Val’ri Raiajh was ready to begin
schooling. As she decided to resign her
commission for a civilian position aboard the USS Arcturus, she had to complete her re-training
for a new position. She had decided to
complete a degree she had begun in Early Childhood Education nearly a century
earlier and upon completion would be teaching pre-school aged children. After her month-long leave, which she spent
with her new husband, Dr. Sylvan Xaran, on Earth, they
had returned to
The surroundings
had not changed since she left to begin her chosen career in Starfleet over 80
years ago. It was still hard to believe
it was that long
Space,
the Final Frontier…
Star
Trek: Personal Logs
“A New Beginning” By Nadine B. Sacks
The door chimed
and Val’ri walked over to answer it. After keying in the opening sequence, the door
slid back to reveal Cathryn Elisabeth Pearson. She stood there in the off-duty jumper
provided with the current standard issue fleet uniforms.
“Hello, Cathryn. Please come in.” Cathryn entered the room and sat down on a
chair in the main room.
“Hi, Val. Where’s
Sylvan?”
“The classes at
Starfleet Medical have already begun for the term,” Raiajh
replied.
“And what about you? I
heard you resigned your commission. Yet
you are still listed as one of the original crew scheduled to return for
retraining.”
“I did resign my
commission, but I will be returning to the Arcturus crew when the time
comes. Starfleet now allows families to
accompany the crew aboard starships. I
am going to study Early Childhood Education, and teach the young children of
the crew members, and taking my classes at UCSF. The crew may find it easier to
leave their children in the care of someone they already know.”
“Children? Aren’t their emotions stronger than the
adults, considering the fact most have a hard time
controlling them?”
“The emotions of
children do not affect me the way the emotions of most adults do. So I checked with HQ here on Earth and they
told me there would be positions available for teachers aboard the Arcturus. I informed them I wanted to be reclassified
and retrained, even though I will not be a Starfleet officer anymore. They agreed, and Sylvan is happy with my
decision, considering some things that happened during the break. What about you?”
“I will be
starting my training along with everyone else, as an Historian.”
For the first
time since Cathryn walked in, Val’ri took a long,
hard look at her. Until that moment, Val’ri hod not realized that
Cathryn was pregnant.
“You’re pregnant? When did you find out?”
“Just after you transferred off the Arcturus onto the Surak II for our trip to Earth. I knew I would be seeing you within the
month, so I waited to tell you.”
“Cathryn, is the
father who I think it is?”
Cathryn simply nodded
in response to Val’ri’s question, before continuing, “I
just came from a visit with Doctor Arcadian over at Starfleet Medical. She said I was a bit vitamin deficient and
gave me a hypo for it. She said the baby
is doing fine.”
“That’s good
news, Cathryn. I’m glad the baby is
doing well.”
Quickly changing
the subject, Cathryn asked, “Did you know that the Klingons
are actually our allies now?”
Val’ri replied, “Something that actually started around the
time we got lost in time. According to
the research I have been doing, it took over fifty standard years to iron out
our alliance with the Empire.”
Cathryn then
noticed a small figure moving behind Val’ri. It was a young girl, about four years of age,
clutching a teddy bear. She looked quite
a bit like Sylvan and had the same dark hair but with striking green eyes,
which was unheard of for a Betazoid. All of a sudden Val’ri
heard in her mind: ‘I’m hungry!’ Val’ri turned around and spoke aloud to the child.
“Good afternoon, Charissa, did you sleep well?”
The girl nodded
and repeated her mental plea to Val’ri.
“We will eat
shortly. Right now I want you to meet my
friend. Charissa,
this is Cathryn Pearson. Say hello to
her.” Mentally, Val’ri
told the child to speak aloud as Cathryn could not ‘speak’ the way Betazoid people do.
“Hello.”
“Cathryn, we are
going to have lunch now. Would you care
to join us?” Val’ri asked her friend.
“That would be
nice. Whatever you two are having will
be fine.”
Val’ri turned to Charissa. “What do you want for lunch today?”
Charissa spoke aloud: “Spaghetti. Just spaghetti. Do you like spaghetti, Miss Cathryn?”
