Maxun Wakes Up From a Personnel File

Posted on Wed Feb 28th, 2024 @ 4:20am by Captain Remy Johansen & Lieutenant Commander Maxun Spello & Lieutenant JG Thivi

1,962 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Artifact or Artifiction
Location: Alien Vessel Archives
Timeline: MD 2, During Part 1

As soon as the file ended, Maxun's mind was released. He struggled back in his seat, falling out of it and onto the deck below. Coughing, he tried to calm his nervous system down, from the sudden assault it had just undergone.

When he finally started to calm down, he carefully got back up onto his feet and saw that the rest of the team were still locked into the files they were watching. As he didn't know if removing them would cause injury, he left them alone. Instead, he reached up and tapped his commbadge. "Spello to Commander Johansen, do you read?"

=^= Yes Lieutenant. What do you got? =^= Remy answered. She was just leaving the medical team who all seemed to have differing opinions on what to do with the people who were potentially still alive in cryo-stasis.

"Ma'am, I just witnessed one of the personnel files. It was of a young soldier, during the last defense of their world. I believe it was when the Romulans attacked. Ma'am, I didn't just see the file...I was mentally pulled into it, saw what he saw, heard what he heard, felt what he felt, as if I was there." He paused to collect his thoughts.

=^= On my way, Lieutenant. T'lenn out. =^=

Remy peeked back into the crylo lab long enough to say, "Lieutenant Thivi, you're with me. You can join this party again later. I need you in the archive lab for a moment."

"Of course." Thivi put her PADD down and hurried after her. An archive lab? What use could she be in an archive lab? Had someone gotten injured and needed medical attention? The thought worried her greatly.

While Thivi and Remy made their way to the Archives Remy commed T'lenn as asked for her to meet them there as well. When they arrived everyone but Spello appeared to be in a trance of some sort. Blinking, breathing. Occasionally someone would flinch lightly or seem to move as if they might wake up, but then fall back into the dazed state again. When Maxun commed her, the group had been alone in here for almost forty-five minutes.

"Nurse Thivi, please start checking everyone's bio signs," Remy requested. "Lieutenant Spello, tell me what happened." As Remy finished her question to Spello Lieutenant T'lenn stepped into the room.

Honestly, Thivi was stunned. There were plenty of reasons why people could enter this state - none of which she could see in this room. Odd. Kneeling beside Vila she snapped open a medical tricorder and scanned over her body with her lips pursed. Then she moved on to Maxun. "Elevated heart rate consistent with that presented during circumstances which can be classed as highly stressful or stimulating and elevated brain activity. Far more than I would expect from a person who is merely half awake or drifting in and out of consciousness." She announced. "In any other setting I would expect to see these readings if they'd just experienced something highly traumatic, or emotional. Yet..." Thivi glanced around the room. "...I can see no evidence of the cause of their current state."

Maxun was about to reply, when the Nurse spoke first. Once she was finished with her report, he filled in the gaps. "It's because they are not just reading through the personnel files that were discovered here," he paused to take a breath, then continued. "They are actually experiencing them." Looking over to Commander Remy, he added, "I myself, just experienced a file from a soldier, who was apparently on the last line of defense, as the Romulans were attacking their world. I could feel everything he felt....including his injuries."

Raising his hands slightly, to indicate the ship around him, he continued. "She's called Serenity. She, and at least one other vessel, named Odyssey, were being used as Escape ships, ferrying as many of the citizens and as much of their culture, as they could." He shook his head as he concluded, "I don't know much more than that, as the file I was witnessing ended. I'd have to find more crystals, either from Farik, the gentleman I was observing, or even his wife, Narisa, to learn more from their vantage points."

Remy looked over at the others who appeared to still be experiencing the memories that Maxun had just described. "I'm not sure if that's the best idea Lieutenant. We don't know if there are long term effects, or the possibility of what may happen if there is a fatal injury that occurs in the program."

"Thivi, are there any signs that Lieutenant Spello had any of the injuries he described? Or any other medical anomalies?" Remy asked. "Lieutenant T'lenn, start taking a look at this technology. See what you can find out. If someone else wakes up soon I want as many readings a possible."

"Captain, if I may?" Maxun spoke up. "Before we came aboard, I felt that there was something vaguely familiar about this ship. After see the faces of the people who built it, that feeling is stronger still. While I know I'm young, in so far as my people age, I'm starting to pull up memories of school lessons from my primary instruction. History classes To be specific." He took a breath, then continued.

"While I can't remember the entire lesson, there was something, relating to a species as old as mine, I believe they are simply remembered now as, The Old Ones, as their name is lost to time. Anyway, these Old Ones had lived so long that warfare was no longer a main focus of their species. They had instead, build automatons to serve as their protectors, while they focused on learning and both advancing themselves, and helping the younger species grow and thrive. Unfortunately, history showed that one such young species, possibly the early Romulans, invaded, obliterating their defenses, then bombarding their home world." He shook his head as he furrowed his brow.

