[USS Juno] Asylum, (Part 2)

Posted on Fri Aug 3rd, 2018 @ 7:38am by Captain Harrold Anderson & Lieutenant Avril Taylor & Captain Xalanth
Edited on on Fri Aug 3rd, 2018 @ 7:39am

2,382 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: [USS Shanghai] S1E2: Encounter in the Abyss
Location: Conference room
Timeline: 05/14/2394, 1330 Hours

(Intro post)

Harry was the first to walk into the conference, typically the captain would be the last to arrive, but this was not a usual request. Plus he was not sure how he felt that about a potential pirate requesting political asylum. He walked over to the replicator and ordered a coffee and took a seat.

The lizard was next to enter having handed over the bridge to one of his officers. He'd sent team of his best to bring Orson up when he'd been beamed over and had a full scan done. " We doing the right thing sir?" He asked as he took his place.

"I am not sure Mister Xalanth, he sounds like a pirate." Suggested Harry, as he looked over to Xalanth, wondering the same thing that he was. Was this a good call. He claimed to have information they wanted, so the least Harry could do was hear him out.

"We'll will find out when he gets here." Xalanth replied as he took his place at the table.

T'San in Kimoni's body walked in. She touched her belly for a moment. She was trying to get used to the movements. She could feel Jexen trying to reach out telepathically, she wasn't at ease. T'San was finally able to gain control of the memories the Symbiont was relaying and manage to figure out what was hers and what wasn't it. The meditation seem to relax Jexen a little earlier.

Harry noticed Kimoni walking in and being so relieved that he was no longer trapped with Jexen. It was not an enjoyable experience at all. He was happy to be ride of the host.

Charlena walked in and looked around the table of all the people currently present. She then sat down at the table.

Bervag, in T'Meelas body was the next to walk in. He walked over and sat in his usual seat, wondering what all this was about. "Captain." he nodded. "Everyone."

Chris entered the senior staff meeting with a cup of coffee in hand. He'd had little interaction with the rest of the senior staff, save for the captain. His time on the Juno had been mostly spent babying the temperamental slip stream drive and benamite crystals. It was a daunting task keeping the ship's drive operational. He nodded to the room of near strangers as he took his seat.

Kimoni stepped into the room, T'San's face was as passive as possible, but her hands weren't. Her hands opening and closing as she walked over to her seat. Her mind was racing, heartbeat faster then normal as she sat down and gave the room a muted greeting. She placed her hands on the table and made a concerted effort to keep them still.

Avril secured a few things at the helmsman station before entering the conference room. She was one of the last personal to arrive. She took her seat and waited.


***

(Orson's arrival)

Orson walked in, flanked by two men with weapons. He didn't know who they were, he'd only seen Captain Harry. Everybody was new to him. In his pack he held all he had, which wasn't much. But it did include the information he had to offer. He saw the CO and waved. "Thank you for allowing me on board, Captain Harry."

"Have a seat please." Suggested Harry as he took a sip of coffee. "Would you care for a beverage, water, tea or coffee?" Asked Harry, trying to be courteous. But in reality he was wondering what was the pirates angle?

"I'd like to try a tea, if that's alright." the young man said.

Harry motioned for the captain's yeoman to get Orson a drink. Harry could not help but notice how young this young man was. Maybe he was not a pirate. So was he, wondered Harry. He claimed to have information. "You're a little young to be a pirate or a mercenary." Suggested Harry as his yeoman gave him a cup of tea.

"I'm neither." Orson said. "If anything, I'm..I don't know to be honest. This is the first time I've been anywhere other than home."

"You mentioned having information that can help us, but you also said you have never left Home. How can you be helpful, if you never left your home before?" Asked Harry, he suspected this guy was either a fraud of a rebellious kid, that had something to prove. In any situation, they still needed him.

"Well, she'd kill me if she ever found out I told you. But I'm running from my grandmother." he said, wincing and shielding his eyes. He didn't know why but he was hurting. And he couldn't explain why. "I've stolen it from her. Nothing happens without her approval, and I couldn't sit by."

"Are you going to keep us in suspense, you are dancing around why you are hiding from your grandmother and you have yet to address why you are asking for asylum." Said Harry, hoping this kid would get to the point.

"I know where your federation people are. And how to reverse any effects of the artifacts she planted for you to find." Orson said, matter of factly. "I can help you find them." He reached into his sack. "And this is the map." he offered. "As well as a device to undo whatever damage my family has caused you, or your ship." the young man said. "I...I just want to help." he said, growing more nervous. "And I'm looking for asylum because I don't feel the same as her to be honest." which came out as a stammer. "I don't understand much outside of home, but it just feels wrong."

T'San got up. "Captain, if I may? This is clearly a frightened child. I can tell he is doing the best he can, let's not put pressure on him. He wants to help." She walked over to Orson. She put her arms behind her back. She for a moment forgot she was not in her own body, and Kimoni's body was limited in her perspective. "Orson, right, I am Lieutenant Commander T'San of Vulcan. You said something about a device your mother planted for us to find?" She looked emotionless at him. "If you can undo the damage your grandmother has done to us, we will look at what you have to offer." She was more then ready to get back to her own body and she didn't want to wait an asylum hearing for that. And the captain was treating him like any other prisoner.

"Thank you very much." Orson said, looking up at her. "Who all is feeling the effects of that device?" he asked, spurred on by T'Sans approach. She didn't say too much, but what she said was enough. And he knew he didn't like Captain Harry. "Hello?"

