Celebrate One’s Life
Posted on Mon Apr 5th, 2021 @ 5:43am by Lieutenant Victor Barclay de Tolly & Lara Barclay de Tolly
Edited on on Mon Apr 5th, 2021 @ 9:34am
Mission:
Below Decks Month
Location: Jogeveste, Estonia
Timeline: Current
837 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure
Ambassador Oksana Zhukov Petrenko was at the gravesite of her late husband Ambassador Alexei Petrenko. It had been seven years since he died. Her two children Alexei Petrenko Jr. and Tara Petrenko ages 21 were by her side.
“Mother,” Tara says holding her mother’s hand. “Father is in a better place. You keep telling us to celebrate his life and not mourn his death and yet, I see you still mourning for him.”
Oksana exhales. “I know. Just I feel his presence still to this day. Yes I saw him died and we buried him but I just can not let go. I feel he will show up romancing me like he always did to cheer me up.”
“Maybe you should start dating again,” Alexei says, “There was a message from a young engineer this morning for you. His name is Lt. Victor Barclay de Tolly. Maybe you should answer it?”
Oksana chucked a bit which kind of broke the ice. “I did not check my messages and why are you checking my messages. That is an invasion of privacy. Plus he is your cousin.”
“Cousin?” Tara asks, “Father was an only child and you have brothers. Enlightened me.”
“Your Uncle Pyotr went back in time and got his college professor Lara Barclay de Tolly pregnant,” Oksana explains, “Kind of complicated but the time line was restored which caused Victor, his sister Nichelle, his daughter Lara and son Vick to show up. They were blessed with temporal immunity.”
“Wow!,” Alexei says, “Why did you not tell us?”
“Because I just found out about it two months ago and you two are in your senior year at the Academy,” Oksana replies smiling.
“There was two chapters in one of my Quantum Mechanics about that phenomenon,” Tara says, “There have been other cases.”
“Well let’s go back to the house and see what my nephew wants,” Oksana says as she held both of her children’s hands as they led her back to the limousine.
An hour later, Oksana was at home and in front of her computer. She read Victor's message which included a video of Victor, Lara and Vick. Oksana showed it to her two children.
"This will be nice," Oksana says as she did a video back with her two children. "Hopefully we will get a response before you two have to go back to the Academy."
"Agreed," Alexi replied.
Three hours later, Oksana was cooking a pot roast and her two children were involve in a chess match. Her alarm came on she had an incoming message. She lowered the heat on the roast before answering it. Alexi stood up to go answer it. "Petrenko residence."
Victor, Lara and Vick appeared on the screen. Victor was sitting down with Vick on his lap and Lara was to his side. “Ambassador Petrenko, may we call you Aunt Oksana?”
Oksana exhaled. “Certainly. Nice little family you have there Victor. Your father told me about you, how you lost your wife, how you found this reality’s version of her still alive and so forth. Quiet a fascinating life you have had.”
“So have you,” Lara spoke. “Where are you stationed now Aunt Oksana?”
“Right now I am in between posts,” Oksana replied. “I will be going to Science Station Prometheus.”
Alexei spoke next. “So you are the Chief Engineer. My major is Engineering. My sister and I are graduating in a few months. Her major is Quantum Mechanics, so she knows all about Temporal Mumble Jumble. Me, I want to serve on a station or a ship that specializes in Science.”
“Victor,” Tara says, “Do not let my brother fool you. He knows all about Temporal Mumble Jumble as he calls it. So Lara, you are a member of the crew?”
“Yes,” Lara answers, “Acting Scientist Second Mate.”
Tara looks at her mother, “I wanted to be a member of the crew when I was young too. It was not until I was sixteen when I was allow you get experience.”
“Now, now Tara,” Oksana says poking her daughter, “You were not ready.”
“Humpffff,” Tara answers.
“I hope I get to meet you all one day,” Oksana says, “Your father always seems to be busy going on secret missions but at least he tries to keep in touch.”
“We will too,” Victor answers, “Seems we are getting some static on this end. Call me when you get to Prometheus and Alexi and Tara, contact me when you graduate.”
All of a sudden the transmission was cut short.
Tara says to her mother and brother, “That was nice.”
“Yes it was,” Oksana says with quiet content. “Now let’s go celebrate your father’s life by going fishing.”
“Indeed,” Alexei answers.
OOC: This post is dedicated to a cousin of mine who died thirty years ago last month. He died during Dessert Storm. He said to his sister and I if anything ever happen to him, we are to celebrate his life and not mourn his death.
