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CH03: S [D03|0900] The Hive Call

Chapter 03: Supplemental [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ] The Hive Call

[Ensign Six | Six of Eight's Alcove | Borg Cube 101011] Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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Ensign Six awoke in her alcove from her regeneration cycle. Except she wasn’t on the Theurgy anymore. She awoke in a corridor. And not just any corridor. One of many scaling along the wall in a massive hollow aperture. The sweltering heat, the dark lighting…she knew at once she was in a Borg ship.

She emerged from her alcove and before she could come to any conclusions as to where she was, she was escorted, flanked by some drones.

Her memory was foggy, a stupor at best, but all she can determine was that she was being processed. More implants added, her uniform gone, just plates attached to her body as if they belonged there, cables jutting from her bare shoulders, down her back and into her hips. Her skin pale, her mind not her own. She was part of the Collective. The Collective had her. There was nothing but the Collective.

“Six…Six of Eight, Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix Twelve. We hear the Collective. Resistance is futile.”

[Ensign Six | Forensics Lab/Six's Alcove | Deck 17 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]
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Ensign Six jolted to reality, and felt ashamed for being so lost in thought amid her finishing touches to her forensics lab. She was alert and sweaty, practically anxious, and she knew why.

She held up a padd and activated the reflective surfacing. Saw her own face, normal and embedded. She thought she heard something and looked away. Looked back and gasped in horror.

What she saw on the reflective surfacing wasn’t her own reflection, but that of a drone’s…the girl known as Noor, fully assimilated into the collective, clad in plating and cables jutting from her body. She looked up and saw a dozen more like it. She screamed as the drones’ tubules jutted in her, all the while implants jutted from her like spikes of a puffer…

Six awoke with a shock in her alcove. Practically staggered away from it. She felt her body for any metal plates or cables, but just felt her soft skin and implants. At least, this time, she knew it was reality, not just a dream. Scratch that, make that a nightmare.

She had heard the voices of the Collective since the Theurgy entered the Azure Nebula. They were barely there, a faint whisper, but she could hear them. The night she first heard her voices was her first nightmare. At first she recalled when she was younger as a drone, only to escalate to the monster she saw herself as. The more she heard the voices, the call of the Collective, the worse her nightmares became. Not to mention the frequency. They came every so often, at first every few regeneration cycles, but they were becoming more and more frequent.

She needed consolation. But who should she turn to? She had few friends, and she was a newcomer to the Theurgy herself. Instead, she felt prompted to turn to her commanding officer. Well, a ship’s counselor was in order, really. But she instantly recalled one of the current ranking officers of this vector: Lieutenant Ejek. May as well be close enough. She tapped her combadge.

“Ensign Six to Lieutenant Ejek. Is there a convenient time to meet with you?”

She stepped out of the lab as she did so, surprising herself. She had only stepped out of her lab once or twice since she came aboard the Theurgy, being busy setting up her forensics lab, but this occasion was ripe enough to step out.

OOC: As a note, the first picture from the drag-down link is the best I could find of a cybernetic eye akin to Six's, and it gives an excellent idea of what Six would look like as a full Borg drone. Also, I wasn't sure how to write the first bits as a dream, so I wrote it as it is; don't know what the posting guide says about dreams.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #1 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Quarters | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado


Ejek had a temporary assignment as the XO of this ship. She had a whole new set of skills to learn to accompany it, skills that did not come as naturally to her as people did. She sat in her quarters, PADD open, having a late breakfast and pouring over Federation texts regarding combat and strategy. She was so out of her element here. Running the hell away and hiding out until it was safe was definitely not an option. She felt herself growing grey hairs already.

So when she heard the call to her more normal duty, could not be any more thankful. Her stare left her PADD and she tapped her own badge.
“Lieutenant Ejek here. I will meet you in the counseling office, by sickbay in fifteen minutes, if you are able.” Even if she wasn’t, the Cardassian needed this excuse. She pulled herself from her desk to fix her hair, straighten her uniform out. She thought about a skirt today...but no. It looked silly, she looked silly. Her pants will do.

