Lieutenant Commander Timothy Alentonis: I'm Not Alone...?
Zeph
(( Alentonis’ Quarters, USS Astraeus ))
Tim was just starting to wake up and prepare his morning routine when he heard the computer get his attention.
Computer: Dr. Alentonis, incoming subspace transmission. Shall I put it through?
The professor blinked a few times and blearily put a shirt on as he glanced up toward the ceiling.
Alentonis: Who from?
Computer: The call appears to be originating from Deep Space 224 from a Doctor Torvalin.
Tim hesitated. Torvalin. Why did that name sound familiar? He didn’t want to keep the caller waiting too long, but at the same time his recollection of the individual was a bit fuzzy. After a few more moments of indecision, he nodded to nobody in particular and sat down at his desk to turn on the console.
Alentonis: Put it through.
When the console came to life, the image of a human female came to life. This individual was in their late 40s, brown hair, glasses that had a wiry frame and a pair of cobalt blue eyes that seemed to pierce through the screen and into his soul.
Torvalin: Timmy! Oh my gosh I haven’t seen you in forever!
The professor tried not to cringe at the usage of the name “Timmy,” which had been a shortening of his first name that he hadn’t heard in almost thirty years. The only person who had called him that in recent memory was a Doctor Elliot Torvalin.
Alentonis: Are you by chance related to Dr. Elliot Torvalin, doctor?
Torvalin: One and the same, though Elliot is my dead name. I go by Ellie now. It’s a bit of a long story that I won’t bore you with. I only recently came across your name in an FNS report from the USS Astraeus, and with such an unusual last name it wasn’t too difficult to track you since the Evans.
The news that someone else had *survived* the attack on the Evans was shocking to him, and stunned him into silence. He’d seen the other escape pods jettison, but at the same time he thought it might’ve been a fluke by the pirates who had taken over the vessel. He stared at the image on the screen, and realized that Dr. Elliot Torvalin, the man he had fallen in love with at one point, was now a woman. At least, that’s what her statement had suggested.
The fact that Elliot had become Ellie hadn’t escaped his notice, he did not know how best to even go about asking the question. They stared at each other in silence for several long moments.
Torvalin: I see I may have a bit of explaining to do. Okay. I’ll start with the transition. After the attack on the Evans, I went on another dig. It was during that dig that I realized I just wasn’t cut out for the masculinity that I portrayed, and the Indiana Jones like dream I had was just not who I was. So I opted to become female, had all the surgeries done, paperwork changed, etcetera and am now enjoying being who I am.
For a long moment, Tim stared at his old friend. His old flame, really. He was in love with Elliot once, so whether he felt anything for this new identity after all this time was unclear. They hadn’t *spoken* in twenty eight years, since apparently the Evans survivors were scattered to the four winds, if there were any others.
Alentonis: That…um. That is a large amount of information to take in. I… How…?
He didn’t have the faintest idea how to even continue the conversation, but apparently she found him through an FNS report. He didn’t know what to ask. Where to even take it. The lack of words was apparently not lost on Ellie though. It took a few moments for her to let the information sink in before she continued.
Torvalin: I still love you, Tim. I tried moving on after the Evans romantically, but it’s been…I couldn’t do it. Nothing that has happened to me has changed how I feel about you. I never actually believed you were dead, nor any of the survivors. If any of us survived, it was because of you.
Those words sunk into him and hit like a ton of bricks. Had his actions truly saved so many people? This would take more than one conversation for him to process, he was sure. In fact, he now had a topic or two for his next therapy session with Dr. Saa. It was going to be a long road to recovery.
Alentonis: I…I need time. To process this…to process…you… um. That came out wrong…I’m sorry.
Torvalin: No worries, Tim. I understand how hard this must be for you. I probably should have written first. I am sorry about that, but once I found your name I wanted to reach out and let you know you’re no longer alone.
Alentonis: Th--thank you, Ellio-- :: He caught himself and swallowed roughly. :: Ellie. I … We’ll talk again soon, alright?
Torvalin: Take your time, Tim. Really, no pressure. I have to go now, since I have a class starting soon. Bye for now, love.
As the screen went black, Tim slumped back in his chair. He had no idea what to think, what to do, what to feel. The only thing that he thought would help him think through this now, was coffee. Non-replicated. And there was only one place on the ship to get the best coffee in the sector. He finished his morning rituals, then put on a pair of his khaki shorts and wandered out to the Pagrati Lounge.
[END]