And That's The End Of That

Posted on Wed Sep 5th, 2018 @ 11:25am by Captain Michelle Bartlett & Commander Rostra Tang

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/4
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: Just After "Home Again"

Michelle was just filing the last set of reports to Starfleet regarding the so-called "anomaly." She was relieved that everyone had made it home, and alive. She couldn't have stood another death so soon after all that had happened. Most of the crew wouldn't have either. But for now, it was over. At least until they were sent elsewhere again. For now? It was back to New Earth.

Her door chime rang as she sent her last memo to Admiral Marquette. Jason, perhaps?

"Come." Michelle called in, taking a sip of her coffee.

Rostra made her way into the office, a PaDD under one arm, and a mug of coffee in each twin's off hand. She seemed relieved that that was all behind her. "You know, I'm very glad to have made it off that planet intact. Sure, the thought of being beheaded doesn't appeal to anyone but, do you know how much..."

"... I wasn't looking forward to actually watching my own execution?" she asked, the most rhetorical of all questions. "Oh, I got you a copy of everything the Buoy network had on file for our new arrivals into this universe. It's..."

"... not a lot, but if you need to cite it for your report." Rostra handed over the PaDD.

Michelle looked at it, nodded a bit and placed it down. "Thank you." she replied. "I see what you meant... According to their estimates, Reh'nar went dark 483 years ago. We were in the middle of some struggles ourselves around that time. Humanity couldn't even get to the moon at that point. Another race also was reported in that sector but wiped out years later... Probably genocided by the Koldarens. The rest, we may never know. At least yet."

"Probably. The Koldarens were never a very generous or personable people. I mean, having studied foreign powers and places I can understand why they do what..."

"... they do, but I still just don't get WHY they do what they do, if that makes sense." Rostra paused, and gave a smirk, "Yeah, humanity is a funny one. Race to their only..."

"... natural satellite, plant a flag, then don't go back for what.. another hundred years or so? You're crowded, hungry, and running out of resources and meanwhile your..."

"... lone satellite is up there like 'Ummm, hi. Remember me?' and then, a switch goes off and humanity is like 'Oh there's a moon up there.'." she giggled. "Man when..."

"... the Ts'usugi find out about that, it's never going to stop being funny." and then Rostra pulled herself back to the here and now. "I'm sure that Reh'nar is going to be THE archaeological tourist attraction for the ..."

"... next hundred years. Imagine being able to actually walk through a site and talk to the people."

"I just hope other races leave them alone and allow them to continue their development." Michelle said. "There will undoubtedly be a lot of old wounds between people from a totally different timeline. I can't imagine a bunch of people from 1916 suddenly thrust into the realities of interstellar space travel and alien beings."

"They're their own Prime Directive violation. It's funny when you think about it." Rostra mentioned. Then giggled as she actually DID think about it. "Aren't... time travelers from the past visiting the future the topic of a great many books on Earth?"

"Or at least pockets of advanced technology amidst the conventional?" she added, to clarify.

"There's a fair amount of literature about them." Michelle said. "And various other forms of entertainment. One even involves a time traveling alien flying around in a phone booth." she paused. "I wish I was joking."

Rostra's only reply was a pair of shaking heads, "I will never understand your people, Michelle. You write the most outlandish fiction, when the most amazing of actual fact is staring you in the face." though, despite it all, she gave a pair of smiles.

"Humans are a welcome addition to the cosmos."

"You wouldn't believe how we used to be a lot worse." Michelle said. "A lot like these Reh'Nari anyway. At least with each other. The year they were frozen, we were fighting each other over in Europe because someone's nephew was assassinated."

"Oh trust me, I'd believe almost anything. Ever hear Ts'usu's history?" Rostra inquired. "Thirteen warlords scouring the entirety of Ts'usu until the arrival of the one true..."

"... golden emperor, who commanded them to knock it off, banished them all from the surface of Ts'usu, and then rocketed away to the moons to establish the first..."

"... empire of Ts'usu. I kid you not, that's their myth." she said, barely holding back a giggle. Though, the giggle died after a moment. "I've read a bit about your history."

She was silent for a moment, "Your world wars. I'm sorry that you were such a violent people, but I think the people that emerged from those conflicts are a better people. As cruel as it may sound..."

"... to say, those grand conflicts were something of a crucible. The humanity that emerged was tempered. They'd look back at their bloody footprints and say..."

"... to the world, 'Never again'. Sometimes we can only become a better people by momentarily becoming a worse people."

"Lord knows we've tried that more than a few times since even that era." Michelle replied. "But... They did in many ways determine who we were to become. In that regards, you're entirely correct. I just hope that the Reh'Nari can now move forward."

"Having the unique opportunity to actually talk to your past might help in that regard, but in any case I think there's a lot of hope for them. As a people I mean." Rostra mentioned.

"Well, I should probably get everything set for our next field trip." her twin picked up, and the pair gave a giggle. "Anything further?"

"I think that will be all. Thank you again for everything. And for not getting your head lobbed off." Michelle added with a smirk as she went back to work.

--END--

Captain Michelle Bartlett
Commanding Officer
USS Wellington

Commander Rostra Tang
Executive Officer
USS Wellington