Eiwoa's Return

Posted on 03 Jun 2023 @ 11:46am by Ensign K'Rosu

(Still working out how to have 2 characters with the site, this is focused on the Second Officer, Eiwoa)

Eiwoa stepped through the doors, his publically ever present smile vanishing the moment the doors slid shut behind him. He clicked his brow three times, acoustically reading the room. The floor clear of debris, the simple desk, speaker, microphone, and chair, the same as always. His flute rested in the corner, underneath a piece of acoustic art he’d brought with him aboard.

He softly chuckled to himself, remembering his reaction when he saw what it looked like, some sort of double helixed series of shelves, blades, and apparently randomly assorted pieces of metal.

Making his way to the replicator, he unzipped his jecket, relishing in the cool air.

“Computer, replicate Yeorai celebrant meal three, please.” He requested. Soon, he heard the telltale light sound of the replicator at work, and then silence. He took the meal, a roasted assortment of meats and roots atop a bed of erya moss and sat quietly in his chair.

He knew he was putting it off, but he couldn’t bring himself to begin his usual report back to his homeworld.

How can I explain sight to those, who only know the scientific definition? How can I tell them what it’s like to see the stars, or move about the tunnels of the ship in silence?

He sighed, resting his head on a hand as he took slow, small bites of the food. After days of rationing a pair of hyposprays, then synthetic enzymes, it may have been the most delicious tasting food he’d ever tasted. Regardless however, he couldn’t find his appetite, and soon set the food aside.

*How would I explain the taste of moss to a Horta? He wondered as he returned the food to the replicator for reclamation.

Or sound, to a tree? He thought, climbing atop his bed, a carved rock with layers of blankets over it.

Stop it Eiwoa, musn’t venture into the realm of poetry, I think we remember what happened last time…

He sat back, propping himself against a wall as he thought, slowly rubbing his fingers together in thought.

Unto the breach, I suppose…* He thought, before opening his mouth.

“Computer begin log, record to Yeorai specifications of sensitivity.

I apologies for the late nature of this report, as I had been stranded in a subspace rift for some days recently. The planet inside was hot, sandy, and sunny, however not as intense as Yeoa. I have been attended to by medical professionals, and been given a relatively clean bill of health.

Beyond this, I have had a unique experience. A transporter accident temporarily placed me in the body of our Captain, a Human. Due to his nature, I then experienced the sensation…Of sight.

I will attempt to maintain neutrality on this sensitive subject to the best of my ability, and I qualify I have no political intent within this report.

To explain sight, is… Difficult. It is not entirely unlike echolocation, however of course it may be used in silence… But some details are missed by echolocation. Color, for one. There are many different colors, more than I could memorize in the time I could experience them, ranging from Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Green, Purple, Black, White…We are a pale grey of sorts, with red accents in our auditory organs, though all of this has been learned through secondary means already… Making this report, so far, moot… Computer pause recording.” He says as he lays across the rock.

*What can I add that we’ve not been told? Any neutral position I can take just reiterates what others have told us… Stars are bright, tunnels are dark, moss is green, vision ranges from sharp to blurry…

Should I make it more…Personal? I’d no doubt be dragged into political debates as a reference, and disparaged by the traditionalists… I never wanted to go down in history as a great, just… Good, ‘Eiwoa did a good job, identified some new rocks, served in starfleet, and lived a long life,’ not turn into some sort of political figure… Should I make custom reports to each faction separately? Of course they wouldn’t be private, more fuel for the fire…*

“Computer, resume… I am aware of the circumstances that are bound to surround this sort of event. I won’t lie, being able to see the stars was… A unique experience. And I did enjoy it. But I’m not about to disparage our people, nor weep at the loss of this sense.

But I would like to share some of what I believed to be out here, something I am now vindicated in my belief of. I intend to request access to our astrometric scanners, to convert scans of the local area into an acoustic format. Please hold the release of this verbal report until such a time I can provide this.

Signed Eiwoa, end of report.”

With a chirp, the computer saved his report and prepared it for transmission over subspace, letting Eiwoa lay back with relative calm, for the moment.

*Tomorrow’s another day…* He thought as he laid back on the stone, soon drifting into sleep.