The next ship's night was more typical for Leo; as in he slept a couple hours and then found himself staring at the ceiling. It was a new ceiling so that was novel. It was also clean and an entirely new texture. Additionally, there was the low background thrum of the SPACESHIP that he was slowly getting used to.
Eventually he gave up on sleep entirely and reached for the pad that the Doctor had taught him to use after supper. It really wasn't too different from a tablet, so he'd adapted quickly. Leon wondered if blue light was still a thing. Time for a little research. First, the Federation. Then Earth came up and Leon decided he just wasn't ready for that yet, unexpected pain and jealousy gripping his heart.
Next, he typed in Talaxians and got everything that Neelix had told the Federation about his people. Once he'd learned what he could, and shed a tear or two for Rinax, he moved on.
One of his guards had looked subtly different from the others he'd seen so far. Asking the Doctor about the woman with a series of distinctive ridges down her nose, he'd been informed that she was Bajoran. They came from the planet Bajor, which wasn't part of the Federation, but was considered friendly and apparently quite a few of them lived in Federation space. Digging into the planet's record, he quickly discovered why. Hostile species conquering their neighbours seems to be a theme. At least it looks like the Federation's opposed to that sort of thing.
He poked around a bit longer, trying to find a list of the species on board in the hopes that he wouldn't horribly offend someone saying something he shouldn't. Eventually, it was enough to lull him to sleep and next he knew Leo was blinking as the lights brightened for ship's morning.
May as well get up. Heaving himself onto legs steadier than they were yesterday, the massive turtle headed to the washroom, got himself sorted around and then went looking for breakfast. The Doctor's instructions on replicator use and how the ship's rationing system went reminded him that he had enough rations set aside for him to get two full replicated meals today. Deciding to use one now, still should get something light though, he went through the menus to Earth, Asian cuisine, Japan, miso soup, a basic omelette and a cup of jasmine tea, saving them to his favourites along the way. Hmph. Food Netflix. Mike'd flip out over this. His food arrived with the requisite side of supplements. "Cooking a nutritiously balanced diet for so many species is impossible." The Doctor's voice rang in his head. Taking the tray back to his assigned bed, revelling in the scents as he walked, Leo sat down to his first proper breakfast in too many years.
Slinging the pills down first, he took a slow, lingering sip of his tea. Then promptly put it down, speed walked to the washroom, locked the door and burst into tears. It tasted of home. His father's cooking once they had access to better ingredients. The longing, self-loathing how do I get to the be lucky one? How do I get to have this again, out of everyone?!
He leaned back against the wall and tried to remember all the times he'd talked someone through survivor's guilt. But it wasn't ACTUALLY their fault! How many times had he told somebody, "They made a choice. They wanted you to live. Make it worth it." The conflicting thoughts ricocheted back and forth across his mind.
Your brothers never blamed you.
They should have!
They would want you to be happy.
They shouldn't! They should hate me!
They loved you. They'd be happy you made it. Live for them. Live for MIKEY! He did this. Live for them! You're the last Hamato, don't let it all be for nothing.
Leo thought of Neelix. How he spread the knowledge of his species to another civilization. How all those people could now learn about his family and friends that'd been killed. They would never be forgotten; even though they were gone, THEY MATTERED.
That was it then. That was his purpose now, he wasn't needed as a leader anymore, but he could make sure they were never forgotten, that his WORLD was never forgotten. That would be his penance, paltry as it was.
Resolved, the old soldier heaved himself back onto his feet and out into sickbay, where the Doctor was worriedly examining his cooling meal. "Are you alright Leonardo? Did you have a reaction to the food?" Yeah, but not the one you're thinking of. "Nah, I'm ok. Just needed a moment." The Doctor's raised eyebrow was dubious. "Not a medical issue, I swear. Just… memories."
"Ah. I see." The hologram gave his patient a knowing look. "Anything I can help with? Not to pry, but I am also programmed to act as a therapist."
Leo struggled to keep the immediate visceral reaction off his face. "Not… not right now. But, I'll keep it in mind."
"Very well." The Doctor made his way back to his office, patting this patient on the shoulder as he went by. Leo returned to his meal, not willing to waste good food. After about an hour, a blond man, Leon was reasonably certain he was human, came in.
