Inside a mind.

Posted on Tue Jun 7th, 2022 @ 12:48am by Captain George Charles [Reece] & Commander Sthilg & Senior Chief Petty Officer Emily Charles {Kelea-Salik}

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
2228 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Sthilg was whistling to himself as he carried the heavy contain through the ship. Despite the numerous smell nullifiers clipped to the box it stank heavily of an alien fish which trailed behind the gorn in an invisible whiff.

The whistling did help him ignore the smell.

Stepping into sickbay he gave an apologetic smile to his staff as he headed to the prepared operations bay.

" Captain Charlesss can you please report to sssickbay." He said into his coms as he placed the box down on a table.

From where he was, down in the Marine starfighter launchbays, George reached up and tapped his commbadge. "I'll be there in a few minutes, Doc." He then doubletapped the commbadge and told Tink he'd back back as soon as Sthilg was done with him. He then turned and made his way to the nearest turbolift.

Moments later, George walked into Sickbay. He looked around to find the friendly Gorn. "Doc...?"

" In here." Sthilg said from the ward. " I apologise for the sssmell. Doctor Yehalsss doesss her bessst, but Threcuk tech is bio organic basssed." he explained as he checked a few things on the box.

Emily was on shift in Sickbay having seen George arrive she followed the stench that was permeating everywhere finding it was coming from Sthilg and George’s location. “Pardon me Doctor” She smiled at Sthilg and George, “Whatever that is it’s causing quite a stench throughout Sickbay.”

" Ah, there you are Emily. Very good." The gorn said as he tapped the metal box. " Two Threcuk mind crownsss. Yehalsss isss ready to talk to the two of you about helping fix your psychic ablitiesss. Ssshe sssent them over thisss week. "

“Really!?” Emily looked at Sthilg in surprise.

The gorn nodded. " If the two of you would like to lay down on the bedsss we can ssstart them up and let you talk to her."

Emily nodded enthusiastically, moving to the biobed she hopped up on it before lying down and getting as comfortable as she could. “Ready when you both are.”

The gorn nodded. " Are you up for it my friend." He said turning to look at and giving the flight officer a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

“George?” Emily looked towards her brother. “If you don’t want to do this, just say so.”

George thought about it for a few beats, then nodded. "Alright, Doc. If it will help Emm and me try to find out who we are and why our abilities are what they are, I'm game." He moved to lay down on the biobed next to his sister.

The gorn nodded as he handed the pair of them some nose filters and some rubbing oil. " For the sssmell it can be quite potent," he said calmly as he walked over to the box and opened it.

The smell was quite indeed very fishy in it's potency as he pulled what seemed to be two headbands from the canister. Only closer up was it clear they were not made from plastic and metal but what looked like shell cartilage and tissue.

" Now I'll up thessse on your headsss and I need you to lay back and think of deep ssspace. Nothing but you and the void and only the ssstarsss around you. You ssshould feel a slight jault and sssee sssaid ssstarsss." The gorn explained as he clipped the headbands on.

Emily did as instructed closing her eyes she thought of space, the sheer blackness filled with twinkling stars. Moments later there was a jolt and more stars filled the vision in her mind.

George followed suit, closing his eyes and calming his mind. Through his mind's eye, he pictured the stars, as he would see them from the cockpit of his starfighter.

The stars twinkled before them as if they were just outside the ship. Only from the corner of their eyes did they see some of the stars shift, move and blink.

As they started closer they came to the realisation that they weren't stars. It was glowing luminescent coral.

Which was moving.

From the void slowly crawled a faint glowing blue eye. Easily bigger than the ship it seemed to squint as it looked directly at the two.

" Young ones greeting to my home." Came a voice in their heads. It was soft and welcoming yet still so alien.

Emily was uncharacteristicly quiet as she took in what she was seeing in her mind. She had to remember to focus her thoughts to give a response. “Thank you. Sthilg said that you could help us?”

" Yes, the wounded one told me you are broken. I can see it in your song. So broken so wrong. Such brave young ones" The voice replied in it's alien tone.

Emily couldn’t help but ask, “If our ... song, as you call it, is broken can you fix it? Can you tell us what to do to fix ourselves?”

George's mental image floated closer to his sister and he reached out to take her hand. "We...we have been through much pain. Can...can you...can you help us?"

Emily reached out gently taking hold of her brother’s hand. She was hoping they’d get the answers they were seeking.

" Nothing broken can't be fixed. " The giant creature replied as a trail of bubbles rose deep from behind the eye. They were the size of a shuttle craft.

As if from a dream a stream of purple light emerged from the darkness and lay before the two of them.

" Let me hear see your song. Think of a picture you see behind your eyes. " The giant spoke in a gentle tone as the light changed and morphed as she did so almost like a heartbeat.

Emily tried to focus on something good, but recent events with Etrara had let old memories surface. Her picture came out stormy, dark clouds with lightning flashes, as rain fell. As much as she tried to brighten her thoughts the picture just wasn’t coming out as she wanted.

Over their bond, George felt Emily’s distress. It caused his mind to start moving into a protective stance, readying himself to defend her from any and all attacks.

