Ensign Jovenan – P.S. I miss you (part 2)
Jovenan
((Jovenan’s Quarters, Room 04-0210, USS Artemis))
Jovenan jerked awake. Her heart was beating fast, and her entire body was covered in cold sweat. Sitting on bed, she looked around the dark room, confused for a few seconds before asking the computer for lights. The flash blinded for temporarily, and she leaned her head by the forehead.
Jovenan: ::holding her head:: Computer, what causes nightmares?
Computer: Nightmares can be caused by anxiety, stress or fever. In addition, some other diseases and substances can cause hallucinations that can be interpreted as nightmares. Most nightmares are however random and have no definitive cause.
As the computer was lecturing monotonously, Jovenan turned on her bed and lowered her legs onto the ground. The other berth of her quarters was still empty, so she didn’t need to avoid waking up anyone else. She placed her hand to her forehead. No, not fever. Stress, anxiety, maybe? It was so alien to her. Nightmares were an existing yet typically dormant trait in the Edo, having little evolutionary purpose on their paradise-like homeworld. Something had triggered it, and it certainly felt awful.
Jovenan: Does nightmares require medical attention?
Computer: Nightmares don’t typically require medical attention. However, if common occurrence, causing inhibiting amount of anxiety or unusual symptoms —
Jovenan: ::interrupting:: Thank you, computer.
She stood up and placed her blanket to her shoulder, wrapping it around her body. There were still hours for her shift, but she didn’t feel like sleeping anymore. Trying to remember which beverages were soothing and which energizing, she walked to the replicator.
Jovenan: Herbal tea, peppermint, hot.
She picked her beverage and walked, swaying under her thick layer of wrapped blanket, to the desk. Taking careful sips from the hot cup, she activated the computer interface and accessed her files. To her surprise, she had received a subspace message. The message had been relayed to the Artemis from somewhere near the Tholian border, but that hadn’t been the point of origin for the letter. She looked at the title of the message, and the identity of the sender became obvious.
Health and happiness
She put her cup aside. It was a long way from the God’s Claims to here, but a subspace message shouldn’t take half a year to get to the Borderlands. She had interpreted the radio silence as a sign of indifference to her and her accomplishments. Whatever had made them write now, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear it. They had ignored some of the biggest events in her life, why would she do anything now but give their words the same value as they had to hers?
Still, she opened it.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
To: Ens Jovenan, USS Excalibur-A
Health and happiness, dear Jovenan!
We remember how much you wanted to join the Starfleet Academy five years ago. It has been difficult for us to understand why you would want to leave so far and to so dangerous environment instead of staying with us, especially after your introduction to the University had been so rough. However, your eagerness made us understand how much it meant for you, and your letters from the Academy showed that you didn’t regret the enrolment, not even during the difficult times.
Despite our shortcomings, we can certainly understand how much graduation and assignment to a ship means to you and how happy it makes you. That makes us happier than anything else! We want to tell you that we are proud of you, Jovenan. We truly are.
We are not entirely sure what being a Starfleet ensign consists of, but we’ve heard it’s an officer rank, which makes it a position of leadership and responsibility. You are the best person we know of to take that position on your community there on the ship!
We have made a gift for you, something that will help you stand out as a community leader. Sadly, we couldn’t hand it to you on your graduation day, but we have gotten help to send it to you now. It’s turned to a code, so you can copy it with a replicator. Hopefully you can get it out.
We would love to see you again. Could you visit us on holidays someday? Do you have holidays?
Joy and happiness, we love you,
Jarer, Saven, Diator, Poivian, Variqean, —
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
She scrolled to the end of the letter. There were some dozens of names, all of her community members, even the couple kids who she hadn’t met yet. They were all there, all had wanted to tell this message to her. They did care of her, they all appreciated her.
The letter wasn’t all of it: there was a data package attached to the letter. Jovenan uploaded it to her files and directed it to the replicator. Initiating the replication process, she stood up and walked there as bright light briefly emitted from the replicator alcove. There was indeed a single object. She stared at it for a moment, without touching it, and turned away. She needed an appropriate dress for this occasion.
Soon, she returned, having left her blanket and donned a traditional Edo romper. She lifted the object from the replicator with both hands. She took the ends of the silvery band around her neck and connected them, letting the triangular emblem with glittery whirls rest between her collarbones. She turned to the mirror. There stood no longer the shy girl, weird outsider she had usually seen. Instead, she was a strong and respectable community leader.
She wiped a tear off her eye. That’s how her family saw her.
She returned to the computer interface. She wasn’t sure if she could get a religious or cultural exemption to the uniform code, but at least she could wear the community leader’s necklace under her uniform turtleneck. Sitting down by the interface, she began to write a letter back home. She might not get holidays long enough to visit home, but maybe they could visit the DS224 and meet her there for a shore leave. Some day.
End scene
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Ensign Jovenan
Science officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11