"Second Officer's Log"
by Lt. Commander Sam
Location: Bridge, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.24, 08h50
***
Second Officer's Log, Stardate 57910.23. Lieutenant Commander Sam reporting.
With Captain Salinger and Commander Lyrr incapacitated, I remain in command
of Sulu. Repairs continue slowly. At 06h00, I ordered a course set for the
closest system to our position. At current speed, we will arrive in
seventy-eight years two hundred forty-seven days twelve hours and twenty-six
minutes. Once warp speed is returned, that estimate will be altered
drastically.
Lieutenant Thaine estimates warp power should be returned by the end of the
day.
Long range sensors detect no threats present on our projected course, but I
have warned the crew staffing the bridge to practice vigilance. We have also
detected an ionized nebular cloud within a day's travel of the system. It
contains electromagnetic properties unlike any the scientists aboard
have previously studied. Lieutenant Mel'Chir claims it is similar
in some respects to the plasma clouds of the region of space known as the
Badlands, but offers many new unique properties as well. Information at
this stage is still undetailed due to the distance we remain from the
phenomenon.
Dr. M'lira has declared those affected by the virus left by Cathy Page to be
fit to leave quarantine, however they are to remain on light duty until
informed otherwise by Sickbay. The exception, however, is Commander Lyrr,
who is still being carefully watched by M'lira, since she was most affected
by the virus.
Commander Zareb has prepared the Nightingale for departure, though has
decided to remain aboard to assist in restoring warp power and seeing the
Sulu to a facility where we can make repairs. He has chosen to name Ensign
Vijay as pilot for his mission, and intends to take the ensign back to the
alpha quadrant with him. The departure will leave a large vacancy in the
flight control department after the death of Lieutenant McKenzie. Ensigns
Markham and Marp will be our remaining flight controllers. Lieutenant
Commander Tebrianne Bancroft is a qualified flight controller, but she has
decided to return to the alpha quadrant as well. I am certain Captain
Salinger will find a solution to the staffing dilemma.
Ensign Amy Reese remains in custody for her alleged assistance in the
activities of Cathy Page. A recent report from Ensign Glickman indicates
that her psychological condition appears improved. It is likely she will be
released soon, though a return to duty will depend on a report from
Counsellor Scott.
The Enforcers, left aboard by the Windsor, will be with
us for some time. Commander Bancroft has begun approaching them and
offering a chance to begin their lives anew as members of the crew. The
alternative would be remaining in the brig until we return to the Alpha
Quadrant and then a Federation stockade.
We have experienced setbacks in our mission into the Gamma Quadrant, but we
are undeterred. With anticipation for what it will bring, our mission
continues.
"Computer," Sam stated, "end recording."
"Good Medicine"
Lt. j.g. Benjamin Talltree, Medical Officer
CPO Calyca Boothroyd, Engineering Crewchief
Location: USS Sulu, Boothroyd's Quarters
Stardate: 57910.24, 09h30
***
Caly'd slept nearly the entire day before, her body succumbing to exhaustion
and the trauma it had undergone coupled with the surgical procedure she'd
been through. Part of her suspected Jurell of sedating her, and if he did,
she hadn't minded. It was clear to even her that she'd needed the rest.
But when she woke up today and still wasn't all better, that was when she
began to seriously worry.
She chewed on her bottom lip while she waited for the doctor to show up.
She'd called earlier, and had simply asked if he could please make a "house
call," which he'd agreed to do as if it were something he did every day.
And perhaps it was. Then again, perhaps he detected the slight note of
panic in the timbre of her voice. Either way, he'd be arriving soon and
maybe then she'd get some answers. She picked at the soft cotton material
of the Capri pants that covered her legs, her teeth making little
indentations in the swell of her lip as that stubborn part of her tried
again to wiggle her toes. A deep furrow of concentration marred her brow
and had several of the spiders around her chattering in concern. She finally
let out the breath she'd been holding with a deep grunt and hearty sigh of
exasperation at her inability to make even a minute movement.
