0700: The Ilvian Morning
The lights in Jarem’s quarters brighten to a specific, pale gold. This is the exact hue of a winter sunrise in the Ilvian mountains. He begins his day with the Pagh’tem’far, a meditation on the soul’s path. He kneels on a woven mat, his obsidian d’ja pagh catching the light. The meditation is difficult today, the silence of his quarters feels heavier than normal, the estrangement more noticable today given its the day of celebration for the Liberation of Ilvia. He makes a mental note to call the family.

0930: Neural-Counselling Suite
His first three hours are back-to-back sessions with the crew. Jarem’s scientific background is on full display during a session with an ensign struggling with post-mission anxiety.

“Your amygdala is firing in a feedback loop, Ensign ,” Jarem notes, his voice a calm baritone, “we can use Starfleet meds to dampen it, or we can use a Bajoran focus technique to re-route the synaptic flow. I find the latter lasts longer.” (The ensign gave permission for this to be shared, provided their identity was kept confidential)

1300: Secure Comm-Link (The Cardassian Connection)
During his lunch break, Jarem retreats to his office and initiates a Level-4 encrypted channel to Cardassia Prime. The face of Elara Ghemor appears. She looks tired, the reconstruction efforts at the University of Culat is gruelling. He tells her she’s beautiful, her smile breaks through her tiredness.

“You’re wearing the pin,” she observes, her voice warm. “Inside my jacket, yes,” Jarem replies. “I had a session today with a veteran of the Federation-Cardassian War. He saw my ridges and assumed I’d agree with his … bitterness. It’s hard to be the mirror for people when the glass is cracked on both sides.”

1600: Botany and the ‘Conflict’
Jarem spends his late afternoon in the ship’s botanical bay. He is tending to a delicate graft: a Bajoran Kava-nut vine entwined with a Cardassian Lily. It is a biological impossibility that he is making possible through shee scientific stubbornness. A crewmember passes by and lingers a second too long on the Cardassian plant. Jarem doesn’t look up, but he feels the shift in the Pagh.

2000: The unanswered call
Back in his quarters, Jarem pours a glass of hot spring wine. He stares at the terminal. It is the anniverary of the Liberation of Ilvia, a major holiday for the family. The counsellor he saw at DS9, John-King McKenzie, recommended he reach out to his family today specifically, given the celebration and to report what happens bakc to him.

He taps the screen, it lights up with Outgoing Transmission: Ekaton Residence, Ilvia, Bajor.

The screen pulses with the Starfleet ‘Sending’ icon. Five seconds. Ten. Fifteen. Finally, the system pings Recipient Declined Connection.

Jarem doesn’t move. He knows the family would all be there, his parents, his siblings, his nieces and nephews, sitting around the long stone table he grew up at. He knows they would have seen his name on the display. He chose to reach out. They chose the silence. He can’t force them to respond, he can just make the first step. He sends a report on it to John-King McKenzie, and spends a moment in contemplation. He reminds himself: he chose tor each out, they chose the silent.

2200: Shift’s End
Jarem records his final log for the day. He touches his earring, the cold volcanic glass a reminder of his own resilience.

Personal Log, Stardate 78001.2. Work on the Chimera continues to be rewarding. I start appointments with the Department Heads and Command Staff next. The crew are healing. As for my own house … the doors remain closed. But as a man of science, I know that even the hardest of stone erodes under the persistence of the tide. I will call again tomorrow.

Lt Ekaton Jorem, CNS, Chimera