Ghosts of the Past - Part II

Posted on Fri Nov 8th, 2024 @ 12:25am by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant Lanna Alexander
Edited on on Fri Nov 8th, 2024 @ 7:48pm

1,248 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Observation Deck | USS Arcadia
Timeline: Day 3 after leaving Base

ON:

The rest of the meal passed blessedly well and they moved onto dessert. Zai truly felt content. He'd not had many friends growing up and then he'd had to take care of his people and so many things. Even his Starfleet connections were surface ones except for Fang and Sabastian. He stopped eating and smiled as he looked at his friends. He was feeling content. The headache from earlier that had plagued him all day has subsided a bit but his gaze was more unfocused. He turned his head towards the stars to look out at the one thing that always made him smile and didn't feel the blood trickle out of his nose. When he turned back the image of Adrianna swam in front of him.

"Zai?" She asked, cautiously, "are you feeling alright, cucciolo?"

He smiled. "Sure. Just a bit light headed. All good. Must be the heart meds from sickbay."

Fang took notice. "Zai!" He grabbed a napkin holding it under Zai's bleeding nose.

Zai held up a hand. "All good, as I said new meds to help me get back on my feel that's probably it." It was a lie. This was one of the symptoms of Metamorphosis and that meant that Sab had triggered it and that meant that he was indeed the person Zai was looking for. Part of him was happy. Another part had hoped that it would take more time to show itself. "I just need a minute."

Adrianna looked Zai over, not quite convinced. "Zai, tell the truth."

He looked at Adrianna trying to communicate that this wasn't the time. "Adri...trust me it will settle."

“How do you know that for sure?” Lanna was just as concerned as Adrianna. “You should see the Doctor, just to be sure.”

"I will counselor I promise," Zai said. He was glad that the nose seemed better.

Fang studied Zai, there was something familiar about his condition. He'd seen it before. His mind worked to figure it out. Then it hit him. Two months before the wedding his aunt had the same symptoms. She married into his family marrying his father's younger brother. She was of the eleventh tribe. Fang Lee shot to his feet. He grabbed Zai's arm. "What the hell did you do?" He dragged Zai up on his feet. "What did you do? You're dying aren't you? You and Sabastian were together without going through a soul reader!"

Adrianna was out of her seat very quickly. In a commanding voice and a cold energy she shouted, "put him down, Fang." She pushed Fang, attempting to stand between the men.

“Fang, please!” Lanna stood alongside Adrianna keeping the two apart. “Whatever is happening we need to talk about rationally.” She knew very well Fang was right, remembering what Zai had said in his counselling session about the bond his people shared with those they loved, but she couldn’t betray his trust or confidentiality by mentioning it.

Zai looked at the counselor and Adrianna and sighed. "Lee Fang get your hands off my arm." He managed to pull out of Fang's grasp mainly because Adrianna and the counselor were getting in the middle and Fang had loosened his grip. Zai's strength, although usually great was a bit weak due to his not feeling well.

"What Sabastian and I did or didn't do is our business. Take a breath. Not to go all manly here but you are in the presence of two ladies and your behavior is appalling. Even by Capellan standards."

Fang's eyes widened. "My gods you are even starting to sound like him! That pretentiousness."

Zai rolled his eyes. "Fang Lee what are you doing. I know you know what's happening so let's air it all out. Yes, I am entering prep for metamorphosis and for the changes that will happen to my body when I am going through it. No, Sabastian and I have not slept together. We've kissed and it has triggered my body to prepare and do you know why? Because he is the one meant to help me through metamorphosis. I am not dying my body is changing on a cellular level, thus the feeling unwell and nosebleeds, nothing dangerous, yet but the clock is ticking. The Soul weaver you spoke about has been contacted and we will see her when the ship gets back to Base. So weather you like it or not this is happening."

He looked at the two lades. "I promise, I'm not dying, not yet. This is all normal. Over the next while I will be unwell on and off but I will be fine."

Adrianna couldn't help but snort at the ladies comment. She was hardly a lady-- she cussed worse than a sailor, drank like a fish and ate men like Fang for breakfast at one point. Adrianna took a step back, relaxing a little, but watching Fang cautiously. Adrianna nodded her understanding to Zai and sighed. She had no words to assist in this de-escalating.

“What is this metamorphosis?” Lanna looked between Zai and Fang. “I want to understand but if it’s something you can’t talk about here, I’ll save it for my office.”

Fang turned away and went to sit down muttering.

Zai sighed and shook his head at Fang. He'd deal with him next. He turned to the counselor. "Our people believe that we find our soul mate, the second half of our soul we must change to accommodate them. That is why we have soul readers and all pairings and marriages must be approved by them. It is possible to marry someone other then the one but you must never be intimate with that person and if you by chance come into contact with the soul that is meant for you and you do not unite then your body starts to die and decay at an unknown rate, a year, five, ten, nobody knows. Now if you unite with them then both your bodies will undergo physical change.”

He motioned to himself, “For my people our eyes turn from lavender to deep violet and our hair turns white. Our bodies change at a cell level and we will become slightly more youthful in appearance. My people say it ages you back five to ten years. For our partner whatever planet he or she is from they will have their hair also change colour into an indigo black and their eyes will change become brighter as well as the age clock turning back. Now with Sabastian and I well he and I have kissed and that has triggered the start of the changes. Generally at this point we have a year to visit a soul reader and get the ceremony of linking the souls properly, like Vulcan do with their mid meld. The only difference is that Vulcans have an opportunity to bond again if their mate dies with my people if our mate dies we do as well within days. This, pain and illness is something that my body does to start the changes at a cell level. Sabastian will go through something similar but him being part Vulcan and part Betazoid...will be unpredictable."

“So even though Sebastian isn’t Capellan it’ll change him too?” Lanna was fascinated and surprised all at the same time. “But What happens if the soul reader says you’re not meant to be together?”


To Be Continued...

 

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