Empirical Testing Of Reality

Posted on Fri Mar 20th, 2020 @ 3:18pm by Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Sonak
Edited on on Fri Mar 20th, 2020 @ 3:59pm

Mission: Dedjoy System Mystery
Location: USS Hera, Deck 8, Commander Paris & Mr. Sonak's quarters
Timeline: 2397

Together, the most mundane of tasks became pleasing time spent together, in which both found fulfillment. They had made a meal together, falling easily into the old patterns established long ago which lent the interaction structure, not unlike a ritual which brought comfort to both of them. Afterward they had cleaned up the kitchen, the living room, the dining room and the bedroom with military efficiency, born once again of practice, while being so perfectly in synch with one another. As she shed her boots, she could toss them toward the closet, knowing he would redirect their momentum to insure they landed on target. He balled up and tossed his tunic onto her upraised arms as she was stripping off her minidress uniform.

They moved with economy and grace, in a dance whose steps only they knew. A dance of foreplay, which led to intimacy.

There were many different versions of physical intimacy which they practiced, including the occasional experiment. Tonight it was tender lovemaking- there was no urgency, no driving force. For her part, she had seen her hero fall, and had to save him from an alien world. There had been no hesitation, no fretting over his welfare, no distraction from the mission. It was a sound stratagem he had employed, which had enabled him to survive and protect her. When the mission was done, she knew how to revive him, as this too was not the her first time for such an encounter.

There was no great anxiety to be relieved, no emotional crisis to address. She was relieved that he was restored, and reunited with her. She wished to appreciate him, and as always, he obliged, and theirs was a tender encounter, there under the stars in their expansive quarters.

Sleep had come, for her, at least. The human act of slowing one's breathing and heart rate, to lose consciousness and delve in an uncontrolled tour of the subconscious was not the Vulcan way. Meditation and the contemplation of the deeper mysteries of the universe kept the Kolinahr well rested. Although occasionally he would accompany her into her dreams, reliving memories, or seeing the bizarre pastiche the subconscious could construct as the structure of a human dreamscape.

In the modern day, it was seldom that her dreams were nightmares anymore. The death of Arenara Telvan still haunted her, and likely always would. The spectre of her father still lived in enough of her memories to appear from time to time. But for the most part, the dreamscapes of Rita Paris were pleasant. Dreams of flying, of exploring worlds poured like sand castles of silica in her mind. Memories of adventures past, of comrades past and people who were no longer here, or now, never existed. Adventures with him, with others, and the nonsensical absurdities that could only be concocted by the human subconscious imagination.

Around 04:00 she woke, as usual, to relieve her bladder. Returning to bed, she wrapped herself around his athletic form. As he had no need to 'get comfortable', he usually lay on his back when she slept. This left him in the position most advantageous to defend himself- or it would, save that she was often curled possessively about him, like a dragon guarding it's hoard. Her head in the crook of his arm, her hand on his chest with her arm draped across him, her leg hiked up to his midsection. After returning to bed, she tended to assume this pose, or some variant thereof, to sleep the last hour and a half until she awoke.

With his higher body temperature and thrumming heartbeat, she was not unlike a contented lizard curled upon a hot rock.

Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Sonak.

Years ago he had convinced her to abandon the obnoxious practice of an alarm clock, instead teaching her the remarkably simple technique of setting an internal alarm. So when she awoke, it was just the call from her higher brain function to the subconscious to return back to consciousness. As she woke, she rubbed her face, then ran her fingers through her shock of blonde hair. Yawning, she moved up slightly, feeling the warm skin of the alien male as she propped her chin on the back of her hand to gaze at him.

"So this morning, I have a question, he who is my husband," she grinned impishly at him from his chest as his grey eyes opened, piercing with their focus. "It is a logic puzzle that I cannot yet answer; thus I seek your application of logic to the matter, that I may gain wisdom."

This had been a most restful period for him; and most lively. Their finely tuned interactions in even the merest moments or mundane activity had turned their whole life together for him into what Earthers would call a tea ceremony. The simplest gesture or word became a thing of pure aesthetics, of fully living the moment, open to the entire spectrum of thought and perception. This was an experience beyond mere meditation and transcending the apparent routine, as any spontaneous new gesture or word could feel like the Big Bang of a whole new universe in which to exist.

it was an experience of awareness... of endless possibilities; and he owed it all to she who was his wife.

Her morning inquiry was but one new instance of it.

''Remember my wife; logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end; and even less, the whole of it. You have the tool; but we can employ it together if you wish. Let us examine your puzzle.''

"So if the Talosians are potentially interfering, it is accepted fact that they can control perception of reality, to a degree unknown to most. At galactic ranges, no less. So, how can we know for certain that the reality that we currently perceive is not being influenced or generated by said being?" Phrasing was important- thus she chosen her words carefully, far more than merely leaving any emotion out of the question. Instead, in order to receive an appropriate answer, one had to appropriately frame the question. This was how the universe worked, after all, and the Kolinahr operated in much the same fashion.

''Through logic.''

It seemed almost like a non answer. But Sonak would not let it be so.

''It is a basic fact that, even if we exclude the Talosians or any such beings, we have no certainty of anything to be real... except one; that we exist, since we think. Your own philosopher Descartes stated it centuries ago. Everything we call reality, beyond that, is predicated to the extent of our own perceptions. I believe Humans refer to it as the 'brain in a vat' problem.''