She grabbed her PADD off the desk and brought it with her. Regardless of the reply, she would be gone. She never thought she’d miss counseling so much until now.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #2 –
[Ensign Six | Battle Sickbay | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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Fifteen minutes was more than enough time for Six to get to Sickbay. She staggered at first out of the lab before walking normally. Even so, she still perspired after waking in a shock from the nightmare. At every reflective surfacing she passed, she flinched, expecting to see the robotic monster she saw in the nightmare, but stopped less and less, given she was seeing her normal self.

At the turbolift, she suddenly felt a pang of claustrophobia. She pushed it aside, but not before she felt anxious that, recalling the dozen or so monsters that surrounded her, jabbing in their tubules…but she shook her head. She regained her composure. As forensics officer, she couldn’t afford to become jumpy at any time.

Arriving at sickbay, she inquired of the ranking medical officer, Dr. Franklin, where she might find Lieutenant Ejek’s office.

“Well, normally, Lieutenant Ejek’s office is on Deck 9 on Vector 2, but given the circumstances, she’s set up shop down there,” he said friendly enough, pointing at a door further down sickbay. “Is something the matter?”

He had taken note of Six’s sweaty visage and anxious body language, but Six shook her head.

“Nothing that some counseling advice wouldn’t fix,” she said simply, despite the sound of her voicing indicating holding back her anxiety.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #3 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Quarters | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

It wasn’t her office. It wasn’t decorated to her liking. It didn’t have the holographic fireplace, the two armchairs and their side tables, a fine carpet, her desk...it wasn’t even particularly warm. She had to tell the computer to lower the chill just so she wouldn’t freeze in her own room.

It was still a counseling office. It had a desk, even if it wasn’t hers, and two chairs in front of it. It was decorated in Federation Basic style, as she called it. She seated herself in front of the desk—the actual chair used for the counselor behind the desk left unused. That’s for paperwork and study. The one she sat in now, facing the other client chair, that was for work.

She missed it. As she placed her PADD on the desk and stared at the empty chair, she felt a great deal of surprise. She actually missed doing this. For as much as she complained and criticized the job…It was her job, and she was good at it. How...humbling, she supposed. She didn’t like being humbled.

Soon though, her doors would open and she’d find her client for today. Ensign Six. Hard to say what sort of horrors bothered the former borg enough to see a counselor now, of all times. Whatever they were, she decided she was ready to meet them with her usual skill.

When the doors chimed, she called out, “Come in, they’re unlocked.”

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #4 –
[Ensign Six | Battle Sickbay | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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Six followed Dr. Franklin’s directions to Lieutenant Ejek’s office…which seemed more like crew quarters if anything. That was understandable; her office was usually on Vector 2, but under the circumstances, it made sense to make her quarters into her office. Six could relate easily; the closest thing to her quarters also doubled as a workplace, with her alcove embedded in her forensics lab.

She rang the door chimes, as befitting cordial manners.

"Come in, they're unlocked."

Six entered. The look of the place confirmed to her that Ejek’s current office doubled as an office. The lieutenant herself, a Cardassian in her late twenties, struck Six as somebody who found comfort in what she did best, as opposed to being a temporary executive officer. Again, she understood; Six enjoyed her position as forensics officer and unofficial hacker.

“Good morning, lieutenant,” she said cordially.

She felt that Ejek would be of excellent help to her. Seven of Nine always confided in Janeway and Chakotay, and so Six will confide in her superior officers in the same way. And as a counselor, Ejek is the most logical choice of individual to turn to, and it made sense, given the senior staff’s current troubles.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #5 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Counseling office | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

“Good morning.” She greeted, taking stock of Six’s facial expression and body language. She didn’t reveal much yet though. Ejek had a feeling she’d learn more here in just a bit. After all, Six reached out to her. That meant she was ready to talk, and that the Cardassian wouldn’t have to pry so much.