"Hello." He said, after sharing a nod with the Doctor through the office window as he extended a hand to the recumbent reptile. "I'm Tom Paris, nice to meet you."
Leon met him part way. "Leo Hamato, likewise."
Hands shook, Paris continued, "I'm chief helmsmen normally, but I'm also trained to assist the Doctor. There's a couple of us on board, even a hologram needs a break."
"So they have you doing double duty?" Leo asked, living hand soothingly running along the planes of his metal one.
"Yeah," Tom answered, picking up a pad to look over what was on his schedule for today. "Sickbay didn't fair well when we got hauled across the galaxy. The Doctor's pretty much been our medical staff since. There's a couple of us with some advanced first aid training, took extra biology course in the academy, stuff like that. But we all already have other duties on board so… we just fill in where we can." He started entering commands on the central console, voice trailing off a bit with his divided attention.
"Yeah. We had stuff like that come up a lot in the resistance the last few years. There just weren't enough people left to fill all the needed roles." The turtle shifted a bit, trying to get more comfortable on a bed not made for his shell. "I'm actually a trained medic myself, though I don't imagine that'd mean much here and now."
Paris glanced at Leo, eyebrows going up. "You'd be surprised. Most of the crew is human, general first aid is mostly the same for humanoids overall, and if you stayed on board, you'd have plenty of time to learn." The man turned back to his work. "You could even take the Starfleet Academy courses if you wanted."
Real medical training? Treating ALIENS?! Possibilities started to whir around in Leonardo's head. He reeled a bit at the idea of having options, rather than just scrambling to keep his people alive one more day. "Huh."
The next few hours were spent in relative silence, except when Leo's cleaned clothes and gear were returned to him. The Doctor and Paris attended to their duties and, occasionally, a crewman came in for treatment. Leo himself was occupied with his pad, now looking through the medical database after his curiosity was peaked. This had led him to learning about non-humanoid species and some of his wildest geeky dreams were right there in technicolour. They produce buds that fall off and become kids?
The human clearing his throat tore Leo's attention away from his chosen rabbit hole. "Hey, I'm going to the mess hall to get some lunch. Want to come with?"
Brain stuttering from switching gears, "Um, sure?"
Tom chuckled, leaning against the centre console. "It's ok if you don't, just thought you might want to see some different grey walls. The ones in the mess hall have windows." He said grinning and wiggling his eyebrows.
"No, no I do." Leo scrambled to close the pad down and tuck it away safely. Getting to see something new would be another very welcome distraction.
Paris' grinned became toothy as he walked over to help his patient get free of the blankets and up on his feet. "Hey Doc! We're going to lunch!" The hologram waved them off and the two headed out, Leonardo glad they'd apparently decided to call off his guard this morning.
True to the human's promise, there were more grey walls, along curving corridors with the occasional computer panel. Leo walked slowly, focussing more on steadiness than speed. He found that there was much less soreness than yesterday, just a lingering feeling of exhaustion.
"So, who all have you met so far?" Tom broke the silence, as the pair meandered down the corridor.
Leo's hand trailed along light walls. "Uh, the Captain, the Doctor, a couple guards, Neelix, Seven of Nine, and… what was his name…" the turtle wracked his brain as he walked along. "It was right when I woke up… the Captain was there… Too-something?"
"Tuvok?"
"Yeah, that."
Tom huffed amusedly, "Lieutenant Tuvok. He's our chief of security."
Leo glanced to the side. "Umm, is he human or…?"
His companion was already shaking his blond head. "No. Tuvok is Vulcan. They're another one of the four founding worlds. Practically Earth's neighbour, and the first alien species we officially made contact with. There's some major cultural differences, but we generally get along pretty well. On a more personal note, Tuvok and Captain Janeway are old friends." The terrapin nodded along, filing away the information and resolving to look up Vulcans once he got back to sick bay.
They reached a door which whooshed open for them in a manner Leo hadn't quite gotten used to yet. The way Tom got in the little room and turned around immediately made Leon think elevator. His hunch was basically confirmed when the man abruptly said, "Deck Two," and the car started to move. Old muscle memory kicked in, allowing Leonardo to properly brace with the movement while triggering a sense of wrong and surreal at functioning technology. The resistance had been living off of crumbs for so long, since Donnie, that it was weird to be in a clean, working elevator again.
