Montgomery stood as her eyes searched the data stream from Solari’s successful testing.  She had called for Ensign Cam Solari to attempt to find the answer to the question that had started bothering her when she’d met with Lieutenant Erdian.  She played with the data as she waited.

Cam’s footsteps echoed through the sterile corridor of the medical wing, his shoulders slumped with the weight of familiarity. His journey led him to the unassuming door of ‘Administration Office 6’, a place that had become etched in his memory. With a mechanical motion, he pressed the chimes, an action he had repeated countless times over the past couple of weeks, this time with the same result as the last time – silence.

Furrowing his brow, Cam withdrew his gaze from the unresponsive door and examined his PADD. It was then, as his eyes scanned the screen, that realization washed over him like a sudden wave. He wasn’t meant to rendezvous with Lieutenant Erdian; it was Deputy Director Montgomery who awaited him, hidden on the far side of the bustling wing.

A surge of anxiety rippled through Cam’s veins. He prided himself on his punctuality, a reputation that he couldn’t afford to tarnish, and this wasn’t the first time in the Deputy Director’s presence. Without a second thought, he burst into a sprint, weaving through the busy medical equipment. He even resorted to vaulting over a biobed, his heart pounding with the urgency of his mistake. 

In the chaotic symphony of his thoughts, he muttered to himself, “This is bad; I can’t afford to be known for my perpetual lateness.”

Arriving at the correct office, he halted abruptly, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. His trembling hand reached out to press the chimes, the sound resonating through the still air. The door slid open, revealing Deputy Director Montgomery, her expression quizzical. 

Cam’s voice, laced with a touch of desperation, was quick to fill the void. “My apologies, Deputy Director. I made a mistake and reported to the wrong office.”

Cass gestured to the chairs before her desk, “I’m not the Deputy Director of Promenade Security, Ensign.  I’m not going to give you a demerit for lateness.”  She stood at the holo screen, “I’ve been working through the data from your successful test.  Congratulations, by the way, on being a part of saving our part of the galaxy.

Cam’s gaze met the Deputy Director’s warm countenance, and in return, he offered a soft smile as he spoke, his words hesitant yet earnest. “I… I just don’t want to be that person, you know?” 

He paused briefly, collecting his thoughts before continuing, “Thank you. Even though it’s only been a short while since I graduated from the Academy, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to contribute. Instances like this are precisely why I chose to join Starfleet in the first place.”

Montgomery nearly rolled her eyes but resisted.  There was a lot of pressure on the lower ranks, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.  She held her tongue on that subject as she pivoted to why the ensign was in her office.  Cass handed him a PADD, “There’s a set of readings there I’ve been trying to figure out.” She explained the unusual nature of his return trip and the physiological readings that had struck her as weird.  She leaned against the desk, staring at the data as if it would tell her something.  “I was hoping you could shed some light on the subject.  Anything you can tell me about your transporter experience would be helpful.”

Cam felt his cheeks grow warm, a flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck as he retraced the bizarre experience from their recent test. The memory of those enigmatic clouds, the radiant golden circlet, and the mesmerizing, otherworldly gate that had unfolded before him played vividly in his mind’s eye. He couldn’t possibly disclose these surreal occurrences; sharing them would undoubtedly invite skepticism, or worse, judgment.

As he responded to Montgomery, his gaze avoided direct contact, his eyes tracing the pattern on the floor as he struggled to form coherent words. “Uh… no… everything went as expected. Nothing… out of the ordinary to report,” he mumbled, the unease in his voice betraying the secrecy of his extraordinary encounter.

Cass scoffed, “Ensign.”  She pulled a spare chair from the wall and slid it up against the one he was sitting in, “I’m a doctor, not a JAG officer.  Unless you’ve suddenly developed a hunger lust for blood or been hiding bodies in the promenade in your spare time…I’m not here to find a reason to bench you.”  She sat back in the chair, “You don’t get to be a deputy director without learning a few things along the way.”  Montgomery studied the ceiling as she spoke, “My office is a judgment-free zone.  There’s enough judgment out there,” she motioned behind her, “for everyone.”  She turned to him again, “If you don’t feel comfortable telling me now, I’ll understand.  I will have to talk to you about this again to get the real answer…because the one you’re selling…no Ferengi would buy it.”

