I Think I'm Going Crazy - Part II
Posted on Wed Dec 3rd, 2025 @ 2:15pm by Lieutenant Endymion Tox & Commander Grace Vetur & Lieutenant Amanda Rose
2,007 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Preservation Instinct
Location: Various
He looked down and read the short letter again and then smiled. "He says he wants to see if I can figure out who he is. Told me he's going to send me on a scavenger hunt and the fact that he wants to celebrate my birthday...He's the only person that ever saw me as more then this disgusting parasite I have to endure." He pointed towards his abdomen. "A Trill gives up everything. His last name, his life, his date of birth. We are supposed to celebrate the date of joining as our date of birth as it's a new entity born but...Pluto knows I won't do that. He wants to celebrate Endymion's birthday and not this creature Tox's." His eyes stung and had to blink several times. "That...that's like giving me a gift in itself."
He let out a small gasp and looked down rubbing his abdomen. "Tox," he growled low. "That's enough you little worm. I like cranberry juice and it makes you sick. Don't think for a second I won't drink it even if I will be vomiting all night. Small price to give you a reminder whose body you're using." He sighed as the pain eased. "That's better!"
He looked up at the two women. "Sorry....The symbiont is....an annoyance at times. Whenever I do something for me or the host....or whatever it acts up." He looked back down. "The little freeloader thinks we're one in the same." He sighed. "Anyway, slug aside I need to figure out who Pluto is...a scavenger hunt." He smiled suddenly feeling light. "Gods this isn't going to be easy, there are a lot of people on this ship who are Vulcan or born on Vulcan so...I guess a place to start with is a list."
Amanda glanced over at Grace again helplessly and then back at Tox. "Maybe you should just play the game? It would probably be more fun that way," Amanda offered. "Don't overthink it. However, we might have to have to have some further discussions about how you and your symbiont treat each other. What you just suggested to your symbiont was cruel."
He snorted. "Counselor cruel is having this beast's previous host and said host's wife scheme with my own family to have me on a shuttle with all joined Trills going to Earth. Cruel is, knowing I didn't wish to be joined, and then arranging for me to 'temporarily' take the symbiont cause it was unstable and then keeping me sedated for three days after which the joining became permanent. I agreed to take the parasite for a day until we could get back to Trill I woke up three days later and only then did the shuttle head to Trill, we were a day away yet somehow coms and engines failed for three days. We got back to Trill and I was told you can't remove the slug. So, living with this symbiont when I didn't want it in the first place is cruel, having to be both myself and Tox is cruel."
He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Scavenger hunt." He looked around. "I'm gonna get us some drinks then I need your help figuring out this clue. I'll be back." He shot up but the counselor's words stopped him.
"What was done to you was wrong, Tox. I'm not disputing that in any way. However, I think it is important that we find a way to make your coexistence more peaceful. We'll explore that a lot more in our future counseling sessions, and yes, they are mandatory, before you ask."
Amanda then straightened herself and her clothing, "But for now, let's have fun. Drinks and clue solving."
He sighed. "Couples therapy with a slug. Fun." He took their drink orders and headed to the replicator are to order them.
Grace said nothing during the exchange between Amanda and Tox. She agreed that it was a cruel trick to play on the nurse, and the people behind it should have been reprimanded. But she doubted they were. If Tox chose this host, they would consider it a done deal, regardless of how the host felt. Still, she wished Doctor Marcus could do something.
Tox hurried back and set the drinks down in front of Grace and Amanda. "Okay ladies. I'm gonna try something new as per counselor's orders. I won't overthink. So now help me figure out where I find the next clue." He sighed picking up the envelope again and slipping the papers out. "It says, Flowers bloom beneath the starry skies. Make believe places made from both truth and lies. Deep inside the matrix you will find the next clue to be unraveled by your wondrous mind." He snorted. "More like confused mind....can y’all make any sense of this?"
"Flowers bloom in the arboretum," Grace began. "That's the first thing that came to mind..."
Tox gave a nod. "Okay but what about the next part. Make believe places made from both truth and lies...." He bit his lower lip thinking. "I get that could be the arboretum as well real flowers fake garden but it's also a real garden but then what is Deep inside Matrix?"
"That I don't know. Has Pluto ever mentioned a matrix before?" Grace asked. "Or, is there somewhere on the ship he'd consider a matrix?" She thought of a holodeck, but decided to let Amanda be the one to guess.
"Engineering uses them, we use them for medical...but since he used flowers and starry skies...truth lies....doesn't have anything to do with the two."
"'Make believe places' would make me think that it is the holodeck. Where else could all of those things be true?" Amanda considered.
Tox's eyes lit up. "Yes! Counselor you're a genius!" He shot up. "Let's go ladies! To the holodeck!"
"Which one?" Amanda wondered aloud. She then answered her own question. "I bet we can find one reserved under your name, Tox."
"There aren't many to choose from. The computer will quickly tell you if one is reserved in your name, Tox," Grace said.
"True...let's pick a holodeck and scour the matrix."
