Candid Conversation

Posted on Mon Aug 5, 2019 @ 10:51am by

1,844 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Plaga Navis
Location: Gym
Timeline: Before Wins and Losses

ON:

T'Mira had gotten a good sleep thanks to the doctor's sedative. The nightmares had not come and she had a clear mind. Trying to bank on one of the rare good days where her memory and shadows from the past didn't come down upon her she headed to the gym. Originally she thought about swimming but she decided to hit one of her favourite machines, the bike. It worked find here. When she had actually tried to ride one on the holodeck it had not been pretty. She'd wound up in sickbay with bruises. She supressed a smile at the thought.

Once there she wiped down the machine and then set to work. There was something meditative in counting the pedal rotations.

Alec entered the gym and was undecided about what he wanted to do. He needed to vent after the away mission and the death of a crewman as well as the current plan of infecting the colony. He was troubled by it but he was no scientist. So he decided to quite literally hit the punching bag. Moving over to it, he began slowly, throwing light jabs and ducking and weaving as it swung to and fro. He slowly increased his powers until he was hitting it with everything he had. The bag rocked under the impact as loud smacks echoed through the gym.

She's spent about forty-five minutes on the bike, a great work out. T'Mira decided to cut her workout short she would hit the stepper and then go to the holodeck for a swim. She There were things she was bothered by at the briefing but she didn't know what could be done about it. The fact that they were using Borg technology and acting like the Borg themselves had her tied in a knot. She started on her stepper and only then noticed just a step away that the commander was putting the punching bag through its paces. She gave a nod to him.

The workout was having the desired effect. Alec could feel the tension slipping away. He still had reservations about infecting the colony with Borg nanites. The whole idea seemed wrong. Unfortunately they didn't have any better options. After pounding the bag for about twenty minutes, Alec paused to wipe the sweat from his brow. As he did he saw T'Mira just a few feet away on the stepper as she nodded at him. "Lieutenant T'Mira" He greeted her.

"Commander." She said. She wondered if she should approach him. "I take it that we are going ahead with the assimilation." It was nothing less then that.

For a moment, a heartbeat Alec didn't answer and then he did. Keeping his expression neutral and voice even. "We're going to infect the colony T'Mira if that is what you are asking." He knew it was he just wanted to hear her admit it.

"Yes...and you are not troubled by the method?" She kept her facial features schooled.

"I am deeply troubled by it. However I don't know of another way to keep the colonists from dying." He replied evenly. "You heard Dr. Anderson's report. This is the only option available in the time we have left."

"Hmmm." She said as she worked the stepper. "I see. It is all or nothing. Better to seek forgiveness then permission. Force do not ask. How human." She sighed. "I hope that you understand as an Intel officer I will need to send a report in about this along with my opposition as well as a note that while research was done nobody bothered to contact other members of Starfleet to see if anyone has dealt with something like this." It was a fact, spoken like a Vulcan.

Alec didn't reply immediately. T'Mira had made some good observations. "T'Mira better to have a life and complain than to have your voice silenced forever. As for forgiveness, I'll settle for understanding." He nodded, "I know you will. I just hope you take the time to incorporate all the facts into your report. Such as there wasn't time to contact and wait for replies from other members of Starfleet. We were here, it fell to us. There is no one else."

"Hmm...Fascinating she said." Something entering her mind.

"I'm not sure if fascinating is the word I would use here T'Mira. More like necessary." Alec answered quietly.

T'Mira looked at the step counter letting the silence stretch and then asked, "Once these nanites are done doing their work will the doctor remove them?"

"An excellent question." Alec conceded. "That's the hope T'Mira. That's the hope. No one wants this, it's necessary...a necessary evil." He finished. quietly.

She stopped the stepper and stepped off taking a towel. She said nothing. This all deeply disturbed her and she was wondering if her past with the Borg had anything to do with it. "They are vicious animals." She simply said.

"I agree." Alec replied. "But we aren't. We're doing this to help save these colonists not to add them to a collective unit. With no individual thought or freedom."

"That is what makes it frightening. The Borg assimilate for similar reasons. They do it to survive to better those species around them." She sounded like she knew what she was talking about.

