Captain's log, stardate 41249.1. We will be orbiting each of the two major planets of the Beta Renner system taking aboard delegates from those two worlds. Since achieving space flight, their major life forms, the Anticans and the Selay have become deadly enemies. But both have also applied for admission into our Federation. We are to deliver these delegates to this sector's neutral conference planet, called Parliament, in the hope their dispute can be resolved.
As Soriana finished her intiial summary, the mood among the senior staff in the observation lounge was anything but celebratory. 'Appalled' might be more accurate.
"The Anticans attack and kill other sentient life forms," Lieutenant Worf began, incredulously, "in order to eat them? That hardly seems like reasonable behavior from a Federation member."
Soriana nodded. "Fortunately, determining their suitability isn't our concern. We're to ferry the Anticans and the Selay to the neutral meeting point without any diplomatic incident." She pressed a button on her pad, bringing up a picture of an Antican hunting party. "This briefing is just to make everyone aware of these issues, and why security has taken the protections it can."
"It certainly is unusual to confine diplomatic guests to one deck like this." Picard mused. "They won't see it as an insult?"
"Not as long as we confine the Selay to a single deck as well," Soriana assured her captain.
Yar, standing next to Soriana, brought up a schematic of the ship. "We've identified decks 16 and 22 for the Selay and Anticans, respectively. Neither has ship-critical systems or access to anything that would pose a danger to them or the ship."
Soriana continued, "Each deck has a common lounge area as well as recreational facilities. I have scheduled social events with both sets of delegates on opposite days. Each of you should have the events you are expected to attend added to your special duty rosters."
Soriana concealed a slight smirk as she felt the mental groans of most of the officers at the table, including the Captain. The events were intentionally made as bland and uneventful as possible, and most people (herself included) found them to be quite dull. But they were an important part of a flagship's duties, and they all knew it.
Yar continued, "The turbolifts will be biometric-locked for the duration. They will not move off of a given floor as long as any unauthorized persons are identified therein. Any crew who have issues navigating to their work stations should contact security immediately."
"One further issue," Soriana added. "Please replicate a second dress uniform, and set aside one the Setay events, the other for the Antican events."
"Two uniforms? Why?" asked Riker.
"Both races have acute senses of smell," Soriana explained, "and would consider it impolite for us to smell like the other race while associating with them."
As the staff filed out to return to their duties, Picard addressed, "Tasha, Mister Worf, a word please."
When the three of them were alone, Picard asked, "is there any reason why this turbolift security restriction is not in place at all times?"
The tactics and security officers exchanged glances, before Yar said, "Mainly a case of convenience, sir. There are over a thousand persons on board. There are only a few restricted areas of the ship, and all of them either manned day and night or securely locked and alarmed when no one is on duty. She glanced at her Klingon subordinate. "Mister Worf and I have… discussed the matter previously."
"And why did you not bring it to my attention?" Picard asked, puzzled.
"We… well, sir, really I," Yar admitted, "didn't think you'd allow it. This is more a diplomatic vessel than a military one, and we understand that."
"I see," Picard nodded. "Well, it seems like it might be able to be implemented with a minimum of intrusion. Please write up a proposal and go over it with Commander Riker, get his assessment."
"Yes, sir."
"It concerns me that my most security-conscious officers aren't bringing me their best ideas," Picard stated. "The Commander is there to listen and evaluate exactly these sorts of proposed changes. See to it that you self-censor a little less. Both of you."
"Aye, sir."
*****
Captain's log, stardate 41249.3. We have picked up both sets of delegates and are proceeding to Parliament at moderate warp. Despite complaints from both ambassadors, my diplomatic adviser assures me that they are quite satisfied with their accommodations. I have been warned that, due to the Anticans' insistence on receiving their food live, some additional cleaning may be necessary after they leave.
"Sir," Data announced from the ops station, "sensors are picking up an unusual energy object ahead."
"On screen," Picard said.
"Confirmed, sir," Yar reported from tactical. "My sensors read nothing but considerable energy in changing patterns."
"Also travelling at warp speed, sir," Data added. "Intriguing. I can find no match with anything in our records."
"Change course to make a close sensor pass," Picard ordered. "We can then increase warp speed and reach Parliament on schedule."
Soriana's attention was keen as they approached the shifting blue cloud. It continued to change shape even as they began their pass, a sensor sweep reading only interactions of radiation without any underlying matter.
"Fascinating," Data said several times as they continued their progress through the phenomenon, collecting ever more sensor results.
"La Forge to bridge," the voice came over the comm several minutes after they had entered the cloud. "There's been an incident in sensor maintenance. Lieutenant Worf was hit by an energy discharge. He's in Sickbay; I'm heading up there to report."
"Confirmed," Picard said. "Come straight to my ready room. Soriana, go to Sickbay and find out what's happening with Mister Worf. You have the bridge, Number One."
When Soriana arrived at Sickbay, she was immediately struck by two things. The first was that Worf was waking up disoriented but otherwise fine. The second was that Doctor Crusher was both distressed and confused.
"Is everything all right?" she asked the doctor.
"Yes, perfectly, both of us. Quite normal now," Crusher noted quite unnecessarily. Soriana sensed the doctor's fear and distress; she was uncertain where she was, and was quite ineptly attempting to lie to hide her discomfort.
It was the dishonesty that set the counsellor on edge. What did the doctor have to lie about? Why were her feelings so incongruous to her situation?
"Where am I?" Worf exclaimed, sitting up on the examination bed.
Soriana waited to see if the doctor would speak, but she could feel Crusher continuing to look around, gathering her senses. Finally Soriana answered, "You're in Sickbay. Do you remember what you were doing last?"
