Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation characters.
Captain’s quarters
Captain Picard was sitting in his quarters, reading A Tale of Two Cities. His door chimed. “Come.” He said in a stern voice, looking over his book. Beverly entered when the door swished open, “Oh doctor, come in.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t make it any sooner.”
“That is okay. Sit please.” He put his book down on the coffee table in front of him. She sat opposite of him. “Can I get you anything?” Because of his long history with her, he always took the extra effort to be nicer to her than most everyone else.
“No, I am fine.” She ran her fingers through her hair.”
“How’s Mr. Data?” Jean-Luc asked.
“Jean-Luc, I am confused. Every test we run says he’s fine. Nothing abnormal. Nothing!” She slapped her knee. “I don’t know what to do.”
“What is your best medical conclusion?”
“It’s mental.” She hissed, shaking her head. “Can you believe what just came out of my mouth? Data and mental. Anyway, I don’t think he’s going insane. I don’t think he’s a danger to anyone or anything.” She let out a long tired sigh. “He asked me what it felt like to lose Jack.” She just stared at Jean-Luc. “He also asked me if losing contact with someone could hurt as bad. I suggested he talk to you.”
“Why me?” Picard asked with surprise.
“This may sound cruel but you had an on again off again relationship with your brother.”
Jean-Luc smiled. “He hasn’t stopped by to talk to me yet.”
“I am worried about him.”
“Let’s talk about more pleasant matters. Wesley has grown so much.”
“Yes he has. He looks more like Jack all the time.”
“Does he have a girlfriend?”
“Jean-Luc, he wouldn’t tell me. I’m just his mother. He would be comfortable talking about such matters with you, not me.” She smiled.
He laughed.
They sat there for the longest time. “What are you thinking about?” She asked in the sweetest voice.
“Sorry. I can’t help but think about Data?”
“There has to be some way we can help him.”
“I know.” Jean-Luc sank back into deep thought. Beverly yawned. “You need rest doctor. That’s an order.”
She smiled, “yes Captain,” leaving his quarters.
*
Wesley Crusher = Beverly and the late Jack Crushers son.
I was gifted a copy of Rebecca Solnit’s – A Field Guide to Getting Lost. Not far into the book she uses a quote, “How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?” (Plato)
Try as I might, I couldn’t find this in audio form that was available to me. On my quest, I found the study guide below. 1. Which lead me to Plato’s Meno.
“Plato’s Meno introduces aspects of Socratic ethics and Platonic epistemology in a fictional dialogue that is set among important political events and cultural concerns in the last years of Socrates’ life.”2. As a friend of mine says, “shew buddy.” By the end of this fictitious dialogue I wanted to punch Socrates and say, “what the hell dude?” Socrates is trying to get Meno to define virtue. All I got, and at one point, I think Meno as well, is a lot of double talk and a headache. While there are points I agree with. My head is still spinning. 😵💫
Back to Solnit.
A Field Guide to getting list is written as a series of autobiographical essays. As we take a walk through Solnit’s life, she explores every aspect of getting lost. From nature (getting lost hiking) to personal loss. She dives into city verses country scenery, art, music and how these tie into our own ideas of getting lost.
It took me awhile to get into the book. Honestly, I felt lost. And a time or 2 I felt like I was reading Meno all over again. Yes, lost. Overall, I’m so glad I stuck with it.
“The Essence of living is being lost.” Rebecca Solint
Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation characters.
The losing
After checking on him one last time, she turned to leave. She jumped as Data grabbed her by the arm. “Data, you startled me.” She patted her chest.
“I did not mean too.” He withdrew his hand.
“I know you didn’t.”
“Stay with me. Just a little while.” He seemed so sad. So alone, she thought.
“Okay, I will be in my office if you need me.” She started to walk away.
“Talk to me.” He spoke. She walked over to the table across from him and sat down. “You may not want to tell me about this. If not, I will accept that.”
“Okay.”
He looked blank for a moment. “What did it feel like when you lost your husband?”