"I can't...I can't remember the name of the species! But, if this ship did originate from them, then we are on the cusp of more than just the discovery of a derelict vessel, Captain. We are standing at the precipice of rediscovering a species that was old before Homosapiens even existed." While he spoke with energy and passion, he kept his tone respectful.

"No physical injuries, as far as me and the tricorder can tell. If there are any I suspect they may be more mental than physical." Thivi said after a sweep of his entire body with her tricorder. "Are you in any pain, sir? From wounds that aren't there and such? Also, please don't go touching any more crystals that might cause further damage to your psyche." She quipped with a smile. "How did you get out of this... memoryscape... you were in? Was there an event that triggered it?"

"He believes the file just ended, but I suppose we can't be sure that's what happened without further analysis," Remy pondered. She looked at Maxun, "Yes, that's what Dr. Jackson - the archaeologist who has been studying artifacts that have shown up in this region -- is hoping for as well. In terms of an ancient society. Though if these are the people you learned about in school, you are a step ahead of us."

"Also while you have been here, security stumbled upon some cryo-stasis chambers. Not a technology that any Federation races have seen." Remy paused. "They were still doing a final count, but it looks like over 300 people were placed in stasis, but only 23 chambers are still functioning."

Maxun first replied to the Nurse. "Yes. The gentleman I was watching had been severely injured, and his wife, who was a nurse as well, injected him with some sort of medication. He then lost consciousness. That was when the file ended." He then considered her question, and replied. "No, I don't feel any different, and my mind is clearing as well."

He then turned to Remy and spoke. "Cryo-stasis? That's a technology that my people used before the Borg destroyed our home. There have been rumors recently, that several of our outposts may have escaped the Borg invasion, by having the crews go into Cryo-stasis and power down the outposts." A look of sadness crossed his face. "Unfortunately, all records of the locations of said outposts were lost in the exodus, so we may never know if they did, in fact, survive."

"That sounds like a logical conclusion to the memory, or file, whatever this might be." Thivi mused. "Commander. I recommend that while we don't know much about the effects and exact mechanism of the technology that caused this, I suggest that we adopt a more benign approach: to simply allow these memories to play out in full - whatever the conclusion is - and monitor and manage their vitals as necessary." She glanced over the semi-conscious crew members with her lips tightly pursed. "Assuming they all entered this state in the exact same manner as lieutenant Maxun here, perhaps what they are all experiencing is akin to playbacks of past events - in the form of stored data transferred to their minds, I'd assume. Think of a video file with a fixed start and end point. We just have to wait." She glanced to the Commander for her opinion.

"I want you and Lieutenant T'lenn to keep monitoring the crew and the technology for any changes. I want to at least try to find a backdoor out in case we need one," Remy responded looking at Thivi.

"Lieutenant Spello, we haven't known each other very long, but that's the gist of what's going on today. A lot of their technology is automated...." Remy paused slight discomfort at talking about her misfortune. "The bracelets that COmmander Lorut and I were trapped in. These personnel files. Lorut also found a lab with a chair yesterday that looks like it is meant to interface with a humanoid neurological system."

"Given where we are... Where do you think you'd be most useful?" the Commanding Officer asked.

Maxun considered the question carefully. Then, looking back at his commanding officer, he replied, "Honestly, Ma'am...I think I should find the Captain's private office or quarters. It is a fair guess that he or she will have more memory files stored there."

"And do this again?" Remy asked incredulously as she gestured to the other officers who still had not returned to present day awareness.

Looking over at his fellow officers, Maxun nodded as he replied. "Now that I know what to expect, Ma'am, it should go smoother next time."

Remy took a long breath in and looked at the other officers. "Let me think on it. I'd like to make sure everyone does eventually wake up before I let you try it again."

Maxun dipped his head respectfully. "Aye, Ma'am. I'll start poking around in other ways until you give me the green like to look at the file crystals again."

"Why don't you come check out this cryo-facility we just came from," Remy suggested. "Thivi, you'll let me know when something changes here?"

"Of course, Commander." Stubborn dude, Thivi thought to herself. She had half the mind to recommend an immediate psychological assessment for him, but right now she had another job to do. She rose to her feet and examined the cryostasis pods worriedly.

"Aye, Captain," as he started to leave the compartment, his innate abilities picked up some, possibly, negative energy, coming from the Kelpian. However, now was not the time to address it.

~OFF~

Commander Remy Johansen
Commanding Officer
USS Astrea


Lt. JG Thivi
Head Nurse
USS Astrea

Lt JG Maxun Spello
Chief of Intelligence
USS Astrea

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