Star Trek: Starbase 777 - high-dependency-unit

A High Dependency Unit is a specialised area designed to provide a level of care between that of a general ward and an Intensive Care Unit. HDUs cater to patients who require close monitoring, frequent medical intervention, and a higher level of nursing care. For example, they care for patients who are moderately to critically ill or who have undergone major surgeries and need a higher level of support. Patients here may require continuous monitoring of vital signs, oxygen therapy, administration of intravenous medications, and close observation of their condition. The HDU consists of a reception and a central work area for the medical officers here. Behind it, there are individual isolated rooms which only house one patient at a time.

It had taken a while for Talos to get used to the interior of this medical bay as being her new temporary home. For just short of ten months she had been told - psionically shown, tortured, forced to believe - that no facilities like this existed any more. The Federation had fallen. Earth was gone, starbases and ships destroyed, the entire foundation of the UFP's existence had crumbled... And yet here she was, aboard a starbase, having been brought here by a Starfleet ship after being 'rescued' by a Starfleet crew. None of those were supposed to exist. It made sense, really, in the back of her mind. From the very start of what was supposedly torture by Undine she had been skeptical. The skepticism faded after a while - going between sensory deprivation and watching footage of everything you knew being destroyed, your mind started to re-write itself - but she could recall it now. She could recall how the footage of battles and orbital strikes and planetary destruction had been familiar; even recognising some from the conflicts of 2409-2411, multiple of which she had fought in. She could recall the doubt at the majority of Starfleet ships and crew being destroyed, at so few survivors being alive. She could recall the doubt at the admirals who questioned her - she had never heard of any of them before. She could even recall her sense of suspicion at the questions they asked her. What they asked had always been so strange for people wanting to 'rebuild the Federation.' x_divider

18:02

The doubt had always been there... And yet now, the doubt was reversed. She had hoped that two weeks of medical treatment - Borg nanoprobes patching up cybernetics that had shut down, medical regeneration repairing organ damage - might have fixed it all. Physically the repairs were steady, condition stable; but mentally? No matter Intelligence's debriefing and Medical's reassurance, things simply didn't sit right in her head. Psychological torture would do that to you, supposedly... But how did she know any of this was real? Was the Federation gone? Had she been tortured, and it was all a lie? Had the rescue been staged, like some sort of intricate plot, trying to get herself and other prisoners (there were other prisoners, she wasn't alone, how were they how was Cronos-) to trust them more? How did she know what was real? With the improvement of her physical condition she had been moved here from the ICU. Being alone more often gave her the chance to think, to reflect; but so far, she wasn't liking it. It was too easy for her to get lost inside of her own head, struggling with what was reality and what wasn't. Images of the Federation's destruction looped in her head, Intelligence's explanation of what had truly happened echoed in her ears. The thought of trying to run from it all was tempting, but would it fix anything? Would it provide her with more answers? If she was imprisoned somewhere, would it result in more extensive torture? If the Federation's destruction was real, would it result in her hindering attempts to rebuild? If their rescue was real, would it result in Starfleet losing faith in her if she tried to run instead of facing the problem head-on? What was real? What was real?

Breathe in... Breathe out... Breathe in... Breathe out... Was all Copia could really try and do while she made her way towards this HDU bay. She didn't know that Rhea would be here, although she hoped. This was it. This was the day she needed to start and make amends to what she had done. Nothing was ever... Truly fixed for Copia since that day. Nothing seemed complete. Nothing seemed like it was fully able to allow Copia to move on. It was as if the Undine were getting into Copia's head, filling it with negativity and doubt -- and yet, the Undine were nowhere near Copia nor even on the station at all at this point. That didn't stop Copia from feeling insurmountable guilt. Guilt that plagued her and made her feel like she was forever going to be living a penance of atoning for her mistakes, ones that could have been easily interpreted as treason against the very ideals she held most dear. She couldn't really shake the slight subconscious fear that it wouldn't actually be Rhea in the HDU bay, but her impostor still. But Copia knew better. Nothing was wrong now. Rhea was safe. She was in good hands here. And now Copia would be the one to make things right. Copia approached the receptionist desk, her hands held behind her back. "Excuse my intrusion," Copia said gently. "Is Captain Tewari here? I... have an apology to make to her, and a lot I have to tell her." Copia approached the desk empty handed, showcasing she had no weapons, nothing except her PADD. The receptionist would direct her to the room Rhea was in - although it didn't feel like only a few steps for Copia, for Copia it felt like a hike up Mount Everest. Her personal demons were catching up to her. Although, she finally took a breath before knocking on the door to Rhea's room. "Captain Tewari. My name is Lieutenant Copia. You don't know me, sir, but I've had... A history with your impostor. May I please enter?"

The commanding officer - former commanding officer? What had even happened to the ship she was supposed to command for the Allied Fleet Service? - had spent a lot of the past couple of weeks simply staring into space. Today was no different. The only thing that ever jolted her out of that blank staring (and confused thinking, always thinking) was the arrival of other people. Normally it was medical staff (so many of them, this station really was large), or the Intelligence officer stopping by to ask more questions. This visitor was different. She recognised the face and the voice, but couldn't place it. Most of the process of being maybe-rescued, if this was real, had turned into a fuzzy memory in her head. Still - this person snapped her out of her thoughts. This person had a history with her impostor? The Undine that had supposedly taken her place? She hadn't even been told the details of what the impostor had done. Intelligence said to take things one step at a time, but it just left her with more questions. Perhaps this Lieutenant could provide some answers. From where she was sat up on the biobed with her back against the wall, a nod was given to this newcomer to beckon them in. Talos didn't exactly look fantastic (the white of a patient outfit was not her colour for one), plus still being manually wired to a portable Borg regeneration unit by a series of cables from one wrist and the back of her neck... But she looked far better than she had during the mission; skin less ashy and looking somewhat less gaunt. "You can come in," she spoke, although her voice was a little scratchy from lack of use. There hadn't been a whole lot of talking done by her the past while - mostly listening. "This might sound silly, Lieutenant... But before we talk: tell me about yourself. Who you are, what you do here. Tell me something about yourself. Something that makes you more... Real."

