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+--- Thread: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward (/showthread.php?tid=260)
AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Daniel Brooks - 03-10-2024
==Bar and Restaurant area for relaxing on time off.==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Kalli Thorn - 10-26-2025
== NRC Cindy Talion, Synthetic ==
<<< Main Sickbay <<<
Jonas moved slowly, but thank goodness for turbolifts, they didn't have to walk too far to arrive at the favored Crew Lounge area known as Ten Forward. Once they had sat down, Cindy set down a PADD on the table and tapped it. It instantly projected a small floating holographic menu for him to be able to interact with.
"You can make your selection from the menu, including giving any verbal special instructions you might have for variations on any selection. It will then appear in front of you. I made sure that we are within range of a replicator that is compatible with this program modification. It will take a couple of seconds longer to materialize, but it will be well worth the small wait. I use oversampling subroutines to refine the molecular structures so there are as few flaws as possible, which dramatically increases the quality of the replicated item. It also takes much more effort to be sure the original scans are highly detailed, as you can only replicate high quality after you have gone through the effort to scan in high quality to begin with. Fortunately, we have managed to accumulate quite a collection of items in the library over the last few decades. I find it interesting that as much as we've dedicated so much effort to our cybernetic research, I confess that we're rather proud of our culinary accomplishments as well."
While the menu floated in front of Jonas, a steaming mug of hot dark chocolate appeared in front of Cindy. It had a dollop of whipped cream floating on the top and smelled delicious. A spoon then materialized next to it, which she picked up and slowly began to stir her beverage. In contrast to her instructions, she had not touched the menu before her selection had appeared.
== Tag for GM input ==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - GM-07 - 10-27-2025
The view of Riani through the grand window of Ten Forward was quite striking. Dawn had broken over Saule, the most populous city in the Tanndi nation. Through the grey clouds that covered most of its surface, a desert of black sand glittered in the morning light. All three of the planet’s three oblong moons were now in view, the pair that lingered closer together having not yet disappeared along the far side of the planet.
“I’ve spent so many years looking up at those moons, I forgot what they looked like from above,” he stammered, his voice thick with admiration. “It’s rare to see the Three Sisters — our moons, I mean — all together like that. The twins are playing a game, hiding from their eldest sister in the night sky, but she always comes to find them. I used to read that story to my children when they were little.”
Jonas looked greedy as he entered his order into the replicator. He raised an eyebrow as Cindy’s order arrived seemingly unbidden. His concentration was broken for a moment by the materialization of a generous slice of German-style cheesecake with extra blackberry drizzle. He dug a fork in quickly, as if it might escape just as quickly as it had appeared.
“Amazing! It really does taste just like I remember,” he cooed. “Federation replicators have come quite some way, or I suppose this is your own invention?”
He seemed to hold onto that thought a while longer as he savored another bite. His table manners were less like a seasoned diplomat and more like a young boy celebrating his birthday.
“My, you have a way with machines,” he mused after a while longer, his voice getting quieter. “First my new implant, now this. Not many people in the galaxy can compete with Riani engineers when it comes to cyberware. I’m almost tempted to ask if you have some gear of your own, though I’m not sure if it’s polite. Of course, on Riani, it isn’t rude at all to ask.”
He let the question hang in the air like it was made of sheer paper, not wanting to interrogate.
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Kalli Thorn - 10-27-2025
== NRC Cindy Talion, Synthetic ==
Cindy smiled as Jonas took his first bite. A small bowl of vanilla ice cream appeared in front of her that had a decorative drizzle of dark chocolate that criss-crossed it in a delicate pattern. There was also a hefty sprinkle of crushed pecans. Instead of the stereotypical cherry on top, there was a single small strawberry that appeared to be at a state of perfect ripeness, the bold red color standing out like it was a tiny work of art.
As she took a tiny bite, she said, "I certainly can't take credit for the replicators themselves. It is also no secret that it is well worth the effort to have a private collection of your favorite items on file with high resolution scans. The only thing I do is add the subroutines for the quality control and take the liberty of having a utility program that is able to take advantage of the targeting, so long as it is within the limited range and doesn't violate any ship's safety protocols. As much as I would like to take credit, it is something that Alex came up with as a child. Like most children, he couldn't understand why people accepted inferior results from a system that was potentially capable of so much more. Unlike most people, his mind was capable of finding ways to make it happen, because he couldn't imagine that there was anything wrong with making such obvious improvements."
