This Camille, not that Camille

Posted on Fri Sep 10, 2021 @ 10:46pm by Commander Cullen Walker & Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque PhD

3,220 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Archangel
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: Before “Across the Bridge”

Reviewing the request that had been submitted. He had been sitting on it, ie ignoring it. He had approved many other requests for the science department. He was going to face that head on. This wasn't her fault. "Computer bring up Program Blot 1. Do not start." This was the Harvest Blot He had requested her presence. He knew she was off duty. He waited for Camille to arrive.

The Chief Science Officer wasn't sure what this was about, but the First Officer asked to see her. She was off duty, but also a department head was never truly off duty. He wanted to see her and she would answer his summons. She was still in her uniform, dirty lab coat sent to ship's laundry so she was clean and presentable.

The holodeck door opened and she walked in and stood inside with her hands behind her back. The holo-grid was still visible. She wondered what he was about to show her.

"You asked to see me, Commander?"

Walker held up a padd, "First, I would like to apologize. I've been sitting on this research request. I don't feel comfortable with it, so I didn't sign it. I've been avoiding the subject and you." On the padd was a request to look at King's blood for it's antibody production there.

Looking at her, "I'm sure you and Nicole looked at my record. The smart ones always to. There is a few gaps in it. You know about the concept of the multiverse. I'm going to give you a hypothetical. A commander with gaps in his record may have gotten to visit a hell dimension like that, in the past when he was a Lieutenant." Some things were classified and he couldn't just read her in. "In this hypothetical hell dimension, this hypothetical Lieutenant got tortured by a hypothetical Scientist. They called this hypothetical Scientist The Butcher of Al'hmatti. She looked a lot like you, only she had corrective surgery on her eyes."

He knew she was smart enough to figure out what he just said. He was talking about her in the mirrorverse. "I'm sorry for judging you based on the actions of the hypothetical Scientist. I'd like to make it up to you with an Anthropology excursion in the holodeck."

Camille's eyes were wide in shock as she heard Walker's introduction. A scientist -- he said a hypothetical one, but she took his real meaning -- who looked like her. The Butcher of Al'hmatt. Tying it to her request to study Lieutenant King's blood. His apparently negative reaction to her as a result of this.

She could not be sure what he was about to show her. Her first instinct was something about this "hypothetical" scientist. But he also said it was to make it up to her, so it might be more pleasant. Hard to tell at this stage. "Thank you," she said simply. She hoped he understood that she was thanking him for more than just the exercise, but for his apology and honesty. "What kind of excursion?"

Looking at her, "After the 14th century it is said my faith died out in the majority of Europe. It was declared resurrected in the 18th century in Iceland. Basically, anyone caught doing the Rites and Practices in Mainland Europe were stoned, drowned, had a hole drilled in their head. Those families who practiced the old ways, did so in secret. It made a huge resurgence in the 20th century after the Vietnam War. However, the way they were treated by the predominant faith and others in the outlier Faiths, practices became isolated and secretive again. I would like to show you a Blot and Sumbel." Getting invited, as an outsider, to a gathering like this was rare, like getting a Vulcan to talk about their feelings rare.

“Well first,” Camille said after hearing the explanation, “as someone from one of the faiths that so badly treated your ancestors, please accept my apologies. No one should deny another’s right to their beliefs or culture, even — or even especially — in case of disagreements. Such differences should be celebrated as opportunities to exchange and learn, which you are offering me now. And second, the scientist in me is fascinated. Merci. I would be honoured to see this...rite?” She was familiar with many of the Federation’s more common faiths, but it was hard to know much about less practised religions.

Looking at her, "I got the Privilege of learning about Vulcan Faith and Klingon Faith as well. This one, my fathers faith. It felt more right. The pursuit of knowledge. To go to space, to seek out the Gods. To be prepared if the journey was longer or the conclusion not what we expected. It is the point of Avikiningr." That was the root word of the word Viking. "Computer. Start program." They were among trees. "This place is reproduction of New Asgard Earth Colony. It is where my wife. My exwife is from." Despite being a flirt, the divorce was hard on him. "They were settled by all Heathens who wanted a balance between nature and the technology. I'm taking you to the Moot Hall. All Gatherings are called a Thing, even Festivals. If it takes place in a Hof or Hall, it is a Moot Thing." He laughed at his own joke. Moot thing being the origin of the word meeting. This place seemed to have very little technology.

“It’s beautiful,” Camille said, looking around at the woods. The alien forest reminded her of so many she had visited, but was unique in its own right. A perfect spot for a colony of people seeking their roots.

Kids ran up, they all had questions, each one a different question, "Are you from Starfleet? Is it fun to go Avikining for them? The Kennari and the Gothi says we have to be good at Science to go Avikining for Starfleet." They were all the equivalent of first and second grade. Walker just backed away.

“Aww!” Camille crouched down the the kids’ level and smiled at them. “Yes, we’re Starfleet, and it sounds like the Kennari and the Gothi know what they’re talking about.” She stood back up and looked at her superior officer slash host. “Do you not like children, Monsieur Walker? Also, Kennari and Gothi?”

