"First Officer's Log, Stardate 88017.6
Despite being able to serve with Anzyl again, I am… uncomfortable aboard the USS Nexus."
Alia walks through the halls of the Nexus, using her extrasensory perception to navigate the unfamiliar corridors of her new, and unfamiliar, ship.
"I'm not saying being Aenar is a disadvantage; I would never openly admit that. But… being blind does not make my job… easier."
(Aenar are a subspecies of the Andorians, from the deep underground of the ice world of Andoria. Naturally blind from birth, they have an intense extrasensory perception and telepathic abilities to "see" their world in their minds. However, they are still blind to most flat surfaces.)
"Perhaps I am just used to the Hemmer. I know where everything is, and where every button on the consoles are."
At the end of a typical hallway, Alia enters a transport pad and is unable to sense the small, flat circles of the transport pad. She has to feel around for the transport pad to make sure she makes it safely to her next destination.
"The Hemmer uses voice-commanded turbolifts. The never-ending supply of transport pads is… hard… to navigate when you cannot see two-dimensional objects, like the transport pad circles.
Despite these hardships, the crew seems to accept me readily. It must be the intriguing conglomeration of species and factions aboard that they are unfazed by seeing an Aenar, as rare as we are out of Andoria. I am still not used to the fact that few members of this immense vessel are actually… Starfleet."
Alia transports safely to the Melting Pot, where a hulking Tzenkethi crew member lumbers by, no Starfleet uniform covering their six-limbed reptilian body. He is followed by a Lukari in a black bodysuit and a group of Jem'Hadar in their silver warrior uniforms.
"Regardless of my hardships or feelings, I am still a Starfleet First Officer, and I will perform my duties to the best of my ability. I readily accept and relish this challenge."
Alia approaches the interior of the Melting Pot, scanning the room with her extrasensory perception. Dozens of crew members of all sorts of races, creeds, and factions are intermingling and associating like a typical well-seasoned crew. She senses a jovial spirit notice her.
"Good morning and salutations, Commander Alia!" The bright and optimistic voice of Tuvix chimes from behind the galley keeper's cooking station.
She turns to face the voice of too much energy and glee this early in the morning. "May I help you?" she spoke in her professional tone.
Tuvix hobbles over the pots and pans on the floor and trots to her side. "I was going to ask you that, Ma'am! It IS my job as Ship's Morale Officer to make sure everyone has everything they could ever wish for! Especially here in the Melting Pot! Which I consider my own personal office and department…"
"Do I know you?" Alia interrupted the rambling man. "And… what species are you, exactly? You have a mental signal that is… hard to recognize." Alia blinks, almost like her senses are being overloaded or having a hard time "seeing." She seems to hear a loud buzzing and noise in her head.
"Oh! Right, sorry! I didn't properly introduce myself!" He smiles jovially and shoves out a hand to shake hers. "Tuvix, the Ship's Morale Officer. And as far as species… well?… That's a rather… long story. Which I would be delighted to share with you over a nice cup of Raktajino or Cafe Con Leche!" He seemed to go on and on.
A little overwhelmed by Tuvix, not to mention all the thoughts and feelings of all those in the Melting Pot, Alia shook her head. "No, thank you, Tuvix. I will pass. I may, actually, just take breakfast in my quarters today." She waves him off, holding her head as she turns away and stumbles slightly. The sound of buzzing and chatter gets louder and louder.
"Ma'am, are you alright?!" Tuvix rushes to her aid, ever the one to lend a helping hand.
She nods and catches her breath. "I am. I am alright." However, in her mind, the sound of buzzing, chattering, and now the thoughts and feelings of all those around her begin to become deafening. "What is that… noise?!" She almost screams, holding her head in her hands, eyes shut tight, and gritting her teeth.
Tuvix looks around, hearing only the typical sounds of the Melting Pot, but in his mind, his Vulcan senses do feel a very slight buzzing sound.
"You know, Ma'am, I think I hear it, too, but only slightly." He snaps into action. "I think we should get you to Sickbay. Immediately!" He grips her by the shoulders and aids her to the transport pads. "Sickbay!" he cries out as soon as he touches the pads.
—
In a flash of white, he and Alia are transported out of the Melting Pot.
In the clean, sterile air of Sickbay, Tuvix and Alia arrive, as Tuvix calls out, "Help! Doctor, I need!..."
However, upon gazing up, Sickbay is not the typical calm and quiet, serene place of healing everyone was used to. At least two dozen beds are already occupied, each with random species holding their heads, each screaming for the noise to stop.
Chief Medical Officer Thegris channels his Borg composure and moves swiftly, steadily, and completely in control of his emotions, from patient to patient, nurse to nurse, as he delivers expert advice and barks out orders for medication and doses.
"Vulcan, female, seven milliliters of Triptacedrine for the pain, and ten milliliters of Axonol to calm her senses," he instructs one nurse and moves to the next, when he sees Tuvix and Alia.
"First Officer Alia," he walks forward and begins scanning her with his Borg medical arm and hand. "Let me guess, you are internally hearing an intense buzzing noise?"
Alia and Tuvix both nod, when Tuvix states, "I am only hearing it slightly, but she is in pain, Doc!"
T finishes his scans. "You being only half-Vulcan, it makes sense you can't hear it like an Aenar can. Take her to Med Bay 7. A nurse will be with her shortly. I am uploading her scans to that bed."
Tuvix takes her and limps to the Med Bay.
T then looks up and taps his combadge. "Sickbay to Captain Praxas. I regret to inform you I have to declare a state of medical …concern, Captain."
Anzyl replies back on the comm badge, "What kind of 'Medical Concern,' T? Can you elaborate a bit?"
T replies dutifully, "Members of the crew, all telepathic, are complaining of a growing internal sound of a loud, buzzing, chittering, and clattering noise, and how it is now almost deafeningly loud."
—
On the bridge, Anzyl sits on the edge of his Captain's chair, as he and all current members of the crew manning the bridge are on edge. Each one is deadlocked, staring at the viewscreen before them.
"Buzzing sound, huh?" Anzyl replies hesitantly, his gaze locked at the screen.
On the viewscreen, before them in space, was a cloud of tan and brown. The cloud was moving rapidly.
Kayuli, in his holographic Na'vi form, stands at the Science station and speaks up, "Scans confirmed, sir… that's a Hur'q Swarm…"
Anzyl stares into the massive swarm of space-faring insectoids, "Well then… That explains the telepathic buzzing noise…"