Atticus Segami

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Forename: Atticus

Surname: Segami (Formerly Idarin)

Rank: Lieutenant Commander

Position: Chief of Security

Posting: USS Excalibur NCC-2004-B

Security Override Segami Gamma 87

 

Gender: Male

Species: Joined Trill

Age: 26 (9th Host. Symbiont's age = 317)

Place of Birth: Trill

Marital Status: Unmarried

 

Height: 1.85 metres

Weight: 175 pounds

Eye Colour: Green

Hair: Short, Blonde

Skin Colouring: Light

Distinguishing Features: Trill spots from head to toe

 

 

Next Of Kin:

 

Biological Mother: Cire Idarin

Age: 58

Occupation: School Teacher.

 

Biological Father: Jorsep Idarin

Age: 61

Occupation: Computer Systems Engineer (retired)

 

 

Service Record

 

9901.XX - Entered Starfleet academy

 

0304.XX - Graduated Starfleet Academy at rank of Ensign - Commendation for demolition course completion

 

0305.28 - Began service on USS Shanghai as a rotating bridge officer

 

0602.10 - Officially Assigned to USS Excalibur's security team. Serving on USS Morningstar under CSEC Will Graham

 

0602.12 - Acted with distinction during battle in the Antares system, operating phase cannon against the Hundred threat.

 

0602.26 - Began serving on new USS Excalibur B refit.

 

0604.04 - Temporarily assigned to USS Ardent as Chief Of Security. MISSION: Recovery of an ancient species of Vorta

 

0605.23 - Temporarily assigned to USS Reliant as Tactical Operations Officer

 

0606.04 - Promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. Served in the battle of Karema against Al-Ucard forces

 

0607.02 - Reassigned to USS Excalibur security detail under Security Chief Murdok Helios

 

0608.20 - 0609.17 - Abducted along with three other crewmembers by Scorpiad technology

 

0610.22 - In the absence of Lieutenant J.G Murdok Helios, made Acting Chief Of Security

 

0612.17 - Awarded Stripe for service time given to Starfleet and Special "Captain's Quill & PADD" Commendation for excellent log-keeping skills.

 

0703.26 - Promoted to full grade Lieutenant after extended service at a high level of excellence.

 

0712.16 - Reported for duty on newly commisioned Excalibur C at the new rank of Lieutenant Commander

 

Awards/Citations

 

Captain's Quill & Padd Award 06012.17

 

First Service Stripe 06012.17

 

Log Writing Achievement Award 0804.20

 

 

Medical History

 

- Joined with the Segami symbiont 0304.XX at age 22

 

- Admitted to sickbay 0602.26 suffering from head wound.

Treatment: Dermal Regeneration

Outcome: Success

Acting Physician: Lt. Chell Reno

 

- ANNUAL PHYSICAL 0602.26

Doctor's Opinion: In Perfect health.

Acting physician: Lt. Chell Reno M.D

 

- Attended Scorpiad-Fighter Kidnapping Counselling Session 0609.17

Counselor's Opinion: Fit for duty

Acting Counselor: Ensign Alexander Zier

 

 

Biography

 

Atticus Idarin was a very troubled and angry youth. The precise cause for all this tension is unknown but it has been hinted that his parents’ obsession with getting him accepted by the symbiosis commission for joining may have been a major factor. They bullied him into becoming a model applicant. He was forced into violin lessons and onto the sports teams and punished harshly if he did not achieve high grades in his schoolwork. Though he was a good student he was not very sociable and avoided contact with others. It seemed as if the pressure he was under made sure that he wanted nothing to do with his people or their heritage. At 18, after passing secondary school, Atticus rebelled against his parents’ advice to stay on the Trill homeworld and instead opted to join Starfleet.

 

Ironically it was at the academy, hundreds and thousands of miles away that he began to grow a respect and fondness for Trill. Being away from home made him miss all the good things about it very strongly and bit by bit he even started to nurture the thought of taking his place in society and applying to be joined with a symbiont but not for his parents, for himself. He socialized more and became a happier person.

 

At the academy, Atticus was a high-quality cadet, he got good marks in most the fields and even took up a specialization course in demolitions. The course taught not only advanced theories on explosive elements and their handling but also gave knowledge on the setting up and deactivation of other types of triggered devices such as chemical and biological weapons.

 

After graduation, Atticus deferred his first assignment in order to undergo testing at the symbiosis commission. He had made up his mind and decided that being joined was actually for him. After a few months it was decided that he would be given the Segami symbiont as its ninth host. He agreed and was joined as Atticus Segami.

 

After joining, another turn of irony occurred. After those four years of relaxing his stress and tension away at the academy he now changed into a slightly cynical and stern character. It is unknown which previous host gave him these traits and it even remains a mystery to Atticus himself. He has also not informed his parents of his joining and is unaware if they know since he has broken off contact with them completely.