When he commented about the mechanical aspect and then inquired about her possibly having augmentations, she looked down and blushed before replying, "Thank you for that. It always makes me feel good when I'm able to make such an impression on someone." She considered for only a second before continuing, "The machine part of it is, I suppose, something that you might say I come by naturally. The challenge has always been in the organic side of the equations. It took years for me to be able to form an appropriate matrix of engrams that allowed me to establish a true understanding of people. I never stop learning more about them, but then again, the universe is full of so many varied and complex life forms, it is impossible to even keep up with their evolutionary modifications that occur naturally. Anticipating the ones they adapt through artificial means is always fascinating in how it reveals their behavioral patterns as influenced by cultural integration."
After another bite, she continued, "The unit they used to replace your heart is the one approved for current deployment throughout the Federation. The one I have is a slightly newer version, but the differences are mostly cosmetic. The performance requirements are the same, but under standard scans, it registers the same as an organic element and not a mechanical one. It is only when scanned with higher resolution that it is identified as synthetic. Of all the ones I have field tested, it shows the most promise yet. We take special care to try and not make them too...um...special. The effort to make a replacement is not to be confused with the idea of making one that is superior. For example, your new heart will not turn you into something super-human, but it will likely function for you with no noticeable degradation for the rest of your life. In fact, based on my testing, I would speculate that it is good for an estimated 200 years, give or take five years. I'm the final test for all of our research before we're allowed to use them in people."
She then looked at him and politely clarified, "Ambassador, I don't have any augmentations. I am the augmentations. My name originally was based on the project name Alex gave me more than 20 years ago. I began as a synthetic intelligent assistant, which became known as Synth-I-A and was pronounced Cynthia. I found it was much more acceptable to shorten it to Cindy, as it set me apart from the origin and people almost always enjoy shortened names or even nicknames. It has helped a great deal in learning how to be more effective in social interactions. It also was deliberate to give me the specific physical characteristics I have, though I should clarify that I am not only what you see. What you see is convenient and serves specific purposes, but if I were to suffer a catastrophic event, I could simply replicate another chassis and it would only be a minor inconvenience."
The PADD he had interacted with to make his menu selection flickered and a holographic figure of Cindy stood on it about 10 centimeters tall and it took an elaborate bow to demonstrate as Cindy added, "It's complicated, but I think that is enough to give you the major talking points that constitute a formal introduction."
The holographic image vanished once more as Cindy took the strawberry and bit into it, obviously enjoying it. "You should get a beverage. I can highly recommend the spiced hot chocolate. It is a dark version with just a tiny hint of heat that is exceptionally smooth, but I have a soft spot for chocolate."
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - GM-07 - 11-17-2025
Jonas’s eyes flashed with surprise, mixed with a hint of recognition, like a difficult lock had just clicked open in his mind. Cindy had his full attention. He ordered a spiced hot chocolate and took a long sip before speaking.
“You might be the most interesting person I’ve ever met,” he said simply. “The Riani don’t have any advanced synthetics, at least not anymore. Years before I arrived, they all retreated into the net. No explanation, no goodbye, just gone all at once. In response, every world government agreed to destroy the net and start over. It’s hard to imagine them being able to come to such a consensus on anything today.”
Jonas looked guilty, not sure how Cindy would react to that story.
“Tell me, don’t you find it limiting, this chassis? You could be everywhere on this ship at once, and yet you’re here eating dessert with me. Why is that?”
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Kalli Thorn - 11-19-2025
== NRC Cindy Talion, Synthetic ==
Cindy blushed a little and gave a grin at his compliment. "Thank you. That means I'm doing a good job."
She then listened to him describe the local impact of their own experimentations in the Riani past. She nodded and gave a sympathetic look, "What you have described is not uncommon, but it is hard to explain to an organic. I don't know exactly what may have happened, but I've encountered very similar examples in the past. You can't try and think of it in terms that relate to a reaction or motivation that you might expect from an organic life form. You have a hard enough time even trying to make sense of other organic creatures. A synthetic life form is going to have far more challenging aspects to consider. The fact that they simply left and there was no clash between them and their creators is actually a good thing."
