A Journey of Thought

Posted on 11 Sep 2012 @ 9:19pm by Captain Jonathan Holliday & Ambassador Si'tar Del'an

1,359 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: USS Galileo - Corridors
Timeline: MD-09: 0600 hours

[ON]

A Vorta of all things. Why was it that on his first mission as XO, John would get the dubious honour of losing his captain, being attacked by Klingons, having to hide in a nebula, then almost losing his ship to an explosion that left him with nothing but a Vorta prisoner to show for it? Command was going to have a field day reading his report when they made it back to Earth....

The Bridge was his next destination - the Ready Room that had become his temporary home was still littered with work for him to complete, including one not-so-unimportant PADD containing his notes for a rescue mission.

As he passed a branching corridor, Del'an appeared and fell into step at his side as if it were the most natural thing in the world for them to meet like that. She did not speak right away, walking along with him in silence for a little while.

Not stopping to find out why he had suddenly been given a travelling companion, John kept his eyes on the course ahead of him, giving nothing but a moment of silence before eventually succumbing to his own curiosity.

"Are you lost ma'am?"

"I am not," the Tarkannan woman replied, "Are you?"

"Heh... if you were anyone else I'd assume you meant literally... and then I'd call you an idiot for thinking I was lost on my own ship... but that's not what you're referring to is it?"

"If you are unable to find the bridge of your ship, then it is what I mean. If you are unable to find the answer to the question before you, then that is what I mean. Not all paths are meant for feet."

"I don't think that I'll ever get the hang of your vernacular... but I think I have an idea of what you mean... you're asking am I troubled about something, correct?"

His responses seemed to amuse her, for she glanced at him from the corner of her eye and her firm lips twitched at the corners. "Why are you so concerned with what I think? Do not consider my question, only your answer. Give the answer you need, not the answer I need, for I need none."

Sighing for a moment, Holliday came to an abrupt stop as he tapped on the control panel to summon the turbolift, before rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand and looking at his feet.

"I'm trying to figure out if an enemy from years ago is still an enemy or not... interesting puzzle, huh?"

"Yes," Del'an conceded, "but perhaps the puzzle is not what you believe it to be." She paused, as if thinking how to express herself in a way he would understand, her eyes studying the officer's. She was unhurried, and at last, as the turbolift doors opened and she stepped inside before him, she said, "On Arun R'lantha, we say that only a fool solves a puzzle before he knows the solution."

Before the XO could get any further in his line of thought, the sound of the approaching turbolift grabbed his attention, followed swiftly by the doors in front of him opening, ready to receive it's guests. Stepping inside, Holliday watched as his impromptu travelling companion followed him inside and the door began to move.

"Deck One - Bridge."

The Tarkannan woman looked around the turbolift and then at John. "You have seen the puzzles made from metal that you must solve by moving pieces to open? Ta'rkan are fond of such things. But a human will, without knowing why and without reason, move the pieces and make the puzzle more difficult to solve and eventually he will become frustrated. A Ta'rkan will look at a puzzle, study it, and examine, and when they are sure of their path, they solve the puzzle only once. There is great respect for those who can do this without error, who can see the twists of the metal and understand them as well as the one who created them.

"Then is it not all the worse when you do not even know what the puzzle looks like, but rather fumble blindly with it, believing it to be a puzzle you have seen before when in fact it is a new one?

Once again the Tarkannan ability to speak without giving a direct answer in what John could call conventional English never ceased to amaze him. That said, whether or not it was just his own intelligence deciphering the words the more he heard them, or some kind of latent telepathy that he simply wasn't aware of, her words started to make sense.

"So... this isn't a new problem? It's one I've faced before in a different guise? Sort of like a wolf in sheep's clothing kinda situation?"

"I do not know that expression," Del'an said, "But you should not ask me, as if I know the answer. I do not. I know how answers are sought, however. Tell me, this enemy from years ago, you are not sure he is your enemy now, so what should you do to solve this puzzle?"

"In all honesty... I don't know if I want to solve it... I'd rather just blow him out an airlock or keep him in the Brig until we get back to Earth then hand him over to Starfleet security."

"That would be throwing away the puzzle in frustration, do you not think?"

"Maybe, but it'd make me sleep a helluva lot easier."

Sighing for a moment, Holliday thought on the problem a little further. How exactly does one know when the enemy is still the enemy? Was there some kind of test he could do? Maybe try and examine the Vorta's memory engrams and see if he was telling the truth? Perhaps if there was enough power to run the science labs he could look into it... but that wasn't exactly easy right now.

"If you want to know if your enemy is still the enemy... then put them in a situation and see if they would act as your enemy would... if they do... fine... shoot them... if they don't... think again?"

"A crude solution," Del'an mused, "will that tell you what you need to know?"

Before Holliday could formulate a reply, the turbolift came to an abrupt stop as it reached it's destination - the Bridge. The doors in front of Holliday swung open expectantly, waiting for it's cargo to step off the elevator and onto their final destination.

"It'll tell me if I need to put a phaser beam through his chest... yes. Crude, yet efficient, wouldn't you agree?"

"Perhaps I do," Del'an said as she stepped off the turbolift without waiting for John, "And perhaps I do not."

Nodding to the various junior officers manning their posts as he stepped onto the Bridge, Holliday made no attempt to head towards the central chair, instead veering off and heading to the Ready Room. He had been getting used to having an office so close to his usual point of work, and in all honesty, was probably going to miss it a little when this mission was over.

"So... what was the point of this whole conversation? I mean, if you aren't going to give your opinion, it hasn't really served a purpose?"

"If that is what you believe," the woman replied, "then indeed it has not. I cannot guide you, only provide light so you may see the path before you. You must decide for yourself whether this person is an enemy or a friend, I cannot do that for you, but perhaps now you will consider both paths before choosing that of violence?" She stopped in front of the ready room door and gazed at the commander intently.

"Perhaps I will... good day Ambassador."

With a courteous nod to his impromptu travelling companion, Holliday turned and tapped the door release button, heading inside as soon as he could to muse on his latest encounter.

[OFF]

Lt Cmdr Jonathan Holliday
Executive Officer
USS Galileo

Si'tar Del'an
VIP
played by Psylus Anon

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