In Search of Hope

Posted on Sat Jan 18th, 2025 @ 12:55pm by Captain David Tonelly [Reece] & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Captain Samuel Woolheater

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: Various
Timeline: MD 1 / 1300 hours
2630 words - 5.3 OF Standard Post Measure

David had been sitting on his couch, gently rocking Samanthanna to sleep, as he worked on a lesson plan for his first class tomorrow. He was slated to teach 20th Century Military History. While he certainly had a fair amount of first-hand knowledge and experience in that topic, he still wanted to ensure he has all of his facts straight.

As he did so, he glanced out the viewport, and saw the station they were currently docked to. He suddenly had the thought that he might be able to find some kind of medical knowledge, to help Sthilg save Baeryn.

Once Samanthanna was asleep, he put her in her crib, gently kissing the top of her head, then quietly activated the holo-nanny. He then walked to his bedroom and got changed. When he was done, he thought about how it might be better to go over with a battle buddy. He reached up and tapped his commbadge. "Tonelly to Woolheater."

Sam was having a crappy day, the physical fitness re-certs were not going all that great. A few people were falling behind or had fallen behind and were having a tough time getting back into shape. Sam wondered if he were pushing too hard on the Sergeants that were in charge of them. He had just sat down to an instant lunch when the COMM sounded. He quickly chewed and swallowed and then answered, =A= Woolheater here =A=

"Hey, Sam," David began. "I was thinking about heading over to tge temple, see if they have any medical knowledge that can help Baeryn. If you're not doing anything, you wanna join me?"

"David! Hell's yes, I'll join you. I was looking for a way I could see the A'jane ship. I can meet you at...what...airlock seven? Say, twenty-minutes? I just need to wrap up this one report." He was looking forward to going onboard the alien ship. When something is as large as this place, is it still fair to call it a 'ship'? he wondered to himself.

David nodded as he replied. "Sounds good. See you in a bit." He then made his way to the agreed upon airlock and waited for his friend's arrival.

AIRLOCK GANGWAY SEVEN

Samuel smiled warmly when he saw the former XO. And the walk-about would feel really good too, "Hey bud. You ready for this? Shall we go see what all the fuss is about? Last time I set foot in a church, I think the foundation cracked?" Sam jested.

David grinned and chuckled as he listened to his young friend. "Last time I was in a church, was during World War III, when my unit took shelter in one for the night." The pair made their way off the Elysium, and stepped onto the temple ship. David looked around. "I wonder if we need to speak to someone first, or just walk around?"

The size of this place was astonishing, as they stepped forward more of the interior of the vessel became viewable. The columns, on this level, were at least ten meters (32 ft) wide at the base. Staggeringly large. Everything seemed oversized. Clearly, Sam thought, the message was 'You are small, insignificant". Sam's sniper side was sending him red flags. There were so many alcoves, benches, notches, vaults, balconies and archways where some sniper could be placed and pick off unsuspecting people...aliens...like Sam and David, with relative ease. The echo would cause acoustic confusion and it would be hard to say with any precision just where a kill shot came from. This would be unpleasant, a death trap, if a fight broke out. There was an alien that looked like Janus, the two faced Roman god. One face looking forward and one looking back. The past and the future. But the alien man was just plain creepy looking and his visage set the hairs on Samuel's neck with gooseflesh.

The A'janie watched as the pair crossed the threshold and onto their sacred ground, subtle eyes following, some not so much... they made a habit of keeping members of their order near the airlocks of visiting ships, waiting patiently while appearing to be busy with other tasks.

A well-crafted rehearsal to make it appear as though you just bumped into one of them.

"May the universe guide your way, foreign travellers." said a young woman as she and another slowly walked by, a soft and almost knowing smile directed to them both.

Sam thought to himself, ~ Sister, the Universe was out taking a whizz when we needed it most. ~ And he simply nodded to them unsure to what to say. "Religious people" always irritated him a bit. Sam was full of contradictions. He very much doubted "religion" entirely. Yet, there was a part of him that wished it were true. He trusted science. He trusted hard work and loyalty. He had a problem with anyone who engaged in 'magical thinking'. Because, that was a short route to chaos. His own family was religious. Most Pacificans were. Especially the Selkans, the natives of Pacifica. But Sam tried to just take everything with a grain of salt and not be too annoyed or distrustful of religious people. One thing was for sure. Every temple or church he had ever been too had one constant - the coffee was too hot and too weak. After the religious had passed Sam said to David, "Oh. I think she was checking you out."

