From: V. Rahul Chandra (vrccan_at_gmail.com)
Date: Thu Jan 11 2007 - 17:45:05 PST
======= “Discussions, Part III” Con’t from my own “Discussions, Part II” ======= Location: ESPERION Stardate: 2422 [2.7] 0111.2022 Scene: Rashas’ Compound “Hey, where are you going?” a gruff looking security guard from the ESPERION planetary force stopped the man as he proceeded to walk through the door. “I bring the supplies the priest requested for today’s ceremony,” the man replied. “Let’s have a look at them,” the guard replied. With a shrug of his shoulders, the man turned and opened all of the crates, and the guard looked through them carefully. “What does Priest Rashas want all of this for?” he demanded, glaring at the man suspiciously. “You’re not a religious man are you,” the delivery boy replied, a slight smile on his face. “These are Kwami balloons – they’re filled with helium and allowed to float to the ceiling during the ceremony to symbolize the rise of our people.” The guard indeed did know that, but he had been sternly ordered by his superior to make sure that any deliveries to the compound be totally validated before they were allowed inside. “And what’s in those tanks?” the guard asked, indicating the one create that was filled with metallic grey coloured cylindrical tanks instead of balloons. “Those are helium tanks,” the man replied. “I will use them to inflate the Kwami balloons.” “I see,” the guard said. He was silent for a few minutes, before silently shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. “You may proceed.” “Thank you,” the man replied, closing his creates and pushing the cart past the guard and into the compound. Once he was around a corner and out of sight of the guard, he shook his head, chuckling slightly. That had been much easier than he thought. ============= Time Index: Simultaneously Scene: Palthainon compound “Priest Rashas is holding his annual Ceremony of the Stars tonight,” Palthainon commented. He and Daniel had been slowly walking around the whole compound for most of the day, and both had begun to enjoy each other’s company. The old priest’s genial personality and his general wisdom made Daniel regard him almost as the man he wished his father had been when he was growing up. “Ceremony of the Stars?” Daniel asked. “Yes,” Palthainon nodded. “It is held every year at his compound, in honour of the risings of our people each year. We use it to celebrate our accomplishments as a race each year, as well as to fuel our desire to reach even higher next year.” “I see,” Daniel said, nodding his head. “A lot of cultures on my planet have similar ceremonies each year.” “Does yours?” Palthainon asked. Daniel laughed lightly. “Sort of,” he said. “Although it’s not all at once. We have a holiday celebrated in November, called thanksgiving, where we express our gratitude for what we’ve been given so far that year.” “November?” Daniel flushed slightly with embarrassment. “Sorry,” he apologized. “November is a month, which is a unit of time that we use on my home planet – there are twelve of them in a year.” “I see,” Palthainon said, nodding his head thankfully for the marine’s clarification. “What else?” “Well, later on we have Christmas, which is symbolic to one of our religions as being the date of birth of one of their holiest of figures. It’s a time of celebration and generosity. And finally, we have our new year celebration, where everyone resolves to correct something about themselves that they perceive as being wrong in the upcoming year.” Palthainon’s eyes twinkled in merriment. “I do not expect very many people keep those vows,” he said. Daniel looked at him, surprised. “That is absolutely correct,” he said. “How did you know?” “Our people might be of different races, young Daniel,” Palthainon said with a chuckle. “But there are some things that are universal.” With that he emerged out onto a balcony, and when Daniel stepped out he was treated to an amazing view. “You can almost see the whole continent from here,” he marveled. “The nearly perfect one instructed that the compounds were to be built tall,” Palthainon said. “And thus they were built this way.” “It’s amazing,” Daniel said, with a slight shake of his head. “Absolutely amazing.” ========= NRPG: To all you Canadians, no shouting at me for putting thanksgiving in November, as Daniel was born in the United States ;) I’m sorry about having to cut this short *yet again*, but I’m at school, the library closes really soon, and unless I send this out now I’m gonna end up losing it =( Don’t worry though, as soon as I get home I’ll start on the final part of this, which I promise to have out TONIGHT if I have to stay up all night to finish writing the damn thing! ========= ========== V. Rahul Chandra <vrccan_at_gmail.com> Playing... Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Gorman, MD Chief Medical Officer/2nd Officer GATEWAY STATION, GS-2 & Captain Daniel Clarkson, MD Executive Officer - Marine Contingent USS PATRIOT, NCC 5781-A & Lieutenant Sevlock Junior ACT Instructor Starfleet Academy, EARTH -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.9/623 - Release Date: 11/01/2007 3:33 PM From HyperNews_at_youth.net
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