Cathryn spoke: “Spaghetti
is fine. Doesn’t some milk sound good
with that?” Charissa
thought about this. Val’ri,
on the other hand, didn’t give the child much of a decision about it.
“Two plates of
spaghetti and two glasses of milk it is.” She walked over and repeated the order to the replicator and asked for a bowl of Plomeek
soup for herself. When the food
materialized, Charissa made a face at the smell of
the Plomeek soup.
“Mommy, why aren’t
you having spaghetti?”
“Because I don’t want spaghetti, Charissa.
I also know you don’t want Plomeek soup.” Charissa made a face again at the mention of the soup.
“Sit over here
and eat. Cathryn and I will eat right
over there on the terrace. When you are
finished eating you can play with your toys.” Charissa sat down at
the table next to the replicator and began to eat the
spaghetti with her fingers.
Val’ri looked at the child and she told her, “It is not
proper to eat with your fingers.” Charissa wiped her hands on the napkin and picked up a
fork. Once Val’ri
and Cathryn were seated outside however, Charissa
began eating with her fingers again.
“Val, where did
the child come from? She can’t be yours,
yet she calls you Mommy.”
“She is the child
of Sylvan’s late brother. He and his wife went rock climbing when they
came here with Sylvan’s parents in the week after
Sylvan and I got married. Their
climbing gear failed while half way up
Cathryn, whose
expression was already serious from hearing Val’ri’s story,
turned even more upset.
“Val, why didn’t
you let anyone on the crew know that you and Sylvan
were going to Vegas to get married?”
“Cathryn, it was
a spur of the moment thing after visiting with Ja’al
and his daughter Ilona at the Embassy. I’m sorry that I didn’t have a chance to tell
anyone. Penji
just happened to be there and since he asked what we were doing we allowed him
to tag along because I knew we would need a witness.”
“With the customs
of three different cultures between you, why did you choose to do what you did?”
“Sylvan and I had
unknowingly participated in a Vulcan bonding ceremony known as the Koon-ut-solik on the Surak II en route to Earth. I had
entered my time of Pon Farr. I thought I was controlling it through
meditation but as I had already chosen Sylvan as my mate he began showing signs
of the Pon Farr also.
Our visit to the Deltan Embassy just
exacerbated everything. So we went to
Vegas and got married. The following day
when we got back to
Cathryn seemed
shocked that Val’ri’s new husband had originally had
a marriage arranged for him and he still married a woman he had barely known.
“They tried
petitioning both the Deltan Embassy and Starfleet to
annul our marriage. But we did
everything according to Federation law, so there was nothing his parents could
do but complain. Charissa’s
parents had their accident the day of the Starfleet hearing. Jonathan started screaming uncontrollably during
our hearing with Admiral Nechayev and began
broadcasting what he ‘witnessed,’ which was his parents
falling from the cliff face. He has been
extremely traumatized by the whole situation and we aren’t sure how soon he
will recover from the incident, if ever.
He’s going to be under the care of doctors and healers on Betazed for a long time.”
Val’ri sipped a spoonful of her soup before continuing.
“Sylvan’s brother, unbeknownst to us, had placed his
children in Sylvan’s and my custody should anything
have happened to he and his wife. However, Sylvan’s father
refused to allow us to take Charissa unless we were
wed in a proper Betazoid ceremony. We acquiesced. However, I needed a little time to meditate
to help myself relax and become comfortable with the idea of a Betazoid marriage ceremony.”
“Comfortable with the ceremony? What is this?
Emotions from a Vulcan?” Cathryn retorted.
“Even in a formal
Vulcan or Deltan ceremony, we do not have to take all
our clothes off.”
“Wait! Are you saying that you had to get married
naked?”
“Not just me. Everyone in attendance is naked. But only for the wedding ceremony itself.”
“I’m glad I’m not
getting married anytime soon. But I did
learn something today that will be helpful in my job.”
Val’ri and Cathryn continued to eat their lunch. About halfway through, a messy Charissa walked out onto the terrace.
“All gone, Mommy.”
“I see,” said Val’ri. “All gone from the plate and all over you. I take it you didn’t eat with the fork for very
long.” Charissa
defiantly shook her head no.
“Cathryn, will
you excuse me.”
