World Without Tomorrow, Chapter Two
"No really, I'm fine," Riker stated as he was practically pushed into the medical building.
"I insist," Valgard said with determination. "You have cuts and burns and someone needs to look at you."
"Valgard!" said a voice from across the room. Riker turned to see a gorgeous brunette waving. She was approaching them with a big smile. And she was also not the same race as Valgard.
"Zeta! Commander, this is our settlement's doctor," Valgard said. "Zeta, this is Commander Riker."
"You can call me Will."
"Hello, Will."
"Zeta, would you be willing to check over the Commander's scrapes and burns?" asked Valgard.
"Most certainly, please come this way."
Riker sat on a examiner's table looking cleaner and having some bandages in place.
"Thank you my friends for your assistance," said Riker.
"It is our honor to serve you," said Valgard. "Now, can you tell us now where you come from and why are you here?"
"Yes, I suppose that's fair," started Riker. "I come from the other side of the galaxy. There I serve on a starship that's a part of an organization of people who protect and serve a large group of planets and the space in-between."
"You protect people from what?" asked Valgard.
"Any number of things. Jem'Hadar for example. My recent encounter with a group of them is why I ended up here."
Zeta turned away but Valgard looked more inquisitive.
"That is certainly an interesting way to spend your time. Why do you choose to do this?"
Riker was confused. "I choose to do this so that I can help people live safe lives. Don't you have anyone here who protects you?"
"We embrace our destiny, we do not fight it. When our time comes, we go. There is nothing that can protect us from our destiny."
"Do you not believe in destiny, Commader?" asked Zeta.
Riker smiled wryly, "I make my own destiny.
Riker and Valgard began leaving the medical complex as Zeta chased them down. "Valgard! Commander!" The two of them turned towards her. "I'm sorry Commander, there is one more thing I wanted to check on. Valgard, there is no need for you to stay for this."
"Okay then," Valgard started. "Commander, please meet me for a meal over at that establishment when you are through." Valgard pointed at what resembled an outdoor café.
"You got it."
"I had the same problem with them about five years ago when I was explaining medicine to them," Zeta began. "They are an interesting people shaped entirely by their surroundings. They accept what's given to them like no other people I know."
"So, my suspicions were correct…you're not from around here either," said Riker.
"No, but I have been here long enough to feel as though this is my home. It took me years to accept the fact that no one would ever find me. Now, you show up."
"I may be just as trapped here as you are," Riker replied.
"I doubt that. Someone will come looking for you," said Zeta.
"If they find the wreckage of my ship, they'll presume that I'm dead. If I'm going to get home, I have to do this myself," said Riker. "Is there anything on this planet that I could use to contact my people?"
"Whatever you can salvage from my ship is yours," said Zeta.
"You have a ship?!" exclaimed Riker.
"It doesn't work, but if you can make it work, you can have it."
"So, why are you here?" asked Riker.
"About six years ago, my home planet underwent a tremendous change. The Dominion invaded and tried to take over. Many small groups of us tried to form resistance movements, but we could never get organized enough to do any good. Since we couldn't fight, we had two options, either accept what we had been given, or try and escape. So, some of us tried to escape.
"It wasn't easy, but we managed to get off-planet. That didn't turn out to be the problem. Orbital patrols attacked us and everyone on the ship was killed except two of us. We managed to escape, but my companion was wounded and eventually died.
"The damage to the ship began to increase. I had to land and I was lucky enough to find this planet.
"A rough landing rendered the ship completely inoperable so I went to see if anyone lived on the planet, or if I was fated to living the rest of my life alone.
"Luckily, I found these people and observed them from afar for weeks. After I learned all I could about them, I concocted a story about being from a far land and I stayed here.
"I couldn't learn everything from just observing them. It wasn't until I lived among them that I realized they had no concept of protection.
"I used my medical skills to help an injured boy one day and it completely boggled their minds.
"But, they've come to accept me and my skills as I have come to accept them and their beliefs."
"Why are they unable to understand the concept of protection?" asked Riker.
"You'll understand soon enough," said Zeta.
End of Chapter Two