New Friends From Old Places (Jalen, Kyan, et al.)

[Kyan Mackenzie]

[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie, Max | Deck ]

NOTE:(This thread is set while Challegner is at Andgarr, a day or two before the battle with the Romulans and the beginning of A Doomsday Like Any Other)

Since being freed from the Orion and her crew, Kyan had been seen in sickbay every day. It seemed as though the blue-shirts and their need to poke and prod him, literally and via "œcounseling" knew no limit. Every time it was the same. If it was sickbay, then "œHow are your ribs Kyan? Oh that's great. Let me see." The nurse or doctor would say. So then off goes the shirt and here comes the prodding and poking. If it hurt, then the osteo regeneration spanner thing came out. Then more poking and prodding. Then, "œHow's your head? Any headaches? How's your vision?" Then there was poking and prodding around his eye. More osteo regeneration. Then another vision test. After all that he was allowed to leave.

The counseling was less pokey proddy, but a lot more tedious. "œHello Kyan, How do you feel today?"

"œShite." He'd answer honestly.

"œOh, why is that?" the counselor would ask. "œHave you had nightmares? Do you feel sad? Angry? Do you want to hurt anyone? Or yourself?"

"œNo. No. Kinda. Maybe. No." He'd answer all the questions. Of course that  was at the beginning before Kyan discovered that honesty was rewarded with more questions. But it was too late. If he reversed himself, then they didn't believe him. So for at least an hour a day he had to talk to one of the ship's counselors. And this was after the sickbay visit. Not right after of course, which meant less time exploring the planet with Max, and more time on the ship in his two least favorite places.

Today, Kyan had decided that he'd had quite enough poking and prodding. And he'd been counseled enough. His ribs no longer ached, and he didn't have any headaches or blurred vision, or dizziness. He also didn't have whatever the counselors were trying to cure him from either. So he didn't go to either appointment. Instead, he'd gone to the holodeck with Max and Jo-Jo. They had replicated the little Onaskat's natural habitat in the hope that he might fly. The shopkeeper who'd sold him to them mentioned that Onaskats typically didn't fly until they were at least a year old, and Jo-Jo wasn't much past six months old. Still the two Onlies had been hopeful.

But there hadn't been any flying. Jo-Jo was content to scamper about the undergrowth and search for insects. Of course when he tried to use his breath mist he was confused. Instead of being immobilized like an actual insect would have been, the holographic variety simply skittered away. Eventually Kyan and Max deleted insects from the program and gave the little reptile some of the Andgarri fruit that they'd replicated for him. After swimming and following Jo-Jo around the forest for a few hours, the boys decided to call it a day. To avoid him running around the ship, Kyan had put Jo-Jo in his packpack.

As they meandered down the empty corridor on their way back to their quarters the two chattered amongst themselves, oblivious to the fact that Jo-Jo had managed to stick his head out the top of Kyan's bag and was now free. The crimson haired Onlie only suspected something was amiss when the first fit of giggles took him. Max looked over to see his friend doubled over, wracked with laughter.

"œWhat's so"¦ OH!" he begin before he saw the little Onaskat hop down onto the deck. Max swooped in and grabbed him, lifting him up as Kyan lay on the deck laughing as he held his ribs.

When Max lifted the "œLaughing Dragon", which was the terran translation of Onaskat, he took got misted. He maintained his grip on a squirming Jo-Jo until he had to double over as Kyan had. Withing seconds both of them were on the deck laughing hysterically.

"œCatch"¦ him.." Kyan wheezed between belly laughs.

"œCan't"¦." Came Max's reply as he clutched at his own ribs.

Jo-Jo simple cocked his head to the side, looking at each of them in turn as though his new owners were a curiosity. He soon grew bored of watching the boy's rolling on the deck with their laughter ringing off the bulkheads. After a moment the little lizard turned and scampered down the corridor and out of site.

It would be at least five minutes, possibly as many as ten before either of them could stop laughing and follow him. Onaskat mist isn't harmful, but is used to incapacitate the small insects that make up the lion's share of their diet in the wild. For humanoids it simple incites a laughing fit, which is more severe for smaller people. An adult might get the giggles for a minute or two, but it they would still be able to move and function. For someone Kyan or Max's size, the laughing fit was more pronounced and lasted longer.

~ Meanwhile, in Sickbay[/i]

"œDammit! Where is he?" Chloe Davies called out in frustration. "œCommander Mackenzie was due an hour ago for his daily visit. Has anyone seen him?"

A series of shrugs and heads shaking answered the senior nurse. Lieutenant Mills, the Challenger's head counselor looked back over her shoulder from where she'd been talking with another patient. "œHe didn't show for me today either Chloe."