"Dammit!" She pounded her fist on the cushion of the sofa next to her thigh,
causing several of the spiders to skitter out of the way, only to come right
back like the ebb and flow of the tide. "I am not going to cry!" she told
Watson. But it was more to convince herself than any of the spiders. "I'm
not," she assured them even as she felt that familiar feeling swell up in
her face. She'd been overly emotional since their return to the Sulu and
tears seemed to never be far away. It was upsetting to her because she
wasn't the overly emotional type, nor did she ever cry much. But this last
mission had played havoc with her emotional stability and she found herself
wondering more and more often if she was still fit for duty.
The soft sound of the chime had her head snapping up and her eyes scanning
the room in wary precaution. "Computer, who's at the door?"
"Doctor Talltree," it answered promptly, causing an exhale of relief to
escape Caly.
"Let him in, please," she responded, and the doors swooshed quietly opened
before the spry Amerindian.
"Calyca," he said, his presence much larger than his form. He had a
soothing air about him, even now. "What seems to be the problem?"
Caly blinked as his presence seemed to almost fill the room, making her
momentarily feel smaller. A feeling that went away very quickly and she
offered him a faint smile as she waved towards her legs. "They don't work.
Everything else works, but they don't work," she told him and then abruptly
stopped talking, dark green eyes pools of uncertainty as she looked rather
helplessly at him.
"Well, let's see what we can see," he replied, casually moving a spider to
one side. "May I touch you?"
"Of course." She was sitting on the sofa with her legs stretched out along
the cushions and used her hands to help scoot her hips over so that he would
have a bit of room to work. She worried her bottom lip in an unconscious
display of uncertainty and nervousness.
She saw him gently lift one of her feet, his thumbs rubbing gently, and
looked away.
"You know," he said conversationally, "your spiders carry a significant
mythic status."
Caly's eyes drew back to the old Amerindian's face, her gaze avoiding what
he was doing with his hands and to her legs. "Mythic status? How so?" she
asked, distracted by her curiosity.
"Oh, Spider is a force of creation," Talltree said, continuing whatever he
was doing. "Spider teaches the patterns of life. It connects the past with
the future."
Caly pulled her eyes from him to glance at the spiders inching closer to
them, and then her gaze locked back on his face. "Oh? So their webs teach
patterns? I can see that. Their webs are absolute marvels of engineering,
you know," she was readily sidetracked to one of her passions and seemed to
forget what he was doing for now. "And so beautiful. No one really
appreciates what wonderful creatures they are. I don't get the past and
future thing though. Is that one of your beliefs? The spider stuff, I
mean?"
"The Great Wheel of time encompasses all creation," Talltree said, his hands
moving up one leg. "Within the wheel stretch the weavings of Spider--all of
existence. Following a given strand of creation connects the follower to
the past. Following another can link one to the future. Understanding this
broadens the perspective, and teaches us that all things are connected."
"So it's symbolic then," she nodded her understanding. "I never thought of
time as being a giant spider web. I like that. Much more sensible than
keeping it linear. What happens if you unravel a strand? Or can you?" she
asked, smiling a little.
"No, Spider's work cannot be undone," he smiled an old storyteller's smile,
"only explored. The exploration," he reached up to lightly touch the end of
her nose, a grandfatherly gesture, "is life."
Caly blinked in surprise at the touch but couldn't help the warm smile that
curved her lips.
"It was from Spider that the Dineh learned weaving. Her patterns are
reflected in the things we create for warmth and shelter."
"Wait, wait... Her? Spider's a 'her'?"
"Oh yes," Talltree glanced up to meet her eyes, and winked. His hands were
up above her hips now.
She grinned back at his wink and wiggled a little at his touch. "I have
feeling there," she told him.
"Good," the doctor said placidly, fingers sliding across her pelvis and to
the soft tissue over her hip joint. He pressed down hard with the pad of
one thumb.
"OH! I felt that! Sort of.... I think..." She looked to his hands and
then back to him. "Maybe..." She smiled a bit sheepishly but was heartened
by the sensation nonetheless, no matter how fleeting and slight and dulled
it had been.
"Pressure?" he asked. "Deep in your calf?"
"Yes, yes... About halfway up," she nodded, more than a little excited now.
"That's good, right? Means everything's going to be okay?" She looked at
him hopefully.
"It means everything's connected," he smiled at her, "and the connections
may find their way back to function. It's a step."
"Okay.... Okay.... tell me what to do to make everything work." Caly was
a problem-solver, and this was a problem she just needed to know how to
solve. That's all. She couldn't fix it if she didn't understand it, right?
