Even in His Sleep He Couldn't Escape

Posted on Sun Mar 29th, 2020 @ 9:34pm by Captain Aviram Drell

Mission: Episode 02: "Samaritan"
Location: Aft Viewing Lounge - Deck 6, USS Vesta
Timeline: Day 4 at 1120

ON: [[Aft Viewing Lounge - Deck 6, USS Vesta, MD04, 1120 hours]]

Zr'kess stood silently. For the past several hours, he had just been staring through the viewport at the thousands of stars spread before him across the darkness of space. Something about it calmed his mind. More than that, it seemed to soothe his soul a little. He'd been through a lot in the last few days and being able to see the stars was proving to be of some comfort to him. In fact, if he focused hard enough, he could even imagine he was back home again looking up at the night sky above.

Unfortunately, the illusion never lasted long. The reference points and constellations he was used to were all skewed. Some were lost completely against the background of stars. And, invariably, his eyes would pick out the small yellow-orange dot that was supposedly his planet's sun and he would remember that he was not home. He was the furthest from home any member of his species had ever been.

Harlow looked up from the PaDD to check on him again, her small features settling into a soft smile. "I guess it doesn't look the same from on your planet does it?" she asked softly.

The woman's voice caused Zr'kess to turn. She'd been sitting there with him the entire time, watching him quietly, as if she'd known he needed the space. Of all the aliens he'd encountered since they had rescued him from his doomed capsule, she'd been the most persistent in reaching out. The others were kind, of course, and they'd been concerned for his well-being, but her interest in him seemed to go deeper for some reason. He didn't know why.

"No Dru'vek has ever seen anything like this," he told her, his voice low.

Standing up, Harlow closed the distance between them, standing next to him, looking out at the view beyond for a long moment. "What's it like?" she asked gently. "Your planet?"

"Where I come from, it is very...what's the word...'tropical'," Zr'kess replied, "The air is moist and warm. The trees and plants grow very large. In some places, the undergrowth is so dense that you'd have to cut your way through with a plasma torch. It rains almost every day and there are these pools where the water collects that are clear enough you can see all the way to the bottom." He paused and closed his eyes, allowing himself to be taken back for a moment. Then he opened them again. "There are other places," he added, "but I've not been to many of them."

"I guess you must be looking forward to going home," Harlow replied with a smile. "And a grand story to tell?"

Zr'kess turned his attention back to the stars. For a long time, he didn't say anything, but simply looked out the viewport in silence. He remembered how he'd felt when these people had first told him they would do everything they could to send him home, how he hadn't known whether to believe them or not. They were aliens and they couldn't be trusted. However, as he had gotten to know them and learned what they were capable of, Zr'kess had begun to feel a glimmer of hope that maybe it would be possible. Those hopes had been dashed by the grim realization that, even if he did return to his people, his life would never be the same.

There was that feeling again. A deep sadness that seemed to just be nudging at the edge of her consciousness. She couldn't explain it, she didn't even know where it was coming from. "You must be hungry," Harlow said quietly as she made another note in the PaDD that had been stored next to his bed. "The replicator won't be familiar with...what was it you said? Dry'vak-ian cuisine, but maybe if you explain what you like to eat I can find a substitute for you?"

"Dru'vak," Zr'kess said, gently correcting her.

Harlow smiled slightly. "Rest assured, my medical skills are much better than my language skills. Do you want me to replicate something for you to eat? Or maybe you'd just prefer a drink for now? You'll need to eat soon though, keep your strength up to help you heal. I suspect the Captain will be back soon to speak with you about contacting your people so we can arrange for your safe return home."

"I wish to request asylum."

"If you're unsure, I would recommend a hot chocolate it...." Harlow stopped speaking mid sentence and blinked quickly. "Uh... sorry?"

"I wish to request asylum," Zr'kess repeated, turning to face her directly. He could tell from the look on her face that he'd taken her by surprise. That was understandable, considering that he hadn't really known he was going to do it himself until only a short while ago...and even then, he wasn't quite sure that he'd truly settled on it.

"You don't wish to return to your own people?" Harlow asked, confusion and uncertainty clear in her voice. Sure, she knew the basic premise of asylum, they'd covered it briefly at the Academy, but she'd never heard of it actually being invoked, let alone been the one that it had been asked of. "I'm sorry," she followed up quickly, suddenly feeling ashamed and uncertain. "Of course. I... I can speak to the Captain and tell him that you want asylum. I have no doubt he'll want to talk to you directly. Do you want me to get you a drink or something to eat before I contact him?"

Zr'kess shook his head.

Harlow moved forward toward him, reaching out and resting a hand on his arm lightly. "The Captain is a fair man," she said softly, trying to reassure him. "You can trust him to make good decisions, I give you my word on that." She pulled away, taking a deep breath. "Let me get you a hot chocolate before I go. It'll help. Chocolate always soothes the soul," she said with an uncertain smile before walking away.

Returning a few moments later, Harlow handed a mug across to him full of steaming hot chocolate with a couple of marshmallows bobbing in the hot liquid. "It's a bit warm so be careful, but hopefully it will make you feel better. If you don't need anything else, I'll go speak to the Captain for you."

"Thank you," Zr'kess said quietly, wrapping his hands around the mug.

Harlow tried to offer a reassuring smile. "Sit back and relax, it'll help you heal. I'll be back soon, but if you need anything, just call on one of the other doctors, okay?" She felt alone as she backed away from him, confused by her own reactions before she finally stepped out of his room, taking a moment to take a deep breath and compose herself. She needed to go speak to the Captain.

OFF

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Lieutenant Harlow Launceston, MD
General Physician
USS Vesta (NX-94200)

Zr'kess
Dru'vak Test Pilot