She cleared her throat. “Well, at first I was in shock. There was no way Jack could have been dead. After that, I went through a stage of denial. I didn’t want to believe it. Jack wasn’t dead. He would come home at any moment. A big smile would be on his face, telling me that it was a big misunderstanding.” She smiled as she lowered her head. Her red hair fell down around her face. “Oh,” she groaned as she rose back up, “I was so mad. I couldn’t believe he left us. How could he have left me alone to raise Wesley? After literally years of being angry, I was sad. I still miss him,” she smiled. “At some point you start to get on with your life. Why do you ask?”
He didn’t answer right away. “I guess losing someone figuratively can hurt just as bad?”
“As in losing contact with someone?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“The Captain would be a good person to ask that question to.”
He got up, “if it is acceptable. I think I will return to my quarters.”
“That will be fine.” He started to leave the room. “Data, I have noticed that sometimes you use precise words, then other times you have started to incorporate ‘slang’ terms into your vocabulary.”
“I have noticed that as well. I believe it is a direct effect of the emotion chip. Thank you Doctor.”
The darkness is enveloping. Deeper than a lovers embrace. The air is cool and inviting. That delicate balance of firm softness cradles every cell it touches. A light fragrance calms the senses. A slight breeze entices goose bumps. The sudden prickle of hair standing at attention is pleasing. As a warm gentle cocoon transports a weary soul.
Do you know what I’m describing? Leave your suggestion in the comments below.
Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation characters.
The Arboretum
“Data,” Counselor Troi’s voice caused his spine to crawl. She had cut through his sadness when all he wanted was to be alone. He wasn’t at all sure why he was sad. “What are you doing in the Arboretum?”
Why didn’t she just leave? He thought before answering her. “I started walking; just ended up here.”
“Just walking?”
“Yes, just walking.” He didn’t look up from the object that had focused his full attention.
“Oh!” she gasped. “They are gorgeous. Did you do this?”
“No.” Came a very dry reply.
“Water lilies are so beautiful. I almost expect frogs to start jumping onto the lily pads. She walked over to the pond, in the middle of the room. “I had a class in here yesterday, none of this was here.” She sat in the grass trailing her fingers across the water. “Come join me.” She patted the ground beside of her.
“I would prefer not.” He stumbled backwards falling into a seated position on a wall behind him. He didn’t see the lilies anymore. He saw a foot, a very dainty elegant foot. The toes, his stomach cramped with exquisite pain. The toes were wiggling happily in the water. The smell of honeysuckle flooded his senses. Then he saw a leg wrapped in soft yellow cloth. The cloth had little green frogs printed all over it. He was fighting hard to breathe. He heard laughing and giggling. He felt those soft sensual lips caress him. His hand trailed from the ankle up under the fabric to her knee. Her skin was the softest thing he had ever felt. He felt happy and in love.
He said something in a strange language. Deanna had never heard this language before. And the Enterprise’s onboard language translator didn’t translate it.
As quickly as the vision had appeared, it disappeared. He saw nothing. He felt nothing. His android body fell to the ground.
“Data!” Deanna jumped to her feet. “Data!” She rushed over to him, shaking him the best she could. “Data!” she tapped her communicator, “medical emergency in the Arboretum.”
Through the darkness Data heard a soft voice calling his name. “DaTa.” He could smell her skin. Her cheek fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. Her thumb outlined his eyebrow. Her middle finger traced his ear. “DaTa please wake up. You must help me.” Her voice grew faint. “Help me.” He didn’t want to hear her voice. But he longed to feel it. He felt it so close to his neck that the wind from her breath created goose bumps. “Help me.”
Then another voice called to him. It was louder, over powering the softer voice he heard. It took several minutes for him to realize it was Dr. Crusher’s voice. Drowning out the sweetest sound he had ever heard. He opened his eyes to find the Captain, Geordi, Dr. Crusher, and Counselor Troi standing around him.
“You gave us quiet a scare Mr. Data. What just happened?” Picard asked. Tugging at the bottom of his shirt.
“My best guess would be,” Data paused, “I passed out sir.”
“You passed out?” Geordi questioned in shock.
“I believe so. I cannot formulate any other explanation.”
“Data do you think the emotion chip is malfunctioning?” Picard asked.