Bervag got up so he could be counted. "Hello...Orson was it. Lieutenant Commander Bervag Bers, of the planet trill." he said. "Firstly I want to say, welcome to the Juno and thank you for your kind offer to help. It is very much appreciated." he smiled. He walked over to where T'san was standing and put T'Meelas hand on his shoulder. He didn't know the young man, but he could see that he needed a friend. "And like Dr T'San said. Fix this, and well go from there.." he said, rather excited about the prospect of a permanent fix.

"Fix that artifact, and help me track down my missing crew." Said Harry. He was not going to make a decision without talking to his crew first, and getting their input.

"Ill do whatever I can, sir." Orson said

"Security will escort you to guests quarters, until you earn our trust, you will be escorted and have restricted access to the Juno. This is not optional. If you are caught in sensitive areas, we will lock you up and drop you off an uninhabited planet." Sternly said Harry, as he looked Orson in the eye. This kid better be right, and leading them into a trap. He would regret that decision, if he tried to lead them into a trap.

"Yes sir." Orson said. "Thank you sir." he said, feeling like a prisoner already

"Security, take Mister De to his quarters." Said Harry, as he watched Orson leave the room then he looked at his senior staff. He took a deep sigh.

"What do you all think?" Asked Harry, wanting their opinions. Even if it was post facto.

T'San crossed Kimoni's arms. "You should have let Lieutenant Jexen get the device and have him fix it. He was willing to do it. We could have talked about this after we all got back in to our own bodies. If you didn't know, my daughter is outside waiting commander Bers body. Psychologically this is a strain for her. And I am not sure how you think this is perceived by commander Bers, Lieutenant Jexen, myself, or even your daughter." She put her arms down and walked to the captain. "I am not sure what you are trying to accomplish here, but you do remember what it was like not being in your own body?"

She walked back to Kimoni and Bervag. She put her arms behind her back. "At this point we have no choice. Have him undo the damage that his grandmother has done, and we will listen to the young men." Jexen was making T'San very emotional again. But there was nothing she could about that now. She took a deep breath and continued, "In my opinion, he is still a child. At least listen to what he has to say."

Charlena was still seated behind the table. She crossed her arms and said, "Kid or no kid. He is still from a species that wiped out half of new Bajor. And from what I read about these people they are capable of great mental abilities. I am surprised he hasn't tried any of that in here right now. Maybe he is too young and doesn't know, or he deliberately doesn't want to to gain our trust." She stood up putting her hands flat on the table. "But I wouldn't believe a kid with no abilities at all would escape that easily from such a powerful people. Either they let him, for what purpose I don't know or he has the abilities to allow himself to escape.Or both."

Then she said in a different tone, "I do agree with the doctor, if he wants to gain our trust, he can undo the damage he has done here. And if he is willing to help us. He will give us every information we need to rescue Lieutenant Aanyo. In any case I don't want to go in there blind."

"Child or no, at least where this device is concerned this is all sounding very familiar and i can't help but wonder at the timing of all this." Kimoni said, doing her best to keep herself calm. "If we are to let Orson play around with the device i think he should be monitored at all times, I'm not sure i can keep doing this "body jumping"... In fact i'm 100 percent sure i can't keep doing it. Ninety percent of my life experience is, from my point of view at least, gone."

Kimoni brushed T'San's hair behind her right ear, something she tended to do when she was deep in thought and now, separated from Jexen a second time, she was totally sure that was her, not one of Jexen's past hosts.

"If he's on the level we're good, but i can't shake the feeling this is all too good to be true."

The lizard had been quiet through all of this. He had a feeling of distrust about the boy, but he knew he felt that about everyone new on board his ship. " Let's just keep the kid under guard and observation if he turns out he is here to help us then we can grant him asylum. If he's here to trick us we knock him out and leave him in the brig." He added.

"I'm with both Jexen and the Doctor." Bervag said, getting T'Meela's hair out of his face. "I say at least give him a chance. I'm pretty sure if he wanted to kill us he would have already." he said, the combination of teenager and no Bers showing in his voice. "If this Orson kid wants to help, let him. I agree that his access should be restricted. He shouldn't run around willy nilly." he walked over and got himself a drink of water. "But if he has the power or technology to permanently fix this...situation. By all means lets get this done. You haven't switched twice. T'San, Kimoni, and I have."

"Sorry Captain, but I've got to do this." he pressed a comm. "Bers to security. Please bring our guest back to the conference room."

T'San looked to Kimoni, in her own body. "Lieutenant, can you bring the device here, I want this to be over as quickly as possibly." She stood next to the body of her daughter that was occupied by Bervag. "I am sorry, captain, it's not like we will grand him asylum, but this second switch is just putting a strain on us. I can't allow it to continue. As chief medical officer I degree that the psychiatric welfare of the effected crew takes president over all orders, sir."

"Alright Asylum will be granted once he reverses the affects of that device." Said Harry, wondering how Janie and Kerja were holding up. He could not wait to have Kerja back in her own body. What an ordeal for a 14 year old girl to go through.

It did not take very long for Orson to be escorted back to the conference room. "Mister Orson De, we have decided we will grant your request once you have reversed the damage to this tablet, however your asylum will not be finalized till my abducted Federation citizens are safely back on the USS Juno." Ordered Harry.

"I'll do my best " Orson replied.

He started to work on the tablet and managed to get everyone back into their correct bodies.

 

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