Cultural Exchanges In Tight Places

Posted on Sun Dec 10th, 2023 @ 11:19pm by Ensign Carter Page & Ensign Erahlik Ezazzan
Edited on on Mon Dec 11th, 2023 @ 10:51am

1,060 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Mission 5: The Price of Paradise
Location: Port Nacelle
Timeline: M5 MD02 (2268.07.25) 0930

The Gorn was having somewhat of an easier time after he moved to the next panel. Most of the damage seemed to be centered around primary relays, wherein the secondary seemed to only be singed or half-way burnt. That meant that he could more properly relay the wiring around or through the working parts. As he finished his third and began his fourth, silence had encompassed the Nacelle for some time. Erahlik had been thinking.

"Why are they afraid of me?" the Gorn finally asked. "The other crew, some of them rush from me, act discomforted. What am I to them?"

"Well, ah..." Carter tried to put this delicately not so much that he thought the Gorn would be offended, more so his Starfleet sensitivity training. "You are very different to most of the crew and they don't know you," he said, "Culturally and physically... Also your race and the Federation have been at odds... They probably all recall that fight Captain Kirk had with a Gorn Captain a year ago..."

Erahlik was quiet. Clan Ezazzan and Clan Fezaar, the Clan of his mate, had left the Hegemony around the 2240's. Nothing had been shared between either Clans and the Hegemony since - that Erahlik had been aware of. This information that was shared was new, completely new, and something that transformed his perception of the situation. He was quiet as he finished his six relay, working on the last that he saw damaged. Contemplation passed slowly before he began to speak again.

"So they see me as an enemy?" he inquired, though the question was moreso an accusation. "My Clan, my Family, parted ways with the Hegemony permanently before my hatching. We have not been made aware of any happenings with the Hegemony since. I'm sure at the very least my Father would have informed me. I'm.... sure he would have, unless he had good reason not to."

It was an unsettling - deeply unsettling - thought that a circumstance involving his Clan, his species, had transpired that greatly influenced his being in Starfleet and no one had informed him. Dread slowly creeped into his stomach. He held fast, however, waiting the reply.

Carter gulped loudly. He figured he should tell the truth although he didn't want to sour relations with his shipmate, "Or at least hostile... The Hegemony attacked and destroyed the Cestus III colony last year... Territory dispute apparently," he said, "We all try our best not to prejudge, but it's unfortunately human nature... If anything your uniform negates a lot of that."

It was then that a memory of his past came to light. He was sitting by a campfire on Skoleos, somewhere in the mountains near their home. His father, Teecus, and his mother, Morsidrees, sat beside him as the eldest as the rest of his clutchmates lay huddled close by them. Father was throat-singing to them, a song of their ancient home on Gornar. It was a sad song. It was always a sad song. His mother seemed to whimper, crying in their way, to the tune. Something about it emitted sadness. When it was over, he recalled he had asked a question.

"Father, why did we leave that home?"

He recalled his father looking down at him. Not with scorn. Not with malice. His father looked down at him, instead, with sadness.

"Because, my eldest," his father replied, "They did not embrace a new nature. They are violent. We are what is left of Clan Ezazzan that which embraces the new nature. That prey are not prey, that weak is not weak, that life is life and home is shared. That is our sadness."

Memories flooding away, Erahlik blinked a tear away. His mothers sadness had always gripped his heart. His fathers even more. Perhaps this memory held the key as to why no information had relayed. Perhaps it wasn't important to celebrate it and perhaps the attack on Cestus III proved the necessity of Clan Ezazzan to depart that violent past. Erahlik took a moment to glance down at his uniform, a Starfleet uniform.

"I think my Clan knew of this violence before it was to happen," the Gorn finally said, breaking a possibly tense silence. "My Father sung to us when I was but a hatchling. He sung of a sadness, a violence that was to be forgotten and couldn't be for some. Clan Ezazzan, our Clan Ezazzan, departed that violence for the Federation."

Another silence as he finished his panel. He lifted himself up, sitting now closer to Carter than before since the two had worked their stations toward another. He looked over to the human. His reptilian eyes had a sadness to them.

"On behalf of Clan Ezazzan, I am sorry for my peoples brutality," Erahlik said, meaning every word, taking accountability for each syllable and what it implied. "We are different. I am proof of this. I will be proof of it. I promise you this, by my Clan."

Carter wasn't sure how to respond to the heartfelt emotional words. He had been in the academy when the attack happened and had no real connection to Cestus III other than maybe friends of friends somewhere. But he felt he should accept it, even if he wasn't the best person to.

"I accept," he said simply, "Although I must also say your actions, joining Starfleet, working here with me... That says a lot in itself... There's an old saying in the ancient Latin tongue... Acta non verba.... Actions not words... Most humans judged based upon that and especially not based upon actions of others. It's not your fault... It's not your family's fault..." He wants sure if he was getting through but he figured he should say his piece.

"I understand," Erahlik said, and he did understand. "I appreciate your wisdom and sharing this information."

A momentary pause as the Gorn glanced around.

"I believe I am done here," he said, glancing back to Carter. "Do you need further assistance?"

"I think that does it, time to get out of here and let engineering power this puppy back up," Carter responded with a smile, "We certainly make quick work of this."

[OFF]

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Ensign Carter Page
Damage Control Specialist
USS Midway

&

Ensign Erahlik Ezazzan
Damage Control Specialist
USS Midway

 

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