An Unusual Take on Counseling

Posted on Mon Dec 30th, 2019 @ 4:55pm by Captain Taliserra Tigran

4,284 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: The science of stars
Location: Counselor's office
Timeline: 16th March 2395 1400hrs

ON:

As much as she'd begged for some sort of emergency to happen to get her out of it and then hoped for another to happen any time she rescheduled it for nothing had happened and Taliserra found herself stood outside the medical department and the door to Deepaks office.

Exhaling heavily she hit the chime.

Deepak immediately arose from his seat and rushed to the doorway with a sense of urgency, not that the situation was an emergency, but he knew it was the Captain on the other side, and if he gave her enough time she may have scurried off. As soon as he reached the doorway, he triggered the doors to open. "Captain!" he shouted with glee, his voice went up an octave or two. "I'm so glad you were able to make it. I was worried you'd be busy" he said almost playfully mocking her.

"These doors" he said shaking his head. "I had put in a request to have them removed, but for security purposes and to maintain the privacy of my patients I have been forced to keep them here." he added in a chipper tone.

"Afraid even I'm not allowed to let you remove the doors from your office." Taliserra said chuckling slightly not having expected the conversation to start like this.

Deepak El-Azar stroked his chin a few strokes and sighed. "Guess the 'open doors' policy I planned on having should be more figurative than literal" he replied. "I was hoping if I did not have my office closed off that I could snag a few passers-by, but alas not. The door and I will have to find another way to bring the crew in."

"Like lulling people into a false sense of security before telling them you think they're crazy right?" She asked.

He stifled a laugh and gestured towards a replicator unit. "Crazy? I certainly do not think you are crazy, Captain. If you are subtly trying to imply that I think you are crazy...no. In fact, I think it is highly unlikely to find a genuine case of 'crazy' these days. Please, help yourself to something. Tea perhaps?"

"Don't worry I'm not." Ordering herself a Tarkelian tea Taliserra sat down on the sofa "Your technique was very sneaky though."

"Oh come now" he replied as he approached the replicator himself and ordered a spiced tea blend with Egyptian licorice. "If you found that to be a sneaky technique, you're in for quite the show during our future together, Captain. That was mere child's play."

Taliserra smiled slightly. "I might have seen through what you were trying earlier if I wasn't half asleep at the time though."

Deepak chuckled and sipped his tea. "Well, you are a joined Trill, Captain. I imagine that makes you quite acquainted with seeing through people and their tricks" replied Deepak. "You must have seen a lot in your lifetimes. Encountered many of species and personalities" added the Counselor.

"Five lives, even the ones that were cut short certainly have there advantages." She replied.

"Five" echoed Deepak who let out a bit of a wolf whistle in response. "Five lives, Captain. Oh the things you've experienced and the places you must have been...cultures encountered. Some were cut short?" he restated in a question as he took a seat and leaned forward a bit showing interest.

"What happened in those lives? Who were your hosts? I'm afraid I haven't really spent much time reading up on your symbiont's past hosts. I am only really familiar with your present host."

"It seems anyone who hosts Tigran gets into trouble." Taliserra told him. "Three hosts died in accidents, Ariana the first broke her neck during a gymnastics competition, Darius when his shuttle crashed and then during the Dominion cold war Malteus' fighter was hit by a malfunctioning torpedo during a training excercise, he was killed and Tigran barely survived it."

"Have all your hosts beens in Starfleet, Captain, or have you had some civilian lives as well?" asked Deepak wondering if there was just something about the Tigran symbiont or perhaps some of the hosts were in Starfleet before being joined to the symbiont.

Taliserra took a sip of tea before speaking. "Three of them were, Altus, Malteus and Darius. The others Ariana and Vian were both civillians. As I said Ariana was a gynmast and Vian was the Captain of a merchant ship."

"They all sound fascinating" he replied intrigued by the diversity among them. "Not to be rude, Captain, but pray tell. When you were joined with Tigran did you undergo the Zhian'tara?" he asked taking yet another sip of his tea. He set the mug down at an end table beside him. "I heard that is quite the experience" added Doctor Deepak El-Azar.

