Temporal Integration Counselor

Posted on Thu Oct 27th, 2022 @ 7:19pm by Lieutenant Jardok & Lieutenant R'relle

1,295 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Short Treks
Location: Arboretum, USS Enterprise
Timeline: 3189-03-16, 11:00

Since the Enterprise had been thrown forward in time to the post-Burn era Lieutenant Jardok had found himself back in the trenches of his original career path: Science Officer on a Federation Starship. With the limited number of personnel available to assist with interpreting the scientific data that the ship was uncovering it was a logical decision; nonetheless, it had been a sizeable change in his career. After his first, accidental, temporal incursion threw him forward in time he'd left the sciences behind to become a Post Trama and Temporal Integrations Counselor for the Federation's Department of Temporal Investigations. In reality he had been in that role longer than he'd been a scientist, yet it was strange how the galaxy had conspired to pull him back to his original career.

Standing, staring at the holographic display from his TriCOM he wondered if he'd made the right decision to help with Science over Counseling. His last time jump had been a little over 120 years and science had made incredible strides in such a short span of time. Hundreds of years had passed this time and he felt like a Neanderthal trying to understand the concept that the Earth wasn't flat. Still, he persevered because there were few others who could help.

R'elle entered the room. "Ahh Lt. Jardok. Hello. It's nice to see you!"

The Vulcan looked up from the display for a moment and saw Counselor R'elle standing across from him. Looking around he was surprised to see how far he'd come, "Excuse me, Counselor, I was so engrossed in my studies I didn't realize how far I'd stumbled."

"Well you have stumbled into the arboretum." She said. "You seem a little distracted. Are you ok?"

The Science Officer answered, almost as if on automatic, "Of course, Counselor, I am well. I was merely engrossed in my studies of scientific discovery since we were lost in space."

"Well, I can certainly understand that! Being displaced in time and space is disconcerting to say the least! Have you found anything that could help us?" R'elle asked.

"The database is expansive, Counselor," he answered matter-of-factly. "I have only been able to review perhaps one percent of the data and that was a simple cursory glance. It has been nearly a millennium since I was last a Science Officer on a Starship - in the era of Pike and Kirk no less - in fact before this temporal incursion I had been in a role not dissimilar to yours aboard a vessel known as the Aries."

"Indeed. Most of us are still adjusting. Many things take a lot of adjustment. So any advances since our era. The biggest thing though is that we are essentially copies of the originals. Our old 'original' selves are still back in our old time. At least that is what we have been told. I have very mixed feelings about it. I will say this, I am grateful that as far as my family is concerned, I am still there. At least they are not worried about me." R'elle said.

The Vulcan did something atypical for his race and actually shrugged at the suggestion," I am not entirely certain that is true. While it is possible that our original selves remained behind in the 25th Century, the opposite is also possible in that we are the originals and they the duplicates. Regrettably it is an answer we will never have. I have been fascinated to learn that the history of the Enterprise Gamma has been heavily restricted."

R'elle shrugged as well. "Ah well. In the end it really doesn't matter. Both are genuine as far as I'm concerned. The me back in our own time is just a valid as the me here. Like you said we probably will never know which is which. However, we are here so we have to make the best of it. When people have trouble adjusting, that's where I come in and help out!"

"While I know that you are unable to get into specifics, Counselor, I am curious how the crew are faring with everything that has transpired so far," the Science Officer said coolly. "Temporal incursions can be very straining upon the psyche of many. I myself struggled with alcoholism until I found my place aboard the Timeship Herodotus and later with the Department of Temporal Investigations."

"I can say most are handling it very well. Some are having issues with it but I expect it will be alright in the end. We have a tough crew. Initially it was very hard to accept but they say time heals all wounds. I believe the crew is healing, albeit in different stages. I have faith in the crew. I have faith in the captain to get us through!" R'elle said.

The former Counselor then asked the million latinum bar question, "How are they handling the fate of the Svians?"

"That is a different matter altogether. Most are very upset by the captains sacrifice of the Svians! Many understand the why but they don't like it! They feel this is not the Starfleet they knew and are upset that we left the Svians to die. They feel like we should have rescued them. That in our time we would have done it no question!"

"Intriguing," the Science Officer answered. "I did not anticipate the Captain leaving the decision to the group rather than making it on our behalf. It was, perhaps, telling that the crew themselves chose to pursue the option of leaving the Svians."

"Yes, that was quite unusual. Generally that is very frowned on in Starfleet. This is not a democracy. The captain is the one who is supposed to make the decisions. Some feel he took the cowards way out by asking the crew. I feel it was a mistake for him to do so. Many have lost confidence in him. I'm afraid the captain may have dug himself into a hole and he is going to have to work to get himself out."

The Vulcan shifted his head, "Or he may simply transfer everyone off of the ship when we return to port."

"I doubt that would happen. Most of the crew jumped with us into this time. Starfleet may not allow him to do it. Still we will see what happens. I hope he will be alright. He's a good captain but I worry with all he and all of us have gone through." r'elle said.

"I cannot disagree with your statement, Counselor," Jardok confirmed succinctly. "I will be curious to see what Starfleet does when we conclude this mission and have recovered the missing prefix codes. In our time, when a vessel or Starfleet personnel were propelled forward, we tended to separate them and try to better integrate them into the timeline. I do not know if the Starfleet of today has such advantages. We did see that Admiral Tua transferred many crew over to this ship from her own."

"Yes I noted that! That could help us all integrate better. If we survive this crisis. I worry about what happens if we don't succeed but then I realize that thinking about what if will not do anybody any good! We just live in the moment and do everything we can to make what we want to happen happen!"

The Science Officer nodded, "Indeed. We will have to do our part to ensure that we do locate the prefix codes and recover them in time." He checked the chronometer, "We have to get to the Bridge, Counselor. We are scheduled to be on final approach to Risa in two point two minutes."

"Indeed my friend. Let's go!" She says and with a flick of her tail sets off for the turbolift.

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