Post by onezero on Mar 9, 2010 11:49:28 GMT -5
STARBASE 74
OBSERVATION LOUNGE
February 14, 2409
After an extensive survey of the Pelmin Nebula, the USS Hyperion has been ordered to Starbase 74 for maintenance and repairs. The Pelmin Cloud contains a high concentration of Componite Particles, which need to be flushed from our hull. This will also be an ideal time for the Deflector Array upgrades we've been needing. During this time, most of the crew will be enjoying shore leave. Entirely appropriate, I think, after all….considering the day.
- – -
"By the Datastream…" Zero gave a cheerful sigh of frustration. Tossing his PADD down on the table in front of him, he absent-mindedly rubbed the scar on his left cranium slope, where his Bynar chip had been.
Even after all these years, years of adjustment and therapy, the Human holiday called "Valentine's Day" still seemed to evoke a sadness in him.
It was nearly a decade since the accident that had killed his binary partner. It had also left Zero unable to pair again. Unable to be part of a Unified Pair. Unable to interface with computers and datastreams, most importantly, the Byanus World Computer. To be something no Bynar would voluntarily choose to be. Alone.
And now on Valentine's Day, Zero had inadvertantly picked the worst place to relax and type his personal log: Starbase 74's observation deck. Couples of all genders and species had gathered in one of the most "romantic" spots on the Starbase to enjoy the view of Tarsus III. And each other's company, no doubt.
Zero smiled a smile of resignation and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath he mentally accessed his synaptic processor. His mind was no longer that of a typical Bynar, true, but he could still take refuge in some remnants of Binary Philosophy. Mentally watching his internal datastream flow by, he thought, "Either one or zero. Either happiness or sadness. The choice is that simple."
Letting the tension spill from him with his breath, Zero happily opened his eyes, looking around the room. The couples no longer symbolized for him what he had lost. Now he began to feel a warmth in his cranium. They symbolized the goodness and affection capable of all species for each other. And hope for future.
But then he saw them.
The Bynars.
Many Bynars worked in civilian capacities for Starfleet, maintaining their computer banks. These two must have entered the Observation Deck while Zero had his eyes closed. And now they flitted about the room from one location to another, speaking together in short bursts of high-frequency data packets, too fast and too complex for most other species to comprehend. But handicapped as he was, his synaptic processor could still decipher some of it. And he could tell they were talking about him, while trying not to be noticed. He could make out the word they were calling him. A "singleton."
Zero let out his own short burst of light-hearthearted curses in the digital language of the Bynars and forced a smile on his face. "Thank the Datastream for the Federation. I must turn to a collection of alien cultures for acceptance and understanding. Grid knows, I'll never get it from my own people."
With a resigned smile, Zero picked up his PADD and walked over to the two Bynars. Seeing his approach, the nervous and jerky movements of the Bynars became even more animated, reminding Zero of how much unlike them he was now, having lived so many years among Starfleet.
Zero greeted them with the customary digital burst greeting. The two Bynars turned and immediately began to speak rapidly in long stacatto streams of the Bynar's language. Despite the modifications done to his synaptic processor by both Federation and Bynar scientists, the high-speed digital communication of his own people was now simply too fast for him to understand.
"Wait. Please. Please, I cannot understand…"
The Bynars paused, looked at each other and then back to Zero.
"Forgive us. We didn't-" began the first Bynar, only to have his sentence immediately resumed by the second Bynar. "-realize that you would no longer be able to communicate-"
"-as we do," finished the first Bynar.
Zero smiled kindly. "Oh no! No apology is required. I should not have initiated conversation in Bynary."
The two Bynars fidgeted again, shared quick glances.
"You are the singleton designated as 100110001010110001011011?"
Zero smiled, cultivating patience.
"Yes. Yes, I am. Although now I normally go by my first two digits. One Zero."
"Lt. Zero-" The Bynars began.
"-Junior Science Officer assigned to-"
"-the Federation starship USS Hyperion."
"Maimed in an accident on Starbase 174 in which-"
"-your unified partner 010110001010110001011011 was-"
"-killed."
Zero crossed his arms and smiled politely as the Bynars "ping-ponged" their sentences back and forth.
"Yes…well, that is me," he smiled at them.
The Bynars looked at each other again, nervously streaming dataspeak at each other. Then they turned to Zero and stood very stiffly, their eyes looking slightly upward and above him.
"We ask you to accept-"
"-our apology."
Zero was confused. "Apology? Apology for what?"
The Bynars began to fidget again.
"For making arrangements without-"
"-your foreknowledge."
"Or consent."
"As you are aware, we-"
"-are connected to the-"
"-World Computer."
"When we realized who you were, and-"
"And that you would be on this Starbase for several days…"
"We notified your progeneration sector. They are sending your progenitors-"
"-here."
The Bynars looked nervously at each other, as if searching for an explanation.
"For a … a visit."
"Yes…a visit."
Zero took a step back, his eyes open in suprise.
His progenitors…his "parents"… were coming to visit. Zero took a deep, worried breath and again started mentally to repeat his mantra.
