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Surrender

Posted on Sun Jun 6th, 2021 @ 5:39pm by Commander Peter Horn

1,722 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 3 - Fear Is Fear Itself
Location: Sickbay

Tamaska strode through the corridor leading towards sickbay feeling guilty, she hadn't been to see him after she had carried him to the ship. She paused for a moment to take a calming breath, then stepped inside. She walked towards his bed, "Hello Peter, sorry I've not been here sooner. And I am glad to see you awake. How is the healing process going?"

"I do not know..." Peter struggled to sit up, not really having tried to leave his bed after his confrontation with the EMH. He could barely look at his right arm at that. "Well, I hope. You need not apologize, I am certain ship business has kept you occupied with the captain out of the running as well."

"Need a little bit of help there?" Tamaska all ready moving to his side. "Have you been for a walk yet? And yes the ship has been keeping me busy. We had gone to talk to Neshia and Kotan, they wanted to see us. They are leaving the ship and going home. Kotan needs to do more healing and Neshia wants to have her baby on the homeworld." assisting Peter to get comfortable if allowed to do so.

"I had a brief walk, from one bed to another." He allowed the assistance despite not really wanting to be touched. "It is good that they are going home, it is the best place for healing and if they feel home is better for a child to be born then they are right. But home is a subjective, and personal term... home is where you feel at home, is where you make it, not necessarily where you come from." He offered half a shrug. "I was born on a starship... I do not have a specific world I call home. My wife is from Earth, our children are all born on the vessel we were assigned."

Tamaska nodded, "I do agree with you, there is a saying. Home is where you can hang a hat." Pulling over a chair to sit by Peter. "Right now the Copernicus is my home, with those I care about. You and the rest of the crew." giving a smile. " Is there anything I can get you, while you are here to get rid of boredom or, we can chat. I am off duty shift, so, can spend time here with you."

"I need a way to face my family," Peter said after a very long silence. "Right now, I feel as if I have failed them. I am not whole, and it scares me. It scares me, that I can no longer be there for my family, as if I am no longer the father my children look up to. My son is scared of me..." He looked up. "I cannot even look at myself. How could control slip away from me so badly? How could something possess me so easily?"

Tamaska listened to Peter then she quietly remarked, "When dealing with the unknown, we are never certain as to what will happen. From what I have found out, Keiben was completely taken over as well. It has made him not so certain of himself. I do know that you are a rather disciplined person, and I do know that when control is taken away, like what happened to you, it is a violation. Now you have to rebuild from what has happened."

Locking eyes with Horn, "You will be able to regain your strength, and you have not failed them. Children as well as adults do not like change, and it scares them. I know I was scared when facing those creatures, there was no way to stop them. And Peter, you saved us. You and Sato. Keiben did as well. It is okay to be angry, let it out then we do the healing process. And also you do need to connect with your children."

"How did I save you? I was not in control...and I have no recollection of what happened since I moved down the corridor. My first memory since doing that, is waking up here in sickbay. And that frightens me even more, that I do not recall what happened. And what caused my memory loss, is my mind protecting me, or did something worse happen?" Peter shivered violently at the very idea. "I do not scare easily commander, but this has me frightened beyond belief."

"I do understand your fright, as that was a nightmare! And if it weren't for you being on the other machine, I feel we would have been swarmed by those things. Or was the machine using his mind to operate them." Tamaska's brow furrowed trying to make sense of it all. "it was confusing. As far as I am concerned, you had enough strength to resist the thing until we got there and were able to get you and the others out"

Her mind going over the details of when they made it to get the others. "I don't know if anything else worse than losing another one happened except, you put your hand through the top of one of the receptacles which held those monsters and your blood seemed to have activated it. Didn't take the time to stay and observe as we had to get out of there."

Holt stared out in space for a moment as her mind brought up that horrifying image. She shook her head to clear it. "I am just glad we are not there anymore, Horn. And I am sorry this happened to you."

"I have no recollection of what happened, I need others to fill in the details for me," Peter reminded her, though he frowned. "I smashed through one of those chambers?" That must've been a show of sheer strength, and that had to have come from somewhere.. "Why would I do that?" he queried. "My blood activated it?" Why would his blood activate them. "Why my blood?"

Tamaska leaned against the back of the chair, one arm crossed over her chest the other being propped up by the elbow with one hand rubbing her chin while she thought about what Horn had said. "Well, could be the make up of your blood. I think you are of mixed race? And that to me, gives you the strength to break through the chamber as if you were given a boost of adrenaline. When I saw you, you didn't respond to anyone. From what the reports had said, you had shoved people to one side as if you were operating like an automaton. I've not really looked into your personal history, but perhaps there is an element in your blood which may have made you more of a target? And even maybe the telepathic nature too."

"That does not sound like I was in any kind of control," Peter mused, then froze. Eyes widening, he stared at the XO. "My nano's...." That was what did set him apart from the rest, what did enhance his telepathic talent to a degree. After all he was 'only' one quarter Vulcan, even if both his parents were telepaths. How his Human father was a telepath, was something he had never understood, though he had always just assumed it was because of his status as ex-drone. "If they made me smash that canopy....they were after my blood..."

The counselor's face drained of all colour at that realization. "You must tell the captain....if..." He faltered, shaking his head in horror. "My nano's... they are Borg nano's, I was born with them because both my parents are ex-Borg. This machine, it knew! It must have known!"

"One of the crewmen had mentioned that she felt that the T'Kon and the Borg were in someway connected. And you have nanos...." Tamaska's face grew pale, "Horn have you had your kids examined, as in seeing if your nano genetics you got from your parents had been passed down to them?"

Feeling numb, Peter shook his head. "No, I have not. But it is likely that they did inherit them, not to the degree that I do, but yes I consider it likely." He looked up, visibly shaken. "Do you think they are in danger? Only my boys are here on the ship.. my daughters are on Earth."

Tamaska shook her head, "I do not know, but we do need to tell the Captain. I've not come across anything like this before. I don't know if your children are in danger, though there are others who may be facing this sort of, situation as in genetics of a former borg being passed down to their children." she lowered her arms and looked at Peter. "I feel like I've just added even more to your troubles."

"Do not apologize for something you have no control over," Peter advised her, "this is something I had not considered before either. But I suppose it is natural not to think of something that has been part of you all your life. They are second nature to me, not something I often have to consider." He gave her a worried nod, however. "You must inform the captain, immediately."

Tamaska gave a nod at the point Horn made, "I'll do just that. Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?"

"Can you arrange for my pup to be brought in? The EMH would not do it without the CMO consenting. He argued she is not a service animal, but to me, she is. I need her."

Tamaska nodded, "I'll make sure that the pup is brought to you, and I agree, and I can put it as official." Tam pulling out her PADD and setting that in motion. "There, it is now offiicial you may now have your service dog. And also, if that EMH is a bother you can close it down. You have the clearance to do so."

Rising from her chair. "Now for me to go talk to the Captain and give him the news you and I have uncovered. Thank you."

Peter nodded. "Thank you commander." Relief seemed to wash over the Vulcan's face as he finally was granted the one thing he had wanted all along. "And good luck..."


Commander Peter Horn
Chief Counselor

Commander Tamaska Holt
XO

 

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