Posted by Fleet Captain Drudoc Andone (Commanding Officer) in If it’s not chocolate, it’s not breakfast.
[snip]

Fayth took a very long slow sip of her water contemplating her answer. Trying to put voice to how she felt and what she thought. “The short answer is no. Maybe, the first few days, I did. I’m a doctor, not a scientist. That’s how I felt at least. But what I told you at lunch is true. I want to advance my career, I just wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast. Not after the push back I received on my first posting. I expected those reviews to negatively impact my options. Dr. Zarath and Lt Marsh, I know had given me glowing reviews, but, well,” she shrugged, “apparently the others didn’t matter. Once I came on board I realized how much I enjoy the science department. Not that I was expecting not to, but I was…afraid I guess, that my science expertise was too narrow because of my medical training. And it’s not. I mean honestly right now I end every day feeling like I competed in an Iron Man competition, and there is some new responsibility added that I was never aware of. I don’t regret it though, and I’m enjoying the challenge.” And then the truth of it for her. “And then there are days where I can be so overwhelmed by the input I can barely function. Like the night at the bowling alley. Dr Marshall ended up sedating me for the pain. Where does that leave my department?” And then she’s not quite rambling about her job being more about making sure the department can run without her in those instances and the logistics of it. It’s obvious she has a quick mind that can process it all at speed and that she’s already put much thought into the problem to ensure her own medical needs are not a hindrance to her department. Drudoc had asked for an honest answer and she probably got more than she bargained for.

She stops suddenly. “Sorry Cpt. But no I don’t regret it, I’m enjoying the challenge and the experience.”

Lt jg Fayth, CSO

Drudoc sipped her drink again. Considering the words Fayth gave. “..Lieutenant feel free to ignore my question if it is too personal, but what other methods have you considered for controlling your stronger telepathic abilities?” Drudoc inquired. They were obviously getting off track from the original topic of plants but concern for her crew’s well being obviously was equally important to the Captain.

Drudoc Andone CO

“Early on the doctors tried medicines, inhibitor’s but found, like with others like myself, the dosages would have to be so high they were dangerous. I’ve studied with Ullians, Haliians, I tried studying with the Cairn once. And of course I studied with Vulcans. None if it ever really made sense to me, until after I was on Challenger.” Sharah fiddles with her ring a moment. “They always told me to imagine a quiet and peaceful place. Or to simply turn the noise down or off. When I was on Challenger I was very sick. I was infected with an unknown parasite and it fed off the psilosynine in my paracortex. By the time Dr Mika figured out what was wrong the parasite had created several lesions on my brain. When I woke up I could hear nothing, feel nothing. Until then I didn’t know what it felt like to have silence and peacefulness. It sounds like such a simple thing, but with no point of reference I didn’t know how to imagine it. It was a foreign concept to me.” Sharah sighs softly. “I never thought I would try Vulcan techniques again after my time there. But I’ve modified one of their meditation techniques for myself and I’ve had some success. I can’t turn it off. I don’t think that’s possible, but I can, for a few minutes at a time, turn the volume down. I hope, with practice, I’ll get better at it.”

Fayth points to the map mounted above her desk. “I’ve been researching for a cure or a treatment since I was 12. That map shows every location an oversensitive telepath has been born, where they lived, where they travelled, where we’ve intersected. I was trying to find a common cause or maybe something that helped. Those who found some relief,” Sharah shrugs. She has a theory but not one she’s willing to share with anyone. “There is nothing in common for them. And those accounts are very old and not well documented.”

Lt. jg Fayth, CSO

Drudoc listened carefully, “..Lieutenant, you probably aren’t aware, but growing up Romulan children often go through similar moments of latent telepathic problems. Obviously they’re nowhere near as bad as what you describe. Romulans like Vulcans sometimes have latent touch based telepathy. But the pain they feel from touch can be difficult barriers to overcome. My mother had such problems in her youth she told me, as did my younger sister Tel’shen. In both cases they found that by simply accepting rather than resisting the ‘noise’ they got from those they might touch the process took time, in my Mother’s case nearly 2 months of intense touch therapy to full ‘grow used’ to the ‘noise’..” She explained.

“I had wondered if Romulan’s did. The history between Romulan and Vulcan is standard history at the Academy. But it doesn’t cover if Romulans have the same telepathic ability as Vulcans. On a very personal level I surmised with the shared genetic history. I also wondered because Romulan minds are much more stable and formitable than Vulcan minds. Vulcan minds are much too chaotic and fragile.” Sharah coughs suddenly. “I…I don’t mean to sound…I’m not sure. I forget I shouldn’t say things like that. It got me into trouble when I studied on Vulcan. The monks didn’t like me too much. I saw things they don’t want other species to see or understand.”

”..I’m not saying its a solution by any measure, nor am I an expert on such matters. But the brain is a muscle in a sense. Like any muscle it can be trained and exercised. Perhaps if you learned to exercise it to have more ‘endurance’ to such noise it could help you in turn better filter such noise by your other means. Obviously this would and could take time and I’m not suggesting you jump into it like one would a cold pond, but ease into it..” She went on.

”..In short though I would say that like anyone you yourself are unique and special. Even others who may have had the same problems as you, I think would find that what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. Mold the best of what works in whatever forms, forge your own path. Your abilities are not a handicap if you ask me but a special gift which you can adapt to and use if you ask me. Perhaps it is just you have not yet found or developed what will work for you..” She stated.

Drudoc Andone CO

“It’s like..a sea. I can surf on the waves most of the time and I’m okay. But sometimes there are…storms and that’s when I have trouble. And honestly, Captain, the Ark Angel is a much bigger sea than I am used to surfing above. On Betazed it’s not as bad. Everyone is used to their minds being heard. I just have to make sure its conscious thought and not subconscious I’m responding to. Here, I have to watch everything I say. It’s taking me longer to learn the rhythm of the waves than I thought. I have lived with this my whole life. It can be problematic but it won’t stop me. My doctors didn’t think I’d make it through the Academy, but here I am.”
Lt jg Fayth, CSO