Re: Chapter 05: Meeting of Minds | Day 01 [2030 hrs.]
Reply #11 –
[ LT Daniel Havenborn & Lieutenant Commander Vivian Martin | Deck 06 – Gymnasium | USS Theurgy ] Joint-Post by Havenborn & Hastata-Nerada
When she asked about his home he stopped running. He hadn’t given deep thought about his home, his family, his parents, or anything like that for some time. His Aunt and Uncle were the only ones he had been able to talk to though he was fairly sure they thought he was dead now; plus the fact that he couldn’t return home even if he wanted to, the last time he spoke to his Uncle he had told him that his father had gotten him banned from both the domed colonies and the outer farms and ranches, essentially the entirety of the Neo-Eastern Coalition territory.
“You’re right I am from Mars, but it’s a little more complicated than that.” Daniel said. “As far as I know Mars is still there, I doubt anything has happened to it being so close to the Federation’s capital.” Daniel added in response to her question about Mars possibly being gone.
“I mean if you want to know, I can tell you. I just don’t want everyone to know. Back on the Resolve I only told a few people of my life before Starfleet, I did some things I’m entirely proud of before leaving home.” Daniel said.
Martin hesitated a bit before she simply said, "Well, I'd like to think I'm a trustworthy person, but I won't pry if you don't want me too." She paused a bit before she decided to add, "If you would like, I could offer something I tend not to talk about much in return?"
Martin often spoke very little of her experience during the Klingon war, and what she still to this day considered to be her own fault, for not being able to protect Zayah in time. It was a dangerous path, those thoughts, especially now with the death of Lyhn and the feeling that maybe she could have stopped it. But feelings or no, she felt it was only fair.
Daniel considered what she had said but ultimately he didn't want her to be uncomfortable either. "If you don't want to, you don't have to." He said as he took a deep breath. "I was born on Mars, but I was born in what the Federation has classified as a pocket empire, the Neo-Eastern Coalition." Daniel said, most people who knew their Earth history would know that the Eastern Coalition, or ECON, were the people that fought against the Americans and their allies during World War Three. They also were the ones that had supported and had faithfully served the Augments from Earth's Eugenics Wars. "My people are extremely xenophobic, something I've worked hard to overcome but still have a problem with. Although I enjoyed my life growing up there were choices I made that if given the chance to go back and change them I would. My society is extremely militaristic and as such I was trained as a soldier; although by the time I turned eighteen and stated my desire to leave and join Starfleet my family, except for my Aunt and Uncle, disowned me. Then before we got lost my Uncle informed me that my father had seen to it that I'm no longer welcome anywhere back in Neo-ECON territory." Daniel explained.
"Thus I have no home to go back to, I had been hoping to continue to be stationed on the Resolve but it seems that fate has decided for us to join this group of so-called traitors. Which I find a little ironic, declared a traitor by two empires." Daniel said.
Martin continued to run, having been surprised into silence. The knowledge had shocked her. She knew the Neo-Eastern Coalition still had remnants, but... she had always dismissed them as a footnote. All she could say was, "Oh... Oh, my god, I'm sorry, I had no idea..." Beyond that, she was silent, not sure if she should say anything else.
Daniel kept his pace next to her as they ran. It had been almost three years since he had told that to anyone, Lieutenant Daniels had been that person and now she was gone because of him, although the more he thought about it the more he realized that it could have been worse, they could have been in a relationship and who knows if he’d have been able to give the same orders then. “Most people don’t, it’s not a story I like to talk about but it was something I had hoped to share with select officers, yourself included, from the Resolve after things had settled down after our homecoming.” Daniel said. “Fate however decided that was not to be our course.”
"So it seems..." Replied Martin. She was quiet for a bit before she spoke again. "You know, I was going tell you something from my own past in exchange but... honestly I don't think it would compare..." She had let people die, or at least she felt that way, but hearing Daniel's story had struck a chord, and now she had guilt to add to her current woes. "If it helps any, I sometimes think of how our crew was as a second home, as a second family... Perhaps there's some solace in that?"
Daniel nodded as he kept his pace with her. "I think there is definitely some solace in our crew, this crew, being a second family." He said as they began to near the starting area. "I think that's a good warm up, would you like to move on to one of the exercise machines now?" He asked her. "Also when you're ready to share your story I'll be glad to listen to it just as listened to mine." Daniel smiled at her. "Thank you for that by the way." He said.
Martin gave a warm smile back. "Of course, any time." she said. "Feel free to move on to the machines by the way, I'll probably run through some routines of my own." She couldn't help but think of what life must have been like for Daniel on Mars. How shrouded must a people be to retain such ideals for hundreds of years? Their technology must have been ages behind Federation equipment. Even an average nail clipper must seem advanced to them. Martin chose to push such notions aside, for whatever life was like there, Daniel had left it.
Topic: Day 01 [2030 hrs.] Meeting of Minds (Read 3922 times)
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