Turning her back on the sparkling stars as the thud registered in her hearing, she saw that the airlock was shut with heavy metal and powerful force field, and there was no way to get back to the safe, air-filled environment of the ship. She was going to die, going to explode, in fact, as the vacuum of space made her tissues expand in all directions at once. There would be nothing to breathe, and nothing to breathe with! Far worse than drowning, far worse than being frozen, she couldn't stop it, it was too late. She clawed at the door, pounded against the glass-like surface, even though she knew it could withstand far more pressure than she could ever throw against it. She railed against the forces she could not control, and her terror was almost complete.

Nightsea awoke with a violent motion. Her breathing was rapid and rough. She calmed herself quickly, but felt in need of a swim to clean her soaked skin.

Space was so beautiful, and so deadly! It was often the case that the most attractive fruit, flower or fish was the most lethal. She had known this all her life, and yet still found it a paradox that startled her from time to time. Why should the ocean of the sky be any different than the sea she knew? Each had dangerous deceptions. She would soon learn to avoid the poisons and traps in this world and then the stars would truly be home.

Reassured and rational again, she padded silently on bare feet over to the tank of luminous blue water. The large tank was hard to see into by design, but Nightsea knew through her bond with the dolphin inside, that he was sleeping peacefully. Reaching over to the wall unit beside the tank, Nightsea fingered a series of controls, then found herself beamed into the tank, floating upright, head above the surface, bobbing just below the ceiling.

Swallowing a mouthful of air, she ducked under the water, to hover near her friend. His eyes did not open, but he did move a fin slightly when he felt her brush his smooth skin. He smiled in the curious way that dolphins had, and finally peeked at her with one eye.

***Eat now?*** she inquired.

Breakfast was one meal that she rarely shared with him, preferring usually to be asleep in the morning sunlight. Their biorhythms hadn't fully adjusted to the ship's internal chronometer, and even though Nightsea loved the lack of harsh bright sunlight, she also knew that the lack of it did not please the dolphin. She patted him gently until he opened both eyes, and he replied, ***YES***

In need of another breath, she surfaced momentarily, then found the control unit that had been installed at the other end of the tank. Really the tank occupied a large portion of her quarters, and a small portion of the quarters on the other side. Her dolphin was not an official crew member, but on a ship full of Wolfriders, it had been fairly easy to convince the engineers to allot the space, and to implement heavy modifications to the replicators, and the environmental controls of the adjoining cabin. The rest of the space in the quarters next door had been off limits to Nightsea and her swimming partner, and the force field that separated the space required a level five security code. Someday she would know what was in there.

Her fingers slid over the controls of this unit, larger, and illuminated as they were, to select the image of living creatures that were replicated and materialised just below the sandy floor of the tank. A tama fish for her, and a number of sand suckers for him. His sonar would make quick work of finding them, and she never had trouble catching the slow and tasty tamas, even without his aid.

He could feed himself whenever he chose, but she knew that the ease of choosing what he wanted still baffled him slightly. The real ocean's bounty was never so predictable, and he used to delight in discovering what was there, not selecting what he wanted to find. Just hitting the image a few times with his nose would result in the exact same creatures in the tank, so now there seemed little surprise left in his diet.

Nightsea would soon have to come up with a randomising program to compensate for this short-coming of electronic sea life, in addition to the specifications for a few more edible marine varieties.

Their meal quickly consumed, they rushed about the tank in a sort of race for a while, and then a soft alarm told Nightsea that it was time for her to prepare for her day. Unable to sigh underwater, her emotions were still easily understood by the dolphin. He sent ***GO? GO. OK, GO!***, and nudged her with his nose toward the side of the tank that held her bedroom. He was not angry, he knew she would return, and he wanted her to hurry up and meet her obligations for this day.

He was highly intelligent, and his use of simple words in sendings was the result of a certain kind of eloquence, rather than a limited vocabulary. Nightsea marvelled at his ability to express so much while saying so little, as she dialled herself back out of the tank and into her bedroom.

