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#Post#: 3758--------------------------------------------------
The Lower Decks
DIR By: oskinalexander
Date: August 14, 2016, 7:40 am
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Junior Officers' Quarters, Deck 3
The half-Bajoran, half-human new arrival to the USS Atlantis had
just finished stocking a bookshelf in this crew quarters’ common
living room. First to arrive at these shared quarters, Alexander
had decided it best to wait for his assigned bunk mate before
claiming either of the two private sleeping areas and had kept
his duffel bag packed.
His hand trailed the backs of the books on the shelf. The
Collected Works of Akorem Laan, War and Peace, Don Quichote, Les
Misérables, Moby-Dick,The Tin Drum, One Hundred Years of
Solitude … the selection was clearly reverse proportional to
what Oskin Alexander knew about himself. He had grown up in a
Bajoran refugee camp during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor,
though as opposed to most refugees, he had known little
hardship. The son of a Bajoran mother, Oskin Jaxa and a Human
father unknown to him, the young Bajoran boy had had full access
to his Bajoran cultural identity and lived quite contently until
his Human half started aching deep inside him in thirst for
knowledge about itself. His Human, the one concession his mother
had made to his Human heritage, a constant reminder of an
incomplete identity.
The quest to make himself whole had started with Human books,
these books he had in front of him now. Each contained a sliver
of the story that belong to his people. But while reading had
quenched his initial thirst, it had not been enough. The next
step in the journey had taken him to Earth, the seat of the
United Federation of Planets and the Human homeworld.
Blissful days of exploration of Earth’s major cities stretched
into weeks and months until Oskin Alexander by accident stumbled
across the words of 23rd century Klingon Chancellor Azetbur:
“The Federation is no more than a Homo sapiens only club,” in a
work on one of Humankind’s greatest heroes: Captain James
Tiberius Kirk. The historical work he had been consulting
disagreed with the Chancellor’s claims, of course, and Alexander
had subscribed to the disagreement. The work had sparked another
thought in Alexander’s mind altogether…
What had been the one thing Humans had excelled at these past
definitive couple of centuries other than space exploration and
the building of relationships and friendships across the stars
to forge this massive United Federation of Planets?
The latest step in Oskin Alexander’s path towards Humanity had
been revealed to him. Not long after he applied to Starfleet
Academy. Four years later, he found himself assigned to USS
Atlantis as Operations Officer.
A smile crossed the Ensign’s face at what he had accomplished so
far and at the prospect of the adventures ahead. Lowering his
hand from the books, he picked up a PADD and took a seat in one
of the lounge chairs in the common living room. He was Human as
well as Bajoran and he had no interest in forsaking one for the
other. He sought to complement both and become whole again. As
such, Oskin Alexander began to draft his petition to Captain
Shepard for special dispensation to wear his Bajoran earring on
duty.
#Post#: 3774--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: lhommedev
Date: August 15, 2016, 12:37 am
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--- Quote ---
> A smile crossed the Ensign’s face at what he had accomplished
so far and at the prospect of the adventures ahead. Lowering his
hand from the books, he picked up a PADD and took a seat in one
of the lounge chairs in the common living room. He was Human as
well as Bajoran and he had no interest in forsaking one for the
other. He sought to complement both and become whole again. As
such, Oskin Alexander began to draft his petition to Captain
Shepard for special dispensation to wear his Bajoran earring on
duty.
--- End Quote ---
Ensign Kelvan walked in, disregarding the proper etiquette to
announce his intent to enter the premises, given that this was a
shared domicile. He walked in to the centre, one hand tucked in
between the strap of his backpack and his shoulder, the other
holding a PADD. He noticed a Bajoran seated in one of the
lounge chairs. Then, glanced across from one end to the other,
taking note of the unpacked duffel bag on one of the beds.
"Greetings and salutations," Kelvan said. "I am Kelvan, may I
presume you have claimed that side of the room?"
#Post#: 3775--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: oskinalexander
Date: August 15, 2016, 12:54 am
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--- Quote from: Kelvan link ---
>
> "Greetings and salutations," Kelvan said. "I am Kelvan, may I
presume you have claimed that side of the room?"
>
--- End Quote ---
Alexander looked up from the document he was working on. He had
flung one leg over the armrest of the chair whilst concentrating
on the formulations of the text and, deciding it was poor form,
placed both feet on the ground and raised himself up to greet
the new arrival.
"Good morning," Alexander greeted and introduced himself,
"Ensign Oskin, Oskin Alexander," and stretched out his hand.
"I uhm..." he glanced at the duffel bag on the bed, "I just put
it down there... was waiting to discuss sides with my
bunkmate... with you, I suppose."
#Post#: 3776--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: lhommedev
Date: August 15, 2016, 12:59 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote ---
> Alexander looked up from the document he was working on. He
had flung one leg over the armrest of the chair whilst
concentrating on the formulations of the text and, deciding it
was poor form, placed both feet on the ground and raised himself
up to greet the new arrival.
>
> "Good morning," Alexander greeted and introduced himself,
"Ensign Oskin, Oskin Alexander," and stretched out his hand.
> "I uhm..." he glanced at the duffel bag on the bed, "I just
put it down there... was waiting to discuss sides with my
bunkmate... with you, I suppose."