She gestured to the chair in front of her, “Come sit. What’s brought you here to my office today? It didn’t sound like you wanted a social visit. Is everything alright?” She folded her hands in her lap and sat back, watching Six intently. All her attention was on the Ensign.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #6 –
[Ensign Six | Counseling Office/Ejek's Quarters | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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“To start with, Lieutenant,” Six began, “I’ve been  having nightmares. Nightmares wherein I see myself back in the collective. I was assimilated as a child and was freed from the Collective during the Starship Voyager’s journey through the Delta Quadrant. But these nightmares…I more than just see myself back in the Collective as a child…I see myself as I am, grown-up, fully assimilated, a full drone. I see myself as a child, at first. Then grown-up...I see myself as a drone. A bionic monster.”

She shivered at the thought, feeling the chill of quiet anxiety.

“I can’t explain how, but now that I think about it, I’ve been having the nightmares since we entered the Azure Nebula, and with increasing frequency. I don’t know whether you believe in coincidence or not. I’m feeling concerned about whether or not it’s a side-effect of being a former drone or if these dreams are a warning or a premonition.”

Now that’s an understatement, to say she was concerned.

But something bothered her about saying it’s a side-effect. She had been released from the Collective for years, and if that’s the case, why did they come now?

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #7 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Counseling office | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

She listened to Six quietly. The ensign had Ejek’s full attention. She would let her finish before she would speak, but her mind was already working on a response before Six was done.

Liberated borg are a unique psychological phenomenon. They had inclination towards certain disorders completely unknown in other races. Although there’s a diagnostic manual specifically for hivemind and link-minded species, liberated borg had their very own section. Her hand want to her PADD and pulled up the appropriate text.

When liberated borg displayed the ability to dream, nightmares were common. Typically, the worst of it would happen shortly post-individualization and would subside after the need for security and stability were met. Six was past all of those stages or else she wouldn’t even be serving aboard a Starfleet ship. Puzzling, puzzling…

“Well, I assume these nightmares are severe, considering you’ve come to see me about them. You say it started when we entered the Azure nebula. Are there any other events in your life that happened at around that time? Also, are there any other symptoms you’re displaying, lack of drive or energy, heightened fear response, changes in behavior, appetite, libido…?”

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #8 –
[Ensign Six | Counseling Office/Ejek's Quarters | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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“I’ve been feeling anxiety for the most part, particularly an hour or so after I finish my regeneration cycle, sometimes as much as a few.” Six decided not to include hearing the voices of the Collective. She didn’t want Ejek too concerned, and Cardassians have a tendency to taking things overtly seriously.

“Other than that, I haven’t had a lack of drive or energy, considering I’ve had a lot of time on my hands; there isn’t a forensics lab on Theurgy; I’ve been busy setting up shop, to coin the popular term. No changes in behavior or appetite or libido, either.

“I don’t know what else in my life happened to cause these,” she continued. “It’s just that the nightmares started after we entered the Azure Nebula. And I find it, now that I think about it, puzzling, considering the coincidence of when the nightmares began.

“I recall hearing that Jean-Luc Picard had similar dreams before the Borg attacked Sector 001 again, before attempting to stop First Contact. And he used to have been known as Locutus, the spokesman for the Borg. And that attack happened half a decade or so after he himself was liberated from the Collective.

“My point…perhaps these dreams are a warning. It’s entirely possible a resurgence from the Borg is imminent.”

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #9 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Counseling office | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

She took notes as Six talked, in her PADD, she’d enter in the symptoms and duration of symptoms. This would eventually become part of Six’s medical record, but it also served to help Ejek organize her thoughts.

