Chapter 03: The Captain of My Soul [03: Pain & Guilt][ USS Theurgy | Main Sickbay | Deck 07 | 0800 hrs. ] Attn: Brutus, Nolan, Searcher, Doctor Maya, Zenozine, Cathreen Dawinter, Kurohigi & TheBanshee In the Chief Medical Officer's mind, the post surgery treatment and eye surgery had gone well earlier that morning, and after completing the steps towards full bodily recovery, Lucan had sedated the drugged Junior Lieutenant and asked Doctor Maya to clean herself up. What was left was for Lucan to ask Nurse Vojona to return (having been temporarily dismissed as per Maya's preference) and help him dress the Temporal Affairs Officer. It would not have been seemly to wake the man while being naked when there would be so many people in attendance. No, a uniform was replicated, since that may add to a feeling of familiarity despite the fact that the patients body would be entirely new to him.
As for what Mr. Morali would remember from his neuro-pressure treatment with Doctor Mayah, Lucan was confident that the man would think it a dream. Such was the nature of the drugs he had been given, and if he had questions, Lucan would answer them in a way that would allay his fears and preserve both his own and Doctor Maya's integrity. The important thing was that the drugs would have worn a couple of minutes ago.
The chronometer said 0800 hrs. Alpha shift had begun, and involved parties was present for the grand reveal - so to speak. It was not so much Lucan revealing the results of the medical team's toils, but rather the moment when Sarresh Morali would awake to a new life among them, with all that it may entail.
Standing by the biobed, Lucan had his team at his back, or rather, those of them who had assisted in the restoration of their Temporal Affairs Officer. Head Nurse Jenkins and Doctor Duv, Nurse Vojona and Doctor Maya. The only one not belonging to medical in some capacity was Petty Officer Cardamone - or Sar'unga Neleo - who had proven key to the outcome of the project. A project that Lucan had come to call the Phoenix Project in his reports to command.
Before the biobed stood Captain Ives at the forefront, with First Officer Rez and CSec Wenn at their side. The Bajoran's presence, new or renewed as it were, had its explanation in how Morali might be violent. Then, lastly, but perhaps most importantly, the Chief Counsellor was there as well: Doctor Hayden Quinn O'Connor being there to calm the Ash'reem down if needed be.
The human, Lucan reminded himself.
"Any questions before I wake him up?" he asked the gathering quietly, making sure not to gloat at his team's achievement. No, he remained sceptical and professional about what he had been ordered to do - still signalling how disgruntled he was at sparing resources for the poor man that had lost everything but his beating heart and - hopefully - his mind.
Captain Ives - in her female form - shook her head slowly, eyes locked on the man on the biobed.
Immediate shock is replaced with the suffering of emotional pain. Although excruciating and almost unbearable, it is medically important that the subject experience the pain fully. It should be discouraged to hide it, avoid it or escape from it by frequent inebriation or use of narcotic agents. The subject may have guilty feelings and/or remorse over things it did - or did not do - before the incident. Living may seem chaotic and frightening to the subject during this phase. Shaping the subject's will at this point in the process has an inherent risk that the later phases may undo the indoctrination, for even if it is an easy feat, it may not last. The subject might even outright question the manipulator's words and motives.
Yet if results need to be expedient, and its life is expendable, this might also be the ideal phase to approach the subject. - Manipulation of Grief, by Host named cin Nicander
[Amelya Duv| Main Sickbay]
Doctor Amelya Duv was present as well at the event of awakening of Junior Lieutenant Sarresh Morali. Eventhough, seeing all the people present it seemed more like a ceremony. A split second ago she could have thought that this would be a service ceremony for an important figure like they would do on Earth. Or well, this is how her human crewmembers and officers told her it went back on Earth. She herself had not witnessed such an event like they described it. Yet she guessed this came pretty close to it.
She looked at the man on the biobed now as he was still in coma. She had read the post op reports before he had been laid to bed and what had transpired from then till now. Mostly it weren't very active reports to read, just the vital signs, brain scans, blood analysis. Things like that. Amelya was very curious on how Sarresh would undergo this awakening. There were many scenarios laid out in her head yet it was all unknown since all of this had never been happened before. It was nerve racking, yet not in a bad way. She was waiting hungrily for the result of hours and hours of work.
Amelya slowly shook her head when Lucan posed the question if there were any questions before the awakening sequence would start. She just wanted to see what they had created.
[Maya | Main Sickbay]
From her position behind Doctor Duv, Maya could peek over the taller woman's shoulder. Despite being the shortest officer aboard, the little Vulcan preferred to stand in the back while she engaged in light meditation and concentrated on organizing her thoughts.
Nearly every Vulcan serving in Starfleet had informed their shipmates that in times of duress someone from Maya's planet could go without sleep for weeks. That didn't mean that they should go without sleep for weeks, it only meant that they could. After putting in long hours in the triage center on Theta Eridani IV and spending mostl of her time in sickbay after the evacuation, enduring the sexual assault by Phantom and the complicated exhausting procedure to convert Sarresh Morali into a Terrestrial human was a lot for the little surgeon to bear.
Such discomfort was irrelevant; it would dishonor both Commander Nicander and Lieutenant Morali if she wasn't present at this moment. There was also a chance that Mister Morali would need her services if his psychological reaction to his transformation was intense enough to cause physical complications. Therefore the little Vulcan was present but stayed in the back and indulged herself by doing some light maintenance on her mind. Unchecked, her brain's mastery over her body could cause physical and neurological damage if she didn't sort out and accept her recent memories.
A small part of Maya's consciousness registered curiosity, even anticipation about the unveiling of the human Morali and his upcoming physical and emotional reactions. This was either a positive or negative sign. Such a reaction could be considered positive because such curiosity was a normal reaction from Maya and indicated that she had come to terms and accepted recent events. However, her reaction could be interpreted as a negative development if it meant that Maya was suppressing her memories and refusing to deal with what had happened recently. Neurological self-diagnostics would obviously have to be added to the little Vulcan's daily routine.
[Wenn Cinn | Main Sickbay]
The broad frame of Wenn Cinn stood at the shoulder of his Captain with his arms crossed. He knew the situation and why his presence had been requested, it made sense, the human-looking male in the bed had been changed dramatically in order to keep him alive. Running through his mind, alongside potential worst-case scenarios, were thoughts of how it might feel to have been changed so much, to have lost everything and to wake up to discover all of this in one go. He would honestly understand if the poor guy decided to have a fit but he wouldn't let him get too carried away.
Cinn uncrossed his arms and let them hang loose at the side of his body, he looked relaxed but his muscles were ready to jump into action should the need arise at a moments notice. When the Doc asked if there were any questions he nodded, "Just one and just in case. How fragile is he going to be? If he gets out of hand I'd rather not undo the work you've done to get him to this point."
He was trying to eliminate potential restraining holds and get a better sense of what kind of scenarios were an absolute no-go in the event the man did go crazy. Having a better idea of what wouldn't work and what would be less of a risk would help him immensely.
[Dr. Hayden O'Connor| Main Sickbay]
As Hayden stood with the rest of the team awaiting Morali's return to the living for better or worse, she forced herself to focus. The man in the coma certainly didn't require or deserve less of her focus simply because she was distracted, and O'Connor wasn't exactly a novice at juggling the demands and array of emotions associated with her dual roles. That said, given the events in the hours preceding this morning, and the people she was most concerned about in close proximity, O'Connor decided to cut herself some slack.
Her eyes kept locking with Maya's. O'Connor had made it clear to the doctor she was not happy with her being on duty this morning, but Hayden took some comfort in knowing the neurologist was serving as an observer today rather than an active participant. Given the brutal sexual assault Maya had suffered the night before, Hayden knew she was in no physical or emotional state to be overseeing anyone's medical care. However, as Maya still refused to name her attacker, O'Connor had no official reason to make waves about removing her from duty. Though she had hoped Maya would call in sick just to give herself time to sort things out, she could understand the impulse to focus on work. Still, Maya's presence left her concerned and served as a reminder to touch base. Hayden might not have been entirely comfortable keeping her on duty, she wasn't an immediate danger to herself or others. In addition, Maya didn't object to keeping a therapeutic relationship open with Hayden, and that was critical as far as O'Connor was concerned. She had to do what she could to keep that line of communication open.
Then of course there was Wenn Cinn, whom she was supposed to see later in the day. The new (or returning) back from the dead security chief had been through a lot and Hayden wanted to meet with him to make sure he was adjusting as good as could be expected. When he spoke up about what could be done to restrain their patient safely, Hayden listened carefully. She was glad to be there to help, but she wasn't sure soft words would be enough to keep the other man calm.
His pale eyes centring on Wenn Cinn - this as-of-yet uncorrupted pawn in Lucan's manipulative game that had unexpectedly returned to the board - the Chief Medical Officer took the opportunity to incline his head in recognition. "Ah, glad you asked..." he said and a glimmer of his natural charm surfaced briefly despite the grimness of what had been done and at what expense to other injured aboard. He gave the Bajoran an smiling appraisal. "It would appear that Sarresh Morali was not the only one returned to the living after this battle. Not only will I credit the Prophets for their fine judgement in returning you to us, but also their medical fortitude to return you as you were. Not sure I could picture you as a Ferengi, for example, or a Bolian, Mr. Wenn."
Gesturing towards Junior Lieutenant Morali, Lucan answered the large man's question. "We were not quite so successful in that regard, as you can see. Circumstances forced us to make him human, and while that should give him a bit more bodily strength than his Ash'reem body held, he is still physically human, with all the fragility or sturdiness their physique hold. Our readings say that Petty Officer Cardamone's blank cells have restored him, and there are no areas in his body still undergoing the healing process." Pausing his explanation, Lucan resumed his official role and did make an emphasis that cut no confusion about what his expectations were on his 'turf' of the ship. "I do hope, however, that there will be no cause to traumatise the poor man further than we've already might, so I would prefer if there would be no unnecessary violence here in Sickbay."
Indeed, jokes aside, he was still the ethics-bound medical officer that he was. Or acted to be... hard as it was to differentiate past and current appearences with what he had become. Truth and Untruth mixed in his chaotic existence.
Lucan turned his gaze to the First Officer, present on the other side of Captain Ives female form. "Commander, I believe I remember an issue in a report that... one aspect of you had in regard to Mr. Morali's ocular implants." He gave the Trill the reassurance that he could, now that the man had underwent eye surgery in advance of him awaking form his sedatives. "I believe your former host named Kiya had a concern about the issue of willing consent of the patient, and it is one I share with you. You made an example of a past case of yours where the patient tried to remove his kidney implant with his bare hands, and it is not unheard of in this century either. While it should be known by now, and I do not wish to resume arguing with her in public like I did last - terrible judgement of mine, but I still think my claim is valid - I objected to restoring Mr. Morali for those exact reasons. There is no way to tell how our Temporal Affairs Officer will handle this kind of loss and change. Captain Ives wanted this, and I can but pray that the winds will blow strong in this former man of the Ash'reem people, and that he can forgive us all. The least I could do for him now that he awakens, as small a gesture as it may be, was to ensure that he wasn't waking up blind as well."
"I did not want any of this," said Captain Ives quietly where she stood, still looking at Sarresh Morali where he lay, "The mission demands it."
"Aye aye, Captain," said Lucan with a mock-formal undertone, but he kept himself from making a ludicrous naval salute - the comment more acerbic than outright confrontational. He glanced towards Sar-unga Neleo and Eve Jenkins to see if they had any questions as well, but if they were content... he rather unceremoniously fished up his hypospray from his labcoat's pocket and stepped to Sarresh Morali, leaning over him where he lay. With one hand on his cheek...
...he inoculated the man and stepped back, hands folded behind his back while the attending group waited.
Sarresh Morali
It was as if the fog was lifting all over again. The first signs of life were nostrils flaring. Smells assaulted his nose - muted smells, strange smells. The antiseptic sting of medical sanitizer wormed its way into his senses, and he took in another deep, shaking breath. Pink skin flushed - skin that was dry. It was that dryness he felt next. His body wasn't slick as it should be.
Then there were the voices. Again, they were muted. He was coming up out of the coma haze, and recently repaired neurons were firing, sending signals all over his body. His arm twitched, and the too dry body of his began to well and truly stir. It seemed that the neuropressure therapy had worked, but in Sarresh's mind - not that he was thinking of himself quite as Sarresh again just yet - something- something was wrong. There was a memory in the back of his thoughts. Something had gone horribly, horribly wrong, but he couldn't remember what.
And then he opened his eyes. The light was, it was blinding. Searing. So bright that he screeched in pain - except it wasn't the high pitched screech of his people but a ragged, jerky moan, so much deeper than it should have been. It jolted him, forced him to blink (dry) eyelids. The optical implants seemed to adjust to the remains of his eyes and suddenly that harsh brightness was replaced by an alien field of vision. Readings, sensor data, as well as what almost passed for a normal 'human' image assaulted his nerves. He blinked again, rapidly. But human eyes and human vision was not the same as an Ash'reem's. A tottally different view of the spectrum was available to the Ash'reem, and they were hypersensitive to light. And yet....and yet.
His features turned from confused to scowling. There were memories missing, he could fell it. There always were, of course, but these were recent memories. He felt...robbed. Something was wrong. His eyes....his vision....he raised his hand to block the light - his pink hand. His very, very pink hand. The scowl slipped to something shocked, then horrified. This couldn't be his hand! Where were the membranes? What was this small slit in the palm. His duct was gone....why was he Pink?
He tried to speak, but he couldn't form the words properly. He choked a bit - not from a dry mouth, but from trying to press his tongue against the middle of this throat - a tongue that while longer then a normal humans wasn't quite long enough for what he wanted, and burst into a coughing fit. Finally, he gave up and said, in a gravely Federation Standard. "What...the hell...did you do ... to me?"
The anger would come later, but now, there was only shock.
However distracted Hayden may have felt before Morali awakened, she was quickly pulled from her reverie the moment he showed signs of alertness. Until that moment, however, it didn't entirely hit O'Connor emotionally what she was actually witnessing. Until the temporal affairs officer awoke, she was ashamed to admit to herself she hadn't allowed herself to think too deeply about the person they were trying to save and what the psychological impact of their efforts would be. Of course, much of that could be chalked up to professional necessity. People in mortal danger had to be viewed as medical puzzles to be solved to preserve the medical team's sanity. Too much contemplation about the person in jeopardy could paralyze the medical staff involved. Though Hayden hadn't been involved in Sarresh's restoration, she realized then that she had automatically prepared herself on some level for things not to go well. After all, from what she knew, the whole process had been a shot in the dark.
There was also the fact that, for Hayden, Morali had been more of idea than a living breathing person to this point. Normally compassionate to a fault, O'Connor forgave herself for the simple cognitive reality. She hadn't known him, so she wasn't emotionally invested in his recovery, at least not where it concerned him personally. In point of fact, they were here out of a desire for their own survival more than his per se, as he possessed knowledge, they hoped, that could help them live to fight another day. That reality wasn't lost on her either, but that didn't mean she liked it.
So it was perhaps not surprising then when Hayden stepped forward and was the first to attempt to soothe their anxious patient. He might not have seemed entirely real to her before, a fact she would never admit, but he was now, and O'Connor was not the type to let someone suffer. Forgiving herself for her sins and pushing forward as best as she could to move on, a practice she'd begun since killing many for the sake of one, she made sure to keep her voice soft, but strong. "Lieutenant, I know you have a lot of questions, and I promise they will be answered in detail. First, my name is Dr. Hayden O'Connor, and I am a physician and counselor aboard the USS Theurgy. Please know you're in sickbay aboard the Theurgy, and you are safe here. You were badly hurt, and the medical personnel had to resort to some extensive and rather experimental procedures to save your life. I know you're trying to process a great deal, but please do your best to remain as calm as you can. I don't want you to suffer any more than you have."
Hayden resisted the urge to place a hand on him, not wanting to startle him too much. Instead, she made sure her eyes met his, and hoping he could see her, she offered, "There are several other medical and command personnel here who can explain what happened, but first, are you in any pain? Perhaps you'd like something to drink?"
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Lt. Eve Jenkins - Head Nurse
Eve had been quiet, contemplating the man before them and like many others felt the guilt of what had been done. She looked at Captain Ives when she said she hadn't wanted it but had ordered it for the sake of the mission, giving her a small but supportive and somewhat reassuring nod. They had all had their say in the matter but ultimately they had undertaken this procedure.
She watched as Morali began to revive, the twitches of muscles and deepening breaths the first signs. It was when he tried to open his eyes and cried out that she responded. "Computer dim the lights by fifty percent," she ordered and watched to see if that helped him and was ready to dim them further if necessary. O'Connor was talking to him, trying to reassure him and from her position she gently reached out to touch the skin of his neck.
