Lt. Commander Greg Aegam - Story Time
Samira Neathler
(( Sickbay - USS Gorkon ))
While three of them were still being treated for their wounds obtained at Unimatrix Seventeen, Ensign Nin sat near Ensigns Pace’s biobed. It was an excellent position as it gave the female security officer a good overview of this part of sickbay. In other parts of sickbay, medical staff was busy. He raised his hand in a gesture of surrender. The device on his right upper arm still buzzed but he couldn’t tell if it improved to get rid of the numbness in his arm.
Aegam: Just kidding, go on Ensign Nin, we’ll take turns and each tell a story whether a folktale or something else.
And so Ensign Nin started and it didn’t take long before Greg was totally drawn into the story. He didn’t know if it was because of the mental images Ensign Nin said she’d share, or if it was his brain focussing on something totally different to forget the horrors they had just witnessed.
~~~~
Nin: On the vibrant world of Betazed, where emotions were shared in an intricate dance of telepathic connections, Tasha Dalsin was anything but ordinary. Born into a long line of Betazoid women with extraordinary strength, she had inherited a gift—one that allowed her to lift massive objects and overpower the strongest of foes with ease.
Yet, Tasha didn't want to be defined by her strength. She dreamed of living a quiet, elegant life, free from the constant expectation to be the protector, the warrior, the one who stood between peace and chaos.
But at this time, political tensions were growing among the Great Houses of Betazed. And wrapped up in those tensions was the CEO of a rapidly expanding interstellar gaming company, Ainsoft. Rynal Tarin was a charming, handsome, but slightly childish man—a Betazoid with a knack for virtual worlds but little understanding of the gritty realities of the outside universe.
Tasha had applied to Ainsoft, dreaming of creating a game based on her own strength and story, but was rejected due to her lack of experience. After her latest rejection, she was walking, and stumbled, head down, right into an attempted kidnapping of Rynal. Unable to look away from people in need, she charged in and easily beat up the would-be kidnappers.
Unfortunately, Rynal’s bodyguard was injured in the fight and worse, Rynal had seen her display of unnatural strength.
"Would you consider being my personal bodyguard?" Rynal's voice was lighthearted, yet there was a seriousness in his tone that caught her attention. "This is part of a series of dangerous cyberattacks on my company, and the security team insists I need someone... strong."
Reluctantly, Tasha agreed, hoping the gig would be brief and bargained that after Rynar was safe that she would have a chance to make her game at his company. But things were never that simple.
From the moment she began her new role, Tasha found herself facing more than just cyber threats. A criminal syndicate, targeting influential Betazoid leaders, had begun kidnapping high-profile individuals to gain leverage over political and corporate entities. Rynal's company had become a prime target, and the attacks grew increasingly personal—particularly when Tasha's best friend, a skilled technician named Mera, was taken by the syndicate.
~~~~
There was a brief pause but their Chief Scientist would have no such thing as she quickly chimed in.
Tahna: Then what?!
~~~~
Nin: Tasha’s emotions, which usually flowed gently like the Betazoid rivers, were now churning violently. Her connection to Mera was so strong that she could feel her best friend’s terror even across the distance. But despite the overwhelming rage that filled her heart, Tasha remained focused on the bigger picture. She couldn’t let her strength, her raw power, become a weapon of unchecked vengeance.
Rynal, oblivious to the internal battle she fought daily, continued to look to her for protection. As their partnership deepened, so did their connection. Tasha’s stoic exterior began to crack, and she found herself drawn to his vulnerability, his childlike charm, and his endless optimism. In turn, Rynal found her strength fascinating, not only in her physical abilities but in her ability to maintain a sense of calm amidst the storm of danger that followed her everywhere.
The battle between good and evil escalated. Tasha, under Rynal's watchful eyes, used her strength to confront the criminal syndicate, breaking down their fortified hideouts and rescuing countless hostages. But as her powers grew more noticeable, so did her inner struggle. The lines between the personal and the professional began to blur, and she feared that the deeper she fell into the chaos, the harder it would be to separate her strength from her identity.
