After Dinner Light Conversation

Posted on Thu Nov 8th, 2018 @ 9:10pm by Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Sonak & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Asa Dael

Mission: Escaped Pantheons
Location: USS Hera, Deck 8, Lieutenant Commander Paris' Quarters
Timeline: 2395

The cultural exchange of serving her alien shipmates earth cuisine had gone well, and afterward Rita Paris had moved everyone to the ‘living room’ as she called it, with a comfortable couch and seats that all gathered around a low table she referred to as a ‘coffee table’. Which was precisely the beverage that she served, with optional cream and sugar for those who desired it. For Sonak she offered spiced tea, as well as for anyone who preferred the subtle spiced Vulcan hot beverage to the strong acidic bite of the morning beverage of her world.

Small bowls of the dark pudding Dox had brought were served to go with the beverages. Thus the quartet were found lounging comfortably after the meal- Dox in one chair, Dael in another. While Rita Paris, in an uncharacteristic moment, was curled up on the couch, legs tucked underneath her as she snuggled against the stoic Vulcan conversationalist.

While during duty hours and at large the duo of scientist and executive were purely professional, this was off duty time and behind closed doors, amongst friends who were also senior staff. Part of the purpose of the exercise was to get to know one another as individuals, and to her mind part of that was allowing her shipmates to see that she and her spouse were actually close.

“So we rescue him from Talos IV, and I escort him off the bridge to be confined to quarters, as per his own recommendation. Once we get to his quarters, all I can think of is to say ‘I got your message!’, which would make no sense to anyone in the universe, but he of course,” Rita paused to fondly pat Sonak on the chest, “immediately figures out that when I touched him for all of three seconds back on Earth, he managed to install the Ka-dasirkolin in my head to clue me in, so that we would know where to come to rescue him." Rita relayed, retelling the story of how the duo had begun their relationship, a century and a quarter in the past, in universe similar to this one.

"So standing there in the doorway, he makes sure I am okay, and I am, and he asks me ‘I find it difficult to reconcile your words with your apparent emotional state. You do seem inconvenienced. Is there anything I can do to alleviate this condition of which I am most probably responsible?’ and I kinda said under my breath, ‘Is there ever…’ I was so proud of myself, because I stood up and told him right there that I liked him and I thought he was fascinating and before we turned ourselves in for that death sentence from Talos IV I wanted to have enthusiastic, athletic..." Rita paused, catching herself before oversharing. "And that’s, ah, pretty much how we got started.”

Melanie Dox, the Hera's newest pilot and very new Chief Flight Control Officer sipped the cup of spiced tea she had chosen and smiled at the story, enjoying her continual discovery that her statuesque first officer was, in fact, a real person. It helped calm the virtually omnipresent anxiety that churned in her stomach, especially in social situations.

Such social events were rare in Melanie's past and those that were there generally went terribly for the nervous Lieutenant. So far, the few social encounters she had here on the Starship HERA were the exceptions to those old rules and she was becoming increasingly more comfortable with her new crewmates.

“Well that’s just the sweetest thing I think I’ve ever heard,” Asa replied. The doctor had never had any kind of romantic relationship, and truth be told didn’t really feel the need for one, but saw the joy it gave to their crewmates, and was happy for them in the happiness they had clearly found.

“I’m glad he was able to follow you here. Our universe is all the richer for having you both,” the doctor added, slowly sipping coffee. “I’m probably going to be up all night from drinking this, but dang if it’s not worth it. I would take a jog to run off some excess energy, but the Doctor has told me to take it easy for another week or two after everything that happened on the planet. Gotta say, taking it easy is not really my style.”