Copia admittedly was taken aback by Talos' eagerness for her to enter. She surmised, maybe, that after the rescue, that Talos wouldn't want to see anyone, that no one would be let in. But now? It seemed like she was more than happy to let Copia in. That surprised her for a second, before she heard Talos ask her to say something that made her more real. Then... It hit her. It became evident to Copia that so much of what Talos went through felt so real, that she couldn't tell real from fabricated. Especially when it came to the Undine. The Undine were master manipulators in every single way, both of their own appearance and through psionic attacks, but Copia couldn't even imagine what Talos endured. The sheer thought of it made her skin crawl. But now? Now was a chance for Copia to help heal Talos. To bring her the comfort she apparently needed. "M-myself, sir?" Copia responded. "That's not silly at all, sir. I should say before I begin that it's a privilege to finally meet you, Captain. I'm a Mission Specialist in the Command department here. I research and organize logistics of away missions, and in the past I have also supervised and managed away teams. It fits with my personality, I believe - I am quite curious about the universe around me, and I seek knowledge of everything that sparks my interest." Copia was still incredibly surprised that Talos had asked about who she was and what she did. "It is quite fitting, as I am an android. Here - I shall provide proof. Do not be alarmed." With that, Copia hit the button on the back of her neck... Pop! The side plate of her head opened to reveal a set of flashing lights, and a section of Copia's positronic net, which after about five or six seconds Copia closed back up. x_divider

(edited)

20:53

"My creator resides on this starbase now, who I really... See more as a father than anything," Copia admitted. "He loves me very much, he has gone above and beyond following his retirement to watch me develop as not only a Starfleet officer but as his daughter." Copia took a bit of a breath. "My life has been a series of ups and downs, sir. And it has all led me here. I couldn't ask for a better life than this. Although recently, I've hit a turbulent patch, which I aim to explain. You wouldn't really expect an android to be emotionally unstable. Well... Here I am." Copia's eyes remained firmly on Talos the whole time, although she obviously blinked, she finally felt that, be it the real Talos or Undwari, that she could fix the relationship she had broken. "I've been through a lot, sir. I've met countless supports aboard this starbase, the best I've ever met. And right away, I must say that you are firmly amongst them."

Today though, Copia being an android might actually have helped. They were one of very few types of being that the Undine couldn’t take the form of, given that their shapeshifting relied on the use of DNA samples and genetic engineering. There was a thought at the back of her head that told her it was too coincidental, that it was probably part of some lie… But it was overridden by the natural instinct of acting like a commanding officer; one facing an officer who needed to talk. “Anyone can go through a time of emotional instability. Human, Android, Vulcan. It’s natural. I’m sorry that things haven’t gone so well for you – but glad you’ve found people to support you.” The ‘you are firmly amongst them’ was a little unsettling. She didn’t know this Lieutenant, so was that all part of the lie? Or did she mean the ‘impostor’ that had been mentioned? The thought was unnerving. Imagine an Undine who had taken your place doing a better job at looking out for people than you did. “I – the person who had taken my place – had helped you in some way..?”

As soon as Copia had even finished saying what she wanted to Talos, it felt like a major weight had been lifted off of her. It was never easy explaining what was on her mind, especially in this case. But now? Now was even more difficult. But Copia wasn't at all going to hesitate, not for her own sake, not for Talos. She was going to be upfront and honest. "Thank you, sir, that means a lot, you genuinely don't even know. Or -- perhaps maybe you... do?" Copia said as she realized that maybe Talos was one to appreciate help in that regard. She'd especially deserve it now. Copia couldn't help but smile at the mention that the Impostor actually helped her. But, actually... "Well, sir, in a way... Yes. If I hadn't encountered your impostor I probably would be demoted and dishonorably discharged. Your impostor made me realize something was wrong with me. It's partly why I wanted to come here. I wanted to apologize." Copia waited a moment before continuing. "I understand that may be confusing to you. And I understand you may not have all the answers from all this either. I feel, if you deem it necessary, that you deserve to know what happened, and my involvement in it all." But Copia didn't move forward with any of it unless Talos said she could. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries, or make Talos uncomfortable, especially in this case. So Copia would let Talos decide. Consideration for her condition was immediately something Copia had, from the moment she stepped into the room.

There was no sign of discomfort from the captain. She was difficult to read, expression neutral and gaze ever-so-slightly unfocussed despite her doing her best to pay attention. And really, she was trying – but Lieutenant Copia was right. Everything was confusing to begin with, and this certainly seemed like a complicated conversation so far. However— “Everything is confusing for me right now. I’m sure that if you explain further, whatever this is about will be far clearer than almost everything else.” There was the slightest hint of an emotional change when Copia actually smiled at the mention of the impostor. That unnerved feeling remained, but along with it came a sense of intrigue. What good could an Undine (if they were real) have done? And what had this Lieutenant done to almost be removed from the fleet? Demotion was one thing – Talos had been made to demote a few people in her time, and it was never nice – but being dishonourably discharged was another. It was something that only happened in extreme circumstances, and genuinely was quite rare. A Federation establishment, Starfleet preferred to rehabilitate than to remove. “What happened for you to almost be demoted, or even discharged?” She enquired, looking at Copia. Grey eyes took in the android’s features, Borg implants flickering red with light – although her gaze was far more neutral than the analytical one of a drone. “What happened with the impostor, and why do you feel you have to apologise..? You can tell me as much as you want – or as little.” (edited)

With a breath, Copia began. Well, here goes nothing. "Well, sir, allow me to start at the beginning. The Undine had held the crew of the AFS New Dawn hostage while impersonating you and several other key personnel on board. While I cannot pinpoint the exact date you had been replaced, what I can say is that the non-Undine crew aboard the New Dawn managed to send out a distress call to alert us of their situation. As you may know, the Undine are master impersonators, although, not good enough to steer us clear when we smelled blood in the water. We dispatched the USS Eventide, with myself as part of the away team, to investigate. When we arrived, we figured out who among the remaining New Dawn crew was sending out the distress call, before confronting your impostor on the bridge. Now, for context's sake - I operate with an emotion chip, a small piece of hardware integrating emotional responses and intakes from external stimuli. When I saw your impostor on the bridge... I just... Felt a connection with her. And not a good one. I looked into her eyes, she looked into mine, and immediately, there was something I hated about her. Something I despised in her. And I didn't know yet that she was Undine." This was getting progressively more difficult for Copia to talk about, but she proceeded. "I... Lost it. I lost control. My emotion chip was not adjusted to my system yet, and I confronted your impostor directly and called her out on her behaviors. And as a response, she--- she... She began the New Dawn's auto-destruct sequence." With a glance away in shame, Copia took a moment to return. "I am the reason that, then, the Undine made themselves known, and injured members of the 777 away team, and murdered innocent lives of the New Dawn crew. All because I opened my big, stupid mouth. And her vicious smile... It made me even more angry. I'd never, ever felt that much anger in my life from anyone." x_divider

02:29

Copia took another breath before continuing. "Both of the remaining crews fought against the Undine for control of the ship and of the situation. I myself was so emotionally compromised I even put myself in harm's way to protect the other members of our away team. I felt it was my duty to solve everything, that I needed to go above and beyond to ensure everyone was safe. And all that did was attract more attention to me. I got so... Twisted by... Hate... I called out her name in a vicious roar. As if she were my nemesis. And at that point, I was convinced... She was. Thankfully, by the end of the mission, we had successfully apprehended and arrested the Undine for containment and questioning in our long-term brig." After a moment, Copia decided to ensure... "Is everything making sense so far? Anything you wish for me to elaborate on?" (edited)

There wasn't a word from the woman, simply letting the Lieutenant speak. Her gaze might have wandered a little, focussed just over Copia's shoulder instead of on the android herself, but Talos was still listening. She was processing it all too, as best she could in her still-hazy mind. Important parts were picked out, things she wanted to comment on. But most of all she listened - because it really did sound like the Lieutenant needed to talk. It was only when she was certain that Copia had stopped that she spoke again, even trying to keep eye-contact for a little bit longer this time. "'Despise' and 'hate' are strong words... But if someone says something or does something you don't agree with, it doesn't take long for you to decide you dislike them. If your emotion chip wasn't functioning correctly, then you have a very valid reason. Put it this way..." She paused, trying to put a comparison together. It was difficult when her mind was so sluggish, although the natural instinct of critical thinking and analysis to offer reassurance made things clearer. "Would you blame someone with a mental health problem for having that problem? Blame someone with a brain injury or chemical imbalance for the result of those issues? You wouldn't do that to someone else -- so why treat yourself that way?" x_divider

02:50

Talos shifted a little then, trying to get more comfortable where she had her back leaned against the wall. There was a slight grimace at the movement; most of her spine was reinforced by Borg cybernetics, and the lack of regeneration for months hadn't done it any good. "When something goes wrong it's easy for us to beat ourselves up about it. I've done the same dozens of times. What you need to do is try to look from an outside perspective... Pretend you're not talking to yourself, but to someone else. You would reassure them, correct? You wouldn't blame them. If they said 'what I did caused someone to start a self-destruct sequence,' you would say 'did it?' You would look at it critically. How do you know your actions caused that? How do you know that wasn't the plan for if these impostors were found out? You're only presuming... And that presumption isn't worth the distress it can cause."

Goodness, did this woman also have the ability to read Copia like an open book? She was amazing at soothing Copia's nerves, and they had just met! Copia herself was a bit surprised on how well Talos could understand and empathize with her - especially in her hazy state. That was truly not only impressive but the mark of a true heroine. "T-thank you, sir, that... You don't even know how much that means to me. You're absolutely right, I have not been giving myself that benefit of the doubt. It is truly that, a matter of perspective. Although... That's not the end of the story." Copia braced herself - this next bit was even worse. "Fast forward a few weeks, I believe it was. I was simply wandering around, finding new places to visit. I stumble accidentally across the long term brig, not knowing your imposter was there, as I had assumed they had already been dealt with and removed from the starbase - nope. She was there. And when I saw her... I became a-a completely different person. I was blinded by my rage towards her. I-I... I screamed at her. I berated her, I shamed her, called her a murderer, I said horrible things... Things no Starfleet officer should ever say to another, especially not a prisoner, and a prisoner who was unarmed and unable to do harm. But I found every reason I could to chastise her. To blame her. To make her feel like she was not worth a second chance. It was wrong, it was disrespectful, it was dishonorable and it was certainly not Starfleet role model behavior on my part. My emotion chip had still not adjusted - but that doesn't excuse what I said to her. How I made her feel." Copia could only speak these next words a few at a time, as her shame showed through. "She said back to me... I buzzed like a fly. That I wasn't the smartest, in fact, that I was stupid. She said I was empty headed, and that as a fly I would get swatted... I'm ashamed that she was right." x_divider

03:17

It took even more effort for Copia to keep talking now. "I was stupid, sir. I was stupid and selfish, and didn't want to give her the benefit of the doubt. She showed me that something was indeed very wrong with me. She showed me that I was the problem. For being such a pest on the New Dawn and in the brig. That with my emotions out of whack and me unable to resort to critical thought, I was useless. And from that interaction, I only got minimal answers... And embarrassed myself even more... From behind the holofield... she still swatted me...I deserved it." (edited)

