In A Picture, Rememberance, Part 1

Posted on 14 Mar 2012 @ 1:32pm by Lieutenant Commander Evelyn Coleman

1,351 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 00 - Pre-Deployment
Location: Crew Quarters, El-Auria
Timeline: MD05 2000

[ON]

Evelyn was walking towards her new quarters on the USS Galileo a duffle bag hanging by the strap off her shoulder. She moved down the corridor and stopped in front of her quarters. "Home, sweet home." She whispers.

Evelyn walked into her quarters, placing the duffle bag onto the desk. Sitting down, she looked around and the sight triggered something within her. There were no personal knick-knacks, pictures, anything up yet. Her bag was filled with casual clothing but nothing to put on the shelves. She looked around, remembering a box she brought.

She shifted to the side and opened a drawer at the bottom of her desk and pulled out the crate she brought. She opened it and pulled out a clear pane of glass. Touching the corner of the glass, it activated the device and an image appeared. It was one of her and three other people. She was between a tall man and woman, with another man to the opposite side of the woman.

She stared at the picture, her brows scrunches up as she doesn't recognized the moment captured in the picture.

"You see the future, but you don't remember your past."

The words echo at the back of her mind and she blinked. She stares at the man standing right beside her in the picture, his arm draped over her shoulder. She tapped the glass and the imaged zoomed to being only the man's face. Evelyn's thumb traced the cheek and the memories flooded back....

[Illustratia, El-Auria: 287 Years Ago]

"Say 'cheese'" the man announced as he focused his camera.

Evelyn wrapped her arm around her friend and smiled, saying cheese and hearing the click of the camera. She pulled away once the man smiled and went to take a picture to others.

"He's really enjoying that gift you gave him." Her friend and commented.

Evelyn nodded, "Yeah, I'm sort of regretting giving him the camera; he's been taking pictures of everything." She chuckled and looked up at her friend, "You're not upset with your gift are you?"

Narco looked at Evelyn, shocked she would make such a comment, "Of course not. I wouldn't even be upset if you haven't gotten me a gift."

Evelyn nodded and then there was silence between the two friends.

"So you are leaving for Earth tomorrow?" It wasn't a question, and from the look on her friend's face she knew it had been something he wanted to ask for a while. Evelyn knew it was going to come up, it was inevitable. "Was staying ever an option to you?"

When he asked the last questioned it made her think of her recent conversation with her father. She straightened up to him, "Don't you start," she replied, "I had this very lecture with my father; I don't intend to have it with you." She added, albeit colder then she intended.

Narco flinched back at her response, "Why? Evelyn, you are my best friend, I think that gives me some sort of right to know if I'm ever going to see you again or not." He uttered, his blue orbs piercing into her green ones.

She saw the sadness and concern for her in his eyes and she instantly deflated, "I have a duty on Earth, Narco. Remember when I told you I joined an organization?" She waited for his acknowledgment, and when he nodded, she continued, "I joined Starfleet."

Narco's eyes went wide, "What?!" his voice raised an octave

"Look, the only way I could really understand humanity was to join..." she tried to explain.

Shaking his head, "Evelyn you know how dangerous it is? The risks you put yourself in?" he asked looking at her. "And for what? A mere Thesis?"

"Like you have room to talk," Evelyn countered, "you went to Cyonia and participated in their backward beliefs of space and nature."

"You can't possibly compare a Theological study on culture, to joining a military establishment." Narco feverishly responded.

Evelyn opened her mouth to rebuke but decided not to. Signing she ran her fingers through her short blonde hair, not minding the loose strands that fell over her eyes. "See this is why I didn't want to discuss this, because I knew we would fight, and I don't want to fight with you, Narco."

With the most sincere, caring eyes, Narco replied, "I don't want to fight with you either."

"Then what is the real problem?" she asked almost afraid of his response.

Narco shifted on his feet, looking away for a moment and when his eyes returned to hers he responded, "You are not leaving because of me are you?"

Evelyn shook her head, "No, of course not, why would you even think that?" her eyebrows furrowing.

Shrugging, Narco answered, "I don't know, just trying to understand what this is all about."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes at him. "You trying to psychoanalyze me," she accused.

Narco smirked a bit, "maybe."

"God, there is nothing more that I can't stand than psychiatrists. They seem so damn arrogant."

Arching his brow, he commented, "And that doesn't sound familiar to you?"

She slapped him on his shoulder, "shush up."

He extended his hand out to her, "Let go for a walk."

"But what about Lucia and Maurice, they wanted to hang out with us tonight?" Evelyn asked, hesitantly taking his hand.

Leading her out of the building he smiled, "Well they know they can contact us."

Evelyn didn't say anything else as they walked. Narco lead her outside of town, away from the noise of civilization. "Taking me to the forest Narco?" she asked, "You think that is wise, this time at night?"

Narco chuckled as he led them; moving past trees and shrubs, walking along the dirt trail, only illuminated by night sky, "Only you would worry about the Tranquil Forest of being dangerous."

"Can't be too cautious," Evelyn commented, letting go of his hand. "It seems when I am most relaxed the dangerous it is."

Narco was startled by her comment and glanced at her, "Did something happen to you on Earth?"

Evelyn shook her head, "No..." she sighted as they walked along the trail, which now lead them to the open area of the forest.

"You're hiding something," Narco accused as he watched her.

Evelyn turned about and looked at Narco, "No I am not, and if I was I would have told you about it already, you know that." She said confidently as she lay down on the soft grass, her eyes starring up above. She always loved staring at the heavens, it was so beautiful. "We know the lifespan of a star, from birth in a stellar nebula, to death of a nova. How the light will finally be extinguished. We also are able to plot the chain reaction of a particular star's death perfectly. We don't have any questions anymore."

Narco lay beside her, "Is knowing a bad thing?"

"Knowledge is never bad." She replied shaking her head, turning to face him. "It is just sad to know." She frowned.

Looking at her, he asked, "Why?"

"When you don't know, things are different; you get thrills, excitement, anticipation... There is imagination."

"Is that the reason you're going back?" he had to ask.

Evelyn looked at him and nodded, "It is a huge part of it. I may not feel the excitement myself. I may not even get nervous over a new discovery as they may, but at least I feel all those from them. Sort of like convection of feeling."

Narco nodded, understanding Evelyn, "And you feel temptation."

"What is there to be tempted about?"

"Because you know and don't tell. Telling would be easy yet you chose not to and so the temptation grows with each adventure." Narco explained.

Evelyn thought about it for a moment and something dawned n her for the first time, "That is why we're called a race of Listeners."

Narco smirked at Evelyn, turning to stare into her green eyes, "Because we have nothing else to say..."

-To be continued-

OFF:

LTJG Evelyn Coleman
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

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