CHAPTER 6
"Captain's log, stardate 52154.6. In order to secure the aid of the Guardians of my home planet of Trill for our symbiont resettlement project, I am beaming down personally to speak with them, and also to the board of the Symbiosis Commission. I have also enlisted the aid of the starships Excalibur , Sarajevo, and Thunderchild. I'm also happy to report that the cadets are adjusting well to starship life, and they're enjoying the added freedom, just as I did during my field assignment on the Enterprise-D during my freshman year at the Academy. There's also reason to celebrate, with the Joining of Lieutenant Katrina Mourana tomorrow. However, I cannot shake the feeling that this is not going to be as easy to do as I'd planned. Maybe I'm just worried with this large number of cadets onboard, or maybe, it's just that I'm simply very nervous about the whole mission. Either way, I've ordered a level two security alert and ordered long range sensor sweeps, just to be on the safe side..."
The cool feel of the transporter beam on his skin was just as soothing as stepping into the sonic showers, as Enor appeared in the caves of Mak'ala, where the Guardians tend to the symbionts. He had to have a wrist beacon on his arm, so he could see around.
"Hello?" he called out.
"Coming..." came a young female voice, from deep in the caves.
"Alright," he said as he pulled out his tricorder and scanned.
He then bent down, and was on his knees and scanning the fluid in which the symbionts were held.
"Hornet to Captain Enor," came the voice of Lieutenant Perim, over his commbadge.
He tapped his uniform insignia, and answered, "Enor here, go ahead."
"Sir, we're receiving a hail from Earth Station McKinley, for you sir," she told him, "from Commander Madison. It's coded personal."
"Very well. Patch it through to me here," he requested.
"Chris?" came Star's voice.
"It's me. What's going on?"
"I found out what those bloody codes mean."
"Don't just hold that info to yourself," he said, matching her previous sarcasm.
"Watch it, mister! I'm not one of your Starfleet officers! Well anyway, they're given to select people ranking from commander and above. The people who get these codes are allowed information to special projects. Also, when you get back, there's something you've got to see. I won't go into details because you got to see it to believe it. It has to do with that special posting here," she told him.
"Well, I look forward to it. Out of curiosity, did they call you in to work on a starship design?" he asked.
"Mmmmmm maybe. You'll see it when you get here," came an extremely cryptic reply.
"Well, I look forward to seeing it. If all goes well, we'll be back within the week, in time for Admiral Hill's birthday party. I'm going to get a few gifts from home, while I can, and learn how to gift wrap presents, or, just send them into the computer, and let them be gift wrapped that way," he said, with a chuckle. "We have the tanks ready to go, and once started, should only take three days, at the most."
"Good. I also want to introduce you personally to the officer I worked with on this project, when you get back. You'll get along with him really well. I'll warn you now that he's Irish, so whatever you do, don't tick him off."
"Then I'll try to get back more quickly. I'll keep in touch, and we have cause to celebrate here. Lieutenant Mourana is going to be joined tomorrow," he said to her.
"Tell her I said congratulations." she requested.
"I will. Enor out."
He slowly lowered his hand into the fluid, and a slight electrical discharge hit his knuckles, as a symbiont swam by. Another one came right into his hand and settled, as if resting. His first impulse was to pull away slowly, but he felt it communicating with him, through electrochemical signals, which told a lot.
He was disturbed as a Guardian came up from the darkness in the caves. She was young, only a few years older than Enor's host, who she looked at as she approached. The young captain turned his head to see a rather familiar face.
Talia stared at him, shock and surprise written all over her face. "Chris what a surprise! You were the last person I thought I'd see here." She moves to the pool and lowers a symbiont into it. "I guess the Commission decided to listen to me for a change and request help so we don't lose any symbionts."
The woman looked at him and laughed. "I take it you didn't expect to find me here after all I had just finished the Joining program when you got in it." Talia examines the pool full of symbionts, making sure they're all right.
Chris stuttered, "How…what…..Talia what are you doing here?"
Talia responds with smile. "I'm head of the Guardians, I went into the Guardian training program after leaving the Joining program and I had refused a Joining." She watches him carefully. Chris stares at her in complete shock.
"You refused a Joining?!?!? That's the reason we go into the program: to be Joined!"
Talia shrugs, glancing downwards at the many linked pools. "I like challenges, Chris and being Joined was never part of the challenge when I entered the program, I wanted to see if I had what it took to get through the programs. That's why I'm a Guardian now: for the challenge to understand symbionts."
Chris watched her, thinking and says. "I can understand that but it's highly unusual for a Trill to enter the program and not want to be Joined."