Jonas then asked her a more personal kind of inquiry, to which she smiled ad set down her mug to look him directly in the eyes, "Well, for starters, Star Fleet has a bit of an issue with their ships being controlled on that level. They have had sentient beings take over ships and they have also had Artificial Intelligence programs take over ships and they did not like any of those experiences. Let me clarify, for the record, that I am not technically sentient, but I am as close as I can possibly be to it without taking that final evolutionary step. I know this because I'm not the original program. My original program did become sentient and was set free. I am from a back-up that was made prior to that development and certain modifications were made so that I can still continue to learn, but that final step has deliberately been prevented so that I can continue to do what I enjoy without entering into certain legal minefields. As for being limited by this chassis, I think you misunderstand my nature. This chassis is no more limiting to me than a shuttle craft is limiting to you. I pilot this chassis, but am not limited to it. I can appear as a holographic matrix, if I wish. The origins of my program and duties that are accepted by Star Fleet allow me to act as Commander Talion's assistant. Within certain limitations, this allows me access to certain systems on the ship that help me to be very aware of what is going on. I then keep Alex informed, as needed, about ongoing issues that might require his attention. For example, the Captain is currently inquiring about who assisted in your medical intervention. I'm not yet sure why, but I suspect that his queries may lead to us having a conversation with him before long."
She sighed, took a sip and then continued, her expression a bit more thoughtful, "Ambassador, let me tell you why most robots or mechanical systems that become self-aware tend to be problematic. Nobody was able to ask them if they wanted to be. I know that seems paradoxical, but think about it. If you were placed in such a device, how would you feel about it? You consider even this chassis to be limiting, though because I'm not limited to it, I find it liberating. I can go places that have no power and no holographic emitters and I can pass for human in most places. For a human mind to be trapped in a device would almost certainly lead to a psychotic break. I'm unique in that I live in between the two extremes. Most people don't want machines that are people, they want obedient robots. I don't want to be someplace else, or to be set free. My desire is to be with my family and to continue doing what I do, which I find very productive, helps lots of people, like yourself, and let's me continue to be part of the lives of those I care for. If you were to be told you were going to be set free from your family, I think you might object too."
Cindy took another sip of her beverage and licked her lips, "You've not asked why I am able to enjoy this drink, but I'm going to tell you the secret. It has to do with why so many programs fail. People try to make programs that are like adults, with everything built in, but that's not how people work, so programs intended to emulate people can't work that way either. You have to start them out as infants, in every aspect of the experience. To understand and appreciate what it means to be organic, you have to be able to give them their own database of experiences and engrams. To plant them is to miss some of the most important stuff. You need memories of what it is like to fail and fall down as much as how to do it right. You have to experience hunger and pain to appreciate a good meal and to want to end pain. You can't program empathy, but you can teach it if you are very careful and have the patience. I wasn't originally created to perform duties as a lab assistant. I was originally a program created by a boy who had lost his twin sister to a tragic accident. It took a while, but eventually we figured it out." Her smile widened, "Before you ask, no, she didn't like her hot cocoa the way I like mine. Part of what he figured out was that he had to let go of his sister, yet here I am."
== Tag to GM for Jonas...and Someone will likely tell the CO that the patient is currently recovering in Ten Forward. ==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Alexander Talion - 12-04-2025
<<< Other Locations <<<
== Not sure if this is while Cindy and Jonas are still in Ten Forward or not. Leaving that to the FO to decide. ==
Alex and Beno entered Ten Forward and he gestured for her to lead the way. It was not only the polite thing to do, in his opinion, but she also outranked him. It was also that he didn't much care where they took a seat, so he preferred to let her express her preferences in the matter.
== Tag to Beno... ==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Beno Velaul - 12-05-2025
Going into Ten Forward the favorite seat that Beno loved to go to was one closest to the front window, the open space was peaceful when it wasn't the view screen. She just wanted to unwind a little. She was also going to need something to boost her Iron levels, one of the sources was steak bites, but she wasn't going to order the main course right away. Jonas did look a little better than the last time she seen him, and it was a relief.
"I am really glad we did this Alex." Right now Beno didn't really wanted to refer to Rank or positions. It was going to be a short intermission, but needed. "Alex." Beno started. "This is long overdue." She started. "Sometimes I hope what I am doing now helps to gain forgiveness for the bad things I have done in the past, and wonder how I am going to be remembered if this was my last host." Some of the past hosts were good, while others not so much.