The capability to transport in so close a space was a modification she was told was dangerous, but she trusted it often with her life, just to keep him close. She could not be without him. He also could transport himself, in the event of an emergency, and Nightsea often reminded him to be careful what controls he poked. There were a few modifications she had added as well, after the technicians had left, and he was trained to use them, if it should be necessary. Never without a contingency plan, she nonetheless hoped her preparations were not tested.

Her nude body was just barely damp from the immersion in the tank, as she had been careful to transport only herself, and not the water, but now she had just a few moments to dress. She did not bother to wring out her hair, before winding it into a tight bun, and securing it with two slim, short swords.

"Weapons for today," she thought. It was one of her plans to keep others guessing about what part of her was beautiful but deadly each day. She felt her old familiar wry smile stretch across her face as she pulled on her thigh-high boots. Ready for anything, she rushed to her appointment.

Outside the archway to the infirmary, Nightsea smoothed her wet hair before entering.

Inside, Amanda Laverton was already smiling at the Vulcan before her. He was not as tall as Nightsea, but much taller than the very short woman. He arched an eyebrow at her arrival, but said nothing to her or the now babbling ensign in front of him.

"So, I won this, or rather got it, from Corporal Torg, and it says you will be my tutor in chess, and that I will definitely learn as much as I am capable of learning, or you will continue to instruct me until I reach my potential," Amanda was saying earnestly, hardly pausing for breath. She finally noticed Nightsea as the tall elf moved to stand beside her.

"I know what the datapad says, Ensign. I am its author. I will do as promised, and we can begin your lessons when I am off duty this afternoon." The Vulcan tried not to show any emotion, but his displeasure at the interruption to his work was obvious, at least to Nightsea.

Nightsea smiled at the Vulcan and the ensign as she invaded their conversational space. She had assumed that Amanda would be anxious to trade her datapad for the Vulcan's tutelage, but she had not counted on Amanda being up this early to interrupt her meeting with the interesting sounding male.

The doctor looked at the elf with a critical eye for a moment, assessing her physical condition, and looking for any sign that the body was injured. It seemed that no one was in sick bay due to an ailment this morning. This elf obviously had a purpose, wore Lieutenant's insignia, and had arrived at the correct time, so he felt he could logically conclude that this elf was the Lieutenant he was scheduled to encounter.

Meeting her gaze confidently, and all but dismissing the human woman, he asked, "I assume you will wish to meet in private, Lt. Nightsea?"

Either he did not fear a stare of challenge, or he could discern a Wolfrider from other elves, Nightsea noted. Already, she approved of his powers of observation, ability to prepare by studying data, or boldness, or whichever combination he may have used.

His ears were nice too.

"I would like to learn about the medical facilities. It is probably best if we are not distracted from our purpose." Nightsea gave a penetrating glance in Amanda's direction, all but commanding her to leave.

Not able to miss this look, Amanda was again struck by how the elf was able to make her feel insignificant and weak without being in the least physically aggressive. It confused her, and she did not even trust her own reaction. It was not normal for Amanda to fear someone and want to please them at the same time. Most of her training and personal experience had taught her that someone was either friend or foe. Why couldn't she categorise this tall being before her? Her head wanted to like the elf, but it still felt as though there was reason for wariness. Nervously, she made some stumbling entreaty to the Chess Master,asking him not to forget their appointment, then she backed out of the room awkwardly, continuing to look sappishly at the pair.

"My thanks for arriving on time, Lieutenant. Would you prefer a tour of the unrestricted areas now, or do you have specific inquiries?", Sornal tactfully questioned.

He was unsure about the real motive behind this visit, and he had never before been contacted with a similar request. It was possible that this newly assigned crew member was simply exploring her new environment. It was also possible that she was sent to keep an eye on his behaviour and report her findings to someone else on board. Many changes had recently taken place in sick bay, and he was not privy to all the specifics. Perhaps someone was testing his level of curiosity, and ensuring that classified material would not leave the area through him. Or maybe she had need of discrete medical expertise.

