Meeting Ranul Again-Part One

Posted on Sun Jun 22nd, 2025 @ 8:35am by Consul Andrinn Orin

Mission: WHAT IF?
Location: USS Elysium-Deck Two
Timeline: Unknown Stardate, 2100hrs
1198 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

Andrinn was working on a few final reports about what had been happening throughout Deck Two and the Diplomatic corridor. However, it was starting to get a bit late and Andrinn knew that he would have to eventually get a bite to eat. Looking at the chronometer on his desk, he realized that it was quite late. About 2100 hours.

Closing out the report that he was working on after saving it to the main computer, Andrinn finally got up an let out both a stretch and a yawn at the same time. It was rather quiet in the Diplomatic Suites on Deck Two. Most of the Diplomatic crew that was working were fresh faced members of his companions. Vice-Consuls and below that were assigned to basically the graveyard shift. Walking past, Andrinn gave them all a curt smile and wished them a good night.

However, as soon as Andrinn walked through the doors out of the Diplomatic Suites and on the main part of Deck Two, he felt something was...off. Nothing related to the ongoing threat with the Zynari. But, something was definitely not quite right and Andrinn was having a bit of trouble putting his finger on it.

Shaking it off, Andrinn headed towards the closest turbolift and pressed the button to call it up to the deck. While he was waiting for the turbolift to come up, another crew member walked up beside Andrinn. He didn't pay much attention to the officer standing next to him, as he was wearing a standard duty uniform with the rank of a full Lieutenant.

But, the feeling that Andrinn had been feeling suddenly spiked and he looked at the crewman that was standing next to him. Suddenly, Andrinn knew why all of this stuff was going off within him.

The crewman was Ranul Orin...Andrinn's previous host. The spots, the intense eyes, and everything else was the same as it was before he was killed in that accident. Ranul looked over at Andrinn and asked, "Everything okay, sir? You look like you just saw a ghost or something."

Andrinn was standing there stunned and didn't know how exactly to reply to that. Was this truly the Zynari messing with him and the memories that Orin had? Were they using the memories that Andrinn, the host had? It took a few moments for Andrinn to settle a little bit and figure out what to say to Ranul.

Looking straight into Ranul's eyes, Andrinn replied, "Well, you...are a ghost or something. You died quite some time ago. Centuries ago! What's going on here?"

"What are you talking about, sir? We've worked together for several years now and I even helped you to get into the Trill Symbiant Commission back on the Trill homeworld. So, I'm going to ask you again. Are you okay, sir?" Ranul asked, giving Andrinn a look like he had lost all of his marbles and like he was going to call medical for some help with Andrinn.

Andrinn looked at Ranul once more and reached out to poke Ranul in the shoulder. He wanted to make sure that Ranul truly wasn't a ghost or that he wasn't loosing his mind. With all that was happening with the Zynari, Andrinn couldn't help but make sure that nothing truly was happening mentally. Once he realized that Ranul was truly there, Andrinn pulled out a tricorder and started to run a scan of both Ranul and himself, as well as the surrounding area.

He wanted to make sure that he wasn't transported somewhere else and to make sure that he wasn't on the holodeck. What Andrinn was finding out that he was still onboard the Elysium and he wasn't on one of the Elysium's holodecks either. Ranul was truly standing before him and it was checked with the onboard computer. Not only that, but there were now two Orin symbiants onboard.

One within Ranul and one within Andrinn. The tests were conclusive about that and the brainwave patterns for both Orins were matched, except with some minor deviations due to who they were within. Different experiences over the lifetime of the host and all that jazz.

While this was all happening, Ranul was starting to get frustrated. He wasn't sure what was going on and he wasn't getting any answers from Andrinn. Ranul looked over at Andrinn and asked, "What in the world is going on, sir? You still haven't answered my question!"

Putting his hands up, Andrinn instantly remembered that fire that Ranul had. When Andrinn was studying at the Commission under him, Ranul had a fiery temper. He was almost like a drill instructor from Earth's 20th and 21st centuries. You almost had to have one sometimes within the Commission to root out who would make it and who would truly be able to handle the responsibilities of joining with one of the many symbiants.

With his hands still up, Andrinn finally replied, "Well, I'm not sure what's going on right now. All I know at this moment is that there are now two Orin symbiants and we have to start figuring out what's going on. Especially since you died three or four centuries ago and were never apart of the Elysium crew."

Ranul looked at Andrinn like he had sprouted another head or grew an extra pair of arms. He closed a little bit of the distance between them and just starred at Andrinn's face for a moment. Andrinn instantly knew that look on Ranul's face. He was trying to intimidate Andrinn and get some answers out of him, or at least make sure that Andrinn wasn't lying to him about what was going on thus far.

After a few moments, Ranul stepped back and his shoulders slumped a little bit. That was something new, as Ranul had always been this tall, brute of a man. Not dumb kind of brute. It was more of a way to put out an air of...I'm in charge and know what I'm doing. So, to see Ranul slump like that confused Andrinn even more.

"I knew that something was off when I walked up next to you. I didn't want to say anything, as I was so confused. But, I could feel something was quite right. Plus, this uniform doesn't match what I remember from the last time I saw you. Help...please," Ranul replied as he stepped back and slid down the wall of the corridor. A tear formed in his eye and rolled down his left cheek.

Walking over, Andrinn sat down next to him and gently grasped his shoulder. He said, "We'll figure this out because it's weird seeing you again after all this time again. But, I will need your help to figure it all out. Mind coming with me to Sickbay to get this all figured out?"

Ranul simply shook his head in the affirmative and Andrinn said, "Well, good. Plus, two Orins are better than one. So, come on and lets figure this out."

With that, the two gentlemen got up and headed towards the turbolift and hopefully to some answers...

[OFF:]

Consul Andrinn Orin
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Elysium