Lt Jovenan – Gaining trust through lies requires no mistakes made
Jovenan
((Chez Adea, Dekoa, Betazed))
For a moment, their most immediate problem was nearly done with. The alternate timeline past version of Genkos’ childhood friend had slowly accepted that they weren’t a threat to her and lowered her knife. If it hadn’t been a single word from Doctor Sadar that triggered Tevet, they could have moved on with whatever quest the CloQ had laid for them.
Elain: No! You can’t go to the basement!
Tevet had her knife up again. Jovenan suspected that a child didn’t have the strength to push a knife through anything vital in them, but she also understood that even without instantly killing them, Tevet could do very, very nasty damage to them. Without medical equipment or even a tricorder, or contact to the ship, with Dominion forces flying around, it wasn’t much better than instant death.
Adea: Why not?
That was a good question. Tevet was obviously hiding something.
Jovenan: Is there something in the basement?
Jovenan had tried not to be too forceful in asking that, but Tevet nonetheless became visibly nervous for a moment. She hoped it was just uneasiness of her secret being revealed and not an intention to try and slash them with the knife she was still pointing at them.
Elain: I- I’ve been keeping everyone’s pets safe there. I promised I would!
Ah, yes. It was almost something Jovenan should have guessed. The Doctor Elain they knew had been a determined protector of animals, so there was little reason to believe the Child Elain wasn’t the same. When they had learnt she had taken refuge in the old vet’s office, they should have seen she had had a specific reason to choose this building. Jovenan nodded a little and smiled in relief and understanding.
Adea: The pets, from the surgery?
Sadar: Surgery?
Jovenan was worried that either of them might have alerted Tevet with their inconsistent story. Hoping the child might not realise that, Jovenan sought to create a more friendly relationship with her, forming trust to them.
Jovenan: These two are doctors and I’m a scientist. Would you want that one of us takes a look in there and see that everything’s okay?
Tevet seemed to consider her offer. She lowered the knife, slowly. Jovenan tried adopting an encouraging smile onto her face, trying to disarm the child without having to move a finger against her.
Elain: I promised to Genkos I wouldn’t let anyone take them.
Genkos. They were in his childhood home, talking with his childhood friend, but hearing his name uttered solidated the fact that he was indeed in this timeline as well. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to them, but Jovenan could swear she saw both her colleagues flinching a little in the corner of her eyes. At a closer look, at least Genkos had managed to keep a straight face. While thinking her next move, she hoped Doctor Sadar would be able to hold in her signature anxiety while they were talking with an empath.
They were so close to reach to Tevet. Continuing talking with her was the only option, and asking about her friend was something Jovenan would have done if she had been a part of this timeline and hadn’t known him. It was a role she needed to keep up for Tevet’s sake.
Jovenan: Who is Genkos? Is he here as well?
Elain: Genkos is my friend, he used to live here. He and his parents went to the camp.
Jovenan pressed her lips tightly together. Considering that the area was under occupation, there were meanings to that word Jovenan didn’t want to think too much about. She found herself feeling pity to her colleague. Genkos of this timeline wasn’t the same as the Genkos she knew, but historically, it had been so close that this timeline would have been the real one. With CloQ’s influence, was there really saying this wasn’t the “real timeline”?
Adea: And what happened to Genkos? Where did he go?
Curiosity about his childhood alternate had caught Genkos. Jovenan hoped he could limit himself before asking too many questions. They couldn’t afford to cause any suspicion in Tevet.
Elain: Response
Adea: I see.. ::he looked over at his colleagues:: I am sorry. ::his face softened and he took a knee to see eye-to-eye with the child:: Why don’t you show us these animals - Dr Sadar and I can see if we can help.
Sadar: We’ll do everything we can.
Genkos, out of them all, managed to get through to Tevet. Jovenan didn’t know if it was the sympathetic emotion Tevet might have felt in him, or if he knew how to talk to her. Whatever the reason, Jovenan was certain Tevet was feeling genuine emotions in all of them after hearing about her friend and his family.
The three time-stranded officers followed the young veterinarian prospect to the cellar. Jovenan understood why Tevet would choose this place to keep the animals in. It was below ground, so it was more likely to survive any indirect hit by the Dominion weaponry. It was also fairly hidden from sight should there be any raids. The sound logic behind the choice didn’t make the locale any more appealing.
Jovenan felt nauseated the first time she inhaled. She could hear Doctor Sadar coughing, also suffering from the conditions in there. The basement was fusty and dim, hardly a place she would wish any sentient being to live in. She had never seen poorer living conditions, except maybe in Tecra, on Meranuge, and that place had been hit with a meteor. Then again, as she reminded herself, here there was a war outside.
Sadar: J-Just how many animals are you taking care of?
Elain/Adea: Response
Sadar: B-But, Sir, I’m not a- ::pause:: Never mind.
Jovenan: I can try to help as well. I took some biology in the… school.
It was probably better not to talk too much about their past in front of Tevet. Saying the word “Academy” wouldn’t likely cause nothing bad, but since leaving it out didn’t do any harm either, she had opted to drop it for now.
Jovenan approached one of the cages where Tevet kept a small animal, a colourful bird of some sort. It had food and water, and it seemed Tevet had cleaned its cage diligently. She was clearly doing her best keeping the animals healthy. However, even with Jovenan’s limited skills and without equipment of any kind, she could see something was wrong with it.
Jovenan: This one has considerable amount of rheum around its eyes. Do you think it’s the air, or an infection?
Elain/Adea/Sadar: Response
While trying to do, well, something, Jovenan had a moment to think about their situation. It didn’t seem likely CloQ had sent them in this timeline to help care for some small-town pets on Betazed. Was their main job still ahead of them, if there ever was one? And where were the others? Still in the bar in 2401, roaming around the planet in the same or different year or timeline, or something totally different? Whatever it was, Jovenan doubted they were scrapping off rheum from an exotic bird’s eyes in a basement.
Ugh, the job was just impossible without any equipment.
Jovenan: Do you think you could find tools Genkos’ parents’ would have been using in their work, Tevet?
It took Jovenan about three seconds to realise her error.
Elain/Adea/Sadar: Response
((OOC: For future reference, yes, I goofed up with the location tag in Jovenan’s previous sim. Oops.))
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11