It was a similar situation to before, letting Copia speak without interruption. If you looked closely you could see that it was different to the staring into space that she had been engaged in for most of the last two weeks. Now and again she picked idly at the blanket over her lap or fidgeted with the port on her wrist that had her wired to the regeneration console. The occasional movement showed that she wasn't zoned out and was still listening. For some reason, it felt easier to listen to someone else's story and process it all as if it was real - far easier than it was to try to process her own reality. "...With a malfunctioning emotion chip, you found yourself in a place you shouldn't be in, facing up against someone you shouldn't be facing, and with no mental preparation. You’re doing it again, Lieutenant – being too critical of yourself.” Purposefully she looked to Copia, then; the neutrality of her expression and weariness of her tone softening just a little into reassurance. “You weren’t fully in control of your own actions, and even if you were, they might not be right, but most people could sympathise. From what you’ve told me, this impostor almost killed an entire crew – your own away team included – and placed you all in life-threatening danger multiple times. If you didn’t harbour some sort of ill-will towards them then I’d be more concerned than anything.” There was a moment of quiet while she contemplated her next words, exhaling slowly between. “…You’re not the first Starfleet officer to act out of line, Lieutenant, and you certainly won’t be the last. Mistakes are part of how we all learn. It sounds like you’ve already had enough karma in return, going off what this impostor said to you. You were confronted by someone who – if the past ten months have taught me anything - wanted to manipulate you; wanted to get under your skin. You can’t let them. You need to stop looking back at it all and move forward instead.”

As soon as Talos mentioned it again that Copia was being too hard on herself, Copia's eyes twitched - that took a moment to compute before she returned back to Talos. "Aye, sir, I will do my best to counteract those intrusive thoughts," Copia said. It indeed took a couple of seconds for all those words to process in her head -- need to stop looking back, need to move forward -- can't let them get under her skin -- and Undwari was... manipulating her? "R-really?" Copia asked, a bit of her smile returning. "You think it happened the same way I did? That she was manipulating me, purposefully? She---" And as Copia spoke, she made HUGE realizations in her head. "She saw a weak point in me and as soon as she did she used that to her advantage to try and tear me apart, didn't she...?" It was as if she had just cracked a Sherlock Holmes case! "You're right, sir. I wouldn't be surprised if that's exactly what she was trying to do. I was an easy target and I didn't even realize it." Copia certainly knew Talos and Undwari were two completely different people now. And she was all for this discrepancy between them. She needed Talos, not Undwari anymore. "Your wisdom is infinitely valuable, sir. Since we rescued you, I was firmly convinced that I deserved all of this. Especially since the Undine had subjected all of the members of my away team, sans myself, to psionic attacks, followed later by physical ones which I was not excluded from. I was convinced that because of my deviations I was the sole member who really deserved to endure all of that pain. Pain that I'm sure is still having after effects in the other members of my team." Now Copia needed to put the pieces together. "I nearly died in the duration of the mission, and I--falsely... Believed I deserved it... When there was... Nothing to answer for in the first place..." Once again it was as if Copia just had a Eureka moment. x_divider

13:37

Her eyes twitched again, this time slightly faster, indicating that it was computing even more! "I... believed that if I endured all of what my team members went through... It would be enough of a penance... To make up for... my own mistakes." Copia's eyes looked at Talos with a renewed sense of hope. "But... It isn't doing me any good to... Remain in the... Past?" It was sinking in! Talos' advice was working! Then, what Copia considered unthinkable, but slowly, that didn't seem too far off now. "I don't... Need to... apologize after all. To you, or especially... To her." (edited)

It was actually quite nice to see Copia piece things together. You could practically see the cogs turning in the Android’s head. Talos might not have been able to make much sense of her own reality right now, but at least she could offer some guidance and clarity to someone else. She might only have been viewing what happened via a second-hand account – she wasn’t there, and didn’t truly know what was said or the intentions behind the Undine’s actions – but with some critical thinking you could make an educated guess. “This Undine likely worked out that you were a good target. They saw how you had acted on the ship, saw you get frustrated in the brig – it’s their job to play people, and you arriving was a good opportunity. I wouldn’t take it personally or blame yourself for what happened. It’s very likely that it could have been anybody in your place.” When the Lieutenant started talking of what the Undine had done to the away team, she could feel her mind beginning to slip. There it was already: images which were burned into her memory of ships shot out of the sky, entire planets being destroyed, entire squadrons being mown down in an instant, the sounds of screaming ringing in her ears. It didn’t take much for this reality to start slipping away into one that had been falsified by the Undine... Or had it been, what was the truth, maybe this was some sort of ploy by those who had destroyed the Federation, or if this Undine imprisonment explanation was real then maybe this was part of their plan to lull her into a false sense of security… And there was no way of knowing, for ten months of psychological torture had removed her ability to piece together the facts for herself. x_divider

14:28

Instead of continuing that internal debate, she focussed on Copia’s words instead. If this wasn’t real and it was all some sort of simulated existence then she was still living in it in the moment, and so she might as well reply – even if she did sound more distant and looked more pale. “You don’t… You don’t need to suffer to make up for mistakes. No one deserves pain for doing something wrong – something that you weren’t fully in control of, anyway. It’s time to stop adding to your own suffering, this ‘penance’ as you said. Don’t apologise for something that wasn’t your fault. Learn from it instead – and then move on.”

And just like that, Copia began feeling a weight being lifted off of her shoulders. It was just as liberating - no. It was even more so. It was even more liberating than if she had made an apology to Undwari, and even then, the Undine likely would have not given Copia any less negativity. This... This was the real Talos. And the real Talos saw Copia for who she was. A concerned and regretful Starfleet officer, who slowly but surely, was feeling the pangs of regret being lifted off of her body. Copia's face contorted as if she were about to cry, although no tears came out. What made it though was a smile that grew bigger than it had before. A smile that spoke volumes of Copia's ability to parse Talos' sage advice, and free herself from her own shackles. "T-thank you, sir... Endlessly. Thank you... I'm not... Going to get demoted or dishonorably discharged after all. My emotion chip has been working great since then. You-you're right. It's... Time to... Move on." A part of Copia's mind was so far latched onto self-doubt and shame, it took a few moments for her to really process all of this, in which her eyes twitched once more - computing this took a larger amount of brain power but indeed it was possible, and soon, Copia's eyes no longer looked remorseful and devastated. Instead, they sparkled with hope and joy. Finally... After what seemed like an eternity... "I'm...happy... again. You... saved me, sir. Thank you..." But it wasn't long before Copia realized that what she had talked about could have caused Talos to relapse into what she was enduring while captured. Copia approached her slightly closer, while still giving her space. "Since I've met the real you, sir... The you I would much rather interact with and am privileged to know... Are you recovering alright? Is there anything I may do to help re-acclimate you to reality?" (edited)