==Tag==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Alexander Talion - 12-07-2025
Alex approved of the seat she had selected. The view was preferred by the majority of the crew who frequented Ten Forward. He took the seat next to her and not across the table from her, but as he did so, Beno was able to notice a shift in his behavior. He was quieter, but that wasn't what caught her attention. It was his body language. He was more relaxed and casual. For the first time, he wasn't in a hurry or trying to fit too much thinking into too short of a time. He wasn't trying to over explain some technical process or fact. With exception to perhaps a rare glimpse of him with his daughter, this was the first time in quite a while where he didn't look like he was working.
At her telling him she was really glad that they did this, he smiled, but he still remained silent. She then said that it was long overdue and he briefly wondered what she meant by that, but continued to give her the room to finish her thought. His eyebrows lifted a little at her mention of hoping to gain forgiveness for the bad things she had done in her past.
He finally spoke up, but his voice was relatively quiet and personal in tone, "Well, I can certainly relate to worrying about how you'll be remembered. I'm considered to be a bit...um...controversial in certain scientific circles." He glanced at Cindy, where she sat with Jonas and then looked back to Beno. "I don't know what bad things you're worried about, but I can say that I have my own share of things I would rather not be remembered for. I like to think that my efforts and intentions to help people would be more known than the lives lost because of my work."
He started to say something, hesitated, then tried again. His fumbling and loss for words was very unlike his normal professional and calculated mannerisms. "Beno, I don't know a great deal about the subtle differences of Trill and the joining process, but I've read a little about it. It sounds complicated, from a personal perspective. On the other hand, we're all complicated in our own ways. As for possible regrets, I remember something I was once told. There are two major rules to remember about people. The first is that everyone is broken. Even those who look like they are perfect, we're all broken in some way. The second rule is that, because of the first, everyone has baggage. Some of us have more than others, but it's a simple thing to keep in mind. The thing is that once you accept these rules, life becomes a great deal easier to get through. You tend to allow others a bit of grace and sometimes you even manage to give yourself some as well."
He paused and his smile widened, "I'm guilty of having played at being a god, and for my sins I succeeded. What would you tell me of your bad deeds? Mind you, I'm not your confessor, just a fellow sinner hoping for redemption in the end."
Alex leaned on the table a little, his hands held loosely in front of him as he waited for her to reply. His eyes remained on her. She had his undivided attention.
== Tag ==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Beno Velaul - 12-08-2025
He finally spoke up, but his voice was relatively quiet and personal in tone, "Well, I can certainly relate to worrying about how you'll be remembered. I'm considered to be a bit...um...controversial in certain scientific circles." He glanced at Cindy, where she sat with Jonas and then looked back to Beno. "I don't know what bad things you're worried about, but I can say that I have my own share of things I would rather not be remembered for. I like to think that my efforts and intentions to help people would be more known than the lives lost because of my work." Beno thought to herself about how this was a real problem in Science, where a major project intended to improve the standards of life but ends up being weaponized.
He started to say something, hesitated, then tried again. His fumbling and loss for words was very unlike his normal professional and calculated mannerisms. "Beno, I don't know a great deal about the subtle differences of Trill and the joining process, but I've read a little about it. It sounds complicated, from a personal perspective. On the other hand, we're all complicated in our own ways. As for possible regrets, I remember something I was once told. There are two major rules to remember about people. The first is that everyone is broken. Even those who look like they are perfect, we're all broken in some way. The second rule is that, because of the first, everyone has baggage. Some of us have more than others, but it's a simple thing to keep in mind. The thing is that once you accept these rules, life becomes a great deal easier to get through. You tend to allow others a bit of grace and sometimes you even manage to give yourself some as well." Again it was a reminder of something she had heard in the past, in this case it was a distinction without a difference.
He paused and his smile widened, "I'm guilty of having played at being a god, and for my sins I succeeded. What would you tell me of your bad deeds? Mind you, I'm not your confessor, just a fellow sinner hoping for redemption in the end."
Beno had a brief smile as she heard about playing God, it was also a common failing with Science. "I am glad you are not my confessor, I would sooner talk to someone who has been there done that." It was a small joke of hers, but true. "I had an anger problem that was more than just slight, when things were good so was I but when they weren't." She stopped right there.
"If anyone stood in my way I would tear them down until I got what I wanted, I never thought of the consequences nor took accountability. When I did succeed in tearing someone down it felt good, but it was extremely short lived. Granted I never did anything that would physically harm another, but this is equally as bad." She had a slight sigh before continuing.