“The real answer…” In a barely audible whisper, Cam’s voice quivered as he spoke, revealing the genuine response that haunted his thoughts. Once more, his mind retraced that critical moment, but the question remained: could he dare to reveal it?

With a cautious glance, he assessed the Deputy Director seated before him. 

‘Would she really pass no judgment?’ he wondered, still finding solace in her kind demeanor.

A subtle shimmer of moisture gathered in the corners of his eyes, catching the soft ambient light in the room, and he fought valiantly to maintain his composure. With a resolute swallow, he harnessed his inner strength, slowly but noticeably quelling the storm of emotions that had surged within him.

Montgomery waited, keeping her eyes on his.  She’d learned a few things over the years from colleagues.  Early in her career, an old doctor taught her about ‘wait time.’  Counselors were really good at it, he’d said, and doctors are therapists of a kind.  Use the wait time; he’d nudged her ever so gently; the silence would draw them out and get them to talk.  So she waited, remaining seated next to the man.  She waited five minutes.  She broke the silence, “There’s an old Earth novel called ‘The Things They Carried.’  She stood and walked to her bookshelf, an unusual sight in most offices.  She continued to speak as she searched, “It’s about the burdens that people carry…the literal and the metaphorical.”  Cass found it and slipped it off the shelf, handing it to the ensign as she returned the seat next to him, “You’re gonna carry whatever this is inside you, Cam…let someone help you share the load before it becomes too much to hold.”

Cam’s eyes locked onto hers, a silent plea for understanding. His lips parted, and he hesitated for a moment before deciding to reveal his unsettling experience in a more vivid manner.

“Something happened,” he began cautiously, his voice quivering with uncertainty, “during the final tests… though, honestly, I’m not entirely convinced it even happened.”

He let out a slow breath, his words painting a picture of his surreal encounter. 

“I stepped onto the Transporter pad, and when the process started it was like the world around me shifted. It was as though gravity had chosen to release its hold on me, granting me a sensation of weightlessness that transcended even the most extravagant of fantasies. But the true wonder lay within; from the depths of my being, I felt a profound liberation, unburdened by guilt, untouched by pain, and freed from every imaginable weight.” 

Cam drew in a deep breath, summoning the surreal world’s image before his mind’s eye.

“Abruptly, I found myself in a realm that openly defied reason and logic. When my eyes blinked open, all I saw were soft, billowing clouds stretching out like an endless meadow of plush pillows. When I looked up… there was this weird, almost golden ring hovering above my head.”

She didn’t react.  Her head nodded along every few sentences, her eyes staying on him.  “Thank you for sharing that with me, Cam.”  She theorized, “As much as we think we understand the universe, there’s still plenty to learn.  It wasn’t that long ago that DS9 opened the great mystery of the Bajoran Faith.  What you’re talking about sounds similar.”  She thought momentarily longer, “The experience could also be tied to removing the Borg nanites. Either way, it’s not as unusual as you seem to think it is.”  Montgomery tapped at her PADD absentmindedly, “Every other reading came back at acceptable levels.  I’ll give you a choice, Ensign.  I can refer you to our counseling team or we can continue this conversation and treatment for a little longer.  There could very well be a medical piece to this puzzle…and I don’t want to discount making sure we check all we can.”

Cam’s eyes locked onto the Deputy Director’s, and in that moment, he couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of gratitude. It was as if his concerns had finally found a receptive ear.

“Thank you,” Cam expressed, his voice tinged with a deep sense of appreciation. 

He leaned forward slightly, emphasizing the importance of what he was about to suggest. “I believe it’s crucial that we explore any potential medical explanations. We can’t afford to leave anything to chance, especially with the treatment on the horizon.” 

He paused, a flicker of doubt crossing his face, before continuing, “I’m good on the mental support front; I’ve been regularly engaging in counseling sessions with Lieutenant Ashfield.”

Cassidy understood, “I’m glad you’re working with others.”  She opened her PADD and went to work, “I’ll schedule some follow-ups with you over the next week or so.  We’ll do some deeper scans and investigations. For now, keep me in the loop if you experience anything similar to what occurred.” She stood as the ensign followed suit, “You’re medically cleared with me.  I’ll see you soon, Ensign Solari.”  The young man stood at attention and then left the office.  Montgomery returned her attention to the scans on the PADD.  Whatever was ailing Cam was unusual.  She hoped it wasn’t anything more than that.