Pon Farr Arangements
Posted on Tue Nov 3rd, 2026 @ 2:28pm by Commander Nith & EMH Mark IX - "Nina"
Edited on on Tue Nov 3rd, 2026 @ 2:34pm
777 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Frozen Acquisition
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: current
Commander Nith entered Sickbay, her posture rigid with the day's accumulated tensions. She had, at last, replied to the doctor's twentieth message with a terse "Acknowledged." The room was empty, lit only by the ambient glow of bio-bed monitors. She clasped her hands behind her back, her gaze sweeping the sterile space before turning to depart. The hum of the EMH emitters activated just as her hand neared the door panel.
"Oh good, you're here!" Nina's voice chirped from behind her.
Nith closed her eyes for precisely three seconds before turning. The doctor was already holding a tricorder, its blue light sweeping over Nith's torso. "I have complied with your twelve-hour window, Doctor," Nith stated, her tone flat. "Your repeated reminders were noted, and unnecessary."
"It's important we look you over," Nina said, not looking up from her PaDD. "Medical logs indicate your last Pon Farr was seven years and four months ago to the day. You were thirty-three." She finally met Nith's eyes. "How did you handle it?"
"The same way Vulcans always handle it," Nith replied, her attention fixed on a wall monitor displaying circadian rhythm charts.
"You found a mate," Nina said, the words hanging in the air like a diagnosis.
"Captain Jack Wells of the USS Pacifica. We served together as junior officers on the USS Heywood. The pairing was arranged by Doctor Arisaka."
"Well," Nina sighed dramatically. "Do you have a thing for blond men? Because we've got one onboard who's inexplicably fond of Vulcans. He was almost getting along with one until he rearranged her brother's face a few hours ago."
"I am aware of Ensign Vail. I approved his transfer. His investigative skills are exceptional."
Nina's smile turned sharp. "Well, you could give him something to investigate."
Nith settled onto the biobed as scans continued. "Doctor," she began, her voice lowering slightly. "Ensign Vail serves under my command. My previous... arrangement occurred between officers of equal rank. It would be illogical to entertain such a notion with a subordinate."
"It's not against regulations," Nina countered lightly. "And it's illogical to let the ship's XO lose her composure because she didn't get properly... attended to."
Nith's eyes narrowed. "Am I exhibiting symptoms of Pon Farr?"
"No."
"Then it would be unwise to treat a patient for a theoretical…"
"Not theoretical," Nina said, producing a hypospray. "Inevitable."
"What is that?"
"This will prevent pregnancy for when you accept that you'll be making some lucky man on this ship very happy indeed." The hiss of the hypospray was loud in the quiet room. Nith's only reaction was to stare blankly at the wall opposite.
"And for the record," Nina added, storing the instrument away. "I don't think you're theoretical."
Nith's gaze returned to Nina, the deadpan stare uniquely Vulcan in its intensity.
“A query,” Nith stated, her tone flat and analytical. “Perhaps the deficiency lies with Ensign Vail. What logical reason would a Human have for seeking intimacy with a partner who does not express emotion?”
Nina’s grin was a flash of white in the dim light. “Maybe he wants a little mystery in bed?”
Nith did not react to the implication. “Understood. I will hand him a PaDD of the latest ship diagnostic reports and ensure he reviews them prior to sleep. The data may provide sufficient mental stimulation to satisfy his apparent need for unpredictability in bed.”
Nina rolled her holographic eyes.
“The primary appeal for certain Humans is precisely that Vulcans do express emotion during intimacy. It functions as an additional, more intimate layer to be revealed; a state reserved exclusively for those who share a profound bond. To some Humans, that singular privilege is more stimulating than encounters with a hundred other Humans.”
Nith raised one sculpted eyebrow, her voice measured and devoid of inflection.
“An intriguing hypothesis, Doctor. I am curious as to the methodology. Did the individual responsible for this data set engage in sexual relations with one hundred Humans and one Vulcan to reach such a comparative conclusion? If affirmative, would that not constitute a violation of medical ethics under the designation of promiscuous research conduct?”
Nina threw the personal access display down onto the adjacent Biobed with a sharp clatter. Her fingers jabbed at the console on the bed. A shimmering cascade of golden particles dissolved her into the air until she vanished back into the computer system. Nith watched the empty space where her colleague had been, one eyebrow arching upward in silent commentary. She slid from the medical bed, her boots meeting the polished deck with a soft tap, and moved through the parting sickbay doors into the Horizon's vast corridor network.
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