Lost but not forgotten

Posted on 14 Jun 2009 @ 10:34pm by Colonel Stadi Andrus & Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal

1,114 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M2: Aggressive Negotiations
Location: Melanie's Quarters
Timeline: Prior to Departure

"This can't be right!" She exclaimed staring at the screen in front of her. She had been checking the casualty list on DS5 and couldn't find anything about Talar. Nothing in the identified or unidentified lists. Had they found out that he was Romulan and spirited his body away like a terrorist? Where was he?

=^= Hemmingway to the Captain, please respond. =^=

"Computer freeze program." Tapping is badge he replied. =^= Da`nal here. Go ahead Doctor. =^=

=^= I need you're help...could you spare a few minutes please? =^=

=^= I'll be there shortly, Da`nal out.=^= picking up his towel and tossing it over his shoulder. Cradleing his bat'leth, he begn to walk out of the match ring. "Computer, end program." A few minutes later Da`nal found him at her door once again as he activated the chime.

Melanie walked to the door before she even heard the chime, she could sense his emotions and thoughts. "Come in." She said opening the door.

Da`nal stepped through as the doors parted to she the Doctor with a rather distraught look to her face. "Is the something wrong?"

"I wanted to have a small ceremony for Talar...give him his final respects...but there is no body." She replied.

"No body, How could that be? It much too soon for them to be disposing of remains. Surely his body has to be somewhere."

Melanie nodded, "I have looked through all the records from DS5, identified and unidentified, there was nothing." There was no longer any emotion in her voice.

"It could just be a computer error. I know this would be difficult for you but have you looked?" Before she could reply. "Better idea - have you contacted the medical staff on the station?

"I would of gone to the station myself but I am currently confined to my quarters and sickbay." She started, "and yes I talked to the medical staff but there is no one that recognizes the description of Talar..."

"Yes well about that...I think you've had enough time to think things over come to your sences so I think we can lift that 'confinement'. If you feel the need to vent or to try to kill something come see me....or at least go see Lt. Elek. As to the Talar's remains, I'm sure he is there. With the number of causalties its posible his name wasn't recorded.

"Lt. Silonez has had the remains of the Romulans recoverd from the battle debris, perhaps he was place with them by mistake?"

"I'm not sure how...I performed the surgery to make him Vulcan. I guess it is possible...but..." She was at a loss and she sank into the nearest seat.

"I'm sure his remain's will turn up.

~Perhaps he is alive?~ She projected because she couldn't say the words out loud. ~No...not possible...~

Her thought though project was not detectable to Da`nal as he was not a telepath. However the could tell that there was something on her mind from he expression. "Well perhaps if you looked through the remains they should all be transfered to the ship by now. Would you like me to go with you?"

Melanie looked up at him, "Please."

---------------------

As short time later they arrived in a cargo bay that had beed reconfigured and the environment altered to serve as a morge. When the doors opened he looked to her, in the course of he job she had no doubt seen numerous bodies, as had he, but he was sure this was different for her.

It was cold and smelt of death. It had been years since she had been in a morgue. This time it wasn't to perform an autopsy...although that would come later that day. Now...she had to see if she could identify the body of Talar. She stepped further into the cargo bay and looked at the first body, it was a Romulan male it wasn't him.

Melanie slowly went down the row of bodies, turning over the sheet that covered them, praying each time that it wasn't Talar and at the same that it was so she would have some closure.

Da`nal kept his distance and stood by the door while she went about looking at body after body. He knew this couldn't be easy, he'd served with humans and other races to know that. Even if Klingons looked at death differently, he knew that he had to respect the customs of others, even if he forgot that from time to time.

Melanie turned to face him. "He isn't here." She said quietly. "None of these men are him."

~Where could he be...~ "You said he was altered to be vulcan. Did that alteration include creating a history? Any records, next of kin that may have been 'created'? Perhaps they were contacted and his true nature discovered?"

"He was working on it with a couple of other Vulcans. He never told me who they were."

"Did you ever meet or see them?"

"Never." She walked up to him. "It could of been one of them that left the holo-chip in my quarters I suppose." She wrapped her arms aroud her chest. "Can we get out of here? I may be a doctor but dead bodies give me the creeps."

"Sure." Motioning to the door he escorted her out of the cargo bay. As the walk out and the door closed behindd them, he spoke. "But why would a Vulcan bypass the ships security to leave the holo-chip? Unless he or she had something to hide."

"They were helping Talar...a Romulan..." She knew she was stating the obvious but she had no other explanation.

"Yes but, they obviously knew of your relationship, and the dilivery of a private farewell messege would not need such covert measures. Non of this makes any sence."

"None of this makes sense at all." She agreed, she was completely out of rational ideas. "I wish I knew more but as we are leaving I cannot try and find these Vulcans on the station....or if they are on the station."

"This is becoming an even bigger mystery...and I can't investigate this on my own. I want to bring T'Pal into this...." He could see the worry flash across her face. "...unofficially."

Melanie didn't like the idea, someone else was now going to know her secret that she had fought so long and hard to keep quiet. What did it matter now? He was dead and she would probably lose her position in Starfleet...She had to talk to Termin...


Lt. Melanie Hemmingway
CMO
USS Freedom

Cmdr Da`nal
CO
USS Freedom

 

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