Where Do We Go Now?

[Vilanne 0]

"Spreaders..." The pain was horrible.

 

"Rekkhai...put your hands here and here and...pull. Hard." Vilanne moaned from within as the pain increased.

 

“Rekkhai”…and then it hit nearly like a disruptor.

 

Vilanne couldn’t even lose consciousness when the pings from Manticore started searching for the signature that was not only entwined in her spinal cord, but in a jar on Commander Farrington’s lap. The glow that Jami noticed in that jar was mirrored and burning in Vilanne where the cybernetic implants were still positioned in her spinal column.

 

The nanites remaining in her blood, undetected by Starfleet when they flushed most of it, were only programmed to20keep the biological remains of the clone active as necessary. They had been working overtime to fight the fever and heal her until the ping signalled, at which point, they followed a secondary routine, buried themselves deep inside the spinal cord and travelled up into Vilanne’s brain.

 

The inherent flaw had been exploited by Admiral Aragon, though it wasn’t something Starfleet published for the fleets to utilize, as Dr Chalice was only one of many they had “fixed” after these encounters.

 

The blood-curdling cry evoked no relief, but she continued to emit such sounds that came from buried deep within her soul. Every nerve felt like it was burning through her body, she wanted to pull her neck off… in fact, if she had the muscle, she would have snapped her own neck for relief.

 

Ian and t’Tamarak were hovering over Vilanne even while she writhed in pain, trying to scan her and identify what was wrong.

 

Even T’Prise felt something for Vilanne’s agony and tried to relieve it with a nerve pinch, but at the same moment, the Manticore stopped pinging. Vilanne stopped her loud bellow, which turned into a whimper as if licking her wounds after a fight. She couldn’t do anything but cry and float there, restrained by one hand and two legs. Suddenly, Manticore’s transporter grabbed her particles and shifted every painful centimeter through time and space, restructuring them just above the transporter pad on the Manticore.

 

Boom! Her body, re-particalized and splatted down onto the transporter’s flooring. “Awwwww!” she cried as she nailed the floor. She was out of her bondage; curled into a ball, one hand over her chest, the other hand up around her neck holding on for dear life.

 

They tried to straighten her out on the transport gurney, but Vilanne wouldn’t have it; she growled and moaned at every move through her tears. She reached for t’Tamarak’s hand which was patting the outside of her arm.

 

As they parted, Dr Chalice watched as t’Tamarak was led away with security.

 

****

 

Jaiysa appeared on the lloann'na transporter pad still hunched over the form of the injured human doctor, which flailed against her with the pain of the impact.

 

At least the screams had stopped. Those moments in the middle of the cockpit had been terrifying in their intensity; the sudden explosion of sound from Chalice's weakened frame had seemed to come out of nowhere, all the more frightening because Jaiysa could not seem to grasp the problem. Her equipment and supplies were limited but she knew more than enough of how to control pain that such an issue should not have been insurmountable. However, none of her measures had worked, and Chalice had continued to scream under her fingers, the screams of a body under torture rather than treatment.

 

She did not have enough of a fundamental understanding of the implants causing the effect, and the feeling of impotence this brought on had been terrifying and infuriating. As Jaiysa now allowed herself to be led off by the Federation security she took very little time to be relieved for their safe escape from the shuttle, in favor of brooding on the fact that she had been dissuaded from doing further investigation on the implants when they had first come to light.

 

Of course, the Federation officers would have had no reason to allow her to do so -- no reason to trust her at all, in fact, as she was forcibly reminded by the sound of the door sliding shut behind her and clicking into a locked position. The security officers had deposited her in a small set of unoccupied quarters, nearly unfurnished at the moment. She listened for the movement of the men outside the door and heard no sound of footsteps moving away.

 

She grunted and then eyed the bed in the room with a slightly raised eyebrow before dropping into it, her exhausted body sinking against the mattress. She did not sleep, however, but stared at the ceiling in the dim light and waited...

 

****

 

Everything was easing up so Vilanne finally stretched out inside the hyperbaric chamber. She had soft cushions under and around her for comfort and stability. Deep inside the chamber, she was sealed with only an open COM to those around the chamber but everyone was so busy de-Romulanizing, they didn’t have time to chat. She stared through the glass thinking about t’Tamarak, then would re-adjust her eyes and glance at the reflection of herself, complete with a Romulan ridge above her brow and pointed ears, though her wig was removed before entering the chamber.

 

 

 

The high-pressured environment was usually used by sports figures and to treat decompression sickness, but the doctors also used it occasionally when a patient was exposed to infection by anaerobic bacteria. Strange though, it was usually a tissue infection arising from radiation therapy or through the 22^nd century was caused by some cancer therapies. There were also healing properties in being in this chamber, as it would assist wounds that are difficult to heal to have bio-engineered pressure created inside the sealed chamber. Vilanne just assumed that it had something to do with both healing and the infection she still was having a chill from.