"I obtained the floor plan, and a basic description of sick bay from the computer. I am interested in your assessment of the equipment, and personnel in this area. I will not require a tour, unless you would like to demonstrate techniques, or introduce fellow crew members. I will ask specific questions as I develop them, if this approach works well for you."

"May I assume that you are basically familiar with the many different functions of sick bay then, for triage, surgery, isolation, research, and basic care of crew members?" Sornal ruled out his last hypothesis regarding her motive.

"As described by the computer, yes." Nightsea shifted her weight from one high heeled foot to the other, observing the Vulcan's now crossed arms and upraised eyebrows. He was not as secure as his Vulcan heritage would seem to indicate. He needed to know which way to proceed, and her vague inquisitiveness was not helping him. More than that, however, he was trying to guard himself. Not a bad move on this ship.

"I will not be able to give a full accounting of all material in this area in the time we have allotted. I can schedule additional time, pending approval by my supervisor. For now, do you have one specific function that you would like explained in detail or shall I pick one?" Sornal was determined not to even mention the restricted areas or functions, if these could be avoided.

"Let me take the burden of lecturing from you, Dr. Sornal. My primary interests in this area of the ship involve my own basic curiosities about the nature of life in the universe. The cataloguing of such life, the variety of body designs and the ways to heal, create, or kill such life. I am interested in learning from you, or from other qualified medical staff, and in sharing my information as well, should there be mutual interest. I wish to spend a great deal of time in this area of the ship, if permitted, and perhaps to assist here in times of crisis that do not require me to be at my battle station. I am seeking an intelligent evaluation of the capabilities of this unit. I was impressed with your reputation as a knowledgeable individual, hence my request for this meeting." Although it was unlike her to take the plunge so quickly, Nightsea took the chance that her open statement would be met with similar honesty, enthusiasm, and acceptance. If not, she would query others and continue her own little experiments and explorations alone. Many answers were awaiting discovery!

Relieved to hear the sincerity in her voice, the doctor dropped some, but not all of his defensiveness. He understood curiosity,but knew well that too much inquiry often lead down dangerous corridors. If this elf was indeed the scientist that her ship records indicated, she probably was not sent as a test of his loyalty. It wasn't out of the question, but of course, it was less likely if she had personal motives instead. He did not completely trust anyone who exhibited too narrow a focus, but so far, she seemed fairly detached, and sufficiently logical in her approach. He had no reason to distance himself further, and thus decided that he would offer whatever assistance he could in her acclimatisation to this area. Sick bay was often short handed, and if Chief Medical Officer Windweaver, or the Captain, did not object, he would ask for formal appointment if she proved useful. She carried herself professionally, and through his empathic senses he could feel a high level of self confidence.

Nodding approvingly, Sornal replied, "A large task, to understand life. In your centuries of study, have you come close to a description of what life is? The Empire, of course, has many defining characteristics, but has never completed one universal definition for all sentient beings."

Now smiling, Nightsea could feel the breakthrough in the lowering of tension radiating from the Vulcan. She had hoped to come to a mutual appreciation, and share an intellectual bond with this highly mental alien, and now was one step closer. If she acted quickly, perhaps she could eliminate the last barriers between them. She did not wish to be so impulsive, but somehow, her plan seemed to be progressing with its own momentum. She took careful note of her surroundings, before moving closer to the doctor.

"I wish to answer your question in a unique way, if you will allow me?", she spoke quickly, raising her hand toward the Vulcan's head, in a gesture she had read about in the ship's database. "My mind to your mind," she intoned in her excellent imitation of the Vulcan phrase. Although the gesture was not necessary for her own initiation of a lock-send, she touched his temple lightly. He did not have time to object, before she was thrusting her consciousness toward his.

His quick barriers and fearful resistance were like thin walls she pushed through as she touched the front of his mind. His knowledge of elfin powers was there, and he was sorting through them frantically, searching for a defence. On another level, a smooth wall of Vulcan mind control was already protecting him from a myriad of emotions, and from further intrusion on her part behind this partition.