David shrugged as he looked about. "Too bad for her, I'm in a committed relationship." Though Baeryn was still in cryofreeze, David had given her his word to love no other but her, so long as she lived.

"Speaking of which, that's why we're here. Welp? First stop their version of a medical bay?" Sam asked David as there was no clear directory of where to go. Which was another unsettling fact that Sam logged in his mind.

David nodded. After gazing around the massive compartment, he saw a pair of individuals, wearing monk-like robes, approaching him and Sam. "Excuse me? Would you please direct us to your medical facility? I have some questions that I'd like to ask your medical staff."

Sam jested, "Yeah. We mean you no harm. Take us to your doctor" he said as he referenced the old Earth joke.

The two men looked at one another bewildered, almost as if asking one another if the event unfolding really was happening.

"Brother, please inform Father R'afon that I will be late to his summons."

The other man nodded deeply before taking his leave, casting the Starfleet officers a raised eyebrow as he did.

"Please follow me. " said the remaining A'janie as he gestured for Sam and David to follow.

David gave Sam a easy with the jokes look, then dipped his head respectfully to the monk who was helping them. "Thank you, Sir. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated."

Sam rolled his eyes but he made no more jests and simply followed along. As they walked, he made a mental note of the route they were taking. He kept his eyes peeled for dangers and had about him an aura of cautious...awareness.

"Of course," said the monk, responding to David.

"I'm sure the Sister Apothecary will be able to assist you with whatever you need; her expertise in xenobiology is quite frankly, unmatched in this sector."

Sam listened as they spoke to David. He kept an eye out for imaging devices, video sensors or cameras and didn't see any. He looked for emplaced weapons, like...hidden phaser bubbles or stun nets. He looked for variable gravity areas and nothing seemed to reveal itself. There were no visible panels or control access grids, no power shunts or visible ducts for life support, water, air or power. So, Sam wondered, how was air and power being distributed through such an immense system? He had no tricorder or combat tricorder on him and it would be rude to scan in such an obvious way without permission. Then, he noticed the central "core" or column that rose higher than he could even see. There was a sun-like light source high above them although he could not yet see it. From the angle of shadows he guesstimated that it was so far away in order to act like a sun for the people here. As they continued to walk, he listened and carefully moved closer to the innerside of the corridor, one closest to the central vertical "core" and looked for any distribution nodes.

There, high above them, floating effortlessly like a great big soap bubble was an orb. It was about a meter in size. It was semi-transparent and seemed to just be hovering there in the central column doing nothing. Then it moved and that's what caught Samuel eye. It darted, so quickly that he scarce could believe how fast it moved. There was no sound, no sign of propulsion either. It moved, perhaps, forty-meters (130 feet) with amazing speed. Then, suspended high above them and all over it's surface it went from a transparent almost see through texture to a brilliant, glowing pearl. The surface was electrified, that would be the best word that was available to Sam. Little fingers and tendrils of what looked like white-hot plasma formed on the surface and then, silently, soundless and with brilliant flashes, the floating orbed sparked and all over it's surface the tendrils of energy or plasma connected with these stone tips on the tops of columns or other "decorative looking" ornamental pieces. For the first time, Sam saw these decorations, these ornamental pieces not as affectations of some architectural statement. Rather, they might be tipped connections. Plus or antennae, he did not know. The entire exchange was over in less than a few seconds. And no one batted an eye. Sam observed the orb change again, this time it went from brilliant pearl and glowing to a black as night orb. The same color as the stonework. In fact, it looked like it was part of the stonework. It floated away, up the central core and was out of sight and he could observe it no more.

The monk turned and bowed, extending a hand to a room with seats and various other aliens waiting to be seen. "If you would wait here, I will go find the sister."

