Kindred Spirits

Posted on 10 Jan 2022 @ 6:14pm by Lieutenant JG Karras & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim
Edited on on 10 Jan 2022 @ 6:15pm

2,313 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 1, Ready Room/Deck 3 - Sickbay
Timeline: MD 02, 1400 hrs

[ON]

It had been strange coming aboard Galileo while it was... how had Crewman Hanscum put it earlier - 'all tucked in'. The dim lighting and absence of crew going about their duties made Karras feel as if he were someplace off-limits. At the least, it made him feel like an outside observer who had been given a peek behind the scenes. That felt especially true as he stepped onto the bridge. Empty, but still filled with an expectant energy. At least, it felt expectant to him, like at any second it could spring to life and be bustling with activity. Alas, the bridge stayed silent, and he made his way over to the ready room door and pressed the chime.

Allyndra heard the chime and put the various reports on the ship's refit progress to the side. Those would be for Captain Saalm and Commander Blake to peruse the summaries later. She had gotten an indication that the ship was onboarding a new ship's counselor. A position she once held at various times in her career. "Come!" she said and pulled the PaDD with a Lieutenant Karras background on it.

"Dr. Warraquim, I presume?" the counselor asked, stepping into the ready room and immediately taking note of the senior officer's striking sapphire eyes. He'd never seen anything like them, and realized he could not identify the doctor's species. He smiled, the thought of making a new acquaintance now enhanced by the chance to learn about a new culture. "I'm Karras, uh, Lieutenant Karras, newly assigned Chief Counselor. I just met with Commander Blake."

Allyndra stood. She noted a young looking human like male with brown hair and hazel eyes. "Allyndra please. I do not use any titles unless I need to. I know some species are reluctant to be touched, but I have to admit I am not familiar with Ba'ku customs. Thus if I am breaking a culture taboo forgive." She held out a hand. "Welcome aboard Lieutenant Karras. May I just call you Karras or am I breaking another protocol?"

"Yes, please, just Karras is fine," he answered, accepting her offered hand. It was a relief to find a kindred spirit when it came to things such as superfluous designations. "And no protocols here to break. It's a pleasure to meet you, Allyndra."

"And you as well, please have a seat," she waved a hand toward one of the couches. She did not need a table between them. "Help yourself to the replicator as well." She picked a mug up. "I already have my tea. Anyway, if possible with new people coming aboard I like to take time to at least get to know them a little." She waved a hand. "Call it leftover from when I held a Counselor job."

Karras nodded with a grin, finding it amusing that both Allyndra and Commander Blake had served as counselors. He retrieved a glass of water from the replicator and took a seat. "What would you like to know?"

"Anything you would like to share. I know nothing but a little bit from the entry in the computer on the Ba'ku other than mostly Terran style physiology and that you tend to be long lived as long as exposed to a particular radiation. Perhaps that should be my first question, will being away from that be something as a medical person I need to worry about?"

"I don't think so," Karras replied. "Maybe the only thing of note is that I'm not actually aging as projected. No one knows why, but my cells are simply retaining the metaphasic energy of my homeworld. There has been some degradation, but miniscule, especially given that I've been away for a decade now." He took a sip of his water and shrugged. "I think that since there haven't been any negative side effects, no one has been all that worried."

Allyndra nodded. "Very good. I suppose we could always try to arrange something if it became an issue." She smiled for a moment and then waved a hand over herself. "If you wish to ask questions about me, feel free. After all I could count probably on one hand the number of Akkadians that off world. Akkadia for its part is not a member world, but we have a working agreement with the Federation. Thus, technically, I serve in Star Fleet but not actually a Federation citizen."

"I wouldn't know where to start," Karras admitted. "I mean, I'd like to learn everything, which I know isn't possible in one conversation." He again was drawn to her eyes, this time noticing the small, colorful markings on the outside of each. "Your... tattoos? Personal expression or culturally significant?"

Allyndra was a little surprised at that question. Most found the wings or the ability to fly the most interesting aspect of her physiology. "I understand, however, there is little else other than reports and we have but minimal staff on duty, so one of those rare times that we have more time than usual. Anyway, as to your question. They indicate that I am Mother of my Guild House. That is I am the person who is responsible for the direction of the Guild, the training of individuals, serving on the planetary council that sort of thing. It was not something I expected to have been given by the previous Mother. Yes, difficult not to be there, but even the Council though it best that I continue to work within the Federation to continue to supply my observations so that we can decide if we remain allied or not. While we no longer use interstellar flight, we have in the far past. These days, our world I think is a bit like yours. We find balance in the harmony of nature and lead a much more simple life."

Karras again felt a kinship with her as Allyndra referred to the 'simple life'. He had a sense both ultimately yearned to return to that existence, yet here they both were, engaging in the unknown. "Fascinating. It seems you have a lot going on... Guild Mother, Chief Medical Officer. Is there a reason you chose to take on the added responsibilities of Command?" He nodded toward her rank pips. "I was led to believe at the Academy that very few medical officers advanced in rank. Well, beyond Lieutenant Commander, that is."

"Just been here quite a bit. That and well I like the late shift, so I asked the captain and she let begin to get command trained and then when I had that let me take third watch. Same reason I guess I am here now, rather than the base. I just like the quiet slower paced time, reminds me of home. Now then, counselor, tell me something about yourself." She gave a little chuckle with that musical voice of hers.

