A walk through a mind

Posted on Mon Jan 22nd, 2024 @ 9:17am by Lieutenant Lily Marlow & Lieutenant Hadir Prenar

Mission: A New Beginning
Location: Holosuite
Timeline: 2100 the next day
2340 words - 4.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Aisanna Denae walked alongside Lily as they headed towards their meeting with Hadir. She glanced over towards the younger woman, who seemed lost in her thoughts. "You are a bit nervous. I know you've been through a mind meld before with another person. What has you worried?"

"I may have gone through a mind meld before to find out the proof that my memories have been altered, but this is different. And this will be the first time I will have another person be a witness to what will be happening." Lily stated, feeling her mouth going a bit dry.

"You do trust Hadir don't you?" Aisanna queried.

"I wouldn't have agreed to this, if I didn't have some sort of trust in him." Lily replied, "Still I also worry what will be revealed, as well." the lieutenant added.

The two ladies arrived at the holosuite just a few moments before 2100. Would Hadir be waiting for them outside of the suite or inside the holosuite?

Hadir had arrived at the holosuite about an hour prior to everyone else. The Intelligence Officer took no chances as he got everything set up. He not only wanted to make sure that he could see all that happened but he wanted a recording of the events. Something that could be reviewed later and if worse came to worse it would serve as a record of what transpired. He managed to program the holosuite using information from the computer as to what they did on the USS Voyager when they were in a similar situation.

Everything was ready and at precisely 2100 hours Lily arrived. "Welcome ladies I do so love it when everyone is prompt." Hadir said as they entered the holosuite.

Aisanna gave almost a regal nod towards Hadir. " Time is of the essence is it not?"

Lily gave a bit of a smile that was tinged with concern. Lily had dressed in comfortable clothing, especially for what was to take place. The set up reminded her of a similar situation with another person.

Aisanna looked at the set up. A bio bed for each to monitor vitals, and synaptic connectors which would feed to a projection unit so that Hadir could watch, and interact. They were set side by side, where Aisanna could have reach

"Before we begin I must affix this monitor to both of your necks. It will relay your vital signs to Doctor Adamson and inform them should something go wrong." Hadir did not wait for a response from the women he affixed the small device and continued. "Now I believe that we are ready to begin." He tapped each of their hand with a hypospray. "I have now placed a transdermal communicator into your hands. Should you feel the need to be brought out of the meld and need assistance all you have to do is squeeze your hand and I will be able to help. Now, are we ready to begin?"

Aisanna gave a nod and layed upon the bio bed her hand clasping Lily's. Lily turned her head towards Aisanna, a slightly worried expression in her eyes, Aisanna catching her trepidations. "Lily just take the deep breaths of meditation, like you have done before, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Breathe in, breathe out." Aisanna's tones were soft and gentle and almost hypnotic. The vital indicators of the bio bed showed Lily's heart rate easing up to where she was more tranquil.

Aisanna's breathing was in a meditative state, and the connectors began to work as the images of both women appeared upon a threshold of some sort, colors swirling about them and then it turning into a sort of fog. In the mist silhouettes of trees could be seen. "Lily, tell me where we are at? You need to be the guide."

A sharp intake of breathe as Lily turned around in order to see where she was at, as if trying to confirm. "This is the day that I went to visit with Annabelle to check up on her. She'd not contacted me for a little bit. I was worried about her. We knew each other since we were children." Lily turning towards Aisanna.

"Let us continue then." Aisanna replied.

The scene unfolded, as memories began to surface. Lily walking towards wooden fence, which was waist high, opening up the wooden gate which gave out a small creak from the hinges, a stone pathway led up towards the rustic cabin which had a porch, its railings were intertwined with red climbing roses. Wind chimes lightly rang, from the breeze which hung near the edge of the porch. A knock on the wooden door, it opens and a tearful reunion with the blonde woman embracing the dark haired woman. Lily is brought inside the cabin where she and Annabelle converse and look to see what was in the cupboard for Lily to fix something for the two of them to eat. This includes cookies. Not all of the ingredients were there to make such.

Tears were pouring down Lily's cheeks as she felt the emotions there as if she were reliving them.

"Lily, we will pause here for a moment for you to compose yourself." a nod from Lily as to Aisanna's request. The scene of being in Annabelle's cabin was paused.

Aisanna, while Lily composed herself, examined the scene noting what was there. She walked towards a window which looked out towards the back of the
cabin. There had been something that she had noticed, that perhaps Lily hadn't realized her eyes had taken in. "Lily did you have a look out the back of the cabin?"

Lily turned, "Oh yes I did, I even went out just to look at what was there, then I came back in." the mindscape shifting as Lily stepped out the back porch and down a short set of stairs. A gravel path led towards a well, which Annabelle gave pause for a moment. Lily right next to her, just gazing around at the scenery. She had noticed that Annabelle had stopped for a moment, reaching out and touching one of the stones of the well.

She then looked at Lily, "Come on, lets go make some cookies." her moping seeming to change to something a little bit lighter.

Lily looked at Aisanna, "I had forgotten about this little bit of strangeness from Annabelle. This is certainly bringing up forgotten memories."

Aisanna remarked to Hadir, "What are your thoughts so far or do you wish to proceed and go through this and look at it later on?"

"Let us proceed with all due haste as Lily is remembering various things. Strike while the iron is hot sort of speak. We can look at these recordings later and analyze them. I fear if we do that now Lily will lose the memory which she is now bringing to the forefront." Hadir replied as he took a look at the bio readings and all other readouts just to make sure everything proceeded as needed.