There was a slight hint of a smile upon her lips when Copia thanked her, the first proper move from neutrality to any other form of emotion today. In some odd way, this interaction had provided its own method of reassurance. No matter what this reality was – imprisoned, not imprisoned, Federation destroyed, Federation still active… At the very least, even if she didn’t know what the world around her truly was, she still knew herself. An officer had sought her out (for their own reasons) but she had still managed to offer them some advice and reassurance. At least she was still capable of that. “It’s possible that you never were going to get demoted or dishonourably discharged. You got so caught up inside your own worries about what had happened that you convinced yourself that was going to be the outcome – but honestly? Speaking from the perspective of a commanding officer, I don’t think anything that you’ve described to me would warrant you being discharged – or even demoted. No one likes doing that to an officer under their command. It’s too much paperwork.” Was that a slight joke there? Grey eyes were still tired, weary; but perhaps there was a look of being more alert because of this conversation. Maybe she wasn’t too far away from making a joke. Maybe it had just required a conversation that wasn’t centred around Intelligence trying to gather information, or Medical being clinical. x_divider

00:14

It was funny that Copia had said ‘you saved me.’ Talos had been just about to bring up the opposite – that actually, Copia and her crewmembers had saved her – and then the Lieutenant naturally seemed to move onto that topic anyway. There was a moment of silence after the conversation changed, pondering. “…Intelligence say that there are ways of making it more clear for myself and the other people who were… Rescued,” she spoke the word as if it might not be real. “I’m expecting a mind meld or for them to round up some other Liberated Borg officers and stick me into a co-operative hive mind for a few minutes so I can see the actual truth. I’m not sure if there’s anything that you can do, Lieutenant, but I really do appreciate the offer. It’s… Not a very comfortable feeling, not knowing if what’s going on around you is real or not.”

The smile upon Copia's face grew even larger, and she even laughed at Talos' joke-- wait... what? Did she actually laugh for the first time in what felt like an eternity? Did she actually laugh when she felt like she couldn't, even if she wanted to? Yes... YES! Copia finally laughed! She finally let out a laugh, one that filled her systems and her mind with a renewed sense of joy. All of that pain... all of that suffering... all of that devastation... it seemed so far away now. It seemed inconsequential now. Copia was finally stronger than that. She was smarter than that. And she was more confident now. More confident in her abilities, and most importantly... in herself. It was as if someone had just drawn a huge smile on Copia's face that practically stretched to her ears. "You are wise and respectable, sir," Copia remarked in reverence. "And I am eternally grateful for your insights... and your compassion. The universe deserves to hear your sage advice." With a slight bow to Talos, Copia felt like she had finally locked in her happy self once more. She was... "...healed. I'm healed after talking with you. I hope I can begin to heal you as well." Then, that remark arrested Copia. She studied what she just said... and right away, she got an idea. Unconsciously, her hand reached up to her head, right where the flower from Rilek was. This. This could be a good idea. "Real or not," Copia said, parroting Talos unknowingly. "Hmm. If it helps, maybe I can... show you some real things? Something to display what has been going on in this life?" With that, Copia took the flower out of her hair, before examining it slightly with her hands, spinning it around slowly to scan it from all sides. The flower was nearly perfectly preserved, just as she wanted. Maybe it would help Talos now. "A friend gave this to me when they and I first met. She placed it upon my hair. Would you like to see? Something beautiful may help you see the life on this starbase."

There wasn’t too much of a reaction at how Copia laughed, but that very slight hint of a smile remained. Talos wasn’t aware of how Copia had been feeling for any length of time, but the Lieutenant’s change in emotional state was certainly an improvement from the start of this conversation. It was what the Lieutenant actually said next that properly elicited an emotional response from Talos in turn: a short, slightly raspy laugh of her own, but a laugh none the less. “I don’t know about ‘wise and respectable,’ and I definitely wouldn’t say that my advice can be classed as ‘sage’… But I’m glad that I could help.” Something told her that Copia would have had it in herself to do that ‘healing’ on her own, but at least she had been steered in the right direction. Talos watched as Copia removed the flower from her hair, wondering what she was doing. There was a niggling doubt at the back of her mind – she hated to be negative, but given the depth of her confusion, she doubted a flower would somehow solve everything. But still: the gesture itself was nice. She gave a nod of her head in response and held out a hand for the flower – gingerly, given how she was still manually wired to the portable regeneration console. She had learned early on that tugging at those cables hurt. “Tell me about this starbase,” she said then, following on from Copia’s statement. She had already asked, but for the most part, Intelligence were more concerned with working out what she had told the Undine than telling her anything in turn. “777… It was a normal spaceport for fleet operations and then it became a Khitomer exchange point, is that right? Some of my old officers from the Rapture are here.” One of her incessant questions had been about the status of her ship. It had been disheartening to hear that the ship had been repurposed, but it must have been fate given that her old crew had ended up here – ended up being the ones to rescue her.

