Ensign Falt - Special Delivery (Part 2)

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Tom Cholewa

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Sep 13, 2021, 10:27:07 AM9/13/21
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OOC: This is the second part of the Sim introducing a bit more of Ensign Falt’s background. In part 1 Tomas received a strange package from his father.

 

((Ensign Falt’s Quarters, Deck 4, USS Juneau))

 

Tomas entered his quarters and allowed his body to flop into a chair. He’d hurried back from sick bay, and now his body was reminding him he still ached from the strain put on it by the high speed lateral spin that he and the Captain had experience during the Allahayer’s test flight.

 

Easing himself up for a moment he reached over to his bed and picked up the still unopened package his father had sent him. He sat back down, this was the reason he had practically sprinted across the ship. He’d been desperate know what was inside from the moment he’d got it back to the ship. Between the test flight, his surgery, the associated report writing, and the prescribed rest time this was the first chance he had. He also didn’t have long before he needed to head to the awards ceremony, hence his rush.

 

He again regarded the object in his hands. It was the size of a bulky PADD and had both hand and voice recognition that had been tuned to him. He took a breath and placed his palm on the biometric hand scanner. As before the device emitted a simple electronic tone as his hand print was confirmed.

 

Falt: Let’s see what’s in here then.

 

The scanner turned green at the sound of his voice, but other than that nothing happened. Tomas raised an eyebrow, it seemed like another command was needed to open the device. He turned the device over in his hands, examining it. There seemed to be no other input so it would have to be a specific spoken word or phrase.

 

Tomas tried to think like his father for a moment, he was not a man prone to extended, flourishing, conversation. Tomas smiled as the command came to him. One word, simple but also unlikely to be guessed by most. 

 

Falt: Avata

 

Finnish for open. There was a faint click, and the hand scanner lifted up a centimeter on it’s left side. Carefully using his reconstructed thumb he lifted the hand scanner up. It was hinged along the right side and opened like a lid. Inside there was a handwritten note atop an item wrapped in cloth. He picked up the note, it had been handwritten by his father.

 

"Tomas, congratulations on your Graduation. You have made Mamma and I proud. I pass this to you now, I'm sure you will have use of it."

 

Tomas felt a lump in his throat as he read the words. He now had a pretty good idea of what was wrapped in the cloth. He lifted the item and carefully unwrapped it. Despite having already guessed the contents he involuntarily gasped as the cloth fell away to reveal a book.

 

He turned it over in his hand. It wasn’t an ordinary book, it was his father’s most treasured possession. Written by Lars Falt, a distant ancestor, it was an original draft copy of his wilderness survival manual. Dating from a time when Earth still had wild places to explore, it detailed wilderness survival techniques complete with hand-drawn illustrations. As a draft it even had the authors hand written notes in the margins.

 

Tomas had sat with his father and learnt much from it’s pages during their early camping trips. It had been passed through his family since the early 21st Century, but despite being nearly 400 years old everything it contained remained relevant to M-Class planet survival now. What made it even more special, at least to his family, was that it had never been in storage or through a transporter. It was literally the same book his ancestor had written. All it’s page’s had been treated a micro-polymer coating to protect them, but aside from that it was as it had been printed all those centuries ago. 

 

Tomas, like his father, wasn’t normally one for an outward display of emotion but he felt tears in his eyes. He knew what this book meant to his father, his Isä.  He still had a few minutes before he need to get ready for the awards ceremony so he composed himself and opened a channel home. After a short pause the call was accepted by his mother, Sofia.

 

Falt: Hi Mamma.

 

Sofia: Tomas my lille villkatt! I’m so glad you called, how are you?

 

Little wildcat, that had been his mothers nickname for him for as long as he could remember.

 

Falt: I’m good thanks Mamma, how are you and Isä.

 

Sofia: I’m okay thanks. Busy at the university with my botany research, trying not to worry about you halfway across the quadrant, :;she smiled:: the usual. Your Isä left this morning for work, he’ll be out of touch for a couple of days.

 

Tomas felt bad at this, he’d hoped to speak to him.

 

Falt: I meant to call sooner but I was on a mission.

 

He decided not to mention his injury yet, if she’d been worrying it wouldn’t help. He’d tell her the whole story later when there was more time.

 

Sofia: We’ve been expecting your call ever since Isä got confirmation you had received your gift a couple of days ago. As he left for work he said, “If Tomas calls tell him Lars would be thrilled that his book was out there, guiding you whilst you explore new worlds.”

 

Tomas raised an eyebrow, that was a long sentence for his father. He’d clearly guessed Tomas would try to object.

 

Falt: I don’t know what to say Mamma. The Juneau is off on another mission soon so it may be a few weeks before I can speak to him. Can you tell him I said thank you and that I love him.

 

Sofia: I will do Tomas, but he knows you do. He also said “tell him not to worry and to make sure he brings it with him when he comes home next, so we can go camping together.”

 

Tomas felt the tears in his eye’s again at this. He wiped one away.

 

Falt: I promise I will Mamma. Where has Isä gone this time?

 

Sofia: He’s helping the Cardassian Government with a science station somewhere, it’s not a long contract this time.

 

Tomas nodded, his father had worked on a few Cardassian space installations since the end of the Dominion war. He checked the time.

 

Falt: I’m sorry Mamma but I need to go shortly.

 

Sofia: Good. ::smiling as she teased him:: Don’t worry, I understand. I really need to finish cataloguing these seeds from Casperia Prime anyway. Call when you can and we can chat properly, until then stay safe my lille villkatt.

 

Falt: Will do Mamma, love you.

 

Sofia: I love you too.

 

His mother ended the transmission. Tomas turned and placed the book on the stand by his bed. He had just enough time for a coffee and a change of uniform before he had to attend the awards ceremony.

 

END

 

Ensign Tomas Falt

Science Officer

USS Juneau, NX-99801

J239807TF2

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 

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