It was gentle, her fingertips barely touching him but it was enough that her Deltan abilities could kick in and work to alleviate his pain. Not only did she attempt that but also exerted a bit of her empathy to try to help him calm down a little. It wasn't much but she hoped to help him work through the shock, exuding a calming presence that was likely felt by anyone standing near her. For now she would remain silent, letting the psychiatrist do the talking.
[Maya | Main Sickbay]
Maya's large hazel eyes became alert as Sarresh forced the words out of his newly human throat. Her body burned sugar she couldn't afford to waste as her lips pressed together, her mouth widened, and her nostrils flared. Memories of her session with Morali came back to her, the beautiful illusion that the two of them shared stimulating her skin. It had been a shared dream, nothing more, but for Maya it was a memory she could store in her psyche to comfort her during times of hardship.
There was no need to intervene and it would be cruel to Sarresh to reveal to him that the ecstasy they had enjoyed together was not his alone. Everything had been taken from him; to wrest the illusion of privacy from him would be an insult he could not endure.
Hayden O'Connor was stepping forward and taking charge of the situation. She really had to admire the willowy human. She was so brave and so responsible. Despite the pain and humiliation of last night Maya appreciated the new counselor's kindness and professionalism. She regretted placing Hayden in a difficult position but if Maya wanted to protect the Harbinger's wing commander the little Vulcan would have to take on the ethically questionable burden herself.
But right now Maya was devoting most of her senses to the drama unfolding before her in sickbay. How would Sarresh Morali deal with his 'race lift'?
She felt better being here when Sarresh Morali was awoken but now she found herself second guessing her choice. It would be hard enough waking up into this human body would be hard enough the presence on a unknown alien could only add to it. Still she felt more responsible for him. His new body. His human body would not be possible had she not come forth. She had put him in this position and she needed to make sure he would be alright. Her attention was focused solely on Morali to the point she was starting to tune out the voices and smells of the others in the room working on picking up only on his. She only just heard if there where any questions though it would take a while before she nodded her head slightly. It was only after that point she back fully focused on the human who was the subject of this gathering to the exclusions of all other about her.
Her eyes narrowed as she say his nostrils flaring her attention fully focused on him. Her eyes narrowed seeing his chest rising and falling as he took a deep breath. She watched his pink skin flushing showing he was indeed very much alive and working like a human should. Her body twitched as his arm like as she looked at him as a cat would watching a mouse. Attune and attentive to its every movement. As his eyes opened her head slowly moved back as she continued focusing on him. Her ears twitched as he tried to talk becoming in tune with his voice. She heard his words and was only just aware of others moving about the room. Still her attention was on him as she continued watching him.
A respectable doctor would not get the kind of... kick that Dr. Nicander got out of seeing the Ash'reem awakening and wearing a completely different body. Then again, it just confirmed the fact that he was not a very respectable doctor in that regard. Oh, no. What a surprise... Behind his worried but conserved frown, the idea made him laugh. The only sad thing was that he never got to share his inside jokes.
Right then, Lucan did not regret letting Mr. Morali live instead of dying on the operation table. The thing inside wished the Ash'reem dead because of his ability to predict when temporal incursions were threatening the Theurgy, and Lucan had wanted him dead so that he would not sense what dwelt behind the bulkhead of Surgical Suite 02, but the intriguing use of Asurian blank cells had not only sealed the fate of Sar-unga Neleo's people when they'd be located, but during the preparations for Morali's treatment, it had also made Doctor Maya his ignorant slave - just a hypnotic gesture away to do his bidding. Moreover, it had given him the opportunity to... really appreciate his first close encounter with both the Asurian and the Ovri species. Nurse Vojona, still in the dark about having almost died at his hands, had come to ask to be his willing test subject, and who knew what benefits may come of the experiments he would perform upon her body in the weeks or months to come?
All things considered, the decision of letting Morali survive had been more beneficial than letting him die, and now, Lucan was even treated with a unique show to celebrate the outcome. For how many could say they'd seen what they now saw? Truly remarkable...
While the new Chief Counsellor, who Lucan had yet to truly get acquainted with, tried to calm the patient down, and Eve - blessed, sweet Eve - in all likelihood touched him with her halfbreed abilities, Lucan was calibrating a hypospray in his tattooed hands. Done, it was charged with sedatives, and he handed it to Nurse Vojona after showing her the cc volume on the small display. He trusted that she'd know what to do if so required.
"Mr. Morali, I am Doctor Nicander, and Captain Ives is here too," he said, voice low and empathic towards his current plight, stepping forth in the dim light, "Like the Counsellor said, we managed to save your life, and 'experimental' treatment might even be an understatement for what we had to do. There was no way to save you that had not reduced you to a life unfit to live, with machines breathing for you and leaving you permanently bedridden. Even then, the risk for infection and dehydration would not have given you any guarantees - any hour potentially have been your last. What we have done, Mr. Morali, is nothing short but a miracle made possible by an unforeseen benefactor and a medical team that has worked for two days to give you this new chance at life. A life not quite the same as you led before, but far better than the alternative."
Lucan paused, and he looked towards Captain Ives where she stood with her arms crossed and with lines of worries around her eyes. He wanted to laugh at her obvious self-disparaging thoughts, but instead, he took a deep breath and spoke to Morali again. "By the winds... you will need time before you can wrap your mind about all of this, but please bear in thought that what we have done was for you, and in the hope that you will lead a full, new life. None was done to you with ill intentions. Please try to keep this in mind... and remain calm."
Then, Lucan turned to Dr. Duv and Dr. Maya. "Will the two of you please explain the procedure, starting with the aquatic denominator we found and the DNA resequencing, followed by the neuro-pressure and epidermis treatment?" He then looked towards Sar-unga, "You might need to explain your role as well, because otherwise, the patient will not give credit to anything we explain. Can you do that?"
Hopefully, Eve Jenkins' touch and the Counsellor would keep Morali calm enough to hear them out, otherwise, Wenn Cinn or Nurse Vojona might have to step in... As for Captain Ives and Commander Rez, they had a lot to answer for once he understood why he had been made a priority... and learned the cost of his survival.
As she was given the hypospray in case thing went poorly Hylota tried her bet to remain out of sigh, but with how many people were here, and even the Captain, she could not just push past anyone this time, so she moved to the side and into Morali's view letting the amphibian humanoid see another amphibious life form. Hylota held he hypospry behind her hands so it would not be seen and possibly send the traumatized man into a fit. She had some time to read up on his medical file...what little of it that wasn't classified to her. She could not help but feel that she was sorry for him.
As she moved around the group she kept moving to remain away from h captain, but always have a clear line of running so she could try and get to Morali before he would do anything if things went badly.
Her eyes remained on the lone figure that lay prone on the bed adjusting to a new life as a new life form. She felt sorry for him. It had been an adjustment waking in her human body. Even though the change between the two would not be as drastic as it was for him it was still a hard change to except. Her hearing was still focused on his breathing and the rapid pounding of his heart that the words of Dr. Lucan was all but lost to her. It would take a few minutes before her mind finally started to process as she finally started to draw back to the world back into her mind. Blinking softly she slowly became aware of the world around her once more before her eyes slowly drifted towards the doctor offering him a soft slight smile. "I think I would be able to do that. But it might be best to allow him time to adjust fully first. Still I will go by your judgment," she said as she smiled softly before her eyes turned back to the figure laying on the bed. "I just worry about how much shock and new things his mind can adjust to,"
[Sarresh Morali]
Sarresh couldn't even begin to comprehend what was going on. His hand was pink. His hand was pink! And some woman he didn't recognize was asking if he was in pain? Pain? He was confused. He was barely aware that there was a crowd around him. He started to breathe faster, the gills at his neck - the gills! They were gone!! Sucking in a deep breath only caused his nose to flare - and that was when he realized his nose stuck out from his face. His nose wasn't supposed to stick out from his face. It was...small, it was a nub. That wasn't right. His hand was pink and his nose was wrong and he couldn't breathe through his gills...He started to hyperventilate. He couldn't get enough air. How could he. No gills. Too dry, to bright, too, too tootototototooo
And then there was a clam that washed over him from a light touch on his skin. His whole head jerked over to see Nurse Jenkins. He had a vague recollection of her. He frowned. She did something, something weird. He could barely sense it but any sudden worry just...melted to the side. There were voices, and he drew in another shaking, ragged breath as wild eyes seemed to dim slightly, the animal panic fading out of them. He turned back and looked, really looked at the crowd there. So many strange faces. The woman who claimed to be a councilor. He had no memory of her. Nor the strange creature with wings, whose sheer sight caused him to recoil slightly on the bio-bed. Only the dampening sensation of calm coming from the half deltan nurse kept him from crawling off the bed just then. Sarresh had no idea that the strange looking creature was the source of his salvation.
All in all, the former Ash'reem male only recognized a few faces. One with a teal collar around his neck, talking at him in relatively calm tones. Dr. Nicander. Something about him, in the back of his mind - he couldn't bring it to the front. There was too much to take in. What the hell did the man mean, talking like that. And the other....the other was Jien Ives. That man...woman...the sight of that being filled his heart with a rage that he didn't quite understand. Something...something else had happened involving Jien and he couldn't quite put it all together and it only made him that much more angry.
He turned away from the woman. She may be his commanding officer, but right then he wanted to spit at her and he didn't - couldn't recall why. Nicander was babbling on about saving his life and the angry man tried, oh he tried, to focus on the words. He remained silent though. If there were a telepathic in that room right then, they'd be getting a brain-full of confusion, disorientation and anger. He couldn't focus the way he wanted to. His head began to throb as the doctor finished his attempt at calming and explain.
His eyes - small, alien eyes now, glittering with embedded technology - narrowed and were drawn to away once again from Nicander to the side of Ives where some other alien lingered. She - he thought it was a she, despite the lack of apparent mammary glans - looked at him, briefly. His face wrinkled up in confusion again. Still, he said nothing, looking at them all, not quite...glaring exactly, but it was clear by now that he was having trouble ordering his thoughts.
The winged creature was talking to the doctor. Then she was looking at him, and Sarresh forced himself to look back at her. Or what his newly restored eyes perceived as her. Stats seemed to materialize in the corner of his field of vision, information and bio-metrics that didn't quite make sense to him. He had no idea that his eyes used to belong to a doctor from the Harbinger nor did he understand that they were originally coded with medical firmware to help assist the formerly blind (and now very deceased) woman with her surgical duties. He shook his head from side to side as he tried (and failed) to clear it all away.
"What....What the hell are you all talking about? What Happened?"
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Lt. Eve Jenkins - Head Nurse
With her hand touching Sarresh, Eve could feel the emotions wailing against her shields. Mostly it was some fear and a lot of confusion but once there was a spike of pure anger. She actually winced and projected more calm to him and when he looked at her she gave him a soft smile. "It's going to be okay," she whispered to him and then looked out at all the others.
She never lifted her hand from the patient, in fact had let her palm rest against the hollow of his shoulder and her fingertips caressed his new skin softly and tenderly. "I would suggest perhaps we back up and give him a little room to breathe, take things more slowly and perhaps only one or two try to explain things," she stated to the others. "It's all quite overwhelming for him."
She hadn't wanted to say he probably felt like a caged animal on display at a zoo but having so many gathered around he had to feel something similar. Yes he was a medical miracle but it seemed a bit much for him to wake up to so many crowded around him. His dignity and pride were already severely damaged and now he was going to have to learn to live all over again.
After all she had been through Maya was numb, but since a lack of emotion was considered healthy to the Vulcan mindset, she was unconcerned. As a matter of fact, the drama unfolding before her was a welcome stimulation to get her out of her unfeeling stupor.
Watching Sarresh Morali's reactions was strangely appealing. It was like watching a vehicle collision in slow motion. Even though a spectator could accurately predict the outcome, actually watching the process created a morbid fascination that could not be denied. In her phlegmatic and almost dazed condition, she could not look away.
Mister Morali was reacting poorly as predicted. He would no doubt experience the five psychological stages of loss and grief, also known as the Kübler-Ross model: It could apply to any kind of loss, from the loss of a loved one to the realization of one's own impending demise. In this case Sarresh Morali was grieving for the loss of a loved one: himself. The question would how quickly could Mister Morali go through the stages, and would he survive long enough to complete them?
As the reality of loss is hard to face, it was likely the former Ash'reem would attempt to deny what had happened to him. The instinctive reaction would be for Mister Morali to attempt to shut out the reality and magnitude of his situation. As a matter of fact there was a real danger he could becpme delusional and retreat into himself to live in a false, preferable reality. After all, she had shared that reality with him recently. She knew what it looked like.
Granted, that was an unlikely scenario. Because his new body was now giving him sensory input completely alien to his Ash'reem psychology it was likely that his denial stage would be painfully brief. It was statistically probable that Mister Morali would become belligerent and be very difficult to care for due to misplaced feelings of rage and envy. His anger would be like an uncontrolled submachine gun of earlier eras: It could be directed at himself, or at others, or at a higher power, any convenient target would do. He would possibly be dangerous to himself and others and would be uncooperative in general and no help to the captain and the mission whatsoever.
If he survived long enough to calm down, he would no doubt attempt to discuss the feasibility of changing him back with Doctor Nicander and Sar-unga Neleo. The challenges of reversing his transformation were incalculable and possible only in the theoretical sense, especially in the current circumstances. To say that it was unlikely such a request could be fulfilled would be an understatement. Fortunately if Sarresh reached this stage he would likely be conciliatory and cooperative. He might even reveal the knowledge that was so important Captain Ives had been forced to order this unethical procedure in the first place.
When Sarresh finally understood the reality of his situation his depression would hypothetically become so powerful that he might become suicidal. This could be extremely dangerous, not just for himself but also to everyone aboard the Theurgy if he decided to commit suicide by allowing or even facilitating the destruction of the ship. He would have to be closely watched and any information he gave would have to be treated with skepticism.
Would he be able to get through those stages and finally accept his tragic circumstances and be able to embrace his new life as a Terran human? Could he truly cope, and would he cope in time? Or would his behavior be completely unpredictable? Despite the human biochemicals in his brain, Sarresh Morali was born an Ash'reem. His people could have completely different coping mechanisms, psychological processes that could be just as painful and as dangerous as the Kübler-Ross model. He'd have to be kept under close observation in any case.
Amelya Duv continued to watch as the drama started to unfold itself. Had it really been this horrible? Of course it must have! Waking up in a body that completely feels and looks different than what you were in on before your final moments would commence. Amelya was sure that she couldn't grasp the feelings that would be flowing through Sarresh his mind and body. She looked at the other medical officers and at the captain while her stomach turned in a knot. Hearing what Jenkins said would be a great idea, perhaps one on one talk could learn Sarresh more.
She didn't wait for anyone to commence or act, she just took a step forward and smiled gently towards the man before her. Her nostrils faintly flared open a bit while she took a deep breath, where should she start, perhaps at the part where he would remember his last actions. "Lieutenant Morali." She addressed him "We beamed you aboard after you attempted to save your fellow Ash'reem Amakris Neotin. Your body showed great trauma due to the effects of the acidic water in what used to be the hot springs on Theta Eredina." She took a moment to swallow before continuing "Due to the extreme complex physiology of the Ash'reem, we were forced to act quickly to save your life. Basal products were administered to reduce the acid to damage or harm you in an even greater way. After that we had a small conference, the medical officers among us on how to save your life." See let out the part where Jien Ives had demanded it from them, thinking that aggression would solve very little or have any benefit in the current situation.
"A way was devised to ass-.." Her sentence broke off as her combadge bleeped. Her cheeks flared up a bit and she excused herself from the scene for a second to reply to the incoming message. After a few moments she returned in front of Sarresh. "Doctor Maya, would you like to continue, I'm afraid my duty calls me away to deal with a problem down at the battle sickbays." She apologised for the inconvenience and smiled faintly at Sarresh before leaving the room, the doors sliding shut behind her. The tension escaping her as she got out of the room.
"Of course Doctor," Maya nodded as the Amelya left.
Amelya's retreat would seem strange to an onlooker but it was all part of a psychological ploy. By not being associated with the medical staff who had done this to him, the delicious doctor might be able get Sarrash Morali to trust her. Maya had been invited to take the role of 'bad doc' in the game of 'good doc, bad doc'. As the physician with the worst people skills aboard the Theurgy the little Vulcan was the ideal choice for the role of the heartless dispenser of data. If Sarrash focused his resentment on one person rather than the entire ship it was unlikely he would be a danger.
There was one flaw to this strategy though. Maya was a poor lair. Although she could rehearse a deception and execute it flawlessly without any tells she had a hard time with 'fibbing on the fly'. Despite her attempts to break free of her Vulcan traditions she was at heart a very honest person.