The image shifted and morphed into a view of a frozen forest with a lone ancient oak at the heart of a clearing as the alien voice spoke again. " I see pain, anger, betrayal. You have been through so much. "

Emily’s mind flashed through images of the torture and rape she had endured, and the brutality both she and George had endured. But as it all seemed dark a light shone through the dark as her mind drifted into images of her care as provided by George. The skies became lighter and the sun shone again as she smiled feeling George’s protective influence.

Feeling the calm blossom in her mind, George's own mind started to relax. While he had started to get agitated, images of the abuse that he and Emily had endured flowed freely from home. The abuse imagery ended, when he saw himself beating Hector to death, then carrying the battered body of his twin sister out of that hell.

" Such young things to have been so much and such little time to deal with the pain." The voice spoke again " I can help you fix the pain in your mind."

“You can!?” Emily’s excitement was plain to be seen. “But .. how?”

" I can. We will first need to help the two of you form a focus core. A place you can focus and steady your thoughts." the ell doctor replied.

“We can do that!” Emily mentally held onto George. “George had a safe place in his mind where I could feel safe when my nightmares were at their worst. Would that work?”

George instantly thought of Hawaii. The view from the balcony of the apartment they had recovered in. They could see the humpback whales breaching and swimming with their calves from that balcony. It was something that had always soothed Emily, in the beginning of their treatment. So, he held on to the image and showed it to her whenever she was at her lowest.

Emily smiled all fear draining from her as she remembered Hawaii, it was definitely her safe place.

" Good good. Now I need you to focus on that image and create a mind crystal. An image of it that won't shatter no matter what is thrown against you." The mighty leviathan added.

Emily nodded. Hawaii was a powerful image for her so building her part of the Crystal wasn’t a problem as she focussed hard on the most precious view the one she saw from the balcony.

George concentrated as well. While the early days of their recovery had been difficult, the whales had been a constant source of wonder and peace. He brought the images up in his mind and shared them freely.

" Good. I need the two of you two focus on this image. Make it a place where you can focus." the Threcuk responded.

Emily nodded “I understand” she focused hard, making the image a firm imprint on her mind. Not that it was an image she’d ever forget.

George closed his eyes and did the same. He could see the image, as clearly as if it was happening right in front of him.

" Good good." The soothing voice of the alien creature echoed as she gently probed the two mind sending a faint ripple of purple light through the image. " Now I need the two of you two concentrate and force out the light."

Emily nodded her understanding. “I think I can ...” she tried by herself but soon found she couldn’t block out the light alone. “It needs both of us.”

George added his mental energies to the mix. "I'm here, Emm." He focused and slowly, the light started to vanish.

“It’s working!” Emily was surprised by just how powerful they were when they worked together.

" Very good." the alien doctor replied. " I will send over a training device so you can keep practising until our next session."

"Thank you!" George replied, relief clear in his voice.

The eye blinked slowly sending the two into darkness as the pair felt like they were falling,falling,falling.

Until with a familiar sight of Sthilg meet their eyes in the dimly lit ward. " Welcome back you two. How did it go?" he inquired as he helped the two sit up.

“It was ... amazing!!” Emily looked at Sthilg wide eyed. “I’ve never felt anything like that before, the strength George and I share together is incredible!”

" Well be careful ssstanding up." The lizard said as he offered the pair of them a bowl of broth. " And get this down you, you'll need it."

George took the offered hand, his head still swimming some from the experience. He took the broth and slowly started to drink it.

Emily sat up a little too quickly, pausing as it made her head spin. “Oh wow... yeah I err... see what you mean.” She sat for a moment to let her head clear before moving more slowly. Taking the broth she slowly sipped it. “Mmmm that’s good, thank you Sthilg.”

" Made it myssself. You two have the resssst of the day off the psychic ssstrain can be very tiressssome." the doctor responded.

Emily nodded. “If you’re sure you don’t need me in Sickbay today?” She looked at Sthilg for confirmation.

" I do need sssomeone to feed the animalsss if you feel up for sssome light work." the gorn added

“In that case I’ll feed them before I go.” Emily smiled. “That way I won’t have to worry about forgetting to do it.”

" Very good. Are you feeling okay to walk George?" The lizard inquired.

After finishing the broth, George looked over at Sthg and nodded slowly. "I think so, Doc." He started to stand, but wobbled slightly. "Maybe I should hold up for a bit longer." He carefully sat back on the biobed.

" Lay back and breath in calmly and it ssshould passsss in half an hour." The doctor prescribed.

Emily watched her brother concernedly. Her worry was evident to see as she moved to sit by his bedside and hold his hand. “I’ll stay here with you until you’re feeling better.”

"I'm alright, Emm," George tried to sound reassuring. "Just took a bit more out of me than I expected is all."

" There’s more food in the main reception if either of you get hungry." The gorn said as he headed for the exit.

“Thank you Sthilg” Emily nodded before turning her attention back to George.

George closed his eyes and tried to use a meditation technique he had learned. In his mind, the scene was nighttime, at the beach, the waves breaking gently against the shoreline. A few meters from the water, a bonfire was burning steadily. There were no people or animals present, just the beach, the waves and the fire.

Emily’s astral form shimmered in not far away from George, but she didn’t say anything. She simply enjoyed the relaxing scene in-front of her, so much so that she soon dozed off in the seat next to George’s bed.

~OFF~

 

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