Unifications (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 20 Aug 2024 @ 9:18pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Lieutenant JG Selon Illialhlae

2,420 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 3, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 02, 2224 hrs

Previously, on Unifications (Part 1)...

"The very act of observation is interference, the observer effect is as true in a cultural context as it is in physics." Selon was a little too proud of that answer but he didn't let the conversation linger for long. "But that's not quite what you asked... If you're asking what my interpretation of the Prime Directive is, it is a liberal one. From the moment they apply warp physics a civilization is no longer isolated, no longer alone. They will have to come up with answers to questions and problems both old and new. They will ultimately have to arrive at their own conclusions but in doing so they will be curious to know what conclusions others have come up with, and I believe that curiosity should be encouraged."

"There's an old Human adage...'curiosity killed the cat'. I trust you're familiar with it," she esoterically countered before bringing another block of fruit into her mouth and chewing. "But you're wrong." The words no intellectual enjoyed hearing rang as clear as ever even between chews while her eyes snapped back up to his. "The Prime Directive - General Order 1 - isn't open to interpretation. It's Starfleet's guiding principle and is quite clear: we shall not interfere with other cultures' and civilizations' developments...often times whether they're warp capable or not. If you believe benign observation in itself crosses that boundary...let's just say I expect more from Starfleet science officers than pretentious exposition."

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

Not only arrogance but an incipient anti-intellectualism: a loathing of nuance and introspection. Selon might have been able to appreciate the latter in anyone else but a Starfleet Captain. If the Prime Directive was so clear then its interpretation would not need to be disputed on the bridge of starships, in the hearing rooms of court martials, in the annals of history, at Starfleet Command or in the chambers of the Federation Council. "You say that with such conviction that I will assume it is a dearly held belief, unexamined as it is, but I resent the implication that my expertise and an examination of its methodology is somehow 'pretentious'." Selon was on the verge of accusing her of engaging in sophistry but he was being generous.

She smirked to herself, his pointed words betraying a small semblance of emotional defense. He truly was a creole in its most pure ancient meaning, she was beginning to observe. "Then show me I'm wrong," she easily replied in her distinctive neutral and dry inflection before setting her fork down. "Look, Illialhlae, it's not that I don't believe you're a capable officer or scientist; you wouldn't be here if that weren't the case. I don't question your skill set or your prvious research and accomplishments. What I do question, is your resolve. This assignment won't be a series of untaxing deployments, and as much as you might want to theorize how the galaxy's civilizations operate, that's far from the reality. Galileo isn't a classroom. It's a starship. We're past the theory and into the practical."

"I think the gap between the two is narrower than you think Captain." Selon sipped a bit of his juice as he starred at Tarin over the rim, his eyes steady. "And even if it wasn't, I've served on a starship for the last four years. I've been taken hostage, fought against extra-dimensional entities, and participated in high risk away missions, my Doctorate from Cambridge was never a liability or something I had to overcome to perform as a Starfleet officer."

Another piece of fruit was forked into the captain's mouth while she resumed chewing and enjoyed the cold, wet and sugary flavor of the textured produce. Extra-dimensional entities...that sounded very similar to Galileo's own encounter with unauthorized research aboard Cold Station 31. Maybe he did have more in common with them than she initially thought. "Your education and prominence as a scientist isn't a liability here, either," she temporarily consoled. "It's your ambitions I'm worried about. The unbridled quest for knowledge each of your kind possesses. Intellectual curiosity unrestrained, at all costs."

And so they arrived at the heart of the matter, through a roundabout and inconstant way that Selon found almost appalling. If the Captain was as circumspect and yet confrontational with all of their dealings he did not foresee them getting along well. "I have a duty to the truth Captain, which is an abstraction but the limits of which I know well. I am not heedless, I know when to let things lie and when to walk away when nothing is to be gained. And if we do find ourselves in a situation where our curiosity has gotten the better of us, I'm well prepared to defend myself and others."

The science officer was obviously an articulate man and well-educated. Tarin'd assumed as much but the importance of 'trust but verify' had long been ingrained in her. "You're correct; our duty to the truth is the First Duty. It's what defines us as Starfleet officers and Federation citizens, and it's the cornerstone of our collective civilizations. Never forget that." Her short homily came to a close just as she finished eating the remainder of her fruit cup. Private thoughts slowly swirled through her head while she wiped her mouth and chin with her napkin, and her eyes suddenly became distant.

~~

Saalm frowned at the science officer, the age-creases along the sides of her eyes betraying her youthful emerald facial features. "You of all scientists should know you cannot return to your timeline with knowledge of the future; it is inevitable that it would be used deliberately, as you just stated, or inadvertently. It would irrevocably alter your...our evolution's path and future fates in a way we cannot predict." She then displayed another green palm to the man, this time positing a new question. "You are a Starfleet officer. What is our first duty?"

"Time flows, Admiral," Vala said coldly, ignoring her question for the time being, "What we would know is irrelevent. How we shape or attempt to change things would bw irrelevant. Possessing knowledge of this timeline, once we have altered it, is immaterial to the future we create. Such information would merely become relevant information about the present but not a second beyond it."

His gaze pierced her, "Preventing this war would be a phyrric victory if rot within the Federation is not exposed and exised with great precision. For us to go back, prevent your doom, then blunder on as if nothing has happened would be the gravest folly. It would be delaying the inevitable."

He shifted slightly in his seat, attempting to calm the frustration he felt within, "In answer to your question, our first duty must be to the ideals of the Federation. Truth. Justice. The very ideals which are under threat if measures are not taken to ensure the disaster of this timeline is remembered and lessons learned from it."