Maya blinked as she canceled the light trance she had placed herself and flinched as she brought all of her cognitive functions to bear. She took one unsteady step forward before standing before Sarrash with flawless poise worthy of a dancer.
"In order to regenerate your body it was necessary to alter it," Maya announced. "Simply put, your Ash'reem DNA was incompatible with the method of bodily regeneration we employed. It was necessary to reorder your DNA in order for you to receive the treatment. Fortunately, nearly all anthropomorphic species in the galaxy share the same ancestor, the species that seeded the galaxy with their genetic material approximately four point five billion years ago. Using the genetic resequencer and DNA samples from one of our fallen comrades we were able to transform you into a being we could save."
OOC: To find out about 'the species that seeded the galaxy with their genetic material approximately four point five billion years ago' watch the TNG episode 'The Chase' for details.
Lucan had stepped back a little to give the patient some space, and while he listened to Dr. Duv and Dr. Maya tell Sarresh about the basic incentives towards what had become of him, he was watching Captain Ives where she stood between Wenn Cinn and Edena Rez - gauging just how difficult this was for her. Her lips were thin, pale lines behind the fist that she had raised before her mouth, as if she was sick and wanted to vomit. Yet her eyes were hard and unblinking, making her look like she was thoughtful and focused, but Lucan realised she must be steeling herself - forcing herself to watch the outcome of her decision to save Sarresh and force the doctors to restore him.
Therefore, it was with no small amount of irritation that Lucan heard Amelya Duv omit Jien's involvement before she had to leave the room and see to one of her patients. Now, she had effectively shifted the blame to him, being the highest ranking medical officer present. Doctor Maya said things that were likely to upset Sarresh even more, so he realised what he needed to do it he was to appear to be the good doctor he portrayed himself to be. He would listen to his Head Nurse, and go with Eve Jankin's recommendation to dismiss the small crowd that was present around the biobed. He fished up a medical tricorder and scanned Sarresh, confirming the obvious.
"The patient is obviously not taking this well, since Jenkins is the only thing that keeps him from having a panic attack," he said with deep concern, putting away his tricorder hastily and stepping into the Temporal Affairs Officer's field of vision. "Mr.Morali, I will ask most people to leave so that you can move a bit. Your body has been through a lot, but I assure you, there is nothing wrong with you besides the fact that we had to alter your DNA for sake of tissue regeneration. You are still you, and no one can take that away from you. Give me a moment, please."
Lucan rounded on the gathered people, his frown not the least hostile but not offering any opening for debate. "This was a bad idea. Commander Wenn, I believe we can handle it with sedatives if so required, Nurse Jenkins can keep him calm as well with her abilities. Captain Ives, Commander Rez and Petty Officer Cardamone, thank you for coming but please go now and await my word on whether or not Sarresh can have any visitors."
"You must inform the Bridge if he says anything," said Jien, and she did not leave right away, "Anything at all about remembering his training and detecting a temporal incursion. The mission rides on this."
"Yes, Captain, I am sure it does," said Lucan evenly with just enough flavour but without being insubordinate. He spoke with the authority invested in his position as Chief Medical Officer on the ship. "Yet I'm ending this show right now. I will not jeopardise Mr. Morali's sanity by making him an animal at some medical zoo. If you are concerned for his well-being as much as the mission parameters, then you will leave now and give him some room and time to cope with what has been done to him." He might not have said it out loud, but the accusation about who had ordered the resurrection was right there, barely veiled between the lines.
Jien did not even look at Lucan, her eyes still on Sarresh Morali, as if she could not look away from the nightmare she had created. After a couple of seconds, however, she turned on her heel and walked out, just like Rez, Wenn and Cardamone had been ordered to do.
By this point, Lucan turned to his own staff and the Chief Counsellor. "Nurse Vojona, please hand me that hypospray and check on your brother, I am sure he is about to wake up soon. Doctor Maya, please return to your patients for the time being. Counsellor O'Connor and Nurse Jenkins, please stay for a while longer while I speak to the patient."
Having given his orders, Lucan paused to look at Mr. Morali, "Please, would you try to sit up? You will need to work on your balance. While you do, please ask any questions you may have. I know this is difficult, but we are trying to explain in order to help you."
Attn: The Counselor
Hylota perked up s her name was mention and she rushed to the side of her CO handing over the hypospray. "Here you are Doctor, and thank you, I do believe he was just getting up...if you happen to gt the ear of the ship's Councilor could you advise them to come pay a visit to my brother so they might evaluate his psychological status." She nodded to to him and left as soon as she was sure Lucan had a firm hold on the hypospray. As she walked away hr hips swayed as she went, a byproduct of her wide hips she hid the movements well when she walked slowly or short distances, but when she walked quickly she had her more feminine walk.
As Hylota walked through the holographic curtain in the recovery ward she walked in to see her blue and red brother sitting up in his bed shaking his hands tying to regain all his feeling while he kept his eyes firmly closed. Hylota smiled at him and spoke up breaking the silence of the space. "Well you are looking better...sorry for having to freezing you brother but you needed to thaw so you could take in more water to restore your body." Vinata did not respond at all and just began to rub his soft moist skin wiping off the water that had collected on him. Hylota bit her lip for a moment before talking. "We are aboard the Theurgy now...You have been out for a few days suffering from a severe case of dehydration and light burning. All injuries should be restored, but according to code you must be monitored for 24 hours to ensure that there were no unforeseen complications."
Vinata node and opened his dark eyes to look at his sister. "I see. Well I am glad you ere able to get me healed, but could you tell me why I am not able to have a uniform?" He motioned to his nude form. Hylota smiled softly and shook her head. "You know how it works, when thawing a body must be nude to ensure even thawing, and it also ensured that you were able to absorb your treatment though your entire body." Vinata nodded and accepted the explanation with a sigh. After learning he was female in figure compared to every other race he was quite self conscious about his body and liked to be covered up. "Can I have something to wear...or will you be citing the hibernation code on me?" He raised and eyebrow as Hylota grinned, he let out a groan an flopped down on his bed. "You know you can be a bit of a pain some times sis." Hylota just chuckled, she was grinning ear to ear doing her best not to gt too excited.
Wenn Cinn
Only the faintest of twitches to his still expression gave away Cinn's irritation at being asked to leave in such a brusque manner. Sedation was fine so long as you could get to the man in order to administer it. That was the entire point of him being asked to be there. Still, Doctor knew best or so they said and who was he to argue. Actually that's exactly what he had been about to do, preparing himself for a verbal conflict with the CMO just as the Captain stepped in.
He waited for the dialogue between his Captain and the Doctor to finish, not moving a muscle until Jien turned and walked away. He paused only to mention the discussion he required with the Doctor, "We need to talk about our guest shortly." Cinn then turned and followed Jien out of the door, unimpressed by the attitude of Lucan towards those whom he had dismissed so coolly.
His long stride caught up with Jien and the others swiftly and then falling into step naturally as they made their way out of the medical bay.
Anyone with eyes could see that he wasn't taking the change as well as anyone had hoped. Not that she would blame him. Making such a change was hard. Even if it where something minor it was still a change to a body that he had known his whole life. Her eyes finally moved from the changed man who lay on the bed to the doctor a deep set frown forming on her lips as she slowly turned casting one last glance at him knowing they where connected in a way few others would come close to understanding. She wouldn't say a word to another as she slowly turned from them leaving the sickbay and the prone figure who she had bled to save.
Sorry it was short
Maya nodded and made her way out without saying a word. Once again Doctor Lucan had displayed his leadership ability and was taking responsibility for what they had done to Sarresh himself. It was his responsibility after all as chief medical officer and there was no need for a mob to upset his patient now that Mister Morali had revealed that he was able to take a shock without his body failing him. It was time to get back to work.
She really needed more meditation time or better yet more sleep after the day and the night before but aboard this ship long hours and exhaustion were nothing special. Her patients needed her and if her weariness eroded her Vulcan discipline and made her as fallible as a well-rested human it was a burden she would have to risk bearing. Even so, she made a mental note to request a few hours off today. It would be bad for morale if her patients saw how frail she really felt right now.
OOC: Not at all! It opens the door for me to give a short reply of my own!
[Sarresh Morali | Main Sickbay]
Overwhelmed was an understatement. Sarresh wanted to rage at what had been done to him, but the nurse next to him kept his mind well and truly subdued. Perhaps it was something he would be grateful for later. Perhaps not. His emotions were not quite his own to control, after all. So much information was being dumped at him, and he wanted to pretend none of it was happening.
But something had clearly happened. Something to him. Something to Amikris...the Trill doctor - yet another face he didn't recognize - was telling him how he had tried to save Amikris? Hadn't he been with her, not that long ago. He frowned, eyebrows furrowing together to a point above his new nose. Tried to save her...that implied that something happened and he failed. The more the young doctor spoke, the more rapidly his heart began to thud in his chest. But before she could finish, she was interrupted, and the diminutive Vulcan Doctor stepped in to address Sarresh instead.
Again, there was no trace nor flicker of recognition of the Vulcan woman, no hint at all that Sarresh remembered what the two had undergone during his recovery and re-sequencing. Just muted horror as she spoke.
There was a word that surfaced in the back of the former Ash'reem's mind. A story he had read once on the Relativity, about a man made monster, put together from bits and pieces of the dead. It struck Lt. Morali to the core when Maya informed him that not only had large swathes of his DNA been re-sequenced, but that the base materials had come from former cremates. His mouth hung slightly ajar as he processed those words, tuning out - again - everyone else in the room. He did not hear Lucan ushering the rest of the gathering away. He didn't hear Jien Ives orders to be informed the moment Sarresh seemed to be useful. He paid no attention to the look that P.O Cardamone shot his way, nor the slight flicker of relief? that passed across Dr Maya's features as she too was dismissed.
No, it wasn't until they were all gone, and Lucan Nicander was standing right next to Sarresh that the mans enhanced gaze seemed to focus away from the hazy, shocked fog that had consumed it. Intelligence flashed behind the servos that coated his iris, and he looked up at the other man, gaze narrowing.
"You turned me into Frankenstein's Monster," he stated, throat sore, voice hoarse. "Total gene re-sequencing? Taking bits of DNA from the deceased? Was saving my life worth such...morbid measures?" He should have been shouting. He should have been leaping forward to strangle the good doctor, but the ever present calming influence of Eve Jenkins kept him well and truly in check. Oh, the doctors implications of just who was responsible for that choice were already clear to the addled man as he managed to lean forward. "You turned me into a freak at what cost? Amikris will want nothing to do with me now!" It hadn't quite sunk in that Amikris would be wanting nothing, from anyone ever again.
[ Main Sickbay | Dr. Nicander ] Attn: Brutus, Searcher & The Counselor
Inside, Lucan was chuckling with mirth at the implication that Junior Lietuenant Morali could not remember that he had lost his mate in the acidic lake. Then again, perhaps it had been hard to see when you did not have any eyes left?
On the outside, Lucan's eyebrows knitted with worry, as if Morali had just said something he had not expected and that it was not the right time to speak of it. If he had cared, he would be standing at a crossroads in the treatment of his patient, where he would have to decide whether or not it was more merciful to tell the surviving mate right away that he had been the only survivor. Besides Captain Ives, of course. He looked towards Eve Jenkins before speaking, as if her calming touch was the deciding factor. "I could say that you should feel lucky being alive, but that would only be a platitude. Nevertheless, that is the good news: That despite what happened to you, you will live on, healthy and strong, albeit looking different than you were. You are now human, medically speaking, besides the shape of your Ash'reem heart that is now pumping red blood through your veins. Furthermore, while I may not be of their kind, there are many aboard that can help you come to terms with your new body. Other humans, and people that you can talk with in order to come to terms with what I was ordered to do to save you..."
Lucan turned and indicated Counselor O'Connor where she stood not far away in the circular room.
"...and potentially - as far as the Captain is concerned - to save the whole crew and the mission. It was not well known before you were hurt, but I understand you are key in detecting temporal incursions; to thwart them should something like the Niga Incident happen again. Captain Ives also told me that even though you may not remember it, you volunteered to aide us all until we see this mission through. Orders or not, it was the least me and my team could do to ensure that you would not have to remain the shell that you were, having lost everything but your heartbeat and your brain activity. If we had not found the means to restore you to full health, you would only have been able to alert us with a computer attached to your cartilage skull. Now, you have a second chance at life."
Pausing, Lucan supposed that was the best he could do to give the poor sod the good news. "However, and it pains me that you should have to learn this now, but only you and Captain Ives survived." He paused there, and showed the appropriate amount of pain and regret, his voice lowering as he looked away. "Assistant Neotin was indispensable here in Sickbay, and she was a friend. We figured out the antidote for the Niga virus together. I treated her for her isophobia, and even when her parents died, she refused to leave the Triage Centre. She begged to to resume her administrative duties immediately, and I acquiesced her requests. Such a tragedy, a young woman merely outliving her parents for a couple of days."
Lucan looked back towards Sarresh, his pale grey eyes blank with pending tears, even if he kept his expression stoic and professional. He laid a tattooed hand upon Morali's shoulder, the father's murderer offering his condolences. "Yet the winds know my grief can be nowhere close to what you may feel right now. I am so sorry, Lieutenant. I wish there was some way to spare you from this shocking experience, and that I could have saved her in the same way we saved you... but she was already dead when you were beamed out. As I read it in Captain Ives' report, there was no hope to save her before you tried to reach her."
As a wise precaution, Lucan was holding the hypospray with the sedatives in his hand, hidden inside the pocket of his labcoat. He was not so much concerned about the reaction as he was excited to see the way his words affected the stranded amphibian.
Hayden watched the exchanges between Morali and the others in the room with professional concern and a sense of private guilt. She understood there was a certain practicality in having diverse medical and command staff on hand to give, and perhaps more importantly, to receive information from the man. However, as the exchange progressed, it was apparent just how shattering Sarresh's experience was going to be, and there was a certain voyeurism in this experience that didn't sit well with her on some level.
She thought she heard one of the nurses, indeed the woman she believed had saved Morali's life, mention a request concerning Hayden and the nurse's brother. Hayden mentally filed that away, along with the other mental notes she was keeping in such a short time. O'Connor was concerned about Maya, Cinn, Ives, and now Sarresh and an unknown male to name a few. Despite having plenty of distractions, however, the counselor couldn't escape the pit in her stomach that was her own grief. Somehow she felt destined to feel it forever.
Hayden was relieved when Nicander cleared the room. It was what she was screaming to do herself, purely because of their patient's expressions. It gave her no particular sense of flattery or confidence to be asked to remain behind, and in fact, she wasn't sure if she would be much help. She *wanted* to help, of course, but she also recognized she was a stranger to this man and was witnessing his private pain simply because her title suggested she should.
Those feelings became that much more amplified when Nicander dropped the bombshell that Morali was the sole survivor. Having sent a group of people to their deaths just recently, there was a certain agony in having to witness the consequences of other people's choices, no matter how well-intentioned. There was also something just in it, she supposed
Hayden resisted the urge to say something to fill the space between the CMO's news and Sarresh's response. Though she questioned on one level the wisdom of dropping such news on an already fragile man, she also knew it didn't make sense to keep it from him any moment longer. Much had been done to him already in the name of his own welfare, and keeping this from him would just be one more instance of someone else asserting control over him. First, it was his body. Asserting such control over his emotions seemed just as wrong.
[Amelya Duv] Attn: Zeozine
After receiving the signal that she was needed elsewhere, Amelya left the room with Sarresh and the others. Once the door closed behind her she let out a small sigh. Feeling relieved that she was out of that room, away from the bad vibes in there. She couldn't help but feel bad for the man they 'saved' back there, if you could even call this saving. She quickly shook the ideas and thoughts away as she made her way to the task at hand. She walked up to the holographic curtain and made her way in. She wasn't really surprised to see the two siblings already talking with each other. By the time she got by the bed, she smiled at both of them kindly. Her hair had been tidied up a bit and was kept together by two black sticks, two more strands of her brown hair rolled down behind her ears and rested just at her collar bones. She hadn't made the effort to put on make up.
Doctor Duv smiled kindly as she was happy to see some familiar faces from the Harbinger. She took up her PADD and checked the last inserted data while she peeked over to look at Vinata. "Hello Hylota and Vinata. Welcome aboard the Theurgy if nobody has called you welcome here yet." she smiled and placed the PADD down once more. She started to scan Vinata now while asking Hylota if she had any remarks on the data gathered or on the thawing process. While her own scans showed nothing out of the extraordinary, Amelya still let her eyes go over the body of Vylota's brother. The Ovri physiology was somewhat different than the other species that she had worked with. "What about you Vinata, anything that feels out of the ordinary?" she asked and looked at him.