“I had this friend growing up, Lakanna, another El-Aurian about 10 years my senior. She was so studious and slow around the elders, acted exactly the way a good El-Aurian is supposed to. I doubt she’ll leave home before she’s 100, even if it is permissible to leave at 90 these days. She listened all the time, never interrupted anyone, never had anything to say…….in public. Then as soon as all the stuffy, stuck up elders left she would absolutely run wild. She loved to scream and climb trees with me, diving off the cliffs into the deep pools near our colony. I always told her there was a whole wide universes out there….no point waiting another 70 years before seeing it. I hope she gets out soon,” Asa concluded with a wistful expression in their eyes. “Anyway, all that to say, just in case you were wondering, I’m not the only slightly overactive one of my people. Slightly mind, I have calmed down since joining Starfleet.”

"Even on Vulcan, there are some individuals who would choose to live experiences that would not be deemed proper in our society," Sonak said in a very serious yet very soft tone. "There was even a time a few centuries back when certain socio political entities would frown upon this and go as far as to forcibly repress them. For a time, things natural to us like mind-melding had been banned and declared a social disease, it's practitioners shunned and criminalized because they dared to live outside the declared norm. Yes, even on Vulcan, prejudice for a time had found a way to take root and flourish. But in the end, logic prevailed, in no small part because emotional Humans opened up our eyes. Since then, the IDIC philosophy; Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, is the best contribution of Vulcan to the Federation... and hopefully to other worlds as well."

While he spoke, he looked at them all, four completely different sentient species sharing the evening, making it the very emphasis of his words.

"I suppose none of us would be here if we did what others thought we should." Melanie thought out loud, looking down at her tea and barely realizing she said it to the room. "If we didn't, at some point, say no... there's more to life then what we thought was available to us." Then she looked up at the others in the room. "If that makes any sense."

At that, Paris laughed musically. "Perfect sense. If it was up to my father, I would have been a Starfleet Stepford wife, being a secretary for some admiral Daddy wanted to spy on, married to some other legacy Starfleet family branch and churning out male babies for him to dote on as the Paris legacy within Starfleet flourished. I certainly wouldn't be here, and I definitely would not have settled down with the last... well, a kolinahr from Vulcan who sees me as a person with something to contribute other than my babymaking ability."

"Considering the entirely different biology and evolutionary tract from distant biospheres, that would have been a most illogical reason to base our relationship on," Sonak agreed; "and even if there are some solutions to circumvent the initial difficulty, confining any mate to such a limited view is a deplorable waste of potential. You and I, and you all... have so much more to offer than just our biology."

“Good thing that….” Asa murmured, thinking of their own run in with Hera earlier in the day, and the changes their biology was going through.

“Sonak, my knowledge of Vulcan history is a bit limited. If I may ask, how did an increase in psychic ability translate to the social structure of your world in a pre-warp society? I’ve always posited psychic ability would confer greater tolerance and understanding, but I frequently see the reverse to be true,” Asa inquired respectfully.

Sonak joined his two forefingers together as he collected his thoughts.

"Psionics are a defining part of the physiology of the Vulcan brain. If anything, ancient Vulcan legends would claim our ancestors had abilities even far beyond what is currently known today. They could rip minds and matter even from a distance; weapons were conceived to amplify and use those abilities; wars were fought with them. The savagery of our past is even beyond human imagination. We would have brought ourselves to extinction, if but one, brilliant, courageous believer in life and peace had not inspired our people to the only way that could save us from our brutal emotions; the way of logic. Hence why Surak is called the father of all that is now Vulcan."

He looked at Asa with his soft liquid grey eyes.

"When you hypothesize that psychic ability would confer greater harmony within an individual or a society, that would be possible only if those individuals making said society are free from destructive instincts and emotions; as Vulcan exemplifies today. But look what happened with Humans when Earth succeeded in creating homo superior individuals like the legendary Khan Noonien Singh; or when Starfleet officer Gary Mitchell of the starship Enterprise became endowed with reality-altering powers when exposed to the energy barrier surrounding the galaxy. Then as of now, when instincts and emotions overwhelm morality and reason, the old axiom was proven true: superior power breeds superior ambition."