She shook her head. "No, it has been a while since I have been anywhere near Trill in order to do it, it is something I have wanted to do for a long time."

"Hmm" replied Deepak. "Quite the under taking it is from what I've read, not that there's much out there on Trill ritualistic practices. Despite all these years in the Federation your people do not offer much from an insider's perspective of things" he said with a slight smile. "What about romances? Were any of your past hosts married?" he asked though he dare not ask about her current situation.

"Once from either side," Tali replied. "Ariana and Altus both got married, experiencing marriage from both sides is certainly eye opening."

"Most certainly, Captain. Most certainly indeed" replied Deepak. "Having been in various relationship dynamics myself it can be quite the eye opening experience" he added.

"Were you married?" Taliserra asked hoping to find out a few things about Deepak, not much was known about the humanoid she'd originally allowed onto the ship for socialogical research purposes.

He snorted. "In what sense? To a person, place, idea, or thing?" he replied with a slightly hightened sense that the tables were trying to be turned on him. "If you mean in the archaic sense of 'to death do us part, love honor and obey' sort of marriage that Humans were used to...I was never one to obey."

Taliserra smiled "Not one to be tied down to something then, don't you have any attachments, family and all that?"

"There are a few species in which I could procreate with, but that's neither here nor there. I see no need to produce a genetic offspring off my own though there's a chance or two that I may have in my past. I was an unruly adolescent" he commented almost gleefully triumphant. "But that was then and...well, if you had any children by your past hosts would you keep in contact with them."

"As much as we would like to and believe me the desire is strong, by Trill law we are not allowed to reassociate with the families of previous hosts." Taliserra paused for a moment reminiscing as a strong memory came to the forefront of her mind. "I did meet Vian's wife once only to help give her some closure on how he died and that he will live on in Tigran."

Deepak nodded "Yes, I understand that would be a bit problematic" he replied. "It is not laws that would prevent me from doing so, but if I were in your shoes I would not get involved with the families of past hosts out of principle. There would just be too much of emotional risk."

Taliserra hummed an agreement. "The sudden waves of emotions and memories we can get when we're joined are incredible, some get overwhelmed by them and struggle to cope despite the best efforts of the symbiosis commission."

"Some people inherit family heirlooms, small knick-knacks from granny, odds and ends, trinkets from an aunty, but not Trills. No, your people when joined with a symbiont especially one who has been around for centuries...you get lifetimes of emotions and experiences" replied Deepak. "That is not something one can sell or trade-in."

"Oh I still have trinkets and heirlooms, my mother bought some to give me when she came aboard to help me while I was pregnant and with some babysitting." She smiled slightly.

Deepak smiled in return. "Ah Motherhood. It looks lovely on you, Captain, if I may say so" he said lifting the mood a bit. "If it wouldn't be too much of a bother to you, I would quite enjoy conversations like this once in a while, your schedule permitting of course...can't dare hog the Captain's time. We could even meet somewhere less stuff than my office if you'd prefer?"

"My door is always open," Taliserra replied. "I like to let my crew come to me with problems rather than wait for them to fester and grow."

The Counselor chuckled at that and stood up. "Well, I can respect that. It sounds awfully familiar," he added. "Captain, I do believe I have taken enough of your time for this little pow-wow of a session," he said with a subtle gesture towards the doorway.

Finishing the last dregs of her tea Taliserra stood up too. "It has been nice to talk to you." She said though she felt like not much had been talked about, it didn't feel like any counseling session she had been in before.

Deepak smiled as he observed the shifting of body language albeit ever so slightly. He could tell she was caught somewhat off guard and perhaps even taken aback by his methodology. "Were you expecting something a little more probing for your first counseling session with me, Captain?" he asked almost playfully.

Before she could reply though, he supplied her with a bit of perspective. "You've been in this room for a bit of time, probably longer than you'd normally want with a counselor given your reluctance. You talked to me about your previous hosts, their relationships and families, even a bit about their deaths. We touched a bit upon motherhood in your present being. I even was fortunate enough to hear about Trill law."

