A Cadet and an Enlisted Meet [Part Two]

Posted on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 @ 6:47am by Petty Officer 1st Class Tia Smithy(Kosugi) & Cadet First Class Pallas

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Recycler
Timeline: After “Part One” (obviously)
1561 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

“You went what?” Cadet Pallas said in shock. She had been about to ask Tia about how she could possibly know what a washing machine was, when the petty officer dropped the bombshell on her about her unauthorized “transfer” over to this ship. “How did that… and you’re not going to get in trouble for it? Is that sorted out?”

Another piece needed to be recycled was tossed in then Tia nodded. "It got sort of sorted out. I got caught by the former Chief of Security Evelyn Toral but I managed to keep hidden until I well, er... Cloned her combadge in order to get something different to eat, other than ration bars. You see I covered my tracks until I was caught, and then I went to see the command staff, that was scary and rather disquieting." Tia's voice trembling slightly. " I had to tell them what I saw, and to throw myself upon their mercy. I couldn't go back to that ship, I was told that I would be thrown out of the airlock and I did my best to stay out of the way of those who weren't how they used to be." She picked up another piece of recyclable and threw it rather angrily inside the recycler.

"They had decided not to report my being on the Arcadia at the time, and also on the Gladiator. Have to keep it quiet from the command staff on the T'sul."

Pallas shuddered, before grabbing more scrap and adding it to the recycler as well. The scraps dematerialized and left the unit open for more. "That sounds... horrible. Terrifying. I cannot imagine having to be alone like that for so long, hiding and just afraid of getting sent back.... Wait... what do you mean, 'those who weren't how they used to be?'"

"Either they became indoctrinated or somehow they were replaced, with a doppleganger. They just weren't like themselves anymore. This included some former and now dead, friends. " Tia answered rather vehemently, grabbing a particular large piece of scrap and tossing it in. She caught her hand upon a jagged edge, giving out a hiss as it cut into her. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief to stop the bleeding. It wasn't a deep cut but bled enough, wrapping the kerchief around the wound. "Serves me right for not putting my gloves on." she groused. "Almost done here then I can get this taken care of." looking at the scraps that was left. "Lets get this finished."

"Wait, Smithy, you can't just wrap it up, that could get infected." Pallas scanned around the recycler and spotted what she was looking for, reaching over and pulling out the medkit that was inevitably stashed next to all heavy equipment. She popped it open, and without asking for permission, took Tia's arm by the wrist and unwrapped the kerchief. "Don't worry; Doctor Svidi made me practice on a dummy for hours," Pallas winked, although it wasn't clear from her tone whether she was joking or serious. She looked over the cut, which was actually quite deep, but luckily a clean cut and a straight line. A quick tap on the hypospray to the appropriate default combination anesthetic, painkiller, and antimicrobial formula for this human patient, and the painless injection went in directly next to the wound. Followed by the dermal regenerator. "Hold still so I don't accidentally give you an extra finger," the cadet warned as she quickly finished sealing the cut. There was no mark left after ten seconds; it was as if the cut never happened. "You'll probably still want to go to Sickbay, have them make sure I didn't just turn you into a Borg or something." Pallas packed the medkit back up and put it back in its alcove. "You were saying something about crew being replaced? Dopplegangers? The Trinity Zealots did this somehow? Sorry, I really shouldn't make you talk about this anymore. I let my curiosity get the best of me; pretend I didn't ask."

"it is okay for you to ask, and good thing I don't have an extra finger on my right hand otherwise I'd be worried about a man named Inigo Montoya. I am just making a reference to a movie I love to watch. The Princess Bride. " she looked with approval at her now healed hand, "Thank you. Now as for your question, there is in my mind, the reasoning how the Trinity Zealots infiltrate the ships. They either plant someone, or convert someone to their beliefs and go from there. Pretend to be a ship that has had an accident and needs assistance. Like a trojan horse." Tia remarked, this time putting on some gloves to get the last of the recycables out from the cart. That being done she dusted off her gloves then turned to Pallas.

"Okay there we go, thank you for the assistance" giving Pallas a slight smile. "Look at first it bothered me on talking about these creeps but I'm finding it easier, to have light and talking about these boogie men instead of looking into the shadows for the possibility of them popping up from the shadows."

"Captain Verra likes old Earth movies. She would be the better one to banter with about that than I am, but I'll tell her to add it to the list. Her list. She's been trying to convince me to watch movies, it wasn't something I did when I was at the Academy. Anyway..." Pallas said quickly, changing the topic. "How could anyone be converted to their beliefs? I mean, how could any Starfleet officer... don't they basically believe in keeping all the species separated, and some bizarre blood magic superstitious nonsense? That sounds beyond even a 'cult'; it sounds downright insane. The idea of a plant, some sort of double or clone or something..." the cadet grabbed the antigrav unit quickly to stop her shuddering. "I am glad I could be of assistance. Both with the scrap and the talk. Not letting this stuff fester quietly in my head helps me deal with it, too. Although, now I might start being suspicious of all the crew, wonder if they are Trinity dopplegangers. Did you discover any way to tell if someone is actually who they are supposed to be or a weird zealot?"

Tia thought over it for a moment or two, "I can tell you this, that those who have been brought over here from the Gladiator, they have been vetted if you can say that. We've got the trained marine dogs who can tell if someone is not who or what they are appearing to be. Animals can tell if there is something off. They have that instinct and would know. Therefore we've been vetted by them. Also, I think that Cadet Aarfa Barakzay, she would know as well. She... she..." Tia's voice cracked and she paused for a moment to rein in her emotions. "She was stuck here after the attack. I've not spoken to her but I heard, I heard of the ordeal she went through. Can't be helped she was a survivor."

The cadet nodded at the mention of Aarfa. "I've spoken with her. And I forced her to be my new roommate. Which sounds like it is a better deal for me, now that I know she is also able to tell if someone is compromised or not who they claim to be. She's been through a lot, clearly. As have you. She's an absolute sweetheart; you should talk to her. I think you would get along, and not because of the shared trauma or anything like that, although it does tend to help, when you know the other person has been through something similar."

"I would like to meet her, I truly hope to do so." The last of the scraps in, Tia dusted her gloves off."Good hard work for the soul. Always been told it was good medicine for what ails me, is what my mom and dad told me. And it does help if you really need to take anger out on something. Or someone. I used to have a room filled with junk I used to take a sledge hammer to it." Tia giving a shrug."It was rather freeing."

"Well, we should find an excuse to all spend some time together then. And I totally agree about hard work; I also find it relieves mental stress that I might be going through. Hm..." Pallas thought out loud. "You know, I have never done anything like that, but I can certainly see the appeal. Scrap was always useful in some way or another when I was growing up, so we didn't really smash things that way, but now.... We have the holodecks, you know. If you're interested, we could find a time to recreate a junkyard and the appropriate tools for smashing things. Maybe we could even invite Aarfa. What do you think?"

"I think that would be rather fun, and we can 'flex' our muscles." Tia giving a bit of a giggle. "I am glad I didn't run over you that would have been really bad." Tia was feeling pretty good right now, even though there was something in the back of her mind, she was going to take this win. She had to.