Asa listened raptly, nodding and listening to Sonak speak. As he concluded, they said, "I can see what you mean. How unfortunate this is true. It would be a kinder universe if all that stood in the way of harmony was a lack of understanding of one another."

While Sonak talked, Melanie sat a little further back in her chair. She had a hard time in general keeping her emotions from playing across her face most of the time and the idea of telepathy generally made her nervous, though she appreciated Sonak's statements and found them oddly reassuring. Vulcans generally had no ego attached to those abilities, and she appreciated that. She took another sip of tea hoping it would mask any nervousness as she tried to let it fade.

Eyeing Dox as she shrunk into her chair and her eyes darted about, Rita sighed. She could just call her out on it again, or she could try to draw the anxious aviator out. "You have Romulan heritage, right Dox? Do you know much about their telepathic abilities?"

Sitting up a little too sharply, Rita Paris' question startled Melanie back to the moment. She had been retreating into her own head, and she figured the attentive First Officer had picked up on it. "Uh... Yeah. Not... Not that much, really." She fidgeted slightly trying to not let anxiety get the better of her. Dox knew she was among friends, but old habits die hard so she decided to be straightforward about her anxiety.

"I'm sorry. I'm... I've never been comfortable talking about it. Romulans aren't exactly... Popular in Starfleet. But I'm trying to be better." She flashed Paris a sincere smile that told the story. She was nervous, but she trusted them. "My Mother was only half Romulan, so whatever natural abilities she might have had were already... Diluted... I guess. And I sure didn't get anything. She used to tell me that the Romulans turned their backs on their abilities so long ago that few had any developed skills in that capacity. She called it a weakness of... our... race."

Glancing up at the others to try and gauge their expressions and seeing nothing overtly negative, Melanie continued with a little more confidence. "She defected before the reunification movement started, but once it did, she became obsessed with Vulcan culture. Taught me a lot about it. She would quiz me in Romulan and Vulcan as a kid." Melanie finished her tea and chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry. I'm rambling."

"Not at all, that's fascinating! Your mother sounds like quite the amazing woman- it couldn't have been easy escaping Romulus back then. And you speak Romulan and Vulcan?" Paris clearly was less discriminatory than celebratory, but not without an honest nod to the realities of the Star Empire. "That's neat! I know like a dozen words in Vulcan, and I have a little bit of an educated man in my head."

"I... Wouldn't say I speak either all that well anymore. It's been a while since I've done it. But on the... smuggling ship I grew up on, NOT using a universal translator was important, so I had to learn a few. Learned a little Klingon, too." Melanie had almost omitted the detail about what kind of ship it was, but chose to be straightforward. "She's... unique... I guess. After we got picked up, she ended up in protective custody with Starfleet." Her tone dropped sharply as she fiddled with her cup. "I get a video message from her every month or so that Starfleet forwards to me. I've not seen her or my father in person in years."

Then, hoping to lighten her own mood back, Melanie shifted the subject slighlty. "So, at least I can grow my hair out now. My curly hair and that cut did not go together."

"You are a living embodiement of IDIC," Sonak declared to Melanie with great seriousness. "May your personality and uniqueness inspire us all."

Melanie's cheeks turned a warm tan, blushing from the stoic Vulcans complimentary words. Though she couldn't resist a slight dig at herself in response. "Well, hopefully not my neurosis and anxiety." She smiled broadly as the knot in her stomach unraveled a bit.

"You'll get there, Dox. You'll learn how to get out of your own way, I have absolute confidence in you," Rita offered frankly. "Not the easiest thing in the galaxy, but you're getting there. Our experiences forge us, and translate into confidence because of our accomplishments. And you, my friend, are one hell of a pilot. Which means you are going to have some rather spectacular accomplishments, given the life of a Starfleet officer."

"It'll come," Paris finished off with a gun finger and a wink of knowing.

"Thanks." Dox replied with an authentic smile as she looked up at the faces of her fellow officers, being met back with smiles and that respectful Vulcan equivalency. "I appreciate your confidence." She leaned forward to refill her tea.

