S4 E6: 20,000 Leagues

[Felicity Ellis]

[Sickbay]

Alec's throat tightened and tears filled his eyes as he listed to the doomed Vulcan make her final farewells. It wasn't the first time he'd seen someone die, not even the hundredth, but this one was going to stick with him for the rest of his life.

As the being that was no longer T'Aco stood and walked by, Alec offered a dip of his head in acknowledgement, saying quietly, We'll make sure your parents receive the message. Great Bird of the Galaxy be with you.

=A= Trenzal to Corliss. Make a general announcement please that Lt. T'Aco is to be left completely alone as she makes her way to the transporter room and beams down to the planet. NO interference. The being inside her is returning to its home. We can't help the lieutenant.

Aryn could tell from his voice that he was upset, and simply said quietly, Acknowledged. =A=

A few moments later, her voice echoed through the ship: =A= Attention, Shran. All personnel are to allow Lt. T'Aco to proceed to a transporter room and beam down to the planet without interference. You might offer her a farewell salute, but stay out of her way. Lieutenant, I hope you can hear me. We honor your sacrifice. Corliss out. =A=

[Sickbay - USS Shran]

Lawrie didn't bother wiping away the tears streaming down his face now.  This was going to be one that haunted him for the rest of his medical career if not his entire life.

"I won't offer the traditional Vulcan saying this time T'Aco, and I'm dropping the rank speaking as a friend.  It has been an honour serving with you.  All I can offer is to say, Go in peace, with love and thank you."

The doctor swallowed hard and sniffed.  "How I'm going to tell Elanii I don't know." he said quietly.

He waited until T'Aco disappeared then turned to Alec.  "I don't know how you're feeling but if it's anything like me... please don't feel that it's your fault, although I know this one is going to live with me for the rest of my career at least.  I suppose I'd best let the Captain know unless you think your message to Lt. Cmdr Corliss would be passed on to the Captain?"

[Lieutenant T'Aco - Sickbay -> Transporter Room 1]

T'Aco stood at Sickbay's doors, looking at her colleagues for one last time. She slowly raised her hand, palm outward, her fingers parting in a Vulcan salute. She held her position for a few moments more, before backing out completely.

Despite the pain she was experiencing and the grimace on her face, she tried to walk as she normally would. Her back was straight and her shoulders back, her stride measured, the nod of her head short and sharp as she acknowledged the salutes of the crew that she passed. By the time she got to the transporter room, she was exhausted, but still she maintained correctness.

It wasn't until she took a final step up onto the transporter pad, that she fell. From her knees, she gave the order. Then, right before the beam removed her from the ship forever, she murmured one final wish for those aboard.

***

[Doctor Kane - Shubble Nemo]

Needless to say, the whole scenario was perplexing. John's first mission, and already he had encountered a life-form unlike any he had seen before. A collective of this scale, possessing such sheer beauty... he wanted to know more about it, to study it thoroughly.

Then it told them to leave, and that what had happened to his crewmen could not be reversed. That was something that did not sit well with John. "There has to be a way, any way--"

Then the message from Lawrie came, before the Captain decided to turn the Nemo around.

"What are you doing? We can't just... give up on T'Aco like that!" John exclaimed in shock, but it was all for naught, as Jett apparently decided to obey without hesitation for once.

John was flabbergasted as they returned. Weren't they even going to try?!

[Felicity Ellis - Shubble Nemo -> USS Shran]

"It's time to go."

It was her only response, the only thing she could say. Their choices were to stay, fight, and risk everyone on the planet becoming exactly like Miller, T'Aco. Or to leave, return to the safety of orbit, and regroup.

As they neared the Shran, Felicity's shock began to dissipate, and her mind kicked back into gear. "Nemo to Shran, we are on approach. Aryn, please ensure that nobody follows T'Aco to the surface of that planet. Deploy a warning buoy declaring the system off-limits to all, and try and raise HQ for me. They'll want to know about this collective in our back yard."

Signed off and safely returned to the shuttle bay, Felicity tried to ignore the building devastation inside of her. Instead she decided to find her favourite Trouble and tell him exactly how much he meant to her.

[Lawrie McGellen]

[Lieutenant T'Aco - Sickbay -> Transporter Room 1]

T'Aco stood at Sickbay's doors, looking at her colleagues for one last time. She slowly raised her hand, palm outward, her fingers parting in a Vulcan salute. She held her position for a few moments more, before backing out completely.

Despite the pain she was experiencing and the grimace on her face, she tried to walk as she normally would. Her back was straight and her shoulders back, her stride measured, the nod of her head short and sharp as she acknowledged the salutes of the crew that she passed. By the time she got to the transporter room, she was exhausted, but still she maintained correctness.

It wasn't until she took a final step up onto the transporter pad, that she fell. From her knees, she gave the order. Then, right before the beam removed her from the ship forever, she murmured one final wish for those aboard.