Before too long, they stopped, and got off on a new floor, deck Leo, it's a ship. Turning into a short corridor, the turtle could hear voices and smell something, not familiar, but enticing. The doors at the end of the hall opened and two people in uniform came out, a dark skinned human woman, and what looked like a man with blue skin?
They all nodded, exchanging polite smiles as they passed, then Leo entered what must be the mess hall. "Ah! Hello! Welcome, welcome!" Called out Neelix, from behind a cluttered counter. Leon absolutely leaned against that counter nonchalantly, not because his legs were starting to shake. "Hi Neelix, what's on offer today?" Tom asks, leaning next to the ninja.
"Ah gentlemen. A special treat today. I have discovered the joy that is Risan cuisine. I prepared a traditional, well style, palmiat, a sort of casserole served inside a hollowed out loaf of bread. I had to use local ingredients of course, but I think the end result is true to the original." The talaxian rumbled along as he rapidly filled two trays. "And a glass of, hmmm, I can't quite say it right, it's a beverage AND a dessert. I'd recommend saving it for last; a lovely palate cleanser."
Leo didn't notice the talaxian's voice fading out because his own attention was completely fixated on the windows he'd just noticed. Opposite the counter, a row of large, thick windows revealed a vast expanse of space, lines of light streaking by. He suddenly realized that his hand was against the cool … glass? he'd walked over to in a daze. What Leon was sure must be stars streaked by, threatening to draw him in again. Eventually, he found the strength to tear his eyes away and noticed Tom Paris standing next to him.
"When you see it every day, you forget how amazing it is. Thanks for reminding me." The human softly muttered.
Leo turned, trying to reorient himself. While he was distracted, it looked like Paris had taken both their trays over to a table and gathered their respective tiny containers of supplements. "Oh. Sorry, didn't mean to treat you like a waiter."
Tom smirked. "No problem. Everybody stares for awhile the first time they travel at warp."
Newb move. Great. A quirk of a smile and Leo walked to the table then started eating. Definitely different, but not bad. They ate quietly for a couple minutes before the doors opened and Tom waved over a couple that walked in, one a human male and the other of a species he didn't know yet. Ok Leo, new people mode. Best manners.
Trays and supplements collected, the pair came and joined them at their table, greeting smiles exchanged. "Leo I'd like to introduce you to two of my favourite people on board." Tom started, sidling closer to the woman with ridges across her forehead. "This most beautiful of women," she rolled her dark eyes fondly and elbowed the blond in his side, "hah!, is our Chief Engineer, and my better half; B'elanna Torres." The brunette reached across the table to offer her hand. "Hi, nice to meet you." Leo put down his bread quick and shook. "Leo, likewise."
Tom then moved onto the Asian looking human next to Leo himself. "And this is our Operations Officer, and my best friend, Harry Kim." The handshake was repeated with a nod on both sides. Harry spoke up first. "So how are you doing so far?"
"I mean, alright, I guess?" How would anybody be? Leo got back to enjoying actual food as opposed to the scavenged crap he'd gotten used to. "It's certainly different. I feel like I've fallen into a Jupiter Jim movie." B'elanna swallowed quickly. "Jupiter Jim?" Her dark eyes flicked back and forth between the humans, looking for their reactions. It sounds so stupid now. "This sci-fi series my brothers and I used to watch as kids." He turned a little to look out the windows. "Seems a bit silly here on an actual spaceship."
"Doesn't sound THAT silly." The borderline petulance in Tom's voice had him whip back to his dining companions. Tom and Harry were both staring at their meals bashfully while B'elanna hid a wide grin behind her hand. "What did I say?" the turtle asked, afraid he'd already sabotaged his potential friendships onboard.
Apparently, this was too much for the engineer. She started chortling, "These two have a holodeck program, 'Captain Proton', based on a mid 20th century science fiction series. Sound familiar?", B'elanna asked, eyes shining in mirth. The men quickly defended themselves. "It's a view into how pre-warp Earth was looking at their future in space!" Harry said.
