Kavarian tiger-bat
December 12, 2112
Leonard Fitzmurdle’s personal log
Commander Briswald and I sought out the tiger bats of Kalvaria primarily to research their unique coloring and unusual diurnal habits. We had heard tales, of course, that the creatures possessed mild powers of psychokinetic projection, but had dismissed them as so much folklore.
But scarcely had we had we emerged from the jungle and glimpsed the jagged russet peak of the mountain, when the world around me began to spin and waver in a most disconcerting manner. From what I am told, I let out a horrifying shriek and fell to the ground, clutching my head and convulsing as if the end was nigh.
That was external. But in my head, quite a different scene was unfolding. It seemed to me that I was launched through a swirling vortex, and once the chaos had stabilized, discovered myself among the bats—not just among them, but a part of them. There is no way to explain it other than to say that I had become one of the creatures, spiraling upward through the airshaft among my brethren. Human consciousness abandoned, I felt only the powerful rush of my body, the nearby warmth of my brothers and sisters, the whir of their petal-thin wings as we danced upward toward the light.
This experience lasted just a few moments, and then suddenly I was back in my human body, gazing up into the face of a very worried Briswald. We returned to the ship immediately for a full medical analysis, but it seems my encounter has had no ill effects.
The commander has insisted I remain in the ship for the remainder of our trip as a precaution, a constraint I somewhat begrudge; but safety must, I suppose, come first.
Octavio Briswald’s field notes
Of course it’s marvelous that Fitzmurdle got to record the encounter for posterity, but I am somewhat peeved at the bats’ seeming disinterest in providing me with an equivalent experience. I have spent several days stalking my way around the mountain, alone and thinking pointedly batty thoughts, but all to no avail.
Frankly, it seems borderline rude.
Other mentions: Jake Sisko researched these for a story he was writing (DS9).