 

Atticus Segami served his first duty onboard the USS Shanghai as a bridge officer under Captain Harris. Though he gained experience fro three years serving in every position and was being tipped for promotion to Lieutenant, he applied for a transfer to another vessel. His motives are not known. He was eventually transferred to the crew of the USS Excalibur as a security officer.

 

On Excalibur, Atticus quickly made himself an invaluable member of the team. Under the tutoring of Commander Will Graham, his natural aptitude for the tasks at hand shone. He took part in several confidential assignments and helped defend the ship from attack with dedication befitting a Starfleet Officer. It was not long before Atticus finally accepted an overdue promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade and later on after further service, to Lieutenant Full Grade.

 

As his level of status onboard hrew, Atticus took on more responsibilities. When Commander Graham finally resigned from his role as ship CSEC, Atticus stepped up to the plate in helping his new superior, Lt. Murdok Helios, with his duties. This position of Assistant Chief allowed Lt. Segami to learn the ropes of handling a department from close up. When an unexpected LOA took Lt. Helios away from Excalibur, Atticus filled the post of CSEC. In the time since, Atticus has proven himself a competent department head. Though his tactics and manner are considered brash by some, almost to the point of being reprehensible, they have often yielded results. His administrative skills in the job are also highly valued, gaining him a special "Captain's Quill" award on one occasion.

 

With the commisioning of a new Akira class Excalibur, Mr. Segami has continued in his position of CSEC but has now achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander. It is hoped that the new level of authority he has been given will lead to a less fiery temperment but only time will tell...

 

 

Hobbies

Playing the violin

Reading,

Watching movies from earth’s mid 20th Century

 

 

Future Aspirations

 

One day Atticus hopes to reach the rank of Captain and command his own ship. Since his joining he looks at his role in Starfleet a little bit more from a career perspective than he used to.

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PREVIOUS HOSTS

 

1ST HOST

Name: Raiya

Gender: Female

Age When Joined: 20 Years Old (2065 AD)

Age at Death: 72 Years Old (2117 AD)

Length of Hosting: 52 Years

Cause Of Death: Pneumonia-like illness

Story By: LoAmi

 

Raiya was born to a well-to-do family on the Trill homeworld. From early on, it was clear that she was extremely social and outgoing. In school, her academic grades were average, but she was always surrounded by other students who practically competed to be in her shadow. It was then that she learned to use her popularity and her natural appeal to her advantage.

 

As an older teenager, Raiya practically charmed her way into the initiate program. And, she was lucky enough to have been assigned a man to test her. Needless to say, she passed. Shortly afterwards, she was joined to the Segami symbiont.

 

Raiya studied fine arts at university, and graduated with an advanced degree. She married a boyfriend she met there. However, during a downturn in the Trill economy, her husband could not support her. She took a job at a museaum cataloguing works of art. While there, she realized that the cataloguing and inventory system was very outdated. The institution would not know what works they had unless her cataloguing was accurate.

 

One day, she took an uncatalogued painting right out of the museaum. As she passed the security guard on her way out, nonchalantly waving to him, she realized what kind of thrill there was in this adventure. Soon enough, she realized what kind of profit was in it too. The works could be sold on the black market.

 

When the economy turned up again, she continued working at the museaum, refusing promotions that would take her out of the cataloging job. Even after her husband landed a job and a number of promotions that could have supported them both lavishly. They didn't need the money anymore, but once she had started, she simply could not stop. Each time, the work she removed was more valuable, and more likely to arouse suspicion. A few times, it did. But, each time, she managed to lie and charm her way out of major trouble.

 

She and her husband had six children.

 

Raiya Segami eventually died on the homeworld. She managed to keep the secret of her criminal past from the museaum, her coworkers, the authorities and even her husband, children, and family. In fact, at the time of this writing, it had never been discovered... except by future Segami hosts...

 

 

 

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2ND HOST

Name: Oran

Gender: Male

Age When Joined: 28 Years Old (2117 AD)

Age at Death: 94 Years Old (2183 AD)

Length of Hosting: 66 Years

Cause Of Death: Old Age

Story By: Kestra

 

Before the joining, Oran was a fairly conscientious, charming young man. He had been educated in many areas, having varying interests in the arts but holding degrees in several other subjects as well. Desiring to be more involved with global affairs, he was gearing towards a career as a diplomat and felt that blending with a symbiont would only enhance his understanding of matters. His first time through the program he failed to get through on his charm alone, and later reapplied. He was ultimately successful.

 

After blending with the Segami symbiont, Oran was surprised to find the changes within him. The life of a diplomat now seemed too stifling and the desire to write was simply irresistible. Picking up a half finished manuscript, he revitalized it over the period of two years. Close friends and family became concerned with his new seclusion, but there was nothing to suggest that the joining had been anything less than a success.

