Rememberence of the Fallen

Posted on 11 Nov 2018 @ 4:57pm by Major Alexandria Somers

[ON]

Stardate: 239211.11

Even though it was a new posting Alex did what she did every year on the 11th November, as that was the day she buried her best friend Annabel Graves after a Black Ops Mission went south. As the ship was quiet and still in space dock she headed down to the holodeck’s and entered holodeck one and walked over to the arch and entered an access code and the holoprogram that she had created was downloaded into the ship's computer she tapped a few buttons.

“Computer activate AS1111Omega she said and an exact copy of the building and monument known as the Wall of the Fallen, it was similar in nature to the one that had all the names of the WW1, WW2, Vietnam and WW3 soldiers that had fallen that was in Washington DC.

This wall was dedicated to all those Starfleet Personnel that had fallen during all the conflicts that Starfleet and the Federation had taken part in, the largest amount of names was from the Dominion War, and a small section was dedicated to Special Operation’s losses and this is where her friends name was located along with others who had died in past Special Ops missions.

She looked out of the large windows of a specially constructed building to house the memorial in the view looked out on to the Presidium at Starfleet HQ San Francisco, that is what the image was taken from, now as she approached the replication she had a holographic lit candle which she put in a pot next to Annabel’s name and stood back.

--The Last Post Begins --

“Oh Annie, if you could only see me now” Alex began and suddenly Annabel’s ghost appeared next to her “I can see you Alex and know what you have become,” her ghostly form said in a strong Welsh accent.

Alex snapped her head to look at the new arrival a shocked look on her face “Computer is there a glitch in the program? I am seeing something I never programmed in” Alex asked.

“No errors detected in holo-program” the computer simply replied.

“I am no computing error Alex, I have been granted this onetime visit,” Graves said and fell silent as the Last Post finished and the One-minute silence was observed.

Over a minute later the program was still running as both women turned to face each other and tears streaming down her face Alex looked at Annie “why and how?” she asked.

Annie looked sadly at her and picked her up in a hug, surprising Alex, but she returned the hug as she wept.

“This is why shhh there, all is well” Graves responded now holding her at arms length and looking at Alex as she lowered her arms and smiled “this solidity is only temporary, I am still dead” Graves said “as to the why you need help Alex, you are obsessing too much, you need to fully move on, I am here to help you to do this. As to the how I try not to think too much on it, the Gods wanted to help, I suppose they know that every year around this time you visit the Memorial, be it the real thing or be it holographic then you spend the next few months moping about. I am here to help you stop doing this to yourself” Graves finished.

Alex looked at her friend still crying “but how can I carry on Annie, you are not here, I distance myself from my Fiancée Paul because you do not hear to be in our lives. You have no idea how much I truly miss your voice and presence. If I was so inclined you would have been the only girl I would be with *sobbing* that is the first time I have ever said that aloud *looks at Annabel with a hint of naked fear as the truth was finally out* why would I say that!?” She asked in disbelief.

“You finally said it, because you needed to say it and it was the time, was it not you who once said to me for everything there is a time? Well, this was your time, to be honest with your feelings. You hold your feelings in tight and do not let anyone in; you may as well be a Vulcan for all the emotion you show around those close to you, you did not even let loose with Paul at my wake, you waited till all were gone and then broke down in your Sisters arms, because you felt vulnerable and you did not want your boyfriend to see you like that as you thought he would think less of you” she paused.

“No, no, it’s not true… Is it?” *she begins pacing as she looks down* fingers lightly pinching her lips for a second before she looks back up at Annie.

“Search your feelings; analyze your actions since my passing and you tell me!” Graves said. As she looked closely at the left side of Alex’s face and squinted as she saw the long scar running from her ear down along her cheek, you would only notice it if you were really looking.

“How did you get that scar on your face Alex? And why have you not had it fixed by medical?” Annabel asked.