When she brought up Picard, Ejek supressed the need to shake her head. For some reason, some folks felt the need to constantly compare themselves to similarly notorious Federation members. It suggested that Six saw herself very highly, on par with these...well, Ejek didn’t have a polite word for them, but rule-breakers was the closest she could get.

“There are many clearly-studied instances of formerly assimilated individuals who can sense the presence of the borg, yes.” She agreed, “but do you suggest that the borg managed to get all the way to the Azure nebula without anyone noticing? There are also many studies of former borg who have nightmares without the borg presence. Your experience was horrific, after all.” On top of that, most former borg had a variety of neurological deviances that, occasionally, would cause the strangest symptoms. Having alien implants in the brain and then having someone remove those implants really messed up one's nervous system, no matter how advanced medical technology got.

“I want to explore all options before we start telling everyone aboard that the borg are here. We might raise a panic for no reason.” and risk making herself look like a damned fool.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #10 –
[Ensign Six | Counseling Office/Ejek's Quarters | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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Six nodded in consenting agreement.

“That certainly goes without saying, Lieutenant,” she said. “I trust your wisdom on these matters.

“I don’t mean to compare myself to Picard,” she added. “I like to think myself on par with Seven of Nine, or to use her human name, Annika Hansen. I came from the Delta Quadrant, after all, and I’ve known her on the Starship Voyager. I look up to her in many ways, she’s practically my mentor before the Academy. I call myself Six in honor of her; my original name was Noor, but I like Six better. It helps to remind me of Seven.

“But I’m going off on a tangent. I agree wholeheartedly with you, Lieutenant. I don’t know if there will be time or not to scan for Borg signatures, but I won’t deny we’ll need proof.

“As to how the Borg would enter the Azure Nebula undetected, it’s possible there’s a transwarp conduit creating a passage where the Borg could come from the Delta Quadrant, using the sirilium of the nebula as a power source. But as I said, we’ll need proof.

“As for these nightmares, if you have recommendations to help sooth my nerves or help me to have pleasant dreams, or a relaxing sleep, I greatly appreciate it. Granted, given my implants, I still require regeneration cycles like any Borg drone, and these implants have proven important in my work as a forensics officer and a hacker. Oh, I’m a hacker, that’s true enough, but I like to think I’m an honest one.”
 

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #11 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Counseling office | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

She knew who Seven of Nine was. The memories were dusty, but there. Another Federation hero. Apparently they were close. Ah well, she’s not here to discuss ego and heroes, so she let it be. It was a pet peeve, not a mental health concern. Yet. She listened to her talk about her hacking and put in another mental note: looks like the former borg has a chip on her shoulder. Not too uncommon, sign of a healthy individual identity. Still not something she personally enjoyed.

“Six, you’re very insistent that the borg are here, and the proof right now is nightmares. I simply do not believe that nightmares are enough evidence to ask for a sensor sweep. We’d have to veer off course and search the nebula for borg, and we don’t have time to do that right now. Not to mention, we’re hardly the first or only people in the Azure nebula—scans from other Federation ships would’ve uncovered a transwarp conduit. You’ll notice the Federation gets quite up in arms about borg, and rightfully so. We would’ve heard of the news by now.

It’s really far more likely that something has happened, either an event in your life or a neurological change. Statistically speaking, most cases of recurring borg-themed nightmares in individuals such as yourself tend to be from one of those two options. If you like, I could run a scan on your brain for any abnormalities. I can also teach you meditations to practice throughout the day, they should influence your dreams while you rest.”

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #12 –
[Ensign Six | Counseling Office/Ejek's Quarters | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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Six smiled with relief.

“Of course. Feel free to run the scan if you wish. And I’m willing to learn some meditations.

“And I definitely know that there’s no time to scan for even traces of Borg signatures at the moment. We have a mission to accomplish after all.”

