, Anna suggested. “The wormhole aliens have a way of making their prophecies come true, whether by foreknowledge or manipulation of events I do not know. It never hurts to be careful, however.”

"I like the way you think" Rhenora replied, admitting only to herself she should have thought of that sooner herself. She rolled up the sleeve of her uniform to expose her upper arm.

“Hang on”, Anna said, putting her mug down and heading out into sickbay proper. A short while later, she came back with two hyposprays, specially adapted for subcutaneous implantation. “One’s for you, and the other you can give your husband, since he’s coming with you.” She injected the transponder into Rhenora’s arm, assuming the small amount of temporary discomfort associated with the procedure wouldn’t bother someone like her. She handed her the other hypospray. “Of course they can be detected with a thorough scan, but if someone does that, you’ll have something else gone wrong already.”

"Pretty much" Kaylen admitted, her mind returning to the future of what they may encounter on the planet. She winced a little as the injection pushed the transmitter through her skin into the subcutaneous fat lying between the muscle and the skin. She felt it a precaution worth taking given the probability of something going wrong over the next week or two. The ability to call for assistance was a necessary caution.

"I know this isn't up your alley, but thank you for your opinion and your advice" she offered.

“I’m not sure how helpful my opinion has been”, Anna shrugged. “As you can tell, religion is a problem in my opinion. But at least that makes me cautious, and suspicious of any religious leaders.”

"A wise stance to have" Rhenora said ruefully as she rolled her sleeve back down and stood. "Any other pearls of wisdom before we go?" She asked.

“Take a good supply of coffee down with you”, Anna suggested. “It’s dodgy at best, in some parts.”

"Somehow I fear the brotherhood and the Vedeks aren't one for coffee. I fear more dirty sock water may be the only offering. I may need a coffee IV when I get back" the captain snorted, fearing that going without coffee was probably going to hurt the most.

“I still don’t understand how you can possibly dislike tea”, Anna laughed, taking a sip from her mug for emphasis. “I know green tea is an acquired taste, yes. But try an assam blend, or mint tea some time. A bit of honey, it’s wonderfully relaxing.”

"Coffee, not for relaxing, for getting stuff done" Kaylen snorted, wrinkling her nose at the thought of drinking something that smelt and tasted like Remal's socks...again.

“Oh, I understand that. But you can’t live in overdrive all the time”, Anna cautioned. “Like anything and anyone else, you’ll require rest and maintenance at some point.”

"And that my dear is generally when I’ll come knocking at your door, Savar has me on coffee rations...damned Vulcans and their logic and love of tea." She was aware that sooner or later she generally crashed and burnt from overwork, not enough sleep and general caffeine abuse.

“I’ll prepare a week of teahouse relaxation for you, then”, Anna threatened, laughing as she did.

"Noooooo no more tea...after this I'll be tea-ed out. Anything but the tea...I promise I'll relax...a bit maybe?" This was an olive branch for the taking.

Anna smiled and nodded. “Very good.”