A/N: As a reminder, this weird version of Star Trek is based on my life, so there's no telling what will happen because life is unpredictable.
Ode to A Starship by Lina Shay
Chapter Thirty-One: The Beginning of the End
I had it scheduled to stop by the Bajoran temple on Tubercue II to undertake the first ceremony. I was a little nervous about going by myself, but I didn't want to bother anyone else with it. They all had co much to do to get ready for the decommission, so I went by myself. First, I had to pray for an hour. I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to pray about. I knew this was my path. I just prayed for strength to get through this ceremony without fainting. I knew what was coming up and I was really not looking forward to it.
I was laid on what looked like a sacrificial alter, which didn't help in aleviating my fear. Two seasoned Vedeks came forward. Each held down my upper arm with one hand and held a small needle in the other. The one on my right, a woman, smiled at me and told me to breath deeply. I nodded and tried to do as she said. It's funny how you can build all this fear and anxiety in your mind until you are sure you are about to experience the biggest trial in your life, and it turns out to be a couple of pricks which weren't bad at all.
The last part of the ceremony was to make a written pledge to foresake my worldly goods and devote myself body and soul to the prophets.
I left feeling exhausted.
When I got back to my post, Davon Print was there doing some sort of power transfer on my conduit.
"Hey," I greeted.
"Hi," he said, looking at me contemplatively. "Is this your station?"
"Yeah," I responded, shocked he didn't remember. "You fixed it for me last month."
"Oh, yes," he nodded. "I do remember that."
I half-smiled, waiting for him to finish it up.
"Do you like working in astrometrics?" He asked.
"Not really," I muttered.
"I am actually taking classes from the academy by correspondance because I wasn't really satisfied with my area," Davon told me. I was sure I had heard him say all this before.
"You are a very serious person, aren't you?" Davon asked.
I was surprised by this. "I wasn't aware that I am."
"You have a dry humor is all I mean," he went on. "You say something funny, but act like you didn't. I find that interesting."
I wasn't even aware I had said anything funny. I didn't remember him laughing. I didn't remember trying to make him laugh. I couldn't think of anything I could have said that would have been interpreted as funny. He was a very interesting person, though very odd. I had to wonder about him.
After he left my station to return to Engineering, he turned back and smiled at me. I found myself smiling back sincerely. I'm not exactly sure why. I shrugged it off and went to work.
I filed out my resignation to starfleet. I decided to send it straight to headquarters since the Wasatch was being decommissioned soon and Paris was busy enough with that.
A/N: I completely made up all the ceremonies to fit my situation. Just so you know, that last part where I had to sacrifice all my worldly goods and devote myself body and soul. Well, that was me signing the check to pay for the blood tests. That was hard.