=-=
“Choices And Decisions”
[previous post was "One Catastrophe At A Time" by our great leader Francois]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Shar'El's Quarters
Stardate: 30149.0900

The ILO laid on top of her bed sheets, oblivious to the universe around her.  The night long debriefing, if one cared to call it that, had taken its toll on Shar'El and the medication given to her by Doctor Mizore had sealed the deal.  Right now the ANUBIS itself could have been boarded by a hostile alien force and eventually destroyed without the dark haired woman ever knowing what had happened.

As she turned in search of a more comfortable position, Shar'El's hand brushed against her forehead and displaced the neural inhibitor.  From that point on the ILO's peaceful rest began to be filled with images and memories that had not originated from her life experiences, but from the gathered knowledge found deep within the ancient machine.

=-=

Weightless and not bound by any sort of physical form, the ILO floated through the emptiness of space, her sight reaching to the very edge of the cosmos.  The lack or a breathable atmosphere or the absolute cold did not bother the woman who did not even think of such things, her mind far more interested in the unseen mysteries that beckoned her closer.

Lightyears were crossed in a single heartbeat and millenium passed in the blink of her eye, not that the ILO's eyes had actually been of any use, her perception of the cosmos having been more of an extra-sensory perception allowing her to 'see' everything all at once.

In a matter of seconds Shar'El could observe the rise and fall of entire civilizations as well as the birth and death of distant stars.  Languages that had not been heard or read for several thousand years filled her mind along with songs and melodies that had been as old as the universe itself.

The history of countless worlds came into view, leaving the ILO in absolute awe at the countless scenes that unveiled themselves to her without asking.  A symphony of colors filled the mind of the sleeping woman as a myriad of astral phenomenon came into focus, each more mesmerizing and beautiful than the one before.

Knowledge beyond anyone's understanding had been hers to grasp even if only for a second before being replaced by more images, each as breathtaking as the next.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Shar'El's Quarters
Stardate: 30149.1600

"Good morning sleepy head," the Bajoran Doctor said as she drew the Ullian officer from her slumber.  "I hope you slept well."

"Slept?" Shar'El said, desperately trying to hold on the the rapidly feeding images that had invaded her mind.  "I was sleeping?"

"For just over five hours," the aCMO said, glad to see that her patient appeared to be feel much better than how she had left her to be.  "I'm guess that you had pleasant dreams."

"Dreams? No!" Shar'El said as she bounced out of her bed and straight to the door of her quarters.  "Sorry Doctor, but I have tio take care of something NOW."

Before Seska could even begin to realize what had happened, the ILO had exited her quarters and left the Bajoran Doctor alone to try and figure out what had just taken place.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counselor's Office
Stardate: 30149.1610

"Counselor," the ILO said with a definite tone of urgency as she burst into Eve's office, "I need to speak with you."

"You have nothing to worry about," the Counselor said having expected the reason for the panic woman's outburst to be the debriefing the trio had taken part in the night before.  "Nothing happened last night, at least nothing that would get any one of us court marshalled."

"What? No!" Shar'El grunted, her own thoughts having made it so that she had not truly heard what Eve had said.  "I need you to put me in some sort of trance so that I can remember the dream that I just had.  I will also need for you to record those images."

"Must have been some dream you had," the Counselor said in a joking manner which was almost instantly dismissed by the black haired Intel Liaison Officer.

"This is not a joke Eve," Shar'El pleaded.  "When I scanned the memories of that ancient machine something stayed with me, something huge, and I need to hold on to it before it is too late."

"You probably just remembered some residual images from your scan," Counselor Dalziel said, trying her best to calm the agitated woman standing in front of her.

"This was not a single image, or a single memory," the ILO explained as she took hold of the Cardassian born woman's shoulders.  "It was knowledge that had been gathered from the very beginning of the universe, knowledge that as this ship's Intel Officer is my responsibility to somehow remember, record and analyse."

"Alright," Eve sighed, obviously this having been of great importance to Shar'El.  "Have a seat and try to relax.  I will see what I can do but will need to call Doctor Doyanne to help with the recording of your memories, if we can actually do that."  the CNS moved away and dimmed the lights as the ILO sat in the reclining chair.  "Dalziel to Doyanne, I need you in my office."

=/\= Sorry. Can't. If you need help from a Doctor, call Mizore, I truly cannot stop what I am doing right now. Doyanne out. =/\=

Eve remained speechless at the answer she had received.  What could have been so important as to lead the CMO to be so cold and dismissive?  The Counselor would have to investigate this at a later time, but for now addressing the immediate needs of the ILO had taken priority.

"Doctor Mizore, this is Counselor Dalziel, please report to my office and bring your medical scanner. I may have a challenge for you."

=/\= A challenge? =/\= Seska said, her grin audible through the open comm channel.  =/\= On my way, Mizore out. =/\=

"Alright," Eve continued as she turned back to look at the now sitting ILO.  "Try to relax, take deep breaths and focus on the dream, the images and knowledge you want to hold on to."

Shar'El nodded her head and closed her eyes, trying her best to comply with the Counselor's words and hoping that all of this would not be proven to be in vain.

=-=

NM:

Francois: Sorry but this was the best that I could do.  I know that it is well short of what you had hoped and for that i am truly sorry.

Susan: Thought that maybe this would give you something to work with.  I am sure that everyone else is missing reading your posts as much as I am.

Gwen: Thought that this would lead to something interesting between our characters, at the very least an apology from Shar'El for having left the way she did and maybe a thank you for what may come to be on this matter.

Jessica and Lorraine: You two have been quiet for a while, I hope that everything is alright.  If I can do something to help, just let me know.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Ensign Shar'El
Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS