Good-mornings and Hellos

Posted on 28 Dec 2012 @ 8:07pm by Lieutenant Kiri Cho & Crewman Athlen

3,184 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4, Sickbay
Timeline: MD11 0830

ON:

"It's important," Athlen said again, moving one of the small silver sticks out of the half-formed sphere in front of him to place it at the side. The sphere wobbled for a minute and then reformed partway. "A ha, yes!" he called at finally mastering the maneuver.

"I do not comprehend why you place importance on unnecessary and quite likely unwanted interpersonal interaction," Liyar replied, studying the kal-toh configuration in front of him. He paused over the opposite side and lifted another of the rods out before replacing it. The sphere glowed for an instant before transforming into a full circle.

"Hey, you made me do that!" Athlen grouched out of turn, leaning down a little to study the game. "Before, it looked like the best solution. But if I hadn't, you wouldn't have had your mirror."

"Correct. The purpose is two-fold, as I explained. To utilize the nuances of the mirror to persuade your opponent to act to your own tactical advantage." Liyar began dissembling the set.

"I can see why this isn't common on Vulcan. It's like a ... a game, for your shields!" he grinned.

"Yes. We teach children to modify and control their shielding and perceptions of other presences with the mirror games," Liyar confirmed. "It is an essential part of understanding k'war'ma'khon."

"Which brings me back to my initial point! It's important to foster good relations with you and the crew. It's just like the atmosphere on any Vulcan ship." Liyar rose a skeptical brow at the term atmosphere, which was considerably unlike any Starfleet vessel, due to Vulcan's higher grav-- "I mean, the ambiance. The aura. You know, the threads," Athlen interrupted with a grin.

"The ambiance," Liyar repeated deadpan.

"Yep. This isn't a temporary posting. This is your ship, your shipmates. It's important to bond with them. If you don't go visit Lieutenant Cho, it sends a message that you don't care about her wellbeing, or about the wellbeing of people who could be affected by her illness. Solidarity, interpersonal support, those are very common themes aboard military vessels." Athlen worried one of the sticks between his fingers as he spoke.

"Yet, many will not do the same."

"You're right, many probably won't. And, like yourself, they would be viewed as being distant from the crew."

"You labor under the conception that I do not prefer to be distant," Liyar pointed out.

"Oh, believe me, there's no laboring of conceptions." Athlen smiled guilelessly. "You're a psi-native away from home. There's no literal way you're comfortable here. If it helps, think of the ship as your k'war'ma'khon. Instead of tapping into the mental energy, you have to expend physical effort. Go places. Talk to people."

Athlen stood and left Liyar to contemplate that for a while.

***
Kiri had been up for a half an hour and she was bored out her mind. Her orders were to remain in sickbay in bed and she would follow them. There was nothing to do though, no work to do, nothing to read, watch or even listen to. Kohl was nowhere to be seen either. Overall she felt much more like herself, her sleep hadn't been dreamless but she hadn't found it very painful. For the last twenty four hours she spent twenty three of them asleep and wanted to get back to work. Her head only hurt a little and her body was much better, still she was stuck here.

Tugging at greasy hair she let out a small sigh and closed her eyes again, why had she been so stupid about it as a problem? It didn't make any sense that she wouldn't talk to anyone about it, or come here sooner? Why was she so afraid of it? Scaring the life out of Maenad, getting blood everywhere and risking killing herself. It didn't make any sense. Was that part of being sick, stress, something else? Remembering stories about chemicals in the water making people crazy, was it something like that? That was silly yet, it had to be something?

From the door, the unexpected shadow of the diplomatic officer hovered for a few seconds, hesitating before resolutely stepping over the threshold. "You appear in need of stimulus," Liyar got to the point without preamble, setting down a few PADDs on the tray over Kiri's bed. They contained access to the ship's database and library, and another contained the reports and other work from the science deck he'd gotten off of the watch officer. It was surprisingly done of his own initiative, though none would expect that. Boredom it seemed was a universal constant, especially in hospitals, which Liyar knew his fair share of. He doubted anyone as cerebral as Kiri would appreciate being left to nothing for too lengthy a time.

With her eyes closed Kiri didn't hear him approach, it was with a start she lurched up half gasping. Opening her eyes she watch him place down the pads slightly confused. Her hands came together under the others, Liyar was a vulcan so she didn't expect him to be her first visitor that day. Did everyone know she was here, stupid, of course they did. Her voice stuck in her throat at first, "Th, thank you." Giving him a small smile she sat up more, "Sorry for not getting up."

Liyar found that like always, the ability to sustain adequate social interaction eluded him. Even moreso, this concept of seeing others while they were infirm, was alien to him. On Vulcan, such things would be a gross violation of privacy. "Apologies are unnecessary," Liyar maintained simply. He noted her unease with movement and recalled his own impression of the suggestion to come, so added, "I have been informed that it is common practice among many species to visit those who are ill. It is not my intention to disturb you."