 

Vil started thinking about what had happened. They got all dressed up, went to the ball, got chased out and here she landed. The isolation away from everyone was killing her… the soft hum of the machine was her only solace. After the machine clicked off, Vilanne found herself waking up to a few med techs removing her from the machine. They set her up in a semi-private area off in the back of sickbay, but she could turn her head and watch a lot of what was going on.

 

After multiple requests to talk to t'Tamarak, security finally brought her back in to talk with Vilanne, who was by then out of the hyperbaric chamber. The private biobed suite to which she had been moved was deemed acceptable for security to leave them alone in, though the officers again took up a position outside the door.

 

Jaiysa stepped through the doors of the small room adjoining the Federation ship's main sickbay and glanced around it once, almost from habit, before letting her eyes focus narrowly on the figure stretched on the biobed. Chalice looked considerably better than the last time Jaiysa had seen her; presumably the last four hours had seen far better treatment than the back of a Rihannsu shuttle cockpit could provide.

 

"You wanted to see me, maenek."


 

 

Still on the biobed, and nearly immobile, Vilanne opened her eyes and looked at t'Tamarak. "I called for you, yes. I wanted to talk to you about my surgery."



 

Jaiysa grunted, moving to take up a position in the corner of the room near the bed. "Well, I am entirely at your disposal."

 

 

Vil looked around, noticing the security officers stationed out in sickbay. "Hmm...Nurse Nancy said that I've got a lot of reconstructive work to be done on my chest. And she said that there was surgery aboard a Romulan ship, without a sterile field." Vilanne watched for this Romulan's reaction.

 

"She is an observant woman," Jaiysa said a little sardonically. "Yes, I'm afraid the conditions for your treatment were...less than ideal."



 

With all her strength, Vilanne continued her conversation. "So what is it like to be elbow-deep inside someone's chest?"



 

Jaiysa smiled faintly. "Don't exaggerate, maenek; it was only slightly deeper than the wrist." She cocked her head to one side slightly as if thinking. "What's it like? Warm, wet, dark, and difficult. Your heart is in the wrong place, for a start, and your blood's the wrong color."

 

 

Vilanne let out a small giggle, but it caused her pain so she winced and stopped. "Well, I've never performed a full thoracic surgery; tiny incisions yes, but not a full chest. My ribs...they are killing me. Did you have to shift them?"

 

"If I wanted to remove the bits of Rihannsu console next to your heart, I did," Jaiysa returned curtly. "And I assure you I wasn't simply doing it for entertainment purposes."

 

Vilanne reached out and touched Jaiysa's forearm, "Hey, this isn't an interrogation. I wanted to meet the doctor that saved my life. I am really grateful to you."


 

Jaiysa stiffened a little at the touch. "Your delirium seems to have prevented you from remembering much of what occurred on the shuttle, but I have already told you that you do not owe me thanks. You would have died otherwise -- there was no decision to be made." A short silence ensued before she offered grudgingly, "Though you are welcome, and I am pleased that you are recovering."

 

"I can't get anyone to talk medicine with me, but I'm even more curious about you. I mean, our races have been mortal enemies for...well, forever, but yet...you didn't let me die, you worked hard on me, from what I hear." She looked up at Jaiysa's face with a sincere expression of wanting to know her better.


 




 

Jaiysa’s pointed eyebrows drew together in a narrow frown. "Had our positions been reversed, maenek..would you have done differently? I am not in the habit of wasting opportunities to make use of my skills unless...forced to."


 

"Doc, I had this very discussion with my Chief as we prepped for this mission. And yes, I would have done the same for you...I have no doubt. All beings have the right to good medical treatment, and there are no borders and barriers when it comes to treating something."



 

 

 

"Then we understand each other," Jaiysa said, though her expression didn't lift from its natural guarded tightness. 


 

"So, the Romulan people feel compassion for the Federation?"


 

 

 

Jaiysa laughed, the tone sharp. "If I were the shining example of 'the Romulan people,' maenek, would I really be here? The Rihannsu are as difficult and varied a breed as the lloann'na. I speak only for myself."


 

 

"I haven't met any myself, only viewed video of some of your leaders." Vilanne looked away for a moment at the steady stream of crew coming in to de-Rom themselves.



 

Jaiysa's laugh settled into a grim smile. "Ah...then you will have a sterling picture of us, indeed," she said, her tone heavy with irony.



