Voyager

"So, Chi. You seem excited." I prod.

"Of course, I am. We're finally getting to see the ship. I can already see it in my head. Can you? Intrepid Class. Sustainable cruise velocity of Warp 9.975. Fifteen decks. Crew compliment of 143, including us. Bio-neural circuitry… that stuff is the best of the best for intership circuitry."

"You did your reading, that's good. Lt. Stadi, by the way."

"And I'm Tom Paris. Hey, you wouldn't be interested in going on a date, would you?" He asks Stadi.

"Do you always fly at women at Warp speed?"

"Only when they're in visual range."

"Why don't you bother the ensign? You do realize I'm a lieutenant?"

"No thanks. I know you, Paris. Son of an Admiral, and got caught for your very first mission as part of the Maquis…"

"Well, news reaches everyone's ears."

"You're also one of the best pilots I've heard of. How in the world did you manage to get caught? You must have been outnumbered?"

He looks surprised. "Five to one is hardly a fair fight," He smiles. "Especially when they're all half as good as I am."

I laugh.

"Confident, are you?" I ask.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Certainly is. Find me when you're free. We can use the holodeck."

"Alright, then. Just don't cry when you lose."

"Actually, it's you who'll be crying. Ellie broke the record for the Meteor Field Run. Earned herself private instruction from Vice Admiral Escher."

A shocked expression from him before he says, disbelievingly, "I was the one who set the record for that one. I spent the entire year studying it before I managed 12 minutes and 18 seconds. How did you beat it?"

"I initiated a warp cascade, channeled all that power into thrusters and shields."

"And you passed?! Didn't you explode?!"

"Nope. Matched the resonance frequency of subspace in that region with my shields to bleed the excess energy and managed to relieve the pressure with a custom warp field."

"… how?"

"I'm smart."

"I'll say. But… what about the subspace fracturing afterward? Wouldn't that have left permanent scarring on that space?"

"Subspace regeneration is something I figured out in my second semester. All you have to do is blast the cracks with Negative Polaric Ion energy."

"That doesn't exist, does it?"

"It does, she invented it."

"Yeah, I thought that if there is something that shatters subspace, there would be something that is its complete opposite."

"And you came up with… What is Negative Polaric Ion energy, anyway?"

"Well, Polaric Ion energy is based on Polaric Ions. It's a form of matter. All I had to do was create the opposite of Polaric Ions, then set them loose."

"And how?" He starts to get exasperated from my not answering his question.

"It's classified. You have to be an Admiral for me to tell you. Otherwise, I'd have to kill you? Yeah, that's what they said I had to do. So, wanna know?" I smile.

"Uh, no. I guess not."

'I guess he's a bit intimidated by the Klingon features in me. He's definitely had bad experiences with them.'

"Come on, Paris. I'm joking. It's just my design for the device I used that's super classified."

"Oh."

"Anyway, I stumbled onto it completely on accident, I was actually trying to figure out a better transportation method. I was doing an extra credit assignment for Beam Technology. I was trying to speed up the time it took to transport someone by adding more energy and a targeting matrix of my own design. Who knew that there would be a completely unexplored region of subspace that contains the opposite of reality itself, and that everything in it would be the natural counterpart to everything in this layer of space?"

"Wait, you're the one who found the Reverse? I read about that discovery while I was in the Maquis. It was a big thing!"

"Yeah. If you ever read something about "Omni" inventing something, that was me. Don't tell anyone, though."

"…"

I smile. I think I broke him.

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

I had just entered the Captain's ready room, coming forward as soon as the computer received the order to open the door.

"Ensign Elikae, reporting for duty, Sir!" I say to the Captain.

"Welcome aboard, Ensign. At ease." She pauses, hesitating for a moment before deciding to say what she wants. "You, know, I wasn't too sure I wanted you on my ship, despite your achievements in the Academy. I'm aware you've had quite a lot of trouble with fits of violence."

My face drops a little as I say, "That won't be a problem, Captain. I've learned to control myself."

"Yes, you haven't had any incidents past your first semester."

She walks to her desk, leaning on it slightly.

"I still might not have taken you after learning that much, but when I spoke to Admiral Long about who I should have crew my ship, he hinted, not so subtly, that I would be glad to have you on my ship. In fact, he all but forced me to take you. What's your relationship with the Admiral?"

"Uh…" I say, I can't just divulge secrets without permission. "It's classified."

She raises an eyebrow at that.

"Something that only Admirals know?"

I nod.

"Yes, sir."