Rynal, noticing her growing uncertainty, sat her down one evening in his office overlooking the Betazoid sunset. "Tasha," he said, his tone unusually serious. "You don’t have to carry the weight of the world alone. You’re more than just your strength."
Tasha’s eyes met his, and for the first time, she allowed herself to believe in his words. Maybe she didn’t have to be the protector, the weapon, all the time. Maybe she could carve out a place where she was more than just her abilities.
In the end, Tasha did not only rescue her best friend but also found her own balance. The mastermind behind the plan was Rynal's jealous older brother, who had been unable to find success through legal means. Tasha learned to embrace her strength, not as a curse, but as a part of her—just like the emotions that ran so deeply through her veins. As she stood beside Rynal, with her powers no longer a secret, Tasha finally realized she didn’t need to be one thing or the other. She could be both the protector and the dreamer.
And as for her heart, it had found its place—Strength, after all, wasn’t just about power. It was about love, choice, and knowing when to protect and when to let go. And she worked with Rynal, her husband, to make an amazing fighting game! **
~~~~~
He heard Kestra taking a deep breath after she finished the story and Greg opened his eyes. For a brief moment he had forgotten they were still in sickbay and quickly the busy sounds of medical instruments and other devices took over. Tahna and Pace clapped in union and Greg wanted to join in but he still could not lift his arm.
Tahna: Joi, Nin, thank you for sharing. ::She smiled.:: Ensign Pace, care to share a folk tale next?
Pace: Oh! Sure!
Nin: :: sipping her water:: That sounds great!
Greg took another sim from his bottle and lay the half empty container next to him.
Tahna: Response
Pace: This is one of my village’s legends. It’s about how the mountain villages discovered their solas.
Pace took a deep breath before she continued.
~~~~
Pace: Many eons ago, under the watch of the stars and moons, there lived a girl. Her name was Deedrah. As the eldest daughter of her family, she was expected to learn the art of loreweaving. So learn she did, and she excelled at it.
Talk of her tapestries left her village, and soon enough, people from all over travelled to see them. Struck with jealousy, the village’s oracle claimed to have a vision. The village would suffer a terrible disaster, and be all but destroyed. The villagers were terrified, and begged the oracle to help them prevent this tragedy.
The oracle had another vision. And proclaimed to the village that to prevent the great disaster from happening - Deedrah must be exiled. ::She let a dramatic pause last for a moment.::
Deedrah was heartbroken. Since the oracle had spoken, no one could argue with the verdict of exile. Her family gave her a shawl, but that was the most they could do without facing repercussions.
As she was on the threshold of the village, she heard something… It was faint, but it was a melody. Soft, sweet, and a bit sad. She couldn’t help but join in.
As she harmonized with the music of the mountains, the song grew. Soon the entire village could hear the melody. Some villagers even joined in, much to the oracle’s chagrin.
~~~~
Having a musical ear himself, Greg could appreciate where the story was going, even if things weren’t going well for Deedrah.
Tahna: Response
~~~~
Pace: As the melody hit a high note, the ground began to shake violently. The oracle shouted across the villagers’ screams, “See! What I have foreseen has come to pass! Deedrah has doomed us all!”
When the tremors were done, the village was destroyed. The oracle had foreseen that. Miraculously, no one was harmed, though. And when the villagers gathered at what had once been the village square they were awestruck.
There was a small pool. Under the clear and calm water were glowing crystals. Deedrah ventured into the waters and knelt to touch one. Deedrah’s song was so powerful that it had to be shared. The melody was so hauntingly beautiful that it made even the oracle weep. She was welcomed back to the village with open arms, and the oracle gave their title to their apprentice, vowing to never let jealousy cloud their visions again.
The discovery of the pool marked the destruction of the village, yes. But without the harmony of tragedy, the melody of good fortune would be shallow. Life is never easy, but it can be beautiful, much like Deedrah’s song and the journey she had to take to hear it.
