#20 A 'Then and Now'
Posted on Sun Sep 13th, 2020 @ 1:53pm by
Edited on on Mon Sep 14th, 2020 @ 9:30am
Mission:
Star Base Mercury
Location: various
Timeline: current/somewhere in between
ON:
THEN:
Doctor Bjorgo entered the lounge, which the civilian owner had named Foregone, since Ten Forward had been Guinan's name for the lounge on Enterprise-D. Too many crew thought that all lounges were called ten forward, which was incorrect. That was a singular name on a singular starship.
All this passing through his mind in a few seconds Tore made his way towards the bar, seeing a fine looking lady with blonde hair, blue eyes, a figure to die for, and most importantly, Trill freckles running down each side of her head and neck. He had found out, years ago, that those freckles go the full length of the body, all the way down the sides and legs and ending at the heels. It was one of the sexiest things he had ever seen, and had caused his interest in Trill females, joined or not.
Approaching on the woman's left he motioned towards the barstool there. "May I?"
Liza, not expecting another to sit so close, glanced over. "Of cour..." She stopped in mid-sentence, spinning her own stool to face him better as she grinned around the rim of her glass. "Tore Bjorgo. I never thought to see your face again."
Bjorgo had began to try and sit when she suddenly changed tactics and called him by name. Getting his arse in the seat he angled to face her more. "My apologies. I'm sure I would remember if we had met. How do you know me?"
"Well," she smiled and sipped her cranberry juice on ice. "My previous host was Azala. Hazey AZ ring a bell?"
"Damn," he responded. "It's been a minute since I've heard that name. May I be priviliged to know who you are, dear?" Tore spoke to the host, which always included the symbiont.
"Hi, Doctor. I'm Kelliza Kahn, and go by Liza most of the time." Her smile remained as Liza offered the information. "CMO, finally. I recall you being a snot-nosed resident aboard the Sovereign, fresh to fleet service."
"I was never snot-nosed, Liza." Smiled Tore. "And, yes, AZ's efficiency reports on me were the key to where I am now. And you, Kahn, I thank for being neutral on the whole Augment thing. For giving me the opportunities when most CO's wouldn't even want me aboard."
Kahn gave a somber nod, her smile fading. "Everyone deserves a chance. Your record was stellar, as was your decade of education. What you are--who you are, matters little as long as you're here for the betterment of Starfleet and the Federation." Kelliza returned to the wheel. "If you don't know already I'm the Security Chief. Looking forward to working with you, Doctor." She gave a giggle, a wink, and a big asmile before downing her cranberry juice. "I need to head over to Mercury. Apparently, their department heads over there are second-stringers and can't get their own departments in order."
"Yeah, same here." He downed his own non-alcoholic beverage. "The CMO here seems to be lost on how to set up a Sickbay. Shall we team up to assist these lost souls?" Another grin.
"I would be grateful," said Liza, standing up from her stool as he did too. "Let's do this."
As they walked out of Foregone, Bjorgo had to say it. "Remember, Lieutenant Kahn, you owe me a physical."
"Bloody hell," she retorted in fun.
NOW:
The turbolift doors opened for a group of Starfleet personnel who were waiting for it. As it opened cackling laughter poured out of it, with Liza Kahn doing the belly laugh as she and Doctor Bjorgo were stepping out. Basic sentient reaction to positive energy had the small group all smiling at her laughter as she walked through and passed them.
"That actually happened?" Kahn asked as they moved on, still giggling at the story she had gotten from Tore.
"Unfortunately, yes," he replied, still smiling at the memory and the laughter coming from one of his oldest friends. "It wasn't funny at the time. But, as you know, recalling events tends to bring the humor out."
Kahn was glad Tore had put it the way he had. There were 700 years of memories within the symbiont body known as Kahn. The hosts were important in the ways of memory and, in time, would form their own within the kaleidoscope. He was talking to Kahn with certain words, and Liza as the host, all in one. "I've got a few memories like that, for sure."
With Trill, reassociation with passed lovers and loved ones was wrong, and against symbiont protocol. Any symbiont caught trying to rekindle old feelings with old lovers could be taken from their host and put back into the pools, never to receive another host. It was the cardinal rule for Trill society. Thankfully, she and Bjorgo had never been lovers, just extremely close friends. So, that association was acceptable. And, even if they had been lovers and all she did was befriend him again it would be acceptable as long as Kahn obeyed the rules and didn't try to rekindle any romance. They walked into the conference room together, seeing a sea of blue and gold shirts.
"Hello, there," said Liza as she came in and walked to the table, moving a chair aside so as not to sit, but use the table as a bench as she set a PADD on it. "Lieutenant Kelliza Kahn, Security Chief, USS Amandora. All you folks," she motioned to those donning gold. "fall under the purvue of Security as your primary post so, I am here to assist in getting that taken care of. My colleague," she stepped slightly aside and back.
Tore stepped to the table, his own palm PADD in his pocket. "I am Doctor Tore Bjorgo, CMO for USS Amandora. You lot," he motioned to the blue shirts. "Are my responsibility for getting Sickbay into shape for receiving patients. Now, is your CMO here?"
"Right here, Doctor." A younger man stepped forward wearing LT(jg) pips. "Doctor Allen Benson, Sir. A pleasure." They shook hands.
"To you, as well, Dr. Benson. So, my good man, where should we start?" Asked Bjorgo.
Kelliza went to her group, Bjorgo with his, and they began to aid with the administration necessary to get this base up to par.
OFF: