Heriah was alone in her quarters, thinking the thoughts a Joined Trill with a host having Rex’s traumatic history would think; battle, blood, screams, tearing flesh, the sounds of…

“Music,” she broke in on the thoughts. “I was not playing ambient music when I met with Cynndle.” It was time to change that.

Heriah rather enjoyed music, especially the classical or olden kind and listening to her favorites generally helped her get into the mindset to think more clearly. “Computer, play something.”

=^=”Please specify audio selection.”=^=

“I don’t know. Something I like.”

=^=”There are no preferences stored for Ensign Heriah Khatain Rex.”=^=

That’s right. She had not synched that information just yet. But, new assignment, new view, new personnel, it was time to come up with a new playlist.

“Looks like I have to program you all over again.”

=^=”Affirmative.”=^=

“Quiet you.” At least Heriah kept copies of her holodeck programs.

“Play some Trill rock music. No! Let’s stick with Earth classical. How about the Devil’s Trill Sonata.” She smiled admiring an Earth song title carrying her race’s name, but as soon as it started playing, “No. Stop. That’s not it.”

‘What was that song Rikata liked, introduced me to,’ she mouthed as she thought. Rikata spent much time on Earth and grew accustomed to some of the traditions of the populace. He greatly enjoyed the music.

A spark of memory came to her.

‘♫Come along if you care♫,’ she bobbed her head to a silent beat begin to grow in volume in her mind. ‘♫Come along if you dare.♫’ She almost had the rhythm. “♫Take a ride to the…♫That’s it! Computer, play ‘Journey to the Center of the Mind’.”

=^=”Two hundred seventeen musicians have covered the specified song.”=^=

“The original version you dumb computer. Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes.” The artist name came to her finally.

The music started playing. Heriah stood in place and swayed a bit getting into the mood, in tune with the beat.

♫”Leave your cares behind. Come with us and find, the pleasures of a journey to the center of the mind”♫

Rikata liked it because it help him center himself and ‘sync’ himself with the Mol symbiont. He suggested it to her many times until she finally gave it a go. Ultimately, Heriah felt it did the same between her and Rex.

She grabbed an ushaan-tor hanging on the wall to use as a pretend microphone.

♫”Come along if you care, Come along if you dare, Take a ride to the land inside of your mind”♫

Setting the ushaan-tor down, she snatched up her gym bag and pulled it open. Her PT uniforms had yet to be unpacked. Similarly, she had yet visited the gym. Heriah pulled a complete Starfleet issued Pt uniform and set it aside on her bed.

♫”Beyond the seas of thought. Beyond the realm of what♫

♫Across the streams of hopes and dreams where things are really not♫

♫Come along if you care, Come along if you dare♫

♫Take a ride to the land inside of your mind”♫

Heriah spun with her arms out, still bobbing to the music, loosing whatever garments she was holding. Singing along and spinning once more, she stopped in the lavatory looking at a reflection of herself in the mirror. For a quick second, Heriah did not recognize who was looking back at her.

♫”But please realize. You’ll probably be surprised♫

♫For it’s the land unknown to man where fantasy is fact♫

♫So if you can, please understand you might not come back”♫

“Pull yourself together girl,” she said aloud to her reflection.

Looking behind her reflection, Heriah saw the mess she made. Several sets of PTs and other luggage were thrown about the room in a chaotic display. It appeared like a pair of Klingon targs were given a small animal to do with as they pleased, only without all the blood.

♫”Come along if you care, Come along if you dare♫

♫Take a ride to the land inside and you’ll see…”♫

“Computer, stop the music.” Her room quieted back down to silence. “It isn’t helping.” She bent down to pick up a sports bra. “Just play some Devil’s Trill Sonata.”

The tune would suffice as she started cleaning up.