Star Trek RPG - Mission #2: "Primum Nil Nocere"

T'Var provides Rangin with what medical assistance she can at the moment. The doctor is hopeful that those in distress can be healed once their party returns to the ship. She is also very much looking forward to researching this infection and finding a cure.

Collins has mixed feelings regarding her message. And suddenly ... she looks around frantically for a container into which she'll vomit.
If she cannot find an appropriate container, she will run to the back of the shuttle and 'deposit' her 'product' by the gangway so it will be easy to clean once they're on the Yorktown.
"I apologize, all. I just couldn't hold it back any longer." She [closes the container/covers the mess with a cloth], and returns to her chair.

Collins is able to get to the head (toilet) and empty her stomach there, just as Rangin had done earlier.

Dr. T'Var gives Rangin hypospray shots to control his fever and to rehydrate him. They seem to help a little. He remains asleep.

Hayes's message from the Yorktown is text-only, and reads:

To: Ens. Rachel Hayes
Fr: Lt. Lars Dahlquist

I heard from a friend in Communications that you and the boarding party have had a pretty rough time on the Sakathian space station, but that you're headed back to the ship now. I'm sorry for all your troubles, and hope you're OK. I miss you and want to see you again so much. Safe travels and take care of yourself, dear sweet Rachel. Yours, as ever, LARS

Posted with WES's permission.

Propping her elbow against the window ledge behind her, Kylah rests her head against her arm like a pillow and looks out at the stars, wishing she could see them moving faster, faster toward the safety and relative familarity of the Yorktown.

She hears Collins settling back down, and Hayes as well. Those messages from the ship seem to have inspired different reactions from their recipients. She absently wonders what bothered Collins so much, but hasn't the energy to focus on that.

Right now she's realizing just how lonely she is. There will be no messages sent to her, either here on the Meitner or back on the ship when they arrive and return to duty. Today she came close to death--caused it in others, a memory that still haunts her--and yet, if it had reached her, who would mourn? No friends from the Academy, none from Elas, none on the ship yet... or possibly ever, if her stellar record continues apace.

If her siblings received word that she'd been lost while on duty, she supposes they might 'spare a sigh,' to quote some ancient Earth poem she learned at the Academy, but little more. Her young brother and sister were raised to think of her as an embarrassment, a mistaken choice made by their parents in desperation. Kylah tried to love them but she found that love unreturned is hard to maintain. No, they never wrote her at the Academy and would not miss her if she died.

Her Guardian? Kylah almost smiles, albeit grimly. He'd make fine speeches and wear traditional white for a while, anything to garner sympathy, but he'd really be mourning the loss of an asset. A tool. A rung on the ladder of his ever-increasing ambition. At least it is a kind of regard, she admits dryly. Would I be better with none?

This train of thought leads her to accept that if any message awaits her back on the ship, it will be from him.

She closes her eyes. And for the moments before sleep finds her at last, she realizes she's no longer as eager to return to the Yorktown as she thought.

T'Var checks on Fujishiro, then Collins. The doctor will provide whatever medical care she deems necessary.

"I'm okay, Doctor, thank you." She composes a response to her messages and sends it. She figures they're still far enough away that it'll reach the Yorktown before the shuttle does.

Collins is correct about the speed of a subspace message compared to the shuttle itself.

Fujishiro's condition is poor but unchanged. Rangin is now sleeping a little more soundly, based on his brainwaves. His fever is slightly worse, but Dr. T'Var doesn't think it would be safe to further medicate him.

Pourtash uses the bathroom and then beds down on the deck with a blanket. Waite, Hayes and Delaney slumber on.

The stars stream past the three forward viewports as the shuttle races home.

Zzzzzzzzzz.....

Hypnotized by the star streaks, Collins dozes off again.

The hours pass by, then the better part of a day. You each have time to prepare and send your mission reports back to the ship, as ordered. Everyone is able to sleep a bit, but the emergency rations aren't all that appetizing, there's no shower (water or sonic) aboard, Dr. Waite is no more delightful company than he's ever been, and soon you're all more than ready to get out of the cramped shuttlecraft.

Rangin's condition deteriorates, his fever worsens and, despite T'Var's best efforts, he slips into a coma.

Several hours later, the comm panel chimes. Kylah opens hailing frequencies and you recognize the Captain's voice at once: "Meitner, this is Yorktown. Drop out of warp; we're five minutes from rendezvous."

T'Var is certain Sickbay is ready and waiting for those in need of medical attention. Caring for the wounded will be her first priority once she's back on the ship. Next will come thorough research of the Sakathian virus and how to defeat it.

The doctor will use whatever leverage she has with Waite to convince him to work with her on this project -- and hopefully come clean about it (which T'Var is certain he has not up to this point).

Collins smiles inwardly and is ready to pounce on the controls if Pourtash is otherwise occupied.

Pourtash disengages the autopilot and drops the shuttle out of warp. Collins is at the ready. As the Yorktown looms ahead, slowing, the helmsman taps a ship-to-ship comm key, saying, "Yorktown, this is Shuttlecraft Meitner. Request permission to approach."

After a brief pause the reply comes back, "Acknowledged, Meitner. Shuttlebay Control here. Welcome back. You're cleared to approach."

"Thank you, Yorktown. Now approaching on course 212 mark 13."

"Acknowledged. Docking clearance code Gamma Theta 76 Victor. Status nominal. Standard approach. Proceed."

Through the three forward viewports, you can see the starship grow more distinct, gradually taking shape against the blackness of space and its rich backdrop of stars. Soon it assumes the distinctive form you know so well, the saucer-shaped primary hull emblazoned atop with the words USS YORKTOWN and NCC-1717. Long twin warp nacelles rise majestically from her secondary hull. Pourtash lines the shuttle up to approach the Shuttlebay at the stern of the secondary hull.

The massive clamshell hangar doors open ponderously and Pourtash takes you straight in, the starship now filling your field of vision. The shuttle smoothly eases over the fantail, past the small elevated control booths to either side, and settles, with hardly a bump, on the rectangular, red-and-yellow landing target painted on the deck. The hangar doors close behind you. The shuttle's outer hull crackles slightly as breathable air rushes back into the bay.

After a minute or so you hear, "Meitner, this is Yorktown. Shuttlebay repressurization is complete. You may now shut down your engines. Stand by for decontamination and quarantine procedures."

"Acknowledged, Control, and thanks again," Pourtash says. "Meitner over and out." He taps the keys to shut down the shuttle's engines, leans back in his chair with a sigh, and rubs his eyes.

"Home sweet home," Delaney says quietly.

"Amen to that," Hayes replies with a nod. "Now... what sort of decon and quarantine procedures should we expect?"

"Given what we've been through? I'd say as thorough as possible" Collins states.

Kylah lets out a lengthy exhale once the ship's engines are off. She says nothing, but looks worriedly over to Rangin and Fujishiro to see how her crewmates are doing.

T'Var nods her agreement with Collins' assessment of the situation. "For our own good and that of the crew, we must do whatever is necessary to ensure everyone's safety."

The doctor lets out a weary sigh.

The comm panel chimes again, and on the shuttle's small display screen you see the face of the Yorktown's Chief Medical Officer: "This is Dr. Villa. Welcome back, all of you. We'll be beaming Mr. Fujishiro and Mr. Rangin to separate quarantined ORs in Sickbay immediately. The rest of you will be beamed to quarantined guest quarters, scanned and then decontaminated or medically treated, if necessary. Dr. T'Var, Dr. Waite, as soon as I'm sure we can bring you safely into Sickbay to assist us, we will. In the meantime, we'll consult by comm. Any questions?"

"No, Sir, not from me," Collins answers

"I look forward to providing whatever assistance I can," T'Var replies. She gives Waite a stern look.

Dr. Villa smiles apologetically and says, "You're welcome to call me Doctor or even Miriam, Lt. JG Collins, but not 'Sir,' if you please. One last point: During transport, you'll each pass through the biofilter three times before rematerialization, as an added precaution. Stand by."

Fujishiro and Rangin disappear at once in cascades of transporter energy, then each of you are beamed to separate guest quarters. You each feel a little more woozy than usual after transport, but the aftereffect soon passes. In your temporary quarters, you each find a nurse or medtech - Dr. T'Var is a little surprised to see Dr. Bucci, the virologist, himself - waiting in a full biohazard-protective suit with a medical tricorder and medkit. Each conducts a physical exam, gives you a very thorough scan, and takes samples of various body tissues and fluids (some more invasively than others). They each explain that his or her tricorder will be left in the room to maintain a wide-field continuous scan of your body, which will be monitored in Sickbay. They also point out, beside your bed, a long, thin, flat metal box with three dozen small, evenly-spaced apertures on top - it contains numerous living cell samples, of species from Earth and many other different worlds, some or all of which will react if you're carrying any communicable airborne pathogens.

The Sickbay personnel invite you to shower, change and rest, and then are beamed away - doubtless for further decontamination themselves. You find that you each have full access to the Yorktown's comm system and library computer.

Kylah sits down on the bed, freshly showered but not feeling nearly cleansed after everything they've all been through. She would have preferred a hot, soaking bath instead of just a sonic shower; she misses the sensation of being surrounded by water, hiding underneath for as long as she could hold her breath. It was her favorite luxury back on Elas. After the sweat, tears, ichor, blood and grime that have covered her for far too long, not to mention the horrors still in her mind, Kylah could very gladly soak and hide in this manner for hours.

At least they hadn't had to beam back onto the ship. Before they'd landed back on the Yorktown, Kylah had suddenly remembered that strange transporter engineer who'd given her such an oddly sinister look before beaming onto the station, back when the mission started... a hundred years ago, it feels like. Honestly, after all they've been through, she almost has to laugh at having gotten so upset over what was probably nothing, a misunderstanding of some kind. For all she knew, perhaps the man had dealt with her cousin Elaan at some point. That would have been enough to cause anyone to look on an Elasian with some distrust.

Shaking her head free of the memory, Kylah slips a hand in the pocket of her robe. From within she pulls out the one item she's kept close to her, now tightly wedged in her fingers: the data storage device from Chief Porr. She examines it, glad to finally have a chance to see it in the proper lighting of the ship. Of course it doesn't reveal anything new to her, but still, it's a prize and she suspects it might be of value to the Federation's investigation of this incident. She's also very, very curious to know if Chief Porr has yet noticed that it's missing. If so, that discovery must have been quite a blow to his ego...

