Posted by Civilian Kula (Researcher) in Lounge - Making new friends

Posted by Ensign Luran Akunon (Medical Officer) in Lounge - Making new friends

Posted by Lieutenant Mwezi (Chief Tactical Officer) in Lounge - Making new friends
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Kula sat in the lounge with a book pulled up on a PaDD. It was nothing serious, just a novel that had been written on Galdor, before she was born. She was familiar with the plot and characters, so maybe it was a waste of time to read. At the same time, the Laleri woman felt rather lost in this new place she’d found herself. She would often reach out her special sense for those that she’d come to be familiar with… and feel nothing but a singular point of contact. There was Mwezi, milling around, doing his job or exploring the ship in a way that she couldn’t find the drive to imitate. The book was a piece of anchor to ground her. Mwezi was another. He sent a wave of comfort at her from halfway across the vessel and she sent back her gratitude. She was grateful for his presence. It made this new life they’d stepped into much easier.

Kula scratched her long nose, then bent over the book again, letting out a quiet laugh as it got to a humorous moment. She quieted down as she noticed one or two faces turn her direction.

Kula, Civilian

One of the faces belonged to Luran, who sat nearby in the lounge with a PaDD of her own. Except, on hers, Luran read an article about a breakthrough treatment for the rigelian fever. She rarely read anything besides medical research, though her favorite were newly approved field treatments in emergencies. Having been distracted by the laugh of Kula, she found she had lost her place and decided to resume reading another time. Instead, she turned to Kula and said, “Must be an interesting read?”

~ Ensign Luran Akunon, Medical

Kula looked from from her reading and glanced around the room slightly until she found the face of the woman who was looking intently at her. “Ah, I suppose. It’s more of a memory than anything else. A book from my planet, written before our two timelines split. It’s nice to know things like this remain the same,” she lifted the PaDD.

“I would be interested to learn what else had changed in your version of events, sometime,” said Luran.

“I’d be willing to tell you,” Kula said with a small nod, “Once I’ve gathered all the details myself. It’s hard to do research on what might be different when all I have is the broad strokes of history. I need to compare notes with my partner’s knowledge of the Starfleet side of history.”

“I believe we’ve met before?” she put the PaDD down and turned her body fully to face the medical ensign. She recognized the Vulcan features in the woman’s appearance, but couldn’t figure out what the other half was. Likely a species she hadn’t met before. “I think I remember your name being Luran? Mine is Kula.”

Kula, Civilian

“We have. I was there when they brought you and the other to sickbay.” She thought for a moment. “Mwezi was his name. You are correct, I am Luran Akunon, I’m a doctor.” Luran was sometimes thought to be fully Vulcan, however her black eyes, a trait inherited from her Betazoid parent, ruined the image. Her structure also looked more betazoid. She was short for a Vulcan. She had also inherited the empathic abilities, however, she had noticed in sickbay they didn’t seem to work very well on Mwezi or Kula. At least around them, she did not have to attempt to suppress emotions that were not her own. She found herself wanting to ask a lot of questions, but instead, she just said, “Good to properly meet you.”

~ Ensign Luran Akunon, Medical

“And good to meet you as well,” Kula replied with a smile and a nod. “I hear from Mwezi that you were… one of the more patient people in dealing with us when we arrived. It was a very disorienting experience for all of us…” Kula was like all her species, furry and with a face that often reminded humans of a canine. The colour and patterning of her fur made her look almost like a Shiba Inu.

Kula, Civilian

It wasn’t a species Luran had seen before, however, her appearance seemed of no consequence to Luran. She could look like a literal dragon and most were unsure if Luran would react or not. “A misunderstanding occurred. Who could have known the truth of the events which are your reality?” She said. The idea that, in an alternate reality, evoked… some kind of emotion in Luran. But she did not have the ability to identify that feeling. It was strange… What would she think if she were to live in that world? How disorienting it must be for Kula, who had discovered the reverse was true. “It seems that ship you spoke of put quite the twist in galactic history.”

~ Ensign Luran Akunon, Medical

“It destroyed a peaceful vessel, the Kelvin, and put the Federation on a notably more aggressive path than the path they took in this universe. Not overly so, not so much that by my time they weren’t able to adjust back to their original charter of exploration and discovery, but still, they were much more intent in their seeking out of new and better technology. The destruction of Vulcan and near-destruction of Earth nearly set them down a much darker path… I’m not sure how they resisted the lure towards revenge.”

Luran listened intently, interested to hear. “Humans have a great capacity for revenge. That path could have been much darker.”

Kula reflected. “Other than that, all I can tell you of the differences are much more personal. The lives of my doppleganger and of Mwezi’s. Not much that I think would interest you.”

Kula, Civilian

Nope, Luran couldn’t care less about Mwezi or Kula’s past personal lives. “It doesn’t sound as different as I suspected. No major war, though I cannot imagine a universe where I can’t go home.” She told Kula. “I was on Vulcan not long before my posting here.”

~ Ensign Luran Akunon, Medical

“Vulcan’s destruction was only five years ago, so perhaps a major war that didn’t happen in this timeline coming in the future of that one. I probably won’t ever know, and I don’t care to, to be honest. I’m here now, and there’s no sense wondering what will happen from the time that I left to the year 2397 in that universe.”

Kula, Civilian

Luran nodded, getting the feeling Kula would like to change subjects. She contemplated her answer for a long moment. “Have you enjoyed the Leviathan so far?”

~ Ensign Luran Akunon, Medical

Kula was silent for a moment before giving Luran a quiet shrug. “It is difficult to adjust. There is a lot that is different. The technology, the people, the culture. I was not…” she trailed off, trying to come up with the appropriate words. “I wasn’t accustomed to living amongst… those who aren’t of my planet. You’re all so… blank.”

She startled slightly, looking at Luran as if searching for some possible offense she might have caused. “You don’t register on my Empathic Senses. None of you do, other than Mwezi, and that’s a difference to what I’m used to. The world feels empty without the dance of emotions I usually sense from my fellow Galdori.”

Kula, Civilian

“You were on a ship… where you’re from, were you not? Did your old crewmates register?” Luran asked, deciding how to phrase what she said. Someone not registering on the senses of an empath did feel somewhat odd, though sometimes, it felt a relief to Luran. It happened occasionally for her, since she was only half-Betazoid, but not frequently. Kula and Mwezi added a tick in the ‘doesn’t register’ column. “Curiously, I’ve noticed that you and Mwezi do not register to me, as you say our crew does not register to you,” she said, admitting her own empathic abilities. Something she did not frequently do.

~ Ensign Luran Akunon, Medical