Ensign Sival: From the Past
James Scott Schumann
((( Holodeck 1, Deck 4, USS Juneau ))
Sival: ::spreading the map on the table:: I have taken the liberty of procuring a map. Let us come up with an objective and a plan.
T’Lea put her coffee mug on one of the map’s corners, helping to hold it down. The moment the mug hit the table, he heard a woman talking, as if she were speaking into his ear.
Woman’s Voice: ::soft laughter:: Well that wasn’t very logical of you, Sival.
Sival jolted back. His eyes darted left and right. There was no one there. The only person talking was Arys.
Trovek: Sounds good.. I guess. It doesn’t sound bad anyway.
It was perhaps someone talking in the simulation. Vulcans did have a heightened sense of hearing, after all. He could have picked up on a stray piece of conversation from a nearby table. But he was certain he heard his name.
He shrugged it off and focused back on the conversation. Arys’ reply was neither an objective nor a plan. Sival was puzzled. She had given, in his opinion, a very interesting plan of action just moments ago, yet now she seemed less committed.
He looked to Lt. Kendrick, curious as to what he would suggest.
As he looked in his direction, he saw a human female standing behind him, facing away. She was not dressed like the others. She was wearing a Starfleet uniform, but not a current one. It seemed to be from sometime in the 2360’s or 2370’s. Its torso had blue colouring, ostensibly denoting a science division. The woman’s hair was golden brown, shoulder length. There was something about her stature and the way she carried herself that seemed familiar.
She stepped forward into the crowd of people among her. Suddenly, she was gone. Sival could no longer discern her presence.
Kendrick: Response
Sival tried to listen to Lieutenant Kendrick’s words. But he could not shake a certain uneasy feeling.
Woman’s Voice: Are these the people you abandoned me for?
Sival stood straight up. This time the voice was somewhat louder and a little clearer. He looked at the other three around the table, but they didn’t seem to have heard it. They were looking at him, as if expecting him to say something.
Sival tried to focus. To stay in the moment. Apparently his meditation earlier had not been effective.
Sival: …. We will also need to obtain the keys from the guard in order to enter the compound and free the king.
oO Breathe. Stay focused on the game. Oo
T’Lea: Are we infiltrating at night?
Trovek: I would suggest to do it as quickly as possible. We don’t know what their plans look like, and I’d rather not be too late.
Kendrick: Response
As the three spoke, Sival tried to focus on what they were saying. On every word. Every syllable. It was a kind of mindful meditation to keep his attention completely in the moment, free from distraction.
Sival: We might want to visit the weaponsmith before the shop closes. We may want something to supplement our feathers and fencing swords.
T’Lea: Then we better get our equipment and leave now. I’ll settle the tab.
Sival noticed T’Lea’s attention shift to the bar. She seemed to be looking at something. Sival followed her gaze, but he only saw the bartender cleaning.
T’Lea: On second thought, I’ll get the horses.
oO Curious. Oo
Trovek: … Sure.
Kendrick: Response
Sival: I will settle the tab with the bartender then.
As Sival waited at the bar, he saw the woman again. She was directly across from him. Her head was still turned away. Sival pondered who this woman could be. Surely she was not part of the program. Was she another officer who came to join the game? If so, why was she wearing an out-of-fashion uniform?
Suddenly, she turned her head and looked straight into his eyes. It was Emily. His wife.
But it couldn’t be. She had been dead for 30 years to the month.
Yet it was her. Her ocean-blue eyes. Her teasing, half-smile. Not a day older than the last time he saw her alive.
Sival blinked hard. She was gone. He looked left, then right, then behind himself, but he did not see her.
oO It was not Emily. Logic dictates that it was not Emily. Oo
Not waiting for the bartender, Sival put some coins on the bar, then quickly went outside to the stables. He was immediately accosted by the cold, brisk air and the smell of manure. It was the slap in the face that he needed.
He noticed T’Lea and Arys were already outside. He wasn’t sure if Lt. Kendrick was outside or still inside the bar.
He tried not to think anymore about what had happened. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to become separated from the unnerving experience. He would keep it isolated until he could confront it again during his meditation later that night.
Sival: Let us depart now. I believe our business at the bar is complete.
Kendrick / T’Lea / Trovek: Response
TAG / TBC
Ensign Sival
Medical Officer
USS Juneau, NX-99801
J239808S11