Another Common Ancestor Species

Posted on Tue Oct 24th, 2023 @ 9:33am by Kerilia Dosivi & Teevs Dosivi & Commander Sthilg

Mission: Season 6: Episode 3: Far From Home
Location: Elysium Sickbay
Timeline: MD3 :: After "Not In Kansas Anymore"
2214 words - 4.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"This is our medical bay. The doctor is Commander Sthilg and he will be with you shortly."

Teevs nodded his thanks to the medical officer who greeted them when they entered sickbay. If they were going to stick around and help these foreigners find their way back home, they needed information on file to keep them safe, so he had taken a brief detour to collect his and Kerilia's records and stored them on a datapad. He looked around the massive space, seeing many beds and a lot of unfamiliar technology. The room alone felt larger than their cargo ship, and it was stunning.

Kerilia stood slightly behind her father, looking around as well. She was still a little short of breath from the change in atmosphere but was better acclimated than when they first arrived. Her bandaged forearm was close to her body.

Sthilg was in his office pulling on his lab coat as he shoved a ration bar into his mouth. With the medical supplies being moved into the cargo bay he could turn his attention to the two new arrivals.

A new species and he was the first doctor in the alpha quadrant to get a look at them. Shaking his head he stepped out of his office. This wasn't the time to think of more papers he had some patients to see to.

Seeing the two he gave them the most polite calm smile his reptilian face could muster. In his head, he was already running through what he could see in his head. Another common ancestor species. That should certainly help. " Hello there. I'm doctor Ssstlig chief medical doctor of this fine ssship. " He said in his grandfatherly tone.

Turning toward the voice, Teevs looked up at the reptilian being, momentarily startled by the combined height and appearance. Not only was the ship foreign, but there seemed to be many different species on board as well. It was one thing to hear it from Mister Rosa, but to see it was a completely different experience. He felt Kerilia's hand tighten in his, and he gently squeezed her hand to let her know it was ok. "Greetings, Doctor. I am Teevs, and this is my daughter Kerilia." He gestured first to himself, then to the figure half-hiding behind him.

Why was everything and everyone so big? It intimidated Kerilia. At the mention of her name, she peeked over her father's shoulder up at the figure in a white coat. "H-hi..." she squeaked out.

"Your... um..." Teevs struggled to recall the word used to refer to the one running the ship. There was a word for such a position in Lonai, but it didn't have the same meaning "... leader has requested that we visit you before she and I talk later."

" The captain? Yesss ssshe would want me to have a look at you. Ssshe sssaid you had sssome date on your ssspeciesss?" He enquired as looked at the small child behind the man. " Hello there. I'm Sssthilg. What's your name little one." he enquired in his grandfatherly tone.

The big man was talking to her. Kerilia's shyness wanted to put her further behind her father, but he was brave for her and she felt a need to return the favor. "I'm Kerilia," she responded timidly. She let go of her father's hand to give the doctor their cultural greeting, crossing the right arm over the left in an x-shape with both hands facing Sthilg. As she did so, she brushed her bandaged arm, which made her wince.

Teevs had taken a small step to the side to let her interact with the doctor, and noticed the wince. He held out the device in his hand to Sthilg, a datapad of sorts provided by the officer standing at the door. "I hope this is the right information for you."

" Thank you." Sthilg said as he took the padd and began looking through it. Just as he guessed it was clear the Lonia bore all the traces of being a Progenitor seeded race. Amazing they had made it even to here. " Your home planet mussst have a denssser atmosssphere than many standard worldsss." The gorn said as he looked over the data. " Fassscinating ssstuff, but firssst let'sss get your arm ssseen to little one." he said politely tapping one of the bio beds indicating for her to sit on it.

Following an encouraging nod from Teevs, Kerilia approached the bed, noticing it was higher than she was used to. With a little hop, she pushed herself up onto the bed and turned to sit down. She paused for a moment before extending her bandaged arm out.

Teevs followed them to the biobed and stood at the end. "Visitors to our planet have said that, yes," he confirmed. "Fortunately, your atmosphere is as if we were in a mountainous region."

" Now" Sthilg said as he pulled his medical bag out from under the biobed. " Thiss little tool here is a calcium accelerator. It will have the bonesss in your armed healed in a minute." the gorn explained as he pulled out one of the instruments.

Curiosity began to replace Kerilia's shyness, and she eyed the device in his hand as she began to imagine how this device would work. The Lonia had their own medical technology, so the idea of mending injuries quickly was familiar, but everything was so different. "Does it tickle like our devices?" she asked.

" Ssslightly. " The gorn added as he started it up and slowly began to run it along the girls arm. " Everything okay?" he said calmly.

The young Lonia watched the instrument as the doctor hovered it over her arm. As she had correctly guessed, there was a faint tingling sensation as her arm began to heal. "Yes," Kerilia answered. The moving instrument was almost mesmerizing, and she found herself becoming less anxious about being in a new place, evident by her shoulders gradually relaxing. "How long have you been a doctor?"

" Sssince i wasss a young reptile who wasss working asss apprentice to my villagesss healer. Must have nearly two hundred years ago." The reptile replied as his steady hands kept a firm control of the tool.

Two hundred years?? Teevs studied the doctor as he silently waited for Kerilia's injury to heal. Sthilg's lifetime must far exceed his own, but it was impossible to know. This was a race he had never seen before.