"Old starships, adventures, facing off against Dr Chaotica and his hordes of evil. Its fun!" Tom added enthusiastically. Clearly, this wasn't the first time they'd had to make this argument. Leon felt a little smile growing on his beak. "It does sound like fun. Is it like a movie that you watch or a game you play or something?"
Harry swallowed his current bite. "It's a holo-novel. There's a set script, and you take the role of a character, then play out the story with the other characters reacting to you according to their pre-programed parameters."
Leo chewed the last of his bread bowl thoughtfully. "Holodeck, holo-novel. Does this have something to do with holograms like the Doctor?"
B'elanna jumped back in. "Yes. The holodeck is a room that produces everything from items to entire artificial environments using replicators, photons and forcefields." She attacked her own bread bowl. "With things like holo-novels, you play out the story from the INSIDE. Voyager has two holodecks and, frankly, without them we all probably would've gone stark raving mad after the first couple years."
"A hundred and forty some people stuck on board with no shore leave for months at a time? Tuvok would be a lot busier." Paris quipped, not noticing the moustache his drink had left along the blond's upper lip. Harry nodded along, sharing a smirk with B'elanna over Tom's face.
"I can see that." Leo answered, carefully running his tongue along his own upper beak. "So to me, this holo-novel thing kinda sounds like a virtual reality role-playing game?"
Nods all around. "That would be a decent description of it." Harry answered. "Tom and I spend about one afternoon a week in there. Maybe you should join us sometime? Defeat the forces of evil and go for dinner after?"
The turtle huffed a soft laugh. "I think I'd like that."
Conversation fell to more mundane topics after that for the short time it took the later arrivals to finish their desserts. Lunch over, they split off to their individual tasks with Tom helping Leo make their way back to Sickbay.
One elevator ride later, "It's actually called a turbolift.", they were back on the right deck. "So," Leo slowed a little, stamina running out along with the sleepiness of a good meal, "at the risk of being really rude, what … species is B'elanna?"
Tom smiled. "No it's fine. It's just something you'll learn over time. B'elanna is actually a hybrid. Her father was human, and her mother was Klingon." He looked up, clearly trying to think of the best way to explain. "Klingons aren't part of the federation. They're a warrior culture that we used to be enemies with, but awhile ago we made peace and eventually became allies. Most of the time we get along ok but there're hiccups from time to time." Extending a hand, asking permission with his eyes, Tom took ahold of Leo's left elbow to help him along. "She spent most of her childhood on a federation colony, but some on Qo'nos, the Klingon homeworld, too. Culturally she leans more human, but she definitely has the Klingon temper. Her bark is usually worse than her bite though."
Leo made a mental note to learn more later as they finally shuffled back into Sickbay. The Doctor greeted them and came over to give his patient a once over to see how the turtle fared after his little expedition. Once the two Starfleet officers got back to their regular work, Leon dug out his pad.
Ok, Vulcans. The database was extensive and ate up a couple hours just covering an overview. At the end he was left with an impression of a people that overall were ridged, but for a reason. They simply weren't capable of the same flexibility that humans were. The tradeoff was that they excelled in the things they WERE good at. In their natural enviroment, they were virtually unmatched for endurance, nearly as strong as Leo himself and mental powerhouses to boot. So pointed ears and brows, don't touch, be more straightforward and factual. Got it. Hopefully he wouldn't stick his foot in his beak the first time he really interacted with one.
Klingons next. Pretty much the polar opposite of Vulcans. Passionate, violent and largely ruled by emotions; the only things they had in common were physical strength, cold intolerance and an iron clad social structure that kept everything else from falling apart. There was only one Klingon he likely would be dealing with for now and according to Tom she was more human like than Klingon. Still, he resolved to observe and take Klingon traits into consideration when dealing with her. That gagh sounds interesting though.
After Paris left, Leo got up to replicate himself some dinner. Still feeling full from the substantial lunch, he opted for a simple tomato soup and grilled cheese; enjoying the comfort food to take his necessary meds with. A quick shower later he settled into bed warm, fed and tired with an overall peaceful day to hopefully fuel pleasant dreams. As the Doctor lowered the lights early for the exhausted man, Leonardo thought of his family. G'night guys. Wish you were here. Hope you're good together, wherever you are.