That Same New Face

Posted on 03 Jun 2015 @ 12:22am by Nevedno Lož
Edited on on 03 Jun 2015 @ 1:08am

751 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: USS Galileo -Deck 2 - Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 01 - 1900 hours

ON:

He sat before the bar, the server staring at him inquisitively. Nevedno knew what would come next.

"Do I know you?"

He sighed. No matter how many times he heard it, it still felt the same. Alone. Outcast. How would he answer this time? Would he be the cynic or would he be the optimist? Or perhaps one of many other iterations of the almost unremembered personality he once believed he possessed? It didn't matter.

The Ramuran was far from home, though for the past six months this had been his home, as unwelcoming as it had been. Just like the last one. But it was still the better alternative. The secrecy of Ramura was too much for him, the lies, the seclusion, but he certainly understood why, now. Aboard a ship with hundreds of varied peoples and species, he had never felt more alone.

Goddammit, don't you know? Don't you remember? The thoughts in Nevendo's head were so loud they almost clawed there way out of his skull and into the words he spoke. "Of course you don't," he said as calmly as he could. He was almost stoic, but on the inside he was losing his f--king mind. "Jynnan tonnyx," he commanded, spoken in the way he had heard it uttered by so many species before.

The mixologist mixed him his drink. Would it be the 50/50 he preferred, with a wedge of lime, or perhaps some other iteration of the classic and almost universal drink? Perhaps a little more gin than tonic? It'd certainly be a most welcome alteration to the loneliest creature in the known galaxy.

Whatever concoction was placed before him he made vanish in almost an instant. The punch to the senses was more familiar to him than he could ever be to anyone around him. Like the people with him at this moment in the intimately familiar mess hall. He knew everyone aboard most deeply, from those he occasionally interacted with in the upper ranks of the ship all the way down to the civilian personnel, as well as most everyone else he had ever laid eyes or hands on, but to them he was but a new crewmember, or perhaps something else. It didn't matter at this point. The man who had, in fact, met everyone, was known by no one.

Nevedno looked to his left at the young woman by his side. A soft smile formed on his face, though unbeknownst to any onlooker, it was formed only with Herculan effort. T'Paaru. She was nice. Well, as nice as a Vulcan-blooded could be. He had always found them too lacking in emotion, though at times he envied their ability to remain so composed. So detached from the realities of life. She was just one of the few failed relationships he had given up on trying to repair. The smile quickly faded.

A few of them had tried so hard to accommodate. They truly did love Nevedno, or at least took pity on him. He couldn't tell sometimes. How could you love someone based solely on first impressions? They would write themselves notes and attempt to form coherent thoughts regarding their Ramuran partner. But all they could do was take their own word for it. The writings didn't reform memories. Every time they would encounter Nevedno they would have to feign familiarity and recite the facts they had just read minutes ago like they were answering some test questions to a teacher. It had gotten old after a while. And he certainly couldn't stay the night with them. He sure learned that fast. He had a scar on his abdomen attesting to that. All he could be was alone.

He was the loneliest being in the known universe. How bittersweet his freedom had been. At times he almost wanted to return to the gilded cage that was Ramura, but he knew he couldn't. His memory would be wiped and would never even know that he left or why he did. He couldn't do that. He'd rather die. Not that anyone would notice. Ironically enough, his death would be the only thing anyone would remember about him, the memory suppressing pheromones no longer being produced. Just a nameless unknown body seemingly out of nowhere.

He stood up and removed himself from the room without another word spoken. It wouldn't have mattered if he did. In a few hours he'd be the new face again.

OFF

Nevedno Loz
Science Technician
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Jynn]

RSS Feed