[2004: JUL-AUG] Windows To The Past

[+ TyrWaltas]

((Cadet Quarters, Starfleet Academy, 2379))

::Tyr checked himself in the mirror, as he'd done five minutes ago. He wasn't vain-far from it-but he couldn't quit looking at the sharp, crisp, new Starfleet uniform that he now had the privilege of wearing. His hand wandered to his collar, grinning widely as he touched the golden Ensign's pip that replaced the four black bars that had marked him as a fourth-year cadet. He recalled, vividly, the hull of the Shabtai cracking open beneath his feet as the Cardassian warship opened fire on them. The utter terror that made him forget momentarily that he was on a holodeck and not actually on the ship. It had shaken him to his core, until the black-and-yellow grid re-appeared.::

::Now, he stood as a Starfleet Ensign. The first Ba'ku to join Starfleet. His characteristic long hair he wore proudly, like a lion wears his mane. It had "stuck in the craw", as old Boothby had said, of more than one professor.::

o O All the more reason to keep it that way. O o

::Tyr's thoughts turned backward, as they always did at major points in his life. He leaned on the window, absent-mindedly watching the shuttles zip to and fro, letting his thoughts loose like an untamed horse on a warm spring day.::

((Ba'ku Homeworld, 2375))

::Tyr turned away from the window that now peered out over the rolling countryside of the Ba'ku village instead of shoreline view of San Francisco. It was twilight, now. He turned and looked into his mother's eyes. She had spent the last hour pleading with him not to go-not to leave home and hearth for the cold embrace of technology. It hadn't worked.::

TYR: I'm leaving, mother.

LYNTHA: But why, Tyr? What calls you so?

TYR::Again gazing out the window at the gathering stars:: The stars call me, mother. I cannot live out my existence in one place. I have to see what's out there-what's waiting for me.

::They had continued to argue, with Tyr eventually leaving. The last sound of the

conversation between mother and son had been a door slamming, and it would be that way for over 4 years. Tyr climbed into the shuttle with his bags, gazing out the window at the village-the only home he'd known for over 200 years-as it disappeared into the puffy cumulus clouds.::

((Titan, Saturn, 2376))

L'TAR::Urgently:: Tyr. It is highly advisable for you to...TURN!!

::Laughing, Tyr paused a few more seconds and then yanked the shuttle in a hard, rolling turn. The shuttle shook as the power of Titan's gravity gripped it, attempting to pull it down like the Crocodiles he'd seen at the San Francisco Zoo. It eventually broke free and zipped forward at a speed that buried the velocity meter on the craft in the red. Tyr celebrated with a vertical loop, chuckling at his more-green-faced-than-normal-looking Vulcan roomate, L'Tar. The two had spent long nights discussing philosophy and the times Tyr had experienced in his advanced age, but it was these times that Tyr cherished the most. When he was able to bring the emotions out of his Vulcan friend. In this case, terror. He knew that with time, the young Vulcan would master his emotions and stoically refuse all urges, but for now, Tyr enjoyed winding his friend up. The Vulcan stood, raising an eyebrow at his "impetuous" 228-year-old friend and sighing gently to show his dissatisfaction. In response, Tyr banked hard to port and sent the Vulcan plummeting down on his backside. Another sigh from his friend drew a chuckle from Tyr, and he continued to wiggle the shuttle as the Vulcan tried to regain his footing.::

o O I wonder how long it'll take him to figure out that I disabled the inertial dampers O o

::Tyr looked out the shuttle's canopy, and headed for home.::

((Quantum Mechanics Class, Starfleet Academy, 2377))

::The sharp crack of a real wooden yard stick on his desk interrupted Tyr's thoughts as he sat daydreaming, gazing out the large classroom window at the warm, sunny day. He jumped and looked up at the less-than-pleased (as he always was) Captain Thyrmar. The Andorian had enraptured himself in the study of ancient earth schooling and loved the chance to use his "disciplinary doctrine" at every possible happenstance. Since this was math class, he had made Tyr a victim more than once. The Andorian's antennae went to the sides of his blue head-indicating mild irritation, according to his science classes.::

THYRMAR: See me after class, Mr. Waltas.

::Tyr sank a little lower in his seat as his classmates snickered. Tyr hated math-everyone knew it. Anything without a practical application to real-life succeeded in boring him. His Ba'ku instincts, especially sharp on such a beautiful day, had distracted him long enough for the Captain to close in for the kill. Tyr endured the remainder of the class, the after-class berating of the Captain, and then returned to his quarters. He flopped dejectedly on his bed. L'Tar and his friends had elected to go pub-crawling for the evening. Tyr, with the instructor's lecture still ringing in his ears, had chosen to stay home and study. To do battle with his most fearsome scholastic opponent-math. He heard a small giggle come from the doorway to his room, and he raised his head to find his Argellian roommate Anati smiling at him.::

TYR: You've come to laugh at me too?

ANATI::Smiling:: Well, maybe for a minute. But then I'll help you.