"I guess I can't force you to tell me, then. Just try to keep your nose clean and work hard. Without any major incidents, I can safely say, I'm happy to have you. One more thing, I had quite a lot of trouble figuring out where to put you, given the number of subjects you majored in at the Academy. But I finally decided that the best fit would be in Medical."

"Thank you, sir."

"Also, despite Starfleet protocol, I much prefer being addressed-"

She is interrupted by Ensign Kim, who I had met at Graduation just briefly, and Tom Paris, the "Observer".

They stay just inside the doorway, waiting for permission to enter.

"Come in, gentlemen. And welcome to Voyager."

"Thank you, Sir!" Ensign Kim says spiritedly.

"Mister Kim, at ease before you sprain something. As I was about to explain to Ensign Elikae here, I don't like being addressed as sir, despite protocol."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." He replies.

"Ma'am is acceptable in a crunch, but I prefer Captain."

"Understood, Captain." I respond.

"Well, we're almost ready to leave. Let me show you to the bridge." She says kindly.

'She seems like an amicable Captain. Kind but strict.'

We enter the Bridge, where we meet the First Officer.

"This is my First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Cavit. This is Ensign Elikae, Kim, and Tom Paris." She introduces us.

"Welcome aboard." He says while shaking the hands of Harry and I.

"Thank you, sir." I say.

When he comes to Paris, he shakes his hand, albeit reluctantly. There's some tension there.

"Ensign Elikae, you're dismissed. Ensign Kim, this is your station. Would you like to take over?" She gestures to the Ops station as I leave for the elevator.

"Yes, ma'am." He speaks.

"It's not crunch time yet-" Is all I hear as the doors close.

I smile at what she said. It was a little funny.

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

"Chief Medical Officer Kyne, welcome to sick bay. While you're here, I expect you to keep things clean and tidy. I worked with an Entroshan during my last posting, and he kept misplacing everything. Claimed it was an "Organized Chaos," whatever that means. It was quite frustrating. Other than that, do your work and don't forget your reports. It's a pain for me to read them, but it's worse for me when I don't."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

"That's Larok. Assistant Medical Officer. When I'm not on board, she's in charge." He gestures to a Vulcan who is scanning a patient on a biobed. "Give her a hand now, I have other duties."

He moves to his office, and I go to the Vulcan named Larok.

"Larok, Medical Officer Elikae, Kyne said you needed a hand?"

"Yes, grab a medical tricorder, monitor the status of the flexum digitorum longus on his left leg. The patient has been complaining of moderate to severe pain when walking, and I've narrowed the problem to there, but I cannot find any more than that."

From the tray nearby, I grab a medical tricorder and do as she instructed, but soon find something off…

"Larok, there is no problem with that tendon. It seems to be coming from…"

Moving the scanner up his leg and up to his spinal region, I find symptoms of something other than a simple pain.

"Larok, I believe this patient needs 5 cc's of Asinolyathin to the spinal region for immediate pain relief. He appears to have a slight infection in his Coccygeal nerves. Likely due to Yinto Spores. Ensign," I address the patient. "Have you recently come in contact with a drink that tasted slightly like fudge, when it shouldn't have? It could also have been years ago."

"That's right. I was having a Summer Sunrise at a bar, and it tasted off. I was a bit out of it at that point, I was having real drinks with friends. This was before the Academy. I didn't think anything of it. But ever since then, I've had pain in my legs. It always went away after a day or two, and the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me."

I nod.

"Well, there's nothing to worry about. Yinto Spores are relatively harmless, aside from the nerve pain. All you need to recover is a full course of antibiotics, specifically Androcillin, and you should be right as rain." I face Larok. "Larok, do you concur?"

"An accurate diagnosis." She confirms as she looks at my tricorder readings.

"Why wasn't it found earlier?" He seems a little upset.

"Yinto Spores can disguise themselves as nerves themselves. They're virtually undetectable if you aren't looking for them. Most doctors look for more common illnesses. Luckily, I remember reading about them, so I made sure to check really quick."

"Ensign, if you would like we can begin treatments immediately. You should see an improvement within two to four weeks."

"Of course, Doctor. Finally, I can be rid of this pain. Thank you, too."

I smile and nod.

"Ensign Elikae, begin treatment of this patient. He must receive 20 cc's of Androcillin daily. Ensign Moore, remember to come before your duty shift every day to receive treatment."

"Right."

Larok leaves me and the patient.

"Thanks, truly. If this pain finally goes away for good, I can't tell you how grateful I would be. Your name is Elikae, right? Pleasure to serve with you." He smiles at me while I prepare the hypospray.

"Right back at you, Ensign Moore." I say happily.

I'm pleased to have been able to help someone. Within my first ten minutes of duty, too.