Going on Record

[A Davis 0]

Going on Record

by Lawliet, Chirakis, Mimi, Leilani, and Amanda

 

Amanda was beside herself, unable to understand Lawliet’s explanation and therefore unable to give him any guidance. He spoke of a cosmic string called a Nexus, where time does not exist but where a piece of him was left behind when the transport he was on was destroyed. Apparently the Nexus changed his life span and his consciousness travels back and forth to the Nexus, where the answers are but he can’t get to them. All too much to fathom.

 

Though she did her best to understand, Amanda’s head spun just trying to think about it. The one thing Amanda did understand was that Lawliet sensed the emotions of everyone around him and it gave him a terrible headache. He had also tried to communicate with Dr. Feretti, but he hadn’t been successful. Whatever was she going to tell the captain?

 

*****

Captain Chirakis was never sure of El-Aurians. They were a peculiar race as far as she was concerned. They were difficult to read, difficult to judge, and therefore she did not understand them. What she could not understand she did not trust. And yet, Starfleet had believed this particular El-Aurian, the one who called himself Lawliet, trustworthy, for whatever reason. Trustworthy or not, at the moment he was under heavy guard in sick bay for attempting to break into the medical computer system, which could have led to a complete computer system breach: a treasonous offense. This from a Starfleet officer.

 

“Doctor Pavilion,” Kirel called as she entered the medical wing of Sky Harbor Aegis. “Any progress with Mr. Lawliet?”

 

“Other than being shaken up by whatever happened, no. But I am monitoring him. I know most El-Aurians are reclusive about their past, even those who are half El-Aurian are even a bit reclusive,” Mimi replied.

 

As Amanda exited Lawliet’s secure room, she spotted the captain talking to Mimi but the captain’s eyes were focused on her. She knew the look all too well; it was a summons. After a yearning glance at her now-cold tea, she drifted in their direction, unsure of how to even begin explaining what Lawliet had told her.

 

“Hello, Captain Chirakis,” she began, suppressing a sigh.

 

“Counselor,” the captain said in greeting, “have you an assessment?”

 

“Yes, and... no,” Amanda replied, then hesitated a moment. The captain waited. In fact, she seemed to be showing exceptional patience, more patience than Amanda had seen before. “I don’t exactly have an assessment,” she continued, “he did tell me his problem, though I have little idea what he’s talking about.”

 

The captain folded her arms across her chest, as though waiting for elaboration, but Amanda was bound by confidentiality and had no idea how to proceed. It was frustrating. She, a trained psychologist, being unable to diagnose or help a patient in any way? She took a moment to think.

 

Watching the events unfold in silence, as a doctor herself, Leilani understood the hippocratic oath Amanda was under. Still trying to grasp the thoughts and emotions she read from Mr. Lawliet, Leilani was conflicted in terms of what to do next and how to proceed. Due to their exceptionally long lives, El-Aurians like him were a tough book to read.

 

She couldn’t get over the vagueness of the thoughts, small snippets of past memories here and there. It was rather disconcerting nonetheless, and knowing where to go from there also took a bit of an emotional toll on Leilani as well.

 

Lawliet continued to sit in meditation on the biobed. As time passed by, his headaches began to dissipate. After he was confident he could stand on his own two feet, he approached the containment field.

 

“Doctor...Captain.” Looking at each as he addressed them.

 

At the sound of his voice, the captain turned toward Lawliet, then dropped her arms to her side as she faced him, still keeping her distance. Containment field or no, Counselor Davis’s reticence gave her pause and a heightened sense of danger. Not that distance would matter, but it did give her at least a feeling of security. “Mr. Lawliet,” she began, clasping her hands behind her, “have you something to tell us?”