“Go. I’ll just finish my food and return the dishes
to the replicator.” Val’ri nodded and led
Charissa to the bathroom where she marched the fully
clothed child into the sonic shower. Moments
later, she emerged, clothes and child just as clean as when she awoke from her
nap.
“Mommy, I want to
go to the park.”
“I have to go to
the library. If you promise to be good,
I will let Cathryn take you to the park while I do my research.”
“I didn’t want to
go to the library anyway. You have to be
quiet there,” Charissa remarked. The pair walked over to Cathryn, who had put
the dishes in the disposal chute and cleaned up the mess the little girl had made
on the table.
“Cathryn, will
you do me a favor and take Charissa
to the park for a while? I have to go to
the library.”
“Sure, I had
nothing planned anyway. I can always use
the practice.” Cathryn helped Charissa put her jacket on soon left for the park while Val’ri went in a different direction toward the library.
* * *
Val’ri seated herself in one of the small cubicles in the
library and addressed the computer.
“Computer,
requesting the logs of the Tamurilian-registered
scout vessel, Mutiny, owned by Marc Lapman.”
“There are over two
thousand entries made by Marc Lapman and another one
thousand five hundred made by first mate Jaynine
Gregory-Lapman. Do you wish to see all the logs?” the computer
asked.
“No. Just the logs where mention
is made of the USS Arcturus,
registry NCC-1807.”
“Working.” After a
brief pause it added, “There are one hundred seventy five entries mentioning
the USS Arcturus
and crew members thereof; one hundred fifty five by Jaynine
Gregory-Lapman and twenty by Marc Lapman.”
“Computer, narrow
the search down even further. Among the one
hundred seventy five entries pertaining to the Arcturus, are there any entries
that mention a search for the Arcturus after its disappearance?”
“There are forty
five such entries. Twenty
by Marc Lapman and twenty five by Jaynine
Gregory-Lapman.”
“Computer,
starting with the earliest stardate of these forty
five entries, play the entries in chronological order.
Also, record same to chip.”
“State name, rank,
and authorized clearance for recording.”
“Val’ri Raiajh.
Lieutenant, retired. Clearance,
level orange.”
“Clearance
granted.”
“Begin when
ready.”
For the next
three hours, Val’ri listened to the logs of her old
friend Jaynine Gregory and those of Marc Lapman about their search of the area of space surrounding
the coordinates where the Arcturus had disappeared in the late 23rd century.
They searched for twenty four days before
giving up, finding nothing more than Starfleet had already discovered, which
was nothing. The twenty fifth and final
entry by Jaynine Gregory-Lapman
was made for Val’ri in hopes that one day she would
be found and the message would get through to her. After the playback of the final entry the
computer again spoke.
“End of requested log entries; copy complete.” The computer then ejected an isolinear optical chip from a slot in front of Val’ri.
“Computer, one last request. What is the date and cause of death for Jaynine Gregory-Lapman? Use Terran
calendar for computing the date.”
“Jaynine Gregory-Lapman. Died – June 24, 2313.
Primary cause of death; multiple system
failure due to prolonged exposure to twice normal Earth gravity with secondary
cause of death attributed to prolonged damage to the liver from chronic use of
grain alcohol.”
“Were there any
children born to the Lapman’s?”
“Two. Stephen Lapman,
born on September 4, 2305, and Dawn Lapman, born on
June 2, 2310.”
“And
grandchildren?”
“Stephen Lapman has three children, two sons from his first marriage;
Anthony, born July 2, 2330, and Stephen Jr., born December 12, 2333, and a
daughter from his second marriage; Kirsten, born January 30, 2354.” The computer continued without hesitation. “Dawn Lapman-Rossman
married only once. She and her husband
are still together and have produced one son, Marc Rossman,
who was born on April 17, 2352.”
“After Jaynine Gregory-Lapman, did any
of her progeny follow in her association with Starfleet?”
“Kirsten Lapman is currently enrolled as a cadet in
“The information
given has been most helpful. That will be
all for today.” In response, the
computer screen went blank and Val’ri exited the
library.
* * *
Starfleet Medical
Ensign Sylvan Xaran sat at a table in the cafeteria and basically took in
the surroundings around him. It was 2100
hours and the cafeteria was still quite full. One of the young female cadets, a security
specialist from the uniform she wore, carrying a tray came over and stopped by
the table.