 

"Well, the picture I always grew up with changed when I went into the academy." Vilanne began a diatribe about how she thought Romulans were always killers, and the various stories she heard from her school chums, but then went into a dialogue about how the professors at the academy spoke about Romulans. "One professor talked about Romulan Ale for about the whole class," she continued with different anecdotes. "Then there was the final exam that made us write out a Romulan Right of Statement. I think they just wanted to see what we would say, but it was an entertaining class to say the least. You know how liberal the professors are, however, they didn't always portray your people in a kind light, but they did personalize you to us, instead of just being a race that we can’t connect with."



 

Jaiysa chuckled low in her throat with amusement at the talkative doctor. "Better treatment than you often receive at Rihannsu hands; I assure you that some of the ways in which the Federation is occasionally portrayed would make your skin crawl." She paused, and then shrugged slightly. "We are, as I say, a varied race. Some of us are better; many are worse." Her tone was noncommittal. It was not clear in which of those groups she felt she belonged.

 

 

"Well, your surgical skills definitely are better. I am impressed you were able to do surgery on a ship without a surgical suite and all of the other amenities." Vilanne motioned around. "Some of my favorite equipment lies within these walls. Do you have clearance from security to stay here, or are they taking you back?"



 

Jaiysa shrugged slowly. The surgery had been a messy affair, only partially successful given Chalice's later fever, and not something she wanted to dwell on. "I am being kept in quarters a deck below this, under guard. Not really surprising; I might have lost some respect for your commanders had they trusted me further to begin with." The confinement was, of course, frustrating, massively so, but there was nothing to be done about it. Jaiysa understood suspicion with the best of them. "I assume I am meant to stay somewhat out of the way until it is decided what is to be done about me." Her smile was a little sardonic.

 

"Well, I hope they..." Vilanne stopped short of saying Starfleet Intelligence, not knowing how that would sound "...they don't move you very soon. I hope to hang out with you more. Once I'm up again, maybe I’ll come visit you."



 

"I have no doubt we will see each other again," Jaiysa said with a slow nod. "I would like to know how your recovery progresses; your surgery was…a unique procedure under unique conditions."

 

"I’m sure I'll be fine. We have a great medical staff here...I guess you know that, since you called for our help." Vilanne hoped she didn't offend the woman, but she felt this bond with her after this experience.

 

Jaiysa decided not to bother reminding her that she had not called for anybody; that she had in fact been pulled into this whole mess by her government and Senator T'Bagg in particular. The point Chalice was making remained the same. "Your teams did what we could not accomplish. And you have my thanks, on behalf of my race since they will not offer it, for coming to us."


 

 

Vilanne patted her arm again, "Oh, don't say that...doctors without borders. Who knows, they may call you back to save the home world. No thanks necessary though." The smile at t'Tamarak was real, and very warm. 



 

"I said the same to you and yet you insist on thanking me," Jaiysa said dryly. "Give me at least the same courtesy." She avoided answering the first part of Chalice's comment. Jaiysa would not be called back and she knew it perfectly well, despite the cheerfulness with which Chalice suggested the idea. She would be considered a traitor now; returning to ch'Rihan meant deliberately walking into capture, and she knew better than to be on the wrong side of that net. She was therefore to some extent gratified by the honest openness which Chalice seemed to be offering, though this place's intentions towards her could not be judged by a single grateful lloann'na. Her mouth had opened to continue when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.



 

"Long enough for visiting hours," the security ensign said, his bearing stiff towards the Romulan interloper. "Gotta get you back where you came from."


 

 

Vilanne looked behind t'Tamarak at the officer, "Seriously? Aww..." She looked towards the Romulan doctor. "We'll talk soon, Dr. t'Tamarak...wait, do you have a first name?"



 

There was a short silence. "Jaiysa," Jaiysa said slowly, the word coming out as if she wasn't sure she wanted it slipping free just yet. "And you are...Vilanne, I think?" She had heard the name tossed about a few times in the shuttle.


 

 

A warm glow continued through Vilanne's cheeks, partially from the fever, but the rest from Jaiysa's knowing her first name. "Yes, that's me…or you can just call me Vil."

 

Jaiysa inclined her head slowly. "Jolan tru...Vil," she said soberly. "We will, indeed, talk soon." She turned curtly and moved for the door, nodding towards the waiting security officer, but paused just before the doorframe and glanced back over her shoulder, fixing her eyes firmly on Vilanne's face to watch her reaction. "Maenek...what do you know of the field of cybernetics?"

 

Vilanne looked rather surprised at the question and gave a slightly baffled shake of the head. "Not much... why?"

 

 

 

Jaiysa’s eyes narrowed again. This was not the reaction of a person who was aware they were implanted with potentially deadly examples of the technology she referred to. Was Chalice lying? Or could she really be completely unaware of the mechanisms that had caused that havoc in her body? "No particular reason," she said slowly, then turned and walked out of the room, letting the door slide shut behind her.