Grinning at her, "I have children. I tolerate my own." He loved his kids. He had things his kids gave him in his office. He stuck his tongue out at them. They laughed and ran away. "Holographic children to introduce you to a culture. Kennari is Academic Teacher. Godhi is a Title. It means someone trained as a Warrior, Healer, Priest, and Bard. My grandfather is one. Avikining means to travel to seek knowledge, glory, work. It isn't glory as in pride, opportunity to reach a personal best for your ancestors and your children."

He escorted her into the village, "Steading is the land a house sits on. Hof is the building. Steadinghof is your home, only made possible when a family is there. That building is a Hallr, it means Hall. Civil business is handled there. The leaders of each family in a tribe discuss things. The Jarl makes the Final Decision. You see them building the fire in the pit. They are preparing the bonfire. The families gather as tribe and we eat, as a tribe."

Camille nodded along as she took in the sights, sounds, and smells, and listened intently to the explanations. It was the sort of cultural education that she loved: experiencing it from within, with a patient guide to walk her through what was happening. She recognized some elements and terms from xenoanthropology courses, but those were introductory at best.

"What will we eat?" she asked, not yet having seen anything come out to be cooked.

Taking her to an open area with long tables, dishes were being brought out like a buffet and put on tables, parallel to tables with benches, he pointed to the table with food, "Smörgåsbord." He looked at the dishes, "Wow. We are a meat and potatoes people." He started pointing, "köttbullar, Medisterpølse, Gaedafiskur köttbullar, falukorv, Smörgåstårta." He grabbed a piece of Gaedafiskur and handed it to her. It was like jerky made from fish. "You can also tell that the settlers here took the long way through the United States BBQ country for a few generations before space travel." He laughed. "Meat at potatoes."

“Our cultures are similar in this regard,” Camille said as she tasted the fish. Salty and delicious, if a bit tough like jerky. Ideal for long journeys, protein rich, and tasty. She filled her plate, found a space, and listened.

Walker looked at her, "Canada is settled by French and Norse by way of England, Scotland, and Ireland, genetically. Even if you were Christianized, a lot of the old Heathen ways prevailed. I knew Christian Farmers in Canada who still did the Plow finding ritual". He looked at her plate, "All the different dishes here..", he laughed continuing the meat and potatoes reference, "You found the hot dog."

Ben oui!” Camille’s plate had helpings of multiple meats, some recognizable as beef, pork, and poultry, and some she didn’t recognize. She had always been partial to sausages. Combining meats with spices usually led to something delicious. “And yes, I knew many of our rituals were derived from yours, whether in Europe or America. Studying how cultures build upon each other’s practices is fascinating.”

Looking at her, "A lot of rituals may be flashy, but they were based in science. The dead get burned. Human waste get burned, oiled and burned again. Any parts of animals or plants we can't or don't use gets burned. When it is a sufficient amount of ash, it gets shoveled into the compost and into the animal waste. It get shoveled onto the fields. When your really on the planet, the children get taught the ways of the farm and eat fresh food. You should have seen my exwife's face at the Academy the first time she a first ate replicator food. It tastes so much better."

“Oh I know all about that,” Camille said, nodding and chewing on a piece of chicken. “I had family and friends who ran farms in Northern Québec. Cattle ranches, fruit orchards, sugar bushes. When I brought Nicole to meet my parents, the maple was in season and syrup harvest was doing very well. Everyone local contributed real food for my sister’s wedding reception.”

She continued to watch everything going on in the holodeck program, eating the food, in pleasant company. “I heard about how you stood up for Penny on the bridge the other day. When that idiot Ensign was out of uniform and tried to put her down. She told me about it later. Merci, Cullen.”

Answering her, 'I know she isn't fond of the hands on approach or the combative, but what he did was out of line. He insinuated that a good Officer bought her uniform inspection grade and that I would take a pay off during an inspection, is degrading to her and disrespectful of me." Walker liked procedure and professionalism, especially when it was an eyes on situation. He earned his rank in a lot of eyes off situations, but that was different.

They were setting up the bonfire in the distance. A hologram character of a young girl tugged, almost Kenning age, a teenager, tugged on Camille's sleeve, "Are you going to braid and bead his beard? You can do worse." Walker started to cough on his food. He started to choke, taking a drink, "Computer, delete character." This was an educational program and designed to teach multiple aspects of the culture. Walker took another drink of water. He cleared his throat again. "I didn't expect that aspect of the program."

Camille giggled as she watched the larger man’s reaction. There was a time that she was truly intimidated by him, but between seeing his more personal side, and how protective he was of his crew, all of that had gone away completely.

“Let me guess. Beard braiding is something of a romantic gesture?”

Coughing, Walker answered, "It is both a euphemism and a specific act. Wives braid and put beads into the beard and hair on Warriors. They also choose our soap and added fragrances. When we go Avikining, our share of the haul goes to the wife, she pays the Bills and gives the husband an allowance. In reference to the euphemism, it is sex. Hence, if you play with my beard, I play with your butt." The origin of a lot of things could be tied to the Heathen culture.