Either one or zero. Either one or zero…
OBSERVATION LOUNGE
February 14, 2409
After an extensive survey of the Pelmin Nebula, the USS Hyperion has been ordered to Starbase 74 for maintenance and repairs. The Pelmin Cloud contains a high concentration of Componite Particles, which need to be flushed from our hull. This will also be an ideal time for the Deflector Array upgrades we've been needing. During this time, most of the crew will be enjoying shore leave. Entirely appropriate, I think, after all….considering the day.
- – -
"By the Datastream…" Zero gave a cheerful sigh of frustration. Tossing his PADD down on the table in front of him, he absent-mindedly rubbed the scar on his left cranium slope, where his Bynar chip had been.
Even after all these years, years of adjustment and therapy, the Human holiday called "Valentine's Day" still seemed to evoke a sadness in him.
It was nearly a decade since the accident that had killed his binary partner. It had also left Zero unable to pair again. Unable to be part of a Unified Pair. Unable to interface with computers and datastreams, most importantly, the Byanus World Computer. To be something no Bynar would voluntarily choose to be. Alone.
And now on Valentine's Day, Zero had inadvertantly picked the worst place to relax and type his personal log: Starbase 74's observation deck. Couples of all genders and species had gathered in one of the most "romantic" spots on the Starbase to enjoy the view of Tarsus III. And each other's company, no doubt.
Zero smiled a smile of resignation and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath he mentally accessed his synaptic processor. His mind was no longer that of a typical Bynar, true, but he could still take refuge in some remnants of Binary Philosophy. Mentally watching his internal datastream flow by, he thought, "Either one or zero. Either happiness or sadness. The choice is that simple."
Letting the tension spill from him with his breath, Zero happily opened his eyes, looking around the room. The couples no longer symbolized for him what he had lost. Now he began to feel a warmth in his cranium. They symbolized the goodness and affection capable of all species for each other. And hope for future.
But then he saw them.
The Bynars.
Many Bynars worked in civilian capacities for Starfleet, maintaining their computer banks. These two must have entered the Observation Deck while Zero had his eyes closed. And now they flitted about the room from one location to another, speaking together in short bursts of high-frequency data packets, too fast and too complex for most other species to comprehend. But handicapped as he was, his synaptic processor could still decipher some of it. And he could tell they were talking about him, while trying not to be noticed. He could make out the word they were calling him. A "singleton."
Zero let out his own short burst of light-hearthearted curses in the digital language of the Bynars and forced a smile on his face. "Thank the Datastream for the Federation. I must turn to a collection of alien cultures for acceptance and understanding. Grid knows, I'll never get it from my own people."
With a resigned smile, Zero picked up his PADD and walked over to the two Bynars. Seeing his approach, the nervous and jerky movements of the Bynars became even more animated, reminding Zero of how much unlike them he was now, having lived so many years among Starfleet.
Zero greeted them with the customary digital burst greeting. The two Bynars turned and immediately began to speak rapidly in long stacatto streams of the Bynar's language. Despite the modifications done to his synaptic processor by both Federation and Bynar scientists, the high-speed digital communication of his own people was now simply too fast for him to understand.
"Wait. Please. Please, I cannot understand…"
The Bynars paused, looked at each other and then back to Zero.
"Forgive us. We didn't-" began the first Bynar, only to have his sentence immediately resumed by the second Bynar. "-realize that you would no longer be able to communicate-"
"-as we do," finished the first Bynar.
Zero smiled kindly. "Oh no! No apology is required. I should not have initiated conversation in Bynary."
The two Bynars fidgeted again, shared quick glances.
"You are the singleton designated as 100110001010110001011011?"
Zero smiled, cultivating patience.
"Yes. Yes, I am. Although now I normally go by my first two digits. One Zero."
"Lt. Zero-" The Bynars began.
"-Junior Science Officer assigned to-"
"-the Federation starship USS Hyperion."
"Maimed in an accident on Starbase 174 in which-"
"-your unified partner 010110001010110001011011 was-"
"-killed."
Zero crossed his arms and smiled politely as the Bynars "ping-ponged" their sentences back and forth.
"Yes…well, that is me," he smiled at them.
The Bynars looked at each other again, nervously streaming dataspeak at each other. Then they turned to Zero and stood very stiffly, their eyes looking slightly upward and above him.
"We ask you to accept-"
"-our apology."
Zero was confused. "Apology? Apology for what?"
The Bynars began to fidget again.
"For making arrangements without-"
"-your foreknowledge."
"Or consent."
"As you are aware, we-"
"-are connected to the-"
"-World Computer."
"When we realized who you were, and-"
"And that you would be on this Starbase for several days…"
"We notified your progeneration sector. They are sending your progenitors-"
"-here."
The Bynars looked nervously at each other, as if searching for an explanation.
"For a … a visit."
"Yes…a visit."
Zero took a step back, his eyes open in suprise.
His progenitors…his "parents"… were coming to visit. Zero took a deep, worried breath and again started mentally to repeat his mantra.
Either one or zero. Either one or zero…