Meld

Posted on Sun Mar 8th, 2026 @ 11:05pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Sethan MD & Captain Zseeq & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D'BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant JG Maran & Ensign Roju

2,209 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Life
Location: Sickbay

A very unhappy and exhausted looking Sethan approached the Trill chief medical officer. "I'm sorry doctor, but right now the only means we have to ascertain that you're you, that your actual soul is in that artificial body, is a mind meld." He glanced back over his shoulder, then back at the Trill woman. "Under normal circumstances I'm obligated to ask for consent, but the captain has given his orders..."

The Vulcan lifted a mildly trembling hand towards her, offering a monitor. "You have my word that whatever you show me will be treated as confidential." He glanced at the other two who were sat nearby. "That goes for all of you. Nothing will be repeated to another party without your consent." His eyes reverted again back towards the doctor. "Are you ready?"

Mel was none too happy. She had had a couple of melds in her time and a few prior hosts had also had to endure one. "As I will ever be," she stated flatly.

Sethan gently positioned his hand against the contact points on her face and closed his eyes, concentrating on sending his mind forward, searching for her consciousness.

Her prior experience of melds meant many memories jumping about. Luckily with several hosts Mel was used to that. Although she didn't exactly know what he needed to see. Her, she had to prove it was her. Suddenly she was there running. Barely a teenager. Not yet joined. Chasing another Trill a friend. "Are you really going to join Starfleet?" he asked.

"Yes I want to be a doctor," she grinned. The excitement of learning and self confidence that she could train to help people was filling her to the brim. "And I will get to see the stars."

Sethan witnessed the carefree youth which was so different from his own. But he knew this wasn't enough so he pressed on, pushing himself through the surface memories. He needed to get to the core, what made her well...her? He knew he didn't know her that well, but he did know she was dedicated. I'm sorry he apologised as he pressed on, knowing it had to be uncomfortable. His physical form bowed his head, the strain visible on his face.

Suddenly everything shifted and Mel was hooked up to operating equipment. Trills surrounding her. Pain in her abdomen seared and flashed followed by crazy amounts of memories. Memories not her own. Snapshots of life, lives. Prior ones. Her heart rate was sky high.

"She needs more Isoboramine," someone said. "Come on D'BrooNi successfully connect."

Mel screamed as an injection was administered and more and more memories flooded her mind, her senses. She didn't know where she began and then ended. She was fighting to stay her reliving the joining.

"Push him out not us," the voice so real rang in both their heads. "The Vulcans doing this without consent," another said angrily. "Get him, this is a violation to you, all of us and D'BrooNi." Her hosts were really mad and trying force the invading Vulcan out.

The voices in her memories were overwhelming. His expression tightened further, his eyes wrenched shut. He refused to budge, pushing past the loud memories. No... I'm here to help, I have to prove she's real. That her soul is here.

Having lived the meld one and become the dominant host, Mel knew she could do it again so she told them all, ~He's under orders. Its not his fault. You are a part of me but he needs to see me,~ she knew what she had to do now and assumed the relevant memories would follow.

"My first posting was onboard the Dark Phoenix. I married Ian Brooks a human there. My mother Lorena and my brother Tay came to live with me. I had a dog called Nobu and then Paddy and Charlie my two kids came along," she told him speaking out loud smiling as she guessed right the people she mentioned, the memories appearing around them. It was even like they were stood on her first star ship.

The words were unheard in the physical world, the man focused on the mental images and shutting everything else out to keep his focus. He felt her emotions as if he were living through the times himself and it was a rather unique experience. To feel what she had felt, no equipment could match that. No readings could prove a feeling.Two children, like himself...but hadn't there been three? A stray thought triggered another memory.

Mel swallowed sadly as Keiben appeared. "My second husband," she said, "Keiben. Again I was widowed. Blue fins," she shuddered as the alien parasites flashed around them. "They took control of him, infiltrated the station. I didn't know who to trust. I got Charlie out, star fleet alerted. They took me on route back to Earth, reunited me with Charlie but ..... Our baby ...." she looked down her belly suddenly pregnant, "our boy ....." there was a strange shudder as if the scene couldn't play much further. One second she was in a birthing bed and then it stopped. No pain like last time.

"He died. I lost them both," she said sadly.

She couldn't remember much of the birth, completely drugged. The memories flowing now were just people telling her afterwards, holding the child one time. Tears. Hugging Charlie. Then questioning back on Earth. Central Starfleet determining was she working with the blue fins, was she a risk. They didn't trust her despite risking and losing everything. It felt similar to this scenario but she proved herself. Finally a formal debrief and offer to work at Starfleet medical where she had stayed until this assignment had come up. "I will prove myself again. I am me Sethan."

Sethan withdrew and lifted his hand. "I believe you are doctor," he whispered softly, "I'm sorry you had to re-experience that. I don't think you have to prove anything, but the captain feels differently. I hope this will be enough."

Maran watched intently. 'How can the Captain authorise such an invasive procedure?' The Cardassian thought. He had many memories of his childhood that he did not want to share or even remember himself. He knew objecting would make it look bad for himself.