 

When he was finished, he went through a long line of old contacts and managed to get his novel published. It was moderately successful and Oran Segami knew he had found what he wanted to do. Over the years he branched out, writing many different works. They were mostly spy thrillers which later branched off into the new genre of “cosmic thrillers.” His newfound success led him to be invited to social gatherings of all sorts, both on Trill and off world. His life turned into a series of destinations, each one providing new backgrounds and characters for his writing. His weeks alternated between total seclusion and endless parties.

 

After years of philandering, he fell in love with and eventually married Ilyn, a singer on Trill. They had one child, a daughter Isa. She showed an early predilection for music and followed in the footsteps of her mother. Oran eventually stopped writing novels, but worked to help convert them into holoprograms. In later years, Oran and his wife took mostly to traveling, as Isa’s career took off and she toured classical venues in nearby systems. He lived to old age and died peacefully in his sleep.

 

 

 

 

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3RD HOST

Name: Marya

Gender: Female

Age When Joined: 19 Years Old (2183 AD)

Age at Death: 42 Years Old (2225 AD)

Length of Hosting: 23 Years

Cause Of Death: Shuttle Crash

Story By: Tachyon

 

“The Holy Balance”

Segami's Past Lives – Marya Segami

Tachyon

 

 

Commander Blaine Hartkins stood on the damaged bridge of the USS Entropy, his square jaw set in a mask of resignation. “You're sure about this?” he asked of the woman standing next to him.

 

Sparks erupted from the aft console of the Constellation-class starship's bridge, sending someone to the ground with a painful scream as plasma lanced up their arms. The viewscreen, which was only partially functional, flickered in the dim emergency lighting.

 

The woman nodded. “Yes,” she said. “It's the only way to survive. Do it.”

 

Blaine bit his lower lip, a habit that he had had since the Academy. His eyes traced the pattern of green spots running up the woman's body, from her head down along her neck. She had boarded the Entropy three weeks ago, and now his captain and thirty good Starfleet officers were dead.

 

*****

 

Marya Segami had arrived on the Entropy in an unusual manner. Performing a routine patrol of the Tenara Sector, the Entropy responded to the distress call from a class six civilian shuttle. One Trill life sign aboard. Captain Parker ordered the shuttle tractored into the shuttlebay and the occupant beamed to sickbay, where Marya Segami was treated for severe first-degree burns.

 

Marya's first memory of the ship was opening her eyes to see the ship's doctor standing over her, along with a short woman with iron-grey hair and even greyer eyes. “Captain Parker of the USS Entropy,” she said, offering Marya a hand.

 

Accustomed to the human custom of “handshakes”, Marya took Parker's hand and replied, “Marya Segami—Doctor Marya Segami.”

 

“I must say, Doctor, I've never seen a Trill in the Tenara Sector before, and certainly not alone in a shuttle with unusual energy readings from its warp core,” said Parker. She held up a PADD. An all-business type of woman, she was very suspicious of what her engineers had turned up. Not a lot was known about the Trill, and the Trill homeworld was nowhere near the Tenara Sector.

 

Marya tried to sit up and groaned as she felt her back protest. She stayed sitting, however, and said, “Yes, I know. I was um . . . doing some research, captain. I'm an astrophysicist, and there are some interesting anomalies in the Tenara sector. I was tracking an ion storm for several days before you arrived. Unfortunately, my navigation sensors malfunctioned, and I got caught in it. If you hadn't shown up . . . I don't know what would have happened.”

 

“I see. Care to explain the modifications to your warp drive?”

 

Marya swallowed. She did not want to talk about those, and as she swallowed, she thought she caught a glimmer of recognition in Parker's eye, as if the captain had noticed the tiny gesture. Marya decided to play the innocent. “What modifications?”

 

“Your warp drive appears to have coaxial bundles attached to its subspace field generators.”

 

“I'm sorry, Captain,” said Marya with an ingratiating smile, “but I'm not an engineer. I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.”

 

Parker nodded without believing a word of it. “We'll convey you to Starbase 245. Your shuttle is not terribly damaged, but it's beyond our capabilities to repair here.”

 

“Thank you, Captain.”

 

The Entropy did not drop Marya off at Starbase 245, however—the Entropy never arrived at Starbase 245. Because five light-years and eight days later, the Entropy suddenly dropped out of warp.

 

“Report!” shouted Blaine as the red alert klaxons sounded.

 

The ops officer, a young redheaded ensign, replied, “It appears to be a subspace pocket of some sort, Commander. I'm reading intense subspace distortion. Warp travel through it is out of the question.”

 

“Helm, plot a course around it.”

 

“Aye, sir,” came the response. The Entropy changed course and attempted to navigate around the pocket. It seemed like smooth sailing at first, but after a few minutes, the ship was jolted again.

 

Ensign Roberta looked at her readouts and said, “Sir, the subspace pocket is . . . localised. It appears to be attached to our warp core somehow.”

 

“Like a puppy following its owner,” the helm officer observed, supply the requisite Starfleet analogy.

 

“We want this puppy to leave us alone,” said Paker. “Helm, try taking us directly to maximum warp. Maybe the sudden jolt will sever whatever sort of bond it has with our warp core.”