“Excuse me, sir. Is this seat taken?” She pointed to the seat opposite him at the
table.
“No, the seat is
not taken,” Sylvan replied.
“May I, sir?”
“Yes, you may
sit. And you don’t need to call me
sir. I am only an Ensign and currently
still studying here at Starfleet Medical like you, Cadet.”
“Sorry, Ensign. Thank
you for allowing me to sit with you.” She
placed her tray down on the table and sat opposite him.
“What is your
name?” Sylvan asked.
“Cadet Kirsten Lapman,” the young woman replied.
“I am Sylvan Xaran, and I am training to be psychologist and medical
specialist.”
Cadet Lapman looked at Sylvan oddly, as if she had known of his
name.
“May I ask you a
question, if it is not too personal?” she inquired.
“You may ask.”
“My cousin is
stationed on Betazed, and last I heard was dating a
girl named Jill Xaran. Is there any relation between you and she?”
“Is your cousin’s
name Marc Rossman?”
“Yes, it is. You know him?”
“The Jill Xaran you mention is my sister. However, the last I heard, she had stopped
seeing Marc when she left Betazed to begin her
medical studies here on Earth. If I may
ask, how are you and Marc Rossman related?”
“His mother is my
father’s sister.”
“May I ask you
another question?” Sylvan queried.
“Sure.”
“What do you
think about the return of the starship Arcturus?”
“I find it quite
interesting, actually. My grandmother on
my father’s side, Jaynine Gregory, served aboard the Arcturus for two
years before the ship disappeared. She
resigned her commission when she married a Tamurilian
merchant named Marc Lapman and become a combination
merchant, trader, and galactic bounty hunter. Sorry, I’m getting off subject. Anyway, I’m not that sure. How am I supposed to feel? They are the friends and crewmates of my
grandmother, but many of them aren’t much older than I am. I am not sure if I should become friends with
them, or show more respect toward them because they are my elders? Ensign, I am sorry. I’m afraid I can’t really give you an answer
to your question.”
“Actually, you
did give me an answer. You do have every
right to be curious about the crew of the Arcturus. There were many here in
“Maybe in time, Ensign. It will be hard, at least for a while, not to
consider them my elders. These people
saw and did things decades before I was born.”
Cadet Lapman started looking tired as she
added, “If you will excuse me, I think I will retire to my quarters.”
“But you haven’t
eaten anything.”
Lapman looked at the orange, bowl of stew, and drink that
were on the tray in front of her.
“I’ll take the
orange to eat later. I suddenly don’t
feel like eating Tamurilian stew. You may have it if you like.”
“No, thank you. I have eaten already.”
Lapman took the orange, disposed of the tray, and with a
quick glance back at Sylvan, left the cafeteria.
Another member of
the Arcturus
crew, lIya Valtirr, one of
the Arcturus’
medical staff, happened to walk by as Xaran mumbled, “I’d
rather eat Plomeek soup than Tamurilian
rat stew any day.” Valtirr stopped and sat at the
table opposite Sylvan.
“Actually, Sylvan, neither tastes all that bad. Plomeek soup may be
an acquired taste, but Tamurilian rat stew tastes no
different than any other meat-based stew found throughout the galaxy. Changing the subject,
how is Val’ri? I heard through the grapevine that the two of
you had gotten married. But I haven’t
seen her around lately.”
“Val’ri is currently caring for Charissa,
my late brother’s daughter whom the two of us will be adopting. We are all living in an apartment here in
“That’s going to
be interesting for both of you since Val’ri’s medical
records clearly state that she is incapable of bearing children. I believe she was resigned to the fact she
would never be a mother.”
“Upon the death
of my brother and his wife, we became the guardians of their two children,”
Sylvan explained. “The formal adoption
process won’t be finished for several years yet. But as for Val’ri,
she’s had some additional testing done since arriving in the 24th
century, and it turns out that she can eventually bear children of her
own. It’s just her ovaries and uterus aren’t mature enough yet. We’re just waiting on some compatibility and
maturation studies to be completed. We
should have the results by June.”
“I see. On a different subject, Commodore Johnson
wanted to know how strong your telepathic abilities are, Sylvan.”
