In her office, the counselor sat at her desk, her right elbow on the surface and her palm propping up her cheek. Her somewhat glazed expression was focused on the console as she read Administrator Jal'Shan's latest notes and instructions for recent modifications to the officer record amendment procedure. Her eyes skeptically traveled back and forth between her most recently written evaluation and the new format, looking for any miniscule mistake, and she frustratedly blew out a directed breath, disarraying her bangs a little in the process.
Your appointment with ... Captain Sant ... is in ten minutes.
For a long moment, Katriel didn't appear to acknowledge the message. But perhaps after ten or fifteen seconds, she exhaled a sigh and made sure her work was properly saved before idling her console. She glanced around; as her office was generally neat and organized to begin with, there wasn't much she needed to do to prepare. She neatened a couple stacks of PADDs out of idleness.
Then, when her glance flicked towards the console time, she realized she still had a whole nine minutes to kill, presumably. Time for a mind-clearing exercise?
She reached into a desk drawer and withdrew a colorfully-patterned, square sheet of paper and began to fold.
The voice of the Indomnitable's computer echoed slightly in the Jeffries tube, "Captain, you requested a reminder for your appointment with the Counselor. This is your third reminder. You are now five minutes late."
The trill cursed violently for the third time and finally turned to the engineer that was working next to her in the Jeffries tube. "Close that up, will you? I'm not going to escape this one." She said, then she grabbed her tool box and shoved it ahead of her till she got to the ladder and grabbed the uniform jacket that was hanging over one of the ladder rungs. The engineer nodded and carefully refrained from snickering, although his eyes were dancing with amusement. "Yes, Captain", he responded.
"Computer, estimated time of arrival at the Counselor's office?" Sant asked as she hurriedly put her uniform jacket on, and slid down the Jeffries tube ladder.
"Estimated time of arrival, ten minutes." The Computer responded.
"Good. Maybe if I'm lucky she'll think I cancelled. Computer, send a quick message to Captain Cross, will you? Let him know I'm going to late for our dinner date?" Sant spoke just loud enough for the computer to acknowledge her.
"Acknowledged. Message sent." The Computer responded.
As soon as Captain Sant's feet hit the deck of Main Engineering, she dropped her tool box next to the ladder, and then sprinted out to the hall and all the way to the turbo lift. She occasionally dodged startled crewmembers, and rounded the corner to the turbo lift, pulling herself up straight before she hit the doors. She glanced over at the reflective service of a console and frowned, noting the multiple dark smudges on her face from her work in engineering. She yanked her jacket off and quickly used it to wipe the smudges off as best she could while staring at the partial reflection in the console, then stopped the moment the turbo lift doors opened.
"Transporter Room Three" she stated as she jumped into the lift and quickly put her jacket on again.
***
Ten minutes later, she smacked the door chime to the Counselor's office. "This is Captain Sant. I think I'm late for my appointment."
The trill cursed violently for the third time and finally turned to the engineer that was working next to her in the Jeffries tube. "Close that up, will you? I'm not going to escape this one." She said, then she grabbed her tool box and shoved it ahead of her till she got to the ladder and grabbed the uniform jacket that was hanging over one of the ladder rungs. The engineer nodded and carefully refrained from snickering, although his eyes were dancing with amusement. "Yes, Captain", he responded.
"Computer, estimated time of arrival at the Counselor's office?" Sant asked as she hurriedly put her uniform jacket on, and slid down the Jeffries tube ladder.
"Estimated time of arrival, ten minutes." The Computer responded.
"Good. Maybe if I'm lucky she'll think I cancelled. Computer, send a quick message to Captain Cross, will you? Let him know I'm going to late for our dinner date?" Sant spoke just loud enough for the computer to acknowledge her.
"Acknowledged. Message sent." The Computer responded.
As soon as Captain Sant's feet hit the deck of Main Engineering, she dropped her tool box next to the ladder, and then sprinted out to the hall and all the way to the turbo lift. She occasionally dodged startled crewmembers, and rounded the corner to the turbo lift, pulling herself up straight before she hit the doors. She glanced over at the reflective service of a console and frowned, noting the multiple dark smudges on her face from her work in engineering. She yanked her jacket off and quickly used it to wipe the smudges off as best she could while staring at the partial reflection in the console, then stopped the moment the turbo lift doors opened.
