Posted by Chief Petty Officer Sam Nazarian (Host of Florence’s) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

Posted by Lieutenant Navale Huzzen (Engineer) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

Posted by Chief Petty Officer Sam Nazarian (Host of Florence’s) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

(snip)

He leaned back a little, rubbing his thumb back and forth across to the top of her hand. “She believes that the core of who we are should not be confined to a narrow set of parameters. She told me that I was still on a journey of healing and that whether I stayed in space or not had nothing to do with what I brought into my own life. That if I forced myself to bring in new aspects to my life that I was not ready for, I would do myself and the Universe a disservice.” He smirked. “That whole spiritual study thing of hers has had some interesting benefits, even if it made for a rather unusual upbringing.”

“What do you think? Think she’s right? Woo-woo?” he asked with a grin, though he was truly interested in what her thoughts were on the matter.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

A soft hum rumbled from her throat as Navale stared out at the water. She watched the light as it refracted in the waves and salt spray. “I’ve never really been a spiritual person. Not to say I don’t believe in it, but growing up on Coridan, you don’t have time to contemplate such things. Not even in a moment of selfpity.”

He focused his gaze on her, taking in each word and the way she said them.

“I think she is right though. It’s basic psychology I guess. If you push yourself before you are ready you can make things worse. Putting it off too long can do the same. Just like the body healing.” She grinned, bumping his shoulder gently. “Just like engineering. If you push a ship’s systems to take on an upgrade before all the parts are in place, the systems and ship will crash. If you wait too long, the older systems will crash from age and lack of upkeep.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“Exactly my thoughts. Though I will say it’s enticing during tumultuous times to have one’s shields up all the time and put all the resources into keeping them there . Makes it hard to move forward. Though I’ve been able to lower my shields more often in recent years.” Sam smiled again. “Fortunate for me, my timing was excellent this time.”

Navale watched his expressions as he talked. She hadn’t missed that he said his mother spoke to him of healing. She was curious what he was healing from, but she didn’t wish to pry before he was ready. Navale understood that some stories needed time not just trust to come out. A very specific set of circumstances before they could be told.

He turned to face her a bit more, hand still holding hers. “What about now that you aren’t on Coridan? Do you find yourself thinking about or doing things you never had the time or energy for before?”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Hmmmm… yes. Coridan is very poor, Sam. No one goes without necessary healthcare, but that is a much more limited statement than other places. We have replicator, but they break and no means to fix them. We have replicator rations, but not enough even when they work. Going a night without the heat coils in the environmental controls is a luxury. So, yes I do a lot of things I never used to.” She looked past him, over his shoulder to the water. “When I first got to the Academy I indulged in everything. From food, to parties, to learning, to clothes, to things, simply because I could. There was so much at my fingertips and I wanted it all.”

Sam nodded. “I can see how that might happen.”

“I never really thought about spirituality much until my ethics in engineering class and then the massacre on Mars. Who are we to play God? And is there a god or all combining force on a spiritual level? I think so, though I can’t give you a more defined answer than that.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam was quiet for a few moments, listening as the soft hum of the boat engine mingle was overridden by the splash of water as the boat cut through the waves. They were headed in the direction where the coast swept out to a point, but beyond that islands dotted the horizon.

“Many Betazoids have a more ritualistic spiritual practice these days, though it stems from an old religion. My Human grandparents are irreligious, though I think they lean towards agnostic than atheism,” Sam said. The position of the boat allowed them to see the coastline to the left and open water in front and to their right. The sky was shifting towards a deep orange ahead. They were cruising towards the sunset.

Sam drew in a slow, deep breath. “I don’t know what I believe exactly. I guess for now I’m open to Multiverse being a mystery and I can live with a bit of mystery in my life.” He turned his head back to her and smiled. “It keeps things interesting.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“On Coridan, we used to have a deeply spiritual culture. We lost it along the way somehow.” Her head tipped to the side watching the colors of the sunset. She was still for a long moment. “Look at it, Sam. The colors, the way they ripple and change and reflect. I know it has to do with light rays and angles and the prismatic effect of water vapor in the atmosphere. Yet, I can not look and not be in awe of the beauty. To feel something deep inside that I know that thousands, millions of generations before me, across plants and cultures, and millions after me, have and will stare at a sunset and be in awe of the mystery that created it. I don’t want to lose that sense of magic.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer