Distortions

Posted on Wed Jul 1st, 2020 @ 4:20am by Captain Jane Saulitis (P) & Hak

Mission: Torn- Parallel Majestic
Location: Yorktown Settlement
Timeline: PMD1
1458 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

"I thought we would start with a tour of one of our agriculture centers," Hak said as he led Jane out of the main body of the old Yorktown ship and into a wide corridor that spanned across space toward one of the connected structures. "Almost all of our food comes from what we can produce on the aquatics farms. Mostly vegetables," he confided.

"Well it's pretty ingenious." Jane replied as she kept pace with him. Hanover and the others followed at a little bit of a distance, she'd indicated she wanted a private conversation with him. "And, how did it become like this? This is not at all like where I'm from."

"We have replicators. We are familiar with the technology, if that's what you mean," he cast her a side glance as they walked. "But after the attacks, resources were scarce. Survivors banded together. Groups squabbled over every asteroid. It became easier to revert to old fashioned farming techniques than to constantly fight among ourselves for the resources we could find. So, power is rationed carefully to maintain as long as possible and that means no replicators, no transporters. I find it interesting that you know nothing of this history. Refreshing, maybe. A little bit awkward though, if I can admit it."

"That makes sense. Awkward doesn't begin to describe it. I feel like a new born babe just learning about the world for the first time." There was an unease inside her she wasn't ever sure would go away unless they found a way home. "There's could be an infinite number of alternate realities of which you and I exist in. I just didn't expect to get to test that theory anytime soon. Where I come from there are problems, people starve, there are wars. We just have people who are ready and willing to help most of the time. And resources to share. But if something like this had happened to us. Maybe we would be the same as you. Not my place to judge by any means."

"So you believe this is a different universe? This is not your universe?" Hak asked, brows furrowing. "I mean I've heard the multiverse theories, but those are the things of stories and wonder. Have you proven it? Have your people been to other places?" He began to think of the possibilities. Somewhere out there there was a place where they could possibly move the settlement to: a place with abundant resources and planets with sunlight and fresh water.

"Well I've never heard of these beings . . . whatever it was you called them. So either I've hit my head harder than I thought or we've fallen down a rabbit hole and out the other end into another universe. At this moment I'm not sure which thought is more comforting. How did you become leader of this group?" Jane asked curiously, taking a little bit of the pressure off her.

They passed through bulkheads and into a large translucent domed area that mimicked sunshine down onto large plats of aquafer-tubing with plants spouting out at regular intervals.

"Oh, my mother guided Yorktown before me. She passed a few years ago," Hak said, a note of reverence in his tone. "It was always her guiding vision that we should peacefully coexist with our neighbors, to reform the utopian ideals of the Federation..."

"I'm sorry." And Jane genuinely was. She knew Hak's mother in her own universe and was quite fond of her though she doubted that both women were exactly the same person. "That sounds lovely, I'm glad someone did." Jane was tempted to ask who she was in this world but stopped herself. Perhaps it was best if they didn't meet up with their counterparts.

Hak pulled his head out of his own thoughts for a moment and motioned around. "We have three of these agricultural facilities to sustain the settlement. This one, however, we're having a lot of mechanical issues with in the last few weeks. It's a small miracle we've kept it operational as long as we have." He walked between a row of green vine-ridden plants. Then he looked over out of the blue and asked, "So, who was Hak to you? It's pretty clear you know... me? Him?"

Jane resisted the urge to snort, she didn't know why his directness amused her. She held up her hand, she wore her wedding band even when on duty. "We've been married about a year but have been an exclusive item ,at least on my end, for going on twenty years."

"Oh," Hak lifted his brows in surprise as he processed that for a moment. "But you don't travel together on the same ship," he observed and then smiled. "Meriven would never go for that."

"Maybe not the best solution." Jane shrugged. "But we've made it work for a long time. He has his own career and I have mine. Neither of us wanted to be the reason the other didn't become who they were meant to. And we talk often. He stayed on Majestic for a while after we were married, a sort of honeymoon period I suppose." She tried to ignore the fact that this Hak had someone. After all he was not her Hak and she had to continually remind herself of that.

Hak let some moments go by as they walked, recognizing that they were both taking in a lot of new information. Eventually, he replied, "I would like to be completely transparent with you, Captain Saulitis, and I hope that you are with me as well," of course he knew she knew he had an advantage in that area-- he could read her pretty well, but he hadn't tried to read anything more than surface emotions until now, as was the respectable thing to do. Was it the respectable thing where she was from? He guessed it probably was. "We could use your help. You've brought us-- well, me, anyway -- a hope and an option for assistance that I hadn't ever thought was a possibility."

She nodded. "I had thought of that. If there's any chance my crew and I could get home I have to take it. But I see no reason why we can't help you while we are here. That's one of Starfleet's goals after all. Or it was where I came from. What do you need the most urgent? Food? Power?"

"We could use some help with power and water systems in this dome. That's the most urgent need. I wouldn't hold you up from trying to find a way home, though, we'll understand when you have to leave," he said. "Thank you."

Jane would have done it for anyone though, even if it wasn't Hak. "I don't suppose you know where we can find some dilthium crystals in the area? Ours were drained when we headed through the anomaly."

"Naturally-occuring dilithium is exceedingly rare, it's one of those resources in very high demand," Hak responded. "We have a lab where we've learned to grow it under artificial conditions, but the power regulation properties are less than half of what you're used to."

"Just our luck. Could we help? We have a science department that should be eager to pitch in." She didn't know how long that would take but it was better than just sitting there and accepting fate. Jane had to do something even if it was make her crew work long hours to get results. She, of course, would not exclude herself from this.

"I would never turn away your offer for help," Hak smiled at her. It was the same smile her-Hak would use, the same eyes.

Jane shrugged. He probably knew that smile had her hook, line and sinker into doing anything. He should be able to read her after all. "I'll talk to my crew, see what we can do." She looked behind her and caught Hanover's eyes watching them carefully. "In exchange I wouldn't mind learning a bit more about your history. The history of this settlement I mean."

"I promised you full access to our historical databases," Hak replied, but there was a hesitation there for a moment. "We'll transmit it to Majestic as soon as it's ready. Just remember that our history is not the utopia that you're from. We've done things that no one would be proud of. People don't like to be defined by their history, but it is a part of who we are. For better or worse."

She nodded. "I will. Thanks." she turned and slowed to walk with Hanover, letting someone else walk alongside Hak if they wanted to.

---

Captain Jane Saulitis (P)
Commanding Officer
USS Majestic

Commander Hakala
Yorktown Settlement
pnpc Murphy