And it wasn't like she could take it apart and put it back together. "I
just need for you to tell me what to do is all..."
Talltree laughed. "First, you need to calm down. These things take time."
Calm down? He wanted her to calm down? She opened her mouth to say
something, only to snap it closed when he held up his hands to forestall her
response. "I know that's a frustrating thing to hear," he said, "but it's
the best that can be done right now. Being able to generate sensation
anywhere in your legs is a very promising sign, but I would be foolish to
start making guarantees."
She nodded in understanding and then sat rather impatiently as she listened
to what he said, finally drawing in a deep breath when he'd finished.
"Okay... So don't get ahead of myself, right?" she asked and drew in
another breath to help calm herself. "But is there anything I can do
other than just... Just sit here like a lump on the couch?"
"It's important to let your body heal itself, and that takes time. We need
to make sure what sort of sensation you can recover on your own before we do
anything radical." He sat down next to the sofa. "I'll tell you what. I
will have Nurse Anders contact you and schedule foundational physical
therapy to help you work your legs. That will serve two purposes; it will
help your nerves heal, and it will help you maintain musculature. It won't
be fast, and it won't be fun, but if you take it one day at a time, and stay
calm, it should help. How does that sound?"
It sounded slow, but she nodded. "Alright. I'll do whatever I need to
because I can't stay like this," she told him practically and waved to her
legs. "It's not conducive to my chosen profession."
"I understand. But I'm sure Thaine will find something for you to do."
Caly blinked and offered him a little smile. "Oh, I have no doubt that he
will..."
"In the meantime," the old amerind rose with a grunt and rummaged in his
satchel, "I have something to remind you to be positive."
She had the urge to offer her hand and help him up, but refrained for fear
of insulting him. "Have something... What? A present?" she teased.
"Certainly a present," he said, looking to the ceiling at several points.
Satisfied with something, he pulled a chair beneath the spot, and hung a
fist-sized brown hoop from a tiny notch at one corner of a life support
vent. Within the hoop was stretched a fine tracery of beaded line, and a
trio of small feathers hung from its bottom.
Caly's gaze followed every movement, her eyes filled with curiosity. "What
is that?" she finally asked.
"This is a dreamcatcher," Talltree replied, getting down from his chair and
reseating himself. "Among the Dineh, dreams are considered entities of a
sort, voyaging through the universe until they find a sleeping person to
visit."
She blinked and drew her eyes from the dreamcatcher to look at him. "That's
not going to make me dream of monster dragonflies with ice blue eyes, is
it?" she asked almost skeptically, still able to vividly recall one of the
more flamboyant nightmares she'd had in a while. "Or Commander Lyrr with
the top of her head gone..."
"Commander L--? No," he said, with some finality. "In fact, the point of
it is to bring a tiny piece of Spider's medicine into your own space. You
see, the Dream Spirits are compelled to pass through a round opening when
one presents itself, as a reverence to the Great Wheel. Good Dream Spirits
may pass through the dreamcatcher freely, and proceed to you. Wicked Dream
Spirits are caught in Spider's web."
"Oohh... Okay..." She gazed up at the dreamcatcher again, studying its
design. "Does it work?" Even now several of the spiders were traversing
the walls and ceiling to get closer to the thing and examine it in detail.
"As with anything unscientific, it does require a measure of faith," he said
gently.
Caly looked at him, her eyes catching and holding his. Her gaze was solemn
and questioning. "But does it work?" she asked again. It was clear in her
tone that the question had nothing to do with science or the lack of it. She
wanted to know if he honestly believed that it worked.
"It worked for me," he nodded. "I have no reason to believe it couldn't
work for someone else."
She looked at him for several moments before glancing back up at the
dreamcatcher that was even now being examined by sensitive spider legs.
"Alright then." Her eyes found his again and she smiled warmly in thanks.
"It'll work for me too."
"That's the spirit," he smiled, looking from her to the hoop and back. "I'll
need to make myself another. Can I help you with anything else today?"
She shook her head. "You've been wonderful. I don't feel like I'm going to
throw up any more," she admitted. "Thank you."
"My pleasure." He petted a spider on his way out. "Watch close, little
spirit," he murmured to the clacking arachnid. Then, with a nod and smile
to Calyca, he walked out the door.