As soon as Doctor Duv entered the curtained off area Hylota turned with an irritated look as she was prepared to tell whoever had entered to please give some privacy. As son a she realized who it was she snapped to attention. "Ma'am." Vinata smiled and waved hello to her. As she gave them welcome to the Theurgy Vinata spoke first, as usual. "Well Ma'am it is a pleasure to still be serving after all that happened with the triage station." Hylota responded shortly after in her usual manner. "Thank you Ma'am." As Vinata was asked about his health he smiled. "Well I am no longer in ny dangr, my kin feels a little tingly from the thawing I would guess, but aside from that I have recovered from my near death quite well. Now if only I had some clothes." He looked to hi sister who for the first time near Doctor Duv. "I would supply you with something Vinata, but you just suffered a severe case of burns an dehydration, not to mention since we are the only race with medical regulations on thawing from being frozen without mechanical aid you must follow Ovri regulations. And they clearly states that you must remain undressed for 24 hours." Vinata groaned and flopped down onto his bed again.
Vinata sat up and smiled. "It is nice to see a familiar face...well it nice to see someone else for hat matter. Hylota is being a little overprotective of me." Hylota shook her head. "You almost died, I think I am a little entitled to a little freak out over your safety brother." Vinata sighed and looked to Doctor Duv. "So what brings you over to my little bio bed today Ma'am? I doubt you just wanted to say hi and check up on me, do you want to talk about anything? ...Please talk with me, it is so boring in here, I am sealed in this little spot behind a medical barrier, it is so dull in here...it wouldn't be so bad if I had a PADD in here or something." Vinata smiled slightly showing that he was not suffering.
[Sarresh Morali | Main Sickbay]
Objectively speaking, Lucan was right. Sarresh had been spared an utterly horrible fate, and there was every chance that, in the end, he would be grateful to have escaped the horrible alternative - to be a shell of a man trapped in a life support unit, only able to respond to questions via computer assistance hard wired into his skull. Yes, that was a fate far worse then a fully functional new body, even one built on the DNA of dead crew that well and truly had a Frankenstein-esque feel to it. Truly, it was as much a medical miracle as the artificial eyes now allowing Sarresh to focus his horrified gaze on Dr. Nicander as what was left of his world shattered around him.
The mission didn't matter just then. Not even the horrific transformation mattered. Living up to the supposedly idealized version of himself, the man that volunteered to have his memory butchered to save the Theurgy and the future of the timeline itself, because that man felt it necessary, didn't matter. His new lease on life didn't matter. What was life, without companionship? What was his mission, without Amikris?
The memories came back in a flood of pain. The searing bite of the acidic water. The struggle to breathe. The heat coursing over every inch of him. The mind numbing pain. And her wrecked, destroyed form, floating adrift in that pool of water. Of...of having to leave her. Of having that choice taken away from him.
It would be an unbearable rush of guilt, of devastation, that Nurse Jenkins would feel through her touch. Sarresh didn't even shrug away Dr. Nicander's hand on his other shoulder. His body convulsed, once, as clear tears began to trail down the chiseled jaw from his technologically enhanced eyes. His vision blurred - before the servos corrected for the discrepancy caused by the tears, phasing out the smudging in his vision to restore perfection to his sight. The sob was soft, at first, and then utterly gut wrenching as he fell to pieces, with a hushed, pained "Noooooo".
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KwRy-oCAfbU/UAMvx6Vp5ZI/AAAAAAAABMM/ff-illcBzUk/s326/Jenkins_05.png)
Lt. Eve Jenkins - Head Nurse
Eve remained focused on the patient, her hand resting gently upon his shoulder as she tried not to create too much physical stimuli as she weathered the emotions of all those around her. They were strong enough to batter at her shields and she was thankful when so many of them retreated. As always there was only the blank spot that was Lucan, none of his emotions or thoughts slamming into her. For a moment she was able to gather her wits and simply take in a few deeper breaths.
It was only a moment though as suddenly Sarresh began to remember things. Anger, revulsion, and many other emotions flooded her but none were so bad as the guilt. It was like an arrow piercing her heart, joining with the guilt she felt herself and again she could see the young engineer laying there impaled with part of the scaffolding. Her body went rigid for a moment and though her mouth opened as if to let out a heartbreaking scream, there was absolutely no sound from her.
The miasma of guilt and horror threatened and yet Sarresh needed strength and comfort, something she couldn't do if she allowed herself to fall into that black it of despair. Her teeth clicked as she shut her mouth, brow furrowing as she swam back up to the surface. With her shielding back in place and strong, she drew Sarresh to her and wrapped her arms around him as her own tears glistened and slipped down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, stroking his hair and rocking slightly like a mother comforting a child.
Amelya smiled a bit as she heard the two siblings talk and perhaps even tease eachother. "I'm afraid Hylota is right. You'll have to spend the following hours without any garments on. Ovri regulations." She answered to back up Hylota, a warm smile on her face now. "As for what brings me here. I needed to physically see you after the thawing process and see if you're alright." she continued and placed her hands at the end of the biobed. She had to laugh a bit heartily as Vinata seemed to beg to her to not leave. "Alright, alright Vinata, what do you want to talk about?" she asked and looked down at him.
In the back of her mind she made a mental note that she still needed to arrange an appointment with the ships counselor. After such a traumatic event perhaps the young Ovri could use someone to talk to more specialized in these matters. Yet for now, she just stuck around for a social chat. She used to do that a lot on patients under her care to get a feel of their morale and their worries. She'd usually try to help them as much as she could so when she left they'd mostly have a better feeling than when she came to them.
Vinata smiled at Doctor Duv. "Well I thank you for coming o check up on me, fortunately as you can see, there s nothing wrong with my body." He smiled while Hylota muttered under her breath. "At least that we have observed so far." Vinata ignored his sister and decided to push on to find out thing since he ha been out of commission for a while. "Well Ma'am if you would not mind me asking, would you be able to tell me what I have missed?" He moved to get more comfortable on the medical bed. "You see after I left my post at the Triage center I was knocked out and have been out of consciousness for several days as far as I can tell."
Vinata looked worried and he clasped his hands together in a worried manner. "I remember seeing the center under attack, I saw things going to hell. I want to know if anyone else from my station was able to make it out. Did any of my patients recover, did my colleagues make it back to the Harbinger?" Vinata did not know the death toll,he did not know that most of the people where he had been stationed could not be beamed up. He had no idea that many of his colleagues had died fighting to protect their patients while he had been running to get supplies, but judging from the pained look on his face he had a bad feeling bout what had happened.
While Vinata spoke of his last memories down on Theta Eredina, Amelya's radiant smile faded a wee bet before she nodded and would start to speak. The memories of Theta were mixed, she had good memories about them yet a lot of negative ones as well considering the aftermath. She started to tell Vinata what had happened now, trying to be as detailed as she could about the events without really pushing to the fact that they had a lost a lot of good crewmembers. She told him at the end of her talk that a lot of them perished on Theta and that those who got out were somewhat injured, physically or mentally. "Most of the injured lay aboard the Theurgy now, like yourself." she concluded and placed her hand on his leg "But at least you'll make a full recovery." she smiled.
It brought her to her next point however "I do think though that you might have benefit talking to the ship's counselor. Just to make sure you have no residue trauma psychological. I'll arrange for a meeting once I discharge you from sickbay, or let one of the other doctors take care of it." She continued and kept her hand on his leg. It was a sign to let her show him that she did this for his own good and that it was not really up for discussion. She meant the best for him, even though the two would no longer fall under her command once she returned to the Harbinger.
[ Main Sickbay | Dr. Nicander ] Attn: Brutus, Searcher & The Counselor
The change from anger to misery came with relative ease, Lucan thought, after he gave Sarresh Morali the news about his mate. He watched the shift happen with hidden excitement, that moment when something died behind those new artificial eyes of his. Perhaps it was the beast inside that made Lucan consider the fact how he had taken everything from him even when he'd had nothing to begin with.
For indeed, as he stood there, with his compassionate hand resting on Sarresh's shoulder to support him wordlessly, Lucan thought about how the former Ash'reem might have foreseen all of this to happen while he served on the Relativity. Why would he then volunteer to help the Theurgy? Had he harboured some kind of hope to change events he had witnessed in the time-stream? Had he hoped to save Amikris' life, and in her DNA, also saved his own people from extinction? Or had he known it was futile to save her, and that his people would be doomed no matter what he might have done? Had he volunteered to undertake this mission, knowing that after his Memory Engram Manipulation treatment, he would not know what may come of him? Had he been sitting there, on the Relativity, watching these very events unfold time and time again, and still decided to sacrifice himself for the chance that only one minor thing would have come to pass differently? That he could have stopped the deaths of Amikris' mother and father? That Amikris would not have been wroth with him, and been by his side instead of taking that swim in the Thermal Springs when the Calamity attacked?
Indeed, if he had known that the Calamity would strike on Theta Eridani IV... he would have known about the casualties that numbered in the hundreds. All the injured outside in the Recovery Wards. Had Sarresh wanted to save them all, or was it just Amikris and his former people? Or might he be key to the odd chance that Captain Ives would succeed with their mission? Speculations, all of it. Lucan supposed that they would never know.
What he did know, was that Sarresh had been stranded in time, with no memories or means to help the ship unless a temporal incursion would trigger those memories. Without that trigger, he knew nothing of worth. Just another imbecile feeding off the life support systems of the ship. Even worse, he had then been virtually killed, stripped of flesh and face, loosing his mate and his people in one savage strike. Yet he had been ignorant about it, blissfully so, until that moment when he cried in Eve Jenkins' arms. Lucan had even made him think Amikris still lived, which was quite easily accomplished by manipulating Doctor Maya to make him think she was Amikris. Lucan had watched his Vulcan subordinate fool the heavily drugged Sarresh, fucking him on the very biobed he now sat on - playing the part of the Ash'reem girl with bravado with the help of her empathic abilities. Lucan had given Sarresh one last glimpse of what he had lost. One last taste of love forever gone.
And now, Lucan had destroyed the fool completely with just a few compassionate words, merely telling him the truth of his pitiful existence. Now, Sarresh knew exactly what Lucan had felt when they took Kisane from him. With luck, the former Ash'reem's hate and sorrow would be the kind of ore that Lucan could use to forge a weapon of his own, since he knew the heat from which Sarresh now rose again. Will you be my sword, my shield... or merely my dagger in the darkness?
The first blows of the hammer had fallen, and the biobed had been the anvil.
"I wish there was something I could do to ease this pain you feel, but I am afraid our anaesthetics cannot treat this kind of agony," he said quietly, removing his hand from the man's shoulder, "I know the stories of others mean nothing right now, but if there is any comfort, I do understand some of your loss. The woman I was supposed to live and die with on Envon experienced something horrible, and she was reduced to but a shell of her former sell. I sought a way to cure her. Travelled to Aldea to study medicine. I thought my people would care for her while I applied myself to the task. I was wrong. They thought her condition hopeless, so they put her down. They killed her like she was an animal in my absence."
He raised his eyes to Eve Jenkins, and the subtle meaning with that look was plain. She had said she loved him, and the reason he had not responded in kind was because of what he spoke.
"The day before I left, before I left to find her cure," said Lucan, his voice low, "I pushed her wheelchair along the mountain paths. I wanted to take her to the plateau her parents had taken her when she was young. Where she had played and learned to command the wind. Her parents could not take her there anymore, because they died in the incident where she had become broken. I tried to do it for her... or for them, I don't know. Yet the mountainside was too steep. Gravel made us slide down all the time, forced me to start over, again and again. I was determined. She could not speak any more, did not move a muscle in her face, but I knew she would be telling me to give up. That I would hurt myself. Hurt her even more. It was not until nightfall that I gave up. I had given her my cloak to keep her warm. I could no longer see the cliff face, and I was cold, bleeding."
He looked towards Sarresh Morali again. "Her name was Kisane, and everything I am today is because of her. I may not have been able to save her, but since that day, I am committed to my calling." No reason to tell them what that calling was, of course. "With any hope, this great loss of yours, and your new life as human being, may both bring something good into your life as well."
Becoming his instrument of murder and mayhem until his kin claimed the entire Galaxy as their own.
Vinata took the news relatively well, he ended up laying on his back with a hand on his forehead when he learned bout the loss of many of he people he had come to call his friends. It was so strange, he had left them all alive and now he was laying on a different ship hearing about how he would never see any of his friends again. He was so taken aback by the news he almost didn't notice when Doctor Duv said that at least he had recovered, h looked blank for a second before snapping back and responding. "What? Oh yeah...that is good." He put on a weak smile, unlike Hylota he was not able to take this in stride and it was painfully obvious that this much needed news hurt him on a deep level. Although when he herd that he would be talking to the counselor.
There was pain and confusion on his face, he turned to look at his stoic twin sister several times before he let out a sigh and rubbed his arms. "I think that would be for the best Ma'am...I would rather they show up while I am stuck here though, let me start working his out now instead of letting it go on while I am put back into the work rotation. That and it would be something to do while being stuck here." He chuckled and smiled at Doctor Duv, it was clear he was putting on a smile for her sake, making a simple joke to try and calm hr nerves and show hi form CO that he was not a wreck and would recover from the ordeal.
Seeing the rather down mood the curtained off area was Hylota oddly enough tried to make things better as she cleared her throat. "Not to be disrespectful at all, but I think we have all suffered enough doom and gloom. Lets instead focus on some humor...like how we have already gotten the nursing staff of this crew confused about which one of us is the sister." Vinata groaned and chuckled. "Oh great this again, well at lest I was asleep through it this time. Last time had a security staff member calling m Hylota and asking me out for a romantic Holodeck date." He shook his head and chuckled.
Amelya let her eyes go over Vinata as he spoke and despite the efforts of the male Ovri, she could still sense pain and distress. She noted down in the PADD that a counselor should visit as soon as she found the time to do so. Although Duv could council herself, she felt like a real professional would be better at it with Vinata. Most probably these talks would not be contained to one small chat but to numerous chats to help Vinata recover. That's where the problem was... Duv was to be transferred back to the Harbinger after this last act aboard the Theurgy. A notion that made her a bit sad herself. She wanted to head back to her 'home', yet she had met so many people here and left so much crew behind.
Amelya had to laugh a bit though when he told her about the crew not being able to keep them both apart. "Well, you two are quite different to everyone else here on the staff. I presume some men can't really make the link that you have breasts. Safe to say, I think they always conclude that woman have breasts." she chuckled and felt some stress falling off her shoulders as she could laugh once more. "Besides Vinata, maybe you can experiment with the men..." she added teasingly and winked at him.
Hylota noted he look of worry on Duv's face, she had seen that look on her own face recently as sh had thought abut how to handle things here. She held her thoughts to herself though as Amelya talked with Vinata about his gender identity and how people thought about him. Vinata however turned a purplish color and shook his head no. "What! Me, with a man? I don't think I could, have seen how they reacted to learning I was not a woman, what would happen if I played the part of a woman only to be caught when they find the slit I have is simply a cover to hide my own cock? An besides, I find women attractive..." He looked a Hylota as she raised a hand to note the physical appearance of females. "Shut up Hylota you know what I meant. I want to spend time with the other gender." He shot his twin a look that said to drop it.
Hylota raised her hands in a motion to back off. "I understand fully, I have recently gotten intimate with both, I met with a fellow woman who I found attractive for her body, and a man I liked for who he was." Vinata looked at hi sister funny. "You bedded a male?...Aren't you getting into your fertile period? Hylota you do realize this is risky right?" Hylota sighed. "I know, but it is that time,I cannot exactly fight of the desire for intimacy so easily. and I do not want to just take an extended leave and lock myself away. I have done enough of that I think." It seemed Hylota was tiring of her self imposed isolation.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KwRy-oCAfbU/UAMvx6Vp5ZI/AAAAAAAABMM/ff-illcBzUk/s326/Jenkins_05.png)
Lt. Eve Jenkins - Head Nurse
Eve continued to hold the changed man, crooning to him as her heart broke for him. She wasn't going to tell him of others who had died, like sweet Esther and countless others. She wished he would have waited to tell Sarresh, to give him a little time to adjust, but the words were out and there was no way to take them back so all she could do was be there as much as possible.
What she didn't expect was for Lucan to speak of his own past and loss, her eyes rising to catch that significant look. Her breath caught and he continued with the heartbreaking story. She wished she could embrace him as well but the more he spoke, the more she realized something. He would never love her, not fully at least. As he spoke and broke Sarresh's heart, he now did the same to her.
Pain filled her, the look of defeat and sorrow plain in her soft eyes and tears welled anew. There was no way she could just turn off her feelings and in that moment she hugged Sarresh with just a little more tenderness. When she looked at Lucan again, he would still see the love she held for him but no longer the hope, only resignation and determination. Her heart was broken but she would survive.