Davies heaved a sigh. "œI've got too much on my plate to worry about it right now. "œIf he thinks he's healed then"¦ Wait"¦ "œ The lightbulb could almost be seen above the human nurse's head. "œGemma, I think I have a solution for both of us."

Mills turned fully around now, quirking an eyebrow. "œOh?"

"œThat new doc"¦ Kartos. He's an expert on Onlies right?" Davies asked. She already knew the answer of course. She made it a point to read up on all the new medical officers, especially the doctors.

Mills nodded, seeing where Davies was going. "œI believe so."

"œGood" the nurse smiled, tapping her com badge. Davies to Doctor Kartos. I have a challenging assignment for you. After Kartos acknowledged her, she went on. Can you find Commander Mackenzie? He skipped out on his followup appointments with myself and Counselor Mills. I think you might be a better fit for him than either of us.

[Jalen Kartos]

[Kartos Family Quarters | Deck 7 | USS Challenger]
Jalen had been on board less than 24 hours and was still unpacking. Thankfully after he had checked in at sickbay he was given a couple days off to settle his family in. So at the moment he was unpacking with his longsuffering husband and was putting out some of the antiquities that they had both acquired over the course of their lives when his combadge chirped at him. Jalen tapped it and listened

Davies to Doctor Kartos. I have a challenging assignment for you.

Go for Kartos

Can you find Commander Mackenzie? He skipped out on his followup appointments with myself and Counselor Mills. I think you might be a better fit for him than either of us.

Acknowledged, I'll get on it presently. Kartos out

Jalen turned to his husband who had a quizzical look on his face, Jalen went out to Lorian and kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

"œI know my dearest one, I am supposed to have a couple days to settle in. But it seems that one of the Forever Children is playing Foolies on the Grups again. As an expert in their eccentricities, it seems that only I can playout this particular role. I'll be as quick as I can." Lorian nodded and smiled back.

"œThat is why we came here after all. Run along and play with the Forever Kids"¦ why not take Leran with you, from what I remember you telling us he might really enjoy hanging out with these Onlies." Lorain offered, more just to get some alone time of his own without their son underfoot. Jalen paused and thought for a moment, he knew better then most how some of the Foolies could get violent, but he figured this was just a hide and find Foolie, so this shouldn't be too dangerous. So he nodded and called out for his adopted son, who came padding softly out from his bedroom.

"œYes Papa?" The boy's soft soprano said as he came into the room.

"œWould you like to come with Papa and help me with my work? It seems that one of the Onlies, you remember them the Forever Children?" The boy nodded and Jalen continued, "œWell he didn't show up at an appointment today, so he is likely playing a Hide and Find Foolie, so I thought maybe you'd want to help me find him."

The boy thought a moment, he had always been interested when his Papa had talked about the Forever Kids and nodded his head vigorously. Jalen smiled and held out his hand only to have his adopted son run forward and jump up on to Jalen's solidly built 6'3" frame. The boy was light for his age and Jalen had no problem holding the boy in his arms. He then turned back to his husband and smiled broadly.

"œWe'll be back as soon as we find the wayward Only." Then both Jalen and Leran saluted in traditional El-Aurian fashion and turned to head out of their quarters. Lorain called out just before the door whooshed shut.

"œTake your time boys, and have fun!"

Once in the hall way Jalen tapped his combadge

"œComputer, what is the location of Lieutenant Commander Kyan Mackenzie?"

"œCommander Mackenzie is on deck 6 near the holodecks." Jalen chuckled, he should've known it wouldn't be that easy. Not only was Mackenzie an Only, which already made him a expert on Foolies, it was also that he was a Security Officer, so of course he could spoof his location.

"œWhat's funny Papa?" Leran asked slightly confused.

"œOh nothing, I just forgot how much fun Foolies can be. Come on we must hurry to find him, he might already know we are after him." Jalen then picked up speed and ran through the halls with the boy on his hip, giggling as they ran. Jalen choose to take the inter-deck ramps instead of the Turbolifts as he was only going up one deck.

*****
[A few moments later | Deck 6, near the holodecks | USS Challenger-A]

Jalen rounded a corner as he made it to deck six and lowered the boy from his hip. He then crouched down and smiled, mischievously.

"œThey are likely just around the corner. But they will be expecting a Grup, like me. So, they won't suspect you. You go first and if they are there distract them and whistle like we practiced. And I'll come running. You ready?" Jalen explained in hushed tones. The boy nodded gravely; he loved Secret Squirrel games.

