Breakfast Briefing

Posted on Sun Sep 9th, 2018 @ 1:51am by Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Sonak

Mission: Holographic Horrors
Location: USS Hera, Deck 8, Lieutenant Commander Paris' Quarters
Timeline: 2395
Tags: Star-Crossed

As he sat down, Sonak noticed on the opposite wall that she a portrait of himself hug there, wearing a pastel powder blue uniform he had never worn, alongside a portrait of Michael Stuart in engineering red bearning a lieutenant stripe of almost a decade before that, with the engineering crest on his heart, and a shot of a refitted USS Exeter as well from 120 years before. The lines of the starship were more angular then the Exeter upon which they had served, but it was similar in configuration.

"This is the Lieutenant Sonak of this reality, who died in a transporter accident aboard the refitted USS Enterprise of Admiral James Kirk, more than a century ago," he recognized instantly as he served her half the waffle and few pancakes. "When I was on Vulcan, I met with the descendants of other members of his family. They accepted me into their family as one of their own."

Offering her some syrup, he looked a bit longer at the portrait of a younger and lower ranking Micheal Stuart than he remembered.

"I looked up Michael as well, when I was studying at Starfleet Academy. Records show he died with the entire crew of the USS Exeter of Captain Tracy from an alien infection; all but Tracy himself, who was arrested for murder, dereliction of duty and violation of the Prime Directive. It is a good thing that our Michael will never learn of this alternate destiny that could have been his."

As he sampled the native culinary efforts of the earth woman, he finally inspected the starship image between the two portraits.

"Indeed, much is similar and yet different between here and there; fortunately for the better... especially because you are here."

Blushing slightly, she nodded. "It was... I was so far from home, even the doppelgangers of this universe brought me some comfort, to see them there," Rita admitted. "I read what happened to both of them- that was how I realized I was in a different universe. Even if you were old, and had never known me here, I still would have sought him out. But... transporter accident. The multiverse and me and transporters,” the accidental adventuress muttered. “At least now I can recycle that awful Sonak portrait- it was the best image I could find of you, and I wanted it here to remind me... but you're here now, so that one is definitely going into the recycler."

On impulse, she trotted into the bedroom, then returned with a tricorder that looked very familiar in black and chrome, an anachronism not unlike herself. Flipping open the top screen, however, the internals were obviously modern. Turning on the visual scanner, she held it out at arm's length, elevated, as she sat down in his lap and looked up at the image scanner and smiled joyfully. For his part, he raised an eyebrow but followed her lead to look up, understanding her desire to capture the moment.

It was a candid image that she would in turn produce physically, frame and place on that wall to replace the image of the doomed Sonak native to this reality, one of many yet to come. But this one would always be special to her- him, shirtless while she was very far out of uniform sitting in one of the dining room chairs together. Yet it was a memento of their first morning reunited, and would always serve to remind her of the joy of this day in her heart.

As they moved together into the future, she would collect many such sentimental mementos, and they would grow to adorn the walls of their quarters, amongst images of other friends and crew who comprised happy memories of their lives. Within a few days, the image of their reunion on the flight deck would also go on the wall as well, as would an image she had yet to produce, of the two of them in uniform, standing side by side. Him in his bright blue and black, she in her gold and black, both appearing to be modern updates to their now ancient beginnings.

Sentimental to a fault and very tied to the physical existence, it was her way.

Setting the tricorder down on the table, she returned to breakfast with a happy smile. Even after all this time together, he did not always understand her motivations nor her actions. But he went along with them, because it made her happy, and because he trusted her. In both of these, she had always felt privileged- the Vulcan of perfect logic could trust the seemingly random and chaotically impulsive Human woman, without question or caution. Few in the universe could earn such trust nor maintain it, yet from him, she did, and it was the source of no small degree of pride within her.

There was something that still bothered her, though, and she reached her two fingers across the table to him, index and middle fingers extended in the traditional fashion. When he responded and place his fingers beside hers, she concentrated, then looked up at him with some consternation.

"You can't hear me anymore, can you? I mean, I know I can't hear you... on the Exeter, you could speak to me in my mind anywhere on the ship. But now... even touching, you can't hear me unless we use the mantra and do the ritual?" She had not wanted to comment too early, but had decided that over breakfast was the right time to discuss this fact of the changed aspect of their relationship.

"The mantra and the ritual are only for the benefit of the subject, when such subject is not Vulcan; I only need to touch you, or at least touch something you are touching or very near to, in order to touch your mind with mine. But you are correct; the different quantum resonance of this reality seems to have stunted my original capabilities. I have lost my telekinetic abilities as well."