"Maybe I just needed someone to talk to that wouldn't try and get me to talk about things I don't want to." Taliserra smiled slightly.

"Oh that sounds about right to me, Captain" replied the counselor. "I wish my becoming this ship's Counselor would have been under far different circumstances, but I do love being here. It may not have been the sort of thing I expected to be doing mid research, but in a way, I feel as though I was here right when the cosmos needed me to be."

"You seem to be doing an alright job under the circumstances Deepak," Taliserra replied as she headed closer to the door.

"Thank you, Captain" he replied as he walked her towards the door. "It does mean a lot to me that you entrusted someone...an outsider to this position. I know a Starfleet crew is more used to a Starfleet counselor for such a position, not a civilian psychiatrist such as myself."

Taliserra smiled glad he was enjoying himself. "While I don't know much about counselors and their techniques I would imagine one that serves starfleet is held to several probably stupid regulations that civillian ones aren't."

Deepak nodded "Yes, I would say so" he replied agreeing with that assessment. "I have known a few. There are certainly some things that Starfleet and my techniques would not see eye to eye on" he added. This caused him to remember something important.

Damn he thought to himself. My requests his mind went to a PaDD that had been lying on an end table in his office. It contained some formal requests he had intended to make. Without putting much thought into it, his emotional pull...his desire to hand the PaDD to the Captain caused a reaction.

The sound of something rattling in the room was quickly followed by a PaDD coming zipping through the air like a baseball being thrown. Deepak's quick reflexes snatched it into his possession before it came crashing against a bulkhead or nose-diving to the floor. He looked at the Captain a bit awkwardly.

"I uh meant to give this to you earlier. I know it's routine to make such requests through the First Officer or your Yeoman, but Commander Radak would have likely dismissed my requests as illogical" said Deepak rolling his eyes. "Your Yeoman would have probably buried it towards the bottom."

Taliserra took the Padd as Deepak spoke but the words completely flew over her head as the took in the spectacle of a Padd flying across the room, she'd read reports of the odd species with unusual abilities but never seen something like this in the flesh. "That was..... unexpected." She said after a few seconds.

"What?" replied the Counselor a little embarrassed at what happened and hoping it would have gone unnoticed. "Feeling alright, Captain? You must be a bit fatigued" he added nervously. "I just need one of the science labs, a sensory attenuation tank constructed, a supply of magnesium sulfate, and some of the ship's water reserve."

"You're not getting out of explaining this Deepak," Taliserra told him sternly, having someone with unusual and previously unknown about powers onboard was a security risk for a start. "Why did a Padd suddenly fly into your hand from across the room."

"Poltergeist" he replied with a shrug. "We might have a few friendly ghosts aboard, Captain. You know there are several dozen cultures across the galaxy who believe in an afterlife, some have a belief in spirits of sorts. It's quite fascinating actually; However, some would argue if someone sees an object move across a room or a figure in the dark, it's often due to explainable reasons grounded in science."

Taliserra gave Deepak a look that showed she clearly didn't beleive him. "Computer," She called out. "Seal the door to the chief counsellors office and erect a level 10 forcefield around the entire room."

The computer beeped and a quick wooshing sound was heard as the forcefield came up.

"Sit down and explain why you have telekinetic abilities," She said finally remembering the word she'd seen in the reports "and why you hid them from us or your next stop is a holding cell."

"Captain, you really do not want to do that" replied the Counselor walking back over to the replicator. He ordered himself a herbal tea and took a few gentle sips as he walked around the room, almost measuring up the Captain, before deciding to take the suggested seat.

He sat his tea down and took a few deep breaths. He sort of sat there starring off in the distance with an almost comatose like trance conducive state. The room had been sealed off from the inside; however, the chime rang. From outside a presence waited a response.

Deepak was still sitting there before the Captain. He was in a perplexing state, there and yet not fully there cognitively. Almost as if he were sleep walking. He did manage to ask one simple question: "Are you going to answer that?"