Caly watched him go and then sighed softly, her hands absently rubbing at
her legs even though she couldn't feel them. Her gaze drifted to the
spiders that were moving over the dreamcatcher and examining it and then
finally to Watson who was primping and preening at being petted and called a
'little spirit'. "Why don't you access the ship's computers and find out
what you can on Dreamcatchers, Native American Lore," she told him and
leaned back with a heavy sigh. Physical therapy was at least something
she could do and for now she'd wait to hear from Nurse Anders.
She needed to send a missive to her mother.....
"Dearheart"
By: Commander Lyrr Tayla
Ensign Mason Farrell
Ensign Ainsley Chambers
Lt. Xayella Tagliesh
Lt. jg M'lira
and Tebrianne Bancroft
Location: Lounge, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.24, 20h45
***
As friends, they were the unlikeliest of groups to gather in the
lounge with drinks in their hands and trays of finger-food drifting
by; as mourners, there was no denying the appropriateness of their
union.
Shyla's memorial had been the standard Starfleet offering, though
Farrell had requested replacing the usual dirge with an aria from
Shyla's favourite Klingon opera, which he was granted. Much like
Ensign Storm's ceremony, an empty casket had been launched into
space, saving Shyla's body for burial back on Earth, where her family
could hold their own ceremony. Somehow, the jettisoning of an empty
capsule left many lacking a sense of closure; the memorial had the
feel of a rehearsal rather than the real affair.
So, positioned before a viewport in the lounge, staring solemnly into
their drinks or outside at the stars, the motley group of aggrieved
reflected in awkward silence - Commander Lyrr pretending interest in
a particular constellation, Ensigns Farrell and Chambers seeking
comfort in proximity; Lieutenant Tagliesh fidgeted impatiently while
M'lira and Tebrianne exchanged the odd smile. It was Shyla Moreau who
had managed to bring them all together, yet not a word had been
spoken between them other than initial greetings. Someone had cleared
their throat a while back, raising six pairs of expectant eyes, but
nothing more followed and all again returned their gazes to their
former points of feigned interest. It was a grim occasion indeed.
M'lira took a sip from her drink as she watched the band playing on
the stage. Kit Markham, putting aside the grief of his own
relationship, thrummed his bass expertly as Taylor Bennett added
slight percussion from the drumset. To the side, Mouse expertly
played out a tune to keep the mood light and lively on his keyboard,
celebrating the life and love Shyla brought to everyone, rather than
the loss her death also signified. In the center of the stage, at
Kit's side, there was a conspicuous absence. In the past, where Amy
had been there playing her guitar, only the guitar sat now. The
significance was not lost on anyone. Tebrianne had explained to her
the flight formation known as the Missing Man formation from earth's
past, and many other cultures around the Federation and beyond shared
it; it was a formation flown to salute and honour a fallen comrade.
On the stage, the Suluists seemed to be configured in just such a
formation, with their missing guitarist. The sight had struck a chord
with many in the assembly. Glancing aside to where Amy Reese's guitar
sat unplayed, Kit's normally cheerful expression wilted even further.
Those who had fallen would be missed, there was no doubt about that.
The look of sadness on Kit Markham's face seemed to make whatever
Tebrianne was already feeling worse. The look of loss he was
expressing with but a look, she could feel as if it was her own. Then
again, she was feeling the same sort of loss herself. Five years
trapped in hell, only to return and be tossed aside as if she meant
nothing. Because she seemed strong on the outside, had Ben just
assumed she could deal with what he said? Lyrr needed him, and that's
why he was staying with her. Only a few days left until she was able
to leave and try to start her life over again. What about me, Ben?
He didn't care about her though, at least not deeply enough to care
what his dumping her would do to her emotionally. Pig.
Tebrianne moved away from the others and off toward where a table of
food had been set up. It'd be nice to think about something other
than her own problems for awhile, including the part she'd played in
the deaths of the crew whose losses they mourned and lives they
celebrated. The slight hunger she'd felt diminished and Tebrianne
turned away from the table, just wanting to find somewhere else to go
and disappear.