Aisanna looked towards Lily who gave a nod.

"He has a point, if there is any other distractions I may end up losing some important pieces of this puzzle." Lily getting a determined gleam in her eyes and a firm set of her jaw.

Aisanna gave a nod and the memories and images continued.

Annabelle seemed to be anxious for Lily to go get the ingredients for the cookies giving Lily a wave. Lily commented to Aisanna. "She was really excited to get some of my cookies. It had been awhile."

Lily left the cabin in order to get the missing ingredients, driving from the cabin into town. She then called Annabelle and Annabelle answered.

"I've got the ingredients for the cookies as well as something to add to our dinner." Lily exclaimed.

"Lily, don't come back I've changed my mind. I'm not in the mood for any cookies right now." Annabelle's voice sounding a bit strange and a little bit hesitant.

"Annabelle is everything alright?" Lily feeling the hairs rise on the back of her neck.

"Ohh everything is okay." Was Annabelle's reply, then she ended the conversation.

That didn't set well with Lily and this after she had purchased the ingredients! What was with Annabelle? Lily arrived parking in the area designated for vehicles a little bit down the road, grabbed the bags and headed towards the cabin. She got to where the gate was at, reached out to pull it open and that was when the cabin exploded. Lily was sent tumbling backwards landing in brush, going in and out of conciousness, feeling pain. She heard voices, a male and female, the blonde female crying.

It was Annabelle! "We can't leave her here, if she dies I can't take it. "

The male responds, "She's got help coming."

"No she needs to get help now!"

"Very well, and you are right. Its taking a risk but you are right."

Shimmering effect of being transported, Lily noting she was in some sort of sickbay, through swollen and blurred vision.

"Lily you are safe, I've got to go." was Annabelle's whisper giving Lily a kiss upon the forehead then she left. Lily whispering "Don't go, Don't go..." she blacks out then the next memory she had, was that of someone sitting next to her in the recovery room.

"Where are you partners?"

"Who are you talking about?" Lily responded groggily.

"Your partners, the blonde woman and the dark haired man. Where are they?" the questioner , male was being rather insistent. He was human.

"I don't know" she sobbed out.

Another voice was heard, male as well. Lily's eyes traveled towards the new comer. She could see pointed ears like that of a Vulcan but it wasn't.

"Enough, you will not get anything from her. " his almost dispassionate voice could be heard.

Her interrogater moved, giving way for the other man to take a seat. He reached out, Lily flinched, she seeing the ring which had the symbol of infinity. "We were not here." His gaze locking with hers, she resisted trying to fight against what seemed to be hypnosis. She failed. "Your friends are dead. She was killed in an explosion. You almost died." Lily slowly nodded, then the scene faded away as Lily drifted back into unconciousness.|

End of memories

Aisanna then remarked to Lily, "That should be it."

"I agree, I am starting to get a headache." Lily responded.

"Hmmmm..." the sound left Hadir's lips as he examined the readouts. "I would agree. I believe we have found the memory that has been suppressed. However, it only leads to more questions. Questions which we are going to have to explore in order to get the answers. However, these medical readings are showing some anomalous readings. I would say that we should stop for the evening and perhaps resume this tomorrow when Ms Marlow's brain has had some time to recover."

"I do agree." Aisanna feeling that this was just scratching the tip of the iceberg. Removing the monitoring sensors, Aisanna assisted Lily with hers. "I recommend some ginger as well as some lemon tea to help you recover. It is best for you to get some shuteye as soon as possible.

Lily nodded moving from the biobed. "Thank you Lieutenant Prenar."

Hadir had his eyes on the readouts. There was a lot of data here, a lot to be interpreted. Distractedly he answered Lily. "My pleasure Lieutenant. We will talk more soon."

Lily left, leaving Aisanna and Hadir in the room. Aisanna watched as Lily exited the area then turned her attention back to Hadir. "Would you like me to stay and discuss what has been found out or would you rather I leave?"

Hadir looked up with a trademark Cardassian smile. "My guess is that is up to you. Do you have any insight to add to what has been seen here?"

"And I only asked just in case you wished to go through the information by yourself." Aisanna giving a bit of a smile. "However, I would like to go over what has been recorded without needing to monitor Lily's emotional level, and breaking through the wall that had been placed, locking that memory away. And I really want to examine who Lily's interrogators were as well." Aisanna frowned as she thought of that. "I can see the point of trying to get information from someone who is in a weakened state much more easier to break through any sort of mental barrier a person can have." she walked over and took a seat near Hadir. "How about this, a break for a meal then we can get to giving a closer look at what there is?"

Hadir nodded his agreement. "We should also look into the databases and try to find who would want Lily's friend or her partner dead at that time. That explosion was no accident, and it was a professional job." He paused as he stared off into nothing and allowed the gears of his mind to turn. In a short moment he smiled. "Ah, yes you are too right. A meal would do well and go a long way. We can certainly resume this after."

"Well then, where shall we dine? Somewhere that we won't draw attention?" Aisanna giving a warm chuckle."At this moment, you are at the helm of this endeavor, I am just a... useful person to help solve a mystery and help a young woman from having anymore distress from being mentally manipulated."

"Come Ambassador we shall take a meal in the Mess Hall. If anyone wonders it is simply the ship's Intelligence Chief showing a visiting dignitary around." Hadir replied with a smirk as he pointed toward the door.

A delighted laugh resonated in the holodeck area coming from Aisanna, as she headed towards the doorway. "I love how you think, Lieutenant. You certainly are a rather interesting individual. Lily couldn't be in better hands for solving this mystery."

END