She was on the planet, getting people to evacuation shuttles and transport stations. There was phaser fire and a barrage of torpedoes struck the ground every few minutes. Suddenly the ground shook and the air filled with smoke. It grew hot and she found it increasingly difficult to breath. Her mind was going blank as she started coughing and fell to her knees. She was going to die.
And then nothing...
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
The first thing Lahkesis was conscious of was the warmth of the solar lamps. She could feel them all over her body. Next she became aware of the cool mist cascading over her from various sources and drops of water moving over her skin into the water she was laying in. It was roughly an inch deep and roughly room temperature. Her body was stiff and didn't seem to want to move immediately, most likely due to her being stationary for some time, though she could not tell exactly how long it had been.
Her mind slowly began to piece together the events that had brought her here. The memory was still fresh in her mind, the emotions just under the surface. She could still feel the raw panic, the final thoughts of her own mortality, and the dread as darkness had taken her. She had always known that her death was inevitable, though she had honestly expected to live a good deal longer. She wondered if she was afraid of death.
She did her best to let go of the emotions, to relax in the healing waters and warm rays inside the isolation tank. It was over, she was safe. She took a deep breath in and let it back out, repeating that over and over to herself. It was a simple relaxation technique, no where near as effective as those of a Vulcan, but it worked and she quickly relaxed once more.
Slowly she opened her eyes and blinked until they focused around the tank. It was bright, yet she could still make out the details of the tank. The lights of the tank washed out most of the world around her, but she could see the ceiling of the recovery ward through the plate of transparent aluminum to her side. She heard a faint beep, notifying whoever was near that she was conscious. She closed her eyes again and waited.
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
Maya was sitting at the observation console monitoring the isolation tanks, meditating. Appropriately enough, she found the chamber quiet and suitable for light mediation, even though the greenblooded neurologist wasn't the one in isolation. It was a delightful way to find solitude without loneliness especially now. Lying before her in a transparent isolation tank was a the tall and willowy Lahkesis Saugn, a young woman who was even more alone and isolated in the modern day galaxy than Maya was.
Although the lovely Miss Saugn appeared perfectly human, appearances were deceiving. The lovely young woman who was currently lying in a crystal coffin like a sleeping princess in a Terran folk tale was actually a being artificially created from the Teslyliac, a species of plant life that had been wiped out in the war with the Dominion.
The poor girl had been created as part of a secret experiment and had learned most of her knowledge from sleepteaching computers that had taught her as she developed. Even when emerging fully grown from her cloning vat, she had little in the way of guidance, for a year after she had awoken the research facility that had created was destroyed and only Lahkesis and two of her identical sisters survived to spend three months in the wilderness before cobbling together a subspace beacon so they could be rescued.
After that Lahkesis and her sisters were lived at the Daystrom facility before enrolling in Starfleet Academy. Lahkesis Saugn was assigned as a midshipman, for she had spent an additional two years at Starfleet Medical studying medicine. When Midshipman Saugn was assigned to the Theurgy, she had joined Maya on the night shift where the two formed an awkward friendship.
Maya discovered that she had much in common with the young girl, and took her under her wing. Poor Lahkesis was a stranger in a strange land, just like the little Vulcan was. Like Maya, Lahkesis enjoyed observing people but had difficulty interacting with them. Just like the temporal castaway, she was curious, for the galaxy was a new and exciting place to her, but at the same time she was alone. The girl seemed to emulate Maya's behavior, looking at the older woman as a role model, and for her part, Maya attempted to guide her. But when it came to dealing with her feelings, it was the blind leading the blind. Both of them attempted to focus of the more positive emotions without knowing how. Both of them dealt with negative emotions by stoically suppressing their feelings and keeping their behavior cold and efficient.
Like most of the Theurgy's medical personnel she had gone down to Theta Eridani IV and gotten caught in the Calamity's attack. Smoke inhalation and intense heat had incapacitated her and since the ash filling the air cut off the sun, she had suffered malnutrition as well. After she was recovered Lahkesis was placed in a clear isolation filled with an inch of mineral water and subjected to solar radiation until her energy levels returned to normal. In the meantime Maya made it part of her daily routine to spend time with her.
An electronic chime alerted Maya that her charge was awake. The little Vulcan awoke from her light trance and rose to peer through the transparent lid to check on her colleague.
Lahkesis was a lovely creature. Without clothing the pale, nearly flawlessly smooth skin covering her tall, slender, yet curvaceous figure was exposed to view. Her lovely eyes were open, revealing that her irises were the same luminous crystal blue eyes as her pupils. The 'hair' that covered her scalp in a floral pattern of reds and pinks were in reality living filaments that had more in common with flower petals than mammalian hair. The pouty lips on her square unlined face were pursed as if she was going to ask a question. She was squinting at the sunlamps shining down at her so Maya pressed a button on her PADD and the lid to the isolation tank rose so the girl could sit up. Maya inhaled the girl's floral scent, a guilty pleasure for someone with olfactory senses stronger than the human norm. Lahkesis Saugn didn't smell like sweat or salt like most people did. Her natural odor was closer to roses or lilacs.
"Hello Lahkesis," Maya greeted in her calm mezzosoprano voice. "Are you experiencing any discomfort that is medical relevant?" she asked as she tilted her head and stared at the girl with her large hazel eyes. "Do you have any psychological issues you wish to discuss?"
OOC: I apologize for the long unnecessary exposition but since this is Lahkesis's introductory scene I thought I should describe your character as much as possible so the reader won't have to look her up in the manual. By sure to check my description of your character for mistakes and get back to me if I need to make any changes.
[Sarresh Morali]
He was only dimly aware of the arms encircling his body, of that very human comfort that Nurse Jenkins was offering to him. He had no way at all of knowing what she was feeling - her grip on him helped to take the edge off of what he was feeling, but it didn't seem - at least just then - to be a two way street. He couldn't feel the fingers running through his hair. All he could feel were the tears that snaked down his own cheeks, causing his lip to tremble. The reaction was so very muted from what would be expected. Again, a result of the nurse standing behind him, next to him.
It was something of a miracle that the former Ash'reem could hear the words that poured from Lucan's mouth. A similarly heart wrenching tale, one that managed to turn the gaze of the destroyed man up to the doctor. He looked up at Lucan from the embrace of Eve Jenkins, a pitiful, broken man in a shiny new body. Whatever future he might have known to have happened, none of it mattered now, as he listened to Dr Nicander recount his own horrors.
And they were horrific. Perhaps he would have been more sympathetic had his own world not been crushed just then. Perhaps, had he not woken up, 'alone' in a new body, he may have felt the pain of Eve Jenkins behind him, or felt a kinship with Nicander over their shared losses. Perhaps in time, he would.
But just in that moment, his whole body shook with pain. with loss. "I held her..." he moaned out softly. "In my arms. In my lap. She was...so real..." Ghosts of a memory, that he couldn't possibly know were not with his own beloved Amikris, but with the now vacant Dr Maya. Such intimacy that had left him sure, so sure, that he was not alone, that the woman he would have made his mate was there with him, alive. That they had both survived that hell planet. He had known it in his heart, in his soul.
He was wrong. And the hug from the nurse felt both wrong and right. The timing was as bad as it could be, as it forced him to remember the feeling of Amikris in his arms. He wanted to shove Nurse Jenkins away - but at the same time, he couldn't. He couldn't be cause her presence restrained him in more ways than one. He couldn't because he needed that kind of intense, physical comfort. And he hated himself all the more for it.
Almost as much as he hated Jien Ives. There was no doubt, not one, in his mind as to who was at fault. Who could have helped him save Amikris. If they could do...do this to him, they could have done the same to her, if only they had beamed her up as well. If only they had done a wide dispersal beam. The memory flashed back, floating there as the acid bit into his body, slowly dissolving his bones - his bones! - from the inside out, watching as they both started to flicker, he and the mess that was Ives.
Sarresh began to tremble and shake in Eve's arms. Was it shock, or simply rage?
OOC: veeeeeeeeeery hard to RP this kind of traumatic response. Glad to have a 'dampening' effect on Sarresh to keep him from outright flipping. Lemme know what y'all think.
In so many ways, Hayden felt as if she didn't belong in Morali's presence at this most intimate of moments. A counselor's job was often to bear witness to someone else's pain and to contain it for them even if there was no erasing it, as was certainly the case now, but as she watched Nurse Jenkins embrace Morali, she felt a bit guilty for being an unwitting voyeur to such agony. Now was not the time for logic or words to challenge him out of his feelings. Understanding and a certain meaning to it all would come later, when the shock faded. Now was the time for comfort, physical touch, all of which Eve was already doing and doing well.
Nicander's words seemed to come out of nowhere to Hayden, and though she was left with the sense the CMO's admission was shared out of his own discomfort and sense of helplessness when it came to Sarresh's emotional response, she was no less moved by it. She didn't know Nicander all that well, but although he struck her as a perfectly competent physician, she had the sense there was a certain social awkwardness about him. He wasn't completely devoid of emotional intelligence, but she was left with the impression what he offered on that front might be more feigned than anything. As if what he offered that spoke to someone's emotions or psychological well-being was calculated so that he could get to the information he most cared about: that which concerned the science of medicine. She supposed he wasn't unlike many doctors who considered themselves more scientists than artful healers.
But now she didn't know what to make of what Nicander was sharing. She never would've expected him to share something so personal, especially not in front of others. Whatever discomfort he might have felt at Morali's emotional agony, it seemed like he was trying to offer his support in his own way. Hayden turned to him and met his eyes. Now was not the time or place to address what he'd said since their focus needed to be on Morali, but she hoped to convey to the doctor he'd been heard. She searched his eyes for a long moment, wanting to communicate her concern for him and her desire to reach out to him later when the time was right.
Turning back to Eve and their patient, Hayden noticed she wasn't the only one moved. Before she could say anything to Eve, however, Sarresh's shaking caught their attention. Hayden knelt beside Morali and placed a hand against his back. "Take slow, deep breaths. You're safe here."
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
As the tank opened Lahkesis looked around. She smiled when she spotted Maya. It was good to see a familiar face, especially that of her guide to all things humanoid, or rather at least all things humanoid that had not been a part of the information she had received at the Research Facility or at Starfleet Academy, which as it had turned out was quite a bit. She would have had to learn much of that on her own, a daunting task to be sure, if it had not been for the guidance of the Vulcan Doctor.
Though she had made it a point to keep much of the discoveries she had made on her own, especially regarding her sexuality, a secret. She was not certain how others would react to the information about what she had dubbed her "blooming" and the narcotic substance she released at the moment of peak pleasure. Though she was certain they would most likely react with curiosity and not hostility, she also could not shake the thought that once more she would find herself being a medical subject and not a person within her own right.
She had lived through that once in her life, she did not want a repeat of it.
Bt still she was glad to see Doctor Maya and she sat up in the tank. As she sat up, crossing her legs so she would remain in the water, she noticed a faint pain in her neck and back. It was most likely due to remaining motionless for an extended period of time. Though her body was distinctly plant based it still required movement or it would stop being as flexible. She would likely need to take some time in the gym to stretch out and rehabilitate her body, though that would have to wait.
As she glanced around it became quite clear to her that the battle was long since over, once more the USS Theurgy was at peace, or as much so as possible giving it's circumstances. The first question she asked was perhaps the most obvious. "How long was I unconscious?"
OOC: Sorry this took so long, I have been fighting off a flu and the holidays have been... interesting.
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
"Approximately forty six hours, eight minutes, and fifty two seconds," the little Vulcan replied, "but of course it is impossible to be precise," she added as she gazed with maternal pride at her darling protégée. "You missed a party," she added as she glided behind Lahkesis and started massaging the kinks out of her neck. "It would have given you an excellent opportunity to socialize and form bonds with your shipmates," she added before narrowing her eyes and tightening her lips. "Then again perhaps it was best that you didn't attend," she admitted as she thought of the cruel treatment Phantom had given her. "The Harbinger's officers were there. Some of them were quite uncivilized."
It was at times like this Maya appreciated growing up with a traditional family on Vulcan. Contemplating the repercussions of an encounter between the Harbinger's pilots and the innocent young Lahkesis was the stuff of nightmares. For a brief moment, Maya understood how it was possible for sentient beings to actually wish to kill other sentient beings. The thought of Phantom or any of the Harbinger fighter pilots getting anywhere near the girl made the concept of committing homicide disturbingly acceptable.
She pushed those thoughts from her exhausted but disciplined mind and tried to indulge herself in the maternal love that Lahkesis' presence nurtured. It was a good feeling, appropriate for a medical doctor. It gave her a sense of purpose and belonging and allowed her respite from her personal demons without having to use her meziofrontal cortex to distance herself from her emotions. Loving the willowy intern was an indulgence no different from a swig of alcoholic spirits or frivolous time wasted on the holodeck: It was comforting and let the little Vulcan relax the way the majority of her shipmates did.
Unlike the state inebriation, caring for Lahkesis served a constructive purpose. The willow intern really was like a fragile flower and needed to be loved and protected. If having maternal feelings for the girl was a guilty pleasure, it didn't matter. The means justified the ends. If Lahkesis had an ally that would watch out for her and it made Maya feel better, what was the harm? She had left Vulcan to rebel against being forced into total emotionlessness after all.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
As the Vulcan moved behind her to begin massaging out the knots in Lahkesis tense muscles the plant girl could not help but let out a soft, quiet moan. She was tense, but nothing that a bit of Vulcan Massage couldn't cure. She relaxed a little as she thought about what the Doctor Maya said.
She had only been out for about 2 days. She felt as if she had missed a couple of week for sure, but then again she had never actually fallen unconscious like that before, brief periods of unconsciousness after spending to much time away from solar radiation and her solar lamps, but nothing like what had happened on the planet's surface.
"I missed a party? I can't decide if that means I missed social activity, which is regretful, I do like observing the crew in social situation," Lahkesis said with a sigh, rolling her shoulders and stretching. The feeling of the Vulcan's massage felt quite nice. "Or if that means I missed another incident of where a member of the crew imbibed to much alcohol and engaged in ritual combat, or at least as close to ritual combat as they are capable of while intoxicated."
She could not help but let out a chuckle as she remembered one of the incidents where a Klingon member of the crew attempted to engage a Vulcan member of the crew in ritual combat and preceded to do more damage to himself then the Vulcan. The security personnel let the Klingon beat himself into a crumbled heap on the floor. He was simply left there for the rest of the party and everyone else simply went on with what they were doing before.
"Either way it sounds like it would have been enjoyable to be there," Lahkesis replied with a smile. Though she paused and considered it again. "Or were they uncivilized in such a way as to make lewd advances to crewmembers?" She considered that possibility for a second. "If that's the case then perhaps it is best that I missed the entire affair."
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
"Yes I must agree," Maya replied as her long graceful fingers applied the ancient art of Vulcan neuropressure to the young girl's spine. Although composed of cells closer to fungus or vegetable matter, the girl's nervous system was incredibly similar to those of her shipmates and responded to Maya's caresses. "The Harbinger's Valkyrie pilots were an uncivilized group whose barbaric behavior was noted despite attempts to keep the situation hidden rather than dealing with it. Speaking from experience, their behavior is unsurprising considering the example set by their leader. Responsibility starts at the top, I believe the expression goes."
Maya closed her eyes and moved the horrible memory of her ordeal to the back of her mind. She could concentrate on those particular memories later, when she met with Counselor O'Connor. Right now she was here to provide a safe and nurturing environment for young Lahkesis so the girl could have a chance to acquire confidence and experience.
"There were some interesting interactions," Maya backpedaled so as not to discourage the poor girl. The universe wasn't that bad of a place; it just looked like it right now. "I'm sure you would have enjoyed yourself."
And I would have enjoyed myself too, because I would have been watching over you instead of being assaulted by Phanatos Kilinvoss she added silently. I could have been watching you bloom with motherly pride instead of being pruned like a dead branch. It was times like that when Maya's mother was proven right. The V'tosh ka'tur were wrong, at least some of the time. Sometimes it was best just to suppress your feelings and pretend you didn't have them.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
"Sounds unpleasant," Lahkesis replied as she pulled a face, though it quickly disappeared as she felt the Vulcan work over her back, the feeling of her working over the smooth skin over her spine forced a soft moan out of her lips. She could not dwell the thought of the brutish fighter jocks when they were on the prowl when there was a sweet Vulcan hitting every sweet spot on her spine. "I would hate to imagine it. Perhaps if I were there It would have been a good idea to carry a phaser." She let out a chuckle, but was interrupted when she felt Maya hit another sweet spot, sending a shudder up her spine and eliciting a low moan.
