“The issue we face is that the telepathic field renders substantial portions of the moon unsuitable for those without telepathic abilities,” Dravak explained. “The wavelengths of telepathy can lead to a range of problems, from severe headaches to neural decay.”

Vivienne nodded, quickly writing down that answer to her previously asked question. Word by word. Because she had to. 

Dravak held Vivienne responsible for the backlash of her first article, and upon her complaint, “Star Crossed” had sent the young woman back to Quor’kathar with the task to write a follow-up that would tidy up the mess she had made. 

Not that Vivienne had wanted to cause any drama. As a matter of fact, she was planning to leave “Star Crossed” to get away from reporting on the drama around Betazoid nobles and high ranking Starfleet Officers. But drama had a way of finding her, whether she was looking for it or not. 

When she had come across the story of the telepathic field on Quor’kathar, she had hoped for an article she could add into her portfolio and which would aid her on the way of becoming a “real” journalist with a serious news outlet. She had felt quite clever about sprinkling a little controversy into the mix by openly asking if such a unique natural phenomena should really be destroyed (or reduced in size) for the sake of the people who had decided to settle there, but were not native to the planet. 

She had miscalculated the impact by a considerable margin. Vivienne reclined in her chair, not disinterested in what Dravak had to say, but somewhat unhappy at the scripted interview. 

“Are there any opposing viewpoints or resistance to these development plans?” 

Dravak nodded in response to Vivienne’s question. “Indeed, there are a handful of scientists who argue in favour of preserving the unique plant life within the telepathic field. It’s true that we’ve only conducted limited research in that area, which makes it all the more intriguing to those advocating for its protection.””So how come you feel their concerns are dismissible?”

“While I acknowledge the appeal of the field for research, the scientists advocating for its preservation haven’t made any concrete proposals or taken steps to conduct studies within it.”

Vivienne contemplated this, recognizing the potential inconsistency in their stance.  “So, they appreciate the concept of research in the telepathic field but aren’t committed to the actual work involved?”

“Precisely.”, Dravak confirmed with a subtle nod. The young woman shifted her focus, delving deeper into the issue, but decidedly not going off-script. “What about the residents? Do they share your perspective?”

“Yes. Though honestly, most of them don’t give it much thought. To them, the field is more of a nuisance to be dealt with, than anything else,” Dravak replied with confidence. The Klingon hybrid maintained her smile – or was it a snarl? – but Vivienne couldn’t help but sense a shift in the atmosphere. As if the room’s temperature had suddenly risen by a few degrees, causing the air to become heavy with…. something.  

She bit the inside of her cheek redirecting her focus to Dravak, catching the last part of her statement. “… just seven percent.”

Seven percent? Of what? Vivienne noted the number, for a few seconds desperately trying to guess the context she had apparently missed. Not very successfully. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”, she asked, feeling her cheeks flush. 

The other woman scowled at her, and gave a curt nod. “It is important to note that we are not completely removing the telepathic field. We’re merely reducing it in size, and by a relatively small margin. The plan is to shrink it by just seven percent.”, she repeated, making it evident that she had her own script to stick to. “Thank you.”, Vivienne nodded once she had finished writing down what had been said, then continued: “Some might argue that, while the telepathic field might not be unique in the galaxy, it’s certainly a rarity within this sector. It likely existed long before settlers arrived, and some believe it safe to assume that there are residents or groups, apart from the uninvolved scientists, who might strongly oppose any harm coming to it.”

Nayavi Dravak’s discomfort became more apparent as her lips pressed into a line almost as thin as the one Vivienne was walking right now. “Miss Claybrook, progress often comes with its share of costs,” she pointed out. “It always has.”There was more to it, and Vivienne knew it. Well, she didn’t know it in a sense of actually having knowledge, but she could sense that there was a deeper, untold aspect to the situation. Of course she wanted to delve deeper into it. But she also wanted to leave Quor’kathar in one piece. 

Especially when further research would likely not bring any results to begin with. She very much doubted that Dravak would volunteer any additional information, and the locals were a tight-knit community. In addition, Star Crossed’s editor was very unlikely to get themselves into trouble again. 

So, really, the best course of action was to let the matter rest. 

“Let’s conclude here,” she suggested, and Dravak nodded in agreement. The woman waited until Amelia had disconnected the recording device and stowed away her PADD before voicing an additional request. 

“My office will require a copy of the article before it goes to publication. I’d like to avoid any… repeat of past incidents.”

Vivienne blushed, understanding the implication. “Of course, I’ll make sure to provide a copy for your review before publishing anything.”

“Perfect. And please, feel free to contact me if any concerns arise,” Dravak stated in a tone of voice that clearly implied that neither contact nor additional concerns would be met with appreciation.  

The woman rose from her seat to offer her hand for a handshake –  a very human gesture from which Vivienne wondered if Dravak had learned it for her benefit. 

“Thank you for your time,” Vivienne expressed her gratitude as she, who was half-human herself, knew and  reciprocated the handshake before leaving.