Sam observed outside the medical facility that there were many people here. Mostly many aliens and no A'janie. It reminded him of images he had seen of the shrine at Lourdes. There were the alcoves, each one had some alien symbol in it and there were people all waiting around it assumingly in prayer to it. It was crowded, but not overloaded. Not chaotic. Whatever else these A'janie people were, they had a handle on crowd control. Sam kept his eyes and ears open as he listened to what "Brother This One" was telling David. As he observed that crowds, the dozens of people seeking healing or health, cures or balms? It was curious and distressing to see all at the same time.

=A= (beep-beep - beep-beep) =A= Captain Woolheater's comm badge went off. He tapped the badge to open a channel. Crewman Kirkby's voice came over the comm and she said, =A= Sorry to bother you XO, but Private Christopher Corelli is here to see you.

Sam cocked his head, "Very well, please have him take a seat inside my office, I'm on my way."

=A= Copy that =A= and the comm channel closed.

Sam addressed Captain Tonelly, "Sorry David, I need to attend to this issue. It sounds like you have things well in hand. I'll catch up with you later? No, no need to show me out. I remember the way out. Catch you later Captain" and Samuel nodded and turned and let David and the A'janie continue their important discussion.

David nodded. "No worries, Sam. I'll catch up with you later." He then washed his friend leave the medical facility.

Woolheater retraced the route and took another look at the central core. Sam tapped his comm badge to address the Elysium computer and asked, "Computer? If the A'janie are using granite...or a granite like material to build their ships, would that have the necessary properties to conduct energy? Say....electricity or plasma?"

The computer whirred and then replied, =A= Negative. Granite is not a good conductor of electricity. It's an igneous rock made up primarily of non-conductive minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and mica. These minerals do not have free-moving electrons, which are needed for the conduction of electricity. Plasma would also not work well in this substance. =A=

"Hmmm..." Sam said as he took another look down. He finished the route and returned to the Elysium and made his way back to deck thirty-two and Private Corelli.

"These two... oh, your companion has left?" stuttered the monk, seemingly distressed that Sam had wandered off on his own. "I uh, Sister... this gentleman is, um... from that vessel that arrived earlier, the ones from a different tree."

"Thank you Brother Ahtrea... I will see to this one personally." Said the Sister Apothecary as Brother Ahtrea nodded and left in a hurry, obviously in an attempt to make sure Sam didn't get lost.

"So, what can I do for you?" Said the tall woman from behind a short-beaked white mask, reminiscent of old earth plague doctors.

"As I don't imagine you've come to watch me perform surgery..." She added before lifting the mask off her face and holding it out to her side, waiting for a moment until a small floating medical droid flew up and took it from her with its numerous prehensile cable-like arms.

It was a strange thing, an animated bust, made seemingly from stone like everything else.

David dipped his head respectfully as he replied. "Actually, yes, Ma'am. I've heard that the knowledge your people possess is enormous. I was hoping that you might be able to help me with a medical condition that my mate is currently suffering, back on our ship? Our CMO has been unable to find a cure, so she is currently in cryo freeze."

"What a fascinating request, one I would be delighted to help you with..." She paused, gesturing her hand as though asking him to finish her sentence.

David grinned softly as he dipped his head slightly and replied. "My name is Captain David Tonelly. I am a member of the Starfleet Marine Corps. We focus more on the defensive and offensive side of things in Starfleet, while the rest of the Fleet focuses more on scientific avenues."

She nodded, it was slight but still a nod nonetheless. "I'm Sister Apothecary Abur'nale, but please just call me Sister as It's quite a mouthful. Now, tell me what you can about this condition."

David nodded again, as he responded. "Well, all we know is that she suddenly suffered from a major seizure, and our Chief Medical Officer has to put her into one of our emergency medical cryogenic tubes to keep her alive. It is a ailment that he has never seen, nor is there any information in our medical files that can help him come up with a treatment, let alone a cure."

For the next several hours, David and the nun worked and discussed several different medical issues and treatments. When they were fin8shed, David thanked her for bother her time and her assistance in this matter. He then returned to the Elysium. He hoped that methinks g he had been told would help Baeryn.

Only time would tell.

~OFF~