Rollercoaster

[Erich Jaenke 0]

Rollercoaster

Left hand of Keb, Right hand of Erich.

 

Once Erich had the Engineering team organized to keep the ship’s systems bearing the heavy responsibility of controlling earth’s weather system for a week, he turned to Keb. The commands she’d put in to try to create a relay had caused one an older satellite to reboot unexpectedly--right over home. She was counting in Klingon, controlling her sudden fear as she waited for it to come back online. Erich put a hand on her shoulder, startling her; she turned to look up at him.

 

“Keb, you’re counting again.” He looked at her work. “Let’s link Stockton, Sonoma, and Brentwood. They can take over until the one you restarted comes back.” He typed in more commands, but being this close to her fears raised his own. Her emotional quotient could rise like a tsunami and take Erich along for the ride. Any and all emotion. As his mind had grown accustomed to hearing the minds of the crew, Keb’s managed to bubble to the surface. A non-telepathic mind loud enough to overshadow all others on the Manticore. “Look, there are no spikes in the weather over Starfleet HQ. It’s okay.”

 

Keb nodded, her fingers trembling on the console. “I’m...sorry about the counting. I know it makes me sound crazy. The counselor at Starfleet Medical suggested it as a way to deal with my emotions, so I...wouldn’t get to that point again.” She didn’t say it out loud, but the paralyzing, vivid memory of facing the lizard filled her mind. That couldn’t happen again, or she’d be out of Starfleet.

 

Erich, sensing danger as her thoughts turned to her trauma, grabbed her upper arms to bring her back to the present. In that instant he cast aside his concern for her privacy. “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission,” he silently quipped. The torrent of emotion building up in Keb could boil over, dragging both of them down. The current mission needed them working together. He locked his eyes to hers, not knowing if that made a difference.

 

“Keb? I’m sorry..I don’t know what this will do to you, but I need you back.” He concentrated on her thoughts and winced. He closed his eyes, but saw the Manticore bridge, not darkness. A reptilian creature materialized in front of him, turned and stabbed the operations officer. He reached for his phaser. A scream poured out of his mouth--not his own. His phaser fell to the deck. An acute sense of fear followed as the officer slumped to the deck.

 

Then the scene shifted. He was in deep sorrow, sobbing as he leaned against a console. What was he feeling now? Guilt. Failure. Again, this was not him. Not his hands, body, or hair. His vision had locked to her memory. No matter how he tried he remained in her world of panic and self-blame. Could he pull her from these depths? He made an effort to break the chains. Keb trembled under his hands, even though her own mind felt as if dark clouds were clearing. Erich had to let go, falling off his chair. “Oof!” He laid there looking up at Keb, his vision returning to his eyes. “Holy rings...”

 

Keb slid down to the floor next to him, and touched his cheek to turn his face toward her--concern for him in the present overshadowing what he just saw. “Erich!? Are you okay? What--what was that?”

 

His eyes were wide and he jumped to his feet. A mix of shame and guilt washed over him as he rushed for the exit. He stopped just outside the door and crumpled against the wall. He tried to process the violation upon Keb’s mind. Her thoughts so fascinated him, he wanted to help so much, but not like this. Her emotions mixed with his own, and it was too much. He held his head and cried.

 

Keb, stunned, sat there on the floor, staring after the door he’d run through. She wasn’t the only one staring--the other crew members in Stellar Cartography were all gazing after their chief in equal astonishment. Keb realized she was now the ranking officer in the room and stood. “Get back to work,” she barked. “I’ll--I’ll make sure he’s okay.” She wasn’t sure she was okay, when it came to that. She was shaking as she strode out the door after him.

 

She found he hadn’t gone far, and knelt next to him. “What happened?” she asked, her voice soft.

 

For a moment Erich did not answer. “I saw and heard what you experienced. I tried to help. I dove in too deep. I had no idea what you felt. I saw the creature materialize on the bridge. I felt it all. I violated your privacy. Please tell me you are okay after what I did?” He wiped his eyes clean.

 

Keb bit her lip and looked down at the carpet. Her voice trembled as she spoke at last. “Everyone on the bridge saw it when it happened,” she said. She knew she should be angry, but she wasn’t. She was more worried about how it had affected him.

 

He looked away. Somehow the fact that she wasn’t angry made it worse. “I wanted to help, but I don’t know enough about myself to know how. I also made a fool of myself in there. This will pass. Can you help me up?” He lifted his arm.

 

Keb nodded, rising and taking his hand. “If...if I’m causing a distraction, I can go back to the bridge,” she offered. There wasn’t much to do at helm--wouldn’t be for a week--but it would be better not to be in the way of the more important work in Stellar Cartography and Engineering.

 

“No. I have to work through this, if not now, then later with possibly even greater mental distractions. At the very least I should make this up to you. Something that does not involve Betazoid tricks. I want to make sure you are okay.”

 

She offered him a dimpled smile, rare for her since the lizard attack. “I’m not,” she said. “But I’m trying to be.”