A blush was starting to creep across her face, she was almost completely unaware of it, but the massage was starting to arouse her. "You know you really don't have to do this, I've sure a sonic shower on a higher setting and some yoga would have worked all the kinks out," she said as the tips of her hairs began to glow, faintly, almost unnoticeably. "Not that I'm complaining..."
Though tension was almost completely gone from her back she was now nothing more than floral smelling gooey putty in the hands of a master. Her eyes slowly began to drop as a sigh escaped her soft pink lips. It was defiantly an interesting sensation, thus far she had only ever experience any feeling like this when she experimenting with her sexuality.
Suddenly she pulled away, moving forward and climbing out of the tank. Her face was flushed and she looked, for lack of a better phrase, hot and bothered. "S-sorry... I'm a little... I think I should... I don't know..." She looked more than a little confused. As she stood there she awkwardly folded her arms across her breasts seemingly embarrassed suddenly.
Incredibly, Lahkesis was responding to Maya's touch as if she was getting sexually aroused. This would be a wonderful development if it were true because it would be one less thing that would isolate the girl. Sexuality was a glue that held social units together for the majority of species aboard the Theurgy and any development that allowed Lahkesis to get closer to her shipmates was a good one. If the girl really was developing a mammalian style reproductive drive she would no doubt have many questions. It was fortunate that Maya was a trained sexual therapist specializing in sexual surrogacy. If anyone on the ship could guide her safely, it was probably Maya.
"You know you really don't have to do this," Lahkesis said. "I'm sure a sonic shower on a higher setting and some yoga would have worked all the kinks out. Not that I'm complaining..."
"Nonsense Lahkesis," Maya assured her. "Vulcan neuropressure can be very therapeutic," she added without specifying just who the treatment would be therapeutic for.
From a certain angle Maya's face appeared to be smiling when she noticed that each of the Lahkesis' hairs were faintly glowing at the very tips. The willowy intern was so adorable when she was like this that it took effort for Maya not to allow her mezzofrontal cortex to neutralize her emotions. As she breathed in the heady floral scent Lahkesis was emitting, the little Vulcan finally understood why so many species laugh. When the girl sighed in arousal, Maya sighed in contentment.
Abruptly the young intern slid forward and climbed out of the isolation tank. The crimson sap was flushing under her delicate white skin. "S-sorry... I'm a little... I think I should... I don't know..." she stammered before covering her chest and fidgeting.
"Are you cold?" Maya asked, wondering how that could be. The little Vulcan had increased the ambient temperature of the room before beginning her meditation. Many species would feel quite comfortable wearing little to nothing in the isolation chamber right now.
Maya lowered her mental barriers and blushed a greenish tint when she encountered Lahkesis' embarrassment. The little Vulcan may have been a touch telepath, but she was psychically sensitive enough to sense the emotions of someone within three meters of her. "Lahkesis, what's wrong? Is something bothering you? Let me help you. You know you can talk to me about anything. I promise I won't laugh," she said with a straight face.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
Uncomfortably Lahkesis shifted her weight from one foot to the other and back again. Her mind was racing with possibilities as to why her body had reacted like that to the other woman had been touching her. Sexual arousal was something completely new to her and thus far she had only been sexually aroused by observing others engage in sexual activity, whether in person or by watching recordings of it on a PADD. To actually be sexually excited like that by the touch of another person was something totally new to her.
She could feel the thin fluid akin to blood flow through the thin veins in her plant like body. It served three valuable functions, firstly it brought in carbon dioxide and took out oxygen, next it brought nutrients into her body to allow her body energy to burn as she moved, and lastly it regulated her temperature. Standing there she could feel the pulse of fluid had increased, something that usually happened as part of her fight or flight impulse, though it seemed to be doing it for a completely different reason this time.
She searched her mind for something to say, some way to explain that she was reacting to the neuropressure massage by becoming sexually excited. Though she had no reason to she found herself feeling exposed and humiliated. She had been given Vulcan Neuropressure massages in the past, but had never had this type of reaction before. Though it had been some time, the last time had been before the encounter with the Ishtar entity. Had that incident altered her? She had experienced increased sexuality sense then. It had seemed like the other members of the crew had recovered nicely since then, why was she any different?
Finally she knew that she would have to say something. "I don't know how to say... I am... I don't..." She tried to begin, but the words got lost. "I just..." She gave up on talking and just gave the Vulcan a pleading look, she had no clue how to express how she was feeling or why she was feeling this way. All she could hope was that somehow the other woman would somehow just know what was wrong.
Maya's large hazel eyes narrowed as she tilted her head to one side. "I must have your thoughts," she said as raised a hand and spread her long spidery fingers to touch Lahkesis' face. It was an uncanny miracle that the neural fibers in the girl's body had duplicated the neural network of anthropomorphic species throughout the galaxy to such a degree that a Vulcan could touch her thoughts.
Unfortunately, a mind touch allows communication both ways. Lahkesis could sense shame and self-loathing from the little Vulcan, but soon that sensation was replaced by surprise, sexual titillation and overwhelming joy flavored with motherly pride and a touch of relief. It was clear that the green blooded physician believed that nothing was wrong with Lahkesis. On the contrary, she seemed to think that the willowy intern had achieved something important.
"Why Lahkesis," Maya's gentle smile wasn't the forced plastic one she normally used. "I am so happy for you. I wish to thank you for giving me such joy. You have developed a sexual attraction to mammalian species. I am so relieved. Now that you've acquired the ability to be attracted to others, you have one less reason to be alone. This is a cause for celebration," she added as she stood up on tiptoes and hugged her. "You're developing so fast..." she murmured wistfully.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
As the Vulcan's fingers touched her face and she felt the rush of their minds touching Lahkesis was reminded of why exactly she disliked telepathic communication. There was a sudden lurch in the pit of her stomach as her mind flooded with additional information, some of it she could immediately process, some of it simply overwhelming her. She told taste the emotions of the other woman and something, something buried under the surface, slipped into her mind. Though while the contact was still in place the Maya's shame became her shame, Maya's self-loathing became her own self-loathing.
Lahkesis finally did breath easy once the connection was broken. "Well...?" she asked hoping that the brief contact between their minds was enough to give the Vulcan Doctor some answers and to make it so she did not have to actually vocalize her shame.
"Why Lahkesis," The Vulcan said. "I am so happy for you. I wish to thank you for giving me such joy. You have developed a sexual attraction to mammalian species. I am so relieved. Now that you've acquired the ability to be attracted to others, you have one less reason to be alone. This is a cause for celebration."
Lahkesis was just about to say something when the Vulcan hugged her and her mind went blank. She wasn't sure what to say or even how to feel.
"You're developing so fast..." Came a whisper from the green blooded woman.
Lahkesis found herself hugging the shorter woman back, though she was not tall she leaned down so Maya would not have to stand on tiptoes to continue hugging her.
She was relieved when the hug was over, though now she needed to ask what in her mind was a loaded question. She did not know what to expect the other woman to say.
"What... what do I do now? I am not a mammal so what is the purpose of me becoming sexually excited? I was under the impression it was only suppose to be the opposite gender that excited me, yet you are not. Please explain this to me." What started off as a single question quickly led into another, the desperation in her voice rising as her confusion did as well. "Please tell me my becoming sexually aroused because you were touching me will not affect our friendship."
Maya held Lahkesis' hand firmly but fortunately her mental barriers were back up and the girl could only feel the warmth of the neurologist's hand. "You don't have to worry about that Lahkesis. I am, and will always be your friend. And you needn't concern yourself with your embarrassment either. Everyone loses a measure of their dignity from their arousal, regardless of species. Your reaction is perfectly normal," she assured her as she released her hand to stroke her cheek affectionately.
"You live in an enlightened age young one," the little Vulcan continued as she patted the taller woman on the shoulder. "When I was your age a romantic attraction to the same sex would have gotten you ostracized but in the modern era the gender of your partner doesn't matter anymore. You're free to love whomever you choose as long as they're a consenting adult. Don't worry about the purpose of your attraction to others. The purpose of your attraction is to allow you to form emotional bonds with those around you. The ability to form a physical attraction to others is necessary for your psychological well-being. That is why I'm so happy you have developed it."
Maya paused and her pale complexion acquired a greenish tint. "And you needed be confused over your sexual attraction towards me," she assured her. "It's a natural reaction to the bond of love and trust we share. I entered the medical field as a sexual surrogate and I'm told the touch of my hands can be quite arousing." At this point, Maya squinted, pursed her lips and jerked back while taking her hands off the poor girl. "My apologies," she said as she massaged her fingers distractedly. "I didn't mean to touch you inappropriately. But you shouldn't feel ashamed. I will accept you, no matter what."
As the Vulcan spoke Lahkesis stood silently, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She did her best to keep eye contact, but she was constantly finding herself looking down at her feet awkwardly. Though the kind words of the other woman helped ease her awkwardness and shame, she remained uncomfortable.
She found herself looking at her hand, still firmly held in the hand of the green blooded woman standing in front of her. She was infinitely grateful at it was Maya and not someone else. Anyone else and it would have been all the more awkward. She knew she had to say something and after another moment she was ready to begin.
"N-no, it wasn't bad or unwelcome... I just wasn't expecting my body to react like that..." She replied and did her best to smile despite how she felt. She blushed a little redder as she looked up into the eyes of the other woman ."It was actually kind of nice..." She took a deep breath and did her best to steady herself. Her face was quite flushed and seemed to get more so as she went on. "I would not be opposed to perhaps a little more..."
OOC: sorry this is so short, I wrote it on my tablet and touchscreen keyboards slow me down so much.
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
"I am not sure that would be appro..." Maya stopped and squinted. Why wouldn't it be appropriate? Maya may have unofficially adopted this lovely child but she wasn't her biological mother, she was just a friend. And did she want young Lahkesis to experiement with her newfound sexuality outside of Maya's protective supervision? Her suffering at Phantom's hands had proved that some things should only be shared between people who already shared a bond, not complete strangers.
Besides, wasn't this sort of coupling best done by two people who loved each other? If she shared herself physically with young Lahkesis, they wouldn't be merely coupling, they would be 'making love'. 'Making love.' Such a romantic term. Too much fear, sorrow, and hatred had been made already. When faced with such an emotional imbalance, wasn't making love the logical thing to do? Maya loved Lahkesis. She would make sure that any experimentation with intimacies between them was an enriching experience.
"No, you're right Lahkesis," Maya nodded. "Something this personal that renders you so vulnerable should only be shared with someone you trust. This isn't something you do with strangers; you should get to know someone before initiating intimacies. I would be honored to acquaint you with the sensations of a romantic experience."
She ran the tips of her long spidery fingers over the girl's pale and exposed chest. Tiny tingles of telepathic impressions from the Vulcan's fingers would stimulate Lahkesis' breasts if her body worked like a mammal's. "You are so beautiful I have no doubt that when you acquire some confidence and experience your affections will be in great demand. And with a little practice your kisses will soon become the most sought after ones in known space."
She stood up on tiptoes and put her arms around her neck, but since the girl was nine inches taller than she was kissing her would be awkward.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
As the other woman touched her breasts Lahkesis was aware of her breath quickening. Her experience with sensuality had been limited to only what she had observed in recording and in person. In both of those she had seen very little of what could be considered foreplay. Though she was familiar with the concept, she had only ever seen what could only be described as pure animalistic passion. The act of sexual contact done for no other purpose then physical stimulation, no emotion involved.
She let out a slight gasp as she felt the telepathic impulses from the Vulcan's fingertips rush through her. The nerves that connected her skin to her brain were sufficiently more sensitive then the average humanoids as they suffered less signal degradation between neurons. As a result her skin felt like it was tingling as every nerve in her breasts felt like it was exploding with stimulation. Her breasts were unlike the majority of humanoids, as she did not have any mammary glands, instead they held the gland that created the enzyme that triggered her blooming. The direct stimulation of this gland was triggering her bloom far stronger then she had experienced before, her mouth falling slightly agape as she lost herself in the feeling of the moment.
She was so consumed by the sensation of the other's hand on her smooth skin that she was barely aware of her speaking at all. It was not until the other woman wrapped her arms around Lahkesis' neck and stood on her tiptoes, drawing the plant based woman into a soft, gentle kiss that Lahkesis was again aware of herself. She closed her eyes to let the sensory and telepathic input flood directly into her mind as she leaned down to make their heights more equal, or at least as much as she could.
Her first real kiss, the moment consumed her more than even the sensation of the green-blooded woman's fingers on her breasts. She was lost in the feeling of the other woman's lips against her own, they felt so hot, the heat seeping into her, flooding through her body. It felt like every square inch of her was hot, she was actively becoming warmer to the touch as it seemed that not only her hair was becoming bioluminescent, but in addition the thin blood like substance underneath her smooth skin began to emit a soft glow.
[Amelya Duv | Sickbay] Attn: Zeozine
Amelya listened to the twins as they discussed the matter of intercourse or sexual contact with others and she smiled a bit while holding the PADD against her chest. She looked at both of them as they continued their conversation and she eventually interrupted them "Right, well... Vinata, I'll schedule a meeting with the counselor on a later time, but right now I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave." She said friendly and nodded at both of them "Hylota, I trust you will take care of anything your brother needs. If you need anything else you can address lt. cmdr. Nicander." After saying her goodbyes to the twins she took her leave and vanished from the main sickbay.
OOC: Sorry for the short post and the late response, totally forgot I owed someone a tag here!
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
Lahkesis' passion burned so hot that Maya almost lost herself in the sensation of it, and the green blooded physician had to use all her remaining discipline to maintain control. Lahkesis was a fragile flower and the little Vulcan wasn't going to overwhelm her. But it was a matter of who was overwhelming whom. Lahkesis' was uncannily invigorating. Of course it was. The girl inhaled carbon dioxide and exhaled oxygen, while Maya and everyone else onboard did the opposite. The girl could probably hold a kiss longer than anyone alive.
Maya had to struggle to slow her heart rate down and keep her skin from burning. The sensation of the girl's smooth skin and hot mouth against her own was invigorating. Maya felt like she was glowing and if she would have opened her eyes she would have noticed that Lahkesis was glowing, literally.
Maya's long spidery fingers caressed down the girl's perfectly smooth shoulders and down to her shoulder blades. The girl's silky, creamy skin tickled Maya's fingertips as she hungrily held Lahkesis' mouth with her own. Maya shuddered as she held her and decided she better back off before she scared the girl. Indeed she was becoming so lost in the girl's embrace that if she wasn't a Vulcan she would have frightened herself. When she drew back and released her, it was Maya who had her eyes closed and her mouth open gasping for breath.
[ Hylota & Vinata | Sickbay ]
Vinata nodded an reclined on his bedding. "Alright, I will take whatever help I can get...it would be nice to vent with someone other than my sister about the stress that I have been handling right now. Thank you for the help Ma'am and thank you for coming to see me." He smiled and at up to salute his former CO before she returned to the Harbinger. Hylota smile and nodded to Amelya . "I will be sure to get whatever help I need from him Ma'am, he has already agreed to help me with some small things I have. I should be able to get right into the swing of things in no time at all." Hylota smiled and saluted like her twin did as she saw her CO off and returned to looking after her brother and telling him what his limitations were, and what he should be doing, mostly stretches and things to gt hi body stretched after the hibernation he had been through.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
As the kiss broke the glowing of Lahkesis' skin seemed to fade a bit and she let out a breath of almost pure oxygen she had been holding since they had begun kissing. Though the kiss had been awkward at first, a totally new experience for the young plant girl, it was not altogether unpleasant. Slowly her eyes fluttered open and she sighed, gazing at the other woman's face. It seemed almost different to her, changed as if in a whole new light.
To make matters more interesting she became acutely aware of the slick feeling between her thighs and the feeling of heat that pumped through her body. Though she had experienced sexual arousal before, this time felt very different. This time the feeling of something new filled her. She wanted to go further, to see what would happen if she took this encounter to it's logical conclusion.
But she hesitated, uncertainty filling her. She didn't know what to do, how to progress. She would have to guess and hope she did not screw up. Slowly she tentatively reached out a hand and dragged it over the fabric of Maya's uniform covering her breast. Her long fingers lingering, unsure where to go or what to do, only that they wished to stay in contact with the other woman, even if they were separated by the layers of fabric.
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
Maya smiled gently and placed her hand on the back of Lahkesis', gently guiding the other woman's hand over her own breast. "Computer activate privacy seal on doors," she ordered. "Authorization Maya, code one, six one, three eight."
"Authorization recognized," a disembodied woman's voice responded. "Privacy seal activated."
Without a word Maya opened the seam of her blouse and and removed the top part of her uniform. She let Lahkesis run her hand over the sports bra the little Vulcan wore under it before removing that article of clothing as well. She took Lahkesis' hand and placed it on her green nippled breast while her other hand ran her long spidery fingers through the glowing filaments that were Lahkesis' 'hair'.
