Posted June 20, 2022, 11 p.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade V'alura Belmont (Chief Science Officer) (Abigail G)
Three days later another letter came in:
V’alura:
I’ve spent some time considering your request and I have decided the logical thing to do is to offer my DNA for your cause. Just tell me what you need me to do and I’ll have it done as soon as I can. I hope that helps with your dilemma.
Sincerely,
[His signature is here]
Solal~ Lt JG Solal, USS Ogawa
V’alura could cry. She really could. Instead, she pulled herself together long enough to compose her next message to Solal.
Solal,
Since you’re a doctor you can take your own DNA samples. The researcher asked for a variety in DNA samples and for several skin cell samples for other tests. You may send the samples directly to him, he’s actually closer to your neck of the woods than mine. And thank you for agreeing to this. It really means a lot to me. Who knows, maybe he’ll make a breakthrough and I can finally put a close to that part of my life. At the very least maybe the research will spare others the same suffering I endured.
Now here’s where I brush that bit of seriousness aside for the far preferable and enjoyable banter we normally exchange. [This part is in French] Firstly, I have taken your comments about my French personally and I shall continue to hone my French until I can put a native speaker to shame. Secondly, I will give you that tutorial but not in French because I would like for you to actually understand everything. Oh and thirdly, the Paris simulation is under way and making good progress.[End of French]
[V’alura attached a video that begins with her in the holodeck. She’s wearing her comfortable lounge clothes and her hair is pulled back into a fluffy top bun. She has her guitar beside her on the ground. She calls up a basic concert hall simulation and goes through the different sound functions and command prompts. Periodically she would stop to play a few chords on the guitar to demonstrate the change in sound. All in all the tutorial was about half an hour. And at the end V’alura spoke directly to the camera] “And that’s the basics! I hope this helped and if you’re ever stuck again just let me know and I’ll walk you through it.” [She pauses, before smiling bright and full of warmth] “Take care and good night” [And the video cuts off there]
V’alura Belmont
[V’alura’s electronic signature here]Lt. Jg. Belmont, CSO
Solal’s response came in the next night.
V’alura:
The samples have been mailed off. I hope you get the results you’re looking for quickly. [He then switches to French] I wish you good luck with that endeavor, especially if the only French city you’ve seen is Paris. Thank you for the video, your instructions were quite informative. I believe I have it working now, though if I need more help in the future I will ask. I hope I’ll have time to use the new program soon.
Thanks,
[his electronic signature is here]
Solal~ Lt JG Solal, Doctor USS Ogawa
[One Month and several letters later. . . ]
V’alura smiled. Lady No Mercy was out of her burrow and on full display. For the past few weeks her lovely lady hid herself away, lingering deep in her burrow and hidden from sight. She didn’t even eat, rejecting every meal V’alura dropped within. It was wonderful and pleasing to see her lady again. V’alura poured herself a glass of wine and curled up in her chair with her legs tucked beneath her as she slogged through the day’s messages. Solal’s latest message was there, and she marked that one for later. Then it was reports, inter-department correspondence, her messages with Starfleet about updates to holodeck programming and. . .Oh. A message from Dr. Akron. V’alura had nearly forgotten about his request for half-vulcan DNA samples. Thinking about it, she didn’t expect to get any kind of message from him so soon.
Curious, V’alura took a sip of wine to steel herself before opening the message. Strangely, the doctor gushed for several minutes about the samples of all things. Then he goes on to thank her for, now that couldn’t be right. V’alura read the line then re-read it again. At first she didn’t believe it. How could she? V’alura read through the rest of the message at a rapid pace. It couldn’t be. There! At the end of the message the doctor had included a brief report of his findings and. . . Oh my god.
V’alura set her wine glass down, then left her room to pace around the science labs until she could think straight again. Many people attempted to talk with her but she breezed past each one without a glance their way. Lost to the haze of what felt like forbidden knowledge. Shocking knowledge! Finally, after what felt like hours she entered her room and immediately sat down at her desk to write.
Solal,
I received a message from Dr. Akron today. The doctor researching my condition, the one we sent DNA samples too? He thanked me for the excellent samples, and that he didn’t expect to receive samples from my half-brother. Our shared DNA has proved to be invaluable to his research and experiments. Solal, we share a father.
V’alura
V’alura stared at her console screen for several minutes. She wanted to say so much more. Had a hundred questions she wanted to ask. Hell, she wanted to write to Dr. Akron that moment and explain everything he’s found about their DNA. A brother. V’alura had a half-brother. From from the same Vulcan man that broke her mother’s heart. V’alura sucked in a harsh breath. If a man like that could leave one poor woman alone and broken hearted then why not two? Why not three? What if she had more half-siblings? What if Solal was the only one. A brother. V’alura sent the message. She felt guilty that she didn’t write more but she’s yet to process any of this herself.
She stood up and walked to the wall that housed her pets enclosures. The moment she sensed movement near-by Lady No Mercy snapped into her threat posture. V’alura laughed, helpless and shocked, “Me too, my lovely, me too.”
V’alura Belmont, CSO
© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service
Version 1.15.11
RSS Feed