"Transporter Room Three" she stated as she jumped into the lift and quickly put her jacket on again.
***
Ten minutes later, she smacked the door chime to the Counselor's office. "This is Captain Sant. I think I'm late for my appointment."
"Yes, come in," Katriel called out without looking up, halfway through with folding a third paper crane by the time Captain Sant managed to arrive. As the door swished open to admit Sant, Katriel finished a crease and set the construction aside. Instead of looking disgruntled or annoyed by Sant's tardiness, she instead appeared quite collected, maybe even mildly refreshed, as she inclined her head politely in greeting.
"Captain, thank you for coming," and Katriel kept her tone pleasant. "I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to see me."
Katriel paused briefly as she snagged the top PADD off of a random pile and began tapping through it. "As you may or may not be aware, your record was flagged recently for a psychological review, as per Task Force protocol for records that are in need of an update. Nothing rigorous or invasive, I assure you, and you may decline to answer any question I put to you without concern that it might reflect poorly on you. As full disclosure, I am a full-blooded Betazoid."
She paused again briefly, glancing up at Sant. "Have you any questions for me, before we begin?"
"Captain, thank you for coming," and Katriel kept her tone pleasant. "I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to see me."
Katriel paused briefly as she snagged the top PADD off of a random pile and began tapping through it. "As you may or may not be aware, your record was flagged recently for a psychological review, as per Task Force protocol for records that are in need of an update. Nothing rigorous or invasive, I assure you, and you may decline to answer any question I put to you without concern that it might reflect poorly on you. As full disclosure, I am a full-blooded Betazoid."
She paused again briefly, glancing up at Sant. "Have you any questions for me, before we begin?"
"Nope, none." Sant rocked up on the balls of her feet slightly, and looked around the office.
Just because it's standard procedure, doesn't mean I have to like it. It's nothing we haven't been through before.
"Ask away." The trill grinned.
Just because it's standard procedure, doesn't mean I have to like it. It's nothing we haven't been through before.
"Ask away." The trill grinned.
Katriel twtiched visibly. She couldn't help the thought that struck her: was an aversion to counseling genetically embedded in female, Trill DNA?? Her expression remained as schooled as possible.
"Feel free to have a seat, if you'd like." The obvious seating choice would have been the armchair positioned opposite the desk, but there were a couple couches available as well.
"I took the liberty of checking into your career record, but there wasn't a great deal available without invoking higher security levels, I'm afraid. I know you've been with Argo for a good three or four months now, already? How have you been acclimating and how does it compare with what you were doing prior to transferring to us?"
"Feel free to have a seat, if you'd like." The obvious seating choice would have been the armchair positioned opposite the desk, but there were a couple couches available as well.
"I took the liberty of checking into your career record, but there wasn't a great deal available without invoking higher security levels, I'm afraid. I know you've been with Argo for a good three or four months now, already? How have you been acclimating and how does it compare with what you were doing prior to transferring to us?"
For a brief moment, Sant was reminded of another psych evaluation she had been through and she stepped forward towards the nearest couch.
That was another lifetime now. Without -- being another lifetime. How does that even make sense?
"With the exception of a couple of dinner dates in the station lounge, and the occasional holodeck excursion, most of my time has been spent in sickbay and on the Indomitable, trying to put the ship back together. I'm sorry the higher ups are being a bunch of pricks with my file. That seems to be a constant throughout the multiverse. I'm really liking the atmosphere here at the starbase. It is nice."
She sat down on the couch and leaned back, getting comfortable, half wishing for something to put her feet up on.
Heh. Lifetimes. What's it like to only live one, I wonder? I remember the first time around -- no memories to fall back on in a crises, no voices of whispered, half-remembered host personalities, no Behira in my head. That might be kind of nice.
"I'll see what I can do about the file, otherwise, ask away. They can keep people from reading the thing, but I'm here, and can answer your questions. There's nothing top secret in there anyway."
That was another lifetime now. Without -- being another lifetime. How does that even make sense?
"With the exception of a couple of dinner dates in the station lounge, and the occasional holodeck excursion, most of my time has been spent in sickbay and on the Indomitable, trying to put the ship back together. I'm sorry the higher ups are being a bunch of pricks with my file. That seems to be a constant throughout the multiverse. I'm really liking the atmosphere here at the starbase. It is nice."