 

The helm officer nodded. Everyone felt the ship jump to warp suddenly, the stars becoming a blur against the windows. It did no, good, however. The ship dropped out of warp nearly immediately, and three power conduits blew out.

 

The communications from engineering were a bit dire. “Sir, that last attempt to go to warp just damaged our main power couplings. I don't recommend that we do it again.”

 

“Damn,” said Parker. She looked at Blaine for ideas, but he shook his head. They had never encountered such an anomaly before. However, the fact that this had started after the arrival of their guest was too close to be coincidence, especially when her shuttle had warp drive modifications. “Commander, I want you to go down to sickbay and fetch Dr. Segami here. Maybe she will finally tell us what we need to know.

 

“Lieutenant Morsk,” she addressed her Tellarite tactical officer. “Try detonating a high-yield photon torpedo in the centre of the distortion. Perhaps that will disrupt it long enough for us to escape.”

 

The Entropy fired a photon torpedo into the distortion, the bright orange light flying straight through what appeared to be ordinary space. It exploded at proximity, and nothing seemed to happen. At first.

 

Then a massive shockwave slammed the Entropy, and all hell broke loose. Alarms went off as sparks went flying and casualty reports came in

 

“All helm controls nonresponsive!” warned the helm officer. “I can't stablise the ship!”

 

The Entropy was in a dangerous spin now and accelerating. With inertial dampeners offline, it would only be a matter of time before the speed killed everyone inside it, and then the ship itself would be destroyed.

 

“Jettison all warp plasma, and shutdown the core!” Parker yelled over the din. She saw her ops officer acknowledge the action even as she fought to get back into her seat. “Divert all power to the structural integrity field! Get those inertial dampeners back online!”

 

The ship shuddered and creaked as the subspace stresses threatened to tear it apart. The science officer, Ensign Duran, was calmly analysing the readings. “Fascinating. It appears that our photon torpedo caused an interspacial nexus to form at the centre of the distortion. We have been drawn into a form of subspace vortex that is feeding off our energy.”

 

“So shutting down the core will work?”

 

“Of that, captain, I do not know.”

 

“Engineering to the Bridge! We're ready to shutdown the core.”

 

“Do it,” Parker said. She held her breath, hoping she was right.

 

In engineering, the Entropy's core went dark as main power went offline. The subspace distortion was not affected, however; if anything it seemed to get stronger, and the ship accelerated more. The main deflector had sustained heavy damage, and now the power conduits on deck 8 were about to rupture, causing the death of several officers in the mess hall.

 

Parker moved forward toward the helm station. “Any luck?” she asked, knowing what the answer would be.

 

The helm officer opened his mouth to reply, but his console cut him off. The conduit rupture on deck 8 caused a feedback, and as Starfleet consoles are wont to do, the helm station exploded in a shower of fury, throwing both the helmsman and Captain Parker to the deck. Their heads hit the deck at an odd angle—the helmsman sustained heavy burns, but Parker's neck snapped.

 

Lieutenant Morsk moved forward to his captain's side. “Captain!” It was no use, though. He tapped his combadge.

 

Meanwhile in the turbolift to the Bridge, Commander Blaine was arguing with Marya. She had never wanted to get them involved. She had never wanted to get anyone involved. It was why she had gone out this far into space, far from the Trill homeworld, to try this dangerous experiment. She had obviously not run far enough.

 

“Morsk to Harskins. Sir, I have . . . sir . . . sir, the captain is dead,” Morsk said over the comm. Blaine, who had previously been lightly questioning Marya, stopped short.

 

Then he slammed Marya against the wall of the turbolift. “All right. You have five seconds to tell me what's going on.” So Marya told him.

 

It had started twenty years ago, when she had first been joined. She was a smart scientist then, and since her joining, she had pursued successful doctorates at notable Trill universities. In her studies, however, she had uncovered some interesting data pertaining to experiments with warp drive, the types of experiments to make warp drive go faster.

 

In a certain percentage of the test subjects who blacked out during flight, however, some subjects reported “unusual” experiences, almost religious. They were easy to overlook—random hallucinations brought on by terrible stresses during the test flights. However, if one chose to look at them more closely, eerie patterns emerged, patterns that were not just hallucinations.

 

The idea stuck in Marya's mind for years, and she started to branch out. She started to sample the more esoteric forms of Trill religion, and she noticed startling similarities. Soon she was compiling research on Trill rituals and practices to experience “visions of the gods”. Soon, she had been sucked into the mystery, and it would never, ever let her go.

 

“So I stole a ship,” she said, her voice hollow as if she were only now realising the scope of her actions. “And I stole coaxial drive parts—well,” she paused, smiling, “I stole the parts I needed to make a coaxial drive; I had to design the drive myself from scratch, of course.”

 

“In order to have a religious experience?” Blaine asked. The entire thing sounded . . . strange, nearly impossible. As a Starfleet officer, he had always believed himself to be open-minded to other species and their beliefs. But religion at warp? It was far-fetched, surely.

