[I-CRR] JP: Capt. Kells & Lt. Cmdr. Skyfire -- Different Ship, Same Conversation (Part 2)

[chythar skyfire]

(( Captain’s Ready Room ))

:: Something seemed slightly different about this promotion than his last, and he couldn’t place his finger on it exactly. With the natural progression of things so far, he opened the condenser and removed the pip, affixing it to his collar before setting the now empty container on the desk. This was definitely going to take some getting used to. ::

Skyfire: Alright. :: He had another sip of his coffee. :: I’ll start by telling you that you are the third captain I’ve had the pleasure of serving under since I joined Starfleet. Now, ask away. Any questions you have, I will answer to the best of my ability.

:: Aron leaned back in his chair, taking the old converter of Egan Manno’s as he did so. He stashed it away, thinking about the best way to respond. ::

Kells: I was worried about you during the last mission. I’m afraid that you may have moved too quickly back into the full scope of your duties following what I understand was a rather traumatic assumption of some advanced telepathic powers.

:: Truth be told, the only reason why it was so incredibly painful was because Ris was recovering from a rather significant loss. When she lashed out as she did, it was a sudden burst of anger that had punched right through his shields and did actually hurt like bloody hell. ::

Skyfire: It was actually Raissa’s loss of the Community that affected me as such, which caused a severe headache and made it necessary for me to take the inhibitor in the first place. The Community provided shielding that she lost when they were returned. As a result, it made my life just a wee bit more complicated for a while.

Kells: I’m no counselor, Doctor -- but I’ll ask you to self-assess. How are you doing? Really?

:: That was a good question -- how was he doing? He’d met with Saveron sometime in the last twenty four hours, and gotten temporary shields he’d been studying and rebuilding for twelve. He got maybe five hours sleep at best, and was still a little coffee-deprived. He had another sip of his drink to contemplate the answer. ::

Skyfire: I’m not good at it, but honestly? I feel fine. The ambient noise level has dropped since Saveron helped me out with some shielding. If I had to take a guess at my telepathic and empathic level right now, I’d say T4/E6? :: He paused and and took a moment to gather the words to put that into Standard. :: I can read two-lobed species telepathically without contact and anyone empathically without contact.

Kells: Oh? That is ::beat:: quite a leap over the human standard.

:: And certainly more powerful than anything Aron had ever had to contend with. Now that this had happened, Aron wondered if it wasn’t time to consult with Saveron and Alora both, ask them if they recalled where they’d left off years ago in the investigation of his experimental weak telepathy. He hadn’t really thought about it in a while -- it was barely an ability, really, no more than occasional ESP -- but it might help him better understand what Skyfire was going through if he considered his own experience. ::

Skyfire: You said you wish to know me better. Would understanding how I got these strange powers in the first place help? I don’t mind explaining how it happened.

Kells: Yes, it would. If you don’t mind.

:: He nodded slowly and had another sip of coffee before recounting his tale, as strange as it sounded. ::

Skyfire: For the longest time, I had been building up my mental resistance to avoid setting off the Betazoid chief of medicine I served under. I had a patient of the Dokkaran species who came to me with sensory difficulties. In preventing him collapsing to the ground, I tried to catch him in order to keep him on the bio-bed, and was successful. In that moment, our nervous systems linked and I woke up on the floor with no mental shields. When he asked me for his help, I agreed. Then our minds melded. He needed my mental resistance to overcome his problem, and somehow he lost control of it. When contact was broken, I was once again on the floor and without that mental resistance with a splitting headache. Somehow during a drug induced haze, I came to the realization I was telepathic and empathic with other humans only, no contact. Thus my last recorded rating of T2/E2. I will need to undergo a new set of scans to record my current rating.

(( Full Story: The Mind Is A Complicated Thing Part 1, Part 2, Trapped In The Mind ))

​​

Kells: That’s ::beat:: quite improbable, isn’t it? Is it supported anywhere in the literature, or do the Dokkarans have records of similar incidents?


Skyfire: Believe me when I say I had no idea it was even possible for telepathy to be introduced in that fashion. I swear, until Saveron checked I didn’t know I was the only human with such a bizarre case on record.


Kells: But not, perhaps, the Dokkarans?


Skyfire: Perhaps not. I hadn’t thought about getting in touch with them.


Kells: I’d encourage you to look into it, Doctor. It may be that this is something without precedent for a human, but that this is something that the Dokkarans know as a potential complication. Any knowledge they may have could be useful to you.


Skyfire: I’ll look into it. Try to get in contact with them.


Kells: Regardless of what you may find, what do you plan to do now -- that you are that strangest of creatures, the human telepath?


Skyfire: I...have no idea. Do my job, I guess.


Kells: Well, there’s no reason to address it all at once. Let’s talk about the crew, if you don’t mind? ::beat:: I’ve been wondering, for example, about Commander Core.


:: He noted the shift in tone, and recognized it as concern. Back to the crew. The medical files. Certain crew he was concerned about. Understandable. ::


Skyfire: An interesting case, that. Saveron and I are planning to meet and discuss it in more detail. I have only theories at this point, though when I last gave him a physical, his neural scan was a mess. I can only suspect it’s something unique to Rodulan physiology that I haven’t encountered before. Saveron may know more than me in that regard, being a xenobiologist and all. :: He paused and had a sip of his coffee -- CD’s own file said he was a xenobiologist as well, but he focused on plants. :: He’s also known the crew longer than I have, so may know more about Tristam specifically than I do.


Kells: Maybe, and I appreciate your willingness to consult with others -- but don’t forget, you’re the chief medical officer aboard this vessel, and with your promotion, your rank can only help your authority. If you want to take action with regard to Core and his condition, then, as the CMO, you’re authorized to do so.


:: He pondered over what that meant, and also whether or not Core had already been relieved of duty. He certainly hadn’t been the one to pull that card, and was a little too busy dealing re-learning his personnel after the transfer to have the time. ::


Skyfire: Acknowledged.


Kells: I must admit, though, that I’m not up to speed on everything that may have happened -- by which I mean, I’m not sure what would be appropriate in this case. Nor do I want you to break any confidentialities, but: Should I be concerned?


:: Time could prove to be either his enemy or his ally, and right now he didn’t know which it would prove to be. He had to think, and mentally went down the list in his head. He had a sip of his coffee to stall for time as he ticked off on his fingers. First, the list of known problems: Tristam and his limited communication ability. Raissa, with the loss of the Community and now loss of control regarding her telepathic abilities. Evan, recently relieved of duty following conduct unbecoming of a Starfleet officer. Nobody’s life was in immediate jeopardy, so he could keep the confidences for the moment. As he swallowed his coffee, he gave a shake of his head. ::


Skyfire: Not at the moment. I’d say that the crew is a little shaken by the transfers and last mission, but otherwise at least physically in perfect health. Mentally is another story, and I’d advise you consult Counselor Moonsong on that front.


Kells: I will certainly do so. ::beat:: Then, unless there’s nothing more?


:: The doctor picked up his coffee and stood up. It was probably a little too early in their relationship at the moment for him to be on a first name basis with the captain. They’d made progress towards getting to that level, but weren’t there yet. ::


Skyfire: Nothing else I can think of.


Kells: Very good. ::beat:: Congratulations, Commander. And dismissed.


Skyfire: Thank you, sir. :: He performed a perfect about-face and headed toward sickbay. ::


===

Captain Aron Kells

Commanding Officer

USS Invicta


&


Lieutenant Commander Chythar Skyfire

Chief Medical Officer

USS Invicta NCC-48921