She was especially willing at the meditations. She remembered one or two forms she learned from Commander Tuvok while on Voyager, and those would be especially helpful. Thinking of Tuvok suddenly made her realize that she hasn’t played Kal-Toh in a long time. She always loved that game. It was better than chess in her opinion, even when it felt like it; you had to use your head in Kal-Toh as much as you had to in chess, if not more.

Also, the mention of the Theurgy’s mission made her think about her idea for the Revelation Array, but she brushed it aside. She’d more than just go off on a tangent. Lieutenant Ejek just wasn’t the right person to bring the idea up to. The right person to talk to was an engineer, maybe even the Chief Engineer, and somebody higher up the ranks in the Theurgy’s senior staff to approve the project, like Captain Ives or Commander Trent, and Ejek was neither.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #13 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Counseling office | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

She hoped to find answers from her scan. More than likely, she’d find something wrong with her Dopamine or GABA, and it’d just be a matter of a three week supplement and she’d be back on track. Maybe not even that much, she’d read up about a relatively new replacement that was just a hypospray and done. She’d been dying to give it a go. Though she was no engineer, she had her own specialties. Her intelligence lay here, with people and their inner worlds.

“Right, I’ll just ask you to remain still.” She set her PADD down and stood up. She walked around the chairs to the desk and rummaged for the tricorder typically used for exactly this purpose. “Some of the meditations you may be familiar with. Basic grounding techniques, centering, nothing fancy... I expect you’ve already learned them, but if you don’t remember how, I can give you a refresher. The trick will be when you choose to use them.” She spoke as she returned. She stood in front of Six and scanned across her head and skull. Depending on her results, she’ll come up with a prescription—or not, if there’s no imbalance. She may not need anything. She waited to hear her answer on whether or not she needed a refresher, and on her tricorder’s results.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #14 –
[Ensign Six | Counseling Office/Ejek's Quarters | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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“Actually, Lieutenant, I won’t mind a refresher,” said Six, keeping still to allow Ejek to commence her scan. “I’ve learned a few techniques from Tuvok, but I was a child back then. It’s easy to forget things you learn as a child, especially when lessons from the Academy and duties in Starfleet take up most of the time.”

It was true, in a way. She was a child when she learned meditation techniques from Tuvok, and it had been a long time since she meditated. Hopefully, Ejek’s refresher would jog her memory on some of the techniques, and she was willing to learn from her.

She had noted the world-weariness in Ejek; as a forensics officer, the closest thing to an investigator, one of the elements of an investigator is observation, taking note of the smallest detail to determine character. Six’s own observations told her Ejek was by-the-book, no-nonsense, and from her world-weary nature, Six could tell Ejek would much rather be a shrink than an executive officer. Six can understand that. She was much more comfortable as an investigator, a forensics officer, and a hacker than anywhere else. She’d be invaluable in Starfleet Intelligence, but she always enjoyed starships as a whole. A forensics officer may not be an intelligence officer, let alone a strategic operations officer, but it suited Six just fine.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #15 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Counseling office | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

Tuvok, hm? That sounded like a Vulcan name. She never did trust Vulcans to guide the mind. They sometimes had all the tact and refinement of Klingons. Their meditations were of worth, but she found that the people who used them liked to bottle and ignore their emotions, rather than confront them and feel them. After all, that’s what the Vulcan meditations did.

She flipped through a few different scan results on her tricorder and was pleased, or more truthfully, perturbed to find no detectable imbalances, save for heightened cortisol and residual adrenaline. Within expected parameters. A puzzle...
“Well, it seems everything is fine with you. Stressed, but well, aren’t we all.” She set the tricorder back down on the desk and returned to her seat across from Six.

“Well the first of which should be rather easy. This is called grounding. If you’d like, you can do it now. Firstly, you want your eyes open for this one. Take a good look at the environment you’re in. Feel the fabric of your clothes on your body, the weight of yourself on the chair. Feel the environment around you, the temperature and humidity of the air. Breathe in any smells… Then, ask yourself, are you awake or dreaming? You may also choose to perform a ‘reality check’. Pinching your cheek or nose, reading text twice, anything simple.”

