(JP)Ensign Drevas Matthel & Lt. Cmdr Alora DeVeau - Delightful Conversation (Part II)
Amanda Nordstrom
((Starbase 118 Ops Commercial Sector - Ashalla District: Jumja Delights))
A brief smile lit up his face. Drevas: Well then. Gotta check it out for myself someday. Seeing is believing isn’t it?
DeVeau: It is indeed Some of my family still live there, so if you ever want to visit, I know some excellent people to show you around.
Drevas: I’d like that. DeVeau: What’s Bajor like? I’ve never had the opportunity to visit.
Drevas: It’s pretty peaceful ever since we joined up with the Federation. Militia’s still in place but it’s a defense force more than anything. Where I grew up it was super green, super quiet. Lots of animals around. DeVeau: Oh that sounds lovely. I have a thing for animals. Hopefully, I’ll be able to visit some day. He took another big bite out of his jumja stick with a content smile - oh, how he missed the familiar taste of home. And no, replicated jumja didn’t taste as good.
Drevas: So, ma’am, what’s your story? What brought you to Starfleet? DeVeau: It was a great way to explore and learn, and it was an excellent way to further my studies in science. Particularly botany and zoology. And really, just the idea of seeing what was beyond my own world, and the fascinating creation of the universe...I just couldn’t resist.
Her mother had other hopes, but she had never discouraged her child. Alora knew that Grace had seen something of herself in her daughter, but when she’d stated that science was what drew her fascination, Grace had quelled those hopes and supported Alora in her endeavours. Still, the arts were an avocation for her, and Grace had instilled that love from an early age.
DeVeau: What about you? What drew you to Starfleet?
Drevas: Me? Well… a love for the universe, I guess, wanting to put myself into the world and seeing what else lay beyond Bajor. Sure, hunting is nice and all but sometimes it gets a bit boring. Oh, and I wanted to do a couple more things besides too.
A love for the universe. A love for discovery. Alora knew that feeling all too well. It was what he tagged on the end that she wanted more information about. DeVeau: What are those couple of things?
Drevas: Find my dad, sorta. I haven’t seen him since I was two or three. Mother always told me that he’s busy with work and can’t come home.
DeVeau: Have you had any luck?
Instantly his face sank a little bit.
Drevas: No. Not at all. I’m thinking of having a look through Deep Space Nine’s records sometime. Try and find out who he was beyond just my father, what he did. You know?
Immediately, Alora wished she hadn’t asked. If she had known, she would have kept her mouth shut.
DeVeau: Oh man...Matthel, I’m so sorry.
Drevas: No, no, no. Don’t be! It’s alright. The way I see this the Prophets have a sort of plan for me. Like… they want me to become more resilient or work hard to find him. Y’know? Same goes for everything in life. Alora nodded. She understood that, even if some people thought otherwise. DeVeau: To every season... Drevas: Yeah. To me, well… everything happens for a purpose. The Prophets make things happen to you on purpose. They put people in your life for a purpose. You just gotta find it. ::takes another bite of his jumja stick::
DeVeau: There are no coincidences.
They had similar thoughts in that department. There was a season and a purpose to everything, even if they didn’t understand why. Alora could commiserate. Drevas: No, not really. I don’t sit by and wait for things to happen just because. I work hard, of course - nothing ever came without a lot of work, with or without the Prophets. Yeah?
DeVeau: True. We’re meant to work, not sit and let things happen or not happen. And yes, people are brought into our lives for a reason, even if it’s just for a season.
She grinned again, commenting.
DeVeau: I was a poet and didn’t know it.
Drevas: Maybe. But that’s not a bad thing! That was actually pretty good.
DeVeau: Never mind. I’m just being silly.
Alora finished off her Jumja stick, then placed the actual stick into a nearby recycling receptacle.
DeVeau: So if you’re interested, I can ‘show’ you Japan some time. There are some holodeck programs that will give you an idea of what it’s like. Granted, it’s not the same as actually being there, but it’s better than nothing.
Drevas: Better than nothing. But I’d love to see it sometime, more than just sample the food and admire the people.
DeVeau: Good. Then let’s plan on it!
Drevas: Just give me a time and date and I’ll be there. Assuming all my work’s finished, of course, which I’m sure it’ll be!
DeVeau: How about next week? I work the first shift, so any time after 1600 hours. I can message you a specific day. Drevas: Sweet! I’d better get back to the Hub - see you then! Um, call me, I guess?
If only he actually knew the implications behind that phrasing. Nonetheless he trotted back off through the hallways of the starbase, lost in the crowd in seconds.
****
Ensign Drevas Matthel
Tactical Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
0239706DM0
&
Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Science Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
M239008AD0