Ensign Sival: Conflicting Reports
James Scott Schumann
(( Corridor outside of Holodeck 1, Deck 4, USS Juneau ))
On their way to the turbolift, the counselor made an unexpected query.
Trovek: … Where even is Engineering?
T’Lea: Deck 15 is upper Main, and Deck 16 is lower Main Engineering. I’d suggest we go in on the lower deck.
Sival thought it was odd that the counselor didn’t know where Engineering was located. He asked the obvious question.
Sival: How do you not know where Engineering is, counsellor?
Trovek: Hey, not like I thought I’d ever be needed there. I mean I always found it interesting, but.. well.
(( Turbolift, Decks 4-16, USS Juneau ))
The four arrived at the turbolift and went inside. Sival closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind.
Arys: Uhm….
The counsellor’s vocalization drew his attention. He opened his eyes, and he saw what she was reacting to.
There was the rodent - a vole, Sival believed - at one of T’Lea’s feet, attempting to crawl up her leg. T’Lea kicked it away. The vole fell and rolled backwards. It must have enjoyed the sensation, because it was laughing.
oO I wonder what the significance of the Commander’s hallucination is? Oo
He looked at T’Lea. The question was seemingly written in his face, as she answered it.
T’Lea: As a child I went on archaeology expeditions with my Uncle. We were on Ferenginar for several months, and during that time it was Yut-Yut mating season. I fell into one of their pits and since then I have not be particularly fond of rodents.
Vole: Yes. Yes. But what are you afraid of?
T’Lea: Not you.
Sival could sympathize. While he did not fear them, he also had a distaste for small creatures. He found ferrets to be particularly annoying.
The vole had returned to T’Lea’s feet.
Vole: Heeheehee! Then they have nothing to fear at all!
oO What would we have to be afraid of from a vole? Oo
Sival: I suggest you ignore it, Commander. Don’t engage with it.
Kendrick / Trovek: Response
T’Lea: It’s under control.
Vole: ::mocking:: It’s under control! Heehehehee!
Kendrick/Trovek: response
Vole: ::at T’Lea:: Why don’t you just admit to these peons here what you are really afraid of?
Sival didn’t know what that was, but he was worried that if she thought about her fears, a corresponding hallucination might appear. Sival offered some advice, even though he believed that T’Lea was a disciplined individual, and she was doing her best to control the illusion.
Sival: It is trying to provoke you. Stay focused, Commander.
Kendrick/Trovek: response
Vole: Should any of you be giving advice, really? Like, really, really? ::at Sival:: No life-dead wife. ::glaring at Trovek:: And don’t you have serious problems of your own, killer? ::happy dance:: Oh, I know! Maybe I should have a bunch of babies to make you feel better!
Sival blinked. How did T’Lea’s hallucination know about his and the counsellor’s situations? While it was possible it gained the knowledge from T’Lea’s mind, it opened the door to the possibility that the vole was more than only a hallucination.
T’Lea: Shut up!
T’Lea kicked the vole. It hit the wall, and, inexplicably, it broke apart into scores of smaller voles. More and more appeared, multiplying until the turbolift was filled with miniature voles from floor to ceiling.
So many were the creatures that Sival couldn’t see anything, and he found it difficult to breathe. He could feel their oily skin and their claws as they scurried all over his body. The sensation was most uncomfortable.
((Turbolift, Deck 16, USS Juneau ))
Finally the turbolift came to a halt. The doors opened, and the voles poured out of the car.
Sival was a bit stunned by what happened, and a part of him began to see the absurdity in all of it.
Sival: What a curious experience.
Kendrick/Trovek: response
T’Lea and the voles conversed. The voles began to line up rank and file in front of her.
T’Lea: I told you, I am not afraid of you!
Voles: Angry! She’s getting angry!
Voles: Do it! Let her out. Let her out to play with us!
Sival wondered who or what they were referring to.
T’Lea: ::vicious:: Shut up or—
Vole: Or you’ll kill us?
T’Lea seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure. He noticed Lieutenant Kendrick put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
Kendrick: response
Sival offered a suggestion, hoping to appeal to the Commander’s Vulcan half.
Sival: Suppress your emotions, Commander.
Trovek: response
Vole: Aww… so close. Maybe next time. Bye bye.
The vole disappeared with a laugh that lingered on even after it had vanished.
T’Lea seemed to be back in control of herself. She led the group.
T’Lea: Shall we continue? Engineering is that way.
(( Lower Engineering, Deck 16, USS Juneau ))
It’s what they didn’t see that got their attention. The room appeared to be abandoned. There were PADDs and tools on consoles and on the floor, as if they were just dropped there as everyone had left in a hurry.
Sival: Where is everyone?
T’Lea / Kendrick / Trovek: response
The first thing Sival wanted to find was a medkit. If he could have access to a tricorder, he may be able to learn more about what was causing the hallucinations, or if they were hallucinations at all.
As Sival was scanning the room for the medkit, he glanced upon some of the displays. Each one told a story about what was going on. Unfortunately, the stories didn’t seem to agree with each other.
An engine status display was warning that a warp core breach was in progress.
A shields monitor suggested that the ship was under attack by several Borg cubes.
An environmental display showed no atmosphere, a Class K atmosphere, and a Class M atmosphere all at the same time on deck 10.
Another display was showing an intruder alert - Kaazon militants apparently had seized Main Engineering.
Sival looked up toward the higher Engineering deck, and he saw no Kaazon fighters.
It was as if the computer itself was daydreaming random scenarios.
Sival motioned for Lt. Cmdr. T’Lea.
Sival: Commander, what do you make of these readouts?
T’Lea: response
Kendrick / Trovek: response
Sival located the medkit. He took out the tricorder and immediately began taking readings. Oddly, none of the four officers registered biosigns. Sival recalibrated the tricorder and tried again. Same results. The tricorder must not be working correctly.
He scanned the environment. According to the tricorder, the room was filled with anesthizine, axonol, and neurozine gas, with enough parts per billion to render all of them unconscious. Clearly, the readouts were in error.
Sival sighed.
Sival: The medical tricorder is malfunctioning. I am unable to ascertain any real data.
T’Lea / Kendrick / Trovek: response
TAG / TBC
Ensign Sival
Medical Officer
USS Juneau, NX-99801
J239808S11