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Not in this case.
[There's the other Book of the Dead, but that's a tangent they probably oughtn't take for the moment.]
No, they were...spells, I suppose you'd say. And the one I read--it raised a man from the dead. With all the powers of the seven plagues of Egypt and more. He--[killed my traveling companions, he used them to get his form back.
And that's where her voice cuts out, her expression drawing into something tight and pained. She knows now, in sickening detail, just what she did to those poor men; until she tried to tell the story, she hadn't connected her recent experiences to their fates. And to Beni's, horrid little Beni, alone in the dark of Hamunaptra, waiting for starvation or scarab beetles.]
This was a silly idea. [That's spoken quietly, more to herself than anything. And then, a little louder, for Leonard's sake:] The, er, the long and short of it is that we had to lay him to rest again--and we did, eventually, and narrowly escaped with our lives. I'm sorry; I'm afraid it was a better story before the fire.
[There's the other Book of the Dead, but that's a tangent they probably oughtn't take for the moment.]
No, they were...spells, I suppose you'd say. And the one I read--it raised a man from the dead. With all the powers of the seven plagues of Egypt and more. He--[killed my traveling companions, he used them to get his form back.
And that's where her voice cuts out, her expression drawing into something tight and pained. She knows now, in sickening detail, just what she did to those poor men; until she tried to tell the story, she hadn't connected her recent experiences to their fates. And to Beni's, horrid little Beni, alone in the dark of Hamunaptra, waiting for starvation or scarab beetles.]
This was a silly idea. [That's spoken quietly, more to herself than anything. And then, a little louder, for Leonard's sake:] The, er, the long and short of it is that we had to lay him to rest again--and we did, eventually, and narrowly escaped with our lives. I'm sorry; I'm afraid it was a better story before the fire.
( he thinks about that, for a long moment. his expression isn't judgmental, just pensive, as he slots things together. it makes sense, in a way, that she'd already be familiar with some kind of magic. and as for the rest of it... )
I think you're maybe being a bit hard on the story. Sounds like a real adventure, to me.
( he's never been one to seek out that kind of thing, but look at his life. he can see the value in that life now. )
And, if you put it all right in the end, that's what matters-- right?
I think you're maybe being a bit hard on the story. Sounds like a real adventure, to me.
( he's never been one to seek out that kind of thing, but look at his life. he can see the value in that life now. )
And, if you put it all right in the end, that's what matters-- right?
[She shakes her head. It was an adventure, the most fantastic thing that had ever happened to her before coming here--and the adventuresome parts, she still likes. It's thinking about the cost of them that's hard.]
Men died because of me. Even if I didn't do the actual killing myself, I'm the one who sealed their fates. [At least five, perhaps more she'll never know about. But this isn't the tenor she'd hoped their conversation to take, and so it's with some effort that she tries to make it a bit less dreary.]
But the rest of it...you should have seen Hamunaptra. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life. It was absolutely full of undiscovered artifacts--it was an undiscovered artifact. [She tries for a smile.] Perhaps it'll be a story that sounds better again in a few weeks.
Men died because of me. Even if I didn't do the actual killing myself, I'm the one who sealed their fates. [At least five, perhaps more she'll never know about. But this isn't the tenor she'd hoped their conversation to take, and so it's with some effort that she tries to make it a bit less dreary.]
But the rest of it...you should have seen Hamunaptra. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life. It was absolutely full of undiscovered artifacts--it was an undiscovered artifact. [She tries for a smile.] Perhaps it'll be a story that sounds better again in a few weeks.
Carrying that around won't bring 'em back. ( he's had to think about that, often. who lives, who dies, and why. an entire generation of starfleet cadets, gone in moments-- an entire planet destroyed even quicker. and yet he's still here and it's still in his power to save people. that's enough, isn't it? it has to be.
he tilts his head and smiles wanly. ) I'm sure it will be. You just can't let the bad things outweigh the good. At least not forever.
he tilts his head and smiles wanly. ) I'm sure it will be. You just can't let the bad things outweigh the good. At least not forever.
No. But forgetting them would be an insult to their memory. [Even if they were rather beastly.
She falls quiet for several steps but eventually speaks again.] Since that was a bit of a non-starter, you needn't tell any stories. Unless you'd like to.
She falls quiet for several steps but eventually speaks again.] Since that was a bit of a non-starter, you needn't tell any stories. Unless you'd like to.
( he inclines his head, conceding that point readily. then, he looks up at the sky for a moment and shrugs. ) I don't have many interesting ones, myself. But I've been around for an adventure or two.
I could tell you about the time the crew stopped an active volcano from exploding.
I could tell you about the time the crew stopped an active volcano from exploding.
