A place to clear your head.

Posted on Mon Oct 26th, 2020 @ 5:37am by Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Commander Sthilg

Mission: Season 4: Episode 2: Rest And Relaxation
Location: Holodeck
1409 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

North America 1700

The ship's doctor let out a grunt as he brought the axe round splitting the log down the middle. He smiled as he picked up the two logs and tossed them onto the steadily growing pile next to the wooden cabin. The soft wind and warm sunlight felt good on his scarred skin. OUt here in the wilderness, his problems on the ship felt thousands of miles away.

Hearing the holodeck arch open he recognised the footsteps of the ship's councillor. " Hello Alicia." The docotr said not looking away from his woodpile.

Alicia smiled as she walked over to Sthilg, looking at him curiously. “How did you know it was me?”

" I can recognize your footstepsss. " The big gorn replied with a slight grin. " Isss there a reassson your here."

“I came to see how you were.” She looked around the setting it was calm, tranquil and beautiful. “Where is this?”

" North America in the 1700'sss. Two hundred and ssseventy-five milesss from new york. " Sthilg said letting the quite fill his ear'sss. " I jussst needed to get away from everything. I can't even be in my room without being remembered of those Terran bassstardsss. "

Alicia nodded. “I know but in my case my mirror did the right thing in the end even though it cost her, her life.” She smiled as she thought about Connor who was being safely looked after. “I never imagined I’d be pregnant so soon let alone have a year old son to look after.”

The gorn was very quiet as he gripped the axe handle even tighter. His own mirror was still out there even if he had cut off his arm. He'd tried telling himself that his mirror had bled to death, but in his heart, he knew he was still out there. " I'm happy for you Alicia I really am. I only whisssh everyone could be ssso happy," he said bringing his axe down onto another log.

"So do I" Alicia nodded. "There are so many that went through sheer hell and beyond." She sighed. "I still hear the telepathic screams in my dreams, I feel the fear and terror of what people experienced every time I counsel someone." She massaged her temples. "It's relentless. I know what your mirror self did, I can't even imagine how that must feel for you."

" I've had to rebuild sssome of my friendsss from looking like copiesss of my wife. " The gorn said bringing his axe down on another log. " I don't know how I'll be able to look at any of them again."

“No one here blames you for what’s happened Sthilg” Alicia walked around taking a seat on a large old log. “You are nothing like your mirror self! You are kind, caring and you go out of your way to help others. You’ve helped to bring our crew back to who they’re meant to be, without you they’d be stuck as Orion hunters.”

The gorn breathed in and out slightly before he gave her a weak smile. " It's kind of you to sssay Alicia, i whisssh i could feel it. Would you care for sssome fisssh ssstew?" he said his head gesturing to the small fire with a pot cooking over it.

“I would love to!” Alicia nodded enthusiastically. “I have an appetite to beat all appetites! I guess what they say about eating for two is correct, that and the fact that I’ve come to appreciate what we have more since our time on that station.”

The gorn placed the axe down before picking up two bowls from beside the pot. He quickly filled two bowls with the hot stew before handing Alicia one. " How are you feeling with your pregnancy?" he inquired.

Alicia gently cradled the bowl, dishing herself up some stew she blew it before eating a spoonful. “Mmm now that’s good.” She smiled warmly. “Actually I feel okay, I’m starting to get a funny stomach of a morning but nothing too bad, just a little queasy. The other ... you said that I was around three weeks then and we’ e Spent the better part of a week there so logically that’s a month. To be honest I wasn’t expecting that news, but I’m happy about it.” She spooned up another small mouthful of stew.

" Well, I'm glad everything is going well. If you feel like anything is wrong jussst let me know." the doctor said warmly as he took a mouthful of stew.

“I will, that’s a promise” She ate some more stew before speaking again. “This baby means more to me than I can express in words, when I lost Kal then I lost his baby too I thought my life was over.” She looked at the scars on her wrists. “I kept these scars to remind me just how precious life is, I won’t let myself get that desperate again.”

" I'll hold you to it though i don't need to worry you'll be a fantassstic mother Alicia." The doctor responded as he took another helping of stew.

“Thank you Sthilg, to be honest when I first learned that my mirror self was Taylor’s woman I found it hard to take. I couldn’t understand why she would be interested in him.” She paused. “It was only when I came face to face with him that I learned just why she did it, it was a case of serve or be used unwillingly. She did what she had to do to survive.” She paused to eat some more of her stew. It was delicious.

" It'sss a very sssad universe. Were almossst everyone looksss to find sssomeone weaker to bully to eassse the pain." the gorn responded as he took another mouthful of the stew. " How'sss the ssstew by the way i hope my cooking ssskillsss hasn't diminissshed."

Alicia finished off hers just as the Gorn Doctor asked. “It is, or was, absolutely delicious!” Alicia grinned as she put her bowl down. “You are an extremely good cook Sthilg and I enjoyed your stew very much.”

"I'm glad that I can ssstill cook. I wasss thinking of building an earthen oven sssee if I can cook some bread." the gorn said gesturing to where he'd build it.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea” Alicia nodded. “I’d very much like to learn to cook the way you do. I can cook but I like to learn new things.” She smiled warmly. “Plus I could get used to the peace and quiet here. It’s so tranquil it’s helping me to relax.”

" I'll sssend you the program code ssso you can ussse it if you want." The old gorn said.

“That would be lovely Sthilg, thank you!” Alicia smiled warmly. “May I ask ... do you have any family? You must be lonely here aboard ship not having any other Gorn onboard.”

The gorn shook his head. " My gorn family all passssssed long ago and my wife and daughter await me in the hunting groundsss." the old doctor said think back to his journey into the gorn afterlife. " My current family is the crew who i need to care for."

“Well you can consider yourself part of my family” Alicia smiled warmly. “Anytime you want to visit or just chat feel free to pop upon by. Connor is getting himself quite a family and I think he’ll love his uncle Sthilg.”

The old doctor said nothing, but the smile on his face said it all as he hugged Alicia tightly, but gently.

Alicia accepted the hug with a smile. “Since that day when I met your daughter in the spirit realm you’ve become a mentor and father figure to me Sthilg. I want you to have the family you never got to be part of, a family.”

" Thank you my dear." the old gorn replied quietly as he kept the embrace. " My people do have an old adoption ritual." he said remembering the things he'd heard from the shaman.

“Really?” Alicia asked curiously. “Are you suggesting adopting me? Or is it a ritual for me to adopt you?”

" I'm not sssure. It'sss been a long time sssince i saw it. I was only five at the time." the gorn said wondering if he had ever been so young.

“Then I look forward to hearing more about it” Alicia smiled warmly.

{OFF}