Her small, crooked smile fades. He lost his wife, she reminds herself. Forced to leave her behind, never even saw her die. That was the blow he'll not forget. He will likely not be thinking of this device, whatever it is, for a while.

As grim a thought as this is, it means they might have some time before the Sakathians know the data--whatever it is--is in her possession. Or they might know it by now. Considering their secrecy, she doubts the Sakathian government will be pleased. As if their pleasure means anything at this point, she thinks, her chin lifting with indignation.

Still, it's time to learn the secrets of this little device. She moves to the comm system. "Ensign Kylah to Lieutenant Thalen," she says, her voice sounding strange and small in this room. "Are you there, sir?"

Rangin isn't even aware of what is happening.

After a hot shower, Collins stretches out on the bed and drifts off to sleep.

T'Var advises Dr. Bucci that she has tissue samples of the altered Sakathians as well as data stored on her medical tricorder. She will have him take these to Dr. Villa -- unless they are considered contaminated in any way. The doctor will do what research she can from her current location and remain in contact with Sickbay at regular intervals.

The Yorktown's Communications Officer soon answers. "Thalen here. Welcome back, Ensign Kylah."

Collins sleeps very well on an actual bed - far more comfortably than on the shuttle.

Rangin has the benefit of the full attention of Dr. Villa, although he doesn't know that. She begins a rehydration and anti-fever round of drugs.

Dr. Bucci downloads T'Var's medical tricorder data to the library computer, but leaves the tricorder with her. He takes the tissue samples for external decontamination and further study. "Thank you, Doctor. These might be very useful indeed," he says, just before being beamed away. "And now, you really should rest."

The sound of Thalen's voice relieves some of Kylah's tension. "Thank you, sir, it is very good to be back," she says. "There is a somewhat awkward matter I need to discuss. I do not know how much of our reports you have read, but no doubt you are fully aware of not just the secretive experiments but the strained political atmosphere we encountered on the Sakathian station. Neither the Sakathians nor the university researchers were forthcoming with the truth."

She looks down at the small technological mystery in her hand. "However, I have in my possession a device, owned by the station's Security Chief, that could answer many questions for us. I... recovered it from him after he'd attacked us and was subsequently stunned. He was having a fit of hysteria, as his wife was very ill," she adds in fairness to Porr--though she realizes Lt. Thalen couldn't possibly care about the circumstances. She shakes her head irritably at herself. "At any rate, one of the other Sakathians told me this is a data storage, calendar and communication device. While we were trying to find a solution to our injured crew and the situation at hand, I tried to access it but apparently it is code-locked." Kylah turns the device over, though by now she's memorized every millimeter of the gadget.

"The reason I mention this to you, and why I kept it in the first place, is that I believe it might be essential to determine if this holds data that might be of use to our medical team and investigators regarding this whole unseemly experiment. Can you recommend the best course of action, sir? Unfortunately it is in quarantine with me, and I do not know if it could seriously be considered a threat to your safety... If it is not, and I can send the device to you or to whomever you recommend, I am sure there are expert engineers who might be able to decode this. I am very good at codes--and I did learn some basics of the Sakathian language--but this technology is beyond my skill level."

She takes a quick inward breath. "Time is slipping by for our crew members, sir, and I also fear that the Sakathians might eventually discover and--and object--to our having this device. So I do hope this will be of use to us in saving lives... and that we can do so quickly, before any--" Kylah tries to think of a diplomatic way to phrase this. "--Before any official objections might make it politically unfeasible for us to access the data."

At last she falls silent, realizing rather belatedly that she's probably been talking poor Lt. Thalen's ears off. After the somewhat enforced silence for the past two days, it's been a relief to express herself freely to someone again--especially someone who, hopefully, does not yet have a dismal view of her. Kylah sits back and waits for her superior officer's reply, exhaling nervously.

T'Var will take Bucci's advice and after a time of brief meditation, will get some rest.

Thalen says, "Thank you for telling me about it, Ensign. Let me have a word with the Captain, and I'll be back in touch." Three minutes later, the bosun's whistle sounds, and Kylah hits the white TALK button. She hears, "Thalen here. I've spoken to the Captain, and she wants Mr. Vargas to have a look. If the codelock can be broken, there might be some useful information for the Medical staff in it. Please put it a meter away from the door, and it will be beamed out, sterilized and examined."

T'Var finds the meditation and rest do her good. She wakes to find she's slept almost nine hours.

Collins wakes up after a long and refreshing sleep, too.

Rangin comes to in a Sickbay operating room to see Dr. Villa peering at him from behind her biohazard-protective suit's clear faceplate. He feels terribly hot and achy, and his throat is very dry. "Mr. Rangin, can you hear me?" the Chief Medical Officer asks.

"Yes, I'll do so at once, sir," Kylah says, a lightness lifting her spirits. She almost trips in her haste to get the device in the appropriate spot, and then hurries back to the panel. "The device is in place, Lieutenant. I should mention, for the record, that the Sakathians call it a thur'lel." She knows its nomenclature won't be of use in decoding the information, but if the Sakathian government asks any questions, the Captain should probably be aware of the object's name.

Backing away, Kylah sits on the bed and waits for the beam out. She then lies down, realizing how tired she is--and simultaneously, how absurdly pleased she is by Thalen's response. It's the first time in ages that something she's done, or discovered, or even just suggested has been met with a straightforward, unbegrudging "Thank you." Of the countless ways she tried to be of use on the mission, almost all were correct--yet none were accepted without some sort of hesitation or look of displeasure or even harsh words. Even T'Var, as well-meaning as she was, treated Kylah as a raw cadet or misguided yet enthusiastic puppy who had to be disciplined or taught lessons.

I may be raw but I was right, more than any of the others, the exhausted young woman thinks stubbornly, her eyes drifting closed almost against her will. I was right...

The last thing he remembered was huddling up in a blanket on the shuttle floor. The change in location is disturbing and he struggles to put his thoughts in order.

He concentrates on the voice and face in front of him, but the sight of the biohazard suit sends a chill down his aching spine.

"Yes, I can hear you," croaks out Rangin, "how bad is it?"

T'Var will check in with Sickbay -- find out how Fujishiro and Rangin are doing. The doctor will also ask if there is anything she can do to help at the moment.

Collins calls Sickbay as well "Collins to Dr Villa." when she answers, Jeremi continues, "When will the quarantine end? I feel fine and would like to get back to work"

Kylah drops off to sleep almost as soon as the thur'lel disappears and the transporter whine fades.

Dr. Villa tells Rangin, "You were infected with what, we think, is a mutated variant of the bioengineered Sakathian virus that Dr. Waite and his Miskatonic research team were working on. Fortunately, your body did not respond as a Sakathian's would, and you're in no risk of becoming a... well, of becoming altered as they were. You've run a dangerously high fever and become severely dehydrated, but we're working on both now. Your own Coridanite immune system has already done most of the work in fighting off the virus, frankly. We think the worst is behind you, but it might be several days or even weeks yet before you can return to duty."

Dr. T'Var reaches Dr. Bucci, who tells her much the same as to Rangin. He looks grim when he speaks of Fujishiro, though: "We can't seem to bring her fever down, T'Var, and her brain function is already severely degraded. Her lungs and liver are also damaged, and we don't know why. We have her on life support and she's in no immediate danger of dying, but it's not looking good right now. I'm going to send you some of her protein tyrosine phosphatase readings that've puzzled us; please take a look and let me know what you think." Soon, a very long medical data file appears on the library computer screen.

Dr. Villa is unable to speak to Collins when she calls, but Dr. Bucci can and does. "At this point, Mr. Collins, we're going to keep you in quarantine for at least another eight hours. So far there's no indication that any of your boarding party is either infected or contagious. I understand your impatience, but for you now you'll have to stay put." He smiles a little. "Doctor's orders."

Rangin nods weakly at the response, and also at the news of Fujishiro as well. He asks for a glass of water and something to continue his report on, as he didn't think he finished it.

T'Var asks Dr. Bucci to send these protein readings to Dr. Waite as well. Perhaps he would better understand them and be able to offer some explanations.

T'Var will contact Waite and discuss the readings with him. Together, they may find some answers.

Jeremi flops on the bed, antsy and weary at the same time. Then she sits up and sends two messages. One to the Captain, saying she's available for vid conference at the Captain's convenience; the other message is private.

Rangin didn't ask about Fujishiro, and Dr. Villa didn't tell him; only Dr. T'Var got that report about Fujishiro's condition. Dr. Villa has a nurse give Rangin a long, very cold drink of water, which tastes absolutely wonderful. "You don't have to finish your report now, if you'd rather not," the doctor says, looking a little worried, "but if you really want to, would you rather dictate or type it on a data tablet?"

Dr. Bucci says, "I've already shared the readings with Dr. Waite, and he's just as puzzled as we are... or says he is, anyway." The plump virologist looks skeptical. Waite doesn't answer T'Var's comm paging over the next few hours.

Thalen answers for the starship's commanding officer. "The Captain is going to meet with the entire boarding party, or those who are up to it, soon for a mission debriefing. It'll have to wait until then."

Collins has a quick response to her private message.

In which case:

"No, I'll try finishing off the report, it will give me something to take my mind off how I feel and its not like I have much else do other than rest. I'd better use a data tablet, otherwise my report will be a stream of consciousness followed by snoring." He stops and thinks for a moment. "Could you send a note to everyone from the shuttle letting them know I'm awake and to thank them for getting me out in one piece? ...and...how is Fujishiro, still alive?"

T'Var will study the protein readings as well as the information regarding reactions to the Sakathian virus and how they differ from race to race. There must be a reason why and T'Var will not rest until she discovers the answer.

She will continue to attempt contact with Waite. He may hold some vital answers to these medical questions. Of course, getting honest answers out of him might take some effort.

Dr. Villa shakes her head and tells Rangin only, "Mr. Fujishiro is quite ill and I'm very worried about her, but we're doing all we can." She gives him a data tablet, and he gets through most of his report before falling asleep again. He finishes it the next morning, when he feels much better.