There was not even a hint of regret in his voice or in his eyes. If anything, he seemed to be even more relaxed than she had ever seen him.

"Truth be told, I rather appreciate this. Now, there is a much reduced risk of my mental faculties inadvertently causing harm to anyone else, even if one day I fall victim to a mental disorder such as Bendi syndrome. I no longer have to guard myself anymore from the thoughts of others, unless there is physical contact. Most important of all, I now must work to understand you, just as you do with me. The challenge is most... fascinating, and success all the more satisfying. But we, you and I, did not lose much."

Suddenly she felt the inner embrace of his mind as their fingers touched, just as before. For a moment that was short and yet felt like forever, they shared their thoughts and feelings beyond the barrier of the flesh and of language. Then he broke physical contact. The mental link faded to something more akin to a feeling than a thought, but it did not end completely. It was different than before, but not in a bad way at all. Just... different.

"However, as my Thy'la, I can with you go beyond even the limits imposed by this reality. In time, it could even be possible for you yourself to initiate a mind meld, if only with me. I could teach you if you wish."

"I'd like that very much," she smiled, brushing her fingertips across his forearm. "It's a small price to pay to be together again, and now I understand just how hard you always worked to restrain yourself. So long as we still share, and you are not distressed by the change, then I am content." At that she giggled a bit. "I forgot how my vocabulary and phrasing shift after we share thoughts. You always make me so much smarter and well-spoken."

"Just as melding with you make me... feel, at least for a time. It is an... intriguing experience, one worth living through."

Reaching over, she took his still outstretched hand in her own, and closed her eyes to concentrate. 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 I will fight to return to you with every fibre of my being. No matter how far you travel nor how long you may live, you will always have my heart within yours. Even after I have long since faded to only a memory.

My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts, my heart to your heart, my soul to your soul. Whatever fate holds in store for me, there will always be some of you within me. To guide me through troubled times, to insure I will never be alone. So within you I leave a bit of me, to soothe your soul and remind you to marvel at the wonders all around you.

This is what Thy'la means, he projected back.

"It seems the lesson has already been learned," he then said aloud, straightening himself in such a manner that anyone else observing might believe was because he was proud of her.

He might not know the emotion, but he certainly knew the fulfillment associated with it, and wanted her to be aware of it. Which she was, as she preened slightly, but not much. To her it was simply the result of having been with him for so many years now, and the fact that he was a patient and able teacher. Her deep, driving desire to communicate with him was of little consequence to her, yet it was precisely what enabled her to do so.

Opening her eyes once more, she smiled sweetly at him. In the past she had often considered her declarations of love to him to be extraneous and likely unnecessary. After all, he did read her mind, and he knew her thoughts and feelings as no one in the universe ever would. But their recent separation had reminded her that every day was precious, and that she would henceforth declare such things that much more openly and freely with him. Today might be all they would ever have, and she wanted him to heave heard such things from her, to remember her should he be forced to live without her.

"So we should probably talk about this assignment, because you've followed me into the unknown, and it is... different, to be certain," the extradimensional explorer explained as she speared a forkful of flapjacks. "Would you prefer I start with your section chief or at the captain and work my way down?"

"In this instance, logic would suggest to go from the top down," he proposed with his usual even tone.

The forkful of syrup-soaked flapjacks vanished into the mouth of the Vulcan kolinahr's cheerful lover, and she chewed briefly before swallowing. "So the captain," Rita waved her fork around with a flourish, then phrased her version of 'you're gonna love this' as something in his vernacular. "You're going to find this intriguing."

"Raised as a pirate queen. No kidding, all of the trappings of sixteenth to nineteenth century Earth sailors on the seas, adapted to starships. They prey on the Syndicate and unlawful pirates out there, and apparently they have an arrangement with Starfleet, who consider them privateers?"

"Indeed?" he said sampling the waffles she had made with obvious appreciation. "It is true, space has become at the same more vast in some ways with the range of the current ships, and quite small with their speed and the number of spacefaring cultures the Federation now interacts with. This is not unlike the great Age of Sail of your native Earth. Intriguing is the right word."

Rita nodded as she dug into the pancakes. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, and she'd had an unhealthy relationship with food lately. Time to put down some carbs, she reasoned as she attacked the pancakes for another bite to get a mouthful. Holding up one finger as she covered her mouth, she hummed something unintelligible around the mouthful of food before swallowing a few times.