Asa hated to see their new friend feeling poorly about something so silly as lineage- after all, no one can choose their parents, a fact the young doctor well knew. They brushed against her shoulder and said softly, "Hey Melanie, if it helps, my family is a bunch of religious nutbars who eschewed all that El-Aurians knew and could teach to go live in poverty and die of preventable diseases. We don't choose our histories, only our futures."

Appreciating the sentiment, Dox replied to Asa with a smile. "Thanks."

Sonak raised his right eyebrow slightly.

"You are a Starfleet officer. From more than one hundred and fifty worlds composing the United Federation of Planets, barely a handful from each world manage to meet the admission requirements to Starfleet Academy. Of these elite few, a significant number of them do not graduate to serve on any Starfleet installation, and those who do are not all fit to serve on a starship. from this limited number, not all of them graduate beyond Ensign during their time of service. And from these career officers, only a few will qualify to serve on the Hera."

Again his steely grey eyes searched hers.

"I am not stating this to... strike your ego. I am merely stating facts. From those facts, you will be able to see everything you, like any of us, have accomplished so far... and more importantly, how much is opened ahead of you. Confidence in you started with full justification the very day you were allowed to wear a Starfleet uniform. Since then, you have proven that estimate to be right. Please carry on."

"Thank you." Melanie replied with a warm smile. She understood Vulcan culture enough to find a good degree of comfort from a thoroughly logical assessment. "While I know that it may not always be necessary for others, it's important to ME to express my appreciation. The confidence of others is something I never want to take for granted." Dox paused, glancing upwards to collect her thoughts. "It helps me feel more... balanced, where otherwise my own anxiety might get the best of me, and as you can attest..." the pilot looked meaningfully over to Rita Paris, "...usually does."

"Au contraire, Miss Dox," Paris offered. "In my experience your anxiety nips at your heels and dogs your steps, but a little encouragement is all that you lack, because you are quite willing not to let it get the best of you. Until you see what we see, we'll be happy to help you shift your perspective to see your worth. You and Doc here are both rather amazing individuals- that's how you ended up here. This is a tough assignment to get, and it reflects on both of you that you're here. Sonak had to ace his classes in his refresher to get here, whereas me, well- the Hera literally ran into me," Paris snickered.

Leaning forward in her chair slightly, Dox crossed her legs in front of her with a broader smile. "That is a story I am very curious about."

A bemused expression passed over the face of the Starfleet siren of a bygone era, and she paused to share a meaningful glance with her stoic spouse before launching into the tale. "I think we might be classified, but you're here, and we're shipmates and you deserve to know. Our tale is somewhat stranger than fiction."

"In our universe, we still used the old Earth calendar, so the year was 2268, whatever that translates to in stardate. As the most advanced starships in Starfleet, a number of the Constitution class starships had been dispatched on the five-year missions, to expand the boundaries of known space, and to seek out new life... well, you know the rest, because I reference it often enough."

"Sonak and I had been serving on the USS Exeter for a little over three years, under the command of Captain Michael Stuart. The captain was an engineering lieutenant who had led a mutiny against Captain Ronald Tracy when he'd gone mad on Omega IV. That's a portrait of his counterpart from this universe over there on the wall, in Engineering red. This universe's version died in orbit around Omega IV. But our Stuart's reward for bringing the Exeter home was command and a promotion, and they filled the billets with all-new crew. Stuart convinced Sonak to leave his post at Starfleet Academy, as Vulcan had recently been destroyed and he felt the need to explore, while I'd just gotten put back together after spending almost five years as a warp phantom aboard the USS Constitution." Rita paused, realizing her stories required more explanation.