The boarding party spends another 17 hours in quarantine before Dr. Villa is completely satisfied that they are neither ill nor contagious. It takes Dr. T'Var most of that period of mandatory solitude to review Fujishiro's protein tyrosine phosphatase readings. She sees that they have certain similarities to the malignant transformation seen in some humanoid cancers, but with key differences as to the phosphorylation state. She's never seen anything quite like it. Dr. Waite replies to her repeated pages just long enough to leave a text message that he, too, is puzzled, and has nothing helpful to suggest.

Other than Rangin, you are each free to return to your quarters, and your duties. The Yorktown, you learn, is now en route for Starbase 27, and will arrive there in three days. The shuttlecraft Meitner has been fully sterilized, refueled, and is available for further service.

On her way to her duty station, Collins makes a detour to Sickbay, and seeks out Dr Villa. She quietly tells the doctor she'd like a prenatal check up and makes an appointment for as soon as she is off duty.

Kylah returns to her quarters, more than relieved to find them unoccupied. Changing into a fresh uniform, she takes a look at herself in the mirror for the first time since leaving for the station. Her normally curly dark hair looks lank and the whites of her eyes are as red as the irises are opaque black. She grimaces at herself and, pulling her hair back in a low ponytail, girds her strength and prepares to report to her superior officer.

When she speaks with* Lt. Thalen, she confirms that she's ready for duty and asks where she will be stationed today. She also hesitates and asks if there has been any luck with the thur'lel.

* Or sees? Not sure how she would do this... can't imagine a junior officer strolling up to the bridge just to ask for an assignment, so perhaps she uses her communicator or comm panel?

T'Var heads to Sickbay. She will ask Dr. Villa what specifically she can do to help -- whether it be caring for Fujishiro and Rangin or continuing with her research.

For now, T'Var will leave Waite in peace. He is either unable or unwilling to assist her in finding a solution to the Sakathian virus problem. Or perhaps both?

Dr. Villa asks Collins to return to Sickbay in three hours for a thorough prenatal checkup.

Lt. Thalen, when Kylah reaches him by comm (the correct protocol, since he's on the Bridge, unless there was something she needed to show him in person), asks Kylah to review and categorize nonclassified Starfleet subspace message traffic to and from Starbase 27 for the past two weeks. She can do that in her quarters, or any place with library computer access. He says the thur'lel is still being studied by Security.

Dr. Villa is very pleased to see T'Var again. She asks the Vulcan healer to review Fujishiro's and Rangin's care to date, and make any suggestions. She says, "I'm very pleased by how quickly Rangin is recovering. Unless there's a problem overnight, I think I'll release him from Sickbay tomorrow, but keep him on light duty for three days or so."

Kylah says "Aye, sir," to Lt. Thalen and after a moment's hesitation, heads to the Communications Center belowdecks. On the one hand she's tempted to hole up in her quarters, because the thought of answering any questions from others about what happened on their mission makes her rather queasy. On the other hand... Lt. JG Collins might return at any moment. That possibility makes her queasier. Besides, Kylah knows she needs to become acquainted with her fellow Comm officers, or at least become familiar with the crew. She was feeling lonely back on the Meitner; the answer to that is not to avoid interactions with others, as little luck as she's had with them.

When she reaches the Comm center, she hesitates for a moment in the open doorway, casting her quick gaze around the room before moving forward to let the door close with a whoosh. Having spotted an empty terminal and thus making a bee-line for it, Kylah tries not to notice if anyone is paying any attention to her. At last she's seated, exhales after realizing she hasn't breathed in nearly a minute, and begins her work.

It amazes her how quickly normality has returned. Three days ago she was slaughtering cannibalistic victims of a brutish experiment. Now she's reviewing correspondence. But when Kylah pauses too long to think, she can again smell the humidity, blood and stench in her nostrils as if she's still in that chaotic transporter room on the station. Behind her, the attackers might well be pouring in, unceasing and relentless. Before long, so completely do her memories convince her that the room is full of charging Sakathians, she gasps, swivels around, and jerks up from her chair, hand reaching down for her remaining knife.

The room is cool, narrow and organized. Those surrounding her are Starfleet personnel, her shipmates, all dutifully performing their tasks. And she is standing, looking like a fool, breathing heavily and drawing unwanted attention to herself.

They are gone, she reminds herself shakily, a flush burning her face while she sits and turns her chair back to face the monitor. You know they are gone. You killed them.

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath of the conditioned, scentless air, then opens her eyes again and continues to work as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

T'Var informs Dr. Villa that she would like to continue her research regarding the Sakathian virus -- comparing the Sakathian tissue samples with those of Rangin and Fujishiro in an attempt to better understand the similarities -- if any -- and the differences. Perhaps then, a solution might be possible.

"I would appreciate Dr. Bucci's assistance with this," T'Var tells Villa.

There are three other people in the Comm Center on Deck 6, an officer and two techs. The officer is Lt. JG Ade Soerjosoemarno, a stocky, older Indonesian man, who Kylah has met only briefly once before. The relief Communications officer smiles at her and says, "Ens. Kylah, isn't it? Welcome back. I heard your Sakathian mission was pretty hairy. How are you doing?" The techs, both also human, seem intent on their work, and don't look her way.

"Mr. Rangin seems to be on the mend," Dr. Villa tells T'Var, "so I see no reason Dr. Bucci can't work with you. Proceed, and good luck."

Later, when Collins's uneventful watch is complete, Dr. Villa gives her a thorough prenatal checkup. She tells the young Security officer with a big smile, "Everything looks good. The baby is developing nicely, and I see no indication that your experience on the space station has had any negative impact. Are you feeling all right?"

The members of the boarding party each receive messages on their shipboard comm accounts from the Captain's yeoman, asking them to report to the Captain's conference room at 0900 the next morning for a mission debriefing.

It takes some seconds for her shipmate's greeting to reach through the force of Kylah's concentration. She looks up and sees Soerjosoemarno's pleasantly smiling face. His words are dragged back to her recollection and she realizes he needs an answer.

"Yes, sir, it was a difficult mission." She keeps her voice soft and even, though she cringes inwardly while wondering if he saw her foolish paranoia earlier. "Fortunately I suffered no injuries... no permanent injuries, and am glad to be back at my duties. Thank you for asking, Lieutenant."

Kylah hesitates, then adds, trying to think of anything conversational to add: "I... I've been asked to review the past two weeks' worth of Starfleet subspace message traffic related to Starbase 27. I understand that's where we are headed...?"

The utterly banality of her attempt embarrasses her even as it leaves her lips.

Before responding, Rangin will ask Dr Villa if he will be able to attend or if he is to remain in sickbay, and if so, for how long.

T'Var looks forward to working with Dr. Bucci on the tissue samples. She is certain there is an answer to this problem.

"Physically I'm fine," Collins tells Dr. Villa, "except for the morning sickness, which I could really do without. But psychologically I am very confused. The baby's father messaged me while I was still on the Meitner, and his whole attitude was 180 degrees from where he was when I first told him. Here." She shows the messages to Miriam:

Fr: Ens. Ben Cooper
Thalen told me that you and the rest of the boarding party were able to get away from the Sakathian station, and are now on your way back to the ship. I'm so relieved - I was really worried about you. I can't wait to see you again! I've given a lot of thought to your pregnancy and have decided, if you're willing, that I'd be pleased and honored to be the father of your child. You don't need to answer me now. I know you have a lot on your mind. Just think about it, and let's talk when you get back. With love always, your BEN.

Fr: Lt JG Jeremi Collins
Thank you, Ben, it's good to hear from you. We will talk at length we I return, but after I've been debriefed and had a chance to rest. I hope you're not planning on meeting the Meitner, I don't want a scene and I'm afraid if I see you there, I may start crying and clinging to you. Not the best impression to make upon my return from my first command. I hope you understand. I look forward to seeing you. Love, Jeremi

Fr: Ben
Of course I understand. I'll keep my distance, although it won't at all be easy, until you're ready. Everyone aboard ship is talking about you - we all wish you well. Take good care of yourself, and your crew, and hurry back. With love always, yours, as ever, BEN

Fr: Jeremi
I am so bored in here. I'll be in quarantine for several hours more if you want to vidchat. But let's save the important stuff for in person. If I don't answer right away it's because I'm vidding with the Captain. Other than that, I'm just twiddling my thumbs.
Love, Jer

Fr: Ben
Glad you're back, safe and sound! I hear it won't be too much longer now and they'll let you out. I was in quarantine once on the

Monitor - long story - but it all came out OK. So how are you feeling? How is the baby? Did you miss me as much as I missed you? I doubt it. Seems impossible. Lots of love, BEN

Fr: Jeremi
I'm assuming the baby is fine. Other than morning sickness, nothing untoward is going on. As for missing you, well, first I am glad you missed me, but honestly I was so focused on the mission, I had little time to think about anything else. Maybe one day you'll tell me your Monitor story. *mwah* Jer

Fr: Ben
If you ever have any problems falling asleep, I'll be glad to tell you. Did the doctors scan or check the baby specifically? Do we know for sure that he or she is OK? XOXOXOX BEN

Fr: Jeremi
I have an appointment right after my duty shift. Let's have dinner tonight.

Fr: Ben
Sounds good to me! xoxoxox BEN

"I was ready to terminate the pregnancy because I am not ready to be a single mother, and he seemed indifferent to the whole idea. Now, I don't know what to do." Jeremi slumps in the chair and covers her face with her hands.

Soerjosoemarno says, "Oh, yes. Have you compiled a subspace message-traffic review before, Ens. Kylah? Need any help getting started?"

Dr. Villa tells the Coridanite, "I'll discharge you from Sickbay tomorrow morning, Mr. Rangin, if you're still feeling well. You may attend the debriefing with the senior staff. But you're to stand no more than a four-hour watch each day for the next week. I'll let the Science Officer know. You need to rest."

T'Var meets with Bucci in Med Lab 1. The plump, cheery Italian virologist enters carrying four data tablets and a medical tricorder. He says, "I'm glad to help, but where's Dr. Waite? I've hardly seen him since he was released from quarantine."