"Well..." he began, trying to bring to mind a personal detail that she wouldn't get from reading his file. "I am... well, was, a sculptor. Apprentice sculptor. In my village, back home." His fingers started to move slightly, subconsciously directed by some latent sense memory of his work. "Clay was my primary medium, though I would occasionally try others. But it was important to me to really focus on the clay, though. To master every technique I possibly could." He became aware of his hands and stilled them. "I haven't gotten to devote as much time to it as I would like since joining Starfleet, but I have kept up the practice. I even learned to incorporate it into my duties through Art Therapy."

"That is interesting. I would like to see or perhaps participate. I still follow a hobby from home. It is called water dancing for short, the longer is the balance of wind and waves. One uses one's wings to just touch the surface of the water and then dance. Difficult to compensate for the gusts of winds and the vagaries of wave and keep one's balance."

"That sounds beautiful," the Counselor replied. He had wondered if Allyndra's wings were functional or decorative. Despite her earlier invitation to ask anything, he had once asked a Caitain cadet about his tail and that was a mistake he'd resolved to make only once. "I'd love to see you dance sometime. As for sculpting, I'd love to teach you. In fact, I was thinking I might offer a regular class once the ship is back underway."

He chewed his lip, thinking of what else he could share. "I enjoy setting aside time to meditate," he offered. "I've studied some Bajoran techniques, and I currently am working though different Vulcan exercises. I don't often use the holodeck, but I've found a program of the original P'Jem monastery, and it has been a marvelous place to practice."

"Sounds nice. I will show you some of our skyships sometime as well. They are wooden vessels with sails that ply the skies between the islands of my world. Very good, well shall we head down to sickbay and get the formal part over with and you can settle in. We can always talk along the way. I seriously doubt I will find anything considering." She stood and waved a hand toward the door. "Funny how we are a bit the same. Once we, that is Akkadians reach maturity, we quit aging as well, well until the very end then it catches up with us. I have looked this way since I turned twenty. I do not think though we live quite as long, pretty much same as most healthy humans these days."

Karras followed her lead out of the ready room and towards the turbolift. "I can't say that I ever had much experience with aging until I left my people, and then it has only been an observation of the process in others." His brow furrowed slightly. "To be honest, it has been a little disconcerting. How quickly certain capabilities begin to diminish in most species, even considering what Offworld medicine can offer."

Allyndra nodded. "Yes, but it is the way of ensuring biologically that the way is made open for newer generations. I note that those that seem to be extremely long lived have very few offspring. We have a saying it goes like this: 'ʻAʻloe hoʻi maiu nā hōkiū'. It means not even the stars endure." She turned to look at him. "I do apologize, I did not mean to become so philosophical on basically a medical check in."

"Conversation without consideration is merely words," Karras mused. "Being exposed to new philosophies is part of why I'm here. There are so many perspectives I'd never even considered. I may not understand or even agree with them all, but it has been fascinating."

"I like your philosophy, ah here we are. Just pick any of the beds and I will get a baseline done. Since we are somewhat short staffed and especially at the moment, our little conversation can serve as your counseling check in if that is fine with you?" Allyndra looked around the sickbay. It was so familiar and yet right now seemed also alien to her.

"Fine with me," the counselor affirmed as he lifted himself onto the nearest biobed and stretched out, his arms at his sides to allow any and all equipment clearance. This sickbay was slightly smaller than the one on his previous ship, yet it still seemed well equipped and up to date. "This reminds me, Dr. Salok will be sending you an evaluation of my triage and medical assistance capabilities. He insisted I be trained well enough to be useful in an emergency, so I guess if you ever need me, I can lend a hand." He suddenly blushed, recalling previous attempts at cross training. "I'll certainly be of more use to you than say, the Chief Engineer or Head of Security."

"Trust me, we can always use an extra pair of hands helping here. We get very thin at times. The sickbay is small, but so is the ship. We seem to get into situations at times where the ship is trying to as the humans would say 'way above its weight class'." She shook her head. "Thankfully at least for me, I can regenerate from most injuries." She held up her left hand and wiggled the fingers. "Lost three fingers on one mission. Took several months but they grew back. A little something about Akkadian physiology that you can put in your mind. All right, now, here we go." She started the scan and watched. It was pretty much as she suspected nothing to really note but it would provide a baseline for their records. "Alright all done." She picked a PaDD up and made a notation. "There you go, officially passed medical and psychological and with Commander Blake signing off, you are now officially a part of the Galileo."

Impressed by the Akkadian medical trivia, Karras sat up and planted his feet firmly on the deck. "Thank you for the welcome, Allyndra. I look forward to serving with you." He stretched his neck to the side and took in another quick view of the sickbay. "The counseling office is on this deck, isn't it?"

"It is just down the way. I can walk you that way, but I suppose I must get back to the rather boring duty of looking at repair records."

"Oh no, I should be able to find it. Besides, it will be fun to explore a little bit." He turned towards the door but kept his attention on the doctor. "Sorry about those reports."

"The thrill of command," Allyndra laughed and waved.

[OFF]


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Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Second and Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

and

LTJG Karras
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo

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