"I was in the sensor maintenance room," Worf answered in increasing confusion. "I remember monitoring the sensor console, and then nothing. What am I doing here?" Soriana felt the grasping of his mind as he tried to fill in the missing time.
"I believe the doctor can tell you," Soriana prompted. But, without another word, Doctor Crusher turned and left Sickbay, her disorientation and fear still both fully evident.
"MIster Worf," Soriana turned back to the Klingon officer, "do you feel fit to return to duty?"
"Entirely," Worf agreed, his intense pride in his work radiating strongly.
Soriana nodded, "That would usually be Doctor Crusher's call, but she had something urgent to attend to, so I'll return you to duty provisionally. Can you please let me know if you remember anything more from the incident, or suffer any further symptoms?"
"Of course," Worf said, and here Soriana did feel some deceit. From her time so far working with the Lieutenant, she knew he wouldn't report discomfort or minor injury - nothing that would make him seem 'weak.'
With a nod, Soriana left Sickbay. She remained very concerned about the doctor's odd behavior and mental state. "Computer, where is Doctor Crusher?"
"Doctor Crusher is in her quarters."
She got on the turbolift to the deck 8, mentally composing what she would say when she got there. But as the Turbolift opened onto the deck where the Crushers' quarters were, Beverly was already waiting for the same lift.
Soriana nodded in greeting and stepped back to allow the doctor onboard.
"The bridge," Crusher instructed, and the computer beeped acknowledgement. Sorana felt the same underlying fear and disorientation as before, but it was now underneath a determination. The woman had a plan, and she was earnestly desperate to carry it out.
Doctor Crusher moved straight to Geordi's helm station, which gave Soriana the opportunity to sit down in her own bridge chair and pull up the canar crystal. As Crusher spoke to Geordi about the helm, the Haliian took the time to sink her mind into the crystal, to focus on the awareness of the minds nearby. There was Picard's, Riker's… there was Geordi, Kortalev at ops, Tasha… and there was Beverly's mind. An uneven mass of connected thoughts and desires, as humans usually appeared.
And there was another mind connected to Crusher's… larger, stronger, and more coherent. It wrapped around the human mind, and Soriana could tell immediately that it rather than the doctor was in control.
"Doctor Crusher?" Picard addressed his CMO from her stance next to the helm.
"You will wish to know Lieutenant Worf is much improved. Ready for duty," the doctor said. And it was the doctor saying it; Soriana could feel the woman's mind project the meaning of the words. But it was not her mind choosing to say them. The other, alien mind was in control, sparking changes in sensation and movement wherever it touched the doctor's.
"What was the diagnosis?" Picard asked.
"A temporary mental aberration," Crusher answered. Soriana looked deeper into the alien mind, and again saw fear and desperation. There was the desire to survive, the need to deceive and not be discovered. But Soriana did not feel malice in the mind; there was no hatred toward the crew or need to harm the ship.
"Doctor, when such a diagnosis concerns a bridge officer," Picard chided, "I expect a better explanation."
"Beverly," Soriana interjected, standing. This earned surprised looks from the rest of the bridge crew, especially the captain.
"Yes?" Crusher asked. Soriana could feel the alien's distinct emotions, now, as it grasped within Beverly for answers. "Soriana?"
"I know you're there," Soriana began. "It's all right. We won't harm you." She took a step forward, inching towards the doctor with a non-threatening posture.
"Counsellor, what's going on here?" Picard demanded.
"I feel your mind," Soriana continued. "I know you're with Beverly, but you're not her. And I know you're scared. But you don't need to be. You can see Beverly's thoughts, can't you? Then see for yourself." She continued her soothing tone, but she could feel panic increase in the mind in front of her.
"Soriana," Captain Picard interjected, "are you saying an alien lifeform has… entered Doctor Crusher somehow?" She felt his skepticism clearly, along with that of Yar standing at tactical behind him.
"Yes, captain. I don't know how," Soriana admitted, "but we have a visitor on board that is very worried about being discovered. I am trying to reassure them."
The doctor spoke, her voice echoing the concern that Soriana felt from her. "We are explorers. We seek new life. We try to make friends." Crusher's concern decreased, and she looked more solidly into Soriana's eyes with the beginnings of a smile. "The Enterprise encounters alien life and learns from it. They aren't hostile. We… you… will help me."
Picard placed a hand on Soriana's shoulder as he stepped forward next to her. "Of course, yes. How can we help you? Are you in distress?"
Beverly nodded. "I'm confused. I don't know how I came to be here. I need to rejoin my people."
"Sir," Data supplied, "I believe the energy cloud that we departed an hour ago may have been the source of this life form."
Beverly nodded. "Yes. We need to go back there. Please."
"Of course," Picard nodded, tugging on his shirt as he backed up to stand above his own seat. "Mister La Forge, come about and plot a reverse course to the energy cloud phenomenon."
"Aye sir. Course laid in."
"Warp 9, engage."
Captain's log, stardate 41249.4. Engineering informs me that we will need a small overlay at Parliament for repairs after our encounter with the energy cloud and subsequent travel at high warp. Even with this, and complaints by our delegates over the additional delay, our accidental first contact with the Ceruleans, as they have asked us to call them, more than make up for any small inconvenience. After overcoming its initial fear and mistrust, the alien that was accidentally taken aboard the Enterprise has expressed interest in further information exchanges. Starfleet Command has already assured me that a research vessel staffed with both xeno-anthropologists and warp theory specialists will be sent to follow up on this unique opportunity.