Dr. Villa says hesitantly, "You don't need to show me your correspondence if you don't want to, Mr. Collins." When the Security officer insists, she reads it, frowns and says, "Well, he certainly seems very affectionate now. Have you talked to him lately, I mean, face to face?"

"We're having dinner together tonight," Collins replies, "and we will talk at length. But I'm still not sure I want to side track my career. May I come back tomorrow and talk to you some more? Or perhaps one of the other doctors has a counseling background?" Collins can feel the nausea rising agin. It's definitely linked to my emotions, she thinks.

Kylah glances back at the screen behind her before responding to Lt. Soerjosoemarno. She hates admitting a lack of knowledge--but while her training at the Academy did, of course, include the technical and administrative skills necessary to collect and examine subspace communications, she's aware she might not be performing the task in the manner the Yorktown personnel prefer. Besides, what she's learned most about dealing with others, outside the rarified atmosphere of her upbringing, is that humility is one of the fastest ways of making oneself likeable, if such a thing is really possible. She couldn't manage it at the Academy--she was too young, too angry--or on the Sakathian station or the Meitner. But emotions aren't nearly as fraught here. Kylah hopes she'll be more successful now.

She looks back at the older man with sincere gratitude. "I have started compiling the messages, sir, that is straightforward enough. However, I do not know what method or format of review would be most preferred by Lt. Thalen or whoever on the senior staff will be going through the reports. I would greatly appreciate the assistance... if you are not too busy."

"Your assistance is most welcome, Doctor," T'Var tells Bucci. "As for Dr. Waite...." T'Var pauses a moment. "I am certain he could be of use to us with our research, but he does not seem willing to do so."

T'Var frowns, then lets out a sigh. "He should know a great deal about the Sakathian experiments, yet claims to understand very little." The Vulcan's frown deepens. "Perhaps it is best if we proceed on our own -- for now."

Villa says, "Well, my door is always open, but Dr. Noel is a psychologist, of course, and is quite good at her work. I'm sure she'd be glad to talk to you, if it would help."

Soerjosoemarno tells Kylah, "Usually the Captain, First Officer and Communications Officer - Mr. Thalen - want a one-page summary of the subspace traffic." He looks over the messages she has already compiled. "Let's see... yes, I would definitely include the arrival of the Endeavour at the starbase for an overhaul of her warp drive... the private yacht Trimalchio's stopover there on the way to Omicron Ceti III... hmmm... the war games off Boadicea... oh, and the appointment of the new Portmaster for Starbase 22. The rest of this is all right, but optional."

Dr. Bucci matches T'Var's frown. "He's our guest... but he knows more about the Miskatonic-Sakathian research project than anyone else aboard. Perhaps we could apply a little pressure, or friendly persuasion if you will, to get him to help more. What do you think?"

Collins rises to leave, and reaches out her hand to Dr Villa. "Thank you. I will make an appointment with her on my way out." Which she does, then outside sickbay she heads to the nearest comm panel "Lt Collins to Ensign Cooper. Please meet me in the mess in 15 minutes. Collins out" and she walks slowly towards her dinner date.

"I do not believe Dr. Waite will respond well to pressure," T'Var replies. "Perhaps Dr. Villa or the captain could persuade him to help."

Rangin responds to the yeoman in the affirmative, but also relaying the doctor's orders.

Dr. Noel asks Collins to come see her when the Security officer goes off-duty the next day. Collins goes to dinner with her boyfriend, the details of which will be revealed in the future.

Dr. Bucci shrugs and says, "All right, if you like. I know our CMO can be very persuasive." The two physicians compare notes on Fujishiro's and Rangin's conditions, and the data the Vulcan woman gathered on the Sakathian space station.

Rangin's reply is acknowledged by the Captain's yeoman.

Kylah completes her subspace communications summary and posts it to the Captain, First Officer and Communications Officer's comm accounts.

"Night" passes aboard the starship, as it sails steadily on towards Starbase 27, and a new day begins. Rangin is discharged from Sickbay in the morning and has time to go to his quarters before the debriefing.

Cooper's face lit up when Collins entered the Mess Hall. "You don't know how happy I am to see you, Jeri," he said.

Collins smiled and sat down. "I'm happy to see you, too, but I am confused. Before I left for the mission, you made your choice clear by not answering my messages. I was not prepared for this complete turnaround. I have to ask, what's going on?"

The shuttle pilot looked chagrined. He reached out and took her hand. "I know I didn't handle it too well, and I apologize. I'd really never thought I might be a father at my age. I felt very confused and... conflicted, I guess. But when you were away on the mission I thought a lot about it. I worried about how you and the baby were doing, every day. It was really hard to imagine you both on the space station, given how dangerous I heard it was."

Jeremi smiled and squeezed Ben's hand. "I had a checkup; the baby is fine. That said, I still haven't made up my mind about keeping it. I still haven't told Cmdr. Vargas or the Captain." She sighed heavily. "How long into the pregnancy will I be able to properly do my job? I had a couple of bouts of morning sickness during the mission that may have altered how I reacted to the emergency. I have no way of knowing." Collins paused and tried to get a handle on Ben's reaction. "Then there's the issue of my career. Having and raising the baby would surely stall it, and I don't know if I'll be able to get it back on track. And what about your career? Because if I keep the baby, he or she will be both our responsibilities. We'd have to stand different watches. We'd hardly see each other." She paused again. "Okay. I'm starting to babble. Your turn."

"You're not babbling," he said. "Those are all good points. But if you want to have the baby, as you know I want you to, I know we can make it work. And if we can't make it work on the Yorktown for whatever reason, we could ask for shore assignments. I know that's not the career path you had in mind, but it would be worth it if we could be together and raise this child as a couple. I love you and I want us to be happy together."

"I need to think about this some more, Ben," Jeremi told her suitor. "I'm still not sure what I want. Shore assignments?" She shuddered, she hoped imperceptibly. "I'm not sure I could be happy with that." She stood up. "Ben, I love you, too, but I still have to figure out what I want." She kissed him goodnight, and returned to her quarters where she slept not at all.

Collins dialogue by anyrose; Cooper dialogue by Elendil's Heir.

Kylah is grateful when it's finally time to wake up. Of course "wake up" would probably indicate that she's been sleeping. Thanks to her crewmate--who arrived last night after Kylah was in bed but quite clearly was unable to get any rest--Kylah herself had been barely able to catch more than a few moments before Collins's agitation woke her up again.

This is madness, Kylah thinks, grumpy as she hurries to take a shower before the other woman rises. I might as well be back on the Meitner for all the good last night did me. How in the name of all the stars will Kylah keep her groggy mind sharp enough for today's meeting with the Captain? And she suspects she'll need to be on her toes, depending on what the others put in their reports. In truth she barely remembers what she put in her own.

Cleaned and dressed, Kylah braces herself before re-entering the main room. She looks toward her superior. They'll have to speak to each other some time. Might as well start now.

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Kylah says, her voice even and mild--and hoarse from exhaustion, but there's nothing she can do but clear her throat quietly. Precisely what happened last night to keep Collins in such a sleepless state, she has no idea, and it's none of her business--and Collins wouldn't tell her, either. Further, Kylah knows Collins wouldn't even't want her to ask. Nor would Collins appreciate knowing that her mood affected Kylah's sleep as well.

But it's farcical to pretend she doesn't see the sleep-deprived face only a few yards away. Kylah's not completely lacking in social graces, and so she adds in a slightly more gentle tone: "Are you feeling all right, sir?"

"I'll be fine, Ensign, thank you" Collins says quietly, "I'm just wrestling with a personal issue. Nothing to do with the mission. Are you through with the shower?"

T'Var gets some rest. She prepares herself for the meeting with the captain. In the back of her mind, however, the Sakathian virus -- its cause and its cure -- keep her more distracted than she'd care to admit.

Kylah nods and moves out of the way so Collins can start her morning routine. So much for what Kylah's two Academy roommates called "girl talk."

Suddenly realizing that she has no desire to stay and possibly hear any results of Collins's continuing battle with nausea, Kylah makes haste and leaves their quarters to seek out the Captain's conference room. She again turns her mind to today's meeting, and also--thinking back on yesterday's duties--wonders whether her work will have been deemed acceptable by those who read the reports.

Collins finishes getting ready and heads to the meeting.

The Captain enters the conference room at 0900 sharp. "As you were," she says when you all begin to stand. She takes her seat at the head of the Theban marble table, with First Officer Vargas to her right. Chief Engineer Cheverez, Science Officer Roble and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Villa are also gathered around the table. The boarding party - Collins, Pourtash, Kylah, T'Var, Rangin and Hayes - are already there. Delaney enters moments after the Captain, muttering an apology for being late.

"Welcome back to the Yorktown," Capt. Singh says to the junior officers. "Although I know the Sakathian mission did not proceed according to plan - to put it mildly - it's good to have you all back. Dr. Villa, any update on Mr. Fujishiro?"

"Still in Sickbay on life support," the CMO says, shaking her head. "She's now in a persistent vegetative state. I'm sorry to say I see very little chance of her ever emerging from it; her fever caused systemic neurological damage."

"Thank you, Doctor. Do what you can."

"Of course, ma'am."

Singh turns and says to the boarding party, "The senior officers and I have reviewed your mission reports. Is there anything you'd like to add, or emphasize, now? Any observations to share, or lessons learned for next time?"

"Sir," Collins begins, and once acknowledged, she continues "although the obvious answer is to never go on any mission unarmed, I believe the bigger oversight was in not verifying the home world's policies and laws for ourselves, that is Starfleet, before accepting the mission. That said, I think all of my team will agree that Dr. Waite was more of a hindrance than an asset."

Rangin thinks back over what happened and considers that his report was accurate enough for people to draw conclusions from it. He remains silent, slightly glum over the news of Fujishiro.

"I would have to agree with Mr. Collins," T'Var says evenly. "While I find Starfleet's policy to explore and assist other cultures whenever we can noble and good, I believe we need better guidelines and information before investing our time -- and most importantly our lives -- to this policy."

"Is there any way in which you could have gathered that information yourselves before beginning the mission?" Roble asks. "Or do you depend upon your superiors to do so?"

"And where is Dr. Waite, anyway?" Cheverez adds.