“The purpose of this is to focus your mind on reality. You’ll want to do this multiple times throughout the day, especially during moments of stress or high emotions. If you repeat this throughout the day, you’ll find yourself repeating these in your dream. Essentially, this is how one lucid-dreams. From that point, you should become aware of your own dreaming and will become able to control it.”

“To aid in lucid dreaming, I also suggest maintaining a dream diary for a few weeks. You don’t have to share this with me;” She added, having learned from experience that this suggestion apparently carries the connotation that she expects to read her patients’ every single meaningless dream and drivel from the past four weeks. She’d rather deep throat a phaser. “It’s a suggestion purely for you. Try to sleep at the same time every night, no drinking alcoholic drinks or other mind-altering substances. Consistency is key. Speaking of which...I won’t be prescribing you anything. I cannot justify it if there’s nothing inherently wrong with your biology. I can, however, send you along with an informative packet on lucid dreaming for further reading.”

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #16 –
[Ensign Six | Counseling Office/Ejek's Quarters | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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"Well the first of which should be rather easy. This is called grounding. If you'd like, you can do it now. Firstly, you want your eyes open for this one. Take a good look at the environment you're in. Feel the fabric of your clothes on your body, the weight of yourself on the chair. Feel the environment around you, the temperature and humidity of the air. Breathe in any smells... Then, ask yourself, are you awake or dreaming? You may also choose to perform a 'reality check'. Pinching your cheek or nose, reading text twice, anything simple."

"The purpose of this is to focus your mind on reality. You'll want to do this multiple times throughout the day, especially during moments of stress or high emotions. If you repeat this throughout the day, you'll find yourself repeating these in your dream. Essentially, this is how one lucid-dreams. From that point, you should become aware of your own dreaming and will become able to control it."

Six nodded. The ocular implant was especially helpful in letting her digest what Lieutenant Ejek said. She began the “grounding” technique. Breathed in, felt the environment. Afterwards, she pinched herself to ensure she wasn’t dreaming, or as a practice run. She smiled. It was so simple. And it was easy to remember; she’d remember things anyway, techniques she’d look up through her ocular implant, given how she was a computer herself.

“Well, these techniques seem simple enough,” said Six. “And I’ll bear the dream journal in mind. It’s all up here,” she added, tapping her finger against her head as anybody would do. “Literally, given my database through my implants.

“And I never take stimulants or alcoholic substances anyway,” she said. It was true. With her implants, the one time she got drunk at the academy, the resultant buzz led to a hangover that confined her in a sickbed for a week. And I appreciate the packet, thank you, Lieutenant.”

She meant it; she felt confident that this would help, especially given her lonely hours in her forensics lab, waiting for when she was needed. She was almost itching to try it. And the dream diary seemed simple enough, too, there were a variety of ways of keeping a diary...which occurred to her...

“And of course I don't have to share my dream diary with you. I get that the dream diary’s private,” she added with a smile. “Aren’t all diaries?”

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 09:00] The Hive Call

Reply #17 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Counseling office | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

She could pick up that Six felt very...positive, at the least. A positive mood was good—the more secure she felt while awake, the less likely nightmares were to happen while asleep. She sat down, pleased that her work had been successful. Hopefully, that success would hold. It’d be foolish to be overconfident right after the first visit.

“No, I’d rather you not. The diary, and the act of writing it, they’re both a type of meditation in and of itself.” She emphasized the ‘writing’ bit. Writing took time to do, it forced the brain to slow down and focus on putting thoughts into words and recording them. Though she certainly did have the means to record and output data without ever lifting a finger, the point was that finger-lifting was a requirement.

“If something about the content of your dreams troubles you, or if they continue or worsen in intensity, you’re certainly free to bring it to me. But professionally, I have no interest in your dream diary. It is for you and you alone.” Meaning please do not bring in the dream diary to pour over the contents. Ejek held a disdain for those who thought of her as little more than a professional dream interpreter.