And then Farrell started singing:
"He called her on the road / From a lonely cold hotel room / Just to
hear her say I love you one more time / But when he heard the sound /
Of the kids laughing in the background / He had to wipe away a tear
from his eye / A little voice came on the phone / Said 'Daddy when
you coming home?' / He said the first thing that came to his mind"
"I'm already there / Take a look around / I'm the sunshine in your
hair / I'm the shadow on the ground / I'm the whisper in the wind /
I'm your imaginary friend / And I know I'm in your prayers Oh I'm
already there"
He was on the stage, next to Kit and the rest of the Suluists,
accompanying in a simple harmony. The band was only momentarily
nonplussed, but they played on. Ambient chatter faded, and those
attending the wake looked on solemnly. Of those gathered around the
viewport, only Tagliesh, Chambers and M'lira turned to watch. Lyrr
Tayla remained lost in the brilliance of the stars.
"She got back on the phone / Said I really miss you darling / Don't
worry about the kids they'll be alright / Wish I was in your arms /
Lying right there beside you / But I know that I'll be in your dreams
tonight / And I'll gently kiss your lips / Touch you with my
fingertips / So turn out the light and close your eyes"
"I'm already there / Don't make a sound / I'm the beat in your heart
/ I'm the moonlight shining down / I'm the whisper in the wind / And
I'll be there until the end / Can you feel the love that we share? /
Oh I'm already there"
"We may be a thousand miles apart / But I'll be with you wherever you
are"
"I'm already there / Take a look around / I'm the sunshine in your
hair / I'm the shadow on the ground / I'm the whisper in the wind /
And I'll be there until the end / Can you feel the love that we share
/ Oh I'm already there / Oh I'm already / There"
The last note hung a moment, fading into the silence of the room.
"Godspeed, Shyla," Farrell said softly into the microphone. "Tell
Ethan hello for us."
And he left the room, quickly and without another word.
The silence lingered, but not long after the doors hissed closed
behind him did the low conversation resume. This time, all talk
shifted from trivial diversions consisting of when they imagined the
ship would be up to snuff, or how the replicated fare tasted
particularly good that evening, to reminiscing about not just Shyla,
but all the Sulu had lost.
"It's a shame," Xayella murmured. She turned back to the three women.
"I was her superior...yet I hardly knew a damn thing about her." She
sighed. "Seems a waste, to me."
Ainsley cleared her throat slightly and wiped a few tears out of her
eyes. "I don't think many people knew Shyla very well. I knew her a
little through Dominic, and she was very good with him. She would
have been an excellent mother."
M'lira sighed. "I met her aboard the starbase, was her physician
there due to her condition. I got to know her fairly well after
transferring aboard the Sulu. We both knew that, in the end, her
illness would claim her, but...she was still so full of life. The
way... At least now, she's free of the pain her condition would have
caused her." She sighed again, trying to remember Shyla during the
good times, when she was fighting her illness, living her life, and
succeeding. Her death was brutal and terrible, but M'lira clung to
the thought that she was beyond suffering now. She would be in a
better place, now.
"It's still meaningless," Xayella said. "Though, it does give me
insight into the type of person she was. As scared as she seemed,
she risked her life to help free this crew." She looked down into
her glass, hiding the guilt of knowing it was her plan that sent
Shyla to her death. "She really was brave," she murmured.
"It's undoubtedly why Ensign Storm was drawn to her," came the
surprising observation from Commander Lyrr. She had finally torn her
gaze away from the viewport to face the three women. "Ensign Storm
was headstrong - I imagine he saw a little of that in Shyla, too.
His kindred spirit, I suppose."
"We all need that. Someone that we can connect with. Someone that
understands us more than anyone else does or ever could," Ainsley
said.
"Especially when the rest of the ship didn't," Xay added, her cast
rueful and a stark contrast to her usually smug expression. She
smiled wanly. "I don't even remember what colour her eyes were...."
M'lira smiled. "Brown," she said. "And, they always seemed to light
up when she discovered something new and exciting. She'll be missed,
but I think she'll also always be fondly remembered."
Reflective silence fell on the group of women again, Lyrr turning
back to the stars, Xay seeking solace in her glass of wine, and
Ainsley drying the last of her tears.
