Message from Beyond

Posted on Sunday, 28 February 2021 - 3:27pm by Commander Soral & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Trail of Tears
Location: USS Standing Bear | Holodeck
Timeline: 2394

OOC: This is in the early days of the mission -- Before the last post with T'Lanna

ON:

Soral stood in the holodeck. It was after his shift and Alex's was due to meet him here. They were about to do something they were both putting off for along time.

“Sorry I’m late,” Alex apologised as she hurried into the room. For now, no programme was running. For now just the black and yellow grid surrounded them. She had lost track of time discussing her research paper with Professor Langston and had ran all the way here. “How was your shift?”

"Busy. But I was distracted." They were about to watch the message left by Evesta. He had wanted Alex there. As much as he wanted to hear it he didn't.

She offered him an encouraging smile as she stood on her tip toes to kiss him. “Well, I can always distract you some more if you need it,” she offered.

He smiled as he held her. "Perhaps later." He looked around. "I do not know if I am ready for this."

“Maybe,” she conceded, “but we are.”

He sighed. "Alright." He took her hand. "Computer begin playback."

The surroundings shimmered and glittered and then a figure came to life. She had fair skin, Romulan ridges on her forehead and pointy ears, deep black raven coloured hair and ocean blue eyes. Her hair fell down well to knee level. She was tall and one could see normally slender but now she sported a growing belly. Her lips were naturally pink and she had a sparkle to her.

Studying the woman she could see the similarities between the woman and her two children. Alex squeezed Soral’s hand, offering what reassurance she could that he was not on his own.

"Hello Soral. If you are seeing this then I am gone and you have learned of Soval and Sevarine." She lovingly touched her belly. "You're probably angry that I didn't say anything but I know that I hurt you. I wanted..to take care of the kids myself, I didn't want to cause you anymore pain. The sad truth is I probably did. I learned weeks ago that if I continued with the pregnancy it would mean my life. I have decided to continue it anyway. I'm still working on getting Romulans off our home world. It's a way for me to atone, I guess."

Soral turned away taking some moments to compose himself.

Alex felt like she was very much watching something she shouldn’t be. And seeing Soral so obviously unsettled and upset made her want to put a stop to it. Yet she knew it had to be done. “You have to hear it all,” she whispered. “You can do this.”

"I've trusted your twin sister Liviana with the children. I cannot imagine how you must be feeling to learn of her and the kids and your dual heritage. I always knew you had a little Romulan in you." She paused. "I trust you to take care of our children and I know that one day you will find the right woman for you. I can only hope that she will love our children as much as I do now. I have coded a section of this program for our kids, a special message for them but before that I have to thank you for giving me the gift of them. I know I won't be there while they grow up but I will always be there in spirit. I will conclude now. The next part of this will be the birth of our children. You couldn't be there so I have arranged that it be filmed so you can witness their birth."

She looked down. "I know you won't believe my words but I have truly begun to love and respect you since I found out about the babies. I'm sorry for everything Soral."

The image winked out of existence and the computer said. "Level two of message ready."

Soral sighed. "I don't think I can watch the rest."

“I don’t think you are under any obligation to,” Alex said after a second. She did not especially want to witness a birth of anything if she had a choice in it. “You’ve heard what she wanted to say to you.”

"Yes." He walked over to the corner and sat down.

Following him, Alex knelt so she could hold his hand and peered up at him. “What can I do?” She asked softly.

"Just you being is enough." He thought a moment. "Perhaps this is enough for today." He kept hold of her hand as he stood. "Computer save program."

Standing up, Alex watched as the image disappeared in the blink of an eye. She thought briefly of her own mother. Had she known, like Evesta had known? That she would have a child but not experience all of the highs and lows of motherhood? She couldn’t imagine it.

"Liviana tells me that she wrote letters to the children daily. I do not know when to give it to them," he admitted.

“That I cannot answer,” Alex admitted. “It is something to speak to both of them about when we are with them on Vulcan. In time they will grow curious and may want to know her, to see the letters. Or they may not. Everyone is different.”

"We should watch the message she left for them. Perhaps it I something I can give to them now."

“Soral...” Alex hesitated. How to put it in a way he would understand. “Please be very sure. The messages were meant for them. It is a deeply personal thing... you may want to speak to them both first before even you watch.”

He sighed. "Perhaps you are right. Let us end for today. I do not think I can see the second part of the message, not today."

“Alright. Let’s go home?” she suggested.

He took her hand. "Indeed. I wish to spend a night just us."

"Dinner and a movie?" she offered before grinning, "or straight to distractions. Actually, never mind. I can multitask..."

He kissed her. "I know you can."

OFF: