Staccato, Numero Primo

Posted on 27 Oct 2024 @ 8:07pm by Lieutenant Commander Temerant Bast & Chief Warrant Officer Rommie Rath RN

607 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Stranded
Location: Bridge
Timeline: Current

He needs immediate medical attention," said the distant voice. "The tricorder is picking up massive internal bleeding, and possible brain injury. Multiple fractures. The symbiont seems bruised, but otherwise uninjured."

The Bast symbiont existed in a world between worlds. One of these worlds was completely cut off from the rest - total darkness, and complete silence. This was not its usual realm. Had it been in the amniolytic baths in the Caves of Mak'ala, it would have felt the presence of the other symbionts, they would have communicated through their electrostatic discharges. Or, if it had been connected to the Host, it would have felt their thoughts, seen through their eyes, heard what the Host heard. The silence could only mean one thing. The Host was seriously injured, for even in sleep, the symbiont could feel the Host's presence. But not so here.

"I need you in Cargo Bay 3 for the isolenium. I need to know if it is stable, or if we are doomed to this sector for the rest of our lives."

There was a brief punctuation to the silence. A voice was heard. Faint and distant, but.... There was a voice nonetheless.

"Alright, kick a chicken."

The voice was familiar. Distant, and seemingly lost in an echo, but Bast could make out the words. It also knew the voice. Someone familiar, someone both he and the Temerant host had trusted and respected. A chicken... What was a chicken?

Some kind of Earth animal, the symbiont remembered. Relatively harmless, but one that had adapted and been transplanted to countless other worlds even as humans themselves had sporead throughout the galaxy. And, if the word of Temerant's sister Auri was to be taken at face value, highly nutritious, although a bit bland, as it tended to absorb the flavors of other elements with which it was cooked.

But why would a trusted figure wish to inflict harm on such a creature?

"I wouldn't like to try to count but probably as much as a 30% death toll. Obviously I'm taking this Bridge and Sickbay plus the Labs into account and averaging them..."

A different voice this time. Female. Professional, yet also compassionate.

Doctor, I think we may have no choice but to remove the symbiont.

A third voice. More guttural, deeper. Bast's memories flashed back to Lamorra's life, decades ago. Her peripheral involvement in several trade negotiations, and the various species involved. This was the voice of a Tellarite.

The bits and pieces of speech that the symbiont was picking up were getting closer, and didn't seem as distant. The minds of the host and symbiont were reconnecting, it realized, and the host's memories were being transferred to Bast in bursts. These were things that temerant could have heard hours, or minutes ago, and they were just now reaching Bast. Such things were not unheard of in Trill scientific litterature. It meant that the Host's status was improving.

No,the symbiont wanted to shout. Don't cut me out.

"Hang in there, Mr. Bast. That's an order."

The first voice again. Male, a bit older. The Captain.

"Captain Bane to anyone. Can anyone hear me?"

Bast heard this command loud and clear.

There was a faint beeping sound from nearby. "Doctor..." came the Tellarite voice.

"Cammm........" The sound came from Temerant. His lips parted, and his head moved slowly to one side, as his lips tried to move and his vocal cords tried to produce a sound. "Cap..."

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A post by

Lieutemant Commander Temerant Bast
Executive Officer
USS Cygnus

 

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