The Orion rear admiral studied the Romulan, staring into his green eyes with her own before a subtle smile of acceptance tugged at one corner of her gold lips. "As you've just stated, Vala, our ideals and core values are under threat and those degradations were responsible for this future. What better way to correct this by remembering our first duty: to speak the truth. To not lie, obfuscate or deceive, even when such a an option appears benign. We draw power from the truth and this core philosophy guides us in our exploration of space and is the framework of our moral values."

Saalm closed her hand then clasped it within her other atop her desk. "If you wish to permanently change this future, this is the path you must pursue. You will remember this first duty and remind all of the Federation where we once came from. You've spent so long attempting to ascertain the nature of this second data leak that the most obvious solution presented to you - speaking truth to power and sharing the research you discovered within Cold Station 31 with your galactic neighbors - has eluded you. You still seek to deceive...hoping you can catch your deception before it spreads. Is that truly the Starfleet way?"

~~

Tarin's reality returned back to the mess hall where she sharply inhaled a breath through her nostrils and tightened her eyes before reaching up to rub them and exhaling. These ongoing 'hallucinations' were still manifesting and seemed all-too-realistic in nature, and possessed a distinct level of fidelity above both dream and fantasy.

"Captain...?" It was the second time Selon had called out to his commanding officer as her eyes widened and her entire being traveled even though her body stayed still. When her eyes narrowed as she caught her breath as she returned to herself it was confirmation for Selon that she had not truly been there with him for the last few seconds. Selon's own eyes went to work studying the woman to see if there was anything physically wrong with her but he knew his expertise to do so was lacking, but what's more he also knew, somehow, what afflicted her was not... mundane in nature. He felt like his curiosity was being put to the test.

"Yes?" she asked with subtle annoyance. Psychological phenomenons aside, her memory instantly returned to its previous point in the middle of their conversation. "I assume we're clear about our First Duty? And your responsibility to the truth as a scientist? The objective truth which supersedes any agenda." Somehow this conversation's motif was becoming all-too familiar to her, as if there was a similar and familiar echo tugging at her consciousness.

"Perfectly." Selon's voice was reflexive, ponderous and concerned, his eyes still fixated directly on the Captain. This conversation had taken many, many startling (some others might say 'illogical') turns but the most recent had definitely been the most curious. What he had come to know about Captain Morgan Tarin in this selfsame conversation was that she would not suffer Selon's inquiries into her health. She had recovered, from what exactly was not something he was going to get out of her. His curiosity and restraint were being tested and he knew better than to push.

She looked back down to her empty fruit cup and the remaining upside down apple tart dessert on her side plate. Fork in hand, she cut a small piece off which she brought to her mouth then chewed while focusing her hazel irises back onto the science officer. A strange look in his eyes seemed to convey some sort of suppressed compulsion. Well, she privately mused to herself, he wouldn't be part Vulcan without constant self-repression. "Your hobbies...what are they when you aren't on duty? And do you enjoy the pursuit of physical prowess?"

"I do actually. Weightlifting and swimming in particular." Selon skirted the first part of the question, he had a feeling the Captain's curiosity, while not idle, was far from sincere.

Tarin lightly thumbed her bottom lip. Her assumptions were proving true, that the man's bulky physical frame was a deliberate product. "So you enjoy cardio exercise?" was her followup question.

"I have to temper my love of it with strength training but yes." A genuine smile escaped Selon's guarded demeanor. Either Captain Tarin was more disarming than he gave her credit for or his love of physical activity won out through anything. He quietly kicked himself for the latter and pondered the implications of the former. "What about yourself? What types of exercise do you prefer?"

Her slim dark brown eyebrows slightly raised after hearing his query. "Many forms. But specifically team sports. Basketball. And when time or personnel availability doesn't permit, then standard PT." Starfleet physical training regimens were orthodox and well-established for a reason, and she wasn't one to often deviate from accepted practices. "Do you like rucking, lieutenant?"

"Yes but I've never done it properly. I once hiked up Mount Seleya with some friends but that was a different kind of endurance test." Selon recalled the trip he and his Vulcan friends took during a spring break. While certainly adventurous it was less raucous than what his other Academy friends had in mind. Selon had no regrets taking that time to get closer to his friends and their shared heritage but that trip was also probably the reason why he to this day avoided inclines and kept putting off a family trip to hike the rim of the Forge. Well, one of the reasons.

The expedition Illialhlae mentioned was an encouraging revelation. Not only had he climbed one of Vulcan's most sacred peaks, but had done so with his own comrades and not out of personal vanity. Or so it seemed. Tarin would soon test that fortitude, and her dark brown eyebrows slightly raised upon seeing a new opportunity. "A healthy mind and healthy body are synonymous. You seem to know this mantra already. I invite you to join me tomorrow at 0300 in Holodeck One...for such a ruck. A proper one, for a change." The tiniest of smiles tugged at the corners of her thin lips.

"That's only five hours from now..." Selon realized half-way through saying it that it hardly mattered to the Captain. It appeared he had to chose between going to sleep almost immediately after this conversation ended or trying to power through it. Either way, he would be book-ending the evening with his new Captain and the idea of that made him... unsettled.

She studied him for one final time as she finished forking the final portions of her pastry into her mouth before chewing. "..Five hours," she mumbled between bites before cleaning her plate then setting her fork down with a soft yet audible clink. "You came here to work and make discoveries - including the internal ones. There's no better time to start than now." She wiped her mouth and hands with her napkin then deposited the cloth on her empty plate before standing from her chair to full height and extending a hand to shake toward the ship's newest crew member. "Welcome aboard Galileo. We'll see each other again soon. Remember what I said and do us proud."

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Selon Illialhlae
Anthropologist
USS Galileo-A

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