Phase Two

Posted on 15 Nov 2015 @ 3:05am by Lieutenant JG Lauren L'Vor & Lieutenant Xanth

2,111 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: M13-C: Shattered Time
Location: USS Achilles

L'vor finished her analysis closed out her station s she prepared to go off duty. Thus far there had been nothing to report to her superiors and that information had been encoded and incorporated into the next set of logs to be transmitted back along the communications buoys being deployed behind them. Rising as the next shift walked into the area she nodded to her replacement and headed to her quarters.

After changing out of her uniform she checked the strength of her DNA to make sure everything was stable. Satisfied with the results she was about to replicate something that these humanoids called food, when her terminal beeped. Grinning at the message she immediately accessed the holographic data base and linked the data and the archival information to compile a more more life like simulation. Such an enhancement wasn't necessary but the extra effort would help.

picking up her commbadge she tapped it. =^= L'Vor to Lt. Xanth.=^=

=/\="This is Xanth. What can I do for you?"=/\= The reply was a slow drawl with an obvious smile to it. The pilot had never sounded stressed, worried, or overwhelmed so far. Even across a comm Xanth expressed a zen-like quality of patience, most likely a product of a man who would live for many centuries or even beyond. With as secretive as the El Aurians were about their powers, the Federation still wasn't sure about their lifespan. Whatever the case may be, Xanth was just as mysterious as the others at times.

=^= Well I just got off duty and was wondering if you were available this evening. We had had to cut our Bajorian site seeing short and I put together a special program on the holodeck. If you are interested? =^=

=/\="Sure, I'm off duty at 1900 Hours. See you say, 2000?"=/\=

=^= See ya then. Holodeck 7. =^=


::: 2000 - Holodeck 7 :::

The program was running and she was on a balcony sipping a drink while she waited. The program had been matched with the ships time but that could be adjusted as needed.

Holodeck doors, upon opening, had a sound that was only shared by blast or cargo bay doors, so there was no chance that Xanth's arrival could go unnoticed. He might be a bit under dressed for many programs in his tan shorts and blue tank top, but Xanth did prefer to take the uniform off as soon as he could, a symbolic way to separate his duties from his free time but it worked for him. Grey eyes peered about curiously as he stepped from the corridor and out onto a simulated balcony.

"Hmm," he made a noise as he approached the figure of Lieutenant L'vor. "Hello. Where are we?" he asked, British accent sounding a bit stronger than was usual when he was on duty.

"Just a little bistro in Jo'Kala. Since we didn't get to see everything I thought you might want to check out so of the other locations you mentioned. I know the ship has extensive records on many of Bajor's locals but to add a greater edge of realism I had arranged to have several days of sensor readings and some security feeds transmitted and I incorporated the data into the this program. Soooo....", casting a hand around her, "...what is happening, actually happened."

"That was a really great idea!" Xanth said, sounding enthused rather than laid back. He placed hands on the balcony railing and leaned into it, peered out across the city below. There was a smile on his face as he breathed in the air, scented and fake, but enjoyable nevertheless. "Nice choice and effort." He turned at last from the view, the smile gone but with a guarded and curious expression on his face. "So, dinner and then some exploration?" Xanth didn't sound exactly enthusiastic now either, more detached.

Smiling at his reaction, even though it's true reason behind it was different that one would expect. "Sounds great. What would you recommend?"

"Decapus salad followed by ratamba stew over noodles," Xanth replied without hesitation moving away from the balcony and towards a table. As a gentleman, he held out the chair for her to sit before taking his own seat at the table. As they waited for the server to approach the pilot asked, "So where are you from, Lieutenant?"

She took the seat he had offered and smiled at the gesture. "My father was accepted as a research fellow at the Vulcan Science Academy. That's where he met my mother. I was 5 when she died and my father took a position with the Daystrom institute and was involved in the Pathfinder project. Basically I grew up in labs and around stellar research. What about you?"

"Why, born on the best island on all of Earth, the one with the great weather," Xanth replied, laying on his English accent really thick now but with amused sarcasm in his voice. "Jolly old London." He got comfortable in his seat and rested one arm on the table, his fingers drumming quietly. In his normal accent, still obvious but not ridiculous, he continued, "I've been around the Federation though, and studied on Vulcan for a time, but my childhood was on Earth. Nothing quite so exciting I think as what you did."

"With that accent...I never would have guessed," she said with a smile. Well I wouldn't call it exciting, but I guess my dad's enthusiasm rubbed off cause I ended up following in his footsteps." She stopped as their waiter arrived, looking up at him. "Decapus salad to start and Ratamba stew...", with a glace at Xanth, "...over noodles."