"As a kid she saved the Baroness Schwein von Alcott, a genetically augmented super soldier combat medic from a school for them run by I have no idea who. But the captain saved her and she's been loyal ever since. Medical tricorder under the patch. Very positive and outgoing woman. Boisterous, a bit shameless, and seemingly always glad for company. I'm taking sword fighting lessons from her. I'll have to introduce you."

"A combat medic," he mused. "Only Humans and perhaps Andorians and Klingons could make such a contradiction in terms a reality. This opens interesting lines of speculations about this ship's mission."

"That, we'll get to. Then there's the captain's wife. You're familiar with the holographics of this era, and this vessel has holographic emitters all over her. I tried using the EMH as a therapist. But I'm still going to work with him. He wants to see if he can compile into a person, I think he needs to be given that chance." Rita rambled a bit before refocusing on her already brnched explanation of the Captain. "So, Captain's wife. Holographic hive mind, a branch of a greater intelligence who is in a godlike fashion exploring reality through these at least 47 branches of herself." the name-dropping navigator explained. "Name's Maicaa 47. She's the ship's masseuse. Orion, built very much like me. Suspiciously so."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Captain Data is the only artificial sentient lifeform I have been introduced to so far. I heard of the Exocomps now aboard some ships and stations; and of the Doctor of the famous USS Voyager, but haven't had the opportunity to meet him, since he has resigned his commission to become a full time author. This universe and century is certainly replete with fascinating encounters; and to realize they are all possible aboard this one ship defies the odds. Having one with parameters also somewhat modeled on you does not worsen these odds that much significantly."

He said that with his usual deadpan manner. But the way he chewed his waffle hinted at something uncharacteristically quite less Vulcan.

Something of her from their recent mindmeld was still in him, obviously.

Wiggling her eyebrows and playing footsie under the table, Rita recounted some of her encounters. "There was a holographic ops chief with an android body that was somehow associated in origin with our universe? I never really quite understood the story, but she and her boyfriend were transferred off as soon as we docked. Unique this starship has aplenty, Co-" Rita caught herself, then shook her head. "I am going to keep trying to call you Commander and I very much cannot. Lieutenant. You have no pride to wound, no ego to bruise. Rank is relatively immaterial to you save the responsibilities which you bear, of which at this point you should have precious few, save figuring out mad science now and then."

"These are contradictions in terms," he flatly said before raising an eyebrow. "Ah, humor; I will have to get acquainted with the concept again."

"Point being, yes, lots of unique, and top secret transfers coming in that I can't get personnel files on... I couldn't bring yours up either when she sent me to meet you." Realization dawned, and Rita hopped up from her seat to go to the replicator. Fetching her coffee and his water, she served him then slid smoothly back into her chair. "That sneaky pirate... we are really going to have to have a conversation with her about all of this."

"You are the first officer; it is your duty," he reminded her, having been there for a number of years himself.

"As for who Captain Enalia Telvan is, she's a part of all those people around her, who are in turn a part of her, of her story. A pirate princess that ran away from being a pirate to join Starfleet, to do some good and see the mysteries of the universe instead of just blowing them up. Yet she's still the heir, and it all apparently belongs to her. So here we are, a Starfleet vessel, docked at the Artan Family Fortress, headquarters of what I assume is the Atlan family fleet. This Lost City of Argo snowglobe complete with a castle plus lodges and resort amenities staffed by, I kid you not, holographic catgirls." Rita paused in her description to make a cat-clawed pawing motion.

"She tries to ride the line, I think, to bend the rules to do what's right. She's cocky and a little smug, but she's brilliant and capable. Clever and compassionate, good sense of humor. Humility- owns when she's wrong. Like you, she's willing to listen to a good idea, reorient it and build on it.” Rita paused to take a good swig of her coffee, a warmed smile spreading from the caffeine and sugar. When she opened her eyes again, she cocked her head slightly and settled into a bemused expression. “Truth be told, she reminds me a lot of Jim Kirk."

"The one in this reality, I agree," he said after a sip of his water. "From where we came from, he was an immature failed third year cadet propelled to captaincy through sheer luck, favoritism and dire circumstances. It took years for him over there just to become merely competent and responsible."

"Right?" Rita laughed as she chased some syrup around her plate with some waffle. "From what I heard, Pike was practically drooling on Kirk. It was so obvious that Pike wanted to nail Kirk and the whole promotion excuse was supposed to win him over. That whole thing was so weird and repressed."

"The Captain Kirk of this reality was from the get go a studious, dedicated, principled and competent officer with a meteoric yet full illustrious career; instinctual almost to apparent impetuousness and not a by-the-book man by any means, but he did what was right the best way he could with courage and resolve. If Captain Telvan is but half of what he was, it is understandable such a delicate mission was put under her authority."

