JP: Cmdrs Adriana Morgan & Karrod Niac - Settling Up PT1
Karrod Niac
((The Avalon Lounge, Deck 18, USS Excalibur))
With the ship traveling the relatively sedate corridor of space between their last assignment and DS224 Karrod Niac found himself with ample free time with which to familiarize himself with the amenities of the expansive Vesta class starship. He’d already established himself quite comfortably at The Round Table, the large and comfortable crew lounge that most of the senior officers seemed to call home, but when he noticed a smaller and more intimate setting buried on the ship's schematics he decided to seek it out for himself. As he sipped from his teacup and settled into the deep plush loungers adjacent to the windows facing aft, he was glad he had taken the time. While he didn’t mind the hustle and bustle of the Round Table there were times a more sedate locale was preferable and this, Karrod suspected, would be one of them.
He needed to explain to Commander Adriana Morgan, ships communication officer and his unexpected ‘home away from home’ during their last mission, that his symbiote Niac had ended up with a near perfect copy of her personality and memories. In essence, she’d been briefly Joined, and had become part of Niac’s lineage just as surely as any of the other previous hosts. For once, Karrod wished he could speak with the Symbiosis Commission…if only to find out if such a thing had ever happened before. And what to do about it.
There was something to be said about being back in her own body. The strange internal dialogue was gone, but it was replaced by the comforting barrage of thoughts and feelings that came endlessly from the universe around her. It was like a mental blanket that wrapped her in reality, letting her know that everything was just as it should have been, and as it should be. And with that, came a feeling of being settled. Despite being on the Excalibur for such a short time, after making her way back into her own self, she felt at home almost immediately.
That was one way of settling in, she supposed, though she had to wonder what the others were feeling. Was the jarring feeling of being ripped from your body enough to make a return feel much more like home than it otherwise might have? Were there lasting effects to the process? What kind of impact did the switch have on them? For Adri, she was thankful she didn’t have to deal with a beard, though near the end of her tenure as the operations chief, she had discovered a conditioner that helped to make the thing on her face at the time softer and far more pleasant to be so close to. Hopefully the man didn’t mind too much when he regained his body from her.
Speaking of, she glanced around the small, intimate lounge and found him easily. Without much of a thought, she wandered over towards him and fell into the seat next to him on the right.
Morgan: Commander.
Niac: Commander Morgan…I was just thinking about you. They finally let you out of sickbay?
With the last remnants of nausea gone and the ill effects of the radiation handled thanks to the CMO and his medical science, Adri could honestly offer a smile and the truth.
Morgan: It was rough at first, but the doctor and his team got us straight pretty quick. How about you? How are you doing?
Karrod grimaced in mild embarrassment. It had all been in the line of duty but he didn’t enjoy the idea of someone else having to suffer for things he’d done in the course of a mission.
Niac: Apologies about that all the same…didn’t set out to get you that much of a tan, but you know how away missions go. Plan A is usually out the airlock within the first two minutes. For my own self I’m fine - thanks for keeping this hulk ::Karrod gestured towards himself derisively:: in one piece. Although I do have some questions about your haircare routine…
Karrod gave his beard a thoughtful stroke and unleashed a wave of tropical aromas.
Niac: …Beard still smells like a Risian mai-tai. Oh, and call me Karrod. We borrowed each others bodies, if that doesn’t get us to a first name basis I don’t know what would.
Adri grinned at the beard comment, thought she had nothing to hide. The fact that a wiry animal had been living on her face for a day was enough of a pain for her to find conditioner that made it softer and smell so much better. Sorry, not sorry.
Morgan: I would have to agree. I’m sure you know more about me than you probably ever wanted to now.
Karrod grinned tightly.
Niac: Well, there’s a few things I think we need to get sorted between the two of us…but before we get to that…I wanted to thank you. Sincerely. Being stuck in a telepaths body for a while gave me a whole new appreciation for how difficult it must be for anyone with your abilities to be around the rest of us. To be honest, I don’t know how you manage.
Raising an eyebrow, she shrugged.
Morgan: I could say the same about the party you have going on in your mind as well. I have mental barriers, but those tricks didn’t seem to work well with that crowd.
Karrod barked out a surprising laugh.
Niac: Oh yeah, Niac’s certainly a handful…I’m still getting a handle on it myself. Bit like being on a long shuttle trip with four backseat pilots. Well…it used to be four. ::Karrod paused and took a sip from his tea, stalling to assemble his thoughts.::...Adriana, there’s something I need to tell you about Niac.
[TBC]
–
Commander Adriana Morgan
Communications Officer
As Simmed by
Commodore Kalianna Nicholotti
Commanding Officer
USS Excalibur - A
R238605KN0
And
Commander Karrod Niac
Chief of Operations
USS Excalibur - NCC-41903-A
Commodore Kali Nicholotti, Commanding
V239509GT0