=/\= Holodeck One =/\=
Tox sighed. "Honestly, he has made this a maze. Nothing that has a name I recognize." He looked at the ladies. "If you were making scavenger hunt would y’all make it this hard?"
"It depends on who it was for," Grace said. "And if I thought they were capable of deciphering the riddle. You know him, remember? And he knows you. What do you think he would do?"
"I don't know. That's the worst part. He wouldn't make it obvious like a program for Tox...."
Just as he finished speaking the holodeck computer spoke up. "Voice print accepted."
Amanda laughed. "See, the Captain was correct."
Tox rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Ugh....a little creativity?" He sighed. "Computer open program." There was a long second where nothing happened and then the holodeck shimmered into the most beautiful grassy field with flowers everywhere. To the right was a small pool of water being fed by a waterfall so crystal clear that it looked like diamonds falling. A second later a figure appeared. The figure stood wearing Vulcan Robes but appeared to be not Vulcan...there was something off in the ears the eyebrows...the obvious tattoo on the neck...."Okay...." He looked at the two women. "This is....strange." The figure stopped in front of the three. "Welcome Mr. Tox and ... friends?"
"Thank you," Amanda replied. "It is rather beautiful here. May I ask who you are?"
"You were expecting only Tox?" Grace asked.
The hologram shrugged. "Indeed, but my maker prepared for the alternative. I take it you are helping Mr. Tox solve this mystery?" He tilted his head. "Scanning. Grace Vetur, Captain and..." He turned to the other person. "Amanda Rose. Counselor." He raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating. Your indulgence is appreciated."
Grace inclined her head. "Thank you. Yes, we are here to help Mr. Tox solve the riddle."
"Fascinating?" Amanda asked. "We are happy to indulge...."
The program smiled slightly.
Tox, while the program spoke, watched it carefully. "Okay so can I ask you something?"
The holo Vulcan raised an eyebrow. "I do not know. Can you? You may, yes."
Tox stomped his foot. "Is your maker as infuriating as you?"
"Indeed."
"Oh..." Tox paused. "Does he have tattoos?"
"Indeed he does."
"Is he Vulcan....but you keep glitching where in some respects you look Vulcan and some others not....does that mean he's half Vulcan?"
"Indeed."
"That makes it easy!" Tox shouted. "How many half Vulcans can be on this crew."
"Twenty half Vulcans and twenty three more that have Vulcan blood in their history."
Tox groaned. "Are you two seeing this?"
"Yes, but I think you're making this more difficult than it should be," Grace said, her tone gentle. "Just ask if it's the person you think it is. Then you'll get a straightforward answer."
Amanda simply wondered why Tox remained willfully ignorant. Everyone but Tox knew the answers but Tox refused to spit them out and Amanda knew that Tox needed to do just that. "If I did not see it, I would be in need of medical services," the Counselor told Tox, barely stifling a giggle.
Tox put his hands on his hips. "Counselor are you mocking me?"
The hologram answered for her. "Yes, and rightly so. Are you ready for your first clue in this scavenger hunt?"
Tox turned back to the hologram. "A what?"
"A scavenger hunt at the end of which my maker will or will not reveal himself to you."
Tox groaned. "Will or will not? You're kidding me." He sighed. "Fiiiine."
"Clue one, since you have help I will make it interesting. Each of you will have to find a clue and combine them so that Mr. Tox will find the second clue."
Tox sighed. "I hate scavenger hunts...no matter how romantic they can be."
The hologram turned to the Captain. "I have implanted a message in one of the reports that was submitted by a department head..." The hologram knew there was only one person who could have done that and he knew the captain knew where to look because his maker was in fact the flight department head. "It will require your code to unlock it."
He turned to the counselor. "Your clue will ... um come to your office counselor." In fact, Xavier had made up his mind to seek the counselor's help with this.
Tox groaned again. "Come on! You're as infuriating as our pilot!"
The hologram's mouth opened and then closed. He shook his head and addressed the counselor. "Can you medicate the common sense into this one?"
Grace chuckled. "I know right where to look. Do we meet back here with our clues?"
Amanda laughed prettily at the hologram's comment. "I don't prescribe medication, but I have found that common sense is not as common as we would like it to be. However, I will do as you say and go to my office for your clue."
"Excellent." He turned to the Captain and bowed. "Indeed."
Tox held up a hand. "What do I do?"
"I would suggest holding your breath but that is dangerous and my maker would not be pleased should something happen to you."
Tox growled and stuck his tongue out at the hologram.
Amanda warned Tox, "Be careful where you stick that tongue. It may not catch your intended target." With that, she giggled and headed off to her office for whatever clue that Xavier was leaving her.
Grace just chuckled as she headed to her office to get the necessary information. She was enjoying this game quite a bit. She just hoped Xavier and Tox would enjoy it as well.
Lieutenant Amanda Rose
Chief Counselor
USS Ontario
Commander Grace Vetur
Commander
USS Ontario
Lieutenant Endymion Tox
Head Nurse (NPC)
USS Ontario
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