"Okay, so, backstory to the backstory, ah, my domineering father Commander Clifford Paris sabotaged the transporter of the Constitution in an effort to scare me into not going on the 5-year mission. But it didn't kill me, it just left me as imperceptible pure energy that managed to retain cohesion, trapped by the warp field. I wasn't exactly alive, but I couldn't die either. An engineering ensign figured it out years later and put me back together physically, and Starfleet Psych put me back together emotionally." Paris mentioned all of the hellish experience almost casually, as she had dealt with it long ago. But her listening audience could see how her hand slid down to grip Sonak's tightly, a subtle sign that the experience still haunted her somewhat. It also validated her well-known phobia of transporters and why her existence was to tied to the physical, having been a ghost.

"As for Vulcan, a rogue Romulan mining crew from this universe pursued Ambassador Spock through a dimensional rift caused by red matter, whereupon they took revenge upon Spock for not saving their world by destroying Vulcan using red matter. Almost no one was evacuated, and only those off-planet survived. Ten thousand Vulcans, they were instantly an endangered species. Sonak was the last kolinahr, the much-vaunted masters of logic who had purged themselves of all emotion. He realized that his people would need to learn to live and thrive amongst other races across the stars, and when we met, he asked my help to learn how best to deal with the human crew of the Exeter. Back then, out of 430 starship crew, 426 were human. Once I realized he was serious- because when is he not- that was part of how we became a team." Rita paused, rubbing a reassuring hand across Sonak's biceps. "Accurate?"

"I concur," the Vulcan answered. "I would add this; I have found out that, instead of dying of the infection that killed the entire crew of the USS Exeter, all but Captain Tracy, as in your reality, our Michael Stuart had accompanied him down to the surface and thus like him was saved by the natural immunizing agents on the planet. There was no USS Enterprise and Captain Kirk in our time to stop Tracy's demented scheme; Stuart did. This discrepancy between our two parallel universes, and many others I have studied, tends to support the theory that there is some kind of unifying quantum principle so that, when some elements are missing, others tend to take their place. That in turn, could explain why Rita and I could have managed, against all odds, to find each other across time, space and quantum dimensions. Nature hates emptiness."

He would have added 'as do I,' if he could feel any emotion. But what he felt regarding Rita was even deeper than that. it was obvious the way he looked at her as she resumed her story.

"So to answer the relevant question, how the Hera ran into me,- we were on a mission to Aijon Prime, the fourth planet in the system, where a science station outpost was in peril. An ion storm was moving through the system, while solar flare activity was markedly high, and while the tectonic state of the planet destabilized, the only way off the planet before the facility was destroyed or the Exeter had to leave the system was beaming out." Rita squirmed slightly in her seat, unconsciously fidgeting at the memory, which was considerably fresher in her mind. "So after another earthquake damaged the transporter, Sonak jury-rigged it and tried to beam me and the core sample out... but I never arrived. He stayed and fought to stabilize the beam, until the facility came down around him- it's a miracle he survived for the landing party to find him."

Sitting back in her chair, Melanie Dox put her hand up to her mouth momentarily while Rita Paris spoke. The young pilot hadn't fully understood exactly why her First Officer had asked her to pick her up in a Runabout from Meroset until this moment but was shocked to hear the story unfold, and listened quietly.

The left eyebrow rose on the jade-tinted angular face.

"I would not qualify these events as anything supernatural. Vulcan constitution is hardier than those of many other humanoid species and I calculated from known architectural layouts the safest place to find cover when the structure came down. Then using the Vulcan healing trance, I could wait quite a while for a rescue. of course there was a significant risk; but I had calculated the odds to be acceptable if it meant keeping her signal cohesive enough to be sent somewhere, anywhere but oblivion."

He did not however said that he had calculated his own odds at zero point four-seven-five-three percent. So Rita could continue her tale without being bothered by those numbers. Their first evening together she had politely requested never to be told the odds, which he had respected ever since.