That sounds interesting enough. [In truth, hearing anything about his life is of interest to her--it's so far removed from hers that she can hardly imagine it.] I'd like to hear it.
( he smiles, a little bit. it's easy to be proud of what the others do, because he sees himself as adjunct to them. sure, he patches them up, but it's usually the others running around doing the heavy lifting. )
I guess I should say that we're pretty new, all things considered. Most of us only graduated from the academy two or three years ago.
One of our first assignments was to survey a planet called Nibiru. It's got a tropical climate--all bright colors and not too much in the way of development. The natives are peaceful, but haven't achieved space travel yet.
( he pauses, and wonders how things ended up for them-- they'd forgotten about nibiru in the scuffle of things happening afterwards. )
So, anyway, we get there and it turns out the biggest volcano on the planet is about to erupt, and take most of the populated areas with it. We couldn't march up to the Nibirans and tell 'em to scram, so we... tricked them.
I guess I should say that we're pretty new, all things considered. Most of us only graduated from the academy two or three years ago.
One of our first assignments was to survey a planet called Nibiru. It's got a tropical climate--all bright colors and not too much in the way of development. The natives are peaceful, but haven't achieved space travel yet.
( he pauses, and wonders how things ended up for them-- they'd forgotten about nibiru in the scuffle of things happening afterwards. )
So, anyway, we get there and it turns out the biggest volcano on the planet is about to erupt, and take most of the populated areas with it. We couldn't march up to the Nibirans and tell 'em to scram, so we... tricked them.
[This is precisely the sort of story Evy likes: new setting, new people, and just a bit of sneakiness to the whole thing.
As Leonard speaks, her expression loses its morose cast, and her eyes grow bright.]
How'd you manage it?
As Leonard speaks, her expression loses its morose cast, and her eyes grow bright.]
How'd you manage it?
Jim-- that's our captain-- in his infinite wisdom, decides to steal some holy relic. So they go chasing after him-- and me-- and we get them out of the line of fire.
Meanwhile, our science officer, communications specialist and pilot are inside the volcano, trying to neutralize it.
The whole thing was a big mess, and we nearly lost Spock-- our first officer. But Nibiru's still standing, and so are her inhabitants.
( he shrugs a little, as he finishes. it seems like a small win, now, but it meant something. not every victory has to come after fighting a war and losing people. )
Meanwhile, our science officer, communications specialist and pilot are inside the volcano, trying to neutralize it.
The whole thing was a big mess, and we nearly lost Spock-- our first officer. But Nibiru's still standing, and so are her inhabitants.
( he shrugs a little, as he finishes. it seems like a small win, now, but it meant something. not every victory has to come after fighting a war and losing people. )
[She's smiling, if still a bit hesitantly, as he recounts the story. Close calls where everyone ends up all right--it's a perfect story, small or not.]
It sounds like quite the adventure. I'm glad everything turned out all right.
[How much of a country bumpkin, metaphorically speaking, would she sound if she voiced her amazement at the idea of going to another planet in the first place? Hopefully not too much, because when she starts talking, she continues without too much thought to the matter.]
Of course, it seems like every day would be an adventure on a spaceship. I'm a bit envious, I have to admit.
It sounds like quite the adventure. I'm glad everything turned out all right.
[How much of a country bumpkin, metaphorically speaking, would she sound if she voiced her amazement at the idea of going to another planet in the first place? Hopefully not too much, because when she starts talking, she continues without too much thought to the matter.]
Of course, it seems like every day would be an adventure on a spaceship. I'm a bit envious, I have to admit.
( he dips his head at that, looks a bit embarrassed. )
I hate space. ( it's a bland admission, and one he usually makes boldly. but for some reason, now, he feels ungrateful. ) The whole big black mess of it scares the life out of me.
Where I'm from, it's a normal thing. Even if you're not in the 'fleet you get out in the black at least once-- more, if you're a trader or a scientist or someone who likes exotic vacations.
But my whole life, I've been scared of it. Couldn't even really tell you why.
...but it is an adventure. I'm not sad that's where I ended up, all told.
I hate space. ( it's a bland admission, and one he usually makes boldly. but for some reason, now, he feels ungrateful. ) The whole big black mess of it scares the life out of me.
Where I'm from, it's a normal thing. Even if you're not in the 'fleet you get out in the black at least once-- more, if you're a trader or a scientist or someone who likes exotic vacations.
But my whole life, I've been scared of it. Couldn't even really tell you why.
...but it is an adventure. I'm not sad that's where I ended up, all told.
[The idea of a space doctor who hates being in space is bemusing (and perhaps just the tiniest bit amusing)...but he seems to have done well enough for himself. Perhaps it's easy to forget one is in space once one's there, though she has difficulty imagining that.
