After-Kerr

Posted on Thu Jun 18th, 2009 @ 8:47am by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Lieutenant JG Lucy Carter

732 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Behind the Mask of Familiarity
Location: Counsellor Carter's Office
Timeline: Current

ON:

Doctor Eleri Elde walked down the corridor towards the counsellor's office, unexpected, and tapped on the door panel outside. As the doors slid open, the Doctor smiled warmly and stepped in.

"Counsellor Carter, how are you?" she opened with, disarmingly. "I am Doctor Eleri Elde, the Trill physician accompanying the Kerr symbiont and I was wondering, should your own schedule allow it, if I could possibly have a moment of your time to discuss certain matters with you concerning the aftercare of Kerr."

Carter had been scanning through a letter she received on her PADD and it was not from someone she liked very much. She had been frowning when the doctor entered but now got to her feet and extended her hand in welcome.

"Doctor Eleri. How nice to meet you. Please, do sit down." She indicated one of the chairs in her office and sat in another. "How can I help you?"

The Trill doctor smiled in return and took her seat. “Why, thank you, Counsellor,� she replied as she sat. “Well, as you know, once Mr. Altir Kerr passes and the Kerr symbiont is transplanted in Captain Lane, who you know as Coltan will change dramatically.�

A look of slight shock spread across the Counsellor’s face and Doctor Elde was quick to respond. “Oh, I apologise, Counsellor,� she offered, her hand extended upwards in a disarming fashion. “We joined Trills see death, and the passing of the symbiont to another, quite differently to how you would view it. It’s not so much the end of something for us, but merely the beginning of something else.�

Carter thought about that for a moment. "I understand that Captain Lane will alter and that he will need every effort to assist him with that transition. However, I am not sure how the rest of the crew will react to a different person running the ship. How does Starfleet allow such a transition in character?"

A slight smile fractured the Doctor’s face as though she had answered this particular question a thousand times over. “Coltan will still be there. He’ll still be Coltan. But the memories, experiences and several personality traits of the previous hosts will… meld with Coltan’s own. You’ll notice a difference, as will the rest of the crew, but we view the joining as more of an enhancement of both the symbiont and the host.�

Carter nodded. She had plenty of questions to augment her own research but sensed the doctor wanted to say her piece.

Doctor Elde then continued. “Coltan has undergone years of training and evaluation to receive this most auspicious honour. However, you will be, as ship’s counsellor and away from the Trill homeworld and Symbiosis Commission, ultimately responsible for his mental well-being and integration.�

"I am honoured to assist the Captain in any way I can throughout this event. I do have a concerning question, though. Will his own daughter recognise him afterwards? She is still young and I am concerned that, for all the training the Captain has received, she might not be prepared for the changes in her father."

“I’ll agree with you, Counsellor, that the situation isn’t exactly ideal,� the Doctor replied with a warm smile. “However, thousands of Trills have initiated the joining much later in life, and with many more present day ties.� She thought for a moment, and then looked upon the Counsellor with a little smile. “Lorelai is young, and the part of Coltan that is her father, and that loves her, will still be there. The man she knows won’t drown in a sea of other people, Lieutenant. Coltan has been chosen for his strength of character. There will be a period of adjustment, as with everything in life.�

The Doctor shifted her weight forward in the chair and perched herself in the edge of its seat. “If you have anything that you need to discuss with me, Counsellor, or any concerns, then please let me know.�

"Well I am sure I will have more questions for you in the near future. How long will you be staying on board, Doctor?"

“Until after the joining is established, Lieutenant. I can’t say for sure.�


OFF:

---

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Lucy Carter
Ship’s Counsellor

AND

Doctor Eleri Elde
Symbiosis Commission Doctor
Kerr’s Attending Physician

 

RSS Feed