"As for me, I got shot through time and space- he can explain the science, but really, an awful lot of it is chance and fortunate happenstance, even with the math. But somehow I ended up as a warp phantom again, this time in deep space 127 years out of date. I likely would have dissipated, except that the Hera literally ran into me, and once I was in the warp field, I started slowly solidifying. These warp engines are a lot more powerful than the old days, so they actually saw me in Main Engineering trying to read the panels and make out where the heck I was. That's when Captain Telvan and Dedjoy used the S31 transporter in the Intel pod to reassemble me. Once I was here, I adapted as well as I could, but honestly, I'd lost him, so I was kind of a wreck. There was no way back to my own time, and even if there was, it wouldn't have been my past, and my Sonak was who knew where in what dimension."

"But Dedjoy worked out how to send a message back. So as not to violate the temporal prime directive, we sent back my old communicator, with my last report and chronodimensional coordinates for where I was." Beaming proudly at the stern-faced Vulcan whose expression she found not stern at all, Rita ran the backs of her fingers over his cheek. "That was all he needed... some clue where I could be found. And he came for me."

Relaying the tale still brought tears to the ancient astronaut's eyes, as she smiled at the hero who had come so far and risked so much just to find her again, out of love and devotion and, of course, logic. And so he stated.

"It was the only logical thing to do."

"You are an incurable romantic," Rita sighed, offering a peck on the cheek from his mate to entice the Vulcan master of logic to elaborate.

At this, Melanie Dox found herself tearing up slightly as a smile beamed across her face.

"I knew how she had been lost. I was, after all, the one to cause the quantum transference in the first place. But the destruction of the station eliminated all data needed to retrace the signal from it's source to it's destination. Of course, Starfleet did not authorize me to make any attempt to go back in time to get that data, let alone change the course of past events. A logical decision, even as unsatisfactory as it was. But when we received her transdimensional report, I had the very thing I needed from her own communicator; the residue of the quantum resonance of the spacetime continuum where she was currently located."

He paused a moment to let them digest all that he was telling before concluding.

Turning wide eyes to look at Asa, Melanie's expression was that of someone who just began to piece together the pieces of a mystery as the story fell together.

"All I needed from then on was a mean to get myself to these coordinates; to effect a temporal warpfield at the proper quantum resonance within a cosmic disturbance at least as powerful as an ion storm... like the solar flare of a red supergiant... without being destroyed of course. There was only one ship capable of doing so; the advanced scoutship nicknamed the "Jellyfish" the late ambassador Spock had used when coming to our reality; in fact, creating it from the disturbance caused by his arrival and that of the mad Romulan Nero and his Borg-altered mining ship. As I was the guardian of Spock's katra, I mindmelded with it to learn how to generate a slingshot effect and to use the metaphasic shielding and controls of his ship to execute the voyage from there to here. Knowing this was irreversible, I calculated my arrival early enough to be thoroughly debriefed by Vulcan High Command, Starfleet intelligence and the Federation Science Council, bring me up to date and earn the privilege of choosing my posting through an intense refresher course at Starfleet Academy... and find her again."

He paused again before adding:

"Of course, this allowed me to return the ship to it's proper owners in it's proper frame of reference... as well as Ambassador Spock's katra to Vulcan."

"My big damn hero," Rita leaned back and held her hand out to display the casually-seated off-duty officer who casually relayed his adventures in space and time. "I wondered why Starfleet Command bought my story so easily. They accepted that I was Starfleet because two years earlier he'd been here and through all of his debriefing he also validated my appearance, though I had to appear, and had yet to play my part and pursue my destiny, unaware that he was coming for me."

"Take that one as a lesson, you two," Rita Paris offered softly as her right hand still held his left, though they were pulled apart. Gazing at Sonak she just took in the sight of him, the joy of seeing him there radiantly evident on her face as she spoke. "The universe will do some awful things and throw you some crazy curve balls. But the universe is not unkind, and the risk is often worth the reward. Help one another. If there's one lesson I've learned among the stars, between every race and creed, the one thing that always works, is help one another. How does it go?"