Kylah bristles at Roble's insult--and apparently faulty memory. "With respect, sir," she says as evenly as possible, "we were in a position where all available information, whether it came from our briefing, from research, from those on the Station, or from Starfleet itself, was either spotty or false--deliberatly false, in the case of the team including Dr. Waite, as we now know all too well."

Not wanting to sound like a guilty child pointing a finger at a sibling, Kylah adds swiftly, "I do not wish to blame Dr. Waite for everything that went wrong on this mission. I fear there is more than enough blame to be shared; almost all of us in the party made errors in judgment--and--and I include myself," she admits with a lifted chin. "But the initial mistake, if it can be called one, was Waite's."

She swallows. She didn't intend to bring up Waite at all--unless he denied his mendaciousness and no one else called him on it. Kylah has been fully prepared to speak her mind about all she chose not to include in her written report, particularly the lack of judgment on the part of her superiors. But now, reluctantly, she has to back up Collins and focus on Waite.

"Sir, we know he almost certainly lied about telling the Captain of the prohibition against weapons, and worse, blatantly lied about the purpose of the experiments going on aboard that station. Without the knowledge that only he could have provided, there was little we could except rely on past reports of Starfleet's experience with the Sakathians.

"And--forgive me for speaking on your behalf," Kylah says with a quick glance toward Hayes. "--But Ensign Hayes did gather all the available information on past Starfleet missions to the station. She said as much during the meeting that took place when we briefly returned to the ship, as you may recall, sir. According to her research, none of those prior mission logs mentioned the weapons ban. Since it is unlikely that all those other landing parties neglected to share this somewhat important piece of information, it seems logical to conclude this was a brand new rule. One about which only Doctors Waite and Pierce could have told us." Kylah's voice softens as she concludes: "Unfortunately, Dr. Pierce's role in this affair cost her her life."

With any justice, Waite's will cost him his career and earn him a lengthy incarceration. Which would be light sentences, in Kylah's opinion. On Elas, his life would be forfeit as well.

"It is only logical to assume that our superiors would provide us with the best possible information so that we can successfully complete whatever mission we are given. We are your subordinates for a reason," T'Var tells Roble. "Then again, if these superiors are provided with information that is not correct or misleading in some way...."

"Perhaps in this particular case," Collins offers, "we could have contacted the Sakathain government ourselves and asked if there were any new laws or policies in effect that we should know about, rather than take a third party's word for it. And we could have vetted Waite before working with him to determine his trustworthiness, although we might not have learned anything different." She is quite relieved that she has been supported in her opinion, but maintains a professional face.

Kylah appreciates Collins's willingness to accept responsibility--frankly, this seems to be a new experience in Kylah's view--but in this case she feels strongly that justice will not be served in apportioning blame to the mission crew.

"Respectfully, I question whether it would have been our place to contact the Sakathian government. Starfleet itself had given us instructions, we were briefed on the basic Sakathian customs and their history... I can speak only from my own knowledge of governments," she says, hoping T'Var will for once not object to her bringing up her royal history, "But I believe it would have been seen as a presumptuous act for junior officers to approach a government that the Federation clearly wanted to appease regarding its xenophobia and secrecy." She realizes she's speaking a great deal for the most junior member of the team, and tries to extricate herself from the charge of insubrdination that might be forthcoming. "I beg pardon if this is out of turn, but it was my duty, along with Mr. Hayes, to interact with the Sakathians on behalf of the mission, and in so doing I did learn enough about them to know just how protective they were in guarding their secrets, and what sticklers they were for protocol. I don't believe they'd have taken kindly to being approached by junior officers prior to the mission, even if it meant avoiding a crisis."

Kylah adds with a straight look at Roble, "As far as Waite's trustworthiness is concerned.... In our mission briefing, Lieutenant Commander Roble himself told me, when I questioned the humane treatment of the animals during these experiments, that he himself had checked on Waite's paperwork in this regard and said, I quote, 'He has a good reputation and I have no reason to doubt his word.'" She checks herself from the bitter smile that nearly accompanies this pronouncement. "If the Yorktown's own Chief Science Officer could not divine the truth about Waite's ulterior motives, I think we had little chance of finding anything ourselves."

Collins fights the impulse to glare and snipe at the young impertinent ensign, instead quietly interjects "By 'we', I mean the Yorktown. I wouldn't presume to overstep my rank or to put it all on the Captain. It just should have been part of the process."

Kylah doesn't change the direction of her gaze. She's almost grateful for the comment--as a result, her decision to speak openly about the other woman's leadership failures is weighing less and less on her mind.

With the same even voice, so deferential she almost nauseates herself, Kylah nods while murmuring, "Of course, Lieutenant. I apologize, I must have misunderstood; I thought we were still answering the question Lt. Cmdr Roble was putting to us--how we, the mission crew, might have better performed our duties prior to the mission. I fear I did not realize you had changed the subject, sir."

"Your points are well-taken," says the Science Officer, unruffled. "Clearly there was a miscommunication, or more than one, and none of us knew exactly what to expect on the space station."

"So is Dr. Waite shy, or angry, or what?" Cheverez asks. "It seems to me he ought to be here now."

"Dr. Waite has not been very helpful to us -- during the mission itself or with the research needed to determine the cause and cure for the Sakathian virus," T'Var states evenly.

T'Var glances at the captain, then the other senior officers in turn. "Perhaps he should be summoned to this meeting right now."

Kylah is relieved that someone else made the suggestion to summon Waite at last. The fact that he is not here is making her feel more and more uncomfortable--almost anxious.

"and hook him up to a polygraph!" Collins blurts out.

T'Var cannot help but grin briefly at Collins' suggestion.

Singh also smiles. She hits a button on the table's comm panel and says, "Dr. Waite, this is the Captain. We are debriefing our boarding party. Please report to my conference room on Deck 2 as soon as possible."

There is a long pause, and then the reply comes, "On my way, ma'am." Waite does not sound happy.

Vargas says, "While we await his arrival, Mr. Collins, perhaps you could explain to me why you left the other members of your landing party behind on the space station and beamed over alone to the shuttlecraft?" He checks his data pad. "Two of them, in their reports, said that you either 'yelled' or 'shouted' as you did so."

"Sir," Collins states plainly "there was doubt as to whether the Sakathian transporters would work or not. I could not ask another to do what I was unwilling to do. It was my job, as team leader, to take the risk."

"I see," says Vargas. "But you had a volunteer who was willing to go, didn't you? And why did you not designate someone else to command in your absence?"

Rangin wonders how long it will last as he has little to offer other than his report. He wonders if the same would be true when Dr Waite arrives.

On hearing the questions aimed at Collins, he just hopes she is honest about her part, while remaining attentive to the meeting.

Collins bristles slightly. "Yes, sir" she admits "it did take a while for me to assign interim command to Dr T'Var. I should have done so before beaming over. But once the transporters were successfully tested, I made the decision to go and secure the shuttle. There was no other volunteer."

Kylah listens to the questions with no small amount of satifaction, although she wonders if Collins thinks she's the one to question her decisions. No doubt, she thinks, the irony almost amusing her. She put nothing but the barest of facts in her report, preferring to keep the questionable actions of her superiors off the written record until she could articulate them aloud.

Even more ironic, however, is that now she feels the need to back up Collins, which she had no intention of doing prior to entering the meeting. "Lieutenant Collins is correct, sir," Kylah says quietly. "There were no volunteers... only suggestions for other courses of action from Lietenants Delaney and Pourtash, and myself."

"According to at least one of the reports, if I recall," Vargas says, "Dr. T'Var assumed command of those left behind before Mr. Collins made any such designation, even though as a physician she is a staff officer and not a line officer, and was thus outranked by Mr. Pourtash, who as a helmsman is of the Command Department. But let me ask generally: Was everyone left behind on the space station aware of who was in command there when Mr. Collins beamed over to the shuttle?"

Pourtash and Delaney look at each other. Hayes looks down and coughs.

Dr. Waite enters the conference room and quietly takes an empty chair along one bulkhead.

The moment Waite enters the room, Kylah feels the familiar and almost instinctive dislike for him sweep over her like a tidal wave. As much as she finds Collins's behavior during the mission unprofessional, reckless and downright cruel, she is still loath to have a crewmember taken to task in front of this odious man who's caused the deaths of so many--including one of their own, if Fujishiro cannot be saved.

She also doesn't appreciate Pourtash and Delaney's silence. Are they not officers with mission experience? she thinks, staring at them as if willing them to speak. First they let Collins run roughshod over them during the event, offering little useful advice if any. Now they stand there and say nothing?

Exasperated, Kylah cannot remain silent. "There were merely seconds in between Lieutenant Collins's transport and Dr. T'Var's assumption of command, sir." She can hardly believe she's sounding as if she's defending Collins. "Notwithstanding the lack of direct orders from our team leader prior to her departure, we knew the Doctor was in charge almost immediately. And," she adds with a calm but pointed tone, "no one higher in the chain of command even attempted to take control of the situation."

Kylah fights back the instinct to cast a quick regretful glance toward Pourtash. She cannot forget how passively he behaved during the crisis.

T'Var listens closely to the questions and answers before sharing her thoughts on the matter.

The doctor stands slowly. "With due respect, I believe Mr. Collins acted in the best interests of those under her command." T'Var lets her gaze rest briefly on everyone in the room, then fixes her attention on Vargas. "Perhaps certain decisions were not perfect. No decision ever is."

T'Var continues to stare at Vargas. "We were faced with a very difficult situation. We all performed our duties as well as possible under great duress. I am certain we have all learned valuable lessons from this mission."

The doctor sits and returns her gaze to the captain.

Collins is surprised and relieved by the support she is getting, particularly from Kylah. But she knows her decisions didn't follow protocol. She wonders if Vargas ever made a mistake in his early career and how he felt afterwards.

"With respect," Kylah says, trying her best to avoid sounding combatitive but suspecting she's failing, "This is not a pre-Academy training camp and we are not children to be given pats on the back for attempting our best and learning lessons. In order to improve we must admit our mistakes. I am prepared to do so, and I should hope my superiors are as well. In my opinion, none of us, perhaps apart from Lieutenant Delaney, Ensign Rangin and Ensign Hayes, performed to the best of our abilities. If we did, then our best was not good enough. Not nearly good enough."