She sat down on the couch and leaned back, getting comfortable, half wishing for something to put her feet up on.
Heh. Lifetimes. What's it like to only live one, I wonder? I remember the first time around -- no memories to fall back on in a crises, no voices of whispered, half-remembered host personalities, no Behira in my head. That might be kind of nice.
"I'll see what I can do about the file, otherwise, ask away. They can keep people from reading the thing, but I'm here, and can answer your questions. There's nothing top secret in there anyway."
The counselor came out of her seat, PADD in hand, to select a seat that put her at a comfortable conversational angle with Sant. She didn't respond right away and her eyes were a fraction unfocused for a moment, before she shook it off.
"Putting the ship back together? Are these just general upgrades and improvements, or repairs from a particular incident?" She briefly frowned at the PADD, like it should have provided her the answers to this particular question already. "And what is it that draws you to sickbay so often?"
"Putting the ship back together? Are these just general upgrades and improvements, or repairs from a particular incident?" She briefly frowned at the PADD, like it should have provided her the answers to this particular question already. "And what is it that draws you to sickbay so often?"
"Oh, right. The report was sent to Starfleet awhile ago, it may have been buried in the archives by now. The Indomitable was towed in by her sister ship and has been undergoing a complete refit. There wasn't much to salvage. We'd been in a fight with the Klingons before trying to transwarp out -- we were outnumbered and outgunned. In Typical Klingon fashion, one of their commanders decided he wasn't going to let us get away and rammed his ship into our starboard nacelle. I was in sickbay for sustained injuries. The one on my leg didn't start healing until fairly recently."
Sustained injuries? Cross dragged us out from beneath a pile of Klingons! (The mental voice is slightly different from Sant's normal mental voice.)
It wasn't a pile, it was one Klingon and it was in a Jeffries tube. Are we getting senile already? (Sant's mental voice.)
Fine. Focus on the Psych Eval. (The other mental voice.)
I am. You started it. (Sant's mental voice.)
Sant paused briefly and then tilted her head inquisitively. "Counselor, your files do state that I'm a joined Trill, correct?"
Sustained injuries? Cross dragged us out from beneath a pile of Klingons! (The mental voice is slightly different from Sant's normal mental voice.)
It wasn't a pile, it was one Klingon and it was in a Jeffries tube. Are we getting senile already? (Sant's mental voice.)
Fine. Focus on the Psych Eval. (The other mental voice.)
I am. You started it. (Sant's mental voice.)
Sant paused briefly and then tilted her head inquisitively. "Counselor, your files do state that I'm a joined Trill, correct?"
The counselor had an extremely mixed expression on her face and it took her a moment or two before she actually registered Sant's question.
"... Yeees." She breathed out the answer. "Although, even if they hadn't... I would hope that I could have guessed it by now."
Katriel contemplated for a moment or two, before venturing a question. Her tone was curious, but not surprised. "Do you ... always communicate so directly? With your symbiont? That IS your symbiont, right?, not just ... a manifestation of a previous host?"
"... Yeees." She breathed out the answer. "Although, even if they hadn't... I would hope that I could have guessed it by now."
Katriel contemplated for a moment or two, before venturing a question. Her tone was curious, but not surprised. "Do you ... always communicate so directly? With your symbiont? That IS your symbiont, right?, not just ... a manifestation of a previous host?"
"Yes, and no. Most of the time it's a manifestation of a previous host. Yes, it's an almost constant conversation -- but I usually keep it blocked out so it doesn't distract sensitive telepaths."
Sant's eyes are sparkling with amusment.
Sant's eyes are sparkling with amusment.
The fingers of her left hand drum along the side of her PADD.
"It seems ... like it could be distracting. Has it ever been... a problem? When you're working, for instance, can it distract you? Or does it ever argue directly with you and your opinion?"
"It seems ... like it could be distracting. Has it ever been... a problem? When you're working, for instance, can it distract you? Or does it ever argue directly with you and your opinion?"
"Just out of curiosity Counselor, have you ever evaluated a joined trill before? No, neither the prior hosts, their memories nor their manifestations distract me from my duties. It is something we are trained for when we go through our training and evaluations, prior to being accepted as hosts."