*Touching her healed scar* “I thought you would know, but I got this in my first shipboard combat with an unknown invading hostile alien, it got me good, but I got it better when I put my Mek’Leth blade through its chest, but I did end up in a coma, I was but a Second Lieutenant then, not long after I got a field commission” Alex responded.

Annabel simply smiled and nodded her head in thanks and then continued.

“Do you remember that time we were in a bar and it was just after graduation from the Marine Academy that we laughed and joked about all those pompous officers that passed straight out of OCS and again after our Op?” Annie asked.

Alex looked at her friend “but we never did anything after that Operation, it was the one you were killed in!” *suddenly giggles* “that first time it was funny when a green Second Lieutenant tried to outsmart us,” Alex said her tears starting again.

Closing in on her and gently laying a hand on her shoulder and in a consolatory tone “Alex you have to move on with your life, whatever gave you the idea and impression that I wanted you to visit the wall of the fallen every year on the day you buried me?” Annie asked.

*Looks at her* “I want to honour your sacrifice and remember you as is right a warrior of your calibre, anything less would be an insult, that Plasma beam was meant for me, you took the hit to save me, this is why I do what I do every year” Alex said.

“All I ever wanted is to be remembered Alex, just a simple thought on this day, all I ever wanted from you is a simple remember me at the moment, not all this, it is not who I was, I thought you would know this?” Graves said and saw a hollowed look on her friends face; it seems more than just a little truth had come out today.

“How do you know this Annie?” Alex asked in disbelief.

“I can see it in your soul, there is an advantage to being a spirit you know” Graves said with a knowing smile, somehow what was said and relived this day struck a chord with Alex, she could see a slow acceptance of the truth and she knew Alex well enough to know that what happened here today worked on her.

Suddenly they were in an open field and with a tear-stained face Alex looked around bewildered as she felt a light breeze and suddenly her attention was fixed upon a male in a dress white Starfleet Uniform, he had a kindly smile on his face “who is that Annie?” Alex asked indicating the guy with her chin.

Graves looked concerned for a moment then looked back in the direction Alex indicated and smiled as the figure spoke.

“It is done and now it is time to move on,” he said.

She turned back to face Alex “It seems my task here has succeeded, I am going to be able to move on from where I am now, thanks to you in accepting the truth and deciding to make changes, this was a task that I had to do to earn my place in the next life, thank you” Annie said.

“So where is it you will be going?” Alex asked.

“I do not know, but my time in limbo is now over, I do have one question before I go”

“Hmm?”

“How did you manage to get me a plot in Arlington? I was not American or as it was back then, how did you manage?”

“My father pulled some strings and applied the logic that all nations on earth were now part of the Federation and as such Arlington should continue to be used for Starfleet personnel but still it is only to be human’s buried there, I know he called in a lot of favours to do it, but we both wanted a full honours to send off for you” Alex answered.

“And I got it, thank you, I have to go now, Alex, we will meet one more time before the end, so until then Alex remember, this is not the beginning of the end, but only the end of the beginning, you have made the first new steps and I know you will employ what you have learned here” Annie said as she walked off and joined the unknown male and faced Alex.

“Who is he?” she asked pointing at him.

Annabel looked at him with a smile then back at her friend “while there was never any image of him, he is what represents the person we know as the Unknown Soldier, farewell Alex, until we meet for the final time” Annabel said as she and the guy was engulfed by bright white light, Alex fell to her knees and was crying as she shaded her eyes from the brightness and when she looked up again she was back on the holodeck surrounded by the familiar black and yellow grid.

Standing up “Computer is there any recording of what just happened?” she asked wiping her eyes.

“Unknown! Please rephrase the question, the current query does not compute” the computer replied.

“Well I guess that the 24th Century is still not ready for the intervention of the Gods” she giggles to herself as she exits the holodeck pausing to look back at the now empty room, but as she let the doors close behind her she felt a peace she had never felt before and with a mind full of new thoughts, which she would have to sort through walks back to her quarters with a bit of a spring in her step.

[OFF]