Inquiries ((Farrington/t'Tamarak))

[Jaiysa t'Tamarak 0]

Meritorious Achievement Award

 

((This log is set directly after "Sanity for a Sedative"))

 

Jaiysa looked around as she stepped off the turbolift on the deck which the computer had informed her contained the office of the Manticore's counselor and second officer, Commander Farrington. She had only seen the erei'riov once in passing since the Manticore had picked them all up from the Rihannsu shuttle; Jaiysa knew little of her except that the older woman had collapsed from extreme exhaustion and shock after the escape from ch'Rihan. But she needed to speak to her now.

 

Farrington had the implants. When Jaiysa had performed surgery on Vilanne Chalice on board the shuttle, she had removed one of a number of alien cybernetic implants from Vilanne's thoracic wall -- implants of neither Rihannsu nor lloann'na design. As a matter of fact, Jaiysa had not been able to exactly place them, though the design was oddly familiar. She had been deflected from detailed investigation at the time by the yyaio who had recently come to the Manticore sickbay, T'Prise, who had assured Jaiysa that she would see to further inquiries. Jaiysa, however, had seen the removed implant confiscated along with the rest of the shrapnel by Farrington, and since then she had heard nothing regarding them.

 

Jaiysa had accepted that at the time. She was accustomed to atmospheres of secrecy and knew that there would have to be things aboard this ship to which she would never be privy, and so she had not pursued the subject but had simply made plans to further investigate on her own according to the amount of freedom granted her. However, that had been before Vilanne's latest attack. The human doctor, released from bedrest but not cleared for duty, had overexerted herself in exercise and collapsed almost in Jaiysa's arms; Jaiysa, along with one of the lloann'na nurses, had taken scans of her which had revealed dangerously elevated vital signs and a foreign contaminant in Vilanne's bloodstream. Jaiysa was not an expert in cybernetics or in biotechnology, but she knew enough to recognize that contaminant for what it was -- nanotech, in enormous quantities. It was active, it was multiplying, it was playing hell with Vilanne's biochemistry, and it bore distinct resemblences to the brief scans Jaiysa had taken of the technology used in the implant.

 

What this all added up to was that Vilanne Chalice was turning out to be one fvadt difficult patient, and that Jaiysa needed to know what, if anything, Farrington knew about the technology that she had confiscated. She came to a halt in front of the counselor's office and pinged the chime with a quick, sharp flick of her wrist.

 

* * * * * * *

 

Before the chime on her office door sounded, Jami Farrington knew who was there. Jaiysa had a dynamic, purposeful sense about her, a no-nonsense mental signature that set her apart from the others. That, and a species-specific female presence that Jami had slowly come to understand let her know exactly who was standing at the door. As for the purpose of Jaiysa's visit, Jami could only guess, and she guessed it had something to do with Vilanne Chalice.

 

She had never had a formal conversation with their new Rihannsu physician, so instead of the usual, "Come," Jami decided to meet Jaiysa at the door.

 

The door slid open in front of Jaiysa and she found Farrington standing almost immediately before her. "Jolan tru, rekkhai..." she said, inclining her head at the other woman.

 

The Rihannsu officer, as expected, seemed to be quite concerned, though she hid it well. "Jolan tru, Doctor. Please come in," she said, motioning her towards the inner office and a set of chairs that had seen a great deal of use lately. "May I offer you something?"

 

Jaiysa went where she was directed, but did not sit, instead taking up a standing position in front of the desk with her arms laced across her chest. She shook her head curtly as Farrington followed her in, and got straight to the point of her visit. Jaiysa was not the sort to beat around the bush. "No, hann'yyo. I need to speak with you regarding the implants taken from Dr. Chalice's body."

 

"Very well," said Jami, shifting to a more formal presence. Taking her cue from Jaiysa and wanting to stay within the officer's comfort zone, she abandoned the arm chairs and settled into the desk chair, something she imagined Jaiysa would expect for such a visit. She leaned her arms on the desk and sat forward as though receiving a report. "Sit, Doctor. How may I help you?"