Once the meld with the Trill doctor dissolved, Sethan turned towards the Cardassian officer, not at all certain how this would go. "I need all the help you can afford me," he whispered as he lifted his hand, "and you too have my word that I will not log any private thoughts or memories. I will only record what I felt coming from you. Are you ready?"

"Can I say no?" The Cardassian asked, nervous about what was about to happen.

The Vulcan shook his head as hepositioned trembling fingers across the Cardassian's face, adjusting minutely to accommodate for the man's ridges. As soon as his fingers made contact, their minds connected.

As soon as the Vulcan's hand touch his face, there was sudden cold. It was dark. The feeling of being enclosed was very real. Trapped. Struggling to breath. Tears rolled down the face of the young Cardassian boy. He didn't know how long he'd been there. Hours? Days? Weeks? He had soiled himself several times over and the smell was awful, mixed with smoke and dust.

Suddenly, noise, close by. The boy couldn't narrow it down. He tried to call out but couldn't. His mouth was so dry. Suddenly bright light. Voices. He was pulled out of the hell he'd been in by someone and laid on something soft. The heat from the sun was nice upon his skin. He raised his hand to cover his eyes and allow his eyes to adjust. Destruction surrounded them. What was once Maran's beautiful home on Cardassia Prime now lay in ruin and burned.

"It's going to be ok, kiddo, I promise." Said a human male voice who stood over him while another one moved a medical device over his body.

In the physical worlds, tears started to roll down the Vulcan's face in a mix of grief and exhaustion. He knew how it felt to be orphaned and to be alone. I grieve with thee... the thought was earnest but it wasn't why he was here. The grief did feel real, something that couldn't be mimicked, but would the captain be satisfied? Resolved, but with waning strength, he pushed on, towards the core, the soul.

Having just experienced this procedure Mel knew exactly what the Cardassian was going through and felt for him. Her meld had dissolved but the images and emotions were still raw. Seeing Keiben again had knocked her, she had felt she had got the grief under control but it had been so real. She could see Sethan with tears on his cheek and felt for him also. Having worked with him, she knew this was not a situation he wanted to have put them in.

Maran suddenly came back to the here and now and shoved the Vulcan away. It was more of act of protection for himself rather than an act of aggression towards Sethan. He breathed deeply as tears rolled down his grey and scaly face.

A few moments passed and Maran allowed himself to calm. "My...My apologies. The slaughter of my people at the hands of the Jem'Hadar is a memory i wish to bury forever. My emotions got the better of me."

Sethan staggered as the meld dissolved. "Don't apologise," he whispered, "I'm the one who has to, for having you relive this. I'm so sorry you had to go through this..."

Chase Thompson stood by the bulkhead, but he wasn’t pacing anymore. His primary concern had shifted from the abstract puzzle of the situation to the very real, visceral violation happening in front of him. His duty was to protect the ship, yes, but he also felt a deep, quiet responsibility for the well-being of the crew—even the ones currently under suspicion. Seeing Sethan, whom he respected for his discipline, trembling and weeping, and Maran reliving what was clearly a soul-crushing trauma, made Chase’s jaw set in a hard, tight line. He hated this. It felt disorderly, unethical, and above all, unkind.

He took a step forward, not toward the "suspects" as a predator, but toward the pair as a guardian who had seen enough. He didn't interrupt the meld as he knew the dangers of a sudden break, but he positioned himself to shield them from the cold gaze of the security cameras and any other onlookers.

"That's enough," Chase said softly, his voice devoid of his usual professional detachment. It wasn't a command to the Vulcan, but a plea for the room to regain its humanity. He looked over at the Trill doctor, Mel, noticing the way she carried the weight of her many lives. He reached out a hand, hovering it near Sethan’s shoulder without making contact, ready to steady the Vulcan the moment he disconnected.

"Captain’s orders or not, we’re crossing a line here," Chase murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He looked at Maran, his eyes filled with a grounded, practical sympathy. "No one should have to bleed out their past just to prove they have a right to exist."

He glanced at the security monitors on his wrist, then back to the group. His protective instincts were flaring. To Chase, a "robot" wouldn't just be a security threat; it would be a mockery of the very memories and loyalties he held dear. But looking at the raw grief in the room, his internal compass was pointing firmly toward 'real.'

"Sethan, when you're done, get checked out. All of you are," Chase stated firmly, his need for harmony and caretaking taking over. "I’ll handle the Captain. If he wants a report, he can get it from me, but I’m not letting this turn into a psych-ward interrogation." He remained there, a silent, sturdy presence, waiting to catch whoever stumbled first when the mental bridge finally collapsed.

It took mere seconds between the dissolving of the meld and Chase stepping forward to catch the exhausted Vulcan as he fell. "I can't do this again. I have to get back to work, so I can prove to the captain that you all are you. Hold on just a little longer and I promise you'll be released." Sethan struggled himself back to his feet, using Chase as support. "Please help me back to the office," he requested softly, his voice and appearance a mere shadow of his usual self.

"Sethan," Mel said gently and calmly after him, "We know you are only following orders and trying to help. We will prove we are all who we say we are but get some rest first. Just the one meld with me was exhausting. More than one so quickly is not healthy and good on even the most proficient Vulcan."

"I know," Sethan answered, "I will rest when the captain has his report. I won't go too far." Though he knew he had already crossed his own limits. "I will be in the office."

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