A Letter to a Friend

Posted on Tue Jun 30th, 2020 @ 10:24pm by Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri

1,133 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 107 – Recovery
Location: USS Endeavor
Timeline: MD01 - 0700 or thereabouts

[ON:]

LCARS COMMNET: ENABLE
UNIVERSAL SPACECRAFT SYSTEMS – ENDIGHAMMI SHIPYARDS
INTEGRATED SYSTEMS ACCESS 1802 470-5524903-209 351-59969 UNIVRSSPCCRFTSYS
TRANSPORT PROTOCOL: MODE – EXTENSIBLE COMM – TRANSLATE SELECT.7844.AUDIO.USER.VIDEO.ARRAY.SCI1.ALLSYSACCESS.ENCRYPT/DECRYPT
FROM:NCC72802.ACSO.USSENDEAVOR
== -- -
LINK ESTABLISHED =A=
STARDATE: 73997.8
LCARS COMMNET ONLINE
USER: #1685.1759 PLUMERI, MATTHEW THOMAS
BLUFDATALINK ID# 646798245.437.0903

::: LCARS – SYSTEMS - ONLINE :::

After logging in, Matt pressed the button to initiate the call recording.

“Commander Warraquim! How good it is to see you and hear your voice. It has been a little while since I heard from my former crewmate and my friends. Thank you for your most recent letter. I am glad to know that you are well. I have missed our time on the holodeck and when you shared with me your beautiful, marvelous world of Akkadia.

I hope that you will find time to continue to send to me the short stories, the parables, and the tales from your home. When I read them, I can transport myself in my mind to your world. And the more I hear of them and read them, the more I am convinced that there must be something more to this life than what I can see with my eyes and know with my mind.

Like you, as a scientist, I follow the scientific method. I believe that I know only a tiny fraction of the universe in which we live. And as scientist I must be truthful with all humility and say that I do not know everything. We have not discovered everything. We do not yet understand everything. And the universe, if it is the one thing I do know, it is that the universe loves – absolutely – to be discovered. To be known and understood. Science is a humbling experience. But it is the only way I know of that helps me understand the world in which we live.

Allyndra, I hear the loneliness in your voice, and I wish you peace. At times, I am lonely too. Even here on my new posting and with my new crewmates. Life in Starfleet is tough. The demands of our posting and where we serve are not conducive to getting too close. But are we then to remain closed to everyone? I think no. I would rather share my heart, love, and laugh and then suffer the heartbreak that surely follows. The moments that we shared with our friends are now memories. And we create new memories even now.

I do not know if I ever told you how much I appreciated your company. It was always work, work, work. But now though the distances be great, I have an increasing appreciation for you.

Let me tell you about what I have been up to? The fleet is moving out in an hour. We are going to take back Starbase 400 from the Typhon Pact. I’ve been getting to know my new crewmates. I managed to get promoted into the Assistant Chief Science Officer position. And when we take the Endeavor out for a spin, I’m her XO. The science department is fully staffed and there is a lot of work to manage it. I’m doing my best with my new responsibilities. In the few short weeks I’ve been here I’ve seen how incredible this region of space is:

The Kaleb sector is filled with so many stars! Of all shapes and sizes. It is a rich area to study stellar phenomena. Some stars are so massive that fleets of starships couldn’t even come close to generating the power output.

I have seen some very unusual aliens. A Dragonian, a Gorn, my Department Head is El-Aurian. A Noble Lord from the First Federation even. I’ve only heard of the First Federation – now – maybe I will meet him one day. Can you believe that? So many aliens here on Starbase 23. I can only imagine that there will be many more on Starbase 400.

I joined up with a band to play my trumpet. Having lots of fun with that group. We played three sets in two different local bars so…yeah, it’s a thing now. We went orbital skydiving like – the first week I was here. OMG it was so much fun. Hey, you’re only young once so I figured, let’s do it! I’m learning how to dance with a few friends. I mean I know how to dance of course – I’m Fontalan – but IDK many of the dances from the Federation.

Sometimes, when I look out at the stars, it takes my breath away. There are no temples here on Starbase 23. No Fontalan temples I mean. And so, I consider everywhere I go, that Possiamo will be with me. And the stars themselves remind me to not take life too seriously – that I am just a blip, even less than a blip; I am nothing. Even the stars are not eternal. People used to think that they were alone is the vast ocean of space. But we weren’t. Ships carried us to those distant stars, and it made everything anew. It gave us hope. And love made the great distances bearable.

Though great distance is between us; you are on my mind. Remember to lift your voice in song and sing out your heart. Remember to dance and be joyful. Remember to have music in your heart and you will hear the music of the spheres. You will be filled with awe and wonder. Remember that there is still magic in the world. Look for it and you will see it. Be humble, share your stories from Akkadia. The whole wide world is wanting for tenderness and kindness.

Well, we shove off here in a bit. I plan on staying alive in this battle. So, I will send you a message again when we have recovered Starbase 400. I wish I had something poetic like you do when ending this message. I’ll simply say that life is a gift and I don’t plan on wasting it. It’s a friggin’ miracle that we’re here – any of us – at all. Whatever you call that; it’s worth the journey to find out.

Take care of you and I will write you again shortly.”

“Computer? Save that message and send it sub-space. Computer? How long will it take to reach Galileo?”

The machine beeped at him, =A= There are five starships that bear that name. Please specify by registry number =A=

“N-C-C 80010”, Matthew said slightly irritated.
=A= This message will take 6 days, 11 hours and 32 minutes to reach the nearest sub-space beacon for the last known location of NCC-80010 USS-Galileo =A=

“Send it.”

[OFF:]

LTJG. Matthew Plumeri
ACSO/Historian
USS Endeavor
NCC-72802

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