Ensign Jana Zicv - Primus Ordiri

[Jana Zicv]

((Science Lab - Deck Four - USS Arrow))
 
The Melthusian was drained by that mental harassment and would not last much, even though she had stopped resisting. It was difficult to think straight as it was to coordinate her actions. She barely could keep her eyes open and the head up. But when she started feeling the life-force abandoning her… another command popped up inside her mind.
 
Thomson: ~ Deactivated the field. Quickly. Now!!!! ~
 
She immediately complied, laying her left-hand over the console. However, as an extra security measure, a voice code was necessary.  At that time she was so confused that could not discern between speaking or thinking. It sounded exactly the same.
 
Zicv: ~ Security Code…  Jana… Zicv… Alpha… Omega… Mother…. ~
 
A final breath came out and with it a sensation of cutting a string. That intimacy between the body and consciousness.  And in the wake of that unique experience, she thought about how Captain Shayne personally had come down to the robotics lab on Starbase 821 to invite her to join USS Arrow. That act had a huge impact on her decision and changed her fate completely. For good or bad it didn't matter anymore.
 
She also thought about the fifty-eight members of Arrow that she would be able to protect and the forty or so that she would never have the opportunity to meet. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - that was a pearl of Vulcan wisdom that suited the occasion. Before everything went dark… she gave the last code.
 
Zicv: ~ Box ~
 
Thomson: ~ You have to say it. Say it!  Saaaay it! ~
 
((Time Dilation Event))
 
The sensation was that she was diving in muddy waters. Everything was slowing down, and reasoning was increasingly difficult. The consoles didn´t update the visual information anymore and the sounds’ last notes were extended forever. Nevertheless, she was feeling blessed... she had fought the good fight and remained worthy. The usurper had taken her last drop of energy, but not the goodness in her… now she would rest in the ethereal oblivion.
 
Every memory, sound, and feeling had faded to a space of lightlessness where a voice reverberated like thunder amidst heavy clouds. Where multicolor flashes were conducted as if conscious of itself, blending into a state where the speaker and the listener were one and the same.  No logic would help the Melthusian to discriminate one from the other, or explain that experience. She was not able to think… just to exist.
 
Trimna: ~ Carbon-based lifeform! Behold! ~
 
A succession of geometric patterns flooded Jana’s consciousness as if initiating a communication protocol of some kind. She got a clear impression that it was important to remain calm and imperative to listen very carefully. Listen and speak however were just a figure of speech in that place. Everything was just thought. Pure and simple.
 
Trimna: ~ I am the Runner. ~
 
A fast sequence of scenes of an exquisite mineral life-form flooded her existence... depicting sceneries and environments that she could never dear to imagine. And in all those places there was the same idea, a small creature running from everything and everyone.
 
Trimna: ~ I oppose the Darkling. ~
 
An even more strange life form showed up. One that could not even retain a solid vessel but could shape it by itself. A pinch black viscous liquid capable of inducing others to do what it wanted. Images of great suffering, wars, and tribulations were displayed.
 
Zicv: ~ Am I dead? ~
 
Trimna: ~ Not yet! Behold! ~
 
An image of a shiny black humanoid form, without features as eyes or mouth, dressed in science uniform was shown with a sparkling pink cloud connecting its head to Jana’s. She was sitting down next to the science workstation motionless. At that exact moment the connection got stronger, images more clear and understandable.
 
Trimna: ~ This is my fault. Tired of running. Seek refugee Arrow. Others traced me aboard. Arrow disabled. Transfer offspring you. Communication. Ask protection. No harm intended. Accident. Brain mutation bound us. ~
 
The mineral life-form was the sample-box-one that Lieutenant Serinus captured and brought to be analyzed by the science department. It was hibernating when it was discovered and not fully conscious. Later, when Jana touched it with bare hands a thing was transferred into her bloodstream. It reached the brain and started to alter the neural pathways to establish psionic communication. The being was pacific and just wished to communicate and request safe passage. But a brain anomaly occurred bonding both of them. That was why the science officer was experiencing a maternal instinct toward the creature.
 
Trimna: ~ Darklings show up! Push warn you. Found again. Need to run. No harm. Accident. ~
 
The next images were from the Sheliak ships, non-humanoid Sheliak beings, and what looked like to be the Darkling. An independent life form that had established a symbiont relationship with Sheliaks. The creature tried to warn Jana about the danger, using the in-development psionic channel, but that ended alarming the Sheliaks of its presence. And the history repeated itself. It was found. It had to run. But it clearly stated that he didn't want to cause any trouble to Arrow or the Melthusian.
 
Zicv: ~ It's all right! One of the Federation’s main goals is to seek new life forms and establish pacific communications. Are you the Primordial Stone? ~
 
Trimna: ~ Yes! ~
 
Zicv: ~ Where are you from? ~
 
Trimna: ~ Difficult to say. Not this galaxy. The previous age. ~
 
Suddenly the images weakened and it was difficult to understand the images and thought patterns. But one thing was crystal clear. That creature would like to fix the problem with the usurper. And for that, it needed to be released. That was the main message.
 
((Time Dilation Event Ends))
((Science Lab - Deck Four - USS Arrow))
 
Thomson: ~ You have to say it. Say it!  Saaaay it! ~
 
That thought came stronger at her mind. It was crewman Thomson again. Jana was confused about what she had just experienced but one thing was clear. She should release the legged-box. With eyes closed, she verbalized the security code.
 
Zicv: Jana-Zicv-Alpha-Omega-Mother-Box
 
As soon as the quarantine field came down she could hear something grabbing the creature that was chirping and squeaking in despair. Before she passed out, she heard clumsy steps moving away from her.
 
((Sickbay - Deck Three - USS Arrow))
 
Jana slowly regained her consciousness but she was not in the Science Lab anymore. From her point of view, staring at the ceiling, she could infer that it was the sickbay. She knew that because she had spent about half an hour there waiting to be seen. In the end, the physical exam was postponed after the current mission. For this reason, she had time to memorize every aspect of the sickbay, including the ceiling.
 
Serinus: response
 
Zicv: ::groggy:: Just a terrible headache, sir ::moving her right arm to support the head::
 
Serinus: response
 
Zicv: No, sir! ::profoundly sad:: Crewman Thomson mentally assaulted me. ::tears dropping:: He killed crewman Gonzales and forced me to release the ‘bug’. ::sobbing:: He seemed to be possessed, sir. It was not the man I worked with.
 
A nurse arrived with a hypospray and released its content as quickly as possible on Jana’s bloodstream. After a few seconds, she was much more calm and able to think straight. She experienced terrible emotional trauma and probably would need counseling later, but now… she wished to help.
 
Serinus: response
 
Zicv: Aye, sir. ::wiping away tears:: I put a tracker on the ‘bug’. I attached a commbadge on the carapace. ::breathing deeply:: The security department has the transponder signal.
 
Anyone: response
 
TBC

Ensign Jana Zicv

Science Officer, USS Arrow

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