 

Looking at everyone around him, he took a moment to collect himself and began to speak, “Captain I understand what I did was wrong, but know that I have no ill intentions towards the station or its crew. I’m going through a...” looks toward Amanda for a moment, “...condition that I was unprepared for and needless to say it frightened me. I attempted to gain access to medical storage in order to make sense of my problem. I...I can’t fully explain the situation, not because I can’t, but because I’m still afraid of what it might mean.”

 

“And what do you believe it might mean?” Kirel asked somewhat skeptically.

 

“I’m not sure. Our awareness, by which I mean El-Aurians, supersedes every lifeform we’ve ever encountered. We can sense changes not only in space, but time as well. I remember a few years ago, there was a shift that altered the timeline. It was restored in the span of a day, but no one had any recollection of the events besides myself. Right now, another shift is taking place...in me. I don’t know what is happening, but it will come to a head in the future. I just don’t know when.”

 

The captain considered that for a long moment, her piercing gaze scrutinizing the man before her. When she spoke again her words came slowly, each one carefully chosen to convey her exact meaning. “Mr. Lawliet,” she said, closing the gap between them with measured tread, “what you say is beyond what I can possibly imagine, and possibly beyond the understanding of all present except, perhaps, for Dr. Feretti. Since we do not know exactly what you’re talking about, I’ll be frank with what we do know.

 

“We know that for whatever reason, you are unable to control your actions, and for that alone you present a threat to this station, possibly a threat to anything connected to this station or the sector. In all practicality, then, unless you can give me a good reason why I should not, I must order our chief of security to keep you under strict guard and employ the highest security available on the station. If the problem is not resolved within a reasonable time, or if Starfleet or the Allied Powers decide otherwise, you will be remanded to Starfleet’s maximum security prison on Elba II.” Here she paused with a glance toward Dr. Pavilion for her thoughts.

 

“Or I can have you placed in Starfleet Medical with high security in place,” Mimi said.

 

“So now, Mr. Lawliet,” Kirel continued, “can you give me a good reason why I should not keep you in custody?”

 

Lawliet closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. El-Aurians are proud, but he knew this was a time to swallow his pride and set the record straight. He then opened his eyes and looked directly into Captain Chirakis’ eyes. “Several decades ago when I first arrived in the Alpha Quadrant, the transport I was on came in contact with a temporal energy ribbon called the Nexus. While we were being pulled into the ribbon’s wake, the starship Enterprise-B beamed us away. After the incident, I discovered that the others had ‘left’ a part of themselves within that place. I on the other hand...brought a part of it out. To this point, the only effect has been the residual energy inside me which has prolonged my life to an even greater extent. Now...I’m beginning to sense things...emotions. I can actually feel your anger and skepticism. I know you have every right to send me away, but I ask you to consider this a matter of health. If I truly have developed empathic abilities, than Dr. Ferretti is the only one who can help me.

 

“Captain, Doctor...I hereby request to be relieved of duty until a time to which I can control this new ability. All I ask here is a chance, but should you decide otherwise, I’ll hold no grudge against you or anyone else.”

 

“Alright, if it’s alright with the Captain, I will confine you to quarters with security standing guard. But you will have to wear a neurocortical monitor, that way I can keep an eye on your vitals and see if anything out of the ordinary happens. In the meantime, I will look into what I can do to help or see if I need to bring someone into help you. Do I make myself clear,” Mimi stated.

 

“Yes Doctor.” Looks at the captain. “Captain?”

 

“Doctor,” Kirel turned to Mimi, “though I appreciate your sentiment, the final judgment as to where Mr. Lawliet will be secured rests with Security Chief tr’Jeth Dabi. Mr. Lawliet,” she faced him once again, “you are relieved of duty until such time you are determined fit for duty. If we can spare Dr. Feretti I will allow her to work with you, but it will be on her terms. Understood?”

 

“Understood Captain.” Lawliet slightly bows his head and returns to his biobed.

 

Mimi nods to the Chirakis. “Understood.”

 

“Oh my,” thought Amanda. “Now I really need that cup of tea.”