He nodded with approval, and ordered the same for himself. With the holodeck replicators they would get an actual meal out of the simulation, even if the rest was an illusion. Xanth took a moment to look around again at the sights he had missed when they had been in the Bajoran system. No matter how cunning the holodeck computers were, he still knew that it wasn't real and that spoiled some of it for him. Xanth turned back to Lauren, began to listen. At least the stories people could tell were real. "Why do you think you 'followed in his footsteps' as you said?"

As the waiter left she returned to their conversation. "Don't know really. I suppose I had developed a knack for it, after all I was bound to pick up a few things hanging around all those readouts."

The way Xanth sat, his expression, his body language, even the very slight and subtle psionic sense he gave off, invited her to share more; when he listened, he did it whole heartedly, with only brief nudging. "He must be very proud of you."

She detected the psionic emissions he gave of and smiled inwardly as her race was immune to the effects of the humanoid mental abilities. Though immune it wouldn't do her cover any good to resist so she gave in. Her finger traced the rim of her glass, "He probably was. He was on the Vulcan team monitoring the Hobus star before it when supernova before expected. I guess you could saw that was one of the reason's I volunteered for this mission...to get away from all the sympathies. There wasn't an assignment, posting, or research project out there were I didn't have to deal with either his reputation or people feeling sorry for me. At least out here I could do my own thing."

Looking up with a smile. "Now your turn, why did you decide to leave everything behind and join up for this mission?"

"It must be nice to leave those who care about you behind," Xanth said, but not cruelly. He sounded as if he fully agreed with her reasons, nodding his head, offering that same smile. Inwardly, he was slightly confused. His empathic sense felt dulled, not resisted entirely but...dulled. There was no other word he could think of to describe it. Contemplating this, Xanth gave a pretty typical El Aurian response, giving little of himself with a touch of humor and mystery as to what exactly he meant, "Oh, I'm not leaving it behind. Maybe I just wanted to see what's out there." Before he could say anymore, not that he planned to, the food arrived.

She leaned back slightly as the food was placed in front of her but continued the conversation. "Exactly! Looking at everything through a telescope or data from a probe just doesn't hold the same satisfaction then being out in the middle of things."

"An adventure seeker," he said, leaning forward himself to look over the food. Xanth inhaled and nodded, then reached for his fork and spoon. "What about the length of the mission? You're giving up a lot of years to this." It might be a little bit rude to speak of age, but then he was curious why so many Starfleet personnel had agreed to this mission when many of them would never see their homes again. Xanth twirled some of the noodles and sauce on his fork, using his spoon to assist, then took a bite and nodded. The replicator did a very good job at Ratamba.

Swallowing a bite herself, she took a drink and as she replaced her glass she replied. "Well, being half Vulcan I expect to see Bajor after a quick trip back through the worm hole. I know a lot of our shipmates won't make it back, either because of age or accident, but that's part of the job." Pick up a piece of bread that had been provided. "Think about it though. This mission is right there with the first warp flight or the first five year mission by the Enterprise. Even if none of us make it back...the name of every member of the crew will go down in history. Some may be here for fame, others for adventure, but most I think are here for the rare opportunity this mission presents."

Xanth didn't have an immediate reply as he thought over her words. He took the time to eat more of his meal, and his sight was turned inward. His own reasons for joining this mission were simple, the basic wanderlust of the El Aurians and the innocent desire to just see what was out there. Though he was yet young by his people's standards, there was a sense of connection he felt between himself and the universe. That universe was timeless in it's own way, and from that he felt a profound sadness. It wasn't that he knew things completely, but listening to what the universe was saying was as much a part of listening to other people. "We're going to lose people along the way, and I don't mean those who die of old age in their sleep," he said quietly, subdued, but sure. "No matter what their reasons for being here, it is still sad."

She only shrugged as she took another bite and swallowing before replying; drawing on the current hosts memories . "True, but death is only a natural part of life; and when you serve in Starfleet you take that chance." Lauren smile and blushed slightly, "I know it sounds terribly 'gung-ho' doesn't it? But when you think about it, is the risk any less is you are here or anywhere else?"

"Oh yes, the risks are higher when facing the unknown," Xanth replied. "When dealing with situations and people you aren't familiar with, the chances of making a fatal mistake are much higher. But that is also what makes it so exciting I suppose." Death was not something the pilot contemplated much, but now that he was he'd become far more solemn than usual. Xanth pushed his food around with his spoon, not really paying much attention to the meal anymore. That sense of sadness had affected him deeply and he wasn't even fully aware of where the impression was coming from. His abilities were far less direct and immediate at times when compared to other species with similar traits, more instinctual than conscious.

Gesturing with a bread stick, "Granted the risks are higher out here on our own but I was referring to the risk of service in Stafleet in gen..." She was cut off by the Voice of Commodore Da`nal addressing the group and informing them of Commander Pike's death. Having learned how to react to loss as a humanoid, she looked to the helmsman with the appropriate expression of shock. It was ironic that in the midst of their conversation of risk and death that one should occur.

 

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