Pandora's Box

Posted on Wed Mar 2nd, 2022 @ 12:42pm by Commodore Keiben Haistro & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant Commander Junjie Han

1,527 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 4 - The Fires Of Hades
Location: Ward Room
Timeline: Timeline: Mission Day -584,948 @ 1524 Hours

ON

Keiben watched as his senior officers filed out of the room but as a test sent a telepathic word to Mel to which she picked up, nodded acknowledgment, and waited... This worried Keiben as much as everything else. It took time for a non Betazoid to develop the connection needed to be considered Imzadi and as much as he believed she was his Imzadi it had also not been a substantive amount of time and thus this was not a true form of that. Something else was going on.

"Junjie... could you wait please!"

"Of course Sir." As he paused to see what problem the Captain needed resolving.

Once the doors closed with the customary Cardassian mechanical hiss he laced his fingers together and looked directly at Mel.

"We need to know what that machine did to you Mel... Something is wrong here, very wrong and I know you can read me as well as I can read you now. You know what I was just thinking!"

Junjie tried to hide a surprised expression. "After hearing this, the first item I'd bring up is to get medical with the investigation as well as the science department. Melanie, your the CMO. Who is the person you'd trust the most to help you should it come to that? I'm sorry to ask such a frank question, but just in case I'd like to cover that question as not to be blind sided later down the road."

Mel wasn't overly impressed Keiben had felt the need to bring Junjie in at the first instance with this. She would have preferred to speak with her husband first.

"Harley Horn," she said without batting an eyelid. "In terms of medicine. Anything else Keiben is legally my next of kin."

It was true. She could have given it Paddy. He was over 18 but if she had done that Charlie would have kicked off and it was too much for a 14 year, nor was she happy about the idea of both her children sharing it when they were separated so far. So Keiben was now her next of kin and as the closest person next to her the one she hoped would help with anything. Yet she might need to rethink that decision IF he didn't feel it important to talk to her first. She felt a little thrown to the wolves now.

It dawned on her she should have said T'Sehn for medical too. As they had conducted a couple of brain scans. But she didn't know that Vulcan well, nor as long as Harley. She doubted they would be offended.

"I can't read you all the time. But when I do its starting to become stronger," she told her husband. "We have been running some scans. Before we came here, my overall brain neurology is working seven percent more than is standard for Trill physiology and there was also small traces of the Betazoid neurotransmitter called Psilosynine. Trill physiology does not produce this neurotransmitter!"

"The most recent one showed a higher rise of both. 10% brain capacity and higher traces of Psilosynine," she stated. "I was keeping notes to write a paper. My theory is that Trills had the ability for telepathy at some point but the gland in the brain shrunk. That's as far as I have got as well its not like I can do trials to test that theory. But now its like the machines put certain information in my brain and sometimes things are prompting it to release. Like then. And," she pulled a tricorder out of her pocket. "I scanned during the meeting. My brain capacity spiked during that moment."

The Captain's side of Keiben started to collapse in on itself. The weight of his feelings for Mel erupted through the shell his profession created around him. She was his wife, his soul mate and his worry for her was starting to affect his judgment.

"As your Captain, I should remain calm and level-headed Mel but I can't... I'm scared and this is why I have asked Junjie to be here... I can be your Husband rather than your commanding officer".

He had moved to her during his last statement and taken a hand in his own and squeezed gently. "As your Commanding Officer and as your Husband, I couldn't do anything!"

"I don't know what's happening either. I'm scared too," she admitted squeezing his hand back. "But it might be useful. And part of me, not just me. The "others" are in agreement .... well except Hal ... but he's .. as we know traumatized by the T'Kon from his earlier experiences .. the rest feel it's supposed to be happening."

"Do you believe in destiny Lieutenant?" she asked Junjie.

Junjie thought a moment before answering. "I would say that I do believe in destiny, I've seen enough to know that not everything is caused by random chance. There has to be logic and design in all aspects. Are you saying that we are meant to be here? If so, then what are we here to witness? And for what reason?"

Keiben just watched, still squeezing his wife's hand tightly, his own misgivings about her train of thought entirely unimportant right now.

Junjie gave Mel a curious glance. "Do you have some type of insight into this situation?" He asked. "Do you perhaps have some vague inkling of what's going on? If so please try to put it into words so we can figure out what's going on, Right now anything would be helpful."

"It would and I wish I could tell you more than we are exactly where we should be. I know it. I feel it in my soul. All this is supposed to be happening. Destiny is in play," Mel said simply wishing she didn't sound like a weirdo prophet or nutjob. "If we don't follow this through then what we come back to will be even more different," Mel mused.

"What I can tell you Junjie", Keiben started. Concern and worry very audible in his voice. "When I sense Mel... I can still feel the Mel I know and love but there is something else there... It goes far deeper, similar to a genetic memory such as the Kelpians or Gorn have but it feels cold, almost metallic. I'm sorry, I know non of that is scientifically helpful in any way!"

"It worries me that you sense part of me as cold and metallic. Your sister wasn't exactly nice in her description of me either. She said something similar," the Trill said.

"It doesn't mean you are... But I can sense something that the machine did!" he said pushing his feelings of love and concern over to her so she knew he didn't see or feel her as cold.

She hated this. How could there be a cold part of her? What if this grew ... like this brain capacity was doing. What if she ended up alienating or frightening Keiben so much and lost another husband. It was one thing to know events had to occur to keep their reality as it was but the idea of her turning into something horrible .... was too much to bare. She had just found her happy again.

Junjie looked back and forth between the two. "Well, genetic memory isn't always a bad thing. Most species wouldn't even be around if it weren't for some form of genetic memory, it helps keeps the species safe and thriving." he could see that his friends were worried about each other, which is understandable since they're married and very much in love with each other. "I don't have the ability to sense others' feelings as you do, But I don't see any change in Melanie's behavior or personality. To me, she seems to be the same kind and caring person she has always been, but if there is some underlying genetic memory it may provide the answers we need or at least point us in the direction we need to find answers or to find peace of mind. The only thing I can really suggest is to watch wait and study how the events unfold and if something does occur, we'll take the appropriate measures as needed."

"It is still me Chief," Mel said. "And hopefully there will be no need for appropriate measures."

"Before we leave Junjie", the Captain said becoming the commanding officer once more. "I need to ask that this stays between us three... for now!"

Junjie chuckled. "I certainly hope it's still you, I have no reason to believe otherwise." He said to Melanie. He then turned to face Keiben. "Keiben, As far as I'm concerned this is a family matter, and will be held in the strictest of confidence. The only way this information will get out is if you tell someone, It's no one else's business." He paused a few seconds. "Besides, We've been friends long enough that you know I'm no gossip. The only gossip I'm interested in is the new piece of tech coming in from starfleet that's going into my lab to help me do my job better. " He said with a grin.

END

 

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