11-11-2394

Posted on 12 Nov 2020 @ 2:54pm by Lieutenant Colonel Alexandria Somers
Edited on on 01 Dec 2020 @ 4:34pm

1,216 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Holodeck/Various
Timeline: Off Duty - Stardate 239411.11

This should have gone out on the 11th of November...

[ON]

Once again that time of year came around, it was a ritual she had kept up with since she was cleared for duty after her fatal mission and the loss of her closest friend Annabel Graves. She used the computer terming in the CRR to send the program that she had found again, she had forgotten that it was there, but she called it up and made a few adjustments and stored it in the ship's databanks. Then with that, she left the CRR and headed to the holodeck to do her yearly ritual via her quarters to get changed into her dress uniform. She entered the turbo lift and headed down to holodeck one when she arrived on the level and excited the lift she headed down the corridor and around the turn till she entered the holodeck.

- Wall of the Fallen - Holodeck 1 -

As she entered the holodeck she was greeted with the standard black and yellow grid "Computer active AS11 program" she said the moment the doors closed and the stark holodeck grid was replaced by an open area and dressed as she was in her dress uniform called up the interface and created a plush bunch of snowdrops, this was a hologram after all, but she knew her family back on earth would be doing this for her in actual, this bit was for her alone as she could not be at her friends final resting place. As she did every year since that fateful mission Alex visited first the wall of the fallen and then onto her old friends final resting place to pay tribute, as Alex stood at the wall of the fallen in uniform she used old-world prayer with head bowed as she stood there.

Due to the type of holo program in the background a speaker could be heard saying a Laurence Binyon poem For the fallen, there was a verse that seemed to resonate as Alex stood there.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

After the bunch of Snowdrops was created she picked it up and walked over to the Wall of the fallen. She walked up to the smaller semi-separate part of the wall it was small compared to the rest, and it held only one name. As she approached her friend's headstone they were lucky they were able to return with her friend's body, now she placed the flowers on the grave and stood there for some time.

"Oh, Annie! I wish you could have been here to see how I am now, I still sometimes have to think before I say oh look, Annie, just for a moment I still think you are next to me, then I realise you are not then the pain of that day comes flooding back" she said to the headstone and she studied it, she was not sure but she could always swear that her dear friend Annie was standing next to her, as she always seemed to feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise, she could only imagine that her friend was whispering something to her.

As with every year, the ghost of Annabel Graves stood next to and slightly behind her old friend who had done well for herself over the years and over those years the ghost of Annabel Graves looking as young as the day she died and every year she was allowed to become solid, but only in a visual sense, she still could not interact with the physical world but she could speak and be spoken to.

"I see you still remember Alex, you forgot 2392, but you remembered again," she said.

Alex startled and wanted to embrace the familiar voice, but she looked to her left and saw the washed-out image of Annie "every year I do this you always seem to show up, be it on earth or on the holodeck, don't you have anything better to do than to look out for my sorry ass?" she said tears flowing down her cheeks making her wipe them.

"Remember that pact we made before that mission, that we would always be there for each other?" The Ghost of Annabel Graves said, not really answering Alex directly.

Alex looked at her friend's ghostly image and saw that she was too dressed in a dress uniform, but she had Corporal rank stripes and a standard Marine dress uniform as back then the Rifles did not exist "will there ever be a time when you will not visit me" she asked and again Annabel did not directly answer her question.

"For me, time is no longer a constant Alex, my time is over, my future at an end yours, however, is still yet to be written, I wish I could chart it with you every day, but I can only appear to you on days like this and remind you that you have a bright future ahead of you girl, when you are given an opportunity you should take it," Annie said.

"Have you knowledge of my future then?" Alex asked the spirit who answered with a sly smile as the program run the last post bugle tune, the spirit looked in the direction of the sound.

"That is my cue to go again for another year," she said and looked at Alex directly this time and with a friendly smile "remember Alex while you have a great future ahead, life is what you make it and as is my norm for everything there is a time, and soon it will be your time have yourself a good year Alex and beware of dark forces for they move when you are not looking. Goodbye for now old friend my heart is and always has been yours" Graves said.

"I wish I could give you a big hug right now, but I cannot can I?" Alex asked.

"No, you know it does not work like that, do me a favour will you speak to mom and dad for me and make sure they are okay?" the ghost asked.

"Of course I will," Alex said looking at her "I have seen you with more colour in your face" she commented with a weepy chuckle.

"Yes, being dead does wonder for a long existence in the spirit realm, but sucks for colour, remember what shit is thrown your way deal with it the best way you know how and remember I am but a memory away, I must go now, goodbye Alex," the ghost of Annabel Graves said and vanished from sight.

With that, the bugle call Last Post sounded...

Alex faced the headstone again "I will see you next year Annie" she said "Computer, end program" still with tears running down her cheeks she left the holodeck and wiping her tears away headed back to her quarters to have her usual drink of Blood Wine and to drink till she fell asleep.

[OFF]

Lieutenant Colonel Alexandria Somers [P: Somers]
Acting CO USS Tomcat

Simmed by

Fleet Captain Jasmine Somers
Commanding Officer

 

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