Unlike her father, Kerilia was young enough to say what she was thinking out loud. Her dark green eyes watched the reptilian doctor, the conversation distracting her from her injury. "Wow! Two hundred years?? How long does your species live?"

" Belive it or not, but my ssspeciesss offen only makesss fifty years. " Sthilg explained.

"Really?? How did you get so old then?" Kerilia asked curiously.

"Kerilia." Teevs gave her a warning glance before looking back to the doctor. "I apologize, you don't have to answer that."

" It's quite alright sssir. Children are one of my ssspeclitiesss asss a doctor. In fact, I'm one of my galaxiesss leading eperts in hybridsasstion." The gorn said to Teevs before turning back to Kerilia. " I'm still trying to work that out my dear. My cell'sss jussst don't ssseem to want to ssslow down. I'm assure the all mother has plansss for keeping me around thisss long though."

Kerilia gave a small smile when the doctor answered her question, despite her father's protest. She liked the doctor, he was nice. "In the whole galasy?? Wow... that's really cool!"

" Well, the know galaxy. The federation barely controlsss one quadrant of are home galaxy though we are always gaming new membersss." Sthild replied with a smile.

Teevs had to remember that when the aliens on this ship referred to 'the galaxy,' they meant the one they came from and not the one they were currently in. The news of life in another galaxy was still mind-blowing to him. "That is truly fascinating," he commented with a smile of his own. "I don't know much about medicine, but I'm interested to learn more about your specialty, and the species in your federation."

Kerilia nodded her agreement before looking down at her arm. All that remained was a thin line where the gash was, and it was fading away with the continued treatment. "Whoa, that's faster than our tools!"

"Federation medical tech is ssseconed to none. " Sthilg said before looking over to Teevs. " I can make assure you have the federation introduction pack sssent to your guessst quatersss. " He added.

Teevs was relieved when he saw Kerilia's arm looking significantly better than it was moments ago. Looking to the doctor, he politely nodded. "I am interested in learning more about your vessel's federation. You seem to have done well with it." There was a momentary pause before he lifted a finger. "Oh, I almost forgot. Mister Rosa suggested that we ask if you have something that will help us breathe better in your atmosphere. We will eventually adapt, but that would certainly help speed up the process."

" I have the computer making you some breathersss asss we ssspeack." The lizard replied as he gestured back to the rear of the medical bay. " And yes the Elysium has done well with me as has the fedration. Even though my ssspeciesss hasss yet to join,"

Teevs nodded in appreciation at the news of said breathers. "Your species isn't part of your federation?" he thought out loud. "Huh... Mister Rosa made it seem like all the species on board were joined."

"How do you become part of the federation?" Kerilia asked, watching the doctor curiously.

" It'ssss a very long ssstory my dear. " Sthilg said. " The ssshort version isss that i ssstarted my career as a travelling doctor. From their i got picked up by another of the local powersss know as the klingon empire. I ssstayed with them until after a war with another power know as the domion. Ssstarfleet wassss looking for good doctorsss and i applied for a commissssssion which i received."

"Whoa..." Kerilia nodded along to the doctor's explanation, then turned to Teevs. "Can I apply like he did?"

The response was a slightly amused smile. "Kerilia, you're too young, and remember that this vessel is from another galasy. It would be almost impossible to see home again. Until you get this," he pointed to his forehead ridge, "you aren't supposed to be worrying about these things yet." When Teevs noticed the disappointed expression in return, he looked to Sthilg before adding, "since I will be meeting with your Captain, do you think she would agree to at least letting Kerilia learn about the different roles on your vessel? I'm not sure how long we will stay, so I can't say whether we'd be able to join your federation, but she's near the age where she will choose her future."

" I don't sssee why that wouldn't be a problem. " Sthilg said with his friendly grin.

Kerilia's disappointment turned into a smile at the possibility of seeing what others on board did.

" Now what about you good sssir. Any injuriesss i need to take a look at." The lizard enquired.

Teevs took a moment to internally assess how he was doing. "I think I'm alright. I have a few bruises but nothing serious."

The gorn nodded and gave the two a " wait here." Before vanishing into the back of the medbay.

Momentarily confused, Teevs watched the doctor leave rather abruptly. While he was gone, he took the moment to look over Kerilia's arm for himself, seeing it all patched up with no traces that it was ever injured in the first place.

Returning the gorn bore a small box with a smile on his face. " I have some breathersss for the pair of you. " He said opening the box and handed the two some replicated rebreather masks. " Ssset to your biology natural environment. If you find yourself short of breath just breathe through this for a few minutes. " He said handing them over.

Teevs accepted the device, then looked it over to figure out how it worked. It looked simple enough; put it over the nose and mouth, and breathe. "Thank you, doctor."

Kerilia, while doing better with her breathing, tried out the mask to make sure it fit her, then looked at Sthilg. "Thank you!" she said, her voice slightly warped by the device.

" Jussst doing my job little one." He said before looking at her father. " I think the captain asked to ssspeak with you after i was finished making sssure you're okay."

Teevs gave a nod. "That is correct, Doctor Sthilg. She did say it was acceptable to meet in the morning, due to the stress of nearly losing our vessel." And our lives, he added in his head. He gave a polite bow of his head and said another thanks before he helped Kerilia off the bed. Teevs was glad that the Commodore had agreed to meet in the morning; in the short time he had been aboard, there was a lot of information bring thrown at him, and he could already feel the onset of information overload settling in. Thankfully, the next stop was to their quarters, according to Mister Rosa.