Copia nodded respectfully at Talos' question as she delicately set the flower in Talos' open hand. She decided to give it to her exactly how it was. And how she truly believed it. "Aye, sir. According to the Starbase 777 intake information provided to us when initially boarding, quote: 'this station has been hand-picked to serve as a point of cultural exchange between Khitomer Alliance factions.' And in fact, you are correct, one of the very members that serves aboard this starbase is a former officer of yours. Lieutenant Lisa Sanders. She is worried about you, sir. If you permit me, I shall let her know that you are in a stable condition and are continuing recovery." She continued. "As for 777 itself, it is what is commonly referred to by its inhabitants as a city in space. Here, businesses flourish among the officers and civilians. Businesses, as well as fully-maintained and comprehensive environmental, entertainment, and culinary complexes. Really, this station has... Everything. I've heard we're even getting a baker sometime soon! But this place? It's more than a Starbase. It's a home." She had not yet told Talos about Tobias. Perhaps he was also a good story to prove to her what reality was like. So much better than what she likely had been shown. She continued again. "Here, peace and love is prevalent, everywhere." Just then, Copia got an idea. She pulled her PADD out and scrolled to a photo she took with Rilek back when they met in the environmental complex. "This is Lieutenant Rilek Khellian, command division. I met Rilek a few months back, but them and I were immediately able to connect and provide support to each other. They... Found the flower to put in my hair. That sort of thing happens all the time, sir, everywhere on this starbase, with everyone. It's... Refreshing. Reassuring." (edited)

It was with as much gentleness that she could muster that Talos took the flower from Copia, careful in case it was fragile. She didn’t want any of the petals dropping off in her hands or anything – what a miserable end to an otherwise nice visit that would be. “Lieutenant Sanders was on your mission to the terrasphere,” she stated while inspecting the flower. With her optics having been shorting out, she could more remember the sound of Lisa’s voice than the actual sight of her. “Would you? Tell her that I’m alright, that is? I’d tell her myself, but I haven’t been able to acquire a PADD yet. I wouldn’t want to keep her worrying.” She shifted forwards a little to outstretch a hand and give the flower back to Copia again, content with having looked it over. It had been a slightly odd strategy of the Lieutenant’s, but when she thought about it, it did actually employ techniques to help ground a person in reality. What can you see, hear, smell, feel – that sort of thing. The texture of the flower was nice (although again, Talos worried about it being delicate.) “…It sounds nice, actually, on this station. A far cry from what the Undine were showing us… And a lot different to my previous ship, too. That’s not to say that I didn’t see them like family, or that people couldn’t connect like yourself and your friend did… But the ship was launched in very different times.” Rapture had been specifically built for the wars, after all. On the ship before it they had served in the conflict with the Klingons, then Rapture itself was thrown head-first into all of the other conflicts that started in 2410. Things had settled down after those conflicts were over, but it hadn’t felt right. The crew got shuffled about in the fleet restructure and they never had a chance to experience things being calm. “…A little bit of peace would be nice. Not to say that the station doesn’t get into trouble too, but… You get what I mean.”

Copia nodded in reverence at Talos's request to message Lisa. Of course she would, Lisa was good and didn't deserve to feel such anxiety about her former captain. "I shall do that for you, sir. I hope that puts both you and Lisa at a bit more ease. Especially knowing it's the real you." Copia giggled at her little joke but it was a heartfelt giggle. There was so much going right with this whole situation. Copia finally felt as if she had been freed from such an intense mental prison, one that began to eat away at her. Now? She felt so redeemed. So fulfilled. Copia couldn't help but smile bigger when Talos took the flower and began examining it. And then... She had a thought. One in the back of her head. One which traveled to the front of her head. And then to her mouth. "Sir... Please, keep the flower. Consider it both a token of my endless gratitude for you, and for everything you've done, not just for me but for others as well. But also... Keep it as a reminder of what life on this station really is like. Not what the Undine showed you. I'm sure Rilek will understand me giving this flower to you. They gave it to me in a time of need, just as I am giving it to you in a time of need." Copia planned out mentally that she was going to get a new flower for herself from the community garden later on. "I think it might look good in your hair as well, if not a general decoration." Copia's eyes glanced to the door behind her, as she realized she may have been there a bit too long, but certainly not too long to have done a service not only to herself but to Talos as well. "I feel as if I will be asked to leave soon. However, sir... Will I ever... see you again?"

At the start of the conversation she had been distant, reserved; existing mostly in some state of neutrality for the past couple of weeks. It was funny how a proper conversation had changed that. Perhaps that had been all that she needed: something more than clinical talk or Intelligence trying to ask questions. Perhaps in the wake of everything – when things still didn’t feel quite real, when nothing felt right - something like this was useful. The sense of disorientation had faded somewhat, focused on the Lieutenant’s words instead of her mind drifting back to what had been shown on the terrasphere (supposedly, if that was the truth). And even if this wasn’t real… Then at least it had been pleasant. Eyes widened a little in response to Copia’s mention of her keeping the flower. “Are you sure?” Talos asked, looking to the Lieutenant in surprise. There was a moment of hesitation before she lowered the hand that had held the flower back out. “I wouldn’t want to take something of personal value away from you, that wouldn’t be fair, but-“ she paused then, mulling over the words. It was given to her in a time of need, and now she was returning the favour. This Lieutenant had been beating herself up at the start of their conversation, and now she was going out of her way to be considerate, kind. If a Starfleet officer’s aptitude for overcoming personal conflict and honing in on compassion instead wasn’t real, then what was? “…It’s a lovely gesture, Lieutenant. Thank you – truly.” x_divider

01:16

She let her hand drop then and gave Copia a smile – a proper one, this time. “You’d better not face medical’s wrath and have them chase you out for staying too long. Besides, I don’t want to keep you from the rest of your day. As for seeing me again? I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere for a while – I’d prefer to stay in one place while I… Work all of this out. Plus: the last time I tried travelling somewhere else, I was attacked by Undine. I’d rather not risk it again.” Her tone had turned joking (as much as she could muster,) and she gave a very slight shrug. It might have seen half-hearted to some but it was far more than any feat of emotion that she had shown in weeks now. Grey eyes met Copia’s again, and Talos dipped her head in a brief but sincere nod. “I definitely wouldn’t mind another visit, Lieutenant. It really has been a pleasure to meet you.”