=/\= Tigran to security, did you send officers to my position?=/\=

=/\= Yes Captain, responding to the forcefield activation, are you alright? =/\=

=/\= I'm fine, have the officers to remain outside unless I call for them.=/\=

=/\= Understood, we will monitor the room.=/\=

"I may not want to and you might not want me to but it's happening." Taliserra said moving away from the door. "I want to know who or what you are Deepak."

"He's as useless to you right now as he ever will be, spots" came a response, not from the seated and stationary counselor, but from a far corner of the room. Where the shadows had concealed his presence for the past few seconds.

Stepping out from the shadows was another figure. It was Deepak in many ways. It looked like Deepak at least, but the clothing was different. The style was off. The clothing's colors were darker, edgier, and not the garish flamboyant garb that Deepak normally wore. This...duplicate walked with arrogance about him. "Take a seat. You don't look like you'll be leaving any time soon."

"Do I need to call in my security." Taliserra asked the duplicate Deepak trying to keep a stern face despite being extremely confused about where it came from. "Or are you going to suddenly disarm or stun them like you always hear about from Captain Kirks exploits with unusual creatures."

"Well, I guess that depends," replied the duplicate with a smirk. "Have you found a Security Chief that will actually stay with this starship, or will you continue having small petite dolls run your security forces aboard?" countered the duplicate who had all the knowledge that his 'hard copy' had.

His hand sliced through the air dismissively. "There are a few seats in here if you want to invite them to this soiree, my spotted delight, but don't worry your pretty little head. I'm not going to suddenly disarm them. There's no need for them."

Taliserra remained standing. "So what are you?" She asked, "a physical manifestation of some part of Deepak's psyche? The real Deepak? or a figment of my imagination and I'm actually talking to the wall."

"I'm awfully handsome for a wall, am I not?" he replied shaking his head. "I am what I am and not what I am not. I am both Deepak and most certainly not Deepak. Part of his psyche? Mmm, one could say so. A manifestation is accurate" he added.

"Let's see," he said walking over to the replicator again. "Computer, Earth toy...magic eight ball" he said. A sphere-shaped object soon manifested and the duplicate picked it up and looked at the Captain. "Will you find your answers tonight?" he said aloud in reference to the Captain's line of questioning.

He shook the eight ball and titled it to read the response. "Don't count on it" he read aloud.

"I assume Deepak has telepathic abilities as well then, telepathic projection is a very rare ability I'm led to believe," Taliserra said only partially understanding what was happening before her. "So are you his 'evil' side? the side he tries to keep undercover?"

The duplicate or manifestation scoffed "Me? Evil?" he repeated almost offended at the accusation. "People in glass houses should not throw stones. Which one of you is the evil one? Ariana, Altus, or one of the others?" countered the duplicate. "Maybe sleeping beauty over there is the evil one...maybe neither of us are. What's rare for some is common for others."

"Enough," Taliserra said ignoring the provocation. "why have you manifested and what is your purpose?"

"Bored" he said quickly in response. "He's tired and stressed. He has no control over me though he would love to. He's been trying for years to find a way, but one cannot be the master of themselves. The sun rises and the moon sets. Rarely are they seen in the Earth's sky at once. One chases the other, and I grow wary of his cat and mouse antics."

"Want do you want?" She asked hoping that he'd get to the real reason he'd appeared.

The duplicate shot a bit of tea and swallowed. "Some of those men out there in their form-fitting security uniforms for starters, but I am a bit more than they can handle" replied the duplicate with a cheeky wink. "Nothing. I just want to be left alone. I come out when tall, dark, and boring over there is asleep. When he doesn't take his medication and is stressed I get to party."

"If you wanted to be left alone why did you come out?" She asked. "Now I know you exist I'm going to have more and more things to ask you about."

"Shame you aren't as graceful as Ariana was" he replied simply. "She would have been a much better dance partner" added the manifestation. "Why did I come out? Because I exist therefore I am. You..he..all of you cannot keep me inside of some glass bottle or oil lamp like a jinn. I deserve to be able to roam just as you do, just as he does. He and I may have a complicated relationship, but if there is one thing we both know all too well it is the barriers people and civilizations erect when they cannot understand those who are different from them. I implore you...don't be as shallow."

