EXETERRPG: (1 - 1421) Lieutenant Greta Smith & ACMO, Ensign Dural Methor DrPH

[Jaclyn Smith]

Mission: A new day dawns

Day: 1

Stardate: 2446.01.28


(Earth - Starfleet Medical - Personal Room - Lieutenant Greta Smith & ACMO,
Ensign Dural Methor DrPH - 1421)


Sitting on her bed, her legs crossed, Greta was trying to stay calm. Things
had been going well with her treatments the last few days but she knew she
still had a long way to go. Having managed to only get a couple of hours
sleep each night, she knew that she looked tired and she was.


Closing her eyes briefly, she looked towards the window at the trees moving
in the slight breeze and smiled gently.


Dural approached Lieutenant Smith's room. He had gotten permission to
proceed, the ramifications of what he was going to attempt, maybe hadn't
fully been realised yet. He took a cleansing breath and pressed the button
on the panel causing a chime to sound inside.


Greta looked up at the sound and sat back against the wall as the person
came in.


Dural entered. "Lieutenant Smith," Dural began, "Greta,may I call you
Greta?"


“It’s my name… but yes thank you for asking.”


"I'm Doctor Dural, you've never been my patient, but we serve together on
the Exeter."


Greta kept herself closed, her arms around her knees a little looser than
they had been and nodded to him, “Seen you before.”


"How are you feeling today?" Dural asked a open ended question, allowing
the young woman to express as much or as little as she desired.


“Tired, Scared…” Greta responded instantly and then stopped. She didn’t
know this man, she had seen him around the ship but she didn’t know him.
Closing her eyes for a brief second, she looked at him, “Why are you here?
Not good company right now and i’m no study.”


"I'm here, Greta, because I believe I may be of help to you." Dural said
kindly. He realised he was towering over her, he remedied that by pulling
out a nearby chair and sitting down, putting himself on her level.


Watching the Cardassian sit on her level, Greta allowed her body to unfurl.
She sat now with her legs outstretched and her hands resting on her thighs,
“How… they can’t help me…”


"I'm very sorry, the tragedy you endured…" Dural began, it wasn't often
that he was at a loss for words. "My people have a resistance, some would
say an immunity to forced mental intrusion. This is because not of racial
psionic gifts, like the Remans, or Aenar but because of mental disciplines
we are all taught as children."


Tilting her head a little, Greta looked at him slightly confused, “I don’t
understand… Can you get rid of the nightmares?”


"Greta I want to teach you these disciplines." Dural offered. " It is my
theory that even after such an event, doing so could help you reorder your
own mind. It may even impart the ability to resist intrusions in the
future."


Watching him for a moment, she nodded. “Teach me? I wouldn’t have to see
the bad things again?”


"Greta, we teach these techniques to our children. Even Cardassians are not
so draconian as to force trauma on a child for some possible future gain,"
the doctor stated. "It may be cathartic for you to revisit them later to
conquer them, but no, I do not believe it is required for you to do so."


“What do you want to do exactly… has this been done before….” A thousand
questions swirled in her mind and she held up a hand to allow herself a
moment to calm the storm in her mind.


“Sorry, my head swirls…” she began, tapping her forehead, “... Tell me,
this been done before?”


"No, it has not," he said. "Many from the Cardassian Union would baulk at
the thought of sharing any advantage my culture has over others. Where they
see a secret to be held, I see an opportunity to help."


Greta nodded. It spoke volumes to her that someone she had barely had any
contact with was willing to not only help, but to share secrets of their
society and their culture with her in an effort to help her get better.


Looking at Dural, Greta knew her face betrayed how scared she truly was of
the things she had seen and still saw in her sleep. “What… how do we do
this?”


 "Participation would be strictly voluntary," he led with, he wanted to
make sure it was understood that this was an offer, but in no way
compulsory. "If you decide to go forward, I create lesson plans, nutrition
and supplement regimens, and figure out a way to track progress.. Not only
am I trying to find a way to help you, if we are successful, this has the
potential to help a great many sentients across the Alpha and Beta
quadrants."


The gravitas of what he was offering her was not lost on her. This was
something that not only could help her, could help others. Taking a deep
breath, Greta moved a little closer to him and said, “Okay.”


"Excellent." Dural said.


“When… “ she paused for a second, collecting her thoughts and trying to
order her words, “... do we start?”


"Soon." Dural promised "I'll have to review human Neuro chemistry, and
adapt the first few lessons. Maybe tomorrow?"


Greta nodded slowly,  "Not now?"


"Well it has never been tried before." Dural said. He reached into his
pocket and pulled out a small device about the size of Greta's palm. "In
the meantime we can start with this. Call it lesson Zero."


"What is it?" She asked, an edge of weariness on her voice.


"On Cardassia Prime it's a child's toy. Parents that want their children
becoming architects, builders or engineers, use it to develop spatial
reasoning," he continued to explain, "the small indentations are digital
contact points. Varying pressure, direction, even nano electric impulses
from your skin allow you to manipulate an image. You can start with a set
image and change it or start with nothing and create." He handed her the
device.


"It's safe?" She asked as she looked at him.


"Of course." Dural said with a gentle smile. "We give it to children."


"Sorry, seem to be always scared right now. "


"With what you've endured…" he said. "It's understandable, and quite
alright to ask questions."


Greta took the toy and held it, "Is the aim just to create?


" It projects a non-corporeal holographic image, no larger in size than a
cubed meter. You can start with a blank slate, and just create. You can
load simple images to modify or programs for puzzles to solve using
ingenuity." Dural explained further.


"I like puzzles… keeps me occupied. Can I keep this?"


"Of course." Dural said with a smile. "It's yours, call it a gift."


Greta, looking at him, smiled softly. “Thankyou.”


" It was good speaking with you, Greta. I have much work to do. See you in
the morning?"


“Okay.” she replied, quietly. Looking back at the gift, she began to try
and make it work.


"Good bye Lieutenant." Dural said before stepping out of the door.


(Reply none)
(Posted by Jackie and Todd)
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