"That's my guy," she fairly beamed, happy that he had intuited which Kirk she meant. She'd read up on James Tiberious Kirk in this universe, and he was legendary, a standard for starship captains for all time. "Like I said, she's heard me going on and on and on about you, so I suspect you have an interesting conversation with her in your future. I like her, and I trust her. Not to disparage, but I daresay I trust her more than I did Stuart back in the day. I loved the man, but he could be infuriating." The former navigator and helmsman of the USS Exeter paused at that. "Somehow I knew he wouldn't come... Admiral Stuart was never the hero of his own saga. You were."

"To be fair, there was no way for him to come... and no reason to," Sonak stated soberly. "I could only manage it because I could get Commander Spock's DNA to activate the Jellyfish and meld with ambassador Spock's katra to learn how to slingshot in time with it. And if I attempted this journey, it is first and foremost because of you. Our Michael has no such incentive to leave his own time and universe where he is reknowned, respected and successful."

He looked into her eyes.

"There is also the fact that our universe as we knew it was the result of an accident and the lack of responsibility of the one who caused this accident. So there was added incentives for me to come here and join you instead of trying to get you back; redeem Spock's memory... and stop living a lie."

"Because Spock dragged the Nerada back and changed history, creating the 'Kelvin' timeline because that was the first alteration to the timeline, because this IS the Prime Universe, despite the fact that Romulus lives." As usual, he started her brain up and she faithfully spat out an often unexpected answer, which he did seem to appreciate. "Redeeming Spock's memory I understand... wait, did you bring his katra home to Vulcan?"

"He now rests alongside Surak, in the temple of Mount Seleya."

There was a moment of silence then, as if to honor the memory of the celebrated hero of a whole century or to express relief and satisfaction. Then Rita broke the silence, because she still had a question.

"Lie... you don't lie, although you have a number of workarounds in logic like exaggeration that basically enable it. What lie are you living, Sonak?

"Was; the universe we came from has been irremediably altered; it is not what it should have ever been. It is therefore a lie. Living in it is thus living a lie. That is why I have no regret in parting from it."

He paused before looking at the portraits on the wall, especially at the refitted Exeter.

"I advised the Federation Science Council here to consider correcting this most blatant and severe violation of the Prime Directive. I gave them all the relevant details I could. The course of action which they choose to pursue is up to them now. As for me, a new life is starting... here in this so-called prime universe... but most of all with you."

"I stopped counting the days because there was no solution in sight, no way for me to plot a course home. The only plan that had any chance of success was if I could get you my spatial, temporal and dimensional coordinates. Once they offered me that chance, I took it. Breaching the dimensions invited disaster, but I hoped that if you had somewhere to shoot for, you'd figure it out. And here you are... you found me. You unbelievable man." Rita Paris leaned her elbows on the table and placed her chin in her palms, settling into place to gaze at him.

"There always are possibilities," he simply answered. "And nothing would have been possible if you had not managed to send that... message in a bottle. You are the one that made it possible. You acted as an exemplary Starfleet officer... and as an exemplary person."

"When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being in Starfleet and having adventures and going out to space, to see what was out there. When I was a girl, it was Daddy that I dreamed of going to space with, because he was The Commander. What I didn't dream of was a man from another world, this amazing, unique man. A good man who is brilliant yet with a kind and generous heart who seeks harmony while exploring the mysteries of the universe. Who would literally move the heavens just for plain old Rita Paris."

The starship siren sighed, then her lower lip quivered.

"I really thought I had lost you for good and it made me realize how big a hole it made in me," Rita whined out as she rose to walk around the table. Settling in his lap once more, she clung to him as tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry. I know you're here and it's okay and I am frankly a little embarrassed at this display myself but... sometimes I still have to get it out. I might have one or two of these yet. It's kind of the way this works." Curled up against him as she was, her tears rolled down her chin and onto his cheeks, granting him the unique sensation of tears rolling down his face, though they were not his own.

The Vulcan scientist did not move, as his deep voice softly whispered in her ear.

"We can only live according to our gifts, to our nature. Do not excuse yourself for being Human; like me, be glad for it and celebrate it."

It took her a moment to becalm herself, but she drew considerable strength from his presence, his proximity and his touch. Stroking his hair, the long-lost lieutenant, now found, pressed her forehead to his with a cheery grin.

A sonic shower together. Then afterward we can clean up and get uniformed... what do you say we get to work, Lieutenant Sonak?

Affirmative, Lieutenant Commander Paris.