“My abilities are
the weakest in my family in almost five generations. Especially compared to other
Betazoids.
Most of my abilities are empathic in nature. It wasn’t even fifty years ago that children
with skills similar to mine were considered handicapped. Almost all were sent to special homes to live
out their lives. There are a few of
these homes left and they still accept these children. I went to visit one of these homes and some of
the older residents who learned rudimentary skills were happy, if you could
call it that, that the old social taboos were finally
– if slowly – beginning to disappear. I
was one of the lucky ones. My parents were
thankful that Betazed had joined the Federation. As I had a hard time, reading the minds of Betazoids whom I did not know, my parents sent me to school
with the off-worlder children of the embassy staff
and other non-Betazoids. I have no ability to read your mind, nor the
mind of any other person aboard the Arcturus, save one, and truthfully, it surprised me when I
found out that Val could sense my thoughts.
I never expected to find anyone, let alone an off-worlder,
who could communicate with me the way Betazoids normally
communicate with each other.”
“Did you ever try
communicating with a non-Betazoid before?”
“I had a Deltan friend who lived on Betazed
and went to school with me. We tried
every day for over fifteen years and I never was able to ‘hear’ him.”
“While you were
on board the Arcturus
with the other Betazoid psychologists, Doctor Jaron stated that he wanted to test Val’ri’s
empathic and telepathic abilities. Did
anything ever come of that?”
“Val’ri had her empathic and telepathic abilities tested
here at Betazed’s embassy. What they found was Val’ri
is definitely a strong empath and telepath. It seems that she has the ability to use and
focus the abilities that she has but simply refuses. It seems she can ‘turn off’ her senses and refused
to use her incredible gift. It is
interesting that she was able to keep this a secret from the medical officers
of your original era. It is quite
possible that Val’ri learned, probably through Vulcan
disciplines, to keep such an ability repressed. I am aware that Vulcans
treat any kind of mental invasion as criminal, unless consensual. I also know that Vulcans
can shield their thoughts from other telepaths and empaths.”
Ian continued Sylvan’s line of thought.
“There are quite a number of Deltans that are
strong empaths. Vulcans are known to
be touch telepaths, although there are some who also possess empathic abilities
and short range telepathic abilities. As
you suggest, it is very possible that Val’ri was
taught a way to repress her abilities. She
is the only Deltan – well, part-Deltan
– aboard the ship who does not have to take medication
to control her pheromones. She learned
through her Vulcan studies when she was young to control her pheromones
mentally. I suppose it’s also quite
possible for her to have learned some way to harness her telepathic abilities
as well.”
“But how was she
able to keep her secret from Starfleet?”
“Sylvan, you have
to remember; That was eighty years ago. A lot has changed in that time. Believe me, any of my shipmates can attest to
that! As for how she kept her secret,
you will have to ask her. But let me
give you something to think about in the meantime; How
does a telepath get away from hearing voices in his head unless he can tune it out?
With that I will bid you farewell.” And with a nod, Valtirr
rose from the seat and left.
Sylvan
contemplated what Valtiir had said for a moment
before he too got up from the table, cleared his tray, and returned to his
quarters to retire for the evening. Tomorrow
was going to be a long day. Valtirr had truly given him something to think about.
* * *
Val’ri Raiajh was asleep in the
small apartment she and Sylvan had found in
Val’ri took one look at her friend on the monitor and said,
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She
quickly dressed, and carrying the sleeping Charissa
still in her pj’s, made her way to where Cathryn
Pearson was living while awaiting the start of classes. When she got to Cathryn’s
quarters at the surface facility of the San Francisco Fleetyards,
she knew immediately that Cathryn needed to get to Starfleet Medical as quickly
as possible, realizing the Fleetyards did not have
the appropriate medical staff. Tapping
the communications unit on the wall above the bed, Val’ri
spoke.
“This is Val’ri Raiajh, in the quarters of
Lieutenant Cathryn Elisabeth Pearson. We
need an emergency transport to Starfleet Medical. Lieutenant Pearson is in need of treatment
that cannot be provided here.”
“Can you be more
specific?” a voice inquired in response.
