An Alien Past and New Future
Posted on March 26th, 2016 by T'Lira

Slade and T’Lira walked in silence to ten forward where they found a table and sat down.

After a few more moments of silence, T’Lira asked, “What is your opinion on the simulation?”

He paused and thought for a moment, “It was very emotional. I didn’t feel like me even though I still knew who I was. I was a determined Gencodian and I wanted to fight for my survival. What about yours?”

“I had a very similar experience, including the emotional part. It was disconcerting, to say the least.”

He looked at her puzzled for a moment, “Was it disconcerting because it pulled your emotions to the surface or because it connected you so much to what happened?”

That took a moment of thought to answer.

“I believe it may have been a mixture of both. The simulation was almost like a being’s memory of the situation, it placed one into the form of another being, thus, giving a very real sense of the situation. The emotions may have been connected to how real that situation was, to the subconscious mind. However, that is merely a hypothesis.”

“I couldn’t agree more, but the most disconcerting part to me was that we were experiencing the life situation of another being and we were able to realize that it wasn’t our life but we felt as if it was our lives that we were arguing for. I believe that was the point of the device to show those who come what the people went through before they met their end,” he sat there dwelling on the situation again and again began to feel an emotional upheaval.

T’Lira mused on that for a few moments before responding, “I do not believe that to be the point. They did not believe it to be their end, they believed that they would transcend. Perhaps it was a means of collecting historical information should future generations return from their transcendence.”

He nodded in understanding, “But did they transcend? Did it work? Or was this entire race put in a machine that killed them?”

“That is a question I do not believe is answerable without confirmation from someone who went through the process, which would seem to be highly unlikely, given that they do not seem to have discovered a way to return if they indeed did transcend.”

“Can we find out any other way? This computer we found doesn’t seem to be the transcendence machine. Where is this machine? I know you don’t know but it is just very puzzling,” he looked at her across the table trying to sense if she was having any other thoughts or concerns.

“It is indeed very puzzling. I do not know our upcoming schedule, but I believe that an attempt should be made to find the transcendence device, if it still exists. If not, at the very least an attempt was made,” she answered, making a mental note to run any requisite planetary scans to make just that attempt.

“How are you otherwise? I haven’t seen any of your checkup reports. How is the little one?” He looked at her intently with a smile.

“We are both well,” she responded with a slight lift of her eyebrow, which would hopefully imply humor. Emotional expressions were still a complete mystery, even simple shifting of how high the eyebrow went.

He smiled in response, “Do we know if we are having a little boy or a little girl yet?”

“I have chosen to not learn the gender at this time. However, if you wish to know, I am certain that my medical file likely has the answer.”

“That would be an abuse of my position and if you choose to wait than I shall honor that.”

“As you wish,” T’Lira nodded, and then brought up the topic she’d been dwelling on for the past hour, approximately, “Why did you protest to my taking part in the simulation?”

He lowered his head because he knew this question would be asked. “I wasn’t sure if the testing that was performed would have included the pregnancy. With our minds and emotions being drastically manipulated I did not know if it would have any effect on the little one. I objected because of the unknown and caution for your safety and the safety of our child. I know I am biased and I accept that but I am also a doctor.”

That paused her. Of all the answers she had predicted, this one had seemed lower on the list and she felt… guilty for thinking that. But why had she thought that in the first place? Odd.

“I accept that reasoning. I may not fully agree, but I do understand. Thank you.”

“I hope that you did not think that I doubted your capabilities,” he noticed the look on her face after he answered.

“No, I did not,” she replied with a touch of haste.

He smiled, “Good, because you are one of the most gifted science officers I have ever met and I would not have wanted to do such an experiment without you there if the situation were different, and I mean that.”

“I… Thank you. I have observed that you are an exceptional doctor, as well,” she replied, noting how… what was the proper word… lame that sounded. Even after all these years, she still didn’t have a proper grasp of compliments. That would need to be rectified, and soon.

“Well thank you! But it seemed as if my objections fell on deaf ears I don’t know how much of a good doctor I am considered by my department head.”

“I believe that as long as you consider yourself a good doctor, that is what matters. You have not strayed outside of any ethical code, thus, I am sure he finds your performance satisfactory.”

“Well I certainly hope so,” he smiled and looked at her questioning how he had gotten so lucky.

The eyebrow rose again as she noted the expression on his face.

“Is something wrong?”

“On the contrary, I feel as if I am the luckiest man in the galaxy,” he laughed as he saw she thought something wrong because of his fawning over her.

T’Lira tilted her head slightly to one side, “Ah.”

Other words weren’t quite forming at the moment.

He knew this wasn’t a big glorious moment but it was the moment that was right, “Have you thought about our relationship continuing long term?”

“I have, yes. I believe it would be beneficial, for both of us, and our child.”

With that he had his answer and proceeded to slide from his chair and down to one knee while reaching for her hand. “T’Lira, I cannot imagine being anywhere in the cosmos without having you with me. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and life mate?” He hoped he had used the correct term for a Vulcan.

That produced blinking and a moment of speechlessness before she could respond.

“Yes. I will.”

He stood and embraced her energetically and leaned in for a kiss.

That part took little prompting on how to respond.