On the Bridge...again?

Posted on Sun Mar 10th, 2024 @ 7:13pm by Lieutenant T'kara & Lieutenant Azrel Vox

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 5: The Price of Paradise
Location: Bridge

T'kara stepped off the turbolift, her boots hitting the cool metal of the bridge. She let the door slide shut behind her, the quiet hiss nearly lost in the low hum of the ship's systems.

She paused for a moment, rooted to the spot as she took in the scene before her. The crew moved with a practiced efficiency, each person a cog in a well-oiled machine. They were familiar to her, their faces etched into her memory from countless hours spent in their company.

Her gaze swept across the room, taking in the different stations. The engineering console, with its array of blinking lights and switches. The communication station, where crew members relayed messages to and from other parts of the ship. The science station, often buzzing with the latest discoveries.

Each hum, beep, and low murmur of conversation was a familiar symphony to her ears. It was a symphony of activity that spoke of duty and dedication, a testament to the crew's relentless pursuit of their mission. It was a scene that was as reassuring to T'kara as it was inspiring.

She stepped forward, and down into the “Command pit”; the sunken area that housed the Captain’s seat as well as the navigation and helm station.

“I’m your relief,” she said, gently, to the Gamma Shift navigator. The Andorian lieutenant, whose name eluded T’kara, nodded his thanks and slid out of the seat, effectively handing over the controls to T’kara. Being in the station as they were, there was no need to check position or location; T’kara wasn’t even sure why the Bridge was fully manned. But those were the orders…

Aze was at her station, completing a few tasks she had left over from her shift. The captain had allowed her to stay on into the Gamma Shift to complete them. She noticed the Rigelian who had just come onto the bridge, taking over from the current Navigator.

She finally finished her tasks. After logging out of her station, she walked over to the navigation station.

"Hello Lieutenant, T'kara, is that correct?" she asked.

“Guilty as charged, Lieutenant. What can I do for you,” T’kara asked the Trill officer. She hadn’t encountered a Trill before, so naturally she was curious. However, as she’d learned in the Academy, not every species appreciated curiosity like her people did. She made a mental note to ask about the spots, though. T’kara, for some aesthetic reason or another, thought they looked dignified or even just exotic enough to warrant questions.


"Seeing as we have encountered each other a few times on the bridge but haven't had a chance to chat, I thought I would introduce myself. I'm Lieutenant Azrel Vox, Chief Communications Officer. You are a Rigelian, right? Being very much into all forms of communication, I have an interest in meeting as many other species as I can. A face to the language so to speak. " Aze explained

“Hey, there…yes, I am Rigelian. It’s nice to finally meet you properly, Lieutenant,” T’kara replied warmly.

“May I ask you a personal question…I hope it doesn’t come off as rude or intrusive…my people value knowledge immensely,” T’kara said, taking her chance.

"Sure, go ahead. Knowledge is better than ignorance." Aze commented

“I’ve never encountered a Trill before…are there many like yourself in Starfleet,” T’kara asked, glancing at the controls and making sure nothing had changed.

“I’m one of the few Rigelians but everyone usually mistakes me for a Vulcan. It can get a bit lonely and frustrating, if I let the situation get to me,” she confessed.

"But I suppose everyone has their own unique challenges and experiences in Starfleet, don't they?" she added, turning back towards the Trill officer with a small, understanding smile.

"Actually there are not many Trill's in Starfleet. From what I know, there are roughly 15. But, only 6 of them are, like myself, joined Trill's." Aze replied.

T’kara smiled a sheepish, almost embarrassed, smile.

“Joined? What’s that mean…I’m at a loss there,” she said, hoping she didn’t just make the entire situation awkward.

"I mean, you're clearly a distinct species, right? Is there some sort of...unification process that you undergo?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"The Trill race has a symbiotic relationship with another lifeform on our world know as the symbionts. There are considerably less of them than the humanoid species and only a small number of the humanoid species able to be joined with a symbiont. It's a lengthy process involving training and psychology evaluation. You might like to read up about it sometime. The symbionts live much longer than us humanoids and when a host dies they are transplanted to a new host who then attains the skills and memories accrued by the symbiont from previous hosts. " Aze explained.

“That sounds…intense,” T’kara said. She glanced at the control station and then back to Vox.

“Wait…so you have someone else’s memories on top of any that you make…with this…symbiote,” T’kara exclaimed a second later.

“How fascinating! In my culture, knowledge of any kind has a high value placed on it; personal knowledge doubly so,” T’kara explained.

"Yes that's correct. Long after I am gone, the Vox symbiont will continue living for up to 800 years and have multiple hosts. 200 years from now, the host of Vox will remember what ever I do, here and now plus my skills and personality. "

Aze added

T’kara performed another sweep of her console before commenting.

"I can't even begin to imagine how profound an experience that must be," she said, her eyes reflecting a mix of awe and curiosity. "So, it's like you're living multiple lives at once. Truly remarkable."

With a thoughtful expression, T'kara fell silent for a moment, her gaze turning inward as she contemplated the unique existence of the Trill. It was a concept almost entirely alien to her, yet it held a certain allure that she found hard to resist.

She turned her attention back to the Trill officer, a new question forming in her mind. "Does it ever get overwhelming?" she asked, her tone gentle, "Having so many memories, so many experiences all at once?"


"Not really multiple lives. I live my life but with the memories and experiences of my previous host, as I am the second host for Vox. There are Joined Trill's who have had many more than I have and that is when it can be a little overwhelming in the first few days after being joined. " Aze explained.

“Was there anything you had to do…you know, special for Starfleet to accept you? Like the oath of celibacy I have to maintain on file,” T’kara asked casually.

T'kara quickly glanced at the console, ensuring all was well before her gaze returned to the Trill officer, her curiosity evident. "Or does Starfleet have a more open acceptance policy towards joined species?" she inquired.

"I don't think there was anything additional I needed to do to join Starfleet. However, the Trill Symbiosis Commission ensured that Starfleet Medical has sufficient information regarding Joined Trills so should any issues occur whilst away from the homeworld, they could be dealt with but there still could be times when a return trip to Trill is essential." Aze replied.

“I don’t know if this is too much, but what about your family? Are they joined too,” T’kara asked, hoping she didn’t cross a boundary with the question.

“Were they supportive of you joining Starfleet,” she asked, rapid fire. She thought back to her own experience with her family and her clan; neither had been that pleased with her choice.

"Oh no. Only a small percentage of the population can be joined. They were very supportive of me joining Starfleet. I am the first in our family to actually go off-world, so you can imagine the barrage of questions I am going to get the next time I am back home for leave. " Aze replied.

T’kara smiled and nodded at the thought.

“Probably as many as I’m going to get when I return home. I’m not the first Rigelian to join Starfleet, but I am the first in my family,” she explained.

T’kara sheepishly grinned and looked at the Trill officer.

“Sorry, I’ve been blasting you with questions since you sat down! I didn’t mean to grill you.”

Aze laughed. "Worry not. I am completely fine with it. I'm a communications officer, so communication is my thing. I love sharing information and learning about people, planets and cultures. It helps make friends along the way. " Aze commented.

The two finished chatting and got back to their respective work. Vox took a glance back towards T'Kara. She was happy she had made another friend.


Post by
Lieutenant Azrel Vox
Chief Communications Officer

&

Lieutenant T'kara
Chief Navigator

 

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