LtJG Jovenan – The New Acquaintance with Death

[Jovenan]

((Morgue, Deck 7, USS Artemis))

 

The room was dimly lit when Jovenan entered it, adding to the already ghastly feeling of the morgue. She didn’t have any reason to be uncomfortable in there – they were protected from biohazards by stasis fields and a filtration system, nor did she believe that the dead bodies or their supposed spirits could harm them – but she was hesitant to enter there. It wasn’t fear or disgust, really. She couldn’t rationally explain why she felt that way.

There was already a person in the morgue as she finally braved entering. She didn’t know him beforehand, but she could guess it was Petty Officer Black, the person who had invited her. Then, there was a vaguely humanoid form under a white sheet. Jovenan grimaced slightly, involuntarily, identifying the shape as the body she was invited to honour. She hoped PO Black hadn’t noticed her initial reaction. It had probably been inappropriate.

Black: ::whispered:: Even as I release my tears to Your custody...

Jovenan presumed the Petty Officer was in middle of a prayer, so she remained by the door for a while, letting him finish. Eventually, he turned to her.

Black: Lieutenant Jovenan, enter, please.

Jovenan: Thank you.

She approached the table on which the body lied and stopped to stand by the Petty Officer, who stood up and placed his book on the chair.

Black: Thank you for coming. I know it's not easy considering... ::looked behind at the morgue refrigerators:: ...all and more. As I wrote to you and commander, this means a lot to Jaseb. Thank you.

Jovenan tried smiling politely.

Jovenan: I heard he called my… my sister a friend at the last moments. I think they would both be pleased with me being here.

Truthfully, Jovenan felt conflicted about participating in the ritual. The witness testimonies she had read stated that this person, Jaseb, had called the other Jovenan a friend. He had been, as it appeared, against the attempt to take over the Artemis in the end. They also had said that he was killed while attacking Colonel MacKenzie after she had killed her sister. To the Starfleet personnel, he had been a legitimate target, but in Jovenan’s culture, the law enforcement would execute criminals such as Colonel MacKenzie on spot, and so was probably in his nation’s legal system. On the other hand, while on the Artemis he was bound by the laws of the Federation, which didn’t allow such action. Early investigations also suggested he had also been in the Hazardous Materials Lab when Ensign Tarra was killed.

He was either a criminal or a victim of a crime, and Jovenan couldn’t tell which one. It probably didn’t matter in this ritual as much as it did in the Edo one. She chose to respect their culture. She was a guest here.

The door opened. Jovenan turned her head to see Doctor Adea entering, dressed in black robe. He nodded in greeting to Jovenan, and she replied in similar fashion.

Black: Commander. Thank you for letting us do this. And joining us. ::pulled back the cloth draped over Shint Jaseb's body:: You know, Jaseb's people say – we die twice. Once, when the breath leaves our body, and once, when the last person we know says 'I mean'... Even if this other was from a different space, raised in a different tradition, and possibly lived a life different from ours... We have come here today to cleanse his body, as he will cleanse his soul in the afterlife. We have come here today to speak about how we respect our deceased, we have come here today to comfort the living.

Jovenan listened in silence. While she obviously didn’t share the faith with the deceased nor with the officiant of the ritual, she could respect in the philosophy behind it. It was different from the Edo one, but it didn’t make it any less valid for those who subscribed to it.

PO Black brought a table closer to them. On top of it, Jovenan could see a set of items, including bowls and cloth. She was curious what they were used for.

Black: We will firstly physically wash the body, then we pour it with water to clean its spirit. In the final stage, we will dress the body in garments, to prepare the body and its soul for afterlife. This may be a challenge for You as for many before You. You can see a world differently when we cleanse the body. You may understand what death is now. You may leave a room and see your life differently, knowing what it means to be alive. If you want to share your experience in the end, you may. If you don't, that's alright as well. It's a powerful thing doing this holy work and sometimes we all need time to process. If you have any questions, please, ask now.

Jovenan wasn’t sure if she understood him right. Were they going to wash a dead body with cloth and water? She looked at both other attendants, but PO Black looked serious in their intentions, so Jovenan tried accepting the fact that she, too, would be doing it. She tried containing her initial reaction to the idea. It was just something she had never done before. As PO Black had promised, she would likely view death differently after this.

Adea: Forgive my ignorance, but what is the significance of the water?

She nodded at the question and turned to PO Black for another question in her mind.

Jovenan: And are there any words we should use?

Black: This goes beyond how water is poured. Or how or which prayers are said, if any. We respect the dead, and comfort the living. We create a bond, a strong tie that builds community, each of us in our own way.

Jovenan: ::nodding:: I see.

Black filled one of the bowls with water and handed it to Jovenan together with a rag. She accepted it and waited while the officiant did the same for Doctor Adea and himself.

Black: We can begin.

She observed as PO Black soaked his rag in the bowl before taking the hand of the body – er, Jaseb. Almost immediately after him, Doctor Adea followed the suite. Jovenan waited for a moment before deducing she couldn’t postpone starting herself any longer. With both hands taken, she decided to go for a foot. She dampened her rag and placed it on Jaseb’s sole. As she did so, a strong rush of discomfort surged her body, but it passed before she reacted in a manner that wouldn’t have been appropriate for the situation. She resumed to wash the body.

Adea: Did you know him well?

Jovenan: ::shakes head:: Only from reports, but he apparently had some relation to my sister… er, counterpart.

Black: Response

Jovenan tried looking at PO Black’s work to see how thorough she was expected to be with the washing. Having the sole of his foot cleaned, she had to swallow her discomfort so that she could lift his leg enough to wash his heel. She then moved to the other foot.

Adea: I’m afraid I’ve not had the pleasure of him, or of his counterpart in this world. Tell me about him, about them.

Black: Response

Jovenan listened to PO Black’s description while they resumed working. She had known that this Jaseb counterpart was aboard the ship, one Ensign Chevalier that had joined the crew only recently, so she hadn’t met him before. She wondered why he wasn’t present here. Perhaps there were ritual rules about who could participate, or maybe he wasn’t comfortable in seeing his near identical copy’s dead body.

As she continued washing his legs, a question came to her mind.

Jovenan: Could you please tell what happens after this ritual? Will the body be buried, and will there be other parts in the overall ceremony?

Adea/Black: Response

Jovenan: How about the, um, spirit? Soul? You mentioned the afterlife. Could you tell about that?

Adea/Black: Response

TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Jovenan
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11