Pourtash seems stung. He says, a little defensively, "I could have asserted a right to command, I suppose, but Dr. T'Var is older than me, and has greater seniority in Starfleet, although you're right that she's a staff and not a line officer. She also seemed willing to take action even though Mr. Collins didn't say who should command in her absence. Then she did a good job and... well, it became unnecessary for me to displace or override her."

Delaney says, "I was just too busy trying to fix the transporter to get involved, frankly. I knew our lives could depend on how quickly I was able to get us out of there. I wasn't sure who Mr. Collins had in mind to command the remainder of the boarding party, but I was perfectly satisfied to let Dr. T'Var do so."

After a few moments' silence, Capt. Singh asks, "And you, Mr. Hayes?"

"To be honest, Captain, I was overwhelmed by everything. I don't believe my presence was a help or a hindrance," Hayes answers.

She pauses a moment to gather her thoughts. "I just had to trust that those in charge would know what to do."

"I see," says the Captain. She picks up a data tablet of her own, glances at it and puts it down again. "Mr. Kylah, I was surprised - actually, shocked would not be too strong a word - to learn that Mr. Pourtash once gave you a direct order and felt he had to actually point his phaser at you when you disobeyed him. What would you like to say for yourself? And Dr. T'Var, you then apparently countermanded that order. I'd be interested in your thoughts, too."

Ignoring her instinct to look over to T'Var, Kylah gathers her thoughts before she manages to formulate an answer. "With permission, sir, to respond I must add context to my decision. Chief Porr's wife had been attacked and had swiftly developed into one of the altered creatures. I had been observing her behavior, and listening to the sounds of the creatures outside the transporter room, and was absolutely certain that Mrs. Porr was linked to these creatures. There was not a doubt in my mind that her goal was to open the door to let her brethren inside--the door that was the only thing between us and them."

She inhales deeply. "Before this, while Mrs. Porr was in the process of changing, I had been asking Dr. T'Var, indeed all of the others, to end the woman's transformation in as painless a method as possible--by oversedation. Now that she had been fully transformed and was moving to open the door, a peaceful end to her behavior was no longer possible.

"The other officers' refusal to react to these rapidly changing circumstances seemed antithetical to my Starfleet training. Even when Lieutenant Collins ordered Dr. T'Var to transport half of us back to the shuttle--halving the number of people able to defend against the onslaught of creatures just outside the door--Dr. T'Var did not inform Collins of Mrs. Porr's new behavior. She simply followed Mr. Collins's blind order to leave her, Delaney and Pourtash behind to face almost certain death.

"I was certain this was irresponsible and we owed Mr. Collins the full details of what was happening down on the station so she could better assess the cirucumstances. I contacted her myself to update her of the situation and begged that we stop Mrs. Porr's progression to the door. Still no one acted, no one was even listening to me."

Kylah has to walk a thin line here and she does her best to keep calm, ordering her thoughts carefully. "Sir, this may seem like hubris, as I know I am utterly new and untried. But throughout the mission I had correctly interpreted the various situations regarding the Sakathians multiple times, and knew I was correct now as well. The other officers' passivity seemed almost--almost suicidal. I strongly suspected that the noise and confusion were preventing them from hearing my suggestion to prevent Mrs. Porr from unlocking the door. So when Dr. T'Var put her hand on me..."

For a few seconds, she is forced to hesitate, having invoked the memories of the terrifying moments in that transporter room. She shakes her head to free hersef of their spell. "When Dr. T'Var touched me I immediately knew what I had to do. I am a student of xenolinguistics and am very aware of other cultures' methods of communicating with one another. Thus I know of Vulcans' abilities regarding telepathy--which is enhanced by touch. I thought this might be the only chance to adequately convey my certainty of how dire and imminent the situation with Mrs. Porr was. So I placed my own hand on her shoulder to enhance the connection and communicated with her that way.

"That is why I had to ignore Mr. Pourtash's order to release Dr. T'Var, sir. I meant her no harm, and Dr. T'Var herself knew that. Of course, I understand that Mr. Pourtash had no way of knowing this himself, but Dr. T'Var was the one in command at the time, and I felt his order was immaterial in the circumstances. I was trying to communicate my recommendations to my current commanding officer in the only way I knew how. Even at the risk of being stunned, I felt my breaking the line of communication would have been more of a dereliction of duty than disobeying Mr. Pourtash."

Lifting her head slightly, she keeps her gaze sincere and forthright. "Dr. T'Var will confirm that I was doing no more than trying to convey information to her in the best way possible. I understand that to an outside observer my behavior likely seemed aggressive, and refusing to obey Mr. Pourtash may have earned a substantial mark against my record, if not an outright charge of insubordination. But I sought only to save the lives of my crewmates, and nothing else was working. Using Dr. T'Var's ability to read minds by touch telepathy was my last and only hope of doing so."

With that she exhales and falls silent. Kylah prays for her own sake that the entirety of her thoughts to Dr. T'Var will be remembered by the Vulcan--and that the doctor will be only as forthcoming as the circumstances warrant. A possible stunning blast via Pourtash's phaser was not the only risk she took on that station by reaching out to T'Var. Now there is nothing else to do but rely on the older woman's discretion.

T'Var keeps her gaze and attention focused solely on the captain as she speaks.

"I did not feel threatened by Ensign Kylah's actions," she says. "What Mr. Kylah has communicated to you is correct."

The doctor glances at Pourtash for a moment, then addresses the captain once again. "Mr. Pourtash acted in the best interests of the group. He also followed my orders to stand down when told to do so."

T'Var gathers her thoughts regarding Mrs. Porr before continuing. "Chief Porr's wife added an almost impossible element to our situation, Captain. Everyone reacted differently to her potential transformation. I, myself, was caught in a particularly difficult dilemma. As a physician, the vow I've taken to do no harm meant that the option of 'killing' Mrs. Porr to stop her transformation -- was unacceptable -- yet attempting to protect our group from her if and when she did transform...."

The doctor pauses yet again for a moment. "I was certain Mr. Delaney would complete his work on the transporters -- allowing us to leave the station safely -- before I had to make a decision I most assuredly did not want to make."

The Captain does not look entirely convinced, but she nods before turning to the Miskatonic University researcher. "Thank you for joining us, Dr. Waite. I'd like you to tell me, in your own words, what you and your staff were doing on the space station."

Dr. Waite is clearly unhappy to be there, but he folds his hands and says, "As I told your officers several days ago, we were conducting research into genetic engineering, carrying out limited, targeted resequencing of the Sakathian genome in test volunteers. We needed the alien lifeforms you brought as control groups. We weren't making hybrids, but something went wrong with the experiments, obviously."

"What was the purpose of the experiments?" Dr. Villa asks.

"The Sakathian government wanted to figure out ways to control large social groups based on DNA resequencing research, hoping to develop tailor-made drugs for particular purposes. For sexual offenders, libido suppression. For political dissidents, intelligence inhibitors. For soldiers, faster reflexes, greater strength and improved healing. For surly workers, higher energy and motivation - all at the molecular level. A fool's dream, obviously, but that's what they wanted, so that's what we were working on. We'd learned a lot about Sakathian genetics, brain function and endocrinology, in particular. Huge strides. But we weren't giving them exactly what they wanted. Director Geb was always urging us on... always making new demands. It became difficult to continue, but we did our best."

"You experimented only on Sakathians?" Dr. Villa asks. "And they were all volunteers?"

"Yes."

"Did any have adverse reactions to the experiments?"

"Yes, occasionally with some of the subjects, but they were minor. Nothing life-threatening, and certainly nothing on the scale of the altered or, if you will, 'zombie' Sakathians we all later observed on the station."

"Do you have any theories as to why there were such varying reactions from the different species - Sakathian, Coridanite and Human - to the resequenced genome?"

"No. I wish I did. None of our experiments exposed human beings to the latest batch of ntLd serum, which was the fluid means by which we introduced the genome into our test subjects. I just don't know why Mr. Rangin or Mr. Fujiro have--"

"That's 'Fujishiro,'" the Captain says coldly.

"Sorry, Fujishiro." He shrugs. "I don't know why they reacted as they did, although it seems likely that the resequenced genome mutated in some unanticipated, unpredictable way, and was introduced into your officers' bodies by bites or scratches. I also don't know why the altered Sakathians acted as they did - that was unprecedented, and quite shocking to me."

"Do you know of, or can you think of, any other course of treatment for Mr. Fujishiro that would be likely to bring her out of her coma and return her to good health?"

"No, I'm very sorry, I don't. As I told the others earlier, I'm afraid her condition is terminal."

"Do you think the experiments you conducted were fully in compliance with Federation law and medical research ethical guidelines?" Lt. Cmdr. Roble asks sharply.

"Yes," says Dr. Waite, although his body language indicates otherwise. "I think they did."

Dr. Villa asks several more questions but Waite does not, or will not, shed any more light on the situation. She exchanges a subtle glance with the Yorktown's Captain, who looks around the table and asks, "Any other questions, gentlemen, while we have Dr. Waite here?"

"I'd like to hear what Director Geb's new demands were that were, as you seem to feel, so beyond the scope of the research." Collins asks with not a little bit of sarcasm in her voice.

T'Var's testimony makes Kylah give a little sigh of relief. Of course she refrains from giving the doctor a look of gratitude, but she makes a note to thank her later on.

Now, as she listens to Waite's version of what happened, she barely manages to keep her eyes from narrowing in contempt. But Lieutenant Collins raises a good question, and so Kylah decides to bide her time in calling the so-called doctor on the major discrepency she believes will prove that his attempt at pushing the blame onto the Sakathians is a pathetic lie.

T'Var remains silent. If Waite had anything of use to share, she believes he would've done so by now.

Perhaps it is best to let Federation authorities decide whether these Sakathian experiments truly met ethical guidelines and standards.

For the first time that meeting, Rangin speaks up. "Which other Sakathian species were you experimenting on, and what were the results of those trials?"

Dr. Waite looks clearly uncomfortable. "Director Geb was especially interested in the, uh, military applications of our research. She wanted quicker and more extensive modifications that would bring about faster results. I had the impression that she was under quite a bit of pressure from the Sakathian government, and prodded us in turn." He thinks a moment. "We weren't experimenting on any other Sakathian species by the time your ship arrived, but earlier we had done clinical trials with about two dozen indigenous reptiles, small mammals and insects. Those tests had run their course, though, and we then switched to Sakathian volunteers."