 

Marya stared at him with intensity and passion. Her blue eyes caught his hazel eyes and held them, mesmerising, as she said, “Don't you see? It's more than that. Warp drive distorts space-time—it's a contradiction! It's always been there, all of the data; someone just had to come along and pick up the pieces.”

 

“And you did that.”

 

“Yes.” She saw that he did not believe her. “Please, Commander, listen to me. I didn't want to hurt anyone. At first I was just curious, and then it became a sort of . . . obsession. Maybe I took it too far.”

 

“Damn right you took it too far, Doctor! You've got the blood of innocent people on your hands. Now tell me how to get us out of this mess!”

 

“I don't know. It usually doesn't last this long—you must have done something to prolong the subspace distortion. I usually just black out, and then—” She never finished the sentence. Blaine had just collapsed to the turbolift floor, unconscious. The doors opened on the bridge, but no one stepped out. The entire ship was filled with dead or unconscious bodies.

 

Marya woke up hours later, back in sickbay. Blaine was there near her bed, waiting to speak with her. His expression told her all she need to know—he still did not want anything to do with her work. “How bad is it?” she asked, referring to the ship and its crew.

 

“Twenty dead, fourteen wounded,” Blake said. Marya sighed, closing her eyes in anguish. Blaine continued, “That's not the worst. Our warp drive is offline, and we appear to be in an uncharted section of space—right off the maps. We can't even find home, let alone get back there.

 

“It appears, Doctor, that we need your help.”

 

Marya raised her eyebrows. “Me?”

 

“Yes. You got us into this. Now you have to work with our engineers to get us out. You need to help adapt your coaxial drive to our engines. Perhaps it can help us find our way back home.”

 

“I don't know,” Marya shook her head. It seemed futile. She had screwed up, and now she would have to pay the price. She was not even sure that she wanted to return. If they found their way back to the Alpha Quadrant . . . when a member of Trill society messes up, that mistake is there forever. It would be an indelible mark on Segami's name. Marya did not want to be the host who did that. But did she want to be Segami's last host, its knowledge lost forever?

 

“Damn you, Doctor. You will try.”

 

*****

 

Ten days later, Marya hoped that she had an answer. She had worked with the Entropy's engineering team to adapt her coaxial drive to Starfleet technology. It was difficult, but not as impossible as she had thought. With a bit more time and more than a little luck, they may be well on their way home.

 

Commander Blaine stopped by the science lab to check on her progress. Marya was running simulations on the new drive, correcting for subspace field imbalances and projecting success rates. He entered the lab and said, “Lieutenant Thrace tells me that the new drive is ready for use. Do you concur?”

 

Marya paused her simulations. She spun her chair around to face him, but did not respond right away. Her relationship with Blaine was strained and complicated. She had never met someone like him, although her opinion of the entire human species was that they could use more . . . maturity. They had spent time together, she sharing details of Trill society—she did not discuss the joining, of course, but focused instead on Trill art and music—and he details of his homeworld, a place called Mars. Finally she pushed these thoughts aside and replied, “Yes, I guess so. It's risky, but we can't widen the safety margin any more.”

 

“Good,” said Blaine. “You mentioned a subspace field balance problem yesterday.”

 

“Ah, yes. If you look over here, I can show you.” Blaine moved closer. “As you can see, the gradient is sharp in this region because the coaxial drive bends space differently from conventional warp. By adjusting the differential . . .” Marya stopped, aware that Blaine was looking not at the screen but instead at her. “Commander?”

 

Blaine moved forward and bent over and in one fluid motion planted a kiss on her lips before withdrawing. He said nothing, but his eyes communicated his intentions. Marya felt a blush rising to her face. She had been involved before, but never with an alien. “Commander, I'm not sure that this—under the circumstances, it wouldn't be—” Then she decided that perhaps she would never get a second chance. If she were going to die . . . she kissed him.

 

“Commander Blaine to the bridge.” The voice came over the comm, interrupting them during this climactic moment. They broke their kiss and laughed a bit with exasperation.

 

Blaine stood up and said, “I guess I'll . . . be going then. Bye.”

 

“Bye,” said Marya. “If the test is tomorrow, we both need some sleep. I'll be in engineering first thing in the morning.

 

The morning came more quickly than she had wanted it to, and she arrived in engineering still tired after a sleepless night. She had spent most of the early morning going over subspace flux equations, and thinking about Commander Blaine, whom she had not seen since that strange encounter in the science lab.

 

Ensign Roberta's voice was counting down the seconds until the test drive was activated. “10 ... 9 ... 8 ... 7 ... 6 ...”

 

Marya hoped this worked. She had decided that it would be better to face the consequences in the Alpha Quadrant than to die out here, in the unknown. If anything, it would give future hosts of Segami something to think about during their sleepless nights.

 

“... 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...”