A relaxed natural smile was on Maya's face, the first one that had graced her features since coming aboard. This wasn't forced or stilted like her other grins were. This one came from within. The sensation of her affection for Lahkesis washed over her body, overriding the exact and calculated biorhythms that she normally maintained. At this moment, Maya understood what so many poets on so many worlds had tried to express when they attempted to describe the sensation of love.
Maya leaned forward and kissed the girl's chest. Her tongue playfully exploring her fruit flavored nipples. Her hands caressed the girl's back before moving down to explore the buxom curves of her hindquarters. Lahkesis' skin was so unnaturally smooth it was like the skin of a newborn baby. Lowering her psychic barriers, allowed the willowy girl to sense impressions of how Maya truly felt about her. Titillating and caressing the adorable intern, Maya felt only joy.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay
As the other woman removed her top Lahkesis' uncertainty resolved into a curiosity she could not ignore. She wanted to know everything she could about this new feeling, everything she touched had a new feeling, it felt like every nerve in her body was alive. Sensation flooded into her brain, almost overwhelming her. Her long fingers moved delicately over the fabric of the sports bra and once that was removed they moved smoothly over the other woman's breast, her hand and fingers being effortlessly guided by the green-blooded woman she was touching.
Normally she would have spent hours at a computer console, reading through everything she could find on the subject. She had never learned by doing. Almost everything she knew was the result of a data upload to her juvenile brain shortly after her biological birth and from the books she had read since then. She had plenty of opportunity to engage and experiment sexually while at the academy, but her curiosity about it had started far more recently.
She was so lost in the sensation of touching the other woman and the new feeling that she was not aware of Maya reaching up and beginning to touch the brightly colored filaments that made up her hair. The sensation and direct connection to her brain from the filaments, especially the nucleus accumbens, one of the key pleasure centers in her brain, caused her to let out a surprised, yet pleasurable gasp.
In that moment all of the mental guards and insecurities melted away, her mind laid bare. All of her secrets, the inner turmoil she felt about her nature as nothing more than a copy, all that she was, all that she ever had been, was laid out for the other woman to see. Deeper than inner mind meld the intimacy that the poor plant based girl shared in that moment was beyond anything she had ever felt. Her mouth hung open and her eyelids drooped as her skin began to glow once more. The glow of her hand casting almost a ghostly half light over the breast and nipple of the lightly green tinted woman in front of her.
She was barely even aware of the kiss to her chest, only the continued joining of the Vulcan's and the Teslyliac's minds, going beyond mire sensuality and into something akin to true intimacy.
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
Maya's mouth kissed and licked up the girl's chest towards her neck. She stopped and groaned as Lahkesis opened her mind to her, the girl's thoughts and secrets exposed for Maya to see. Maya held her tight with one arm around her back and the other gliding through the girl's 'hair', gasping and groaning as she was overcome by her reaction to the girl's psyche.
The trouble with a mind touch, no scratch that, a mind meld was that all secrets were laid bare on both sides. Lahkesis knew of Maya's cold and restrictive childhood, of how the little Vulcan's government selected her for medical service in order to take advantage of her high psi rating and use her as a sexual surrogate for patients undergoing the affliction of ponn farr. She knew of the little Vulcan's trepidation when the Vulcan High Command of two centuries ago discouraged the use of telepathy and began outright prohibiting it. Lahkesis knew of the resentment Maya felt when she discovered that the rituals of procreation could be performed outside of the terrible ordeal of the ponn farr and that most Vulcans were aware of this.
Lahkesis could feel Maya's sense of freedom upon entering the Interspecies Medical Exchange and living amongst the Denobulans and the Terrans. The freedom of choice, the freedom of expression, the freedom of sexual orientation was dizzying. She felt Maya's shame at her people's reaction to the Xindi crisis of 2153 and the little physician's sense of duty when she offered her services to Earth's preFederation Starfleet.
She knew Maya's sense of loss at the decimation of the NX-04 Discovery and her wonder that the energy discharge at the Battle of Cheron had somehow deposited the battered hulk and the handful of survivors two hundred and twelve years into the future where they were rescued by the USS Imperator, where the little Vulcan met the ship's counselor Jien Ives who introduced her to the new century.
Lahkesis knew her thrill at discovering the existence of the United Federation of Planets, where the citizens of all member worlds had the right of choice, freedom of expression, and the right to any sexual preferences their psychology and physiology dictated. And she knew what the Federation meant to Maya and why the little Vulcan would sacrifice her life, her freedom, and her honor to preserve it.
Maya didn't want Lahkesis to have access to her memories. There were horrible things in there that would drive the poor girl away from others. If the girl fixated on Maya's recent encounter with Phantom she would be afraid of her body and afraid of others, condemning her to a life of solitude. That was why Maya released her emotions from the leash that had been put on them since birth to let Lahkesis know exactly what she thought of her.
Maya's entire body tingled when she allowed herself to feel just how much she loved Lahkesis. The girl was a beautiful flower, a promise for the future, a treasure that should be protected but should also be shared with the universe. Lahkesis had her whole life in front of her, and represented to Maya all of the children of the Federation who needed to be protected from the creatures that had secretly taken over Starfleet. She was the symbol for all they were fighting and dying for. Starfleet had been tasked to seek out new life and there was Lahkesis, searching for where she belonged in the universe. If it took Maya's last dying breath, she'd make sure that she had a chance to find it.
Maya sat up and took a deep breath, taking her hand off the girl's head and placing them on her thighs. Maya forced herself to slow down, and take it one step at a time. This wasn't an indulgence in the little Vulcan's pleasure, this was a learning experience for a precious girl in a safe and friendly environment. Maya had little doubt that Lahkesis would be the most popular girl in Starfleet if she knew how to kiss properly. She sat up on the edge of the isolation tank and beckoned the girl forward.
Lahkesis Saugn |Sickbay
It was all to much for the young plant girl. The flow of information was reduced to feelings and colors, darkness blooming into light, shadows consuming and being pushed back by brilliant colorful lights. The emotions and the sensation of the psychic connection itself all but consumed her. She could not hold back her own emotions and memories as in an instant the moments of Lahkesis' life moved between them. The cold white lights of the research facility, the confusion as the numbers of her sisters dwindled, the deep hatred of those who kept her in the small room, the pain of the tissue samples taken oh so many times from every corner of her body.
Then there was the fire and a secret, pain and guilt.
Then came the blinding light of freedom, rescue from a Federation ship and a new home. Finally was the drive for something more, the hope of the academy.
Then Suddenly Lahkesis breathed and found herself back in the moment, the past slipping back into her memory. Only something remained, something not her own. A memory an emotion. Something she could not identify it was buried so deep. She was suddenly afraid. There were monsters...
And then Maya withdrew her hand from the young plant girl's hair and for a moment all was cold. The Vulcan, her friend and mentor, stepped away from her and the space between them felt like miles, stretching before her. She unconsciously took a step forward, trying to close the space and as Maya sat down and beckoned her closer Lahkesis obeyed without a second thought, her eyes looking over the face of the other woman searching for something unspeakable. Something had changed in her eyes, an unspoken truth. If this was love then there was something that could taint even this. Ghosts of fear and pain drifted through her mind, phantoms in the wind.
In a single movement she fell forward, wrapping her arms around the other woman and pressing her head into her chest, her ear to the soft green tinted skin of the other woman's chest. She could hear Maya's heart beat and it brought her comfort. She relaxed, though the fear did not pass.
[ Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/131/f/5/maya_04_by_auctor_lucan-d7i02mz.png)| Sickbay, Isolation ]
"There-there my darling," Maya said as she hugged the tall willowy woman and rocked her gently against her body. It was a nonsensical phrase she had heard in several movies that she had watched over two centuries ago that was supposed to provide comfort and for once the little Vulcan understood meaning of the phrase. The demons that frightened Lahkesis were 'there-there' rather than 'here-here', i.e. distant and unthreatening. As for the nickname, Maya really did think of Lahkesis as darling. The possessive was grossly inappropriate, but Maya felt possessive and protective of the girl. It was important to give the vegetable based girl enough freedom to form new relationships and not selfishly try to keep Lahkesis all for herself. "I won't let anyone hurt you. If you're ever in danger, I will know," she said as she ran her hand through the hair-like filaments on her head.
It hurt while Lahkesis was afraid like this, but it was essential for the girl to know that she was not alone. Clearing her mind of all distractions she focused solely on Lahkesis and brought her mental frequencies in synchronization with the willowy girl. Now Lahkesis would be able to sense Maya's presence and even engage in limited communication as long as Maya didn't stray more than six meters away or so. If they stood within one meter they might even be able to telepathically communicate in actual sentences. The effect would fade in a few days or so but at least Maya and Lahkesis would know if the other felt a strong emotion like panic or joy as long as they weren't too far away from each other. It was an excellent technique for mothers with accident prone children, but it was hard to do with someone whose sense of identity was too strong.
OOC: This will come in real handy in Chapter 03: The Captain of My Soul [Supplementary: Hostile Takeover].
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay, Isolation Room 2
Love, the concept alone brought strange notions to the young plant girl's mind. And yet she knew she loved the other woman. She knew she loved her sisters. And she knew that the love she felt for her sisters was different than the love she felt for Maya. Yet she could not figure out if it was an emotion or simply a way of expressing the connection. In addition having never had a mother or even so much as a maternal figure Lahkesis knew nothing about what sort of relationship mothers and daughters shared. In all of this of one thing she was certain, the feeling of Maya's hand running through her hair relaxed her. Her breathing became more even and her pulse slowed.
After a moment she pulled away from the tender embrace of the Vulcan and stood up. Confusion danced across her face as she tried to understand what she had felt and why she had felt it. She had been afraid before, she had faced her own exile and separation from her sisters, and it had frightened her. Yet this was different. She had to ask, she had to understand. "I do not understand. I have come understand sexuality as pleasurable, yet when our minds touched I felt fear and pain. How can something pleasurable also evoke feelings such as those?" She was nothing if not naïve. She knew very little about sex, rape and sexual degradation were concepts completely foreign to the girl.
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
Maya's eyebrows rose as she tightened her lips, but with those arched upswept eyebrows, it was hard to tell how well she was conveying regret. "Sexuality can be pleasurable to one participant while being painful to the other," she explained while stroking Lahkesis' arm gently. "There are those who paradoxically cannot feel arousal without degrading their partner. I have the irrational hope that you never encounter one of these people, intimately or otherwise." The little Vulcan's fingers glided up to the girl's neck and shoulders as she tried to relax the girl with a sensual massage. "I will do everything in my power to ensure that you never find yourself alone with such an individual as long as you are serving with me. There is no sacrifice I wouldn't make to ensure your safety."
Maya wondered what lengths she would have to do to fulfill that boast. If the Harbinger pilots visited again would she do something irrational like place Lahkesis back into isolation? Would Maya attempt to restrict her freedoms using verbal commands, despite being the same rank? And if harm should actually come to Lahkesis, would Maya's Hypocritical Oath apply to the parties responsible?
The fear was still in Lahkesis' eyes. It was a sight that was painful to Maya even without telepathic contact, let alone with the mental link she had created. After squinting at the girl and tilting head for a moment, she made a decision. "Do not fret little one, I will teach you the art of Shunanju an unarmed martial art practiced by my people that focuses on pressure points and nerve pinches. With your natural talent and knowledge of anatomy you should be a quick study. My conditioning as a sexual surrogate leaves me at a disadvantage when it comes to fending off unwanted attentions, but you shouldn't have that difficulty. When we find the time I will train you to protect yourself."
As she listened something became clear to Lahkesis. The source of the pain and fear she had felt in the mind meld, the hidden truth. Someone had hurt her friend, her mentor. Someone had used sexuality as a weapon. And yet she could not bear the idea of being forced to hurt another life form. She could not find it in herself to do such a thing, it seemed to violate some unspoken rule. She hung her head, ashamed of this. "I do not wish to bring harm to others. If degrading others can is the only thing that will arouse them then I will allow myself to be degraded, to ensure that they do not degrade someone else. I am more durable, my body will heal faster then most humanoids. Surely it would be better for them to degrade me."
There was an uncertainty in her voice. She had never experienced sexuality with another person, outside of this moment, she could not understand what it would even mean to be degraded by another person for the sake of sexuality. She only knew that she wanted to protect her friend. She did not know if she would be strong enough to take such a thing or what it would do to her. She remembered running and hiding when the parasitic virus had taken the crew and driven to commit violent acts against one another. Would protecting her friend require her to be subject to such an attack? She dreaded the thought, but yet knew she would do it to protect Maya.
She tentatively reached out and laid her hand over Maya's heart, her long fingers lightly stroking the skin. Something inside her hurt and pained at the thought of anyone hurting Maya in such a way. She would take that pain, she would rather take that pain a thousand fold then see her friend hurt. "I do not want anyone to hurt you again."
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
Maya had to struggle not to suppress her reaction to Lahkesis' resolve. It was the same resolve Maya herself had for Lahkesis. The thought of Lahkesis willingly allowing herself to be hurt by someone like Phantom was almost too much to bear. At this close proximity they had no secrets, save the secrets they kept from themselves.
Maya hugged herself and drew back so Lahkesis wouldn't have to feel the full weight of her grief. It took all of her willpower to allow herself to feel just how much the thought of that poor girl martyring herself hurt. Like all Vulcans, Maya had been conditioned to suppress any emotion that was strong enough to show. The more powerful the emotion, the stronger the reflex action to exclude the sensation from her consciousness became.
But Maya had left Vulcan over two hundred years ago in order to feel her own sentiments if she wished. She had left home so she could have the freedom to not simply be a member of her society, but to experience what it meant to be herself. She loved Lahkesis, and she was going to feel every emotion, every reaction, every sensation that the girl evoked, no matter how hard it was to do so.
Hugging herself and shivering, Maya sank to her knees and wept. She didn't want the girl to see her like this but with the telepathic link they temporarily shared there was no hiding it from her. Maya wanted her to know just how hard the life of a sexual surrogate really was, what sacrifices had to be made. If Lahkesis had chosen such a role for herself the girl had to make that decision with her eyes open.
Lahkesis Saugn | Isolation, Sickbay
Seeing her friend suddenly sink to her knees and began to cry caused Lahkesis to suddenly panic. She had wanted to protect her friend from pain, and yet it seemed she had caused her pain. She did not know how to react, what to do. Immediately her medical training kicked in and she grabbed the nearby medical tricorder and flipped it open, only realizing that it would likely tell her nothing she could not already see with her own to eyes. She had taken a few classes in psychology, but her lack of understanding of most humanoid experience got in the way.
She knew nothing of sexual surrogacy and even if she had it was likely she would not chose that life for herself, she only meant to defend and protect her friend from those like the phantoms that seemed to haunt her. She bit her lip, knowing she had to do something to help; yet she feared all she could do was make matters worse. She glanced to the door and wondered if she should get someone else.
No, this was her doing and she had to fix it.
With little choice she set the tricorder down and sat down on the floor in front of Maya. She felt suddenly very guilty, unsure of even why she did. Was she not supposed to protect her friend from those who would hurt her? It was all so confusing. She tilted her head as she thought, gazing at the green-blooded woman uncertainty playing across her face. She bit her lip and frowned. She knew she would have to say something, she felt like she had hurt her friend and she did not know why or even how she had done it.
"Please don't be upset... I'm sorry," she breathed, her demeanor not unlike a young child attempting to comfort an elder, but having not concept of why they were upset.
[ Maya | Sickbay, Isolation ]
The tricorder in Lahkesis' hands revealed Maya's fatigue and the neural activity in her Vulcan brain, an organ once described as "a puzzle, wrapped inside an enigma, housed inside a cranium." Maya was relaxing her mesiofrontal cortex, the part of her brain that allowed the little Vulcan her uncanny control of her emotions. The neural activity in her skull was currently erratic for a Vulcan, and Lahkesis didn't have to be a brain surgeon like Maya and Nicander to know that the greenblooded neurologist had been under a strain for an extended time.
Despite the girl's unfamiliarity with psychology, the temporary psychic link Maya had formed with her gave her an inkling into the little Vulcan's viewpoint. Maya was horrified when she witnessed the same martyr instinct that the time traveling Vulcan had displayed countless times in the past. She didn't want that for Lahkesis, she wanted better for her. She felt responsible for subliminally placing such notions in her head. Lahkesis had logically determined that she was more capable of withstanding sexual abuse than others without ever having experienced coitus, abusive or otherwise.
"Please don't be upset... I'm sorry," the girl sighed, sounding like a daughter trying to console a parent.
