LtJG Jovenan & MdJG Jovenan – We are not so different
Jovenan
((Time index: 1.5 days after the arrival of CIC Desdemona))
((Prime Jovenan))
((Science Offices, Deck 9, USS Artemis))
Milath: They blame you for this.
Jovenan turned sharply to face the Selkie woman. That simple sentence disturbed her almost as much as all the recent events had. Maybe even more so, as the anomaly from a few days ago was certainly a surprise, hearing the department’s administrative assistant utter those words was a personal blow to her very personal face.
Jovenan: Me? Why, what did I do?
Milath: You had their research projects cancelled. Many of those projects are now completely lost.
Jovenan: Bu- but I didn’t summon the visitors here!
Milath: ::shrugs:: Scientists aren’t always rational. They blamed you for all the chaos during the mission itself, now that it was all pointless, they’ll continue pointing their fingers at you.
Jovenan buried her face to her hands. Her initiation mission as the Assistant Chief Science Officer had been a failure. The opportunity had been rare. Having the resources of a fully equipped explorer at their disposal, just for research, had excited Jovenan beyond reasonable limits. She had been generous in approving research proposals – overgenerous.
Jovenan: ::spreads arms:: But I worked day and night to keep the projects running!
The administrative assistant just smiled mockingly as she turned away and walked back to her own desk. Jovenan was certain that Milath thought she was incompetent in her new office. Jovenan had tried filling in the understaffed department – especially after a few roster changes they had encountered – by working several shifts, not having the heart to order any other science officer to do so. She was tired, having had unregular sleep, and on some days, none.
Inhaling deep, Jovenan rose from her desk and walked towards the exit. The Selkie woman stood up to call after her.
Milath: Don’t you think you should remain here to clean up the mess?
Jovenan: ::mildly agitated:: A bunch of traumatized soldiers with our faces just accidentally ripped a hole in the reality. I have more pressing issues, Petty Officer… Sorry.
((Shint Jovenan))
((Jovenan’s temporary quarters, Deck 6, USS Artemis… The other universe))
Chime.
Jovenan rolled her eyes lying on the bed. She didn’t remember exactly how she had made it out of the shuttlepod and into the sickbay of an alien ship. After bumping her head against the shuttlepod bulkheads, she only remembered a very bright light and a loud noise before blacking out.
From her perspective, she had died. She had died, awoken, and been disappointed to find out that even the afterlife employed Mizarian doctors.
Chime.
Jovenan rolled on the bed. The Doctor had ordered her rest in her quarters, and she was adamant she didn’t want to meet anyone for the time she was confined to the weird vessel. She didn’t want to see the crews of either universe. If there was a silver lining in this whole situation, it was the fact that this universe was a lot cleaner.
Voice: It’s me.
Jovenan perked up. That voice. She knew that voice.
Not bothering even dressing up, she hopped off the bed and rushed to the door. She pressed the door controls, and as soon as it slid open, she jumped to embrace the person behind it.
Jovenan: Health and victory! I knew you would come!
Other Jovenan: Uhh… Happiness and joy, to you. How did…
Jovenan released the hug and clasped the other Edo by the forearms, gently pulling her into her quarters so that the door closed behind them. For a moment, she studied her doppelganger. This universe’s alternate looked slightly younger, had a different haircut, and looked utterly confused by the encounter, but otherwise she was the perfect copy of her.
Jovenan: Quickly, which universe this is?
The other Jovenan raised her eyebrows and blinked slow. Oh, please no, please don’t let this be the alternate universe where everyone is stupid!
Other Jovenan: Uh, the prime universe?
Dumbfounded by the response, Jovenan released her grasp of the other Jovenan and took a few steps backwards. She walked a small circle, rubbing her face with a hand as she thought of what to make of the moronic answer and the moronic expression on her alternate self’s face.
Jovenan: You don’t know?
((Prime Jovenan))
Jovenan was embarrassed. Ever since she had left the homeworld, she had abided by the personal rule of not hugging offworlders. While she had shared an embrace with a couple of her closest friends since joining the Artemis, never had anyone jumped onto her like this person had. Granted, she seemed to be an Edo like her, something she hadn’t expected to see on a Starfleet ship, but she was also… her.
And she had also posed Jovenan a question she couldn’t answer and didn’t try to hide her disappointment of her ignorance.
Jovenan: Well, uh, I don’t think there’s a naming system for universes. We are aware that other universes exist, and there are rumours about crossings before, but Starfleet has undisclosed most reports in order to avoid―
Alt Jovenan: Starfleet?
Jovenan nodded. Perhaps she should have started from the basics.
Jovenan: Starfleet. The exploratory body of the United Federation of Planets. The organization that operates this ship and in which I’m a science officer.
Her alternate universe copy looked up and down, studying her. Unconsciously, Jovenan straightened the skirt of her skant uniform. She had already disappointed many enough people; she didn’t want to give this person any worse impression of her. It was weird how she could be so shy of herself.
Alt Jovenan: So… you are not of the Divine Fleet?
((Shint Jovenan))
Other Jovenan: Divine Fleet?
Jovenan frowned. She had already learnt that there were no Shint in this universe, or at least they hadn’t yet shown their ugly faces. The lack of external threat would inevitably mean that the Edo never reorganized their society in this universe. Oh, how different it was of theirs. Different, but not necessarily better.
Jovenan: Doesn’t matter. Let me guess, in this universe the Edo are nothing but sex-crazed hedonists who are too afraid to leave God’s Claims?
The other Jovenan lowered her head, and Jovenan could clearly see her cheeks turn bright red. Jovenan laughed a little at the other Edo’s reaction. She knew she was right. They both knew she was right. And she knew that if she played her cards right, she could convert this Starfleet officer to a very useful ally.
Jovenan: We know of the Edo in other universes. Our God has told us.
The Starfleet Jovenan quickly raised her face from the floor, her eyes big and round.
Other Jovenan: Your God shares information with you?
Jovenan: ::smirks:: Our God. Not just mine. Ours. Mine… and yours. They’re the same everywhere.
The confusion on the other Edo’s body was almost tangible. Jovenan smiled as her counterpart struggled to keep her worldview in one piece. She was a science officer, so not stupid, but she seemed to know little of the true nature of the God of the Edo. She was probably even pondering if Jovenan was lying. After a while, the other Jovenan shook her head and raised her eyes back to Jovenan.
Other Jovenan: Look, my job is to find out how you and your shipmates―
Jovenan: Not my shipmates. We’re not on the same team.
Other Jovenan: ― came to this universe and how to send you back.
Jovenan raised her hands in the air in frustration. They might look alike, but the other Jovenan lacked any and all personal characteristics that had made her the mediator she now was. The other Jovenan was boring and soulless.
Jovenan: Ugh. The Commonwealth offworlders will tell you anything you need to know, don’t force me to repeat it all.
Other Jovenan: I’ve read the reports, and they’ve told you are the expert in these… “reality weapons”. Listen, I want you to tell―
Abruptly, Jovenan sprinted towards the other Jovenan and grasped her by her elbow.
Jovenan: No, you listen. I am loyal only to God. I know that, deep down, you are a woman of God, just like me. And I have orders. And you will help me to execute them.
End scene...
----
Mediator JG Jovenan
Science officer (secondment)
CIC Desdemona
and
Lieutenant JG Jovenan
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11