Of Things Spiritual

Posted on Wed Jan 16th, 2013 @ 5:15pm by Lieutenant Commander William Harding M.D. & Commander Sakkath

Mission: The Struggle Within
Location: Sakkath's Office

* * * Sakkath’s Office * * *

After a most rejuvenating night of recreation and eventual sleep, Harding felt like a new man. He’d been up early to get breakfast and they’d lingered over it and the coffee, just talking. There were times Will considered it a shame that Seyla was in her current profession. They got along so well and his times with Seyla were enjoyable, even if they did sometimes remind him of the overall loneliness of his personal life.

He’d seen her off early and now, immaculately dressed as always in uniform and lab coat, he made his way to Sakkath’s office.

Unbeknownst to the Doctor, Sakkath’s restful evening of actual sleep for the first time in a fortnight had been equally rejuvenating. He had shaved and redressed in his usual Operations gold, his duty vest leaving the sleeves exposed, and sat at his desk enjoying a steaming mug of plomeek broth as he regarded the overnight reports from around the station.

Hope was at her desk as usual and when she saw Will, she gave him a welcoming smile. “Dr. Harding.” At his request she notified Sakkath, then pressed the control panel on her desk and opened the doors.

“Hello Commander Sakkath. My apologies for disturbing you so soon after your arrival but it can’t really wait.”

Sakkath placed down the mug and PADD as Hope alerted him to his visitor, giving a nod to Doctor Harding as he entered. “Good morning, Doctor. It’s no trouble. What sort of pressing business is this?” The Vulcan folded his hands atop the desk as he regarded their Chief Medical Officer, one of the few people not gallivanting off to another dimension.

Will sat down before the desk and studied Sakkath briefly. “Well first, I was curious how you are holding up. Given everything happening on this station, you’re carrying one hell of a load. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Sakkath considered that for a brief moment. “No, Doctor, I do not believe so. I have undeniably been pushing myself, but with a plan in place for the recovery of our staff last evening seemed an excellent opportunity to take some rest. Your concern is nevertheless appreciated.”

Will nodded. “Rest is good. I finally did the same and it’s done wonders for my outlook and my brain function.” He smiled for a moment, enjoying the hidden humour behind his words. “In that case, I can get to the other reason for this visit, and I’m glad you’re sitting down. In a nutshell, Commander, we believe we have found Cadet Conradi.”

Sakkath’s brow reached for the ceiling. “I was unaware you had misplaced his body.”

“We haven’t. It’s still in stasis. I mean him. Are you aware that he was half-Vulcan?”

“That particular detail was mentioned in the reports, yes,” the full-Vulcan admitted before shaking his head. “I’m afraid I don’t see where it is you’re going with this, Doctor Harding. If Cadet Conradi’s body is still in stasis, then how do you profess to have found what was never lost?”

“His consciousness. At the time of the murder, we were understandably concerned with replacing all the lost blood, for many reasons, his brain and heart mainly. His heart is actually what gave out and that I intend to replace. However we noted a lack of higher brain function. Normally when blood loss is the cause of death, all brain function ceases. His autonomic functions were carrying on, at least until his heart gave out. That’s been bothering me since and it was about the same time that I understood exactly what was going on here that I was visited by Cadet Ziyad.” Harding related the conversation he’d had with Eli regarding the Hazari and what he’d read in his thoughts. “In conclusion, he’s convinced Chance is in there.”

Sakkath lifted his right hand to his temple as he regarded Will over the desk between them. “Cadet Ziyad believes, and you affirm, that the half-Vulcan Chance Conradi managed to imbue in his attacker his katra prior to falling victim?”

“He believes that yes, and some developments between him and the Hazari lend credence to that theory. The Hazari was waiting in his quarters earlier when Eli arrived home. He declared that he loved him and tackled him in order to kiss him. It was then that Eli read enough to know he was Chance’s killer and swears that Chance spoke to him telepathically. Obviously, we’ll need to run some tests to confirm all this.”

“Not least of which should be tests to determine Cadet Ziyad’s mental fitness, I should think,” Sakkath said, managing to keep the incredulity out of his voice. “Even if he is correct, hypothetically, what course of action would be available to us? Conradi could conceivably be extracted and his katra permitted to disperse, unless you are aware of a katric ark in the Delta Quadrant that I am not, or a Vulcan volunteer were to be willing to host him for the duration of their life.”

“Eli has met with Counselor Swift, actually. What happened was a little strange. After the session, the Counselor called security, voicing some concerns for Eli’s safety and asking Security to keep watch on him. The thing is this - given Chance’s heritage, if his body is revived, cannot his katra be transferred back? We all know the Spock story, I only wish I’d been present at the time.”

“The fal-tor-pan,” Sakkath said, this time failing to keep his voice even. “You are asking for the fal-tor-pan... Is his body even viable?” he wondered aloud, but then held up his hand. “No, I suppose it must be if you are even entertaining this.” The Vulcan paused for several long moments before he stood and clasped his hands behind his back, staring through the force field into the star-filled expanse beyond. There were so many variables... the Hazari’s mental health would need to be protected, and the longer Chance’s katra resided in a non-Vulcan the more mentally unstable he would become until insanity took hold. The katra itself would also have to consent to being transferred or removed, and in that there were no guarantees.

“In your medical opinion, could both parties,” it seemed odd, he admitted, to be referring to a corpse as a ‘party’ in this instance, “survive a trip to Vulcan? Particularly the unwilling host.”

Will thought long and hard on that one. “The Hazari, yes, assuming Security would agree. He is now in the Brig on a murder charge. As for Chance? That’s risky. He’s been in stasis already for a few days. It would be better if it could be done here. Granted, I know Spock was gone for longer but I don’t want to risk it.”

“The Ambassador had a new body generated by the Genesis wave. We are talking about placing Cadet Conradi back in a failed vessel,” Sakkath said as he turned back to face Harding. “And you tell me that if this is to be attempted it will be without a priestess on the steps of Mount Seleya. The fal-tor-pan has been attempted only once in recent memory, and while I am adept with the mind meld, my experience with the katra is strikingly limited. There are dangers here, doctor. Grave ones.”

“I grant you that. But is the danger any worse than leaving him dead and his katra misplaced in the man who murdered him, leaving him to slowly go insane?” Will leaned forward in his seat, his voice intense as he spoke. “We are on the frontier out here Sakkath. That means that a lot of what we do, we have to rely on ourselves. If there is a way, we have to try.”

“I do not need to be reminded of our challenges or of our duty, Commander,” Sakkath replied as he returned to his seat. How was it that he was now considering two separate retrieval missions, each with astronomical odds against their success, that threw logic out the airlock in favor of emotional attachment? If he were ever given his own command, he decided the crew should be overwhelmingly Vulcan.

“When could you be ready to proceed?”

“Immediately, actually, given the concerns for Chance’s katra. Now that I’ve had some sleep and can think straight, the heart replacement will be straightforward enough, as will reviving the body. How about you? And what help or who will you need?”

“I will require the Hazari’s consent and a quiet place to work, once I’ve had the opportunity to consult some Vulcan texts. Commander Zeferino will need to assume command once the ritual begins as it cannot be interrupted.”

“Very well. Any assistance from the Vulcans on station? And will you allow me to be present?” Will was already making a list of things to be done in his head.

“There can be only one conduit for the katra, though I will consult with the Vulcans aboard 900 and among the taskforce to determine whether or not a more qualified candidate exists.” Sakkath knew that was unlikely, but there was no harm in trying. Anyone experienced in manipulating katras would be on Vulcan, not in deep space. “I suppose you may be present, provided you limit yourself to monitoring the vitals of Cadet Conradi’s body. I will require complete concentration for several hours.”

“Very well, it might be better if I am just outside, in case of emergency. That way I’ll be there but not a distraction. If I start now, I expect I’ll be done in four hours.” Will was now exceedingly glad he’d had such a good night.

“That should be sufficient to consult the material I need and survey my fellow Vulcans,” Sakkath confirmed. “In the meantime, I will also prepare a venue. I can provide transport coordinates to both your sickbay and the brig when we are prepared to begin.” Sakkath had somewhere quite special in mind, a place that could focus him and ensure there would be no disturbances or distractions.

Will nodded slowly. When he spoke, his voice has softened. “Thank you. I suspect you don’t need me to tell you how much this means to both Eli and Oz. It’s not going to be easy on either one of us but I have faith.”

“You will need to have enough for the both of us, Doctor,” the Commander responded, his voice low. “I place all of my trust now in history, in the fact that this has been accomplished before by those with a far greater degree of skill than my own. I can only aspire to come close to their talent by studying their techniques.”

“They all started somewhere. I believe you will rise to the occasion admirably.“ Will smiled finally. “Now if you will excuse me, I'm due in surgery.”

“Yes, of course,” Sakkath said, “I imagine we both have work to do.” Without any further delay, Sakkath turned to his monitor, calling up everything in the Federation databanks on the fal-tor-pan and the Priestess T’Lar while his plomeek broth grew cold, forgotten.

**************

Lt. Commander William Harding, M.D.
Man On A Mission...Again


Commander Sakkath
Acting … Priest?