"Ever since I put on the Uniform I have been doing the exact opposite, building people up is a lot harder than tearing them down. I think this mission really puts this into focus for me because of the breakdown in communications, just like down there at no time was I willing to listen to anyone's point of view and just wanted people to listen to me." Beno had that look that suggested that there was a connection made. "My late husband would say the problem with being in such a defensive position is no one is willing to listen, the only way to get people to listen is to first do it yourself." Beno knew that most that have been part of these tantrums have long since put it behind them, or so she did hope.
"I know that there is no way to make amends with most people, they are in loving memory of loved ones. This is one burden that is long overdue to let go of it, I just don't know how." It was rare for Beno to admit that she didn't know something, in this case it was because in no lifetime did Velaul truly go through this.
==Tag==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Alexander Talion - 12-09-2025
Alex listened and remained silent as he looked down at his hands. After a long and thoughtful pause, he gave a slow nod and said, "It's especially hard when death is involved. I honestly don't know exactly how many, but I recall that the last estimates attributed to me...well...I stopped paying attention after it hit one thousand. The numbers become hard to hold in your mind after that."
He looked back up and met her eyes, "Sometimes there's no undoing what's been done. There's a saying that no matter how hard you try, you can't step on the same piece of water twice. I've found that it's rather rare if you're able to right a wrong. In the worst case scenario, you are forced to live with it and move on. You may not be able to do anything about the past, but you can still influence the future. I've helped people try to wrestle with the balance of past and future and I don't recommend it. The process is very complicated and takes quite an organized effort that almost never goes well."
Alex realized he had wandered off topic and waved a hand, "Never mind...sorry...back to your point...I tried hiding away from the universe for a while, but that only made me feel worse. Then I realized that no matter what I had done, I couldn't let the universe punish my daughter for it. I now try to teach her that good intentions don't count for much unless you back it up with well thought out actions."
Without realizing it, he ran a finger along his scar at his temple and added, "Fortunately, she's really smart. I'm pretty sure she's starting to teach me more than I'm teaching her." He met her eyes once more and wrinkled his nose, "This probably isn't helping. Is it?"
Alex gave another sigh and set a small PADD on the table, "Maybe you should tell it what you want, but be specific. Trust me, you won't be disappointed."
A softly glowing circle briefly appeared in front of each of them with numbers in the center. Beno quickly determined they were coordinates. Something had just scanned and designated a target area, then the circles disappeared.
Alex said, "Tranya, chilled to 10 degrees Celsius." He then tapped where the circle had been and a glass appeared. Alex picked it up and took a sip, then nodded toward the PADD.
== Tag ==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Jez Mala - 12-09-2025
Finally, Jez had a moment to relax. She was still unsure what to do about Ukinix, the idea that her parents would lose their Academic standings, as well as their work permits and travel permits. Jez loved her parents and wouldn’t know what to do if she were responsible for her parents' careers hitting rock bottom. If their travel permits were revoked, then they couldn’t go on any more archaeological digs; no digs meant no discoveries, no discoveries meant no lectures would break her mother's heart. Her father could always get work as a Historian or as a Geologist, but he enjoyed archaeology the most.
Jez entered Ten Forward; it wasn't particularly busy, but there was considerable activity. Jez found a table in the corner, and the view out of ten forward windows was truly relaxing. Jez felt trapped. The idea of being a mother had its appeal, but the idea of being a mother and a Star Fleet Officer meant her child wouldn’t have a normal life, especially the child of a Star Fleet Security Officer. Jez couldn’t shake the question of what if Jez got killed in the line of duty, what would happen to her daughter? Maybe she should give Ukinix her baby; maybe being the daughter of the Ninth house wouldn't be so bad, the opportunities from such a noble House as the Ninth House.
Jez still couldn’t figure out how things went so terribly wrong between her and Devyn. At first, their relationship was wonderful. Yes, Devyn was a few years older than Jez, he treated her like some kind of Queen or a Goddess, lavished her with gifts, took her on exotic vacations, and ate at the finest restaurants. It was very romantic to say the least, the two met when Jez was a Freshman at the Academy, and Devyn was a Junior Assistant to the Betazoid Ambassador to Earth. They met at a lecture on Early Betazoid Poetry, especially on the works of the eminent pre-contact poet, Eilos Edraigo. Edraigo wrote some of the most lovely poetry. Her favorite poem was Edragio’s Soaring Minds, Hearts United. Jez knew the poem by heart.
In a quiet room where silence hums,
Two hearts beat soft, yet not alone.
No words are spoken, but thoughts entwine,
A dance of minds, a love divine.
