(This is just the first story to establish character and timeline. The hot and heavy stuff is in the second one. Please be patient)
Chapter One
Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future."
― H.G. Wells, The Time Machine
Stardate 45403.79 (May 27, 2368)
A group of small children ran past Captain Picard and his away team as they met with the Chieftain of the Anoushkain people. These sprite-like youths laughed happily as they threw a large rubber ball at one another. It was one of many toys sent by the Federation in an attempt to help the young Anoushkains to recover and gain a sense of real childhood. Captain Picard watched them and smiled. These young ones had already spent too much of their youth digging through rubble for loved ones and picking through trash for food.
Once they had numbered into the millions, but political wars had brought heavy casualties, causing doctors to become overworked and at times scarce. With no one to tend the infirmed disease began to run rampant. With emphasis on weapons and more soldiers, less and less people were available to grow food or raise livestock causing widespread starvation. Eventually the population of Anoushka was reduced to a mere 20,000 or so. Now trying to rebuild their society, they had gone back to using their hands to build and create, from everyday textiles and food production, to hand crafted items such as jewelry and art. Still, they could not completely do it on their own. Before the wars began they had achieved warp technology and been in contact with the United Federation of Planets, although never a member. Now the Federation offered their support by sending whatever supplies were necessary to help them rebuild.
United Earth was particularly sympathetic to the plight of these people. It remembered well its own last great World War and the death of 600 million humans. Using eco-terrorism, nuclear weapons and genocide, various governments did their best to wipe out the human race. They might have succeeded too, were it not for a few brave individuals who sought to save lives rather than destroy them. Earth was still trying to recover when Zefram Cochran made his historic flight and caught the attention of the Vulcans.
Seeing a society so reminiscent of its own, the earth government was only too happy to lend aid and bring the difficulties of the Anoushkain people to the Federation's attention. On this occasion the Enterprise-D had been sent to deliver the provisions and despite his first officer's objections, Captain Picard chose to take a personal interest in the mission and meet with the Anoushkain leader, Duna. They spoke together for quite some time and Picard was most impressed with their progress. The soil was improving all the time and nourishing food was once more being harvested. Better shelters were being built and more schools were opening. A few of their people were beginning to study medicine and assist with the Starfleet doctors. At times they were able to handle less serious illnesses and wounds on their own. Captain Picard was pleased to see how far they had improved. He assured Duna that he would give a glowing report to Starfleet and the Federation.
As the other officers prepared to beam back up to the ship, the captain started to join them only to stop when he heard a small sound like a dove call out to him. He turned and saw an old woman slowing coming towards him. This tiny woman had hair of the purest white and her deeply tan skin only enhanced its brilliance. This woman was Duna's mother, Bohlale. The captain had met her when he first arrived on the planet and recalled that when she saw him, her eyes had grown wide and almost glowed. Her gnarled hands carefully took his. Her fingers gently moved along every line then carefully turned his hands over and studied every fine detail there too. Once again her eyes took on a glow as she began to speak to him.
"Things of the past do not always stay there. You have been presented with many different directions in your life and chosen as wisely as you could. Along one such path you planted a seed from which will come to you the rarest flower with a mighty spirit. Cultivate the blossom carefully, captain. When joined with the bowman, two arrows will be fired leading to a harvest beyond your imagining." She then reached into her hair and took from it a hand carved bone comb inlaid with sparkling blue gems and held it out to him. "Take this for your little one." He started to object and tell her that he had no children, but stopped. In this culture it was a grave insult to not accept a gift. Graciously he took it from her then with a polite bow told her 'thank you'.
Beaming back on board the ship, Captain Picard headed to his quarters to put the comb in a safe place. As he walked he looked it over and marveled at its craftsmanship. The bone was from a creature called a herensuge that was reptilian. When it was time to die the beasts travel to a particular place not unlike earths mythic elephant graveyard. From there the Anoushkains harvested the bleached bone and carved it into many tools and items. This was a treasure indeed.
Returning to his quarters he took the bone comb and placed it on a shelf where it could be displayed. His mind returned to what the old woman had said and it troubled him. What had she meant? Perhaps she was referring to seeds of good work and that everything that he had his crew accomplished would be remembered, but somehow that didn't seem to fit.