“I do not know Captain.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “However, I do believe there is something wrong with me. I have asked Geordi to help me run three diagnostics. He has found nothing. I have ran two self-diagnostics finding nothing.” He stopped.
“Data, what is going on?” Troi asked. “This isn’t like you. Oh, and by the way, what does LB EVAG AE TG PAXU mean?”
He looked stunned, “Where did you hear that?”
“From you.” Came her direct reply. “Before you, passed out.” There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“Data?” Picard asked.
He closed his eyes while turning his head toward Captain Picard. He opened his eyes before saying, “my skin is on fire.” Data started to visibly shake.
“I think we should leave now.” Beverly was trying to be nice about ending the line of questioning. It was obvious it was upsetting Data. He sunk back down onto the table. She stayed for a moment to make sure everyone had left.
I take great issue with Judges 19. So here’s chapter 19 in a nutshell: man picks a slave. Slave runs away. Man goes to retrieve slave. On the way home man, is trapped in random man’s house by a mob. Man offers up slave to mob. Slave is raped to death. Man cuts slave up into 12 pieces and almost destroys a tribe of people. Yelp, that’s it.
This chapter upsets me on so many levels. Nothing in this chapter is right! Let’s learn together and unpack the part of this story that causes me the most angst.
Wait – stop; you just called her a slave but KJV calls her a concubine. What gives?
To start off; in biblical times, a wife held a higher social status and had more rights and responsibilities than a concubine. A concubine was a woman who lived with a man, often as a form of secondary wife or slave, while a wife had a full legal and social standing as a marital partner. “ Google A.I. definition.
KJV says, “so the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them,” Judges 19:25.
Personally, I take issue with the King James Version of the Bible. I choose to believe it is not the be all and end all of biblical translations.
I’ve been listening to Flavius Josephus; The Antiquities of the Jews. He was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for his writings on the Jewish Revolt of 66-70 AD and his history of the Jewish people. He is considered a crucial primary source for understanding Jewish history and the period of the First Jewish-Roman War, as well as the early history of Christianity.
Josephus was not a popular man. Religiously, he was a pharisees. As a military leader, who initially served as a Jewish leader in Galilee during the First Jewish-Roman War, but he later surrendered to Roman forces and became a collaborator with the Roman Empire. This didn’t go over well with his fellow Jews. He’s forever branded by his fellow Jews as a traitor.
After the war, he wrote extensively about the Jewish people, their history, and the conflict with Rome. His most important works include “The Jewish War” and “Antiquities of the Jews”.
In “Antiquities of the Jews”, Josephus starts with Genesis (the creation of all). I’m not finished with the book, so I’m not going to comment on things I haven’t read. But listening to his translations, verses what I’ve read from the KJV, it all sounds familiar. Same characters, same stories, there have been a couple times that I paused and was like, that’s different. But nothing to make me want to throw a book across the room.
With that being said, I couldn’t wait to get to his take on Judges 19. His version of the story is radically different in a lot of aspects. Nowhere does Josephus call her a concubine. As a matter of importance (to me) he uses the word wife 5 times.
Let’s go back to KJV. It says, “so the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them,” Judges 19:25. On page 136 of The Antiquities of the Jews; Josephus writes, “but they proceeded to take her away by force”.
KJV gives us this picture of a runaway slave and her owner that goes and gets her back only to offer her up as a scapegoat to save his own hide.
Josephus paints a picture of a vulgar man, who marries a beautiful woman. But she doesn’t love him, the way he loves her. Which causes them to fight. A-LOT! She can’t stand it and goes to her parents. He goes to get her. Her parents intreat him to stay. When they get to Gibeah, the men of the city are so taken by her beauty that they form a mob. Josephus never mentions that they want to abuse the men of the house. KJV 22, “Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.” The old man in the house does still offer up his daughter. Josephus details that they “but they proceeded to take her away by force”.
Josephus makes me feel a lot better about this story. That the men of this city kidnapped her instead of her being pushed outside as a ‘here you go as long as you leave me alone’. There is still things that I take issue with in both tellings.
He didn’t change my opinion about Ruth.