"There is no greater purpose in one’s life than to be a light to others," Rita and Sonak said in unison. "Quoted from the Kirshara, the teachings of Surak, father of all that is Vulcan. I am gratified to be a light to you, as you are to me.”

At which Rita grinned broadly, and Sonak half-raised an eyebrow.

At which point, Melanie could no longer contain herself, as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and chuckled. "Wow. I... that's just... wow."

While Asa had known some of the salient points of Rita and Sonak as it pertained to their medical needs and sensitivities, the doctor found hearing the tale told in front of them to take on a new life. Their shipmate's outlook on things was a shot of much needed optimism, and encouraged the doctor that there is always hope.

"I've always decided to look for life and light. It's what brought me to Starfleet, it's what made me want to go into a medical field. I was concerned after the last mission that I was not cut out to be here... it was... difficult for me to see the actions on the ground, even though I knew it needed to happen. I am encouraged to know I am surrounded by others with the same concern for life that I have.'

"I share your concern," Sonak said with definite seriousness. "It is understood that Starfleet has been first and foremost conceived as, not just the exploration, colonization and relief tool; but the regrettably necessary force of arms of the Federation. There are unenlightened, hostile and destructive forces in the universe. Denying it is illogical. Sometimes it has to be met head on before efforts to defuse conflict may really begin. Yet, it seems the mindset nowadays is only that of fear."

The Vulcan almost sighed.

"When I first became aware of this prevalent archaic mentality at Starfleet Academy, I briefly entertained the notion that the Dominion had conquered the Federation. Certainly if they had, things would not have been much different. They may not hold governance, but their attitude is nevertheless what seems to lead us all."

His hand rose as if to encompass everything around them.

"Look at the motto on the dedication plaque of this ship; For those who day and night live in death's fear. Does it sound like it was uttered by a Human, a Vulcan, an Andorian, a Tellarite... or a Changeling? It seems like the conflicts with the Borg and especially the Dominion left a definite trauma. Once, we deemed better to risk oneself than risk losing the chance of making a friend."

"Well, to be fair that is only half of it," Rita chimed in. "The full quote is a bit more hopeful- 'For mortals vanished by the day's sweet light, I shed no tear; rather, I mourn for those who day and night live in death's fear.' It's a bit more hopeful than just the end of the quote, and I prefer it. I mean, I'll admit that Starfleet has definitely lost much of the optimism of our day, but I don't think it's lost. To my mind, it is just that with all of the losses and fears that have resulted from hostile encounters and galactic wars, Starfleet seems to have turned to fear and reacted."

"But they can still be reminded that there is a better way. I'll be honest, it broke my heart that I had to resort to violence on the surface of Meroset 347. But it was necessary, and we were as judicious as possible in the application of violence and lethal force. But we captured Hera, we didn't kill her. We captured the Amazonians, we didn't murder them. We helped negotiate peace with the Merosians, not aid them in losing a conqueror only to fall to fighting amongst themselves. It wasn't a perfect mission, but we accomplished it with a minimum application of force to accomplish a peaceful resolution. Even Hera herself was impressed," Rita added. While she still felt guilt over her actions, she did see the necessity of it. "I'm choosing to dwell on the positive elements of the mission that involved compassion and mercy and optimism- the qualities of Starfleet that I want to see return to the modern Starfleet."

Sonak nodded, looking at their guests.

"I agree. And present company is already enough to justify the possibility of once again achieving that goal."

Looking around the room at those around her with a warm, but characteristically nervous smile, Melanie Dox nodded even if she was still trying to bolster herself to believe her logical crewmate in regards to herself.

While they literally looked the part in uniform, Rita and Sonak embodied the values of their time, and while they were working to adapt, it was clear that they were determined to bring the spirit of the 23rd century into the close of the 24th.

Turning to regard the young idealistic physician in their midst, Rita Paris reached out a long leg to nudge them gently with a toes. "You're awfully quiet, Asa. Are you okay, or have we got you deep in thought?"

