Across The Universe #ReadersChoiceAwards

Chapter 2

IPK007

@IPK007

[MEMBERSONLY]

Across The Universe

Chapter 1.

Rear Admiral Gupta, chief of Vulcan Star Fleet operations, and captain of starship, VSS Enterprise, enters her private suite. It is located in the residential deck directly above her position of command in the control deck. It was time, her preferred time, for the requisite eight hours. Since they were in deep space where there are no days and no nights, there was no set time to sleep. It was by design that she and Jha, her first officer, functioned on alternating circadian rhythms.

She walks up to the large observation deck like she always does before sleep. She places her hands flat against the transparent wall and gazes at the infinite sea of nothingness. Spherical masses, some nuclear powered and bright, some with reflective partial luminosity, zip past her.

Enterprise forges ahead of light at 9 Warp, it's inbuilt navigation steering it clear of breakaway masses, black holes, unidentified space debris and other menaces by a safe distance.

In an alternate dimension, her thoughts travel even faster to their starship's destination. Her heartbeats lose their customary steadiness. Almost immediately, Vulcan self discipline clamps on her mind. And heart. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

Her thoughts continue to rebel. They strain persistently to break away from their hold. She feels her control slipping. In the last eight Vulcan years, since she'd adopted Surak's code of emotional restraint, she had never felt this out of control..

She needs to sleep, she tells herself and opens her eyes. Pursing her lips, she turns from the wall, a lithe, athletic figure in red and black Starfleet uniform.

Her footsteps are brisk as she walks down the few steps to her bedroom. She picks her Elucidator tablet, the latest toy of their generation, from the nightstand. Sitting on the side of the bed, she turns it on. She watches as dots of color and light begin a dance on it's shiny black screen. It's sensor catches her brainwaves before channeling them to be create startlingly realistic images of her thoughts. Some images are bizarre, absurd and laughable. Others are so vividly true that even after years of use they fill her eyes with wonder. Who could've thought of a product like this just a few Vulcan decades earlier?

Although, she thinks with a frown, delving into her trivia stash, that a century ago, a popular science fiction described a product uncannily similar to the Elucidator.

Her eyes focus on the screen next. She isn't really surprised when she sees a strong, deeply masculine face that is somewhat at odds with it's soft brown eyes. They seem to be mocking at her. "I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from me", they say to her.

She sees her face next. She appears mortified, embarrassed and angry. She doesn't want him to think she hasn't gotten over him. Which I have, of course, she tells herself, a long time back. And yet, the screen keeps switching to his face. It focuses on small details she realizes she had never forgotten. The curve of his upper lip. The fine crinkles at the corner of his eyes.

"Dammit", she bites out and closes her eyes. She turns the Elucidator off, changes her clothes and lays down with the back of a wrist covering her eyes.

"At least I know what to expect and be prepared for it", she murmurs with a grimace. Taking a deep breath, she starts chanting Surak's teachings in her mind. She reminds herself of her pledge to live by the Code. Peace. Logic. Reason. Higher Living. She exhales slowly.

Before she can fall asleep, she hears a knock at the door. NK enters with his characteristic 'now it's there and now it isn't' smile. The relative immobility of his features suggest a strict adherence to the Code. Without a word, he gets into bed. Lying on their sides, they face each other.

His slanted eyebrow rises in a question. She realizes her emotions must still show on her features.

"Arnav", he states flatly when she doesn't offer a reply.

"It's okay", he adds calmly without missing a beat, "Don't feel bad about it. You can't help that your blood is mixed with red".

He asks about her work next and even as they share their day, rather work period, with each other, Khushi's mind is distracted.

Red blood. Humans. Her father.

She thinks of the planet they were headed toward with inexplicable nostalgia. Human referred to it as Earth 1.0 or old Earth to differentiate from Earth, nick name for their adopted planet, Vulcan, given three and a half human centuries ago. A small group of humans maintained their time and calendar to old Earth time still. They followed this Earth Calendar alongside the universally used Vulcan one.They were called the Hopefuls or the Deluded.They considered keeping a hope of return alive their moral duty. They tried to pass it on from one generation to the next. Her father was one of them...apart from...

After NK leaves, Khushi reflects more on human history. It is a subject that always fascinates her. She calculates Old Earth Time in her head. It was 350 AE. April 6th. 350 human years After Exodus from Earth 1.0. 350 years since the Apocalypse. An inexplicable ache fills her heart as always.

"This is not our home", Arnav's voice, intense, passionate, sharply punctuated, comes to her.

They were in Starfleet Academy again. Young and together yet light years apart in their ideas.

"This is not where we belong", he says, "Our home awaits us from across the universe. Over there somewhere. Close your eyes and listen, Khushi. Your blood will be able to hear her calls too. She needs us. She wants us back".

Khushi can see his arm lift, his finger point toward the Vulcan sky. She can see three silver moons lighting it with a light brighter than daylight. She feels goosebumps pricking her skin again.

Khushi swallows a slew of self directed profanity. She extends her arm to pick a sleep aid inhaler from the nightstand. She programs it to six hours and holds it to her nose. Even as she inhales, her features relax and her eyes flutter shut.
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"Captain Gupta's Log, Stardate 1538.5.3.