Rangin coughs slightly into one hand. "...and the results of those tests?"

"All within normal parameters," Waite says. "Changes in physiology and brain chemistry pretty much as we predicted. Nothing, er, zombie-like."

Kylah has waited long enough for the others--particularly Dr. T'Var, whose memory is probably even better than her own--to bring up the inconsistencies in Waite's story. She can sit on her hands no longer.

"I wish to ask some questions, if I may, sir," she says, addressing the Captain with the polite words rather than the human doctor. Then her gaze shifts to Waite, no less sharp than the dagger she would still like to throw at him. "Dr. Waite. Why did you hide the true nature of these experiments from us, even when asked directly? According to our briefing, the research involved the 'reaction of living tissue to subspace fields.' Hardly an accurate description. There was certainly no mention of genetic engineering such as you describe now. And yet when you were asked if the Sakathians were hiding anything from us--knowing what we believed to be the nature of your experiments--you said they were not. But you knew very well that what was going on in that laboratory was not what we were told, and that the Captain and our Science Officer should have been informed of its dangerous nature. Why, then, the lie?"

Kylah sits even straighter in her chair, trying to maintain her composure. "And now, ever since the experiment went awry, you have maintained that all this research was at the Sakathians' behest. That they pressured you, they demanded things of you." She shakes her head. "I recall, even if you do not, that you told us that it was 'important to your work that you have the goodwill of Geb and the Sakathian government.' Dr. Pierce also made a similar implication when she said you were there only by their leave and with their permission. I put it to you now, doctor: if the Sakathians were the ones forcefully demanding all this research, why did you seem to fear they'd cancel it so quickly?"

Waite looks squarely at Kylah. "I was not at liberty, at the time, to fully disclose what we were doing. We had a confidentiality agreement with the Sakathians, and it didn't have an exception for Starfleet. The subspace field experiments were a tiny part of the overall project, but we used that as a blind. A cover story, if you will. I had no idea, when your ship arrived, that the project was as dangerous as it turned out to be. But when the project went awry, as you say, and we had to get out of there, once our lives were obviously at stake, I was able to tell you more - but I'm sure you remember how reluctant I was to disclose the true nature of the project, even then. The Sakathians might have cancelled the project, at great cost to the University, if they foresaw problems, or if they weren't getting what they wanted. Even now, after this... debacle, they might bring a claim against the University for loss of life, loss of property, on the station. So even now, there's a limit to what I can tell you."

"Even now?" Collins resists the temptation to pound on the table "Lives have been lost! Property destroyed! And the Federation's tenuous relationship with the Sakathians surely shattered! Who are you protecting now? Where do your allegiances lie?"

"...and did you colleagues all accept the same risk as well?", adds Rangin. "Did they all know what was happening on that station?"

T'Var does her best to follow the conversations going on around her. To be honest, she'd rather be elsewhere, continuing her research with Dr. Bucci.

"Dr. Waite, after all that has transpired, I believe total honesty would be the most logical way to move forward. We need the insights only you can provide," T'Var says. "You have taken a vow to protect and preserve life. This should be your only priority right now -- not a claim against the university or any other issue this situation might create," T'Var tells him with as strong a tone as possible for a Vulcan.

"I understand what you're all saying," Waite says, "but I really have told you pretty much all I can. I am still well aware of my oath as a doctor, T'Var - primum nil nocere, 'first, do no harm' - but as I've said before, there's nothing more I can tell you that would be of any use in your treatment of Mr. Fujishiro. Please, put yourself in my shoes. I don't want to talk myself out of my medical license, or into a cell on a penal colony, either Federation or Sakathian." He is now almost pleading. "I was the sole survivor, as far as I know, of the entire Miskatonic University research team, and you don't think that already weighs on my conscience?"

"Well then, tell us the stuff that's not of use. Tell. Us. Everything." Collins is channelling her rising nausea into anger. At least she won't have to run to the head in the middle of this meeting.

Kylah looks at Waite, a disgusted little smile curling her lip. "Weighing on your conscience," she echoes. "Dr. Waite. You have no guilt whatsoever weighing on your conscience. And you lie, and I suspect you will continue to lie as long as you can." She pauses, then glances for a meaningful moment at T'Var before adding softly: "No, it is not suspicion. I know this."

Waite glares at Kylah, then stands and impassively says, "I refuse to sit here and be insulted, Captain. I've told you all I can. I will be in my room until we arrive at Starbase 27 tomorrow."

"Very well," says Singh. "But you'll be confined to quarters until then. I suspect Starfleet is going to have more questions for you. Mr. Collins, please escort Dr. Waite to his quarters."

Dr. Waite says nothing to Collins in the corridors unless she speaks to him.

After they've left, Singh says mildly, "I understand your frustration, Mr. Kylah, and I really can't say I'm an admirer of our guest, but I do expect a certain level of decorum from my junior officers. A word to the wise."

She then asks Dr. Villa and Science Officer Roble, "You'll have that report ready for Starfleet by tomorrow?"

Villa looks at Roble and he nods. The Yorktown's CMO says, "Yes, ma'am. It might be quite awhile, if ever, before he gets back into a lab or a classroom."

Singh pushes back her chair. "Very well. If there's nothing else, gentlemen...? Thank you for your time and your input. Dismissed."

"Aye, Captain." Collins grips Waite's upper arm as they walk, not too roughly, but firmly enough for him to know she will not abide any effort to elude her. When they get to his quarters, she only says "here you go." Then once is he inside and the door is shut, Collins calls for a security detail for outside his door. When the detail arrives, she goes to the gym to work off her anger with some fight training.

Dr. Waite walks with an air of wounded dignity that Collins finds tremendously irritating, but she keeps her cool. Ensigns Mahmoud and Three Crows, in red shirts and with phaser-2s on their hips, soon take up posts outside the door to his quarters, which Mahmoud locks. "I'll let Mr. Vargas know you need some personal time," he says with a smile.

Collins arrives at the Gym to find that Lt. Joseph Bancroft, the ship's astrophysicist, is looking for a sparring partner. He already has on a boxing helmet and gloves. She can get her own from the Gym's supply room.

"Would you join me for a cup of tea?," T'Var asks Kylah. "If Dr. Waite 'knows' anything that might help Fujishiro, I need to find out and quickly."

T'Var's research is going nowhere. Perhaps Kylah's insights will prove useful. The Vulcan doctor is determined to do everything within her power to save Fujishiro -- despite the prognosis.

Collins returns form the supply room suitably outfitted and jokes with Bancroft "Think you can take me, Lieutenant?" and she assumes an appropriate pose.

Kylah is abashed by the Captain's comments and for a few uncertain seconds is tempted to ask permission to speak to her privately. But every instinct she's learned for more than twenty years pulls against her. She just nods and makes a brief apology to the senior officers, then starts out.

When T'Var asks her to join her, Kylah hesitates, noting the others walking out around them. "I'm afraid I've told you all I know," she murmurs, then hesitantly touches T'Var's arm. "I am sorry," she says in a flat tone, looking at the older woman.

"Are you certain?" T'Var asks Kylah softly.

After a moment, Kylah nods. "However," she says once she looks at T'Var to see if her meaning has been understood, "I think there might be much to gain if we were to talk to him together--though considering his feelings about me, that may be difficult to arrange. Unless you believe you hold sway with him," Kylah adds tactfully.

T'Var lightly touches Kylah on the arm, then nods in understanding.

"I will see what I can do," she says.

Bancroft grins and says, "Let's find out, shall we?" When both are ready and the match begins, he comes at her with an aggressive flurry of blows. She defends herself ably, then begins throwing a few punches of her own. Back and forth it goes, with neither boxer clearly superior. They have a good workout, though, and Collins feels a sense of release afterwards, despite her aches and pains.

"Thank you, Mr. Bancroft. We should do this again some time." Collins shakes hands with the astrophysicist, then showers and returns to duty.

T'Var will return to Sickbay. She will check on Fujishiro's condition, then continue her research -- futile though it may be -- with Dr. Bucci.

The doctor is unsure as to how she should approach Dr. Waite. Could she appeal to their past relationship? He seems so very different from the young man she knew years ago.

Or perhaps T'Var should just accept the fact that Fujishiro is lost. This would not be the first time T'Var has lost a patient and it will certainly not be the last.

Rangin mutters bitterly to himself as they are dismissed from the room. "Primum Nil Nocere", or in his case, do nothing in case you make it worse. Its a concept, not the rule. The oath is to preserve life, not sit aside and watch someone die. But worse for who I wonder: the Sakathians, Mr Fujishiro, or more likely him. Of course, if he can ignore the problem for long enough,it will just go away. Pathetic."

Rangin decides that getting some rest is probably the best answer before seeing when he is allowed back to work. While doing so, he will go over the logs uploaded from the shuttle on the the experiments on the sakathian animals. It's probably the one area he may have a greater understanding of. It may not help Mr Fujishiro, but it may provide insight into what was going on.

Collins takes her seat at the previously-unmanned Tactical console on the Bridge just as Pourtash relieves Ens. Horst Leventhal at the Helm. Ens. Luisa Guzman is at Navigation; she nods and smiles at Collins as the Security officer assumes her post. Checking her instruments, Collins sees that the ship's phaser banks, photon torpedo tubes and deflector shields all show green. The Captain is in the big chair, talking quietly with the First Officer, who stands to her left. The stars stream past silently on the forward viewscreen as the Yorktown proceeds to Starbase 27.

In Sickbay, T'Var finds that Fujishiro's condition is unchanged: the young Japanese woman remains comatose, in a persistent vegetative state, and is now kept alive only by life support. She has lost a little weight and looks slightly gaunt, although T'Var, checking her chart, sees that she has had adequate nutrition. Dr. Villa, looking worried, discusses her condition with T'Var and says, "I've considered transferring her to the starbase hospital. It's bigger than Sickbay, of course, but I suspect the quality of care would be no better, and I'd just as soon keep her here among friends. What do you think?"

