Post 203: Speaking Out

Stardate: 070601.0900
Subject: Speaking Out
Author: Lt. Kat Baux
Scene: Conference Room
Time: Immediately Following "To the Rescue"

"Acknowledged."

Having been summoned to a pre-mission briefing, Kat scooped up a PADD and one other small item, then headed out.

Approaching the Conference Room, she caught up to Vedek Jariel and Marianne Rogers, and exchanged greetings with them. She beckoned to Marianne, asked the Vedek to excuse them for just a minute. She explained what she had in mind, answered a couple of questions, and received a smiling nod in return.

"Vedek, I have something for you.", she said, extending the small device. "It's for the people down there. It has some prayers, phrases and words of comfort on it. You can enter text which it will render audibly. The audio will be your voice, which I uploaded from several sources on Bajor. You can even select from several regional dialects, as well as several languages", Kat explained.

"It's a great idea. I know that hearing you lead them in prayer will be very comforting to them, and there are times when someone might not want to have anyone else around when they talk to you.", Rogers added.

He stood very still, for just a moment, then freed the attached stylus and tapped in a few strokes. His voice sounded, "Ladies, shall we?" He gestured to the Conference Room Door.

Just before they entered, he laid a hand on Kat's forearm. When she turned to look back over her shoulder at him, he raised the fingertips of one hand to his lips, then extended them outward.

"You're very welcome, Vedek."


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Lieutenant Kathleen Baux
Engineering Officer
USS Independence