...On the other hand, Egypt seems impossibly exotic to plenty of people she's met, both here and in England, and it felt prosaic to her on plenty of days. However unbelievable outer space seems to her, it's clearly mundane in his world.]
I suppose I can see why it'd be frightening. [Evy tips her head up a bit, looking at the sky. It's still light out right now, but the sun will set soon enough.] There's a lot of empty space between the stars, isn't there? Even if they look close together from here.
[And then she gives him a sidelong glance.] But perhaps the adventure makes up for that.
...On the other hand, Egypt seems impossibly exotic to plenty of people she's met, both here and in England, and it felt prosaic to her on plenty of days. However unbelievable outer space seems to her, it's clearly mundane in his world.]
I suppose I can see why it'd be frightening. [Evy tips her head up a bit, looking at the sky. It's still light out right now, but the sun will set soon enough.] There's a lot of empty space between the stars, isn't there? Even if they look close together from here.
[And then she gives him a sidelong glance.] But perhaps the adventure makes up for that.
It's quiet. And dangerous, in ways you don't always expect.
( he says that quietly. then, perhaps realizing he's getting a bit dark, he clears his throat. )
You do what you've gotta, though. And the people ain't half bad.
( he says that quietly. then, perhaps realizing he's getting a bit dark, he clears his throat. )
You do what you've gotta, though. And the people ain't half bad.
Quiet sounds nice. Dangerous...a bit less so.
[But she's happy to move on from that thought.]
I suppose they'd have to be--I'm not sure I'd be willing to help steal a holy artifact for a captain I didn't like. [No, then she'd steal it for herself, obviously. Either way, she's just teasing.]
[But she's happy to move on from that thought.]
I suppose they'd have to be--I'm not sure I'd be willing to help steal a holy artifact for a captain I didn't like. [No, then she'd steal it for herself, obviously. Either way, she's just teasing.]
He has his moments. ( he thinks jim and evy would probably get along, if jim didn't fumble the whole thing by hitting on her too overtly. )
I figure you adventurous typs'll always do things like that. And the rest of us go along for the ride because... well, I don't really know why.
I figure you adventurous typs'll always do things like that. And the rest of us go along for the ride because... well, I don't really know why.
We "adventurous types"? [She laughs.] I'm sorry--I never really thought of myself as the adventurous type.
[She was always mousy Evelyn Carnahan, mild-mannered librarian. Jonathan might have had words about the "mild-mannered" bit, but outside him, didn't she tend to keep to herself?
All before that puzzle box. All before she came here.]
But perhaps I am. And if I am...then you can trust my expertise when I say that we need someone to be sensible about things when we're tearing off on some new adventure.
[She was always mousy Evelyn Carnahan, mild-mannered librarian. Jonathan might have had words about the "mild-mannered" bit, but outside him, didn't she tend to keep to herself?
All before that puzzle box. All before she came here.]
But perhaps I am. And if I am...then you can trust my expertise when I say that we need someone to be sensible about things when we're tearing off on some new adventure.
( he arches a brow. ) If the shoe fits, Miss.
( then he chuckles. ) The whole thing'd work out a lot better if anyone took the sensible ones' advice.
( then he chuckles. ) The whole thing'd work out a lot better if anyone took the sensible ones' advice.
Yes...I suppose that would help, wouldn't it?
[She grins.]
Your captain's lucky to have you, even if he doesn't pay your advice much mind.
[She grins.]
Your captain's lucky to have you, even if he doesn't pay your advice much mind.
Well, right now you have me. I mean, this place does.
Right. ( nailed it. )
Right. ( nailed it. )
[Evy assumes his "you" is a general one, and so there's no awkwardness in her answer.]
I think we're lucky, too. The more proper doctors here, the better--especially if they're good conversation.
I think we're lucky, too. The more proper doctors here, the better--especially if they're good conversation.
I'd sooner give that particular crown to you, I think.
Most people don't have kind words for my conversation.
Most people don't have kind words for my conversation.
[She snorts.]
I could say the same.
Of course, I mostly have Jonathan's word for it, and brothers are hardly reliable sources for this sort of thing, but I certainly didn't make many friends in school, talking about mummification over dinner.
I could say the same.
Of course, I mostly have Jonathan's word for it, and brothers are hardly reliable sources for this sort of thing, but I certainly didn't make many friends in school, talking about mummification over dinner.
You're probably better off. They don't sound like they'd have been very interesting friends.
Oh, I know that now. But at the time, it was rather disheartening--and a good lesson on watching what one says over particularly rare meat.
Suffice to say, if your conversation skills aren't widely considered up to snuff, I haven't noticed. [She winks at him.]
Suffice to say, if your conversation skills aren't widely considered up to snuff, I haven't noticed. [She winks at him.]
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