 

This was it. Either it would work, and they would be back in the Alpha Quadrant, or it would fail, and they would be destroyed. Marya closed her eyes. She did not want to watch.

 

“... Activate!”

 

The ship shuddered and distended as it transited from normal space into coaxial space, the subspace distortion forming around the ship. It slipped into another subspace vortex and started spinning out of control. Marya fought to stay in her seat as the ship was jostled and slammed against subspace eddies. More decks reported damage, and the signs of damage were visible in engineering too. Someone fell from the upper deck onto the lower one, even as sparks rained down above them.

 

Marya made her way to the turbolift and got into it. “Bridge!” she shouted at the infernal machine. She felt the ship shake more, and knew that something was wrong. The drive wouldn't work with Starfleet engines. It was going to tear the ship apart!

 

She arrived to find the Bridge a flurry of activity. Lieutenant Morsk was attempting to use the deflector dish to stabilise the ship. Blaine was at the helm, trying to shut down the coaxial drive. Marya ran over to him, falling against the side of the station as the ship listed to one side.

 

“We need to eject the core!” she shouted. “It's the only way to stop the distortions.”

 

“It could also destroy the ship if it explodes!” Morsk retorted from tactical. “Sir, we should fire a photon torpedo.”

 

“Are you insane? That'll cause the distortion to intensify—we'll be crushed instantly!”

 

“Sir!” Morsk shouted with all the authority he could muster. “We can't trust her—she's the one who got us into this.”

 

Blaine turned to Marya. “You're sure about this?”

 

*****

 

To hell with it. If they were going to die . . . he made the decision.

 

“Bridge to Engineering. This is acting commanding officer Commander Blaine Harskins. Eject the warp core on my mark.”

 

Marya smiled. He was going to do it. She waited tensely for Engineering's response.

 

Thrace's voice came over the comm, every bit as surprised as he should be. “Excuse me, sir. Did you just say, 'Eject the warp core'?”

 

“Yes, I said, 'Eject the warp core.'”

 

“Right. I just wanted to make sure that you said 'Eject the warp core' before I ejected the warp core, in case it turned out that you did not say, 'Eject the warp core', because that would be very embarrassing.”

 

“Rest assured, Lieutenant, I did indeed say, 'Eject the warp core.'”

 

“Gotcha. You understand, sir, of course. We—”

 

“Oh, get on with it!” shouted Marya. They did not have time to squabble like this.

 

Blaine stared at her for a few seconds. He wondered what to do with her—what he would do when he got back to Federation space. He wondered why this had to happen to him, why his captain had to be dead.

 

“This is Engineering. You still want us to eject that core?”

 

“Yes, Engineering. Eject the core. Now.”

 

The sound carried through the entire ship as the mechanism holding the core in place unlocked and propelled the core through the open hatch. It flew out into space, into the subspace distortion. On the flickering viewscreen, Marya and Blaine watched the core destabilise and explode in a brilliant blue light. Blaine reached for Marya's hand, but it was met with . . . empty hair. He whipped his head around to look at her, and all he saw were the turbolift doors closing.

 

The warp core explosion did its job, though. The subspace distortion collapsed swiftly, and the Entropy returned to normal space. After a few more jolts, everything seemed to calm down. Blaine turned to Ensign Roberta for a report.

 

“We're back where we started, sir,” she said. “We have heavy damage to all systems, but sickbay reports only minor casualties.

 

Blaine rested his head on his hand and exhaled deeply. This had been his most trying experience, his worst command, but they had gotten through it alive—most of them. Now he just hoped that the day would not go any worse.

 

Unfortunately that was not to be. Lieutenant Morsk said, “Sir, unauthorised shuttle launch. It's Dr. Segami's shuttle.”

 

The viewscreen switched to an aft view of the Entropy, showing Segami's shuttle moving away at high speeds. On his feet now, Blaine said, “Hail her.” Marya appeared on the screen, her expression grim. “Marya . . . what are you doing?”

 

“I'm sorry, Blaine, but you should understand. I have things to make up for . . . I have to answer for my actions. I am burdened by a responsibility you could not possibly comprehend.”

 

“Tell me,” he implored. “We can find a way to help.”

 

Marya smiled, but she shook her head. “You wouldn't understand. Maybe in the future. But for now this is an internal matter of the Trill—and I'm afraid I have not lived up to the name Segami. Maybe in a different life, Blaine. Maybe in a different life.”

 

The transmission ended. Her shuttle accelerated and jumped to warp. Down one warp core, the Entropy could not give chase. Blaine swore and turned to look at Morsk, who gave him a sardonic look of sympathy.

 

“What the hell did that mean?” Blaine asked.

 

He would never find out. Maybe in a different life, at a different junction. If the circumstances had not been what they were. But there was no use speculating now. Marya Segami had disappeared, her holy quest fulfilled, her answers to all her questions found. But what a price. Truth always came with a deadly price, she knew this now, and she hoped that Segami's future hosts would keep this in mind when they weighed lives against the balance.