"Similar but not the same T'Mira. We have checks and balances. The Borg don't it's what the collective wants there is no individual." Alec countered.

"Hmmm." Was all she said. "Perhaps." She sat down on the bench and took a drink of water. She looked out at the stars. "There is an old Earth saying. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The power that the nanites can give...is one thing but these disgusting creatures...well they tend to have minds of their own. Time will tell how this will all turn out."

There's another old Earth saying T'Mira. Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead." Alec replied. "However you are right. Time will tell."

She sighed. "The captain. She is of them is she not?"

"A Borg?" Alec scoffed. "T'Mira do you honestly believe that Command would put a Borg in command of a starship? Add in the facts that the Captain has personality and free will." he pointed out.

"I know of many officers that were retrieved from the Borg. In fact one of the assignments I had with Section involved bringing back officers who were assimilated." She shrugged. "Let's leave the subject matter for now. I do have something I wished to speak to you about since you are the leader of the senior staff."

Alec didn't comment on T'Mira's observation. Both he and Rhea had been in Section 31 before coming to the Victory. He also knew of many officers rescued from the Borg. He also knew sections of Rhea's file were classified and even he didn't know what was in it. He nodded, "The floor is yours T'Mira what else did you wish to speak about?"

"This is a bit personal. I did not wish to speak to you about this but...given her animosity towards me I thought it best."

"Well, I am the liaison between the Captain and the crew. So you are doing the right thing by coming to me. That said, what's on your mind?"

"What are the protocols for using the EMH?"

"Why?" He countered. "What do you want to use the EMH for?"

"I'd feel more comfortable if he were my doctor rather then Doctor Anderson." She said frankly still pissed off at the latest encounter with the doctor in sickbay.

Alec nodded. "I'm sure you would but using or wanting to use the EMH because you have a personality clash with the Chief Medical Officer isn't a valid reason T'Mira."

She sighed. Truth be told she was still smarting from the diplomat's comment on the fact that they had a similar temperament. "Understood. I will then request one of the other doctors." She liked the commander he was level headed. She almost smiled at how he was able to keep his cool when tempers all around were flying. Standing still a moment she let the awkward silence stretch.

Alec let the seconds pass before he spoke again. "I'm fine with you requesting another doctor. Let me just say, Dr. Anderson is a extremely thorough and highly skilled physician. You would be hard pressed to find any better."

"I do not doubt her skill. I do, however, find her bedside manner atrocious. We Vulcans are called cold and unfeeling but that is often better then yelling at your patients and imposing your will on them against theirs. Her willingness to inject someone with nannies without heir permission and her ... behaviour towards me puts my trust in her at a level lower then the Ferengi. I will be requesting a new physician. There might be other crew to do so as well." She sighed letting that sink in before she moved on to another topic.

"T'Mira, you wish another doctor that is fine. Though I think your letting your personal feelings cloud your judgment. As for injecting the colonists with nanites. There wasn't time to ask for permission. Time was of the essence. Time we didn't have. I'm sorry that goes against your views but that's the way it is." Alec replied.

"It is what it is. When all is said and done Starfleet will do what they think best there will either be a reprimand or not. And history will be its own judge as will the colonists." She shrugged if it did not matter. She felt isolated and alone. She could not be the only one to see how wrong this was. Either way it was done now. "The matter is done. There is nothing to do now then deal with the consequences good or bad."

Alec nodded, "T'Mira, I like and respect you and your views on this matter. You make good points. However it is done and we must move to the next stage which is monitoring the colonists and killing the nanites inside them once we know they are free of the virus."

"That I will assist with. I have actually pulled some notes from Section on disabling nannites." She reached into her bag and pulled out a data PADD. "I am hoping this can be helpful. It is a method to make sure they do not activate once disabled. It can train the immune system to destroy them if ever activated." She handed him the PADD.

"Very good. I appreciate your help on this T'Mira and I know the Captain and the CMO do as well." Alec replied solemnly.

She gave a nod. "Commander...I am not attempting to be difficult. I need you to know that. I just have been where those people are and know what they are feeling or rather what they will feel when they awake."

"T'Mira, I know you aren't. I understand and I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me about your feelings and views." Alec replied with understanding.

 

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