After another shift of his had ended and having inquired after and received information on where Captain Maria Sanchez-Torres presently convalesced, Vara'l had headed into the hdu bay. He'd intended to check up on the ex-prisoners from the Terrasphere, or at least one or two of them for a little bit now, but had been hampered when it came to doing so by the fact he happened to be the ACTO and a single father. Intended to as he..knew full well how just a visit to the Terrasphere had affected so many people on the boarding team, so had guessed how badly it likely affected those who had been held there. Something that had pushed past initial anxieties that might have caused him to elect to not visit, if the situation had ended up different some how. Having arrived straight from a work environment, Vara'l entered in his Starfleet uniform with a PADD clasped loosely behind his back. His steps as he'd entered part of a calculated and carefully curated calm pace as he'd avoided anyone who had been headed too and fro in the moments before he'd proceeded to make himself known to the medical officer on duty. Informing them of who he intended to visit before he'd then, armed with information regarding what room they were in, had then headed directly to the Captains room. Once there he'd then pressed the announcer on the door once so those within were notified of his presence before he'd cleared his throat "Captain, my name is Vara'l tr'Hara, I'm Starbase 777's ACTO " He'd begun then as he introduced himself. "I don't believe we've met before sir but I wanted to visit, if your amenable to visitors." He'd explained. "May I come in?"

There was a pause, on the other side of the door, before a monotone voice rang out. "You may come in," it said, and it wasn't clear if Maria was tired, or annoyed, or if this was simply her voice. As Vara'l entered the room, she made a clear effort to sit up straighter. She had a nasal cannula that was currently connected to an oxygen machine to the side of her bed, and a feeding tube down her nose that was masterfully taped down to her cheek just so that the two lines wouldn't rub against each other in a way that would cause irritation. She also had a port for an IV drip to be connected to in her hand, but that wasn't connected to anything at the moment. "What can I do for you, tr'Hara?" she asked, again in that tired-sounding voice. Now, as Vara'l was closer, hearing her in real life, he'd be able to hear the slight wheeze that betrayed difficulty breathing, the function and necessity of the nasal cannula quickly apparent. She looked as if she'd been exercising too hard.

"Thank you Ma'am." He responded then as he entered, grey hued eyes fixed on the Captain as several swift steps conveyed him into the room before he had then stopped. Stopped and settled hands clasped behind his back as he'd subconsciously adopted the appropriate posture for a subordinate who'd just entered a room with a superior officer present within it. Hands clasped behind him, legs positioned close to each other, eyes fixed calmly on the other as he watched them and listened to their query. Their response rapid as he'd proceeded to inform them. "I came here as I wished to check up on the prisoners we worked to release from the Terrasphere, Ma'am." As he remained still and in that at attention posture. Training something so ingrained in the mind of even the previously assimilated Romulan still that as he continued to stand like that, he failed to even notice the fact he had happened to adopt such a posture. "Wanted to ask if there is anything that I can do for you, Ma'am, further to what's already been done for you by Medical." Vara'l had then added, his tone carefully pitched for calm as he'd spoken, as he continued his attempted concealment of the storm clouds that had hounded him and continued to do so even then. "If you'd prefer it if I depart forthwith ma'am, I shall do so.. I can also call a member of medical if you'd like me to." The Romulan had continued for a moment before he'd then fallen silent.

"Quit calling me ma'am-" she squinted at Vara'l's uniform to determine his rank "-Commander, that's four times in as many sentences. Either I'm Captain Sanchez-Torres, or I'm Maria, and frankly, I don't feel very much like Captain Sanchez-Torres at the moment." At least Maria was a lot more lively than she had been when she was rescued. She'd clung to Commander Torvas their entire time on the Terrasphere outside of the pods, and she'd been quiet then, only matched by Commander t'Aanikh, who had been almost completely unresponsive. Now, at least she was talking back, even if it cost her great effort, panting and wheezing laboured breaths between words. "At ease. Sit down, actually. And once you're sitting down, tell me what happened with the... Undine." Maria pointed at a chair to the side of her bed, telling Vara'l exactly where to sit. Despite demanding he call her Maria, she managed to command him like any captain could.

He remained at attention as the other ordered him to not call them Ma'am. Their expression one that probably indicated that while they didn't feel like it, Captain Sanchez-Torres certainly seemed like someone who happened to be worthy of the rank they currently happened to hold. Not that that prevented him from acknowledgement of the fact that they'd requested he call them Maria and not call them Ma'am. "Understood." He initially replied. "..Maria." Before, when she ordered him to go to at ease and then to sit down, he swiftly complied with that and settled into the chair to the side of her bed. "..As to what you've requested to hear about." He then commenced when he sat down. "Following the engagement in the Terrasphere, where we boarded, disabled generators and freed prisoners such as yourself, all Undine prisoners were transferred to the USS Eventide." He informed them as he remained seated there next to their bed, his back ramrod straight as he watched them, subconsciously affected by his training. "They were handed to security and removed from the station."

Maria looked... unsatisfied with Vara'l answer to her question, even a little upset. "That's not what I meant... tell me what you did on the Terrasphere. What was it like, what did the Undine you met say, how did they act? How did you save us? The generators... how were they disabled? I can't- I need to know." She seemed almost desperate, asking questions as quickly as her tired lungs would allow. "Torvas told me to believe the nurses and the psychiatrists when they tell us this is real. They said that while we were on the Terrasphere, no matter how many times they patched people up, there was never anyone who took care of them. The sounds and visuals of the medical bay reassure them, but not me. I need to know what it was like to... save us." She sounded almost like a child, not at all resembling the 43yo woman she truly was. Her uncertainty and reliance on other people's testimonies of reality made her meek, the sharp analytical quality of her eyes seeming almost wild or erratic instead.