Val’ri felt not only Cathryn’s fear
about what was happening, but also that she was no longer sensing the baby any more.
In a sad tone, Val’ri
replied, “I believe Lieutenant Pearson is having a miscarriage. Can you please beam the three bio-signatures
in this room directly to the Emergency Department at Starfleet Medical?”
“Stand by. Transport will begin in a few seconds.”
Taking her hand, Val’ri looked at Cathryn and said, “I’m sorry,
Cathryn. I wish there was more that I
can do.” A moment later Val’ri, Cathryn, and Charissa
dematerialized in the sparkle of a transporter beam. Seconds later, they appeared in the ER at
Starfleet Medical across the city, where Val’ri
relayed all the information she had about Cathryn to the doctors there and
allowed them to do their jobs. Val’ri then picked up Charissa
and went to find Sylvan.
The pair found
him on one of the upper floors in a lounge set aside for doctors and medical
students, working alone on some paperwork.
As they walked in, Sylvan looked up and, recognizing the pair, smiled at
them.
“This is a
surprise. Is everything well, Imzadi?”
“We’re fine. My friend Cathryn called me a short time ago in
severe pain. I rushed over to help her only
to find she was having a miscarriage.
Until she came over yesterday afternoon for lunch, I had no idea she was
pregnant. I had us all beamed directly
here.”
Sylvan got up
from the table and put his arms around his wife and Charissa,
who was sleeping soundly in Val’ri’s arms. Val’ri rested her
head against her husband’s chest.
“I’m sorry, Val. I know Cathryn is a good friend of yours.”
“She’s in good
hands here. I’m sure she’ll be
physically fine, but she’s going to need someone to talk to. Before they send her home, perhaps you or Ilya can talk to her.”
* * *
Two days later… (It’s Party
Time!!
The next day was
to be the first day of re-training classes for the crew of the Arcturus, and
this was the best way to unwind beforehand.
Setton To’Lock Arbelo was impressed with the set-up for the party. The crew had managed to appropriate one of the
Academy’s training holodecks, and Arbelo
had programmed a tropical beach on a bright sunny day as the backdrop for the
party. There were steel drums being
played in the background and a beach side bar with bartender who dispensed
tropical drinks with little paper umbrellas. Waitresses in various styles of swimsuits
mingled among the partygoers asking if they desired food or drink. It seemed perfect. Wearing a classic Terran
racing-style one piece swimsuit in navy and a long, full white gauze skirt with
an open white gauze top over the swimsuit, Val’ri Raiajh stood on the white sand in bare feet and admired (as
best as a half-Vulcan could admire) the technology that went into creating the
scenery. Looking around it was impossible
to tell that she was only standing in a holodeck on
the grounds of
This was
definitely better than any party ever thrown aboard the Arcturus, and there were many. The Arcturus had no rooms that were able to alter the scenery at
will. On whatever new vessel the crew
would eventually be assigned to, the holodeck
technology would be available to all and could prove to be quite popular.
Setton walked over and stood next to Val’ri.
“I like this, but
I still think we should have gone with the ever-changing scenery pattern.”
“An informal
gathering such as this one is supposed to be relaxing,” Val’ri
remarked. “If the scenery kept changing,
it could prove to be stressful. It is
better to stick to one scene. There is nothing more relaxing to our mostly-human
contingent than a day at the beach. We
can leave the cold-weather activities project for another date.”
“Val, why don’t you relax and enjoy the party?” Setton asked. “The
stress of recent weeks must get to your Deltan side
once in a while.”
“Stress is an
emotional response to a stimulus. If one
puts a project in proper prospective, then the stress is eliminated.”
“I know. I’ve heard this story before. ‘Vulcan’s don’t have emotions.’”
“You know as well
as I that it is not that Vulcans don’t have emotions. It’s that we are taught to live without being
encumbered by them.”
“Well, become
encumbered by your emotions for awhile and enjoy the party. Mingle with the others and look like you are
having a good time. Don’t just stand
there like a stone statue, or one of our shipmates will think you’re a part of
the scenery.” Setton
then walked away and mingled with the rest of the crew.