Amused that she could get this far with so alien a mind, she sent to him a visual trip through her past world. She gave him images of the abundant life that she had encountered through her centuries on Abode, and some recent impressions of the space faring races she had just met.

Just then, she felt his own intrusion into her mind. He began by attempting to uncover the reasons for her recent actions. She allowed him to see her benevolent intent. His scan of her short term memory did not upset her, and she freely shared a part of her joy in swimming with the dolphin. As he began to search for more images and information on the dolphin, however, she decided that she had shared all that she wished regarding her bond animal. She not so gently shoved his probing mind in another direction.

Withdrawing from his thoughts, she focused their now linked mind on the types of creatures on her home world, and they combined their knowledge of the species as they flashed through them.

***Curltail***, she thought-said, as he thought: seahorse, this particular genius, species, unknown. Male carries young,primary food supply brine shrimp:

***Ribswims!***, she contributed. ***Eaten by curltails, rainbow fish, hatch every Large Moon cycle...***, and on and on the almost endless chain of information on sea life continued, both participants excited by the exchange, and willing to learn from each other. Nightsea heard the scientific names with interest, and the cold lists of facts actually thrilled her with the comparisons to known species of other worlds, primarily the Imperial home world.

The Vulcan was impressed with her intimate knowledge of the behaviours, patterns and habits of all the animals. Her assessments were not always practical, but always interesting. She knew which ones had which flavours, mated at what seasons, and were natural prey or predators to each other. Some of the symbiotic relationships and more obscure varieties were unique and intriguing.

Realising the time ticking by beyond their mental connection, Nightsea reluctantly began to slow the waterfall of images to a trickle, then she focused on the words she would use to describe the basic forms of life, and her ideas about what would define being alive. She heard many interpretations from the Vulcan, quotes of Imperial medical texts, and Vulcan philosophies. When he began to impart the belief that life was sacred to his culture, she interrupted and said to him that it was time to end this lock-send-mind-melding.

Disentangling effortlessly, she was again aware of only the visual input from her surroundings. The Vulcan was also able to come back to himself quickly, and did not seem startled or on guard. The two looked at each other with respect, and did not speak for long moments.

Whew! We were going to get into religion there, Nightsea thought to herself. I do not want to spend all day on personal belief systems and philosophies! And I most certainly do not want to become that involved with him yet. His logic is relentless, but his razor sharp focus is amazing. 

I will wish to explore her mental abilities further! She breached years of my discipline in minutes, and I must learn these techniques, the Vulcan said to his inner self. Logically, I must develop my use of mental powers for my own safety. I am impressed by her visual recall, and control.

"We have much to learn from one another, do we not, Vulcan?" she said to him, smiling again. Her use of his species instead of his name putting distance between them. She also stepped back to her own bubble of personal space, and eventually looked away from him.

"Indeed. That was a most interesting display of telepathic ability. I have not encountered its like before, and value being given the opportunity. I would also like to express my thanks for your good intentions, while simultaneously requesting that in future, you either give me time to prepare before making such contact, or give me the option to refuse."

"I understand. I will always ask permission, unless of course I don't want to." Nightsea laughed, promised, and threatened all at once. She both meant to reassure and unnerve the Doctor. She enjoyed being inexplicable and dangerous while giving positive statements and creating humour. They will not underestimate me enough to actually test my talents, and will always wonder what I am capable of, so that challenges and hostilities are gambles, she hoped. When swimming with sharks, it is best to have big teeth of your own on display.

The Doctor could read between the lines of her statement, and could tell that her self-confidence made the threat while her ironic nature made the joke. He believed fully that she was dangerous, yet that she did not intend harm to him for the time being. He vowed to himself to tread with caution around this being, while trying to conceal his mistrust. Barriers did not please her. He did see the image of the dolphin tank as a memory from his contact with her mind, and could clearly feel the dislike she had for limits and walls of all sorts. Perhaps he could help her with this one wall, and thus earn a favour in return.