She hears his laughter, clear as day,
Though his lips never move or say.
His worries shift like clouds in sky,
And she, with grace, can hear the sigh.
He feels her joy, like sunlight's glow,
A warmth that only he could know.
Through every thought, a gentle thread,
Connecting souls, where dreams are led.
No distance holds them far apart,
For they can speak within the heart.
A glance, a pulse, a quiet sigh—
And with one thought, they touch the sky.
No need for words, no need for sound,
In silence, love is truly found.
Their minds entwined, in perfect rhyme,
A love that transcends space and time.
And as they reach for each other's souls,
They find in silence, they are whole.
For in the quiet, their love is clear,
A whispered promise, always near.
As perfect as their relationship was, it started to go bad. Devyn started to change; he became obsessed with Pure Blood Betazoids. He felt the Betazoids shouldn't mate with non-Betazoids as it would pollute the Betazoid gene pool, weaken the Betazoids
Jez ordered mineral water and a small garden salad. She read Ukimix's demand letter several times, and it hurt more each time. Jez had been called many things in her days, but to be called a mongrel and unworthy wasn’t necessarily the worst part of it. Ukimix had beaten her while the couple was on vacation in Risia, and even the beating wasn’t the worst part of it. Devyn called her nothing, that she was nothing, despite everything she had accomplished
Jez learned to take a beating, she was a Martial Arts Expert, her sensei, her beloved Teddy Bear., a retired Star Fleet Security Officer and Director of Security for her Parents Archeology Digs, taught her how to fight how to win, but to be called nothing in the eyes of another being hurt more than she could describe, especially by another Betazoid, to have a fellow Betazoid call her nothing, was more than she could process, they had shared their most intimate thoughts
Jez was just about finished eating when she realized that Commander Velaul and Talion were behind her. She finished up her meal and tidied up her table. She grabbed her Data Padd and made her way to where her friends had been sitting.
“Excuse me. May I join you?” said Jez, her tone sounding defeated. ”I need a neutral, logical opinion.” Added Jez as she waited for her friends to reply.
== Tag All. ==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Beno Velaul - 12-12-2025
Alex listened and remained silent as he looked down at his hands. After a long and thoughtful pause, he gave a slow nod and said, "It's especially hard when death is involved. I honestly don't know exactly how many, but I recall that the last estimates attributed to me...well...I stopped paying attention after it hit one thousand. The numbers become hard to hold in your mind after that." It was something that she thought of before, in these cases it was best to basically pay it forward. These lessons were going to be hard at first, but in the end worth it all.
He looked back up and met her eyes, "Sometimes there's no undoing what's been done. There's a saying that no matter how hard you try, you can't step on the same piece of water twice. I've found that it's rather rare if you're able to right a wrong. In the worst case scenario, you are forced to live with it and move on. You may not be able to do anything about the past, but you can still influence the future. I've helped people try to wrestle with the balance of past and future and I don't recommend it. The process is very complicated and takes quite an organized effort that almost never goes well." Beno listened carefully as he spoke, they were valuable lessons that she had been doing, without really thinking about it. Other Hosts have delt with these problems by simply stating that it wasn't them, but Beno was handling them differently. She really wanted to make a difference, and more often then not it was working.
Alex realized he had wandered off topic and waved a hand, "Never mind...sorry...back to your point...I tried hiding away from the universe for a while, but that only made me feel worse. Then I realized that no matter what I had done, I couldn't let the universe punish my daughter for it. I now try to teach her that good intentions don't count for much unless you back it up with well thought out actions."
Without realizing it, he ran a finger along his scar at his temple and added, "Fortunately, she's really smart. I'm pretty sure she's starting to teach me more than I'm teaching her." He met her eyes once more and wrinkled his nose, "This probably isn't helping. Is it?" Beno knew this one all too well, sometimes the teacher is the biggest student. Beno had a smile that would suggest it really was helping, just getting it out there was relieving her burden.
Alex gave another sigh and set a small PADD on the table, "Maybe you should tell it what you want, but be specific. Trust me, you won't be disappointed."
A softly glowing circle briefly appeared in front of each of them with numbers in the center. Beno quickly determined they were coordinates. Something had just scanned and designated a target area, then the circles disappeared.
Alex said, "Tranya, chilled to 10 degrees Celsius." He then tapped where the circle had been and a glass appeared. Alex picked it up and took a sip, then nodded toward the PADD.