My point in sharing this as my Testimony Tuesday isn’t to cause anyone to question their faith. At the end of the day, Jesus is my Lord and Savior. And the Bible is the word of God.
As we know it, the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek by approximately 40 different authors over a period of about 1500 years.
If I’ve confused anyone by sharing my struggle to understand better a part of the Bible that upsets me, I do apologize. I feel like it has been laid on my heart to try to get a better understanding.
Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation characters.
The Game
Later that night Beverly, Deanna, Worf, Wil, and Geordi gathered in Commander Riker’s quarters for the poker game.
“It’s been an hour commander, should we start without him?” Geordi asked with a flavor of distaste in his voice.
At that moment the door beeped.
Good,” Worf growled. “Data is here.”
“Come,” Wil shouted.
Jean-Luc entered the room. “No need to shout Number One. I hope I am not interrupting.”
“No, not at all; Please come in and have a seat.” Wil extended the invitation to the Captain.
“Where’s Data?” He asked.
“We don’t know,” Geordi was even more annoyed that their newest arrival was the captain and not Data. “I think that emotion chip was a bad idea. I have helped him run three diagnostics in the past two weeks. He is convinced there is something wrong with him. We haven’t found a thing.”
“A hypochondriac android is a bad thing,” Beverly remarked.
Wil grinned at the thought.
“Most species spend all their lives learning how to interpret and control their emotions. Data has only had two years. Emotionally speaking he is a child. We must learn to be patient with him.” Counselor Troi gave her thoughts on the matter.
Beverly cleared her throat, “Wes was telling me about something that happened this afternoon on the bridge. He noticed Data twinge. In his hand,” she recreated what Wes had shown her for the poker group.
The very feminine voice of the computer responded, “Lieutenant Commander Data is on Holodeck 3.”
“Perhaps we should pay Mr. Data a visit?” Captain Picard suggested.
They all marched from the poker game to Holodeck 3. At the door, it refused to open. “Access denied.” The computer reported.
“Override Picard, Captain, Jean-Luc, Delta Omega 3.” The door slid open, before them lay a luscious rolling meadow, full of tall green grass, wild flowers of every shape and color reached for a brilliant blue sky. They heard birds singing. As they began to walk through the program, the sound of water compelled them to keep moving. Butterflies clung to the flowers, just slightly fluttering their wings as the group walked past.
“I have this sudden urge to go running naked through this meadow,” Beverly commented; and instantly blushed realizing that she said her thought out loud.
“I smell lavender,” Deanna voiced.
A gentle breeze brushed at their backs. They walked on finding the source of the rolling water. A stream cut through the landscape. On the other bank, a forest stood mighty and tall, ripples developed across the calm pond feeding the stream.
“I have a sudden urge to go swimming,” Wil said. “I haven’t been swimming in years.”
“Seems like this place can bring out emotions in us,” Deanna analyzed.
“Desires,” Beverly added.
To their left, was a weeping willow tree; sitting under the trees weeping tassels extended a long pair of legs dressed in black pants and polished black shoes.
“Data are you okay?” Picard asked.
“It seems fantastic Data. Is this a real place?” Deanna asked.
Data got up, facing them. “This was a real place.” He seemed kind of sad. “Something is missing and I cannot determine what it is.”
A cracking noise directed their attention across the pond. A twelve-point buck had emerged from the forest to drink. It stared at them for a moment before leaving.
“What is missing?” Data folded his arms across his chest. He glanced at Commander Riker, “the poker game?” Suddenly realizing.
“You missed it.”
A rabbit hopped onto Data’s shiny black shoe. “Where did you come from?”
The rabbit twitched its little pink nose.
“Data, what do you mean, ‘where did it come from’?” Picard asked in a shocked voice.
“I did not create any rabbits for this program.”
It hopped away. After 10 feet of distance between it and the crew, it turned its head back toward Data. As if it was playing, it shook its white cotton ball tail at him before scampering off.
“It seems to have a playful personality,” Beverly commented.
Deanna shivered, “oooooo; that was strange.”
“What?” Wil asked. Concern filled his voice.
“A feeling. I’m not sure what.”