"Just pondering the differences between your original timeline and ours...and also how different Starfleet itself became in a short period of time. I'm wondering what it will be in a couple hundred years from now....and honestly, a bit worried who I will be then. I've seen how time can warp El-Aurians too. Some become simple hucksters, other wise listeners, but most seem....uninvolved. And I can't imagine not being involved in things, being passive and letting the universe happen all around me. Heck, traditionally I wouldn't have even left home for another 70 years....and if I did that, who would I have been?"

The young doctor seemed to fully be seeing the span of years stretching out ahead of them, and for the first time, was concerned about how long their life would be....and potentially, how lonely.

"I don't know..." Melanie sipped on her drink and pondered the doctor's words. "I don't have a frame of reference for living that long. I'm only a little over thirty and honestly don't really know, biologically, what my lifespan will end up being all things considered. But in a lot of ways, I've already been a few different people in a short period of time." She looked at the people in the room. "But the company we keep sure does have an effect on who we become. So, there's that." Melanie smiled at the doctor.

Asa returned her smile back to her, "That is a happy thought. I suppose everyone feels their life will be overlong at the beginning of it, and everyone feels it too short at the end. I should focus on the now, and let tomorrow tend to itself."

“Precisely!" Rita interjected. "Be in the moment, Asa. I have lived life over a much longer span than biology would allow me, so take this for what it’s worth. You live in the moment- appreciate the past, because it formed who you are and fills you with memories, good and bad.” The bombastic blonde paused to gaze at her somber husband appreciatively before she continued.

“You can plan for the future, but take it from me, all of that can change in an instant. As for who you will be and how you will change… life forces compromise on you. The best you can hope for is to be as true to yourself as you can in those moments. The only thing I will ever ask of you is to not lose your compassion. It defines you, and it is what makes you great. Hold fast to that, and the changes around you will likely be many and major, but the core of who you are won’t change. New faces will replace the old ones, and your relationships will come and go. But the memories of people and places and experiences are yours forever.” Paris paused to look up, rolling her eyes and sighing. “Or at least that’s been my experience. Yours will be a bit different, I suspect.”

"That sounds like a lovely way to view things, Rita," Asa replied gently. "I will do my best to not lose my compassion... I wouldn't be a very good doctor if I did, and that's all I've ever wanted to be. Well, that and a professional pastry eater, but there is less a market for that," the doctor replied with a wink.

A warm laugh rolled out of the stout pilot at Asa's joke and she felt genuinely happy being there. The anxiety she felt almost perpetually was, at least for that moment, was taking a well earned break and Melanie Dox found herself actively enjoying herself in a social situation... something she had precious little experience with. That gave her cause to keep smiling.

"There is much wisdom in all this," Sonak mused, always serious. "For someone who exceeded the ultimate goal of his own people to being totally freed of all emotions, this gives much to ponder... and wonder. There is a balance here, I am beginning to suspect, that opens possibilities. You are all my teachers now. This slice of life we will share will undoubtedly become a worthwhile experience. Thank you for sharing. Because after all, it is the sharing that makes us achieve the best of what we can be."

"See? How can you not love that in a man? The pinnacle of logic yet still determined to celebrate our experience all the same." Rita sighed blissfully, leaning into Sonak and laying her head on his shoulder as their hands intertwined again. Here in the privacy of their quarters, amongst friends, she could fully express herself, and her love and devotion for the grey-eyed philosopher was plainly evident. Then, realizing that she might be making the two single people a bit uncomfortable, she changed course, as she was wont to do.

"So- boardgames or trideo night?" she asked, wondering if the concepts were even universal amongst the cultures of her shipmates. Sonak knew, of course, but she and he had been together for years, and he had long ago grown familiar with the concepts.

Whatever was chosen, there was a certain assurance that fun would be had by all, amongst the four who had come together as friends- to share, to learn and to grow... together.