This was, Rita understood, a thought-experiment most commonly used to illustrate global or Cartesian skepticism. It was predicated on the argument that if you cannot now be sure that you are not a brain in a vat, then you cannot rule out the possibility that all of your beliefs about the external world are false.

The analytical scientist paused to let that sink in. Then Sonak drove the point further.

''As was determined then, there is no way of knowing if we are even truly what we think we are and if anything we call real, truly is. Yet, in a sense, it becomes irrelevant. What we perceive is what we have to live with, and as such, it therefore IS reality to us. It is with our perceived reality we have to exist. Absolute reality may be forever beyond our understanding.''

Again, he paused as these were existential questions that were not easy to grasp.

"Even as reality for the flea is not the same perceived reality as that of the dog, although shared. Alright, I'm still with you on this," the human bride of the kolinahr grinned as she followed the trail of logic.

Difficult to grasp, but not impossible for his imaginative and creative mate, clearly. Then he proceeded to answer her precisely.

''There are things which may help, however, within this perceived reality, to determine if it is influenced by another mind;. This can be referenced to another of your philosophers, Sun Tzu, who once advised to 'know thy enemy'. We know the Talosians are isolated, and lack both creativity and imagination; hence why they captured other sentient species, to explore their lives and their dreams. Just as we entertain ourselves on a holodeck. They do not implant thoughts; they instead choose to employ what is already there. Thus, if we experience again something too familiar, like reliving our own subjective past, it may be a clue that something is wrong.''

Sensing it was coming, he countered her objection before she voiced it.

''The only exceptions to this were the incident involving the USS Enterprise a century ago, and our own experiences on the Exeter. But in both cases, these were conceived with the willing help of a non-Talosian mind; Spock and Tracy. There are, of course, other beings of powerful mentalities whom can also recreate a unique reality from such borrowed thoughts."

"That is what the Q do," he said, in a close approximation of a joke.

"But often then, it is the juxtaposition of incongruous familiar and unfamiliar elements which may have us question this perceived reality. Others can actually implant thoughts, as with Vulcans. But then, it is the empirical approach, particularly through the validation process through others, which can help separate what is real from what is not.''

"So you're saying that reaching out to others with basically a 'do you see what I see', along with watching for odd deja-vu of crewmen we haven't seen in years or we run into a scenario we've faced before, then we know they are messing with us. Okay, that makes sense," the experienced explorer expressed, her initial alarmed anxieties appeased. "So while we're watching for all of that, why do you think you experienced it in the first place? Any hypothesis after a night's mediation on it?"

''I would apply Ocam's Razor as you Humans put it; the answer with the least number of premises should be preferred. In this case, the experience simply revived the memory because of similarities. Since there is no motive for the Talosians or any such high mentalities to currently... mess with us, as you would colloquially say,. And nothing followed since our last incident, this would be the soundest hypothesis to consider. Unless and until further evidence appears... if ever.''

He looked at her directly.

''What would be your own thoughts on this, my wife?''

"Well, you provided the observations of what signs to look out for. You added that it seems highly unlikely that they are motivated to contact us, which is quite true. You admitted it might have been a flashback, and overall, a life living in paranoid questioning of reality sounds maddening. So, with all that said..." Reaching up to trace a circle on the chest of the sombre scientist, the pretty pilot tapped him gently on the nose. "I think, as of this morning, all is well in our reality, as I perceive it."

''I concur, '' he said, extending two fingers to her.

Levering herself up, she freed her hand from beneath her chin and his chest, and extended her own index and middle finger toward his, reaching for them delicately, almost hesitantly... tantalizing with their proximity. Then angling them about to slide provocatively up his second, then third metacarpal before settling into place, int he time-honored tradition of his people, their formalized and accepted form of intimacy, that bespoke volumes to those who understood such bonds.

Which the Earth girl happily adopted, and honored. Tradition lent structure, after all, which brought his ordered mind comfort and ease. Plus it held the intimacy of deep and passionate kissing. Which, while kissing was nice, the two fingers were a lot more hygienic, particularly in public. Sensation flowed through them both as their minds joined, the ritual heightening the bond they already shared through the considerable amount of skin to skin contact they were experiencing.

''You are my reality,'' he then said in his deep monotone voice. ''It may seem like an illogical statement, even an emotional one; but you know that it is a simple fact.''

"I do," she replied; touched by his words, and the fact that he spoke them aloud to her, because he knew she needed to hear such things. "You are my guiding star. No matter how far I roam, no matter where I end up... I always orient myself to you, to plot a course for home. As illogical as it may sound, you are the constant of my universe."

Sonak looked Rita straight in the eye.

''The delivery is emotional, but, considering the events which we have shared, the statement, in and of itself, is... quite logical.''

The memory resurfaced, so she chose to offer the quote she had once delivered to him, from her heart, which she had then discovered were not her own words, but those of an ancient Vulcan philosopher, known for her poetry which incorporated a unique blend of logic and emotionalism.

I love you as you are, and I will support the choices you make. I will remain beside you as long as I am able, and no matter how far you travel, nor how long you may live, you will always have my love within you... even if I have long since faded to memory. My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts, my heart to your heart, my soul to your soul. No matter what fate holds in store for me, there will always be some of you within me, to guide me through troubled times and insure I will never be alone. So within you, I will leave a bit of me… to soothe your soul, and remind you to take note of the wonders all around you.