Posted by Abigail G in Side-Sim Letters Across Space

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side-Sim Letters Across Space

Posted by Abigail G in Side-Sim Letters Across Space
[snip-ity-do-dah]

Solal,

You’ll be the first to know the results. Even before my beloved cybernetics department (whom I will admit, to you, are my favorites). If you’re feeling up to it, I would appreciate a short essay of your perspective on this project. You did not know much about A.I. or predictive A.I. models prior to the start of our research. I think our final report would benefit from your experience in learning about this technology and what you’ve learned while working on the project. Again, only if you want to, so no pressure.

And on personal anecdotes. . . I know what you mean about France. I lived in Paris for six months, and the people seemed more friendly and open when they thought I was human. There were several people I almost considered friends suddenly become withdrawn when they learned of my mixed heritage. They made snide remarks about my Vulcan ancestry and I am not ashamed to have cut them out of my life. I loved Paris and the French countryside, but I did not always love the people.

Do you play any instruments? I play the piano and guitar myself. I learned piano from my mother and guitar from an ex-boyfriend while I studied at Julliard. Though, I am ashamed to say I have not practiced the guitar for several years now. As for music I do appreciate the classics, but in my heart of hearts I will always be a country girl. Please do not judge me too harshly for that.

With love,
V’alura Belmont, CSO, USS Ark Angel
[V’alura’s electronic signature here]

Lt JG V’alura Belmont, CSO , USS Ark Angel

Solal sat down to write his letter that evening. V’alura’s letters had become a fixed part of his days. On the days she didn’t write, he read the old ones. He hated how emotional of a thing that was to do. But he couldn’t resist, it was so different, talking to someone who understood. When her letter came in, he wrote this response.

V’alura,

I will most definitely write a report of my experience learning about predictive AI for the final report. I’ll do it when I have the time, but it’ll be done before we submit the final report. If you have anything else you need me to do, do tell.

Paris is a poor representation of France as a whole, however the judgementality of the people persists throughout the region. If you ever have a chance, do visit France’s other cities. I am surprised you pass as human, that is something I cannot do.

As for instruments, I play the violin. I have since I was very young, and since extracurriculars were required at my school, it was a good thing to fill that slot with. I play mostly classics however I have become experienced enough I sometimes play my own songs. Do you still play piano?

Sincerely,
[His electronic signature is here]
Lt JG Solal

~ Lt JG Solal

Solal,

I definitely plan to return one day. An old friend lives outside of Nice on a vineyard, and has always maintained that I was free to visit whenever. Now I must ask if you’ve ever been to New York City. New York was my home for a long time and I miss it dearly. So many people of every nationality, race, and background make their home there. You could find food from across the universe and I could gush for hours about the museums, theaters and art galleries. My apartment was above a bakery and coffee shop, which, I hope I don’t need to describe how amazing that was.

Depending upon how I do my hair and makeup, and if I use colored contacts I could appear as fully human or fully vulcan. Which was very handy for my acting career, I’m sure you could imagine. I do have the classic vulcan pointed ears but they can be hidden by hair or a little editing magic.

That’s awesome that you play the violin! I love the sound of violins, though my own attempts at playing the violin were what I would charitably call painful. I broke the first violin I attempted to play (completely on accident, I swear!) and then broke the strings on the second. The third I managed to get a sound but at the cost of my teacher’s hearing. As to whether I still play piano. . .

[Attached is a visual recording. V’alura is seated before a grand piano centered on a broad stage. She is dressed in a soft, and fuzzy purple sweater and comfortable black slacks. Her hair is tied up into a lose bun with stray stands framing her face. There are lights shining down from above, making her appear haloed in soft, white light. V’alura smiles at the camera and begins to play Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Her playing is soft, gradually picking up in complexity and strength, showcasing her technical skill. Then, easing back to simplicity and softness, but no less emotive as she plays the final notes. V’alura ends her recording with another smile to the camera, soft and warm.]

With love,
V’alura Belmont, CSO, USS Ark Angel
[V’alura’s electronic signature here]

Lt JG V’alura Belmont, CSO , USS Ark Angel

ooc: Decided it was time for a change in thread title!

This time V’alura’s letter was entirely personal and Solal wasn’t sure how he felt about that. But it was interesting. He had no idea how she’d managed to break a violin. He watched the attached video clip. He hadn’t seen V’alura yet, not really. The picture in her file from when he’d looked her up when they started working together, really didn’t count. He didn’t understand why she’d pass up a successful career in acting for Star Fleet. It seemed like an illogical choice to him, though he did like Star Fleet. He couldn’t imagine doing anything else. He started typing his letter, and ended up deleting and retyping multiple times. This was the final version:

V’alura,

The first time I visited America was to go to the Academy. The only city I have seen or lived in was San Francisco, in student housing. My family did not take many vacations, my parents are both doctors, dedicated to their work, and rarely left for long enough to go somewhere. I was focused on school, anyway, during my later schooling years.

You are a very good piano player. The video clip you sent contained several advanced techniques. I prefer the violin for its sound more than anything. I quit playing for a few years and got back into it more recently. I have no videos of my playing, not yet. As for your acting career… Why did you join Star Fleet? Was your acting career not successful?

Sincerely,
[His signature is here]
Solal

~ Lt JG Solal

Two days passed before V’alura found the strength, and the courage to write her reply.

Solal,

San Francisco is lovely. I enjoyed my time there as well during my Academy stint. Did you ever head north into the mountains? The skiing up there is fantastic. If you do ever find yourself back on Earth again (and have time to spare from France) I could recommend you about several dozen places to try and visit.

And to answer your question about my acting career. My career was quite successful. My performances gained me nine awards and over a dozen nominations. I reached stardom by age thirty with no role or genre beyond my reach. I was praised for my ability to portray a wide and varied performance across multiple genres. So why did I throw it all away? Because I grew to hate it. I hated acting and I hated myself for allowing that to happen. Working the final three seasons of Endless Black was like torture. At least I wasn’t the only one miserable.

I enlisted in Starfleet because I wanted to put as much distance between me, Earth, and my old career as possible. It was an entirely selfish reason. Not that I do not enjoy my Starfleet career. I am happy with my work and happy to serve aboard the Ark Angel but that doesn’t change the why. I hope you do not think less of me because I place great value on your correspondence and our friendship. There is more to the story, but I am not ready to tell it. Not yet.

With care,
V’alura Belmont
[V’alura’s electronic signature here]

Lt JG V’alura Belmont, CSO , USS Ark Angel

Solal couldn’t help but keep checking his PaDD, waiting for V’alura’s letter. It wasn’t until two days had passed that it finally showed up. Then it was another day before he had time to respond. He sort of felt… bad, he guessed, the acting seemed like a sensitive topic. Knock it off. It was a logical question. Just don’t push it any further, he told himself. The sites he recommended were mostly in cities in France in which medical conferences had been held. He wrote a response:

V’alura,

I did not. I stayed in the city. I would appreciate those recommendations. I could also recommend you some locations in France. They’d be mostly museums and various city sights though.

I won’t ask again, if you don’t want to tell, then don’t. And it may have been a selfish reason but it is your life. If you didn’t want to act anymore, there is no reason you had to, not with another viable career plan. I was originally meant to follow my parent’s footsteps, work in the same hospital they do. Instead, for reasons I do not know, I chose to explore space.

Sincerely,
[Solal’s signature is here]
Solal

~ Lt JG Solal