“Now, between the dream diary and the meditations, I realize this all may seem a bit childish.” She continued, knowing fully that none of this was childish, “but you’ll find that though the mind is easy to agitate, it is similarly easy to placate. As long as you hold steady to the treatment, I expect to see good results for you.” A statement meant to instill a sense of confidence, but Ejek still had concerns. The scans showed nothing unusual besides stress and residue from panic. Surely, she’d see something, a dopamine spike, serotonin drop...some sort of imbalance, no matter how small. No, Six was optimal. The cleanest scan she’d had in weeks.

It was critical she did not display this concern. So she remained as calm and as pleased as she was before the thought hit. Most of therapy was acting, after all, and she was a solid actress. “Now, I suppose that’s really it for your session, unless you had other questions for me…?”

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ] The Hive Call

Reply #18 –
[Ensign Six | Counseling Office/Ejek's Quarters | Deck 15 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]  Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan
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“No, I don’t think there’s anything else, Lieutenant,” said Six. “Thank you very much for recommending these meditations to me.

“And I understand about not sharing my dream diary. It will be all in here,” she said, pointing to her cranium with a smile. “Literally. My implants make me a walking database in its own right, after all, but it can make quite a headache.”

She stood with a confident air.

“I will be grateful for this, Lieutenant,” she said with a smile. “After all, we always turn to our superior officers in times of need, especially if they’re counselors. I understand that you’re only the temporary executive officer, but from what I’ve seen so far, this vector is in good hands. You’re an excellent counselor, and I’m glad the Theurgy has someone like you aboard.”

[Ensign Six | Forensics Lab/Six's Alcove | Deck 17 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]

Returning to her forensics lab, Six felt the need to drop everything and just get to work with Lieutenant Ejek’s recommended meditations. She was very anxious, especially if it will help her avoid bad dreams, to help her sleep well…well, to have a good, uninterrupted regeneration cycle, anyway.

Excited as she was, she kept pinching herself en route, just to be sure. She may have been looking strange, but it was a recommendation from her counselor. And once she was back in her forensics lab, she began her meditations.

She felt a rush of gratitude towards Ejek. She felt she was a good person to turn to. Might take a while for either of them to become friends, especially due to the Cardassian nature to worry and be wary, but Six felt she was off to a good start.

OOC: After FollowTomorrow posts here, it will be the end of this supplemental. Just running low on ideas for this, not to mention the lengthiness between posts; slight writer's block in progression. But all the same, it was quite a great supplemental to write.

Re: Chapter 03: Supplemental [Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ] The Hive Call

Reply #19 –
[ Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek | Counseling office | Vector 03 | U.S.S. Theurgy ] @Multificionado

All stored right there, huh? Ejek could understand what she meant by a headache. She felt like she wasn’t being listened to...but what the hey. Let Six record it in her cranium if she liked. She sure did know how to butter her up though. The Cardassian offered her a smile.

“Remember Six, my door is always open for you.” But the ex-Borg was quickly on her way. Youth, she mused, as if she herself were not also young.

But...worry had it’s hold on her. This should’ve been just a quick, easy counseling session. She’s done hundreds of nightmare fixes just like this. Six wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last. She just happened to be the first with no clear cause…

She leaned to the side in the chair she occupied and twirled her hair  around her finger. Her mind analyzed all possibilities. Her gaze went back to her PADD, displaying everything the Federation knew about the psychology of borg and former borg. Six had the mentality of a child in some ways. Very eager, doesn’t apparently think very deeply...but she wasn’t. It was so easy to ascribe these nightmares as the usual growing pains, many liberated borg just like her had them. There was just enough doubt in her that she couldn’t take herself away from her PADD.

A shadow was cast in this office, and she could not dispel it...

~FIN
 
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