 

 

 

 

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4TH HOST

Name: Erian

Gender: Male

Age When Joined: 33 Years Old (2225 AD)

Age at Death: 62 Years Old (2254 AD)

Length of Hosting: 29 Years

Cause Of Death: Died during travel

Story By: MisterSmith

 

Erian Segami was the fourth host of the Segami symbiont. He was joined with the symbiont at the age of 33 and remained with the host until his death at age 62.

 

Erian was a doctor in the symbiont host identification program. Upon graduating medical school at the age of 25, Erian began working with the program.

 

He was the creator of the SSC or the Symbiont Stasis Chamber. Before his discovery, trill symbionts could only survive without a host for a matter of minutes. Segami's machine allowed the symbionts to survive for more than two hours without a host, or until one could be found. This was a major breakthrough in the trill world.

 

When he turned 30, he married his longtime friend Denitra, and they were married. Two years later, just over six months before recieving the Segami symbiont, a Son, Sarien was born.

 

While working at the program's headquarters, Erian was given an emergency call. Someone down the street had been in a shuttlecraft crash, and her symbiont, the Segami symbiont, was already dying. His machine had never been formally tested, but it was their last chance.

 

Erian rushed over to the crash site and along with other doctors from the program began to remove the symbiont from it's host. They placed the symbiont in the machine and it began to work.

 

But then things went seriously wrong. After a day of testing, the machine's battery was not charged, and it began to fail. They realized that the only hope was to join the symbiont.

 

Most of the other doctors were already joined with their various symbionts, so Erian took it upon himself to volunteer to take the Segami symbiont. He had been through the training, and had even tought classes in the program.

 

Immediately, they set to work joining Erian with the symbiont that would change his life forever. Like it's three previous hosts, the Segami symbiont joined it's wealth of knowledge with Erian forever.

 

After joining with the symbiont, Erian and Denitra had two more children, a daughter Sliana and another son, Arten.

 

In the 27 years he spent with the symbiont, Erian was able to complete his machine, yet even to this day, it does not function for more than three hours. There is nothing even like it.

 

Erian became chief doctor for the program and led to many other discoveries and inventions, and he hand picked his sucessor for the symbiont.

 

Unfortunately, he died en route to a conference on Earth, and it was his very invention that saved the life, once again, of the Segami symbiont.

 

 

 

 

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5TH HOST

Name: Daldera

Gender: Female

Age When Joined: 26 Years Old (2254 AD)

Age at Death: 35 Years Old (2264 AD)

Length of Hosting: 10 Years

Cause Of Death: Multiple Phaser Wounds

Story By: Laarell

 

"A Job in the Life..."

Daldera Segami

By Laarell Teykier

 

White sands ... turquoise waters. A temperate climate, great nightlife, and low crime rate. You won't find it anywhere else. Can you say it? R-I-S-A...

 

Groaning, Daldera smacked the power button of the bedside comm device. Ever since the Federation Radio Network had begun to sell time to commercial entities, listening had become sheer torment. If it wasn't that annoying Sluggo Cola commercial, the Risan tourism solicitation was driving her insane.

 

Sitting up, she moved from her wall bunk into the cockpit. The small one-man transport she owned was enough for her needs, as varied as they were. Not precisely a smuggler, yet not a fully fledged cargo hauler, Daldera made her own path through the galaxy.

 

She was an archaeologist, a damned good one until a few years ago. Of course she was good ... how else would she have been able to be entrusted with a symbiont? The Commission didn't generally give their charges out to scumbags -- you had to be someone great, and then you could go off and become a scumbag.

 

A shudder struck the little ship, going away as swiftly as it had arrived. Either an engine was out and the craft was dead in space, or a message was coming in. One could never be certain. With the current low energy she was running Vulture on, the subspace comm array was drawing a little more power than the systems could give it, and the bowels of the ship made their displeasure readily apparent.

 

The purple light flickered, cueing Segami to the fact that there was indeed an incoming message. Thank God. Last thing she really needed was a toothy, nasally voiced Ferengi having to save her butt, making obscene gestures to his ears all the while.

 

Flicking one of the switches, Daldera plastered a smile on her face. Never knew who'd be on the other end of the line. It could be friend, foe, authority, or salesman.

 

In this case, it turned out to be some semblance of the first. Jimmy Slaggs, one of her assortment of bosses that she freelanced for. They wanted something, she could probably get it, especially if the item's value came with being of great age. Slaggs was one of those big private collectors who hoarded thousands of priceless artifacts in his cellar just for the sake of well ... hoarding them in his cellar. Bastard got cocky sometimes, too. And that's one of the reasons Daldera was around. To tell Slaggs now and then what he couldn't have. Happened rather often, actually. Last time his smarmy mug was on the screen, he'd been offering her a fortune to rip off the golden death mask of Tutankhamun.

