Guilty til proven innocent?

Posted on Fri Apr 1st, 2022 @ 10:35pm by Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Commander Finchley Kerr

Mission: Paranoia Nebula
Location: Kerr’s Quarters

{ON}

After recent events Aurora decided to ‘bite the bullet’ as the old Earth saying went, and headed to speak to Finchley. Heading to his quarters she took a deep breath before pressing the chime.

Inside, Finchley had just settled into his armchair with a cup of tea and a prized copy of 'Beau Geste' when his door chime sounded. Putting both tea cup and book down, he headed to the door saying "Open."

As the door opened she offered a brief smile. “May I speak with you Commander?”

Finchley stiffened as he came to a stop, the ships Chief Counsellor was quite literally the last person he'd been expecting to see standing there.

"May I ask what it's regarding Counsellor, I didn't think we were due a routine revue for several weeks?" Finchley asked.

Aurora nodded. “That’s true, it’s regarding ... what happened to Niali. May I come in?”

"That situation will surely be getting placed under a review as to your actions against Doctor Korial, Lieutenant Vali" Finchley replied "Should we actually be discussing it?" he added, unsure as what Aurora was looking to achieve by speaking to him.

“I’m not here to try and talk my way out of anything Commander, in-fact I’ve requested a hearing. I just ...” Aurora paused. “I wanted to clear the air with you, I feel guilty enough as it is. It’s not pleasant feeling like I’m being viewed as an attempted murderer.”

"That's an extremely serious accusation to make against me Lieutenant" Finchley replied "that I view you as an attempted murderer, I've said no such thing to you."

“I didn’t say I was accusing you Commander, it’s how I feel.” Aurora paused. “You couldn’t even look at me when you were on the bridge, and I can’t blame you for that.”

"I didn't look at any others on the bridge besides the Captain, Lieutenant" Finchley replied "Helm, Navigation, Science, Communications, Stellar Cartography included. My shift had finished, I was tired, I just wanted to make my report to the Captain, go and visit Doctor Korial to see how she was doing then return and get some rest as the Captain requested. Do you believe that those bridge officers and crew also thought I couldn't look at them for some reason?" Finchley asked.

Aurora paused. She had automatically assumed Finchley was angry with her. “I ...” She paused. “I’m sorry I misunderstood. Even my husband thinks I’m overreacting, maybe I am but I feel guilty for what I did to Niali. It may not have been me in control but I still hurt her.”

"It pains me more that you assumed I'm angry at you for what happened to Doctor Korial, that I blame you for stabbing her" Finchley said "that's for a inquest to decide, right now, my concerns are to do my duty by the Captain, see that this crew and the ship get back to DS9 without further incident and ensure someone I care for makes the best recovery they can...in that order Lieutenant."

Aurora smiled. “Thank you, I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. I’m letting my own insecurities get the better of me, I know I shouldn’t.”

"I'm not upset Counsellor, merely concerned that my...for lack of a better word...honour, is called into question" Finchley replied.

“Not at all” Aurora offered an apologetic glance. “It’s a misunderstanding on my part, that’s why I came to clear the air. I hope you will forgive me for leaping to conclusions, and for what I did.”

"To Doctor Korial?" Finchley asked.

Aurora nodded. “Niali and Savar tell me it wasn’t my fault, but it feels like it is.”

"You're the only one who can give a true account of how you were and how you felt at the moment the incident happened Lieutenant Vali" Finchley replied "no-one else. I would doubt using measures such as a mind meld or using hypnosis can give what is a true account, they'd simply be tapping into the sub conscious and the mind is a complex thing, there's still so much we don't know about it."

His tiredness was beginning to tell on him as he let his weight drop onto one hip as he leaned against the door frame.

"From my own experience, what I can recall, it was like a fog rolling in over my conscious thoughts. However, as I'd seen this happen to others, I realised it was happening to me, so no doubt, through panic, my natural adrenalin kicked in allowing me to fight back and try and retain control. I'm not saying everyone did, or in fact could have, reacted like that. Can you explain how it felt for you when it happened, perhaps that could go some way to explaining what you did?" he finished.

“How it felt?” Aurora paused. “It felt like ... well, like I was a passenger in my own body. I was moving but it wasn’t me that was in the pilot’s seat. I was locked away in my own mind and not able to stop myself!” She shook her head. “Whatever that thing was, it wanted this ship, and it was willing to control others to get it.”

"So you believe this 'entity' had a consciousness that allowed it to choose who it invaded?" Finchley asked "If that's the case, why would it choose you, then decide Doctor Korial was a threat so attempt to kill her, it makes no sense, she has no baring on the Command part of this ship?"

“She was in the way of me leaving Sickbay” Aurora sighed. “It just wanted me to get to the bridge, it wasn’t a separate entity it was just the mind of the creature outside. It was immensely powerful.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I’ve held you up long enough, thank you for allowing me to talk about this.”

"I don't think it's resolved anything Lieutenant, but you're welcome" Finchley replied "Have a pleasant day" he finished, turning round and heading back to his chair.

{OFF}