The Orb of the Unknown - Part I
Posted on Monday, 23 January 2023 - 7:39pm by Commander Soral
Mission:
Shore Leave
Location: Bajor, Varenek Monastery & USS Standing Bear
Timeline: Various
ON:
Soral returned to his quarters after the medical exam. He’d returned from Bajor, done the report and the medical and it had all been a blur. Now that he was actually back in his quarters, he plopped down onto the sofa thinking about his last conversation with the CO.
He had asked for a favor and true to their word they had left the emblem of the empire and the old Vulcan guard. It felt strange yet like home. Soral’s thoughts turned back to the call and what followed it.
=/\= Days ago, on Bajor =/\=
Soral ended the call with the CO and turned just as his door opened.
“Am I intruding?”
Soral stood, “No Vedek. How may I be of assistance?”
Vedek Linn smiled, “I came to ask you that but I think I know. Rumor is that your mind is quite….divided.”
Soral raised an eyebrow. “Do we not all have that problem?”
“We do but I think you have it a bit … differently. Any way I think there may be a way for you to fully embrace all your aspects of self.”
“Electrocution?”
Linn’s eyes widened and then he threw his head back and laughed. “Vulcans don’t joke.”
“Ah, I am part Romulan.”
“Mmmm. Well either way I speak of the Orb of the Unknown. A mysterious orb only known to those of the order of the Kai but every now and then if one is really special they learn of it…pending that they keep it to themselves.”
“Ah..I see. What is it that makes me special?”
Linn walked around the small quarters picking up the various personal belongings that Soral had set out to make this place feel like home.
Soral watched resisting the urge to twitch.
“What makes you special, Mr. Soral, is in your mind you hold the key to something I want.”
Soral’s brow creased. “I do?”
Linn turned and smiled, “I want to be Kai.”
“And how can I help with that?”
“You can’t but your alter can. You see, Mr. Soral, I was once where your alter came from and I met him, I knew that he and Kai Gelen were close friends he was familiar with Gelen’s many failings. Gelen was not popular there and your alter…helped him come here and take our Gelen’s place. I need to ensure, you understand, that the Kai is above reproach and this one is not.”
Soral held in a sigh. “Ah, I see.”
“If you should fully merge with your alter all your memories will unite and you could, if you find it in your heart, help me prove that our Gelen is now our Gelen. You do wish to ensure that this time line is not stained, I assume that would only be logical.”
“Your logic is flawed,” Soral said sitting down.
“How so Mr. Soral?”
“My alter does not betray friends.”
“Even ones that have betrayed him?”
Soral’s eyes narrowed.”
Linn pulled a PaDD from his robe. “Some reading material while you ponder the logic of what I have said.” With a small bow he turned and walked to the door placing the PaDD on the desk. “I’m sure you shall arrive at the right … decision and I shall await you beyond the blue doors to the temple.”
Soral watched as Linn left. He stared at the data PaDD.”
=/\= Present time =/\=
Soral shook his head bringing himself back from Bajor. He stood and walked around his quarters, prowling more then walking. His mind tried to go back to that day on Bajor but he would not allow it. He was not proud of his decision there. He’d snatched the PaDD and read it and in an instant that feral side of him had decided that Linn and he could be friends. Something he would never have decided before the Alter self was merged with him.
Slamming his hand on the wall he marched to the replicator. “Water, cold.”
The hum of the machine working and forming the molecules of the glass and water soothed him, but only slightly. When the glass was formed and snatched it from the perch and drank to wet his suddenly parched throat.
Slamming the glass on the table to his right he continued to prowl his quarters like a caged cat. Maybe some gym time would be the cure for his suddenly restless mind, meditation would require examination of self and he was not ready for that. The Orb of the Unknown, he now knew why not many knew of it. He wished he hadn’t but he’d taken Linn’s bate and perhaps a more capable Kai was in power now but was he a better man then the one Soral helped him remove, the one who was now on the run, an enemy Soral had surly made and that might turn to the Cardassians.
He sighed, “Linn’s problem now,” he muttered as he entered the lift. He ordered the computer to take him to the gym and then realized he was still in uniform. Cursing inwardly, he headed back to his quarters to change and then made a line for the holodeck instead. Maybe a swim would be better then the gym, he could be alone and brood and nobody would think anything of it.
Life was…not what it was, he was not who had been. Change was inevitable and often hard. The question was could he survive this change, could he survive himself and his alter self. Could he build a new Soral on two weak foundations?
To be Continued…