~~~~
Nin: Thanks so much for the story! That only leaves you two. ::gesturing to the Lts. Cmdr with her empty water bottle:: Who's next?
Pace: Yes! This is so much fun!
Aegam: You both had excellent stories. And you’re very good storytellers, it made me forget where we were for a moment.
Tahna: Response
Vesela cheered.
Pace: Sounds wonderful!
Tahna / Nin: Response
He had indulged himself so much in the stories he’d forgotten to think about what he would tell himself. Greg wasn’t much of a storyteller and the stories he’d told in the past were for a completely different and younger audience than the people who he was with now. He inhaled slowly as he pushed away the thoughts of his nephew and niece.
Aegam: Many, many moons ago, on a distant planet lived a young boy named Ferak. He grew up in a warm home with parents who loved and adored him. And from them he inherited his true passion, playing different instruments and learning how to compose music. Of course his parents supported him in every way they could. It was only later when he joined the community school that Ferak noticed the difference between himself and the other children. After school, his fellow classmates preferred the outdoors, playing different sports and joining other outdoor activities, while Ferak returned home as there was always a new instrument he wanted to learn to play or something had happened that day that inspired him to write some new music.
Aegam: Despite the differences between him and his fellow students, Ferak easily passed every school test and he reached the age where the community set out his future. Despite his parents’ protests Ferak was assigned to the task group assigned to explore the other lands beyond the big seas and oceans. As the community only recently had discovered how to build boats that could withstand the turmoil waters that surrounded them there was a whole new world to discover.
Aegam: The first sea voyage did not end well as after weeks of travelling through the rough waves and water from the south they finally reached land where the new seafarers were met by a group of odd looking creatures who attacked them. Even though Ferak kept away from the battle, he was quickly captured and imprisoned by the odd folk, together with only a handful of the other seafarers that had survived the battle.
He heard Velesha gasp as he stopped for a moment and took the opportunity to take another swig from the bottle of water before he continued.
Pace: ::Quietly.:: Oh my!
Aegam: As both groups spoke different languages there was no way they could communicate with each other. The remaining group of seafaring people were forced to work in the fields, day in and out and in return they barely received enough food and water to survive. Other than that, the odd folk made no attempt to communicate with the seafarers. During his work on the field, Ferak obtained a few items which he smuggled with him and even though the work on the fields was tiresome, he managed to carve a small wooden flute in the late hours of the day.
Aegam: One evening when Ferak tried out the flute one of the odd folk finally showed some interest in the seafarer group. One thing led to another and after a while a friendship was made, communication improved and after weeks of being treated as slaves, the seafaring people were accepted by the odd folk. Even though at first Ferak never expected to see his parents and his home town again, the odd folk agreed by helping them to return to their own home land if in return the seafaring people learned them how to use and construct boats. And thus after a year, the new seafaring people finally returned home, and Ferak saw his family again.
Greg took a lang swig from the water bottle as he finished. The story wasn’t as good as those he had heard before and there were different ways to interpret the meaning behind it.
Tahna / Nin: Response
He grinned as he accepted the applause Pace gave him.
Pace: Thank you for sharing, sir! ::She looked around at her crewmates, eyes falling on the last storyteller.:: And then there was one…
Aegam: Go on Commander, we’ve all done our share, even I did.
Tahna / Nin: Response
One of the medics adjusted something to the device that was still attached to his arm. Although Greg suspected they just wanted to hear how the story would end.
Tahna / Pace / Nin: Response
After all the praise and story telling, Greg inhaled deeply.
Aegam: Splendid job all. It’s difficult to believe that only a few hours ago we were risking our lives but now, ::He looked at the threesome.:: hearing those stories, I am even more convinced we will succeed in our next task and that we’ll see our families and friends again.
Tahna / Pace / Nin: Response
Aegam: All we have to do is believe in ourselves. Right?
Tahna / Pace / Nin: Response