Commitment
Isfahan, Iran (UTC +4), Earth, 1006 hours, 2305
Sahar stepped up to the door and reached for the access panel but stopped before she touched the call button. Her hands were shaking; she was so nervous. Sahar summoned all her courage but still she hesitated, then pulled her hand away and stepped back.
"Oh, for the love of God," Kara chuckled behind her. "What is it now?"
Sahar turned, but didn't look at her. Instead, her eyes wandered over the waters of the Zayande River. "I'm not scared," she said.
"Of course not, love," Kara said sarcastically.
"I'm just nervous."
"So there's a difference now?" Sahar blushed and tried to turn, but Kara stopped her. She grabbed Sahar by the shoulders and kissed her. Kara could feel the tension in Sahar's body, and broke the kiss only when it melted away. "Now press the bloody button." Sahar nodded sullenly and turned back to the door. She reached for the panel but stopped short again.
"Promise me something first," she said over her shoulder.
"What is it?" Kara asked impatiently.
"Casana never hears a word of this."
"What?"
"Not a word.
Ever
."
"Fine," Kara laughed. Sahar pressed the button.
Five months into a twelve month stay on Earth, and Kara had only just convinced Sahar to bring her here. With the
Athena
in dock undergoing repairs and a major refit, most of her crew had been temporarily reassigned to various positions in the Sol system. Those that would return to the ship after work was completed would return to a changed vessel. With new replicator technology, large amounts of space used previously for storage would now serve other purposes. This, paired with a slight reduction in crew size, resulted in a significant increase in the amount of living space for each crew member. And Kara judged that necessary as she eyed the slight bulge in Sahar's stomach.
The door opened to reveal a tall, muscular man in his 60's. His black hair was speckled with grey, but youthful energy still shone in his dark brown eyes. With his back straight, his head held high, and his clothes neatly groomed and cleaned, there was no mistaking him for anything other than a Starfleet officer. He looked first at Sahar, then at Kara, his eyes boring through both of them, taking their full measure in the blink of an eye.
"Hi, Dad," Sahar said warmly.
"Welcome home, Harry," he said, and wrapped his arms around his daughter. Kara fought desperately to suppress a laugh.
****
Cardiff (UTC +0), 1427 hours
"I jush don't get it," Casana moaned into her drink. "I don't get it."
"You have said that 47 times in the last 15 minutes," Suvak observed, holding a mug of Vulcan tea while she sat next to the Trill at the bar. They were drinking in a small pub hidden in the heart of Cardiff. A soccer game was being shown at the other end of the bar and virtually all of the other patrons had gathered around to watch, leaving Casana and Suvak more or less alone. The game was apparently of great significance as the crowd was chanting and shouting so loud that it made it difficult for the two aliens to talk.
"Becaushe I don't!" Casana whined. "What'sho great about thish planet?" She took a long gulp of her beer.
"I do not understand your question."
"Itsh shimple: why doesh everyone love Earth?" She looked up at Suvak, blurry eyed and swaying slightly in her chair.
"You question is based upon a false premise: not everyone loves Earth."
"Yesh they doo-hoo!" Casana moaned, sounding increasingly like an infant. The outburst took Suvak by surprise, and drew a few glances from the other patrons. "What? They do!" she told them, rather defensively. A few more heads turned, but something happened in the game that drew their attention. Casana snorted victoriously and turned back to Suvak. "Shee? They 'gree!"
"I am not sure that they-"
"You're righ. They're not obj... objej... they're biased. But do you know how many non-humansh live on thish planet?"
"Aproximately-"
"Eshactly! There'sh Boliansh, Vulcansh, Tellearitesh, Caitansh, Katariansh... you ever notice theresh a lot of kitty people, and very few doggy people?" Suvak arched her eyebrows. "I even knew a Cardashian once, Iliana or Lilana or shomething, I can't remember her name. But she wash hot! I mean real hot, like... like... and she loved Cardashia, but when she came with me to Earth, the moment she saw it, she refushed to leave. I shwear, she wouldn't go near a shuttle or transhporter till I shwore I wouldn't make her leave. Can you believe that? A Cardashian fell in love with this weird, blue-green ball. I mean, itsh not even that pretty. Do you know what humansh have done to thish planet?"
"Yes."
"I'll tell you what they did! They blew it up! And not onsh, they did it like three timesh. Harry told me about it onsh. I don't think she getsh it, either, but she lovesh it, too. You should have sheen her face when we entered orbit."
"I did. I was standing between you."
"Oh," Casana muttered, suddenly very solemn. She was quiet for a long time, staring contemplatively into her drink. Casana lifted the mug, drained it, and ordered another. When it came she took a long drink before putting the mug down with a long, thundering belch. Finally, she spoke again. "I jush don't get it!"
"I believe I may have an explanation," Suvak said, and Casana's eyes perked up.
"Really?" she gasped, as though she were a child whose parents had agreed to get her a puppy.
"Most races experience some catastrophic events during their development, and these events have lasting impacts on those races. For example, it could be argued that the Klingon Empire's aggressive expansionism is, in part, a result of their home world being conquered at least twice in known history. Similarly, modern Cardassian asceticism can be traced back the collapse of the Hebitians and the resultant mass starvation and poverty that gave rise to military dictatorship."
"You ushe pig wordsh," Casana groaned as she rested her head on the bar.
"In this context, humans are not unique in having suffered cataclysmic events."
"Shtill don' ged it."
