The Counselor and the Engineer

Posted on Sunday, 23 August 2020 - 4:38pm by Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali

Mission: Operation: Dreamweaver
Location: USS Standing Bear | Mess Hall
Timeline: 2393 -MD 01

{ON:}

Eyelaya had decided to have dinner in the lounge...if you can call it that. She sat off to the side and picked at her food. It had been a long day today. What happened today only proved what she had been thinking. She wasn't expecting anyone to join her ... least of all the counselor.

T’Lanna had decided to head to the lounge for a change of scenery, she couldn’t really advise crew to socialise if she didn’t do it herself from time to time. Walking in she chose herself a drink and a tray of mixed snacks that were healthy for a pregnant woman. Looking around she saw Eyelaya and decided to try and make some headway on a friendship with her. “Excuse me” She offered a smile. “May I join you? I’d like to at least try and make friends.”

Eyelaya looked up. She gave a nod. "Sure."

“Thank you” T’Lanna put her tray down and took a seat. “Commander Soral showed me the Personal log that Emerick accidentally sent you, here isn’t a place to talk about it but if you want to talk about it then feel free to come and see me.” She picked up her drink and took a sip before putting the glass down again.

A feeling of mortification came over her. She looked at T'Lanna shocked. "How did he ... how did he see that?" Soral must think her even more incompetent after that.

“I’m afraid I don’t know” T’Lanna looked at Eyelaya in surprise, she thought that Eyelaya had granted Soral access to her mail. “I wouldn’t worry Commander Soral is concerned for you, not about you. You are far too valuable a crew member Eyelaya, a talented engineer and your expertise with Borg implants is invaluable with two ex-b’s onboard.”

She shrugged. "Or I'm just a crazy person like Emerick said."

"You are not crazy!" T'Lanna offered a smile, "You can take that from me, I'm the Counsellor around here."

She shrugged pushing around her food. Loosing her appetite, something she rarely did with lunch she pushed the plate away. "I don't know. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Grueling, Fantastical mind meanderings, Borderline Personality Disorder." She shrugged. Feeling nauseous of what she ate.

T'Lanna offered an understanding smile. "Those were just Emerick's own thoughts, the EMH isn't supposed to even write personal log entries. To be honest I think Emerick is becoming more Human through interactions with us, he didn't intend to cause you any distress. From what I understand it was a simple error that sent you the personal log."

"But don't you see. If he even thought of me as a friend thoughts like that...well I would never think that of a friend." She shook her head. "I don't care about him anymore. I'm not wasting my time or energy on him. I've taken myself off his maintenance roster and I've signed a waiver saying that I don't ever want to be treated by him if I should require it."

"I understand" T'Lanna nodded. "So how's about we change the subject and talk about something else? I expect you've found having another Borg onboard of interest? I'll admit I like not being the only ex-b onboard."

"Sure." She said. "I had to replace a node for him." She paused. "He seems very nice."

"That he does" T'Lanna smiled warmly. "To be honest I'm still bothered by the way in which we found my mother, plus the nightmare I had scared the life out of me! It didn't make sense." She shrugged her shoulders. "That's the nature of nightmares."

"Nightmare?" Eyelaya asked? With Borg nightmares and dreaming could be a node failure sign.

T’Lanna nodded. “I’ve had the same one since we were all knocked out in the shuttle whilst in the Nebula. Raith and I both shared the same one, strangely enough it’s what brought us together. It just ... creeps me out!” She offered a wry smile. “It involves my mother, she keeps telling me that she’s a Borg Queen and every time I watch Raith get assimilated. I know it isn’t real but it feels real. My mother is dead, I took her body home and watched her be buried.” She sighed and stopped talking to eat some of her food absentmindedly scratching at the skin around her implants at the back of her neck.

"Have you had your neural node checked?" She asked with concern.

“No ... why?” T’Lanna looked at Eyelaya concerned. “I haven’t had any signs of node failure ... yet! Do you think my node is starting to fail?”

"Not necessarily but sometimes it can be off calibration and that causes nightmares. Since it's a shared one....I'm not sure. But I could check for you."

T’Lanna nodded. “I’d appreciate that, thank you Eyelaya. I can’t have anything happening to me, it’ll impact on my son and I won’t let any harm come to him.”

She smiled. "You'll be alright. Actually you are a bit of an oddity for an ex-borg. you are one of the few to get pregnant. .. well to be able to get pregnant after you were de-assimulated.

"So I've heard" T'Lanna offered a smile. "Perhaps it was due to my being assimilated so young, they start children off slowly and progress to more and more implants as they reach adult age. I was one stage off full implantation, one step away from being part of the assimilation teams. I got to feel every one of the poor souls that were taken but I was never part of an actual kill. For that I'm grateful. The sound of the screams ..." She paused. "I'll never forget."

Eyelaya had heard a similar story from her previous CO's wife who was ex borg. "Well let me have a look at that implant. After lunch come back to engineering with me."