::Anati was a fourth-year, and was always on the outside of Tyr's "inner-circle". She was beautiful, like all Argellian women were, but so painfully shy that he could get little from her other than her name for weeks after they'd been assigned as roommates with the stoic L'Tar. Tyr had grandiose plans of asking her out, enamored by her intelligence as well as her obvious physical attributes. Now, lying on his bed, he admired her firm and toned body, long blonde hair that hung in curls, and her captivating eyes. Tyr had always noticed that she was a little less shy around him than most men, but it was probably due to the abject fear he had when he encountered the opposite sex in anything other than a professional environment. Women were a mystery to him-had been for the entirety of his long

life. Now, one of the most beautiful specimens of that "fairer sex" was sitting 3 inches away from him, snatching the PADD that held his homework away from him.::

ANATI: See, now here's what you're getting burned on each time. You have to invert the universal constant in order to calculate...

::Tyr and Anati worked long into the night, with Tyr stumbling over the finer points of Quantum Mechanics, and tripping over his own tongue as he awkwardly tried to learn more about the enchanting Argellian woman that had taken pity on him. As midnight approached, Anati yawned loudly and stretched.::

ANATI: Well, I think you've finally got it. Are all Ba'ku this hard-headed?

TYR::Grinning:: Just give me a Natural Sciences course and we'll see who's hard headed. ::Turning away, looking out the darkened window.:: Thank you, Anati. I mean that. I don't think I would have made it through this without your help.

ANATI::Elbowing him in the ribs:: Finally, some gratitude! ::Growing quiet:: I was happy to help.

TYR::Turning to her:: Did you do it out of anything other than pity?

ANATI::Smiling, looking away shyly:: What makes you think that?

TYR: Because you haven't said this many words to me in the 2 years we've been roommates.

::Anati laughed, her eyes dancing with the light from the moon outside. Tyr watched her open up to him, smiled as he knew he was opening up to her, too. She caught him gazing at her, and quietly edged her hand nearer to his.::

ANATI: I guess there are some fringe benefits.

TYR::Smiling, placing his hand on hers:: Oh, I think so too.

::Tyr squeezed her hand gently, looking into those enchanting eyes again. They neared each other, and kissed softly. She had snuggled into his chest after the kiss, with him holding her until they both had fallen asleep. They awoke the next morning, and never spoke of the kiss again until Anati's graduation. Tyr had attempted, several times, to edge the relationship forward, but Anati was back to her shy self-as if she only allowed herself one foray into the world of male companionship. She had left the Academy bound for the USS Voyager, and disappeared into the Delta quadrant shortly after. Tyr remembered watching the

shuttle leave, with Anati on it, his tears dampening the windowsill.::

((Psych Exam Room, Starfleet Academy, 2378))

::The Betazoid Commander in the blue science uniform gazed at Tyr as he sat in the small room with the chair and the one window. Tyr swallowed hard, turning his attention away from the window and onto the Betazoid. He knew he was reading his thoughts, and knew instinctively that they were going to be used against him. The Psych exam, from all accounts, was one of the most difficult and scarring events in a Cadet's career, and now he was facing it.::

CMDR Rue: Are you ready, Cadet?

TYR::Standing:: Ready as I'll ever be, sir.

::Rue motioned to a nondescript door. Tyr stood, tugging on his uniform as if straightening it would somehow improve his score. Stepping through, he stopped cold. The doors closed behind him. There stood his father, or at least an image of him. He was standing on the bridge of the Ba'ku homeworld as the Son'a fighters soared overhead, firing into the village and the crowd.::

TYR::Turning, beating on the door:: No! NO!! I won't go through this again!! NOOO!!!!!!!

GYRULD: Tyr! Run!

::Tyr shook his head. He knew he had to run, but his legs wouldn't move-wouldn't support him. He sank to the ground, his strength leaving him.::

GYRULD: RUN!

::The bridge his father was standing on exploded in weapons fire from one of the Son'a ships. Tyr had seen this-seen it every time he closed his eyes. He knew what would happen. His father plunged into the water, dead. Tyr had always wished he had gone back, checked on him. Perhaps he was just wounded, and he could have saved him...He took a step forward as the ships turned his direction.::

o O I can't leave him..not again..No.. O o

::He stood in indecision, on the doorway between death and life. Finally, Tyr turned away and ran. Tears streaked away from his face as he ran to catch up with his mother and the rest of the village. Topping a rise, he looked back one last time at the river. His father's body lay there, bathed in moonlight...then the room reappeared. Tyr sank to his knees, sobbing, as the Commander walked in. He knelt down next to him.::

CMDR Rue: Congratulations, Cadet.

TYR::Looking up:: Why? Just tell me why?

RUE: We had to see if you are capable of escaping your past, or if you will lie down and die within it, Tyr. If you had gone to check on your father, you would have died, too. We had to see if, given a second chance, you would.

::Tyr allowed the Commander to help him back to the plain room with the chair and window. He sat gazing out of the window, tears streaming down his face, for quite some time.::

((Cadet Quarters, Starfleet Academy, 2379))

o O I've come so far from what I was.. O o

::Tyr shouldered the bag that carried his belongings and took one last look at the quarters that he'd called home for 4 years. He had seen happiness, friendship, love, and sadness within these walls, but that was nothing compared to what he knew awaited him outside that window. Smiling, he walked slowly away. Through the window, if one looked, they could find a long-haired Ensign jogging excitedly to the waiting shuttlecraft, to head away on his first assignment.::

Edited July 6, 2004 by TyrWaltas