The Heart Lives On
Chapter Two
The accident, the freakish accident occurred just one week later. He and Kasper had spotted what appeared to be a cave entrance above them on the rock face. He would climb to the entrance and lower any artifacts down to Kasper after documenting their placement. He had done it hundreds of times before. This time was different, whether it was the rope or the pulley something gave way and he bounced off the rock face with such force he heard his leg bone crack. He moaned in pain as he landed on the same injured limb at the bottom of the cliff face.
Kasper's face mirrored his concern, "Clurt, this is indeed very grave," was his correct assumption. What he was able to observe himself was a cracked exposed bone and heavy bleeding. Kasper's medical training was limited. He knew he would have to set the bone and close the wound. It was a textbook treatment, a subspace call would give needed verbal assistance and Joann would have to aid Kasper. He knew his Nyota would not be able to assist in her emotionally compromised state. He would hope for the best.
That hope was not realized. The medical supplies available were sufficient, but the hands to carry out the treatment were inadequate.
Despite the seriousness of the situation Clurt and Kasper knew that part of the agreement associated with their assignment was they were to avoid, at all cost, physical contact with the settlement. The Federation wanted it to to develop at its own pace. Their lack of association with any outsiders would allow them to create, and invent according to their unique needs. Isolation was part of their prime directive.
0000000
Vios I
In Clurt's sickroom
Clurt had instructed Kasper,
"Bring me all reminders of our life together. I will leave nothing that could cause her mind to be niggled by their discovery. Pictures, her dress, our rings. Clear out our living space. Bring it to me after I have talked to my wife."
Vios I
In the Garden
Kasper's voice brought her out of her revere.
"He is awake Nyota, he wants to see you."
She stood up and attempted to remove all remnants of her tears from her dusty face. The effort was transparent, her face now featured alternating dusty and clear patches. She smoothed down her clothing and took a deep breath and hesitatingly walked toward the encampment.
She went to his bed and lowered herself to her knees and placed her head next to him, her palms on his slightly moving chest.
Clurt reached over and caressed her hair.
"Nyota look at me."
Her head shook in the negative.
Gently tugging her chin upward their eyes met.
"I have loved you with all my being beloved, but we are both scientist and know the meaning of inevitability, eventuality. Mine is before me. Kasper examined my leg this morning and gangrene has set in. I will not recover. I have accepted that.
What I cannot accept is how I have cheated you. You could have led a normal life without me."
"No, no, Clurt I would have followed you anywhere."
"Don't you know that I was aware of that. Certainly I should have protected you from what is ahead. I should have protected myself so that we could have spent our entire lives together. It was a selfish act on my part to bring you here far away from help in the case of an accident such as has occurred. My only consolation is that it is not you lying here. For I would never have been able to forgive myself, if that were the case."
He pulled her to him and he held on for a lingering kiss. and he thought, 'she will not remember this.'
He now continued, "I am now prepared to make things right."
With those words he rendered his wife unconscious, entered her mind and removed all traces of their relationship from her memory and stored them in an area of her brain that he knew would be inaccessible to her conscious thoughts.
Kasper entered laden with the requested items.
"These will go up in the fire. Nothing will be left. I will not provide a meal for the beast of this planet, I will join with the cosmos in my base state, carbon.
Kasper handed his friend a glass of water and watched as he took a handful of pills. The phaser was by his side. He would place it on overload with his last conscious thought.
JoAnn stood in the doorway with tears running down her cheeks. He read her thoughts…
"Yes, yes, it has been an adventure. You have all the PAADs?"
She nodded.
As if voicing his own epitaph he said, "My life has not been a waste. I have contributed to research and study, which was my life's aim. I have basked in the love of an extraordinary woman who I now leave in your charge. Please help her, be careful what is revealed to her, she is fragile. I have relegated our personal lives together to a place in her mind that she cannot reach. Kasper you must carry her to the craft because she will not regain consciousness for another fifteen or twenty minutes. That should allow you distance before this place goes up in smoke."
There was a slight smile, "What I will do now is a very logical thing when I strip it clean of all emotion." Then with a chuckle he said, "I almost sound like a Vulcan."
Returning to a serious face he continued, "Kasper, now swear to me!"
Depositing the retrieved articles at the foot of the bed, Kasper said,
"Drevi, all will be done as you wish. Good-bye my old friend.".
With tears in his eyes Kasper embraced him.
Drevi said,
"Hurry, for the pain is becoming unbearable."
Kasper bowed his head and gently picked up Drevi's once conscious heartbroken wife and exited the structure.
From his bed Drevi listened to the retreating sounds of their departure and with the few brief minutes left to him he remembered his Nyota. The way she looked on their wedding day, her shinning hopeful eyes and then…
They rushed to the shuttle craft and strapped in, just as they lifted off they heard the explosion and Joanne sobbed.