"How are you different from Deepak, why would he want to block you out." Taliserra asked.

"I am not different so much as I am more free" the duplicate attempted to explain. "I am what happens when the control isn't there, when his guard is lowered, and I do and say what he wishes he could, but doesn't permit himself to" continued the duplicate. "He blocks me because he doesn't want to be held accountable for my actions."

"And what actions would they be?" She asked slightly concerned, these 'actions' were probably bad if Deepak was concerned about accountability.

"Oh you wiil find out eventually" replied the duplicate. "I think I have wasted enough of my time answering your endless questions" he added as he approached Deepak and placed his hand on Deepak's shoulder. It was a peculiar thing to observe, two 'beings' as it were coming together until there was only one...only Depak who had been mostly non-verbal for the whole ordeal, starring off into nothingness.

Deepak started to stir a bit. His head moved and he yawned as he looked up and over at the Captain. "Captain? You are still here." said Deepak clealry in a bit of a mental haze.

Taliserra watched the manifestation return into Deepak before she moved and knelt beside him. "Are you alright?"

He looked at the Captain and flashed a small smile. "Oh don't worry about me, Captain. I look worse than I am" he said holding his head. "My head is pounding, but that happens. I could use some rest, but I'll be back to my chipper self and ready for duty."

She smiled glad he wasn't worse for wear. "Are you aware of what happened? you looked comatose for most of it."

Deepak sighed. This was familiar to him and typically it meant 'he' had come out. "I am fine Captain. I am perfectly fine. Being Halanan...well significantly Halanan comes with some downsides. I suspect that you met 'him' for which I apologize. That is why my requests are important."

"He was certainly a surprise," She remarked. "has he always been with you?"

"Yes and no" replied Deepak. "Naturally, a Halanan will always have that potential within them, but it lies dormant and does not present itself as a problem until later in life. I guess the term would be puberty. When a Halanan reaches such an age it starts to show and it takes them a while to understand it...but it becomes more problematic again when Halanans are elderly."

"There's not much information on Halanan's in the federation database," She told him, "you're my first. How often can this happen? I wouldn't want him suddenly manifesting while you're doing something important."

"Captain, respectfully...I'm not as fragile as I may look" replied Deepak. "There's not much information on Halanans for a reason. They are not a Federation member, and they do like their privacy. This is not something that is going to just occur at random. I need to be extremely fatigued or exhausted. It can happen when I am asleep, sometimes in deep meditation, but I do not plan on doing either when I am on duty."

"That's good." She smiled again as she stood up and moved to the sofa happy that this duplicate wasn't going to show up randomly. "Computer deactivate the forcefield and unseal the door."

"Trust is the first step towards a healthy working relationship" commented Deepak with a small smile. "If you approve those requests I suspect we won't be seeing him as frequently."

Remembering the PADD she'd had in her hand the entire time Taliserra looked through it. "I'll have a word with engineering, see what they can do for you, can I ask how they will help you?"

He knew that it would probably take several hours to explain in great detail, maybe a few days to truly work it out to a reasonable understanding. So, he opted to just keep it simple. "A scientist I'm familiar with, Dr. Lilly made significant use of the sensory attenuation tank. I believe that I can induce a meditative state and perhaps make a deeper connection with...my other self" he explained though he opted to omit a few things.

"And hopefully come to more agreeable terms." Taliserra said as she stood. "I wish you luck Deepak."

Deepak nodded. "Thank you, Captain. I appreciate your support, and thank you for everything."

"Get some rest, you look like you need it. Now if you'll excuse me," She said heading towards the door. "I have to pick up my daughter."

He replied with a simple subtle nod. He would indeed get some rest and in the morning he would tackle some issues head-on.

Taliserra quickly left the room dismissing the security waiting outside, as she walked she made a note to check the sensor data security had got of the room, it would be interesting to see how or if the duplicate appeared on sensors as a person.


OFF:


Captain Taliserra Tigran
Commanding Officer

Dr. Deepak El-Azar, MD, Msc.D
Ship's Counselor

 

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