"What Goes Through Your Mind When You Look In the Mirror And See Someone Else"
(Previous Post: "Deep Cover")
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Stardate: 60313.1810
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7, Corridor
It made perfect sense, at least as much sense as sending an undercover team into a casino to gather Intel on those who would be there to attend a special event that was being kept under the utmost of secrecy. Being the only Shillian in Starfleet, and likely the only one still alive in the entire universe, it made sense that the identity the Chief Science Officer had been assigned to take for this mission had required her to hide everything about who she really was. Although the marking on her neck were reminiscent of those observed on all Trills, a closer inspection would have easily identified the scientist has having been something else, thus a more thorough disguise had been required.
It had taken a while for the Shillian woman to grasp the full extent of the role she had been given for this mission, a role that held both a great deal of fascination and unimaginable terror. Taking on the role of a scientist would not be a stretch for the Chief Science Officer, but taking on the role of a renowned Cardassian Scientist with a taste for gambling would prove to be a challenge that the scientist had not been entirely certain she had been up to.
With the intent of seeking some professional as well as friendly advice, the Shillian scientist had decided to speak to someone about the role that she had been given, her proximity to the Medical and Counselling departments of the USS ANUBIS had moved the Assistant Chief Medical Officer and Head Counsellor to the top of the list of people the scientist could see.
Since the first door the Shillian woman had come up to
had been that of the officer of Ensign Mei, the Chief
Science Officer rang the door chime and patiently
waited for a reply. When no reply came, the scientist
tried once more while wondering if maybe the
Counsellor had been called away from her office on
some mission related matter. Since it was clear that
Ensign Mei had been otherwise occupied, the Shillian
scientist continued down the corridor, this time
stopping and stepping through the entrance to Sickbay.
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"Ensign Summers, I hope that I am not disturbing you,"
the Shillian said, noticing only after she had spoken
that the Assistant Chief Medical Officer had not been
alone. The Chief Science Officer had been ready to
greet the Bajoran Ensign but it soon became clear to
the scientist that she had not known who the officer
had been, even though her facial features had appeared
oddly familiar.
"Lieutenant Maya," the Assistant Chief Medical Officer
said, inviting the Bajoran Ensign to step closer,
"This is Ensign Niema Sol, she will be joining us on
our mission to the TANGIERS ORBITAL."
"Lieutenant Maya," Ensign Mei said while extending a
hand of friendship towards the puzzled looking
scientist. "I have heard a great deal about you and
your work, it will be an honour to participate in this
mission with you and the rest of the senior staff of
the ANUBIS."
"Please forgive my bewilderment, but I had been under
the impression that this mission would only involve
the members of the senior staff who had been present
in the office of the Captain during the meeting. I
mean why would the Captain have called for a meeting
and not include all of those who would be directly
affected by this unique mission?" The Chief Science
Officer said, growing increasingly bothered by the
uncanny familiarity of the Bajoran Ensign who stood
less than a meter in front of her.
"Actually Lieutenant," Ensign Mei said, trying her
best not to burst out laughing, "I was present at the
meeting."
Now wondering if she had suffered from some type of
mental blockage, the Chief Science Officer tried her
best to recall all of the details of the meeting,
placing each and every members of the senior staff
back in the position they had been in. The more the
Shillian woman reviewed the scene in her head, the
more she grew certain that the Bajoran woman had not
been there, but that did not serve to explain why the
scientist still felt as if she had seen Ensign Niema
before.
"This mission must be weighing on my mind in a more
troublesome way than I had expected because I cannot
recall having seen you at the meeting," the Chief
Science Officer said, starting to wonder if maybe it
might be safer for the entire crew to have herself
declared unfit for duty. "Would you mind telling me
where you were sitting so that I can try to place you
at the meeting, this is really disturbing me. I mean
it would have been the first time that I missed
noticing someone in a crowd, but the room had been so
small and everyone so still that I find it hard to
believe that I was able to miss seeing anyone enter
and leave without my having seen them."
"I was sitting right next to you," Ensign Mei said,
keeping the display of her amusement to an innocent
smile.
More confused than ever before, the Chief Science
Officer recalled those who had been sitting next to
her and as the scientist brought the face of the Head
Counsellor up in her mind she immediately noticed the
numerous similarities between Ensign Mei and Ensign
Niema. Under normal circumstances the Shillian woman
might have dismissed these similarities as having been
coincidental, but given the nature of their mission
the head of the Science Department figured the prank
that she had been the target of.
"Ensign Mei," the Shillian woman said, sounding both
happy and relieved that she had not been losing her
mind, "I will admit that you had me going for a while
there. The disguise is truly well done and if I may
say so is very convincing, even up close."
"Thank you Lieutenant," Ensign Summers said, glad to
see that the first test her work had been put through
had proven to be so successful. "I will take that as
a compliment."
"Please believe me, it was meant as such," the Chief
Science Officer said, still looking at the Bajoran
Ensign in awe. "I was not expecting you to begin
transforming those who would be taking part in the
mission so early, but I can see the benefit in
tackling such alterations early. I mean it would be
awkward if we were to be surprised or uncomfortable
with our new identities and that of those we would be
covertly working with as such display could undo all
of the work we would have accomplished. I can only
hope that your changing Ensign Mei into Ensign Niema
has prepared you for a more demanding task," the
scientist said, handing over the PADD that she had
been carrying with her over to the Assistant Chief
Medical Officer.
"Ouch," Ensign Summers said, reading the information
on the PADD. "A Cardassian scientist with a gambling
problem, this is going to be a challenge, for both of
us."
The Shillian woman only nodded her agreement, already
thinking ahead to the impressive amount of research
she would have to do in order to become at ease with
the various games Denir had been known to enjoy and be
proficient at.
---
"To see the world in a grain of sand, 2005 post #123
Stardate: 60313.1815
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7, Sickbay
Jessica Solarik { maya_992003@yahoo.com }
Lieutenant Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