When the other then asked what they did and proceeded to say what they said, Vara'l nodded slightly in understanding. That calm something that remained a mask that concealed any emotion he experienced, the sympathy and everything else, as he called the memories up in his mind, a mind in part re-worked for its purpose as a tactical drone. Called them up and remembered what had occurred, what he'd seen of it and could remember despite what had occurred to him on the day, the damage he'd sustained to his implants and head. "..I.. Understand and..I'll do my best to answer your questions." Was all he initially said as he responded, two words that were sincere. Even if he reckoned he could never understand what exactly they'd been from.. he knew how being assimilated was like, what that had done to his thoughts and everything, how things had seemed when he'd been liberated. All that granted him..some understanding of what it meant for people as they worked to recover from what they'd been subjected to. "..It was eerie, like we transported into a city..one we knew wasn't one, filled with undine posing as members of other species." He explained as he started. "..When they thought they were preforming, they tried to act like people from what the others told me, but... the ones we spoke to at first believed we were like them, acted like soldiers or people learning how to spy." The Romulan continued before he trailed off his jaw worked as he sought after the best words that could have described it all." "We managed to blag our way past them, to use the human word.. and used a isolinear chip we'd been given by intelligence to subvert their generator's controls and disabled it." The Romulan looked away then as he recalled the memories of the time, a slightly haunted look something that briefly crossed his face then before it was banished.

21:21

"As for how we saved you.. we were engaged by their anti-boarding response..and as we pushed through it we located where they were holding you all." He'd then proceeded to say as he finally arrived at that question of hers and proceeded to answer it. "We took the room and after securing it, freed you all then pushed on to the Control room, we held there and kept them away from you all until combat ended..." He trailed off then before he admitted. "..I'm not quite sure how it ended though, I was knocked unconscious." And then added in a tone that he failed to stop from shaking slightly as he uttered each word. "It was like a world forged poorly to look like one you might recognise.. that then became tunnels and caves that sang with occasional sounds of combat.. before when we arrived at the control room.. it was calm and then it was chaos and battle." He then paused. "Then.. it was a blur."

Maria listened intently as Vara'l spoke, entirely quiet aside from her breathing. She didn't interrupt, she hardly even moved; waiting for Vara'l to finish his story before she could start to process all of it and dare to ask further questions. "Okay, okay," she whispered, taking it all in. She closed her eyes to think in silence, staying there for maybe a minute before she opened them again. "They were- I heard they replaced us. They were training to be... us. They succeeded, in part." She sounded not sad or defeated or even angry, merely like she was making a statement of fact. She seemed calmed, strangely, by the story Vara'l told. "Freed us all. Myself, Torvas, Commander t'Aanikh, and Farkas in our little group, from what I've been told, though there's more, fifteen in total. I've not met any of them, though the psychiatrist was talking about maybe making introductions once everyone is doing better. I don't know how much I'd like to be in a support group for something like that, but Torvas says it could help." She seemed like she was thinking out loud more than anything, now, getting distracted, her voice fading off into a murmur. She disappeared into her thoughts again, before reappearing, her voice once more as strong as it could be. "Thank you for your efforts in saving us, Commander. I don't think- I mean, I will probably have doubts forever, in the back of my mind. But if it is an illusion still, I much prefer this one over what I saw before."

Steel grey eyes watched the other as he finally trailled off into silence and they whispered their response. Whispered it before they launched into what quickly sounded to him like it was voiced thought rather than something addressed to him. A fact that caused him to remain silent as he listened to their words, listened.. and then leant back when they proceeded to offer him, the man who when the final battle had come had been knocked out, thanks. "..I will pass on your thanks, though we were all just doing our duty." He then trailed off for a moment as his jaw worked. A urge to say something briefly rising before it was crushed and he instead proceeded to say. "I can't even begin to come close to understanding what you've been through, in that respect.. I'm just glad to have been even a small part of helping to free you all from that, even if I was unconscious near the end of it." With that said, the other thing he'd wanted to say left unsaid clamped behind barriers of mental discipline that locked away his own depth of traumatic experience in the collective away, the Romulan had fallen into his own contemplative silence for a moment. His hands clasped in front of him as they had been before as he'd proceeded to then say. "If there's.. any other questions you have.. or anything else I might be able to be of help with.. I am here and will answer as best I can..do the best I can."

Maria breathed as deeply as possible. She didn't want pity. What happened happened, and the less she thought about it the better she considered her day. At the same time, she considered it her duty to take care of the people around her. "I don't think I have any more questions. I should probably read reports, to see what everyone else says happened. I'm just not..." She took a second, thinking of something else to say, of any way to pivot before she sunk back into thought again. "Can I do anything for you in return, Commander? I'm sure there's a reason you came beyond telling me about the mission."

"..I understand." The man responded then in the face of what they said, in the face of how they trailled off like that. Their voice not one coloured by pity but by a certain degree of understanding born out of his own life, what he himself had experienced. All of his time as a drone and his time after in the state had granted him that, a understanding at least in a way of experiences that..screwed with your mind, that coloured everything. A understanding he'd utilized as he'd uttered those two words. A simple indication that in at least some way, he understood what they had attempted to say. Understanding something that far overpowered pity in this, pity hadn't helped him as he'd tried to recover more of his pre-assimilation self, understanding and support had been what had helped. Or well.. what had managed to aid him the most as he continued to try and work out more about himself. He wasn't their friend, he happened to not even know this person that well.. so support wasn't something he'd reckoned he could provide. Just understanding.. understanding and questions being answered, anything they needed done and reckoned he could help with, being done. He'd not arrived there with other reasons for his visit. Not any consciously harboured by him at least. He was the ACTO, a bo-..a Liberated Borg Romulan, a xB. Wasn't for him to saddle someone else with the shadows that hounded him, he had after all not been injured too badly on the Terrasphere or elsewhere. He'd gotten off lightly, damaged or destroyed implants among other things in one place, box caused injuries more recently. Nowhere near as bad as it could have been for others, given what hadn't been accounted for.

18:31

"I don't want to impose on you, Captain" He had proceeded to say after a moment from eyes briefly clouded with a mix of surprise at their words and a medley of other emotion mixed with guilt. "I came here to check on you and the other prisoners, I don't feel it would be right to ask anything in return for answers to questions you had every right to ask and have answered."