“Fair enough,” Camille said, grinning as she continued eating. “How did the act of Avikining change as we went into space?” Not a historian, she mostly knew the old stories of Norsemen raiding villages in Northern Europe, and probably didn’t know the stories too well (or they were inaccurate and embellished). And she was fairly certain she would have read about space Vikings raiding the spacelanes.

Tearing meat with his teeth, "Avikiningr didn't become Raider until Lindisfarne, and that was Retaliation for what was done to our Saxon cousins. It was many things. It was a Diplomat, a Trader, an Explorer. Raiding was a very small part of it. We down do tactical games with Klingons and Hire ourselves out as protection."

“Oh that I would love to see someday,” Camille said as she finished another bite. “In my experience there are quite a few planets out there with climates like Northern Europe and Canada. I’m sure your ancestors found amazing opportunities on new worlds.”

Answering her, "I grew up on Vulcan. The Walkers stayed in Texas. I didn't know this planet existed until I met my exwife. She was from here. My father and stepmother sent all of us to the Vulcan Academy because they wanted us to have the self control to be our primary focus. It is why many times, I seem to have a stick hidden in my posterior." He pointed to the field and kids were sword fighting, "Children here are treated differently. Academics is only part of their education. I got sword fighting in martial arts, but I never really needed it to pass a class. In space, their are still sword fights." He laughed.

“Nicole has been teaching me archery,” she said. “I’m getting better at it, too. I have much respect for the discipline one needs to wield a weapon effectively and safely. Knowing how to kill without harming the innocent. Knowing when to kill, and as importantly, when not to.” Her experiences in the Alpha Quadrant on their way to Cass’s wedding, not to mention the past months serving under Captain Kennit, gave her an entirely new perspective on such matters. A pacifist at heart, she knew now that sometimes life was best served not with words, but with a phaser. She hoped to one day have the mental and physical discipline of Nicole or Penny or Commander Walker.

Grinning, "On Earth, my understanding is school age children only go to school about seven hours a day, five days a week, with reduced outside time as years progressed. . On the planet this hologram is based on, the kids go to school twelve to fourteen hours a day, six days a week. That long school day isn't inside. My exwife grew up on this planet. She knew how to milk cows and goats. Fight training was all part of school. My understanding is that the majority of the original settlers were prior military and chose an agrarian Lifestyle. The simple life. This Society is homogeneous Northern European primarily. I think there was one Hispanic female on the original manifest, that was it, but she was Iberian and Mexican, or something."

“A lot of simple things are lost with technology,” Camille said before taking another bite. “In my hometown people tried to live simply. Many homes lacked replicators. Farms produce food for the community and to be sold as artisanal goods. And as for school, mon Dieu I would have loved that. Outdoors, so many skills, so much learning from nature.” She laughed. “Nicole teases me for the sample containers I brought on our hikes on Rigel.”

The bonfire in the distance reached a certain height and the holograms started cleaning up. Trash was very minimal. Compost with compost. Untouched food was put in containers for later use, this was an obvious use of modern technology. The program even had a boy complaining about not finishing eating. His mother telling him that he played through dinner and he could eat later. It was to add a sense of realism. Technically, the only real food was what they ate.

Walker escorted Levesque to the fire. They approached the fire. It was a wooded area, hard to approach. The fire was very well contained, a combination of modern and Traditional ways. "Computer. Freeze program. The fire would be real and have a forcefield around it. If we were there, we would feel the heat, but no trees on fire." He pointed to the spearman, "We are a Warrior people. The word German comes from the word Garman which means Spear Man. You notice he is standing at parade rest with spear, in this case, if is the same way the Starfleet Drill Team stands with a rifle. There is some argument about the origin of that stance with a spear. The prevailing is that Military got it from us. Starfleet got it from the military. The other theory is after the Vietnam War when soldiers came home, they couldn't find answers at Church, the Wiccans were hostile to them, Heathenry and Asatru met them with open arms. The Heathens picked it up from those soldiers. I think it might be a little bit of both."

Camille nodded as she listened. It was much to take in, but any opportunity to learn was valuable.

However, the universe would not permit it. Her commbadge chirped. “Wakeman to Lévesque. I’m sorry ma’am, I know you’re off duty, but you’re needed in Astrometrics.”

The CSO shrugged at her superior officer. “Pardonnez-moi, commandant, but duty calls.”

Walker was in thought for a moment, slow to respond. Then he grinned, "Absolument pas besoin de s'excuser. Ordinateur. Enregistrer le programme pour plus tard. Arc et porte." His pronunciation was off. It was like he was fumbling between Cajun, Haitian, and French. Considering his education in Religions, he had to learn languages. It had been a while since speaking any form of French at all.

Camille was surprised, but smiled in appreciation. Walker could still surprise her. “Merci et bonsoir.” With that, she exited the holodeck and went to find the young officer who needed her.

And Walker was alone. He was one of the few officers that wore a duty belt. He pulled his padd off his belt. "Hey. Time for Department checks anyway." He went on his way.

 

RSS Feed