Sunset (Part 2 of 2)
Posted on 19 Jan 2025 @ 3:21am by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lamar Darius & Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
2,339 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: Remidia I - Northern Continent, Creek Bed
Timeline: MD 07, 1950 hrs
Previously, on Sunset (Part 1)...
"Surak..." Lamar contently chewed on more crunchy salad, "he's a pretty big deal, right? The founder of Vulcan society?" Or something like that, he couldn't be 100 percent sure. Regrettably he'd fallen asleep during several of his Academy lectures on Vulcan history which he was beginning to regret. How could he have predicted he'd end up marrying a Vulcan?
And Now, the Conclusion...
[ON]
Sera's brow flicked upwards at Lamar's comment. She placed a morsel of food in her mouth and chewed considering how to reply. "He is the founder of Vulcan 'Logic,' specifically, but your assessment is not incorrect. His ideology forced a schism in Vulcan society, with those not in favor of his teachings being invited to leave the planet. Hence...the Rihannsu." The Romulan word was said with an impeccable accent.
Rihannsu... He knew this word despite the different Human nomenclature for the Star Empire's majority population. That much he'd been able to pay attention to during his studies. "We were taught Romulans are your genetic ancestors but evolved on a different branch after leaving Vulcan. That your people don't consider them 'Vulcan' anymore. But why?" Lamar's curiosity was now piqued and his thoughts descended into a shallow rabbit hole while lightly gesturing with his fork in the air. "Aren't there other Vulcans who don't follow logic? The Vash-katanas? What's the difference?"
"Because they are not...however, moreso due to ideology than overt genetic disparity, although that is no longer an insignificant consideration..." Sera felt like she was somehow failing in her explanation. "Lamar...not all Vulcans desired to adopt Surak's 'Logic.'"
She stopped speaking and looked into the fire for a moment before continuing. "Surak's closest disciple, S'Task, broke ranks with his teachings after we had our own first contact. Our...visitors had not come in peace but to conquer. This time was called Ankh. It means 'The War.' Ankh reduced all previous wars fought on Vulcan soil to the rank of mere tribal feuds. S'Task attempted to treat with these travelers, but he was captured and enslaved, along with thousands of other Vulcans.
S'Task may have been an ardent follower of Surak, but he was a warrior at heart. He took a far different approach than what Surak would have. He was used his formidable psychic talents to kill his captors, free his Vulcan brethren, and return to the surface. S'Task almost died in the process, and it has been said that Surak rushed to his pupil's side, only to rebuke him. They debated for days; although any records of their conversations are lost to antiquity. In the end, S’Task determined that, “Peace was not the way to deal with the universe that now awaited Vulcan.” Galvanized with new resolve, S’Task spread his views…and then his views began to spread without any effort on his part.
Eventually, though, the Surakians held sway, and S'Task saw that to remain behind was to court the world-ending destruction they were both trying to prevent. So more than 80,000 of my brethren chose to cast their fates amongst the stars, and in that choosing created new language...culture...everything."
"As to your other inquiries, V'Tosh K'atur are Vulcans without logic. That is Vulcans who do not ascribe to Surak's dogma. I would not dare to insult a Rihannsu by calling them such."
Lamar had slowed his chewing while intently listening to this new, interesting information. In some ways he was an ancient sponge which desired to absorb all that around him and understand the intricacies of the universe; but more often than not in his past life, he'd been content to simply learn and apply what he needed to perform his duties. Much had changed very recently now that he was wed to her. "Have you ever met one of the V'Tosh K'atur?" he asked, his pronunciation of the blasphemous word not quite as elegant as hers.
Sera blinked. "I...I do not know. That is not something that one would readily advertise. Vulcan can be an unforgiving place for those who do not comply. Even my clan, one of the oldest with its inception dating far before the rise of Surak, has to tread carefully." She did not add her personal concern regarding this line of inquiry...that perhaps she had gone too far, rejected too many of Surak's infallible teachings.
"Huh. So they're kind of covert in a way?" he mused out loud in between more bites. Maybe there was a whole planet of them out there somewhere in the quadrant, he privately theorized. Or maybe underground sects of them living and pretending to be 'normal' Vulcans. Another thought creeped into the forefront more related to one of her earlier comments. "What'd you think about Ambassador Spock when he was alive? His reunification attempts with the Romulans, I mean."
Such difficult questions. Normally Sera would never deign to answer such impertinent inquiries...but this wasn't just anyone; it was her mate. "Ah. Reunification. How does one reuinfy oil and water, Lamar? Rihannsu culture was designed to deviate from Vulcan's on an almost fundamental level. The exiles spent more than a generation in space looking for a new homeworld and designing their new civilization. We may share a number of genetic similarities, but at the soul of it - we are no longer the same. They kept their 'passions' and honed them into a new structure. Vulcans meanwhile dissected everything a part so that they could control it, or when that failed...subsume it. I think the 'best' outcome would be alliance. Neither would want to be the other, and the midway point between the two would create something that neither would accept."
"An alliance?" He consecutively stabbed the remaining chunks of steak into his fork creating a mini-tower of replicated protein before forking it into his mouth then chewing in silence and heavy contemplation. "...How would that even work?" he finally asked. "Your people are one of the founding Federation members...and it's not like the Romulans are itching to have closer ties with us..."
"I have no idea, adun. I leave such discussions for the politicians. I'm far better suited to managing ships' systems versus engaging in galactic diplomacy." Sera took another bite of her meal just for appearances.