“Look!” Wil exclaimed pointing at the top of a hill at the back of the meadow. There stood a Vodoc, a dog like animal that was indigenous to Omicron Theta. It started to howl. “Spooky.”
They followed it. At the top of the hill, Data froze. There at the bottom of this hill, tucked in the back of another meadow were three round cylinders standing upright. “Computer end program.” He hissed.
Everyone stared at him in amazement.
Without another word, Data left the holodeck and his friends behind, confused.
If you speak to 10 Christians, you will get 10 different stories about how each person came to Christ. We call these stories testimonies.
The Latter Times of Being Crazy for Christ is an easy but powerful read. The author examines many aspects of his testimony; from can he really say, boldly “yes, Lord I love you” to how he was treated by loved ones when he turned his life over to God.
The author holds no punches when he writes, “I was at my lowest point. Overwhelmed by depression, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts. I finally realized I was missing the most important relationship of all, the one with Jesus Christ.”
He reminds us all “we sin and thus fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.
“Without Jesus, we are lost in the darkness.” All the glory belongs to God. Amen!
This is a heartfelt story about personal struggles in a secular world as the author shares his spiritual journey with Christ. The road isn’t easy but so worth the effort.
Matthew 19:26 NIV “26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation characters.
Lost Past
The Beginning
Commander Riker shared with Captain Picard some strange events that had been taking place among the crew. They were sitting on the bridge when he leaned over to Picard, “Captain, when you get a minute I would like a word with you.”
“Of course Number One, shall we?” Picard motioned to the ready room. The door swished open and then closed behind them. “What is on your mind Wil? Sit.”Commander Riker sat opposite the captain.
“Captain, this is not a complaint, merely an observation if you will. I have been watching Data for the past two weeks. He keeps showing up for duty later and later. I took it upon myself to time him this week. He has gotten it down to an art. One second before his shift starts, he steps onto the bridge.”
“He is never late?”
“No, but this behavior is not like him.” Wil sighed.
“I think we are going to see a lot of strange behaviors out of Mr. Data now that he has that emotion chip.” Jean-Luc took a deep breath, “until he has done something wrong I wouldn’t worry about it. Though, continue to observe him if you wish. And let me know if the situation changes.”
“There is something else strange as well; he hasn’t been attending our weekly poker games. Guinan even stopped me in Ten-Forward to ask me if he was okay.”
The Captain raised an eyebrow at this, “really?”
“Data is a commendable officer, Captain; I hope this emotion chip isn’t getting the best of him.”
“It has been two years. He seems to be adapting well.”
“I just can’t shake the uneasy feeling I have about this situation.”
Their conversation was interrupted by Worf’s gruff voice, “Captain?”
Commander Riker got up to leave, “keep me posted Wil.”
He turned and looked back over his shoulder, “yes sir.”
“Go ahead Mr. Worf” Picard ordered.
After several minutes, Captain Picard reappeared on the bridge tugging at his shirt. “Mr. Crusher, lay in a course for Deep Space 9 warp 3.”
“Yes sir,” Wesley quickly entered the co-ordinance into the console.
“Engage.” Captain Picard motioned forward into the vastness of space.
“Yes sir,” Ensign Crusher responded with enthusiasm, Space meant adventure for him.
“Number One, you have the com.”
“Yes sir.”
Captain Picard went back into the ready room.
”Data?” Riker broke the nervous tension that surrounded them on the bridge.
Data spun around in his chair using his feet as an anchor to stop its circular motion, “yes Commander.”
“We are going to play poker tonight, interested?” Wil smiled a devilish grin.
“Yes Commander,” he quickly turned back around giving his full attention to his console. He felt a twinge ripple through his hand. Though it was small, it was enough to catch Mr. Crusher’s eye. Data brushed it off and continued his work.
I wanted to share my win for today. There was a time in my life when I had 0 spare change. Once, I drove to work on fumes, praying that I would make it to my destination.
This morning I’m rootin’ through the glove book looking for last years restoration (one of the perks of living in KY 🤢) and found $20.00. I had bought something for the car and just left it in there with the receipt.
Poetry & More 