Adiós, Earth!

Posted on Wed May 11th, 2011 @ 2:35am by Lieutenant Elena Valdez

Mission: Shadows Fall
Location: Earth

Elena perched high on the rocky ledge of her canyon, gazing pensively into the verdant depths below. A light, warm wind ran its fingers through her hair, bringing with it the rich scent of piñon pine and juniper. Elena's hand traced lightly over the rough gray stone on which she sat, but her mind was occupied with thoughts other than the natural beauty surrounding her.

She had closed the doors to her general practice today. The final turning of the lock came to her as a surprisingly bittersweet moment, especially considering the fact that during the last three years she had spent most of her time at Star Fleet Academy, and only kept the clinic open for emergencies and a few patients who had stubbornly refused to find another doctor. Those patients, who were now also friends, were there today as Elena said goodbye to her offices and her old life. She was touched by their loyalty, but knew it was going to be somewhat difficult to keep appointments with them while cruising through the Delta Quadrant.

A small thrill ran through her body at that thought. The Delta Quadrant! Elena, newly graduated and ready for adventures, had just received news of her first assignment last week. She was to be stationed aboard the USS Iapetus, which would soon be on its way into the most final of final frontiers. If there were any discoveries left to be made in this universe, Elena was sure to find them there.

The doctor took a deep breath of warm mountain air. She felt a bit irrational shutting down a successful medical practice on Earth just to satisfy her wanderlust. She knew she was a little too old and a little too entrenched in her respectable profession to be yanking up her roots and heading out into the wilds of space. But at 35, Elena decided she couldn't delay her thirst for adventure any longer.

So with the sun on her face and the wind in her hair, Elena said goodbye to her beloved canyon, Las Barrancas del Cobre, the Copper Canyon of Mexico, and its mountains, rivers, and trees. She wouldn't be seeing them again for a very long time.

_________________________________________________________________

The transport ship she would take to Union Gateway was due to to leave the following morning, so Elena was at home attempting to pack lightly when her father found her.

"Ah, there is my médico bonita," he said proudly, arms wide to greet her with a hug. Elena grinned and returned the embrace. An unassuming yet talented chef, Marco Valdez was proud of his daughter's achievements and let it show on a regular basis.

"Your madre is wondering if you're ever going to come over for dinner," Marco continued with a smile. "She doesn't want to miss this last chance to convince you to stay. Not to mention the food is getting cold."

Elena looked at her clock in alarm. "Oh no! Sorry papá, I lost track of time. I would never miss your tamales!"

Marco chuckled. "I would give you the recipe, but we both know you can't cook worth a damn, and a replicator would never do it justice. Come, niña, and leaving the packing for later. Give your aging parents a last chance to scold and berate you."

With a smile Elena did as she was told, and they soon arrived at the home of her parents, nestled among flowering shrubs, fragrant herbs, and garlands of bougainvillea and jasmine. Night had fallen, but the neighborhood was alight with bright moonlight, flickering porch lights, and the sound of laughter from a party down the street. A sudden wave of homesickness swept over Elena despite the fact she hadn't left yet, and she had to blink away sudden tears. If her mother saw them Elena would never hear the end of it.

Elena greeted her mother Senaida with a hug and a kiss on the check. The older woman smiled and looked at her daughter with mock sternness.

"How are you ever going to succeed in Star Fleet if you can't even make it to dinner on time?" Senaida's voice was light, but Elena knew her mother was only half joking. "Yet another reason to stay home."

And that was the tone of the evening. Elena was determined to serve in Star Fleet, and her mother was determined to make her stay home. A feisty woman, Senaida had worked as a gardener all her life, and had roots in Mexico so deep they probably popped out on the other side of the planet. Her joy was her work and her family, yet her only child was determined to leave, perhaps for years. Senaida was relentless in her efforts to change Elena's mind, but she was quickly finding that her daughter's stubbornness was more than a match for her own.

Elena managed to stay positive through the meal, but Senaida seemed to fade towards the end when she concluded there was no way to keep her daughter from leaving.

"You want to explore, niña," said Senaida with a final, sad sigh, "You want to explore and see the universe, and you will because you can. But like me you are bound to your home, to these canyon lands. Be careful not to chase your dreams so far into the stars that you can never come back."

Elena fell asleep that night telling herself that Senaida's words were just the usual sort of parental advice. Unfortunately, they felt disturbingly like a premonition.