Val’ri turned back toward the water and looked at Sylvan
and Charissa. Charissa seemed to like the sand and sat near the water’s
edge, playing with the wet sand with Sylvan. He was showing the little girl how to make a
sand castle and both seemed intent on doing only that for a while. Nearby, other members of the Arcturus crew mingled
with each other. Most of the humans wore
beach attire as Setton Arbelo
had told everyone that the party was going to be ‘at the beach.’ The other races came dressed in whatever warm
weather clothing was normally fashionable on their planet. Val’ri Raiajh walked toward one of the larger groups of crew
members, stopping at the open-air bar to order a glass of water. Dr. lIya
Valtirr was sitting near the bar and watching
everything that was going on inside the holodeck. He noticed Val’ri walk
by and motioned for her to sit down at the table with him.
“Greetings, Val’ri. This is the
first chance I’ve had to see you since you left the ship. Tell me, how was your shore leave?”
“The month was
eventful. It is now starting to quiet
down. I started helping out at the Deltan Embassy, volunteering my time at the child care
center. Watching the children learn
something new helped me decide what to do once the ship leaves dock again. As we all need to be re-trained anyway, I have
decided to continue the training I started before I joined Starfleet and become
a teacher to young children. In other
words, I spent my shore leave working.”
“Before your
leave began, you never discussed why you were able to handle the time
displacement so well. You heard what
happened to most of the other Deltans and Vulcans aboard the ship?”
“I heard that
many could not cope with the sudden loss of their familial bonds, and it was
most unfortunate. I believe the reason I
fared so well was because the only person I was close to and had any kind of
mental bond with before our displacement was my mother, and as you are aware, she
died almost two years before our time warp occurred. I was never very close to my brother, Ja’al, so there wasn’t any real bond between us. I also wasn’t bonded to a future mate, as many
Vulcans are. My
mother felt that was one decision I should make on my own.” Valtiir nodded as Val’ri spoke.
“With no bonds,
there was no sense of those bonds being severed. As for taking the displacement ‘so well,’ as
you phrased it, I did not. For the first
several days I refused to believe what had happened. It wasn’t until after I got a taped recording
from Ja’al, after he was informed of our return, that I realized that something changed. It wasn’t until after I received that message
I sought out the information on casualties among the crew. As I said, they were unfortunate, yet
unavoidable.” Valtirr
looked at Val’ri in a quizzical manner. She continued.
“Yes, they were
unavoidable, even if there was a trained telepath on board. Sylvan told me about the talk you and he had
the day before I went to Starfleet Medical with Cathryn. If you must know, I don’t use my abilities
partly because of Vulcan taboos and partly because I am not a trained telepath.
Even if I allowed myself just to receive
the thoughts of others, after the time displacement the thoughts of the entire
crew of the Arcturus
would have overwhelmed me. That amount
of emotion would have overwhelmed any telepath, even a stronger one, and likely
would have resulted in great mental harm to me. A telepath who is unconscious is no more
useful than one who refuses to use her talents.”
“Would you be
willing to learn how to use your abilities properly?” Valtirr
asked.
“I already know
how to use my abilities. Part of my
training while on Vulcan in my youth included how to properly use my telepathic
skills. After all, a telepath cannot
learn to not use their abilities until they learn how to control the use of it.
I learned, Valtirr.
I simply prefer not to make use them.”
Valtirr looked at Val’ri, his
face inscrutable.
“Would you
consider using your ability if it was requested of you?”
“Only in an emergency.
And then only if I had the permission of the other
party to probe their thoughts. I
would never consider using my abilities in a coercive manner.”
“What if you were
given a direct order to do so?”
“I resigned my
commission. The best Commodore Johnson
could do was request that I use my abilities if the situation warranted. Now, if you will excuse me, llya, I’m going over to spend some time with my family.” Val’ri then stood
and, with her glass of water, walked back over to the holographic ocean’s edge,
where Sylvan and Charissa were still engaged in
making their sand castle.
* * *
The party continued
for several hours more. Some of the
crew, yet unaware that they were ‘downing’ drinks containing synthahol, started singing off-beat, wholly inaccurate songs
about the Arcturus
crew. As a latecomer to the party entered
the holodeck, the off-key song sounded down the
hallway; “I see Arcturus
there, I want to paint it black.....”
The End
Return to 2369.
Return to Stories Archive.