--- End Quote ---
"There is no need to discuss," Kelvan said, then walked over to
the vacant side and put down his backpack. He returned
immediately and greeted his new bunkmate, forming the signature
salute with his right hand. "Good to meet you Ensign Oskin,"
the Vulcan said, careful to use the Bajoran's family name
instead of his first. "May I know which department you serve?"
#Post#: 3778--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: oskinalexander
Date: August 15, 2016, 1:13 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Kelvan link ---
>
> "There is no need to discuss," Kelvan said, then walked over
to the vacant side and put down his backpack. He returned
immediately and greeted his new bunkmate, forming the signature
salute with his right hand. "Good to meet you Ensign Oskin,"
the Vulcan said, careful to use the Bajoran's family name
instead of his first. "May I know which department you serve?"
>
--- End Quote ---
Alexander withdrew his outstretched hand and brought it to his
temple in some sort of casual two-fingered salute at the Vulcan.
At Kelvan's question, he realised the gold collar on his uniform
only marginally narrowed down the possibilities of departments.
"Operations," the young officer answered and followed up with a
question as he made his way over to his side of the room to
unpack huis duffel bag, "yourself?" Kelvan's uniform was
identical to his; he served in the same department, Engineering
or Security.
#Post#: 3779--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: lhommedev
Date: August 15, 2016, 1:25 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote ---
> Alexander withdrew his outstretched hand and brought it to his
temple in some sort of casual two-fingered salute at the Vulcan.
At Kelvan's question, he realised the gold collar on his uniform
only marginally narrowed down the possibilities of departments.
"Operations," the young officer answered and followed up with a
question as he made his way over to his side of the room to
unpack huis duffel bag, "yourself?" Kelvan's uniform was
identical to his; he served in the same department, Engineering
or Security.
--- End Quote ---
"Engineering," Kelvan replied. He looked around and noticed the
assortment of books sitting on Ensign Oskin's shelf.
"Interesting."
#Post#: 3780--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: oskinalexander
Date: August 15, 2016, 1:53 am
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--- Quote from: Kelvan link ---
>
> "Engineering," Kelvan replied.
--- End Quote ---
The half-Bajoran, half-Human Ensign had his back to the Vulcan
as he unpacked his things. There was not much to bring onboard a
starship assignment, most items of clothing and personal hygiene
were provided by the ship's replicators. All he had brought were
an item or two of clothing, prized because the fabric came from
Bajor itself; three candles to set up a corner in worship of the
Prophets; a framed holopicture of his Academy graduating class;
a bottle of voodai; two bottles of springwine and, of course, in
its jewelry case, his elaborate Bajoran earring.
--- Quote from: Kelvan link ---
> He looked around and noticed the assortment of books sitting
on Ensign Oskin's shelf. "Interesting."
--- End Quote ---
"What's that?" Alexander wondered at the Vulcan's statement,
"What's interesting, I mean?" He had his back to Kelvan as he
placed the contents of his bag here and there on his side of the
room. Looking left to right once or twice, thinking it a shame
there was no viewport into space in these junior officer
quarters. Most, probably all of them, were facing inward of the
starship's saucer.
#Post#: 3782--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: lhommedev
Date: August 15, 2016, 2:46 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote ---
> "What's that?" Alexander wondered at the Vulcan's statement,
"What's interesting, I mean?" He had his back to Kelvan as he
placed the contents of his bag here and there on his side of the
room. Looking left to right once or twice, thinking it a shame
there was no viewport into space in these junior officer
quarters. Most, probably all of them, were facing inward of the
starship's saucer.
--- End Quote ---
"Your selection of books," Kelvan said. "This one in
particular." He was about to pull one of the books off, but
remembered they were not his. "May I?"
#Post#: 3784--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: oskinalexander
Date: August 15, 2016, 5:55 am
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"Hmm?" Alexander looked over his shoulder at Kelvan and the
bookself. Seven book by Human authors and the Collected Works of
Akorem Laan. By some strange coincidence, he had acquired the
Human books in his youth while he lived in the Bajoran refugee
camp on Rais Prime, the Bajoran book he found in a little
interstellar antiques shop in Paris, on Earth, while enjoying a
weekend's leave at Starfleet Academy. Oskan Alexander could
probably have simply gotten the book as a gift at any time from
any of his Bajoran relatives and friends, but there was some
sense of merging his Bajoran and Human heritages by getting his
hands on this particular copy.
"Sure," the young Operations Officer said, "go right ahead."
#Post#: 3797--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Lower Decks
DIR By: lhommedev
Date: August 16, 2016, 5:18 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote ---
> "Sure," the young Operations Officer said, "go right ahead."
--- End Quote ---
"Moby Dick," Kelvan said, pulling the book out. "Of all the
emotions, I find vengeance the most fascinating."
Kelvan was not unfamiliar with the need to get back at someone
or something, as in the case of the white whale. Once, on a
Klingon freighter, he had come face to face with death,
personified by the 7-foot chef. It was all really a
misunderstanding, exacerbated by very extenuating circumstances.
But, with this particular glorified kitchen hand, it was a
matter of grave honour. Although not the one to instigate the
fight, Kelvan certainly did not shy away from the violence.
Subconsciously, the Vulcan trailed the sides of his left rib
cage. Was it necessary to hit a person while down on the floor,
gasping for air, bloodied beyond recognition? Was victory not
enough?
"A highly illogical emotional response," Kelvan said after a few
moments. "But necessary at times, wouldn't you agree Ensign?"
He turned to face his room mate directly.
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