 

"Doctor Chalice arrived in sickbay this morning having overtaxed her body beyond its currently weakened limits -- probably in an attempt to prove to her supervisors that she was fit to be returned to duty," Jaiysa said, finally settling herself as ordered and fixing her dark eyes on Farrington firmly. "In any case this would have been inadvisable, but her reaction was far beyond what could have been expected -- her body, for lack of a better term, overheated. Every vital sign entered dangerous levels of activity and her bloodstream showed extremely elevated concentrations of...these." Her eyes narrowed and she produced a PADD containing the results of Vilanne's bloodwork, which she slid at Jami across the desk. "Whatever they are -- they are related to that thing I pulled from her. And they will need to be dealt with."

 

The PADD slid with exceptional accuracy into Jami's hands. She received it, but held the Rihan officer's gaze unflinchingly as though it were a contest of wills or a measure of power. After several seconds she slowly rotated the PADD and dropped her gaze to it, scanning it briefly and replying, "And how do you propose we deal with it?"

 

Jaiysa's lips twitched as Farrington's gaze dropped from hers and then returned. The question, however, immediately brought the sober look back to her expression. "I want to know what you know about that technology, and I want the sample back for investigation; anything that may provide clues to their operation. The quantity of the nanotech is such that it can not be easily flushed from her system, and a way to disable their 'reproductive system' must be found or they will continue to spread and replenish themselves."

 

"You want to know what I know about that technology?" Jami straightened up to face Jaiysa squarely, her eyes deepening to a piercing gaze. She spoke slowly and clearly, measuring every word, matching her tone to that of an RSE superior and using Jaiysa's former rank for effect. "You are demanding that your superior officer give you what may be classified information, Centurion? And you demand samples of that technology? Explain yourself. Now."

 

Jaiysa puffed out a breath through her nose, meeting that gaze squarely for a moment. Oddly enough she suddenly felt far more a part of this crew under that sharp gaze and tongue than she had with all of Vilanne and Atragon's "housewarming," even given Farrington's use of the Rihannsu rank term. It was the rank which the files on her in the Empire would have told them she had held as a military doctor, and despite its incongruity it nevertheless had the desired effect. She straightened slightly, her mouth curved in a tight smile, and she broke eye contact, looking away and then back.

 

"Rekkhai -- I am telling you that the information is necessary to do the job I believe I was retained here for. If there are others to whom you would prefer the information be given, others whom you would prefer pursue treatment in my place -- that's your prerogative, of course. But I know the scope of the situation, I know that something needs to be done and that you may know something which will help. So I will not go without an answer." She had to tread carefully here. She was a part of this crew in name but not much else, just yet, as Farrington's use of a Rihannsu rank address proved -- which meant she had to try to ensure that the commander took her seriously, but also acknowledge the human officer's authority. A difficult balance.

 

After regarding Jaiysa for a long moment, Jami leaned back in her chair, took on a more contemplative expression and softened her tone a bit. "Very well," she said slowly, "You are correct that something must be done, but to make such demands as a former officer of the Romulan Star Empire who has just come aboard a Federation vessel raises what we call red flags in Terran terms. It would be well for you to remember that, Doctor."

 

Jami turned the PADD towards Jaiysa and slid it back across the desk. "The information you require is not for me to divulge at this time. I will consult with Captain Sovak and Admiral Atragon and give you their decision. In the meantime," here she raised an eyebrow and gave Jaiysa a cautioning glance, "I would request that you keep whatever information you have gleaned from your encounter with Dr. Chalice in the strictest confidence. Understood?"

 

Jaiysa nodded slowly. She had overplayed herself here slightly and she realized it; overconfidence, along with concern for Vilanne's condition, had pushed her ahead of her own authority. It was difficult to get used to the fact that her security clearance here bore no resemblance that which she had had in the Empire, and she would have to avoid such errors until she was more certain of her own position. So she made no complaint towards Farrington's decision, merely indicated acknowledgment while mentally berating herself for the slip in her self-control. "I understand. The information will go nowhere." She paused, then caught Farrington's eyes again. "Hann'yyo. I will wait to hear from you."

 

Giving a sharp nod, Jami rose from her chair. "Excellent. You are dismissed."