"Oh, it's okay, you aren't disturbing me," Kiri didn't think she had made the situation seem problematic. Biting a dried lower lip for a second she flashed another smile, "I haven't really been to a hospital or visited someone that was sick before." Neither had she been sick enough to warrant some one coming to visit her before, "Thank you for thinking of me though." There were other people she would have hoped would have thought to visit her before Liyar did but it didn't matter. They were talking though, she had to do more of that, maybe he would be her friend, "Did you enjoy your time at the beach?"

"It was... an illuminating experience," Liyar said after a few moments of contemplation. "Have the medical staff informed you of when you are permitted to leave?"

"Not yet," She gave a small smile, "But I feel much better, just a little weak." Moving around was possible now but a pain, it left her aching and easily left her worn out. Just walking to the bathroom was enough to put her back to sleep for an hour.

"Have you previously experienced these symptoms?" he asked. He had noted that she'd experienced similar symptoms before, though they were on a much less severe scale. In fact, he could still sense whatever-it-was even now, and he had no idea why that was. He wasn't some kind of tricorder. But there it was.

"Do you mean losing consciousness?" Kiri tilted her head very slightly, "I've never had anything like that before." There was an unspoken but though, she didn't know if she should talk about things like that with him.

"Indeed. I find it difficult to adequately quantify. For the past several days, you have felt distinctly different than usual. In relation to these bizarre symptoms." Headaches, nosebleeds, exhaustion. That itching, uncertain thing he could feel in the air. It wasn't just Kiri, but he couldn't prove that. All he knew was something about this whole situation was off.

How did he know all these things? Had he been talking to Pola or the other medical staff? He had seen her nosebleed but he hadn't seen anything else had he, well other than her being tired. Letting out a sigh she looked down at her knees, "Since we arrived on this planet, I've found it hard to sleep."

"Have you noticed any similar occurrences in the rest of your crew?" he asked, leaning down to examine a potted plant. He wasn't sure if it was hers or if the staff just left it there. "Is it possible to have contracted the symptoms from another?" he added on, expression neutral. Realizing how he must have sounded, he continued, "Pardon me. I do not mean to pry."

"Its not an illness, just a," She didn't really want to answer but what did it really matter? "Bad dream." Forcing an uncomfortable smile she shrank back into the pillows slightly, her medicated sleep didn't have dreams but it couldn't last forever.

Not the greatest at social understanding, he only noticed a little bit later that he was making her uncomfortable and he drew himself up slightly, backing off. His tendency to ask an infinite amount of questions often bothered more reticent people, but it was the only way he really knew how to carry on a conversation. "I see," he said instead. "You should rest now," he suggested. Sort of.

"I haven't spent this long in bed since I had the flu when I was ten," She smiled again, showing a glimpse of white teeth this time, "But you must have other things to do?" Kiri realised that maybe he had enough of spending time with her and was trying to leave.

Liyar percolated that a little, before pulling out a PADD, since he was Vulcan and Vulcans didn't lie. "There are always things to be done. However, I am adequately able to manage my time."

"Okay," Kiri didn't know if that was a yes or a no but since he didn't make motion to move she assumed he was staying. Smiling she fidgeted slightly, "Would you like to go to a group event again?"

"To what do you refer?" Liyar asked, putting the PADD away again.

"When we were playing games on the beach," Kiri had really enjoyed that, "Or just doing things with other people." Overall she felt a lot brighter, she was happy to be be talking to Liyar.

Liyar nodded. "I will participate in future events," the Vulcan confirmed. Though he didn't add because Athlen will make me, as he figured that might be tactless. But Cho's company wasn't so bad, it might not be too awful.

"Would you like to play Kal-toh at some point?" Chess hadn't been his game, but something he was used to might be more fun for him.

"Perhaps. I assume you indicate the standard version?" he asked, though he suspected the answer already. Trills and Terrans were not generally psi-receptive, though he withheld immediate judgment as he also knew some Trills were fully familiar with telepathy, guarding the symbionts in their caves.

"There are different versions?" Kiri had played it a few times but no one have ever spoken of there being a standard version or not."

"Affirmative. The version I am most familiar with utilizes several psionic components," Liyar explained. "Kal-toh'haulat. It is an exercise of logic as well as of one's telepathic facility."

"Oh," She didn't know anything about being telepathic though some Trill could be, she had read as much, "I don't think I can play that version then."

"Yes. That was my initial assessment. Nevertheless, should you wish to practice Kal-toh'Shi'Kahrsu -" he blurted out and then realized it probably sounded foreign, " - The standard version - I will attempt availability."

"I would like to but how do you play the other versions?" It had her attention now, she had never liked the idea of anyone reading her mind and fought against it. She had never tried to learn anything about telepathy though.

"Those who are psi-null find it unsettling, I am told. It is a game of mirroring and influencing mental states, tactical patterns and psionic shielding. One must be proficient at both the telepathic aspect as well as the physical game," Liyar said. "It consists of mirrored movements, which resonate from eachother. The mental influences begin to shape the movement of the game. It is difficult to explain verbally."