T’Lanna nodded. “I’ll do that, thank you Eyelaya.” She smiled before politely tucking into the food on her tray, the old adage about eating for two seemed to be true as she certainly ate more now than she used to.

Eyelaya drank her tea. "Counselor can I ask you something? Did Commander Soral...agree with Emerick?"

T’Lanna looked at Eyelaya “Honestly ... No, I don’t think so. He’s concerned about you Eyelaya, as for Emerick I have orders to speak with him about it.” She said nothing more, that was all she could say.

Eyelaya moaned "Oh no...I wish you wouldn't."

“I’m sorry I have my orders” T’Lanna offered an understanding smile. “Commander Soral will be expecting a report.”

She sighed. "Emerick is entitled to his opinion. At least he's learning to be more human. He's learning how to talk behind people's back. How to fake friendships."

T’Lanna gave Eyelaya a curious look. “What makes you think that? Doesn’t the fact that Emerick is exploring feelings say that he’s trying to be more Human?”

"As I said, he's learned the art of talking behind peoples back and faking friendship. That makes him quite human." She began gathering her tray.

Sorting her own tray as she finished off her drink T’Lanna looked at Eyelaya. “I honestly don’t think that Emerick would be purposely cruel. Misjudged perhaps but he wouldn’t purposely hurt you.”

She shrugged. "Counselor its been happening all my life. Why should he be different?"

“Perhaps because you like him, what he said about you hurts because you felt more at ease around Emerick” T’Lanna offered an understanding gaze. “Why don’t you give him a second chance, start fresh? The two of you need to learn that just being friends can be special.”

"I have given everyone second and third chances. Enough, is enough, counselor. I am fine on my own. I always have been."

“Does that assessment include me?” T’Lanna looked at Eyelaya curiously. “Are you willing to be friends with me? You are after all one of the few people who specialises in Borg tech. I consider you to be invaluable in that respect, and I would like to be friends if you’ll accept that?”

"Of course. I did not mean you I just meant all my life people have pushed me aside been insulting and there is only so much one can take. Emerick wants to be treated with respect yet he does no show it. I believe I shall just walk away."

T’Lanna nodded. “That’s fair enough, but please don’t rule out medical treatment by the EMH. If the need ever arose and the Doctor wasn’t available Emerick could very well be needed to save your life.”

"No thank you. I'd rather wait."

“Tell me Eyelaya would you wait if that wait came with the price of your life?” T’Lanna looked at Eyelaya concerned.

"If it meant that then it meant that. I want nothing to do with Emerick. I no longer trust him."

T’Lanna nodded. “That’s fair enough. I won’t mention it again I promise.”

“Thank you counselor.” She paused. Well i guess I should be getting back to work .

T’Lanna nodded. “Did you want to check my implants now or shall I call on you later?”

"We can do that now. It's better to ensure everything is alright." The trip to engineering was fast and she had Vali sit down in the spare office while she began a detailed scan. "It will take a few moments. Can you please hold still while I initiate the scan."

“Of course” T’Lanna went to nod but resisted the urge and sat still for Eyelaya to do her work.

The hum of the scanner filled the room. The technical connection flashed at an alarming speed in front of Eyelaya's eyes. She nodded every once in a while as if the data was communicating with her directly. After what seemed like an eternity she said, "There appears to be nothing wrong with the node, however the hormone levels, perhaps due to pregnancy, have caused a calibration issue. I can correct that easily."

“Do you need to run it again?” T’Lanna looked at Eyelaya curiously.

"Nope. I can do the calibration now. It will only take about five minutes if you have the time."

“I’ve got plenty of time” T’Lanna nodded. “I’d rather know the full results and be sure.”

She gave a nod. Taking a small cordical calibrator she attached it to Vali's head. "Just keep your eyes closed and relax. You should feel a coolness on your forehead as the calibration begins."

T’Lanna did as instructed and closed her eyes, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she relaxed for the calibration. She could feel the coolness on her forehead as the calibration began.

Eyeylaya kept an eye on the workings as it folded out. Five minutes passed quickly. The device beeped and she removed it from Vali. "Calibration is complete. You should notice any headaches gone now."

T’Lanna opened her eyes and looked at Eyelaya. “Thank you Eyelaya, I appreciate all your help.”

"No problem. Happy to help." She started putting away her equipment slowly.

T’Lanna looked at Eyelaya curiously. “Eyelaya you do know that if you ever need a friend ...” she let the sentence finish itself.

She smiled, "Thanks. I'm alright for now. My roommate has done a great job of looking out for me. He's a better cook then I too."

“Sounds great!” T’Lanna grinned. “Consider yourself lucky. Men who can decently cook are sometimes few and far between, not that I’m saying they can’t cook!”

She smiled. "I can replicate with the best of them." She paused. "How do you feel?"

“Better, Thank you” T’Lanna smiled warmly.

"Good. If you have any problems just give me a call, time doesn't matter."

“I will that’s a promise.” T’Lanna stood ready to leave.

She gave a nod. "Well I should get back to work."

“As should I” T’Lanna nodded. “Thanks again Eyelaya.”

{OFF:}