A deep inhale preceded an equally-robust exhale as he laid his utensil down and leaned back on his perch before rubbing his stomach. He finally felt full and was content to skip dessert. Of the food kind. "Maybe you'll have a second career after you retire, like Spock did. Just don't drag me to New Romulus and make me live there. That culture's too shifty for me...always spying on each other and keeping secrets."
Sera stilled at his words as they hit rather close to home, as it were. He all but described her home life on Vulcan. "I certainly do not anticipate such an appointment, Lamar." Furrowing her brows slightly, she realized that very little thought had been given towards a future beyond Starfleet. What would life entail now? She did not know.
"Good. Because I want to go back home to Earth when I finish my last tour. Maybe help run one of the regional atmospheric flying clubs. The vintage kind, with ancient airplanes that used combustion engines." That would be an ideal use of his free time and adrenaline reserves.
He wanted to go home. His home. Earth. Her head tilted slightly in thought as she recalled where Lamar was from...North American continent...Philadelphia. She would have to perform more research on this place, for through perhaps a quirk of fate, her fate now lay with him.
"Do you have a specific timeline for this, Lamar?"
That was a valid question. Career planning had never been an especially strong attribute he possessed and he'd instead often meandered through his life as the stellar winds drifted. He lightly shrugged then shook his head in the negative. "Never thought too hard on it. Forty years? Fifty? I'm not leaving Starfleet anytime soon if I have the choice."
Sera let out a breath that she had not realized she was holding. She was early in her own 'career,' and the thought of an early resignation given the amount of maneuvering required to be allowed off-planet to begin with was not agreeable. Forty or fifty years however...that was a more than reasonable timeline. "Would you desire to return to your Philadelphia if given the opportunity? I do not know much about human civilization or culture outside of my time at the academy."
"Philadelphia's my home. It's been a long time but yeah, I want to go back. It means something to me." He leaned back on his fire perch then rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't you have a home town, too? A place you grew up that grounds you? Don't tell me you wandered Vulcan all of your teenage years."
Sera looked down and picked at the pieces of food left on her plate to give herself something to do. "I grew up in an ancient fortress in lands that are closed off from outsiders. It was a placed filled with...history." There, that seemed to be diplomatic enough, and yet..."It was a somewhat oppressive place, Lamar. I am in no particular 'rush' to ever return there." She put her fork down and looked over at her mate as he relaxed. "My 'home' is with you now."
Oh, right. The 'fortress'. Castle? In spite of her lukewarm description of the location's memories, Lamar wanted to see it. Maybe visit it one day, or perhaps a recreation in the holodeck. Not to open any possible old wounds, but because he'd simply never viewed much Vulcan architecture before in his life. "I guess our home is Galileo, then. For now," he winked. "But you have to take me back to Vulcan one of these days once we're done here. I've never been."
Sera felt a sense of curiosity that did not originate from . within. Ah. Lamar desired to know more about her. "I created a holodeck program at the academy for an assignment. I found the process to be fascinating and continued with it after the class was complete. I built upon the program and created my home, Wuh os Klomak, and the surrounding old city. It helped to fill the excessive amount of time provided to the cadets to 'rest.' The program has become rather expansive and detailed. It is not something I share readily, but I would...find it agreeable for you to see it."
"You...created your hometown in a program?" He was impressed, to say the least. "I didn't know you were good at holoprogramming. Usually engineers are more, well, hands-on. Like building and fixing things. Right? Physical things, I mean." Lamar wondered what other untold talents Sera might have that she hadn't disclosed before adamantly nodding in agreement at her offer. "Of course I want to see it."
"I was required to become proficient in all aspects of a starship; that includes the holodeck. Programming is more of an advanced specialization, but I found that particular aspect of holodeck programming to be gratifying...and it was a somewhat productive use of my 'free' time." She nodded and her mouth softened slightly in his enthusiastic response to see her work. It wasn't quite a smile, but it was an expression meant just for him. "When we return to the ship, I will arrange for some time on the holodeck, then."
Lamar absentmindedly rubbed the small protrusion within his belly which was the result of a large and recent caloric intake. His attention drifted from her form after she finished speaking to wander up to the thick, opaque tree canopy and the robust splattering of nearby stars which managed to dot the seams between the forest's trees. "I like holodecks; the only limit is our imaginations. But they're not real. Not like this," he softly gestured with a pointed finger which swirled up to the sky. "Being down here, on a planet - on the earth - that's real. I miss it."
Longing. Nostalgia. These were concepts that were utterly alien to her. She dipped her head in a respectful acknowledgement of his statement, but said nothing further on it as she had no point of reference. After a moment's silence, she moved her barely eaten plate out of the way and shifted closer to Lamar. "If the time and distance permits, I would be amenable to visiting Earth with you, Lamar. Perhaps, in the interim, we can engage in an exchange? I will show you my home if you show me yours?"
"Yeah..." Lamar pondered what he could contribute to that sort of exchange without the same programming skills as his wife. There were probably several simulations available to call upon in the ship's computer focusing on the city of Philadelphia. Both past and present. "I'd like that." He looked over to her close proximity then reached for her hand before intertwining his dark fingers between hers and giving a soft squeeze. "Let's forget about home right now. Just...lay back and look up. This is the Starfleet dream."
"A reasonable directive." Sera said in agreement, complying with Lamar's request. Easing herself onto her back, Sera leaned her head back. The tree's outline made for a most fascinating night sky unlike anything she had ever observed before. After a moment, she turned her head to look upon Lamar's profile as he laid beside her. "A most desirable view," she whispered softly, basking in the stunning night sky and the simple, intimate embrace of their hands.
[OFF]
--
Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Chief Engineer
USS Galileo-A
&
CWO3 Lamar Darius
Conn Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Tarin]