Quickening her step, extending her stride, nearing a sprint, but not quite, Ever didn’t want to look back. No sounds of footsteps. No echos of thoughts or emotions, just eerie silence. Warnings of electricity tingling across her skin mixed with courses of cold running through her veins, carrying a “knowing’” to her mind that someone was there. She had a secret. One that was bound to bring enemies. And paranoia. Synapses fired off quickly. Muscle fibre memory responded. Ever began talking herself through a panic response as she explored possibilities that this was just an over active imagination.  Logic and clarity returned once again to compete with her auto responses. Take control. Bury the anxiety.  

Ever stopped in her tracks and turned sharply around. In a stern and commanding voice, she called out to the empty corridor, ” Anybody there? No? Anyone?” 

Nothing but silence. Be leery of silence. Ever had a secret. 

Turning back, Ever picked up her pace and her path back to her quarters. Taking a final glance over her shoulder, she waved her hand across the security access panel and entered before the door could fully open. Once she was sure the door was secure and no one had entered behind her, she let out a slow exhale. Tonight would be yet another sleepless night. That, though, was not entirely the fault of the cylinder she had recovered from OED. Save analysing that trauma for later. Ever rubbed her temples. She was still under orders to attend therapy sessions from an incident that had occurred at the penal colony a year ago. Some wounds never healed. Though it made most sense to ask the Ogawa’s Executive Officer to undertake that task, Ever had discovered Dira Myqian was betazoid and Haliian. Keeping a secret from the XO was going to prove difficult. 

“Computer, cross reference and prepare a report of all personnel assigned to the Ogawa with known, suspected or possible psychic abilities, prioritising telepathic and empathic first. And genetic carriers. Leave out the ship’s executive officer. Mark to read later.” Ever said as she crossed the room and poured a glass of water before sitting down on the couch. 

Tapping her olive toned fingers against the rim of the glass. Ever wasn’t sure how long she could avoid a face to face meeting with her new boss. Better to be forearmed and dig through the psychology reports as much as possible. ” Computer, give me an oral summary on Commander Dira Myqian’s known telepathic and empathic abilities. Also where she grew up, how much influence Betazoid culture may have formed her personality. And a brief summary of Haliian cultural beliefs and customs around the use of telepathy.” 

Lt Commander, Ever Zeanar, CoP