Lt Jovenan – A plea on the gallows
Jovenan
((Chez Adea, Dekoa, Betazed))
The air in the basement of Genkos’ childhood home was appalling. A multitude of animals living in the small, poorly ventilated space, the air was filled with the smell of fur, musk and other bodily secretions. Jovenan wondered how much worse it was for the Betazoids, constantly feeling the thoughts and anxieties of the animals kept there for their safety.
Jovenan: This one has considerable amount of rheum around its eyes. Do you think it’s the air, or an infection?
She gently scrapped rheum out of the caged bird’s eyes. It seemed to be mostly in good condition, otherwise, but without tricorders or actual veterinary education, it was difficult to tell if that was actually true. The two doctors had a slightly better understanding of what they were doing, she presumed, since they had been educated in treating multiple different species and lifeforms, granted most of them sapient.
Adea: This marmot is suffering the same - it could be the air.
Elain: I- I take them upstairs sometimes so they can walk and get air, but I can’t do that if there’s baddies nearby!
Sadar: Considering the conditions you have at your disposal, you’re doing a good job. ::looks around:: I don’t know how much we can do to treat the cause without looking into some ventilation down here. I’m concerned about your health too, thinking of the air quality down here.
Jovenan continued, but her thoughts were drifting. She had managed to contain her fear, but she was growing more and more concerned about their situation. A nigh almighty being had transported them to an alternate timeline, and so far, they had only managed to gain the tentative trust of a girl and were treating some animals in a basement. They didn’t know what their purpose here was, if there even was one. With a Q, this could be a game, a test or a punishment, and they were supposed to find out, which one. And they hadn’t yet heard of any of the others either.
Still partly deep in her thoughts, Jovenan got frustrated of their lack of proper equipment and decided to address Tevet about it.
Jovenan: Do you think you could find tools Genkos’ parents would have been using in their work, Tevet?
As soon as she closed her mouth, Jovenan realised she had made a major error. She wasn’t supposed to know Tevet’s name. Her hopes that Tevet wouldn’t notice where quickly shattered when Tevet turned, mid-movement, towards her.
Elain: How do you know my name?
Jovenan’s mind was immediately filled with panicky thoughts. She couldn’t think straight, shaming herself, regretting ever opening her mouth, trying to find ways how to defend herself and blame someone else. Genkos, probably more experienced in covering things up, was quicker.
Adea: Um… you told us?
Jovenan couldn’t still say a word. Her thoughts were now dominated by the realisation that she had inadvertently broken the Temporal Prime Directive. To Jovenan, the only proper course of action her friends should be taking was her immediate execution. They probably wouldn’t do that, unless Q found that funny somehow, which might even have been preferrable to her than making her carry on with regret and the consequences.
Elain: Y- you’ve come to steal my pets and take me to the camp!
Adea: That’s not true!
Sadar: I-I promise, we don’t-
Elain: You’re liars!
What released Jovenan from her internal lockdown filled with self-pity and regret was Tevet leaping to grasp the knife again. She needed to concentrate again and choose to ponder about her quilt on a later date. She couldn’t let her friends and colleagues get hurt or killed because of her mistake. Well, as soon as she figured out what to do instead of just standing still. Genkos was, once more, faster than her.
Adea: Tevet, it’s me! It’s me, Genkos!
Sadar: S-Sir!
Whelp. If people were getting executed for Temporal Prime Directive breaches here, at least Jovenan wouldn’t be alone on the gallows.
She didn’t know if she should accept what Genkos was doing. Not that she was in position to judge him, for certain, but she didn’t want him to be forced to violate the law and his own convictions because of her. Maybe he wasn’t, maybe he did think it was acceptable, maybe the Temporal Prime Directive didn’t even apply considering their unusual circumstances. Either way, Jovenan concluded that their only way out of this was to walk along the way the Commander had chosen.
Elain: Response
Jovenan: Tevet, please, listen to him.
Trying to speak with a calming, approachable, appealing voice, Jovenan wished again to disarm the Betazoid youngling without things turning violent. However, their success was relying solely on Genkos, the only one of them who could truly get close to Tevet.
Adea: I promise - look at my eyes Tevet, I promise I am Genkos, all grown up.
Elain: Response
Jovenan: It’s not lies. It’s possible because we’ve all come here… from the future.
Sadar: M-Miss? Umm… Tevet? ::deep breath:: Betazoids are empaths, right? You’ve been, umm… Sensing? ::stares at Adea for confirmation:: Our feelings ever since you met us. Right? We aren’t hostile. You know that… Right?
Despite her anxiety and being the only one who probably didn’t have a clue of what was happening, Doctor Sadar was the logical one of them. Jovenan was pleased that at least one of the team was walking away from the metaphorical gallows.
Elain/Adea: Response
Sadar: What? No! N-No, we can’t- ::stares at Adea and Jovenan:: R-Right!?
Tevet’s suggestion was at the same time both surprising and not. It was the easiest way out of their predicament. Jovenan was reminded of her discussion with Doctor Sadar in the sickbay not so long ago, why Doctor Sadar wasn’t too keen on visiting Betazed. Maybe her reasoning was solid after all.
Jovenan: I volunteer.
She stepped forward, closer to Tevet.
Elain/Adea/Sadar: Response
Jovenan: I caused this. I’m sorry, I never learnt to be good at hiding things.
Elain/Adea/Sadar: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11