[Sickbay]

Lawrie watched until T'Aco was out of sight, then waited another few minutes.  The delay was both to try to stem his tears, he hadn't bothered to hide them, even the hard-headed, stoic almost to Vulcan tendencies Roger had dashed a stray tear from his cheek.  Bettina and Grithaw were openly sobbing... And to compose himself enough to go into his office and tell Elanii without the girl running after T'Aco to try to stop her.

When Lawrie deemed that enough time had passed that the child couldn't possibly catch her, he stepped over to the office and pushed the button to open the door and beckoned to Kestra.

"Can I have a word please nurse?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Stay there sweetie, have another cookie, I'll be back in a moment!" Kestra said and stepped out of the room pushing the panel for the door to close behind her.

"Lawrie, what's up?" she asked automatically, knowing the doctor as well as she did and could see the tear streaks on his cheeks.  "Have we lost T'Aco?"

"In a matter of speaking..." the CMO admitted.  "She knows she's dying and she's sacrificing herself to the Collective.  She's recorded a final message to her family, requested that no one follow her, and has now, probably... I waited until I thought Elanii couldn't run after her, beamed down to the planet surface.  And now... I have to tell Elanii." he said sadly.

"I'll be there with you. Don't worry. Just... I know this sounds horrible and I never wish it to happen but, imagine that you're telling Bash that something has happened to Jenna... you'd have to put on a brave face wouldn't you?!" Kestra said with a pained expression.

"I couldn't speak let alone tell Bash if anything happened to Jenna, but I get your meaning.  OK, let's do this." Lawrie said taking a deep breath.

"Wait... you'll need this!" Kestra said and gave Lawrie a big hug.  "Now you can pass that on."  She palmed the entry button and stepped inside.  "Hey little one... mind if I have that seat, you can sit on my knee tho?!"

Lawrie took the other chair and waited until Kestra and the child were settled.

"Elanii, you are a very bright and intelligent young lady so I'm not going to try lying to you about this." he swallowed twice and then went on.

"I know you liked Lt. T'Aco very much but I've got some bad news, but I want you to be brave, and a big girl and be proud of T'Aco, because it was her choice.  Basically, she knew she was going to die, and to save this ship, you, me, Nurse Kestra there, your friend Bash, Captain Ellis... everyone... she has decided that she's going to give herself to the creatures that got inside her. She's gone down to the planet surface.  She didn't say goodbye because she didn't, I think... I really can't speak for her but she's a very logical person..."

He thought about using the present tense and justified it since he didn't know specifically the time of death...or if that had transpired yet.  He would discuss that with Alec and Gatesy as to what to write on the death certificate to send to her parents along with her recording.  Felicity would ultimately have to write out the letter of condolence.  Not something he envied her, and he would ask if he could add a personal one to the parents, not that it would add much, but it might console the parents to know someone in the same department felt so highly of her.

"...and she knew loving as you are you'd want to hug her... we all wanted to hug her, but she couldn't risk passing the creatures onto another person, she didn't want anyone seeing her when she wasn't herself."  he hoped he didn't have to explain that.

"Now you can stay here or Kestra here can take you to go play with Bash or whatever you want to do... all I ask is that you don't go after T'Aco as she wouldn't want you to.  If you don't mind, I'm going to leave you to Kestra's care again, eat all the cookies if you want I can get more, I think there's some chocolate bonbons in the other drawer too if you want some of them.  I know it's not T'Aco but nothing is going to replace her... might as well eat chocolate?!  I have to go... I've got work to do.  Sorry."

He had to get out, he felt he couldn't breathe, and he knew the only way he could continue was to throw himself into work.

Getting back into the main room he went over to Gates and Alec and spoke low.

"Gentlemen, in speaking to Elanii I mentally hit a problem.  The death certificate.  Since she walked out of here, we don't know exactly at what point she ceased being her... what are your suggestions for the death certificate?"

[Felicity Ellis]

[Felicity Ellis - En route to Starbase Columbus]

"Computer, resume recording."

The latest in the long line of Shran's Captains leaned back in her chair, her pensive mood written all over a face that was pale from lack of sleep. Felicity inhaled slowly, and then continued with her personal log. "Losing Miller and T'Aco has had a huge impact on the crew. The circumstances surrounding their exit from the ship remain confusing and something of a mystery to anyone not directly involved with their medical care. Though the fact remains - they're gone.

We remained in orbit of the water planet for a further 48 hours, trying to find a way to contact T'Aco or the hive mind again without putting anyone at risk. The responding silence was deafening and I can only assume that what, if anything, was left of our counselor disappeared into those depths.

We have been summoned to Starbase Columbus. As we'd only recently passed through the station, I believe I can safely guess that it isn't good news awaiting us there. My attempts to acquire any further information have been thwarted.

Whatever happens, these people will always have my friendship and support. They deserve better.

End log."

*END MISSION*