Sant picks up one of the throw pillows off the couch and fiddles with the fringe on the edges of it.
Sant picks up one of the throw pillows off the couch and fiddles with the fringe on the edges of it.
"Would it surprise you to know if I have?" Katriel asked, brows raising a little.
"I have, in fact. Twice, actually. But I find that... it's been quite different, every time. I suppose that might be a consequence of the individualistic nature of every pairing? I don't have that much experience, of course, but the way symbiosis is expressed seems to be as varied as any single personality."
"I admit I haven't... specifically studied Joined Trill psychology in particular." Though her expression certainly turned thoughtful just then, at the idea. "I hear the Symbiosis Commission is a little... guarded when it comes to such things, however."
"I have, in fact. Twice, actually. But I find that... it's been quite different, every time. I suppose that might be a consequence of the individualistic nature of every pairing? I don't have that much experience, of course, but the way symbiosis is expressed seems to be as varied as any single personality."
"I admit I haven't... specifically studied Joined Trill psychology in particular." Though her expression certainly turned thoughtful just then, at the idea. "I hear the Symbiosis Commission is a little... guarded when it comes to such things, however."
Sant chuckled.
"You have no idea. The Symbiosis Commission can be hellish to try and work with, even for those of us used to it."
She put the pillow back in it's place.
"But yes, I would be a little surprised. Some of your questions hinted that you weren't at all sure about what's inside my head."
"You have no idea. The Symbiosis Commission can be hellish to try and work with, even for those of us used to it."
She put the pillow back in it's place.
"But yes, I would be a little surprised. Some of your questions hinted that you weren't at all sure about what's inside my head."
Katriel shrugged a little.
"Not exactly... unsure. But, at least with the other two Trill I have worked with, their symbionts weren't nearly so... insistent on being heard. I was under the impression that it's a more subconscious connection most of the time, but you're putting lie to that theory, Captain. Perhaps you might attempt to explain for me what it IS like in your head?"
She lifted a hand at the suggestion, palm up, as if conceding that she knew the request is a little unfair. But then her expression brightens a little. "... Do you think you could tell me a little about the previous hosts? What is your impression of them?"
"Not exactly... unsure. But, at least with the other two Trill I have worked with, their symbionts weren't nearly so... insistent on being heard. I was under the impression that it's a more subconscious connection most of the time, but you're putting lie to that theory, Captain. Perhaps you might attempt to explain for me what it IS like in your head?"
She lifted a hand at the suggestion, palm up, as if conceding that she knew the request is a little unfair. But then her expression brightens a little. "... Do you think you could tell me a little about the previous hosts? What is your impression of them?"
"Inside my head it is noisy and I'm never alone. I rather like it that way. The three previous hosts were Behira, Ada, and Cara. Cara is the quiet one, Ada is the logical one, and Behira is nuts. Then there's me. I'm the first Sant to be a Captain of a Starship, but I'm not the first Sant to have joined Starfleet. Being able to fall back on Cara's tactical knowledge has been very helpful in some of the fights we've been in with the Klingons. "
There's a rather long pause as Katriel appeared to digest what was said. Then, as if she knew that her next question might be a little predictable, she wrinkled her nose a little.
"I'm sorry, but... could you elaborate on the ah... host who you described as 'nuts'?"
"I'm sorry, but... could you elaborate on the ah... host who you described as 'nuts'?"
Sant chuckled.
"No, she wasn't certifiable. You know how Dae would pull crazy things in the holodeck the other night? Nuts like that."
"No, she wasn't certifiable. You know how Dae would pull crazy things in the holodeck the other night? Nuts like that."
Katriel's expression turned a bemused mix of confusion and curiosity.
"I'm not sure I understand you, Captain. Could you specify what action or behavior of Commander Dae's you're referring to?"
"I'm not sure I understand you, Captain. Could you specify what action or behavior of Commander Dae's you're referring to?"
Sant stares blankly at the Counselor.
"You cannot be that isolated, Counselor." She smirks then adds, "It's the definition of doing the unexpected, the sometimes silly, the sometimes poignant action in order to resolve an issue or just relieve boredom."
"You cannot be that isolated, Counselor." She smirks then adds, "It's the definition of doing the unexpected, the sometimes silly, the sometimes poignant action in order to resolve an issue or just relieve boredom."