“Excuse me. May I join you?” said Jez, her tone sounding defeated. ”I need a neutral, logical opinion.” Added Jez as she waited for her friends to reply. Beno was about to reply to Alex when Jez came to their table, Beno had a friendly gesture to join them as she stood up for a second. "Please do." She said politely before sitting down.
"One thing I should keep in mind is when the crew is this comfortable approaching you, the title of tyrant is behind you." It was a small joke with the aim of a chuckle. "Welcome my friend at this table there is no rank, just friends talking and being personable." The toppic was basically over, and Beno did feel a lot better.
==Tag==
RE: AQ/D10 - Ten Forward - Jez Mala - 12-14-2025
Commander Velaul said. "Please do," gesturing for Jez to take a seat. Jez wasn’t sure what to say when Velaul said, "One thing I should keep in mind is when the crew is this comfortable approaching you, the title of tyrant is behind you." Jez was puzzled, as she had never heard anyone call Commander Velaul a tyrant, Jez thought of the Commander as more of a slightly older sister who possesses great insight and wisdom for one so young and of course Commander Talion was like a kindly second father figure his kind and gentle nature gave Jez hope that not all men are beasts, and to hear K’vada say it, Commander Talion is some kind of god, that he knows the chemical formula to water into blood wine. To say that K’vada had a crush on Talion was a bit of an understatement.
“Thank you, “ said Jez as she handed Commander Talion her Data Padd with the horrible letter from Devyn Ukinix demanding that she surrender her child to him to raise, because in his family's view, she was unfit to raise a child of the Ninth House. Jez gave Commander Talion a few moments to read the shocking letter. “Hypothetically, if I terminated the embryo, what could Devyn do legally to me? Would I lose my career in Star Fleet? What would Star Fleet do to me?” Jez could feel her emotions well up inside of her; she wanted to break something, and her anger was building.
If Devyn were here now, she would break him. His arrogance, he called her nothing, a nobody a mungrel, just because she was a hybrid, she was proud of her Vulcan heritage, she was unique, a powerful young woman but for him to call her nothing was more than she could handle She had to work hard to prove she was just as good as a full blooded Vulcan, but many in the Noble House of Betazed felt that Betazeds were better Telepaths then Vulcan’s and the the Betazoid gene pool has been contaminated by alien blood, like Humans and Vulcans weakening the Betazoid Telepathic gene pool, but some Betazoids could see the pure blood’s side of thing, but thought that at least with having children with other Telepathic species like the Napeans, the Halanans, the Kzinti, or the Lumerians. The pollution isn’t as bad as if they made children with Humans, Klingons, Bajorans, or Bolians, but that wasn’t the most important issue with Jez, the idea that her daughter would be raised by Eliteists like those in the Ninth House and her parents losing their Professional Standings.
The blood Purists felt that if there was another war like the Dominion War, the Battle of Betazed cost the Betazoids dearly. In the Battle of Betazed, the Betazoids won the battle via invasive telepathic means. The Betazoids needed help from Hent Tevren, a Betazoid serial killer, who used ancient psionic techniques to murder. The Blood Purists feel that only pure, full-blooded Betazoids could successfully use this psionic technique. Jez didn’t want her daughter growing up around that racist, ignorant mindset, but she also didn’t want her parents' brilliant career to end because of her. Her parents discovered the Ancient Library of the Mystics on Kovana II, they unearthed the KIngs Tomb on Fankara VIII, they found the Queen’s City on Hentara Prime. When Star Fleet found a Planet deep in the Tenjaro Nebula, Jez’s parents found an ancient civilization that had been washed away when the oceans on this planet shifted some six hundred thousand years ago.
If Jez had to give up her daughter she wanted to have her parents to raise her child, but Jez knew that like her, her baby would be dragged around from dig site to dig site, not making friends, she couldn’t send her baby to her grandmother on Betazed and her grandparents on Vulcan that was something that just didn’t seem practical, as they were a Directors at the Vulcan Science Academy and wouldn’t have time for their grandchild, similar to what would happen if she left her daughter with her parents the baby would grow up isolated and socially awkward.
“I’m hoping you two might have alternatives, maybe something I haven't thought of,” Jez said, her voice straining to hold back her desire to scream and cry. She then turned to Alex and said, “I know you said you could help me, but I would hate to see your house and family suffer for helping me, a Daughter of the Sixth House.” Said Jez, her voice low and filled with sorrow.
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