Our position, orbiting Earth 1.0, planet of human origin. On the planet, the war ravaged ruins of what was once a great civilization. A team of six thousand RVRs, Reconnaissance Vulcanoid Robots, have been beamed down in the past 48 hours. Their preliminary reports show safe level nuclear dust radiation, UV radiation and atmospheric oxygen percentage in all samples collected. The data available so far corroborates VSS Trailblazer's last year's reports - the mysteriously long nuclear winter of Earth 1.0 has finally ended".

"Stardate 1538.5.6.

Further pictures and reports from around the planet reveal the extent and the impact of the Apocalypse. Apart from apparent extinction of all life forms, sentient or otherwise, it has destroyed 80% of infrastructure, effectively flattening the planet's surface. Structures either vanished by extreme heat or incinerated by nuclear fire storms".

Captain Gupta sits in her control seat, her eyes on the navigation monitor in front, her legs crossed. Her lips move fast against her multifunctional wrist watch as she updates the starship's log.

First officer, Jha, comes to stand beside her, crossing his arms as he waits for her.

Ship's chief physician NK and his team stand near the teleporting control panel. All but two are young humans in their twenties. Their red blood bubbles with excitement. History is in the making and they are well aware of it. Waiting for their captain, they shuffle their feet and talk to the head of the teleporting unit, Montgomery Scott.

Khushi signs off and acknowledges her first officer with a nod. She focuses attention toward the holographic control monitor in front. Her fingers move deftly over the sensor on the seat's arm, hovering not touching. She goes over the navigation settings, adjusting when needed, instructing Jha briskly as she went.

"Latest RVR feedback?, she asks.

"Selected Landing Port all safe and clear, Captain", replies Shyam Jha.

"Lieutenant Uhura", She swivels her seat to address Chief Communications Officer, Nyoto Uhura, "Make sure communications are on high alert during the entire course of our mission".

"Aye aye, Captain", replies Uhura.

Khushi gets up and heads toward the teleporter. She is joined by the medical team. They all take positions on the dematerialization pods while Scott fiddles with the controls.
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They rematerialize on what appears to be a vast field with blackish soil. Moist and grass less, it extends from horizon to horizon.The sun is warm and the sky a startling blue dome. Eyes used to green Vulcan skies blink involuntarily for a while.

There are no signs of life except a cluster of temporary shelters looming in the background. The United Federation Of Planets Reconstruction Team is stationed there for a year now. Even as they worked on cleaning, salvaging and rebuilding operations, their living quarters expanded into a small township. It's led by it's Chief of Field Operations and eminent reconstruction archeologist, Arnav S. Raizada.

Captain Gupta keeps her mind free of irrational thoughts.

Thwarting a twinge of anticipation, she summons previously beamed down autopilot vehicles and securobots for transportation and security.

While she's instructing them, the periphery of her vision catches a tiny moving dot. In no time at all, it grows into a manned vehicle. She knows it's Arnav even from that indiscernible distance. For some reason the certainty of her assumption annoys her.

It was Arnav. He stops his gleaming black and silver vehicle, disembarks and strides straight toward her. She would have recognized that gait anywhere in the universe. His face is as inscrutable as any true blood Vulcan yet, his eyes swirl with pure human humor and a suggestion that it might all be an act.

As their hands lock, Khushi feels the temperature of his palm. With Vulcan blood, copper based, green and a few degrees colder than human, she had always found his skin hot compared to hers. Pleasantly hot.

"Good to see you, Khushi", he says. Despite herself, she is touched by the boyish joy she finds in his eyes. When he shows no sign of ending the hand shake however, she tugs firmly to free her hand.

"Good seeing you too, Arnav", Her voice sounds more cold that she'd intended, she realizes. She breaks their eye lock and turns to address her team. Human or not, they are watching their interaction with unconcealed curiosity.

In a voice calculated to wipe that curiosity off their faces, she says, "This is Arnav Raizada, Chief of Field Operations". She steps aside and watches as hands are shook and introductions exchanged.

Arnav rakes his fingers through wind blown hair before shoving hands firmly in pockets. A glint in his eye is a forewarning that Khushi misses.

After an imperceptible side glance at Khushi, he addresses her team with a half smile. "Of course, I'm sure you all already know that since this precinct falls under UFP, I'll be the one calling all the shots here".

"A bait", Khushi thinks with a frisson of irritation. He still enjoys trying to stir her blood and elicit a reaction.

Her hazel eyes shine with Vulcan pride. She says with deliberate calm, "Of course, Mr. Raizada. Although it is more apt to think of it as a liability for our safety and wellbeing". Her voice is icy.

"Touche, Captain Gupta", Arnav's eyes are enigmatic as he meets her eyes again, "But that was a joke of course".

~ ~ To be continued~~~

A/N: I must confess this is so different from anything I've ever written that I'm nervous about it's reception. I hope...really hope...that you all, IPKKNDians,Trekkies and non Trekkies alike, didn't find it too bad...that you were able to enjoy it :). When I was writing Saffron Fields, I'd posted a teaser quiz where readers were asked to guess the people involved in three different conversation snippets. I'd promised to write an OS/ SS of a genre of the winner's choice. I think most of you know who the winner was...my dear Soul Sister I call her...because she gets me like only my sisters can! She asked me not to mention her name...so I'll just say that this one is for you...dear friend...hope you like it Hug