The Assignment

Posted on 10 Sep 2015 @ 1:07am by Lieutenant Commander Temerant Bast

692 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Rude Awakening
Location: Trill Homeworld
Timeline: 2387 (Backpost)

Trill Homeworld
Lochees Household
23 December 2387 (Earth calendar)
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One month had passed since Temerant Lochees had been joined with the Bast symbiont. His leave of absence had been approved by Starfleet Command, during which time he had gotten to know himself, and started to integrate some of the life experiences from the previous hosts.

He'd met with Wilem Bast's family in the Zhian'azoth, a Trill ritual that allowed the symbiont to say goodbye to its previous life, and allowed the previous host's family and friends to have one final moment with a loved one.

It had been a bit awkward for Temerant - just as awkward, he recalled, as it had been for Wilem, when he had inherited the Bast symbiont from Lamorra, the first host.

For the integration period, he had settled back in the family home. The familiar surroundings had comforted him at first, but what was familiar to Temerant was also new to Bast, and this duality was unsettling. In some ways, he imagined that it might be like someone rediscovering their memories after a bout of amnesia.

Temerant walked into the kitchen and ordered a cup of matcha from the replicator. As he smelled the semi-sweet green beverage, he heard a sigh from behind. He turned around, and saw his mother seated at the table, looking at him.

"You used to hate tea," she said.

"Good morning, Mother," he said.

"And you never used to call me that," she added. "You called me Mom. Remember?"

"I know." Temerant sat across from her at the table. "Lamorra liked tea, and I guess the Bast symbiont got hooked on it through her."

Laurian merely nodded, and took a sip of her own tea. "And was Lamorra also the one who consistently forgot to put her dirty dishes back in the food dispenser?"

Temerant blushed. "No," he admitted. "I guess that was me."

Laurian put down her cup, and looked at her son. Or rather, the person who looked and sounded like her son, but was somehow different. "I didn't know your father before he was joined," she said. "So I can't compare. But I know you. I'm afraid you'll lose yourself in the joining, and be overwhelmed by the symbiont and all of its… past lives," she said, searching for the right words.

Temerant smiled. "Don't worry, Mother," he said. "I've always been more resilient than you gave me credit for. I'm in control."

Laurian's eyes filled with tears. She swallowed them back, and merely smiled, and nodded her head. She put a hand on top of his, and gave it a loving squeeze. Wordlessly, she got up, and left the room.

Temerant raised his cup and took another sip of matcha. It was true, Temerant Lochees had never cared for it. He'd been a coffee drinker, and lots of it. But it was one of the many things that had changed since being joined.

He had a newfound confidence. Temerant had been a fairly shy person, but now he was forthcoming, sure of himself, and more determined. He had more energy, more stamina, and he was hungry for new experiences. His engineering knowledge remained his own - none of Bast's previous hosts had any knowledge in Engineering, though Wilem's expertise as a scientist would also prove useful. Certainly his experience as a manager on several major projects for the Trill Science Ministry was considerable, and Starfleet was bound to be interested.

The communications station beeped, indicating that a message had come in.

"Would you get that, Tem?" called out Laurian.

Temerant walked over to the console, and turned on the viewscreen.

"It's for me," he said.

His new assignment had just come in. Starfleet Command was willing to recognize his previous hosts' experiences, and granted him a change from Engineering to Operations. He was now assigned as Operations Officer, on Deep Space 11, in the Gamma Quadrant - on the other side of the Bajoran wormhole.

He raised a fist in the air, and let out an exuberant hoot - one that was definitely not characteristic of the shy Temerant Lochees, but one that would definitely fit the new Temerant Bast.

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