How I Got Here: "A New Home"
02 Aug 2022Columbuss
Commander Justin Estok. Stardate 2-AUG-3308."Where were you..."
In the wake of a terrible tragedy, people desperately try to form a connection to it. They try to bring themselves as close to it as possible. It's a natural reaction to events that change the course of history. When an event impacts society on a scale like The Nine Martyr's did, everyone tries to tie themselves to it somehow, even if it's forced.
Everyone remembers where they were when they heard about it. They remember the exact feeling they had when they saw the flames on the view screen for the first time. People remember what they were doing. What they were eating. People remember which article of clothing they were wearing as the catastrophe imprinted itself in their minds. This stirs up a sense of community in the wake of a tragedy that leaves people feeling uncertain. This communal bonding over the event provides some sense of comfort while forming a bond on the search for a common enemy.
"Where were you when you heard about the attacks?" It's a fairly common question in times like this. A question most people are more than eager to answer. Except the people who were there.
It feels slightly macabre to consider what John and I went through as a "bonding experience" but nothing will bring you closer to someone than enduring something like John and I did. He selflessly jumped at the opportunity to help me when I decided to leave for Ito. That's not the kind of sacrifice that can easily be repaid. What exactly are you supposed to do for someone who risks their life for something you care about when they have no real connection to it? A glass of Al Minaan Rye doesn't exactly convey the appropriate thanks, but it's a start.
After seeing the things John and I saw, there really isn't a topic of conversation suitable to share drinks over. After washing the blood of countless strangers off of your hands, the weather conditions aren't a paramount concern. The table of the high speed canyon racing league isn't a topic worth discussing in that moment.
Regardless, while John and I sat at a table in the bar at Gilleken Terminal back in Al Mina, quietly nurturing our drinks, we were bonded for life. It didn't need to be said. There was no discussion, just an understanding. John and my life were intertwined, for better or worse. Where he'd go, I'd go. His enemies would become my enemies.
To understand where the story goes from here, you have to understand what happened before it. So while the rest of the galaxy looks toward the newly surfaced NMLA, our attention turned to Al Mina: my adopted home. And what would be the greatest journey, and undertaking, of my life.