Rangin remembers that Dr. Villa already approved him for halftime duty. Science Officer Roble has not insisted that he stand a watch, however. In looking over the reports of the wide range of experiments on Sakathian animals by the joint Sakathian-Miskatonic U. research team, the xenobiologist finds nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing to contradict what Dr. Waite told him and the rest of the boarding party.

T'Var is thoughtful for a moment as she considers Dr. Villa's question.

"I believe Mr. Fujishiro, if given the option herself, would prefer to remain here with her shipmates -- whatever the outcome," T'Var tells the CMO.

Dr. Villa nods thoughtfully. "I suspect you're right. I'll think about it a bit more." She looks at Fujishiro, sighs and crosses her arms.

While looking back over the records, Rangin wonders, did any of the sakathian creatures experimented on have claws that injected poison? Thinking of it, does the same apply to Sakathians?

He's clutching at straws, but wondering if Dr Waite was a little less ethical than he led on.

Rangin looks more carefully over the data which Dr. Waite and Ens. Kylah downloaded. Not all of the Sakathian lower lifeforms are fully described (perhaps a reflection of the Sakathians' latent xenophobia), but none are described as having claws that inject poison, a feature significant enough that he would otherwise have expected it to be noted.

Returning to duty, Kylah tries not to let her distraction affect her work. However, as soon as she gets a chance, she sends a message to T'Var asking if they might have a private meeting at the doctor's convenience.

She also contacts Lt. Thalen, wondering if any headway has been made in decrypting Chief Porr's thur'lel, and offers any assistance if knowledge of Sakathian might be of any use in determining any code structure--a doubtful prospect but she decides there's no harm in offering.

Rangin leans back rubbing his eyes and wondering what happened over there. Not cross species hybridisation then as far as he can tell. Unwittingly a bad joke comes to mind, "Question: What do you get if you cross a Sakathian with a Denebian Slime Devil. Answer: Chief Porr". He shakes his head feeling guilty at the thought. It would have been better if the mission had been a bad joke, but Mr Fujishiro is lying in a coma in sickbay and Mr Porr lost his wife to whatever Dr Waite and his associates cooked up in the lab. No, that joke was not funny at all and beneath the standard that should be expected of Federation officers.

He looks up at the ceiling feeling defeated. As to what happened over there, he can't think of any method to find out what happened, and feeding Dr Waite to a Slime Devil doesn't count. He hopes that anyone else looking into it has more success.

He flicks back to see if there are any results of tests they carried out on the new livestock they had bought. More out of curiosity than anything else, wondering what impact the sub space radiation had on such creatures.

T'Var acknowledges Kylah's message and assures her that they can meet in the near future. First though, T'Var will try one more time to convince Henry Waite to tell her everything he knows about the Sakathian experiments.

While a mind meld is probably out of the question -- on moral and ethical grounds -- it wouldn't hurt to do whatever she can to persuade him to come clean.

Waite faces an uncertain fate with the University and the Federation. She might suggest to him that his assistance and full cooperation could keep that fate from destroying his life and career.

T'Var contacts Waite and asks to meet with him as soon as possible.

Unless needed elsewhere, once off duty for the day, Collins will keep her appointment with Dr. Noel. She sends Ben a message that she'll meet him after that, if he's available. They can talk some more over dinner.

Thalen tells Kylah, "Oh, right. Security still has that Sakathian gadget. Let me ask the First Officer what's been found, if anything."

Rangin sees that the subspace field experiments had no apparent effect on the Denebian slime devils or capybaras, but that three of the Bolian storks developed minor tumors after a few days. None were considered lethal, and none had, by the time the project's record-keeping ended shortly before the outbreak of altered Sakathians, resulted in any of the birds dying.

Dr. Waite agrees to meet with Dr. T'Var again, although he is clearly very reluctant. They meet in one of the private observation lounges on Deck 12, in the dorsal connection between the Yorktown's primary and secondary hulls. The Vulcan woman does her best to reason with him, but he says little other than what he's already said. He seems to see greater danger in talking about what happened than in staying tight-lipped. He seems almost like a different person from when the ship first arrived in the Sakath system.

Dr. Helen Noel, the ship's psychiatrist, invites Collins to sit down in her comfortable office, just off Sickbay. "I've discussed your situation a bit with Dr. Villa," she says. "What's on your mind today? How can I help you?"

"To say I'm conflicted is putting it mildly," Collins begins. "I have a career, a good one, in Starfleet. Meeting Ben, er, Ensign Cooper, was a bonus. I never expected it to be a permanent arrangement. But then this" she points, with both hands, to her belly "happened. Ben's first reaction was to run for the hills, and I was okay with that. I expected to terminate the pregnancy once the mission was over." Collins sighs.
"Now he wants the baby, he wants us to be a couple, I'm good with the couple thing, but a baby will take my career in a different direction, one I'm not sure i could be happy with.
"I know I have to talk to Cmdr Vargas and the Captain, but it would help if I could suss out want I want, first."

Rangin makes some brief notes on the experiments out of interest, but beyond that he can't see what else he will be able to do to help Fujishiro.

He leaves a message for Science Officer Roble to see when he would next be required for a shift, then decides he needs something to take his mind off the last couple of days instead of brooding about it.

T'Var listens carefully to everything Waite tells her.

"I know this entire episode has been quite difficult for you, Henry," she says in a soft tone. "I want to help if I can."

The doctor pauses a moment. She needs to choose her words carefully. "I fully understand your concerns because of this matter. Still, you were always a man of honor and integrity, Henry. You truly cared about the healing arts and your responsibilities as a physician."

T'Var reaches out and takes both of his hands in hers. "I am asking for your assistance. I want -- I need -- to do everything possible to save Lt. JG Fujishiro's life. Is there anything -- anything at all -- you can share with me so that I can save my patient's life?"

Dr. Noel nods thoughtfully. She proceeds to ask several questions, waiting for Collins's response to each: "Right off the top of your head, what do you think you want?" "Are you convinced Ben is sincere now, or that he's really thought things through?" "Was his first reaction perhaps more genuine?" "Is he the kind of man you'd want as a father for your child, in an ongoing parenting role for years to come?"

Science Officer Roble soon responds to Rangin, saying, "Dr. Villa told me you might need some time off, and that's fine. If you're up to working halftime, why don't you stand a 1200 to 1600 watch for the next few days, and see how that goes? We have no pressing xenobiology issues at the moment, as it happens."

Dr. Waite seems genuinely moved by T'Var's gesture. He squeezes her hands, then turns away and stands by the observation port, looking out at the stars. He rasps, "No, dammit, T'Var, I wish there were. I would tell you if there were. I don't know Fujishiro well, but she seemed - seems - like a good person, and I don't want anything to happen to her. But as I told you on the shuttle, I'm afraid her condition is terminal. You know all that I know that might be of any use in her treatment." He turns back to her and says intently, "I swear it!"

duplicate post

Collins considers each question, trying not to overthink anything
"Right off the top of your head, what do you think you want?" "I want to make Captain by the time I'm 40."
"Are you convinced Ben is sincere now, or that he's really thought things through? Was his first reaction perhaps more genuine?" "He certainly seems sincere. He's saying all the right things."
"Is he the kind of man you'd want as a father for your child, in an ongoing parenting role for years to come?" "I don't know him well enough yet to answer that. Our relationship has, had?, been mostly physical." Collins smiles wryly "Have they perfected that time travel thing yet? It'd help if I could look ahead a few years." She sighs again. "Let me ask this - has there ever been a pregnant security officer effectively performing duties beyond her fifth month?"

T'Var sighs heavily.

"I believe you, Henry."

She joins him at the observation port. "And my offer still stands. I will help you if I can."

Dr. Noel looks up and taps her stylus against her chin. "After the fifth month? Not that I've heard of... but that's not to say it hasn't happened. We could check with Starfleet Personnel, if that would help. There's no reason you couldn't go on limited duty for a few months and then continue with your career after making childcare arrangements for when you're on duty."

"Thank you, T'Var," Dr. Waite says in the observation lounge. His shoulders slump and he seems beaten down, defeated. "I know I've let you down, terribly so, and I can't tell you how sorry I am. But this is my problem now, and I'll deal with it as best as I can."

Collins considers Dr. Noel's words a few moments. "Thank you, Doctor." Jeremi gets up to leave "Ultimately, I know I have to do what's right for me. I may want to talk with you again, after I've spoken to my CO, and the Captain, and of course Ensign Cooper. But I think I know what I'm going to do." She shakes hands with the doctor, and heads back to her cabin.
Once there she composes a message to Vargas and Singh "Sirs, at your earliest convenience, I would like to meet with both of you to discuss a personal matter. signed Lt. JG Jeremi Collins." She then heads to the mess to meet Ben.

"The best way to 'deal with it' is to be as honest and forthright as possible, Henry," T'Var tells Waite.

The Captain's yeoman responds a few hours later, The Captain and First Officer will meet with you at 1600 tomorrow in the Captain's office.

Dr. Waite says nothing to T'Var, merely nods ruefully and leaves.

The Yorktown arrives at Starbase 27 the next morning. Six other ships are in orbit of the Class M world, including the Yorktown's sister ship, USS Endeavour, here for an overhaul of her warp drive. The starbase is a gleaming, bustling small city of almost five thousand population, most of whom are Starfleet personnel and their families. The Captain grants 48 hours' shore leave to any who wish it.

Pourtash is among the first to beam down. He is within earshot in the Arrivals area when Dr. Waite, who also beamed down, is approached by two tall Andorian men in dark suits.

"Dr. Henry Waite?" one asks.

"Yes?" he says.

The Andorian displays a silver badge. "Deputy Federation Marshal Thuvin. This is Deputy Marshal Rhas. The Federation District Attorney would like to speak with you, Doctor, if you'd accompany us, please."

Waite smiles thinly. "And if I don't?"

The deputy doesn't smile. "We have the authority to hold you for 24 hours for questioning in a pending felony criminal case. You're booked on the Astral Queen, bound for Earth, aren't you, sir? She leaves later today. I'm afraid you'd miss her. We'd prefer you came voluntarily."

Waite sighs. "Lead the way, gentlemen."

Pourtash loses sight of them in the crowd. He pulls out his communicator and tells T'Var what just happened.

Mission #3 has begun: http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...-Paradise-quot

Please consider this thread closed.