Landry was relieved when the report from Culber came onto her comn channel.
She didn't need the weight of using Culber too often on her shoulders.
And frankly, being told that she didn't have to do that anymore was a weight lifted off her shoulders.
It was more of a calming influence on her than anything. She flopped back into bed with her hair sprawled out around her. A optimistic smile was on her face. Her cheeks were rosy and there was a spark in her eye. After a month of being in the war fueled off hope that it would end within the year, the universe was repaying that. She looked toward the calm blue ceiling to her quarters. She placed her hands on the back of her head. It was going the way she had always wanted. The good feeling was filling the room. The three people who she had left the bar with last night were slowly waking up on the other side of the bed.
"Greetings, Burnham," Ephraim said.
Burnham turned toward Ephraim.
"Greetings, Commander," Burnham said.
Ephraim looked over the railing toward the mushrooms.
"Beautiful," Ephraim said. "Isn't it?"
"It is," Burnham said, giving Ephraim the side eye. "How have you been keeping yourself together?"
"Hope," Ephraim said, turning toward the first officer. "Hope is what kept me together."
"I thought you wouldn't want to return to Starfleet after the losses," Burnham said.
"Life finds a way," Ephraim said. "As one of your scientists once said. . ."
"Life cannot be controlled, life breaks free," Burnham finished.
"Life is strange," Ephraim continued.
The camera panned over to Hugh sleeping in Paul's arms with his forearms covered in white gauze.
"Life is beautiful," A starship flew away from a large Klingon explosion soaring into space.
"Life finds a way. . ." Ephraim paused, looking down toward the mushrooms in awe. "a way to flourish in the darkest of times and grow into something better, a sign of better times, and a sign of renewal. But also a sign of change," Ephraim's claws were resting on the rails. Science officers walked underneath the catwalk. "Life grows in the hardest conditions and thrives when we least expect it. We hardly can expect what the next lifeform might be."
A single flower began to sprout on grounds that were once conquered by Klingons. The camera panned away from the flower away from the smoke drifting over the large pieces of metal to reflect over red shirts. The bodies of red shirts decorating the landscape were grizzly. Some officers in blue and gold were helping each other to a recovery site where a roll call was being were several rescue vessels among the greenery with Starfleet command bronzed onto the side.
"For a moment there. . ." Ephraim's voice began to change with regret. "I thought that Starfleet was going to lose. We all did. It wasn't seen coming-" but was cut off by Burnham.
"Life is illogical," Burnham added.
"It's a shame this will all be classified," Ephraim said.
"We have all what we need to explore," Burnham said. "We don't need to jump universes just to do that."
"To explore strange new worlds and civilizations," Ephraim said. "So we boldly go . . . where we have never gone before."
"That is our destiny," Burnham said. "A destiny written in the stars."
"I won't be there to see that continue," Ephraim said.
"I heard about that," Burnham said. She looked over, raising her right eyebrow toward Ephraim. "Jumping a entire planet?"
"No," Ephraim said. "A entire civilization," both her eyebrows raised up in surprise. "We're all capable of it."
"Your species are fascinating," Burnham said. "The most baffling, thought provoking . . ." she shook her head. "I will not forget your aid so easily." her eyes glanced over toward the chubby, wrinkled alien.
"I as well," Ephraim said, with a honored nod toward her. "I as well, Commander Burnham."