[2005: NOV-DEC] This little Warp of mine

[Jordan aka FltAdmlWolf]

The cadet will be posting his text soon...

[Nerreht]

((Somewhere in space))

:: A man is sitting alone in a dark room, holding what seems to be the equivalent of a PADD, typing at an average speed on it's keys ::

"I'm getting old... I know, I've been saying that for the past thirty years, but I believe that even more every single day that I'm out here... I can't believe how long it's been since I last saw you... Feels like an eternity..."

:: The man pauses, taking a deep breath, looking almost as he struggles to catch a breath of air even though the life support systems are working perfectly ::

"I still remember the times when I used to do this run in a couple of weeks back and forth... Now, it takes years just to reach the destination and years again to come back... I wish you could come with me... At least I wouldn't be alone, afraid that I wouldn't be there if something happened to you..."

:: He pauses again, reflecting for a moment, then going back to his writing ::

"Those times were great... Humans and other species going at tremendous speeds, covering a lifetime of distance in a matter of days... I was still young back then... When I first experienced faster-than-light travel, I was merely a boy... I couldn't believe how fast we were going... I still have a hard time believing it after all these years... And yet, it is now that I actually appreciate it the most... When I can't experience it anymore..."

:: Another pause, this time to take a sip of some kind of beverage ::

"I know I've said this often, but I still remember the day that the SPA, Subspace Protection Agency, actually found many reasons to ban warp drives because of their effect on subspace. There had been many occasions where problems were noticed, and every time, someone found ways to fix those problems... But at some point, people just couldn't fix the problems anymore... It was almost like the SPA was creating problems just to make sure that they got rid of warp travel... I know, I know, this is plain paranoïa... At least I know that's what you'd tell me..."

:: He smiles reading that last comment ::

"Since then, we're back to the basics of space travel... Impulse drives are so slow on long runs... It's quite incredible how much junk they had to improve or develop to compensate for lost time... Cryogenics, animated suspension, ways to improve life-span..."

:: The man stops his writing and looks at the far end of the room, straight at a bunch of cryotubes aligned on the wall. Blinking lights were indicating that the machines were currently functionning and imprecise silhouettes inside the technological coffins confirmed that they were in use. ::

"I never could take it upon myself to be enclosed in one of those machines... It creeps me out... Sleeping for years, waking up at some point in time and see everything changed without having a clue about what happened and how it happened... But the main reason I couldn't get myself to get in one of those freezers is you... I couldn't do this to you... I'm not that selfish..."

:: Another pause as he glances in nothingness, reflecting ::

"Or maybe I am... You see, I often thought that I didn't do it because I couldn't let you grow old alone... But now that I think of it, I guess I'm not getting freezed because I couldn't be able to live an artificially extended life knowing that you would have grown old and died while I would have still been young and alive... It would be too hard to live knowing that I sacrificed you for my job..."

:: He sighs ::

"It's ironic though... While I'm talking about not wanting to let you grow old alone, that's exactly what I'm doing right now... You're growing older and I'm not with you... And I say that I couldn't live knowing that I sacrificed you for my job, and yet that's exactly what I'm doing... Instead of staying with you, I keep doing my job saying that it's the last time every single time I leave... And even knowing that, you're still waiting for me to come back and leave again..."

:: As he stretches a little, he feels a pain in his lower back ::

"I guess that now I realize the time has come for me to go back home and stay there with you for as long as we have left... Better late than never, they say... I just hope I'm not too late... The more I write this letter, the more I anticipate my definite return... If only there still were warp drives on our ships, I could be home in a matter of days... But I'm afraid to say that I won't be home for a lot more time... I'd like to say that I'll see you soon... But the best I can do is hope to ever see you again..."

:: He saves the letter and gets up from his seat, leaving the room where he was. He walks down the corridor all the way to what seems to be the ship's small bridge where he takes place in front of a console. He presses a series of keys and soon enough he gets a confirmation that his message was sent. He then stares at the viewscreen, watching the stars move very slowly in the eternal darkness of space... Too slowly for the time he had left... If only he had some way to experience Warp speed one more time... for the greatest reason of them all... But as much as he wanted it, he couldn't... there was no more warp drive... ::

Edited November 12, 2005 by Nerreht