Hypothetical Scenarios

Posted on Mon Apr 7th, 2025 by Ensign Dexter Elliott & Ensign Narvo Tohl

1,058 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M02 - The Sixteenth Rule
Location: Shared Quarters, USS Hooke
Timeline: Present

Rumors had already begun to swirl about the diplomatic team that was now going to be temporarily assigned to the Hooke. Narvo had heard them all, one of them had been about a Trill diplomat who was joined to one of those worms that disgusted Narvo. The young Trill didn't put too much stock into this, he simply had shrugged it off and determined that this was that person's choice not his.

He sat in his quarters trying to get used to the new shift that he'd been moved to, Narvo had enjoyed being on alpha shift, but with the assignment of a more senior flight controller meant he would be moved to beta shift instead. Narvo wasn't a fan, but at least he kept his seat on the bridge. Narvo looked out the window deep in thought about a wide variety of things, including how it seemed almost as if the officer assigned to the ship hadn't really planned on a transfer in the first place.

Dexter had been looking all over the place for Narvo, though he could have just used the computer to locate the other officer. Dexter didn't seem all that interested in doing so, "Oh there you are," He said as if surprised to find the person who shared his quarters with him, in their shared quarters. "I've been trying to find you, what are you doing down here?"

Narvo looked up toward Dexter, his friend, and shrugged. "I have the day off to adjust to my new shift, so I decided to just chill here and read." He raised the data pad he had in his hand as evidence. "I didn't know you were looking for me," He placed the data pad to the side and pulled himself up on the chair slightly. "What is it you need?"

Dexter grabbed the chair he regularly sat in and pulled it forward. "I just wanted to check up on you, I heard a joined Trill was coming aboard. I also heard you'd been moved to beta shift which is great it means we'll have even more time to hang out together." Dexter was already on beta shift. He tried his best to grin at the thought of the two of them having more time together.

Narvo shrugged, "I'm fine. Just because I find those worms disgusting doesn't mean I find other Trill to be disgusting for willingly submitting themselves to that thing. As for the shift change, this sort of thing happens I'm sure. I'm still pretty new in Starfleet, the fact that I was able to get alpha shift on the first ship I'd ever been assigned to was something of a small miracle anyway."

"And on the bridge no less," Dexter added for him.

"Exactly," Narvo replied with a weak smile of his own. "You know you could have just used the computer to find me right?" He asked. Narvo wondered why Dexter was so worried about him in the first place. Narvo seriously didn't care to interact with Trill that had been joined, he wasn't in the slightest bit curious about it. It wasn't that he wouldn't work with them professionally, one of his friends from before his academy days had gone off and been joined.

Narvo could never fully understand why, "One of my friends from school went off to become joined, I haven't spoken to her in years of course, but if she came to me for help I'd gladly lend it. Despite her being joined," He shrugged.

Dexter was happy to hear that part at least, "Oh so you just don't want the worm in you? Got it." He said, "Well what would happen if say this joined Trill were dying and they needed to get the worm as you call it into a new host right away before it died?" He asked, "Purely out of curiosity of course."

Narvo had never considered that before Dexter had said anything about it. He was the only Trill on board and while humans could temporarily carry a symbiont it wasn't a long term solution to the problem. They couldn't make him become joined besides the fact that he'd never been through the initiate stuff. They most certainly couldn't make him put something inside his body that he was adamantly against. It was an excellent question of morals, would he let the symbiont die in order to keep from having one of those worms imbedded in him?

Narvo shrugged, "IF that happened I don't know what I'd do." He was being honest because he truly didn't know what he'd do. Besides Dexter nobody on board really knew Narvo all that well so suffice to say many on board probably didn't know the real reason he didn't run off to become an initiate in the first place. What would Doctor Hayashi say if she found out that Narvo refused to let a symbiont be joined to him without the important background knowledge?

Dexter found his answer to be fair because after all it was a moral question. Would you let a sentient being die because of your own belief system? "You want to know what I think?"

Narvo figured his friend would probably tell him anyway, "Go ahead."

"I think you'd allow yourself to be joined if that were the situation," Dexter said with a devious grin on his face. "I think you're too good a person to just let a sentient being die because you're disgusted by the worm as you call it." He shrugged, "Tell me I'm wrong."

Narvo honestly didn't know if Dexter was right or wrong it was something he'd have to think about, "I honestly couldn't tell you if you're right or wrong Dex." He answered and shrugged right afterward. "That is really something I'd have to address if the hypothetical scenario you're proposing became reality." He added that last bit just because he could, for the most part, do so. "I suppose if it happens we'll have to wait and see."

Dexter shook his head knowing he'd probably not get a straight answer out of Narvo and had little choice but to accept that part. "Let's go get something to eat I'm hungry." He said and pulled the Trill out of the chair so that they could head to the crew mess.

 

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