"Are there any tests for being psychic?" She wouldn't think for a moment that she would be but there was always a chance. If it would make for a more interesting game then maybe she should try. It also might make her more useful to the ship, that was always good. It might even make people easier to deal with, if she knew what they were thinking.

"There are. I am uncertain as to the average Trill psi-ability. Most Vulcans rate within the P5-6 range," he said. "If you wish, I can forward you the necessary applications." He had been delaying his own retake, though he wasn't sure why, but it was an unconscious aversion.

"What do you mean applications?" This was something that Kiri knew nothing about and none of it made sense to her. It might be better if she researched this but talking was nice.

"To undergo testing," Liyar clarified.

"Okay," She was starting to feel rather stupid now, "So what are the tests like? What do you have to do?"

"A psi-test is generally done face to face, with a P8 instructor or higher," Liyar said. He didn't seem too bothered by her questions. "If you desire to do this on board the Galileo, the only person qualified to administer such a test would be myself. While Lieutenant Coleman is El-Aurian, I do not believe her psionic capacity extends toward the minutiae of delivering such a test." As far as he understood it was a more cosmic sense. "You would require to ask her. After your applications have been processed, you would submit to a myriad of tasks. These include scans, shielding, communication, perception, intuition, as well as environmental and interpersonal readings. It is rather intensive, to one unused to mental contact," he said.

"That is the only way to find out if you are psychic?" It seemed rather complicated to her, to go through all this before even knowing if it was something she was capable of.

"That is the testing," Liyar corrected. "There are many forms of psionic ability. Some are not always self-evident, such as for instance the ability to read thoughts by proximity or the ability to sense neural patterns through touch," he said. "For people with these abilities, knowing they are 'psychic'," he repeated the term deadpan, "Is quite obvious. But most psionic ability is congenital. What you may perceive as normal," he emphasized the word, "May in fact be psi-related. As a test of these abilities, it is logical for it to be thorough."

"I see," Kiri just about saw but it was still pretty dense, "Do you think it is something worth perusing?" It sounded like a lot of work but it might be useful, she didn't really feel that she had any such abilities but Liyar was right. It might be normal to her so she would never know if she had it or not unless she was tested.

Liyar shrugged an eyebrow. "I believe it is your prerogative. I do not think you would fully know your capacity, if you did not," he admitted, with the bias that only a telepathic race could have, "But many individuals do not see fit to take the test, and they all function adequately. The advantage the test gives you is in whether or not you seek to further hone your abilities. It would depend on your own level of interest in the matter."

"How long would it take to do, would it be bias for you to help me through it?" She had almost made up her mind now, assuming that it wasn't going to be too much to do on top of her other work.

Liyar blinked at that. Bias? What would bias have to do with it? He shook his head. "It is simply a fact of life. Personal bias would not enter into the equation," he said, a little confusion permeating his tone. "I will forward you the application promptly." As if unconsciously displaying his own psionic facility, he seemed to deduce her decision on the matter. "It should not be long before you are approved. The test itself would take approximately two to three standard hours."

"Would you have time in the next few days?" It wasn't something that needed to be rushed but it didn't make sense to leave too long. She also wouldn't be allowed to do as much work as she had been doing after this. At least she shouldn't appear to be.

"Affirmative." It was shore leave, after all.

"Okay, I think I'll try it soon," Right now seemed a bit of a push but when she was back up and moving around, surely she would have a few hours she could spend trying to do some tests, it might even be fun.

Liyar nodded. "Very well. As we only have few remaining days aboard Vega IX, it would be prudent to expedite the proceedings."

"Oh, thank you," Kiri didn't know if it was the end of the current conversation but it was nice of him to put it ahead of everything else he had to do. Smiling again she shifted upwards a little more, leaning on her elbows. She also felt stronger, enough to sit up at least. Was it too much to say? "I, enjoy your company."

Liyar tilted his head a little at that. He wasn't very sure of the proper response, and it seemed to show. Only a few days ago he was sure she was terrified of him. Maybe Athlen's advice was working? People didn't jump when he walked in the room anymore, or look at him like he was a le-matya preparing for dinner. "I believe the corresponding response is thank you," he ventured cautiously, which was a little better than what he might have said eleven days ago. In the end he merely clasped his hands behind him and bowed his head in farewell. "I shall go and attend the processing forms now."

Kiri smiles again, "Okay, and thank you again for the pads." He was older and different from Sellen, more silted and somehow more reactive. Still she found it easier to get along with him than most people, there was much less worry about what he thought about her. Nervously she added as he left, "Bye."

OFF:

Lieutenant (JG) Kiri Cho
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (JG) Liyar
Diplomatic Officer, VDF/SDD
USS Galileo

Crewman Athlen
Sociologist, SCC
USS Galileo

 

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