"The force field around the adjacent quarters bothers you." he said, realising as he said it that she was not aware that he retained this information by her swift narrowing of the eyes. "I will give you the level five security code to unlock the force field on the other side of the dolphin tank, if you will help me learn some of your mental control."

It was a simple deal. Not meant to threaten her. His gaze was level, he wanted to trade. But it had not occurred to her that her thoughts about the wall had carried so deep into her memory of this morning's swim. What else had he found out while they were linked that she had not intended him to know? It seemed she had underestimated either her own intertwining of emotions and thoughts, or his ability to sift through her memory, or perhaps both. If he knew about her nightmares, then he had picked up a crucial card indeed. She did not want her fear of space to become common knowledge, or even less than common knowledge! It was a weakness that could be a weapon levered against her. Now she was the one who must agree to help him. If she were allowed further access to his mind, under the guise of training him, perhaps she could erase his memory of their first exchange, and she could also find out exactly what his abilities had allowed him to learn. She would never again give him access to her memories, unless she was in complete control of all the content. It would not be difficult to stop him, if she concentrated. Her failure today was due to her impulsive, wild nature, and her single minded pursuit of a goal. Her curiosity satisfied about the basic role of the doctor. and his usefulness to her, she would not lose sight of protecting her own thoughts against prying next time!

"I agree to your trade, provided that your pending breach of security protocol, and my breach of conduct in forcefully mind melding with you this morning both remain our secrets." she almost hissed. She was not smiling now, and she wanted him to know that it was all serious business. They could both suffer horribly if others became aware of their actions. She had counted on his fear of her, or their mutual interests, to keep him silent about her activities, but if he now felt he had an advantage, perhaps he had been about to report her as having assaulted him. His promise to give her the code was for now just that, a promise only, and no real guarantee. While she knew he would not lie, as he had strong Vulcan morals, she also knew it was not beyond him to have her arrested, and then come to her detention cell with the code. "I want your word as a Vulcan to uphold the spirit as well as the letter of our agreement", she amended.

"I vow to remain silent about both matters. I will not discuss, or otherwise impart knowledge of, our former mind link, or our agreement regarding future accesses of any kind." he swore. 

Satisfied, yet now angry at herself, Nightsea turned and headed for the exit.

"I will contact you in the near future, then Lieutenant." was all he said.

Outside, Nightsea's tread on the corridor floor was heavy and fast. She paced out her frustrations with her own foolishness. Her search for knowledge was not as important as self preservation, yet she had gotten her priorities backwards earlier, and had been too sure that she was the superior telepathic being in every way. She had discounted the empathic abilities of the Vulcan, since she was unfamiliar with the term when she read up on him. It seemed an uncommon gift among his kind, so she had assumed it was not powerful. Like her dolphin, he had read beyond the words and images in her mind, and now look what she was caught up in! Treason! Subversive activities! It was one thing to tamper with walls and machines on your own, but quite another to plot with others aboard. The Empire took a very dim view of such occurrences, and they were understandably rare. No one who was caught ever lived that long, for one thing. It would be no less of an infraction even if all that was on the other side of the wall was a supply of sea shells! She was risking a lot, and for what? Curiosity!

A human expression about dead felines floated through her mind momentarily, then was gone before it became a cohesive thought. She had to crystallise her resolve, and make more plans for potential outcomes. She knew who could help her.

***Moonfisher! I am upset.*** Her call would reach the dolphin, regardless of whether he was asleep or awake, and no matter where she was on the ship. The entire vessel seemed to be in comfortable sending range for all the elves and bond animals aboard.

He sent back her soul name and instructions; ***Resh. Be calm. I am with you. I am calm. Be calm with me.***

Just feeling him there, steady and impossible to turn even in the strongest current, made her tense muscles relax. She slowed her pounding pace so that she was walking normally instead of storming through the ship. She knew that things would be well. And if they were not, then she and he would find a way to float through the rough spots, to the world of the High Ones one day, in flesh or in spirit. They were destined to swim the stars!