"œAlright"¦ go." Jalen said and Leran rounded the corner in an exaggerated stealthiness. Jalen stood with his back to the wall, awaiting his son's whistle, when he heard a soft almost cooing like noise and turned to search the hall. He found a creature that somewhat resembled a mythological dragon. Jalen examined it at a distance, but the creature didn't seem to be scared, and was obviously domesticated. So, Jalen squatted down and held out a hand, reaching out with his empathic El-Aurian gift for listening and enticed the creature from it's hiding place. After a moment, the creature sensing no hostility from the larger humanoid sauntered out and stood before him cocking his head slightly. El-Aurians had a knack for engendering trust in other beings, and it was even easier with animals as they were not as complex as Humanoids. Thus Jalen had no problem when he reached out and stroked the little dragons snout and head. He then held out his arm and the creature climbed up Jalen's smock-varient uniform to purch on his shoulder. Just then Jalen heard the boy's whistle and smiled.

"œHang on little Dragon." Then he began running full tilt down the hallway to catch the wayward Only. He came around the corner screaming.

"œOlly, Olly, Oxen Free, I Caught You!" Only to be stopped in his tracks by not one but two Onlies rolling around on the floor wracked by gales of laughter. Jalen stopped beside his son looking down at the Onlies quizzically.

"œCommander Mackenzie? I don't think I know this Foolie." The little creature on his shoulder seemed to chuckle as well, and Jalen reached out to stroke him.

[Kyan Mackenzie]

Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie, Max | Deck 6. USS Challenger]

"I don't think I know this foolie."

The effects of Jo-Jo's mist breath were all but finished by the time Jalen and Leran came upon the giggling Onlies. In truth they were both still cackling because they found the situation hilarious. Neither had noticed Leran when he'd snuck up on them or if they did, figured him for one of the other kids on the ship.

Jalen was a different story.

Kyan stopped laughing and looked up with a start. Recognition flashed across his face and a long forgotten memory resurfaced. Instantly, he was back on Miri's Planet.

[Kyan | Temporary Medical Complex | New York, Miri's Planet, 2267]

"œI don't think I know this foolie".

Kyan turned with a start, stumbling on the stack of medical crates he'd erected beneath the window. Before he could steady himself, he was tumbling. His feet went out from under him and he landed on his backside on the top crate, which slipped off the one beneath it, repeating the process. This time the startled Onlie landed on the floor with the crate under his legs. His head bounced off the crate behind him and a galaxy of twinkling stars exploded into being before his eyes like a mass of fireflies going off all at once. For a moment, he was too dazed to do anything except sit there.

The grup who'd caught him was a proper giant. Well over six feet tall, he stood in front of the doorway and looked first at Kyan, and then at the orderly laying face-down on the floor. He produced one of the talking devices from his white coat and said something into it. Then he put it away. In an instant, there were more grups. They didn't bother with the Onlie, but instead tended to the man on the floor. While they did that, the giant approached Kyan. He was saying something but Kyan didn't hear it as the huge man drew closer.

"œ"¦"¦"¦an accident?"

The dazed boy only caught the last few words. He heard the little voice in his head telling him to lie, but his head was already shaking. Of course it wasn't an accident. The IV pole he'd been cracked with was laying beside him. His head was bleeding and when the others hauled him up there was a little puddle of blood where he'd been laying. "œHe tryda poke me wif'iz needles!" Kyan managed finally, looking back and for the between the grups helping the other one and the tall one who was getting closer to him. "œI tellim I dinnae wanit! I jus wanna go home! He would nae let me!" Tears welled up in his eyes and he wiped the back of his sleeve across his face before they could fall. He was a big kid after all; one of the oldest in his group. Even with all the events of the past several days, he wasn't going to cry about it in front of the grups.

A few weeks ago, Kyan and the rest of his group had been living their life as they had for the past three centuries, alone on the Islands. Their days were spent playing games, fishing, and tending to the small garden they'd managed to make. Then all the sudden a space ship landed and the eldas were back. Within a few days he and his friends were all rounded up and brought across the ocean to another place. There were more eldas, which is what Kyan and his friends called adults although most of the  kids here called them grups, and even more kids. Thousands and thousands of kids were living here in shelters that the new grups made. It felt like he was trapped. He didn't see his friends for hours at a time, sometimes a whole day.

When the grup in the shiny blue shirt had brought him in the room with all the machines and equipment, Kyan was scared. He couldn't understand most of what he was saying, and then the man had tried to poke him with a needle. Kyan waited for him to turn around again before he yanked the IV pole off the bed and swung it at the grup. He fell down hard. All Kyan could think of was that he'd be in trouble and what would they do to him? He'd stacked the crates up so he could reach the window and escape.