Maya opened her eyes and blinked the tears away. "No, I am the one who should apologize Little One," she said calmly as she rose to her feet to face the taller woman. "I subjected you to too much too soon. I allowed my selfish desire to share myself with you override my judgment. For that I am truly sorry." She stood before the naked girl, the tearstains on her face and her incomplete uniform the only signs that she was anything but an emotionless Vulcan. Even the temporary psychic link was almost closed, allowing Lahkesis to sense her presence but nothing more.
Then Maya realized that cutting herself off from the willowy girl would cause Lahkesis to believe that she was at fault somehow. That was a mistake the little Vulcan wasn't willing to make. She opened her mental barriers to her and hugged Lahkesis tightly, nursing on one of her fruit flavored nipples as she did so. The girl was going to know love before the end came no matter what.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay, Isolation
The plant girl's mind raced as she did her best to understand. She had seen violence and brutality in her research and yet she had never experienced. She had never known another's touch in anything close to a sensual manner until this moment. And yet the woman whom had touched her in such a way had apologized for pushing her, only Lahkesis did not feel as if she had been pushed. In fact she had quite enjoyed it, right up until the moment she had felt the fear and pain. And now it felt as if the distance between them was increasing all the more, though neither had moved any farther away.
Though she was not completely aware of it the link between them had all but closed and though she could still feel the presence of the other woman, that was all. She had almost gotten used to the feeling of someone else so close to her mind and now that it was fading she felt suddenly cold and alone. A small being in a very large universe. She knew in that moment that she had done something wrong, that she had made some grave mistake. And she desperately wanted to take it back, yet she did not know what the mistake was or how to take it back even if she could.
Then when Maya move close again and hugged her Lahkesis breathed a little easier, though as the shorter woman's lips wrapped around her nipple she took a sharp intake of air as she felt her body respond. She could not understand much about this, only what could best be described as a roller coaster of emotions, twisting and turning through her. Even if she could have, she would not have even tried to hide her emotions, they bubbled up displaying themselves open. She was confused, a little scared, and aroused; a dangerous mixture. Yet in all of this she had a single clear thought, she trusted Maya, with all of her heart and with every fiber of her being.
She wrapped her arms around the other woman, and then suddenly paused. "Are you sure we should go on? I do not wish to make you upset again?" There was genuine concern in her voice, she did not want to hurt Maya again.
[ Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/131/f/5/maya_04_by_auctor_lucan-d7i02mz.png) | Sickbay, Isolation ]
"Hm?" Maya opened her eyes and noticed that she had one of the girl's fruit flavored nipples in her mouth. She had merely meant to hug Lahkesis tightly and reestablish their bond, but the height difference combined with the girl's nudity had resulting in the gesture being much more suggestive that intended. She took her mouth off the girl's chest and looked around her. The cold sterile surroundings of sickbay's isolation room seemed terribly inappropriate a setting to teach a girl the art of lovemaking.
"No I don't think so Little One," Maya murmured with a hint of regret in her voice. "A safe and familiar location like your personal quarters would be more conducive. I think we should schedule this on our personal time, perhaps later today."
The little Vulcan looked up at Lahkesis and kissed her hand before moving away to fetch the girl's uniform that she had stored folded up in a box hidden under the console. She handed Lahkesis her uniform before turning to pick up her own discarded shirt that she had draped over the chair.
"Do not fret, Little One." Although Maya's face was composed as it normally was, Lahkesis could still perceive the older woman's tender feelings for her. "If you need me, I am here for you."
OOC: That's the problem with Vulcans. They can never be spontaneous! They gotta plan everything out and take all the surprise out of everything.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay, Isolation
As she nodded and took the fresh uniform Lahkesis found herself wishing desperately she could understand what was going on. If she had done something why was Maya still being so nice to her and seeming to wish to continue the activity later on, but yet the mood seemed to shift from sensual to now quite formal. They had begun to be sensual in this location and now it was deemed inadequate with no difference that the poor plant girl could see. She could not help but begin to think that she was somehow unfit or that there was something wrong with her. Maybe the Vulcan woman had noticed some inadequacy in her body and that was why things had shifted.
Though she was not aware of it, she now for the first time felt shame, though she had no way to identify the emotion having never experienced it before. She busied herself with pulling her standard issue underwear and bra on before looking up at Maya. She had to know, she had to understand what had changed. Perhaps she could correct it if it were a simply anatomical mistake. "Am I in some way flowed? Is that why this location now longer works to experience sensuality? Are special tools required?"
"No of course not," Maya assured her. "I just think that for your first time you deserve to have a comfortable bed." Her large hazel eyes looked past the confused but hungry girl at the open isolation tank. "You deserve to have someplace warm, and soft," she continued as she walked to Lahkesis' side and placed a finger into the vitamin enriched water that was a centimeter deep, "and moist."
The little Vulcan's face relaxed as she looked up at the girl. "Perhaps you are right Lahkesis. We have everything we need right here. Climb back in and lie on your back if you are ready to continue," she gestured before going to the console and hitting a safety switch. It would be most unbecoming if the lid closed and they had to be rescued after all. At least if the worst happened, Maya wouldn't suffocate. Lahkesis' oxygen rich breath would keep her alive without the Vulcan needing to enter a trance to slow her respiration.
When Maya turned back the girl was dutifully laying on her back, as eager as a sehlat cub. Maya closed her eyes and grunted in concentration as she forced herself to relax her mesiofrontal cortex so she could fully experience her emotions. When she opened her eyes again the girl was so cute the little Vulcan giggled. Maya let her Vulcan brain curb her passions enough so she could climb into the isolation tank and straddle the willowy girl.
As Maya gazed at Lahkesis' angelic face and ran her fingertips across the baby smooth skin of the plant girl's breasts she was once again struck by how beautiful she was, both within and without. She was a girl anyone could fall in love with, as long as they had a shred of compassion and decency in them. She let her feeling for the Lahkesis drift into the girl's mind so she'd know just how cherished and loved she really was.
As the Vulcan spoke Lahkesis found herself even more confused. She had so very much to learn about sexuality. All she could nod and obey. She was pleased to note that there was flaw in her body at would prevent her from enjoying sexuality, and yet her mind raced and reeled. She figured now the chilling of the mood had something to do with her wanting to take the pain and punishment of abusive sexual partners so that Maya would not have to. She climbed back into the isolation tank and laid down, the thin fabric of her standard issue bra and panties soaking up the water and holding it against her smooth skin, her body naturally absorbing it. She gazed intently up at the other woman, her pale pupilless eyes searching. All she wanted to do was to please her mentor. She realized, at least in part, that it was the thought of Lahkesis sacrificing herself that had upset Maya so much, or at least that was her best guess.
When the young plant girl heard the Vulcan woman let out a grunt she instinctively began to worry, concern flashing across her face, though in seeing she wasn't hurt at all Lahkesis could not help but smile, her innocent face showing her eager desire to please the other woman. She had made up her mind. As abusive as those who had hurt her friend had been, she would be loving, even if she had no idea how to be.
She shivered slightly as the other woman climbed into the tank an their bodies touched once more. As Maya straddled her and e plant girl's face flushed. She smiled awkwardly up at the green blooded woman, unsure what she should do, so she simply lay prone. She felt her pulse quicken as once more the older woman touched her soft breasts, the thrill of the Vulcan's telepathic connection filling her mind with pleasant thoughts of love and genuine affection.
And in that moment in the water, feeling her mentors affections caress both her mind and bosom, she began to relax. She simply let the sensation take her, her eyes half closing, her fingers stretching out into the water. Perhaps it was the water on her skin, perhaps it was the delicate touch of the well trained woman whom was straddling her, but she felt safe in that moment. All of the fear seemed to abandon her. Though she could still feel a faint tingle of her lingering arousal, the phantoms in her mind had fled into the darkness. Maya's touch reminded her that she was safe, that she was loved.
She gazed up at her friend, her eyes heavy lidded. She did not know what to expect next, but she was looking forward to it all the same.
[Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/131/f/5/maya_04_by_auctor_lucan-d7i02mz.png) | Sickbay, Isolation ]
Maya caressed the pink filaments that were Lahkesis' 'hair' as she gazed affectionately into her crystal blue eyes. "You're so wise Lahkesis," the older woman cooed as the girl's hair began to glow. "It was irrational for me to desire a perfect setting for this, because there is no such thing as perfection. A wise person takes what life offers her and knows that happiness is found where one searches for it."
Maya leaned in and kissed the girl on the mouth. The little Vulcan's lips and tongue were gentle, teasing and affectionate. She didn't smash her face against her or shove her tongue down her throat. Instead Maya fondled Lahkesis' mouth with her lips and as her tongue gently massaged the girl's. She teased the girl and when she drew back between kisses she held on to the girl's lower lip before releasing her mouth.
In the meantime, Maya's long spidery fingers to search for more of the girl's erogenous zones. Lahkesis may have had more in common with plants than animals but Maya could feel the nutrients pumping beneath her smooth supple skin. Her large hands caressed Lahkesis' breasts before gliding along her flawless skin to explore the curves on the plant girl's backside. The little Vulcan licked and nibbled on the girl's neck as she ground her sex against the younger girl's femininity. The girl was so delicious that Maya wanted to run her tongue all along her body.
In the meantime, it was time to stop being selfish and find out if Lahkesis' body had erogenous zones similar to that of mammalian women. One of Maya's hands glided in between Lahkesis' legs and delicately probed the folds of her femininity. Did Lahkesis have a 'sweet spot' at the same place her shipmates did? It was time for Maya's long graceful fingers to discover the truth.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay, Isolation
As she felt the other woman's fingers run through her hair Lahkesis found herself unsure how to react. On one hand it felt really good, on the other hand she was not sure how she should feel about being called wise. She did not view herself as wise as much in life confused her. To put it mildly she was the one who knew enough to know that a tomato is a fruit, yet would not know not to put it in a fruit salad.
Yet as Maya kissed her the confusion about being called wise disappeared. All she could think about was the feeling of the Vulcan's lips against her own, the heat of them against the sensitive pink skin of her lips seeming to flood through her. The kiss was different then the one before, the feeling of the other woman's tongue against her lips brought about a totally different sensation. All the while she found herself awkwardly grasping, clenching and unclenching her hands in the warm water.
She wasn't sure what to do, so she did nothing, letting the more experienced woman take the lead, deciding how fast to go, what to touch and what to kiss, and how it was all done. She let out a moan as she felt the green blooded one's fingers move over her body, exploring her smooth, nearly flawless, skin. The feeling of the kisses on her neck caused her to simply close her eyes, the doubts and fears didn't seem to matter as much now, even the dark phantoms seemed to retreat from the sensation. If she were capable of eating, or even had taste buds, she would have described the sensation of the other woman's lips on her neck as delicious. As it was she had no words in which to describe it, it simply was and it was very nearly breathtaking.
It was all so much that she began to find herself feeling so warm. The dense network of plant like veins her thin layer of skin began to flush her skin and give off a soft bioluminescence. She was glowing, both physically and emotionally.
It was all so nice and she could feel the area between her legs again grow sensitive and moist, though the fluid was slightly thinner and had more in common with honey than with the lubrication normal mammals produced. Thus when she felt the other woman's hand snake it's way over her body and between her legs she felt a sense of anticipation and a touch of fear. When the long fingers gently touched the outer folds of her vulva she could not help but let out a whimper and quickly bite her lips to keep from letting out a cry. Her breathing increased and she could feel her pulse pounding in her ears and all over her body.
She felt her body tense as the other woman touched her, fear and pleasure seeping into her mind. She had been given numerous pelvic examinations measuring the size and shape of every corner of her anatomy. She was for all intensive purposes human, though she lacked any pubic hair. Though these examinations had never been when she was in a state of arousal they showed she was what would be expected in any humanoid. But still she felt nervous and her rigid body showed his. The feeling of the area being touched in any erotic way was only a recent discover for her and it had never been done by anyone other than herself. The feeling caused the faint bioluminescence to increase, her skin glowing as the levels of nutrients increased drastically and it grew more sensitive.
[Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/131/f/5/maya_04_by_auctor_lucan-d7i02mz.png) | Sickbay, Isolation ]
It may have been the shine from Lahkesis' luminous skin, but it was one of the few times in history that a Vulcan's face lit up. This young intern's body was blooming, and she had so much to give the poor girl couldn't stand it. Maya's face was calm but alert, and from a certain angle appeared almost like a predatory smile. Slowly and lazily she withdrew her hands from the girl's body and licked her moist fingers. The girl's juices weren't salty or bitter like that of a mammal, it was sweet, like Denobulan wasp nectar. Once Lahkesis gained some confidence, she would undoubtedly be the most popular girl on the ship.
"You liked that?" the little Vulcan murmured in her musical mezzosoprano voice. "I liked it too." Although the empathic mind touch made small talk superfluous, Maya made some anyway. The calm soothing voice of a loved one would no doubt be a great comfort to someone experiencing such intense passions for the first time. She was going to do everything she could to make sure this experience was as pleasant and reassuring as possible.
"There is no need for concern," the green blooded neurosurgeon cooed in a surprisingly unVulcan tone as she slid back to kneel between Lahkesis' legs. "I will get that for you," she added as she placed her long spidery fingers on the girl's inner thighs and spread her legs apart. "Your skin is so smooth," Maya murmured as she crouched and readjusted her position. "It's like the finest silk," she commented softly as she lowered her head so she could sample the girl's juices. Maya's lips when around the girl's folds as her tongue lapped up Lahkesis' nectar and searched for her sweet spot.
It was quite uncanny. The girl tasted like honey from Earth's Calluna vulgaris flower. Her sugar rich nectar was quite sweet tasting and viscous. Whereas normally the reproductive drive had to overcome a participant' revulsion towards bodily fluids, with Lahkesis there was nothing revolting about her fluids at all. It was feasibly possible for Lahkesis and her sisters to become the most sexually desirable women in the known galaxy.
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay, Isolation
Though the words were lost on her pleasure-addled mind, Lahkesis was still gratefully for them. The words merged with the telepathic intent and they helped her relax, feeling as if she was melting into the thin layer of water she was laying in. The dense areas under her skin of plant like veins were visible forming intricate patterns, not unlike lace, of glowing and pulsing light just under the thin layer of her skin. Her eyes lazily opened her eyes and gazed up at the smaller Vulcan woman. She smiled lazily; unsure what to expect next, all of her readings on the subject had been related to male and female sexual relations. Female and female relations had to be fundamentally different.
She watched closely as Maya moved down her body. She bit her lips as she felt the Vulcan spread her legs, her long fingers moving smoothly over her inner thighs. She would have lifted her head from the water to continue to watch the other intently, unsure what she was about to do. She shifted a little nervously as she stared at the smooth matte gray ceiling, with the dimmed light in the center. She closed her eyes and held her breath as she waited. She had no idea what to expect, only that Maya was not yet done. Or at least she hoped she was not done yet.
And then she felt it, the texture of the Vulcan's tongue move over the slick and oh so sensitive skin of her vulva. Her held breath rushed out of her lungs in a high-pitched gasp. Her spine arched as wave after wave of pleasure rushed through her, a rush for every lap of the tongue against her. And then suddenly she felt the Vulcan's tongue hit something different, something far more sensitive, a small pink pearl at the peak of her slit. Her mind went blank as white-hot pleasure caused her to shudder. She grew wetter by the second, the viscous fluid seeping from the wet lips and small hole.
The feeling of her tongue, on what she was certain was her clitoris, felt as if it were about to drive her insane. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, somewhere deep inside she knew the room was soundproofed; yet she held back. It felt so good, all she wanted to do was scream out in pure bliss. But she fought to control her voice, whispering hoarsely, "so good... so good..."
Lahkesis Saugn | Sickbay, Isolation
Somewhere in the sensation of the Vulcan's exquisite approach to cunnilingus time seemed to get lost of the pleasure addled mind of the young Teslyliac. Her body felt so warm, the dense light of her veins pulsed with a rich inner light. Her skin felt more alive than it had ever before. No private masturbation session had ever come close to this.
When her thoughts at last returned to her she became aware that Maya had stopped her oral assault on her oh so sensitive flesh and now looked down on her with a look of genuine affection. She was still aware the other woman's feelings in her mind, comforting her. She felt so at peace, so relaxed under the genuinely loving care of her mentor. It was like nothing could hurt her or would ever even try. All was well in her world, at least in that moment.
And slowly it seemed that the room faded into a comfortable tingling feeling as Lahkesis slipped into a peaceful sleep, though it seemed like even in the peace there was some dark figure looming in her mind. A great beast just under the surface of sexual peace, a phantom in her mind.
~FIN
OOC Stuff: Wrapping this up so we can move on for now, also laying some hints at Lahkesis's fear of Phantom, without her ever having met him. I figure she would have absorbed some of Maya's memory of the assault and it will play into her later encounter with him.