"Captain's log, stardate 52154.6. In order to secure the aid of the Guardians of my home planet of Trill for our symbiont resettlement project, I am beaming down personally to speak with them, and also to the board of the Symbiosis Commission. I have also enlisted the aid of the starships Excalibur , Sarajevo, and Thunderchild. I'm also happy to report that the cadets are adjusting well to starship life, and they're enjoying the added freedom, just as I did during my field assignment on the Enterprise-D during my freshman year at the Academy. There's also reason to celebrate, with the Joining of Lieutenant Katrina Mourana tomorrow. However, I cannot shake the feeling that this is not going to be as easy to do as I'd planned. Maybe I'm just worried with this large number of cadets onboard, or maybe, it's just that I'm simply very nervous about the whole mission. Either way, I've ordered a level two security alert and ordered long range sensor sweeps, just to be on the safe side..."
The cool feel of the transporter beam on his skin was just as soothing as stepping into the sonic showers, as Enor appeared in the caves of Mak'ala, where the Guardians tend to the symbionts. He had to have a wrist beacon on his arm, so he could see around.
"Hello?" he called out.
"Coming..." came a young female voice, from deep in the caves.
"Alright," he said as he pulled out his tricorder and scanned.
He then bent down, and was on his knees and scanning the fluid in which the symbionts were held.
"Hornet to Captain Enor," came the voice of Lieutenant Perim, over his commbadge.
He tapped his uniform insignia, and answered, "Enor here, go ahead."
"Sir, we're receiving a hail from Earth Station McKinley, for you sir," she told him, "from Commander Madison. It's coded personal."
"Very well. Patch it through to me here," he requested.
"Chris?" came Star's voice.
"It's me. What's going on?"
"I found out what those bloody codes mean."
"Don't just hold that info to yourself," he said, matching her previous sarcasm.
"Watch it, mister! I'm not one of your Starfleet officers! Well anyway, they're given to select people ranking from commander and above. The people who get these codes are allowed information to special projects. Also, when you get back, there's something you've got to see. I won't go into details because you got to see it to believe it. It has to do with that special posting here," she told him.
"Well, I look forward to it. Out of curiosity, did they call you in to work on a starship design?" he asked.
"Mmmmmm maybe. You'll see it when you get here," came an extremely cryptic reply.
"Well, I look forward to seeing it. If all goes well, we'll be back within the week, in time for Admiral Hill's birthday party. I'm going to get a few gifts from home, while I can, and learn how to gift wrap presents, or, just send them into the computer, and let them be gift wrapped that way," he said, with a chuckle. "We have the tanks ready to go, and once started, should only take three days, at the most."
"Good. I also want to introduce you personally to the officer I worked with on this project, when you get back. You'll get along with him really well. I'll warn you now that he's Irish, so whatever you do, don't tick him off."
"Then I'll try to get back more quickly. I'll keep in touch, and we have cause to celebrate here. Lieutenant Mourana is going to be joined tomorrow," he said to her.
"Tell her I said congratulations." she requested.
"I will. Enor out."
He slowly lowered his hand into the fluid, and a slight electrical discharge hit his knuckles, as a symbiont swam by. Another one came right into his hand and settled, as if resting. His first impulse was to pull away slowly, but he felt it communicating with him, through electrochemical signals, which told a lot.
He was disturbed as a Guardian came up from the darkness in the caves. She was young, only a few years older than Enor's host, who she looked at as she approached. The young captain turned his head to see a rather familiar face.
Talia stared at him, shock and surprise written all over her face. "Chris what a surprise! You were the last person I thought I'd see here." She moves to the pool and lowers a symbiont into it. "I guess the Commission decided to listen to me for a change and request help so we don't lose any symbionts."
The woman looked at him and laughed. "I take it you didn't expect to find me here after all I had just finished the Joining program when you got in it." Talia examines the pool full of symbionts, making sure they're all right.
Chris stuttered, "How…what…..Talia what are you doing here?"
Talia responds with smile. "I'm head of the Guardians, I went into the Guardian training program after leaving the Joining program and I had refused a Joining." She watches him carefully. Chris stares at her in complete shock.
"You refused a Joining?!?!? That's the reason we go into the program: to be Joined!"
Talia shrugs, glancing downwards at the many linked pools. "I like challenges, Chris and being Joined was never part of the challenge when I entered the program, I wanted to see if I had what it took to get through the programs. That's why I'm a Guardian now: for the challenge to understand symbionts."
Chris watched her, thinking and says. "I can understand that but it's highly unusual for a Trill to enter the program and not want to be Joined."