 

What a joke that'd have been. Man had no concept that museums and collections did have security protocols. You didn't exactly have the luxury of marching up to the curator of the United Federation of Planets Museum of Egyptian Antiquities and politely ask him to fork over King Tut's beauty mask. So what the hell did he want this time? The Kir'Shara, perhaps?

 

"Hiya, boyo. What do you have for Spotty this time?" she asked, steepling her fingers playfully as she leaned forward towards the viewscreen.

 

Slaggs appeared to be eating something. Daldera didn't want to know what. Knowing Slaggs, it'd probably be something ridiculously exotic. Between large mouthfuls, he grinned, waving at the screen as if noticing she was observing him for the first time. "Segami! Segami! Long time no see! How've ya been? It's been ages!"

 

Three weeks... "Job for Spotty?"

 

He guffawed, a few chunks of some variety of blue meat flying in several directions. "A vacation of sorts, darling."

 

The Trill crossed her arms. "What's the job?"

 

Bossman gulped down some green-tinted alcohol, the lump of fluid and food visibly moving down his throat as he swallowed. Daldera cringed. "I'm not sugar-coatin'. You virtually get a vacation, and that's your job."

 

She raised an eyebrow. "Emphasis on the 'virtually', I take it?"

 

Lifting the glass to his lips again, he shrugged, jutting his chin forward in the screen's direction. "Transport a box from a planet to your ship. From your ship, it'll go to a friend of mine. From him, it'll go direct to me."

 

She nodded, smirking wryly. "Mmhmm. Didn't think you'd be offering me a chance at peace, quiet, and heat, without wanting something in return. But fine ... fine. Who, what, when, why, how, and most importantly, where?"

 

He smirked, tossing the amply large glass over one shoulder, the green glass apparently shattering upon impact, from the sound of it. Beginning to drink straight from the bottle, he smiled. "You'll get the information once you get there. There, of course, being orbit around Risa."

 

The jingle automatically began playing in her head. Daldera leaned backwards, her skull colliding with the shabby bulkhead behind her. "God ... no ... not Risa..."

 

"Don't worry. You'll just be looking at Risa. You won't actually have to go swimming, or walk the beaches..." Slaggs chuckled, hitting the viewer off with a fist as a text file transfer was initiated. Of course she'd take the job. Not like she really had a choice, the potable water running out in a little less than a week.

 

As the transfer completed, Segami hit off the communications button, accidentally switching on the radio network as she did so.

 

Can you say it? R-I-S-A...

 

Laying her head against the console, Daldera began to let out a barrage of mock sobs. "Yeah, yeah, I can say it, I can say it..."

 

 

 

 

 

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6TH HOST

Name: Salora

Gender: Female

Age When Joined: 31 Years Old (2264 AD)

Age at Death: 89 Years Old (2322 AD)

Length of Hosting: 58 Years

Cause Of Death: Old Age

Story By: mtporter

 

Salora Segami had been hailed as one of the brightest young talents of her time. After her joining she excelled even further in her craft creating new forms of sculpture and creative mediums.

 

After a handful of years she turned her attentions to architecture helping to design some of the most prominent buildings for the Trill government.

 

Deciding it was time to settle down she was married and had a child. At this point in time she also joined the Trill artistic society and begin to teach art.

 

Salora died peacefully in her old age surrounded by her work and the people that she cared about.

 

 

 

 

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7TH HOST

Name: Layor

Gender: Male

Age When Joined: 30 Years Old (2322 AD)

Age at Death: 65 Years Old (2357 AD)

Length of Hosting: 35 Years

Cause Of Death: Perished From Wounds

Story By: Vatric

 

 

Layor Segami was an Ambassador-at-large who often represented the United Federation of Planets.

 

During the Federation/Cardassian War he attempted to negociate a secret treaty. The Federation made a desperate plea to the Valerians asking them to cease supplying the Cardassian Military.

 

Layor was captured by an unknown band of mercenaries while on Valeria. He and his shuttle craft were taken into the Orias System where he disappeared without a trace.

 

There Segami was handed over to the Obsidian Order who immediately dispatched their hired hands. The interrogation of Layor lasted for weeks but he refused to tell them he was working for the Federation.

 

The War was raging and the Obsidian Order decided it was wasting too much time. They dumped Layor and his badly damaged shuttle on Saltok IV making it look like the work of Orion Pirates.

 

Segami was rescued by the USS Garuda but the Layor host died of injuries sustained during his grueling interrogation.

 

 

 

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8TH HOST

Name: Mychori

Gender: Male

Age When Joined: 24 Years Old (2357 AD)

Age at Death: 44 Years Old (2378 AD)

Length of Hosting: 21 Years

Cause Of Death: Heart Attack, probably caused by substance abuse

Story By: Merina

 

Mychori Segami, a male trill, who was a promotor of the arts. He did plays, musicals, also painted and read poetry. For nearly a quarter of a century, he varied in these arts, til his death which was caused by heart failure. Little is known about his personal life to the public.

Edited May 7, 2008 by Images