The grup who'd found him was huge. But there was something different about him. Kyan found that even though he had no reason to, nor did he want to, he trusted him. When the giant grup walked over and scooped him off the floor, he didn't fight. When he sat him down on the bed, Kyan didn't try to escape again, even when the man turned around to get something from a cart. It was a just a strong feeling that he wasn't going to be hurt. That's hadn't been the case with the other grup. The new grup read a paper and then looked back at him with a smile.

"œHello Kyan, I'm Jalen." He offered warmly.

"œI dinnae tryin tae hurt'im. Jus wanneda go back home!" Kyan answered, starting to cry in earnest now before he could stop himself. "œSorry fer it! I dinnae mean ta"¦."

The big doctor swooped in and enveloped the now sobbing boy in a hug, which only made it worse. "œIt's all right." The man who called himself Jalen whispered. "œYou're not in trouble."

Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie, Max | Deck 6. USS Challenger]

"œDoctor Jalen!?" Kyan heard Max exclaim, which broke his reverie. He didn't remember much about the tall grup standing there. But then he hadn't seen him in more than a hundred and thirty years. Now, as it was then, Kyan felt like he ought to trust him. There wasn't any specific reason he could point to, just the same strong feeling. Only now he knew why. It was the same with all the other El-Aurians he'd met. They had a way of engendering trust with just their presence. That certainly seemed to be the case here. Even Jo-Jo took to him.

Now fully back in the hear and now, Kyan offered the El-Aurian a smile. "œMerry Met again." He said. "œIt's good tae see ya again so it is!"

[Jalen Kartos]

[Doctor Kartos & Leran | Deck 6 | USS Challenger]

Jalen was surprised to see Max there, but Kyan was one of the reasons he had accepted this placement. Though like himself the boys hadn't changed in the least since their last encounter, and never would. Jalen found a comfort in that, for so much around him changed so fast it was almost blinding. It was good to know that somethings would always stay the same, at least outwardly. For inwardly beings, even immortal beings, change. Just take Kyan for example, from his body language he was protective of the other Only, in a way that the independent and foolhardy Kyan never was when he was on Miri's World. Sure he kept to his clan, and protected the youngers, but not with the same hands on feeling that Jalen was seeing here. Perhaps there was hope for the civilization of Kyan yet. In many ways Kyan reminded him of another group of children he had read about when he attended Starfleet Medical Academy back on earth. The story they were in was called "˜Peter Pan', and they were the "˜Lost Boys'. Yes they were a prefect analogue for the Onlies, though it was strange to thing that Earth had come up with them so long ago. A song came to his mind, that he had listened to at that time as well, he'd have to share it with Kyan and Max, perhaps they would like it as much as he did.

"œYous the reason I choose here, to play Doctor. And it is Merry Met again as always." Jalen said adopting some of the Only Patois that he hadn't used since he'd left the world of the Forever Children. He held out his arms to his young friends, from so long ago, lest they needed a good cuddle. Leran looked on confused, why were these children wearing uniforms, and how did they know his Papa. But he was too well behaved to speak his mind in that moment, he also trusted that his Papa would tell him in time.

[Kyan Mackenzie]

"œYous the reason I choose here, to play Doctor. And it is Merry Met again as always." Jalen said adopting some of the Only Patois that he hadn't used since he'd left the world of the Forever Children.

Max jumped at the offered hug. He was a hugger. Always had been. He trusted people easily, well"¦most people anyway. The majority of grups weren't in the hug on sight category, or even the hug if offered one. Jalen was in the former camp. He needn't have even offered. Max was already bearing down on the huge doctor before he held out his arms.

Kyan on the other hand, was not a hugger and he didn't really have categories. Sure he'd take them if there wasn't a way around it, but it was the briefest of embraces and a two pat limit. After that it was weird and uncomfortable. So while Max was busy launching himself like a photon torpedo at the ancient grup, Kyan demurred. Instead, he scooped up Jo-Jo and put him back in his backpack. Making sure to stay away from the little Onaskat's face, lest he get misted again. When that was done, he was able to take stock of the situation. He hadn't expected to see Jalen again for a long time, and definitely not here. Last Kyan knew he was still living on his homeworld, running the hospital in New York.

"œHi! What's your name?" Kyan heard Max chirp behind him. Oh yeah! he thought, there was a kid with Jalen. Kyan hadn't gotten a good look at him when they'd appeared. Was he an Onlie too? Had the old doctor adopted him? He turned toward the boy and looked at him. He was certainly not an Onlie. The nose ridges killed that notion. They also left no doubt as to his place of origin.