Remembrance

Posted on Thu Aug 23rd, 2018 @ 3:43pm by Captain Akiva ben-Avram & Lieutenant JG Jaya Maera Garlake & Lieutenant Colonel Storr Garlake & Lieutenant Commander BaoJun Qiao & Warrant Officer Laena ben-Avram

1,360 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 0: Everybody Has A Story
Location: Officially Unoccupied Quarters, Memory Theta
Timeline: After Mission 1, 1930

Lieutenant Qiao looked around the room one last time, hoping he had gotten it mostly right. A cursory glance had told him it would never be proper, since there had been and would be no funeral, and no one could stay “at home” for seven days, and technically he should go to Akiva’s home, but they could still honor what Biynah had been and remember the brief time she’d had and it was not unheard of for a non-family member to handle details if necessary. He slipped the delicate black silk shenyi over his under-garments before taking a small dagger and using it to tear the silk across his chest near his heart in what had, at least on Earth, been the Jewish custom. Laying the knife on a table near the door he added a kippot hat in deference to Judaism as well.

Looking around, he made sure there were plenty of low seats and cushions along with extra head coverings, a tall burning candle, and a pitcher of water and a basin for hand washing upon entrance. A small table to the side had been devoted to food, both traditional items such as hard boiled eggs and lentils, and items of Bao’s tradition that fit the general proscriptions as well: such as the intricate 18 ingredient luohan zhai and fruits of the required five colours to represent the five primordial elements. He doubted anything from a replicator counted as kashrut but there weren't exactly a slew of Rabbis available to bless the machine. Everything was as ready as could be, and it was the time he had noticed to those he’d invited, though it was, of course, conceivable and expected that Akiva might have brought more, or mightn’t come at all. He moved to the door and overrode the lock on it so that it would open freely to anyone coming.

Jaya walked through the door, pulling Storr by the arm. The man didn't seem reluctant, just not as hurried as the little woman. Memorial wakes and other ceremonies to honor the passing of loved ones were very important. Between being Akiva's counselor and friend, she wouldn't have missed this for the world.

Lt Col Garlake wasn't one to be preceded by his wife but he also was in no rush as his mind was froth. He supported Akiva without question and the loss of Biynah had affected the Hebron in ways that Storr couldn't even begin to imagine. But Biynah...what was she? Was she truly alive? Did she receive and give love in return? Did she have a soul in the image of God and if so, was she suffering eternal punishment or glory? Was salvation for metal or flesh alone? These had always been questions that the Afrikaner stumbled on but never really gave much thought. True, he occasionally read an article or came across a mechanical mind but it had never become personal. Not like this. Seeing his friend grieve from the bottom of his soul for a silicone creation brought all these questions to the fore and unfortunately, Garlake had no quick or easy answers.

"Good evening, Lieutenant." Jaya offered her hand to Bao, and she had to resist flinching to do it. The man's mind resonated with the echoes of whispering that went beyond her ability to hear or feel. Such was the case with cybernetic beings. To Jaya's mind, it was as if Bao responded to a melody that she could not, and she made effort not to let it unsettle her.

Bao bowed politely. "Good evening, madam," he said taking her hand delicately, having never met a Deltan before, and being unsure of appropriate etiquette. "If it would not be overly forward," he added, "please call me BaoJun. I would say I have heard lovely things about you, but I am afraid your good Colonel seems to rarely speak at all, and I have no desire to utter any of the phrases I have seen goad him into speech," he finished with a look at Storr while holding his hand out to him.

Storr took Bao's hand and shook it firmly, the cyborg's grip firm and cold. "She's a secret worth keeping," he said in reply, a half-smile crossing his face as he met the Xenoscientist's gaze. He was about to say more when movement in the back of the room caught both their eyes.

Without fanfare or forewarning, Akiva stepped softly through the doors, his face stiff and neutral. His dodgy eyes took in the room, noting the emblems of several cultures. The dagger at the table by the door. He looked up to Bao, with his rent clothing, and fought back tears in his eyes.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Qiao. Bao...Jun." The pronunciation came difficulty at first. "You always were kind to Biynah." He reached for the dagger and tore his own shirt.

Bao simply nodded, being unsure, actually, of how to act towards Akiva, considering the commander could technically be called his superior at the moment. He supposed it probably would not matter for the moment. He settled for placing a hand on the other's shoulder, giving him an option of withdrawing, accepting, or coming closer. "Biynah was a unique entity," he said, choosing his words carefully. "She saved a people, and we ought remember that, at least. Ale-ha Ha-sholom," he continued, the Hebrew flowing awkwardly form his own tongue, as he had never spoken it, and could find precious few resources on how to actually pronounce it.

The doors opened quietly, allowing Laena to step into the area. She knew that it would probably come as a surprise for Akiva to see her there, but despite how they left their relationship, Laena still had love and respect for Akiva. And while it was a short time, Biynah was part of her life. Her family. So she would attend, even if he didn't want her there. But she felt it was only right. Without saying a word, she slipped into the back and stood mostly behind Storr, trying to blend in.

Akiva smiled at Bao's attempt at Hebrew, and was about to compliment him on the mediocre accent. Then he saw her. Even from this distance, his body recognized her subdued pheromones, a subtle but exotic allure that always sent him ablaze in body and soul.

"Hello, Laena," he said softly. "Thank you for coming."

She softly nodded, with a smile, but didn't speak.

Jaya reached out to Laena and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Regardless of everything else, this moment just felt right.

"In fact, I wish to thank you all." Akiva hesitated for a moment, choking back a sob. "When I first dreamed of Biynah, she was a mere virtual interface inside a memory bank. It took a small team of specialists to engineer and fabricate a subprocessor for her digital consciousness and a self-replicating synthetic body to house it. My hope was always that she would go on to do great things..."

He lowered his head to hide his grief. Wiping his eyes dry, he forced himself to continue. "But I suppose everyone here witnessed her do amazing things. The greatest thing. To lay down her life for others. I'd like to think that, in one way or another, Biynah lives on... through us, through our memory, through the parts of us that she emulated. The best parts."

Jaya couldn't help but add her radiant smile to those of everyone else. "She brought out the best in all of us," she agreed, "but not least of all, she showed the best of you. Don't let that light go out."

It took everything he had not to shed more tears at Jaya's kind words. Akiva bit back the tremble in his lip, though that seemed to only make his eyes water all the more. He wouldn't cry. Not on this solemn day of Biynah's memory. "I won't if you won't." Looking around, from man to woman to man and woman again, Akiva saw a rainbow through the storm.

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