Exclamations and gasps of awestruck surprise interrupted their somber
moment of reminiscence, and a moment of irritation gripped Xayella,
quick to fade. All three looking up, Lyrr's extended finger was
pointing out into space, though the magnificent display was without,
on its own, enough to draw their attention. Expanding outward in a
brilliant shockwave of blinding white, fiery orange, and sparkling
fragments of debris was the protostar the Sulu had been studying
before their untimely trek into the alternate universe. The
explosion's intensity was enough to illuminate the entire sector, it
seemed - a glorious sunrise to fend off the darkness that had been
looming over all since their return.
Although far enough from the brunt of the tidal wave of thermokinetic
forces, the Sulu still trembled as the halo's edge touched the ship,
then dissipated. All within the lounge shivered with excitement.
"A star is born," Lyrr whispered. Her finger touched the transparent
surface of the viewport, tracing the hazy outline of the stellar body
suspended amid the remaining dust cloud. As obscured as it was, the
protostar was limned in an eerie, golden glow that penetrated even
the dense nebula attempting to strangle its light. It was a fitting
visual metaphor for the woman they mourned.
Now crowded behind her to marvel at the spectacle, Lyrr grinned to
the three women and told them, "I think, ladies, that I have the
perfect name for our new friend."
"What Matters Most"
By: Ensign Ainsley Chambers - Counselor
Lt. Brennyn Scott, RN - Chief Counselor
Location: Brennyn's quarters, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.24, 22h00
***
Ainsley paced back and forth outside Bree's office for a few minutes, not
quite knowing how to broach the subject with her. Finally she decided that
the direct approach would be easiest. She rang the door chime and waited.
"Come in!" called Bree, expecting it to be Amy Reese or another of her
emergency appointments. She was surprised to see Ainsley standing there
looking so hesitant. "Ainsley, what's wrong?" Scott asked, coming around
her desk.
"Hi, Bree..." Ainsley said, stepping into the room. "Nothing's really wrong,
per say, but do you have a couple minutes that we could talk?"
Bree nodded, leaning against the desk. "Sure, have a seat."
"Thanks," Ainsley said, sitting down in the chair and rubbing her hands on
her thighs. She looked up at Bree, not quite knowing how to start. She
paused for a moment and then got to her feet again. "I..." She looked at
Bree again and then at the wall. "I've been accepted to Starfleet Medical."
Bree's eyes widened. "I didn't know you applied... What, is this to
further your counseling education?"
"No..." Ainsley said with a shake of her head. "I'm going to be a doctor."
Scott looked for all the world as if she'd been doused with cold water. She
took a deep breath, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she was still
hesitant. "I have to say I never saw this coming... I had no idea this was
something you wanted. Are...are you not happy here?"
"I am happy," Ainsley answered sincerely, "but being a doctor has always
been a dream of mine. I guess it's really just me following in the
footsteps of my sister. I'm just a little further behind than I was when we
were younger."
Bree looked down, resting her hands on her thighs, and then looked up into
Chamber's own expectant eyes. "I can appreciate your desires, Ainsley, but
I guess what I don't understand is why now? Why wouldn't you tell me about
this before? Is it Mason? Did the two of you break up?"
"Not at all," Ainsley replied, not able to hide her grin as she thought
about Mason. "We're actually more together now than we were before. I
never told anyone about this dream of mine other than Alison, my sister,
simply because I never thought it would come true. But I've realized
recently, after our experiences in that place, that dreams are worth
pursuing even if it will take more time than I previously thought I was
willing to give."
Bree nodded silently. She understood the sort of re-evaluation that took
place as a result of their mirror universe experiences, and she could
understand Ainsley's desire to live life to the fullest after that. Scott
only wished it wasn't taking Ainsley away from the Sulu. "Then I suppose
congratulations are in order," she replied with a smile.
"Thank you, Bree," Ainsley said, returning the smile. "I do need you to
sign off on my transfer, I hoped you wouldn't be against that."
Bree smiled, although she felt the weight of sadness settle upon her. "I
can't say I'm ready to jump for joy, but if this is what you want, who am I
to stop you?" She put both hands on her shoulders. "I'm proud of you,
Ainsley. You'll make an excellent, caring physician. But," she teased,
"that's only because you were one of us first."
Ainsley grinned at her and said quietly, "Thanks, Bree." Then she turned and
slipped out of the office. She had some more things to take care of.