A Child's View

[Voyager recruit 0]

Lina had started her week like any other. She awoke in the meagre hut that was her home, to the smell of breakfast, however spare, cooking in the small kitchen a short distance away. And, to her ears came the sound of humming, her mother, as she cooked something for them, here in this equally small township that was Bozeman, Montana, United States of America, on a planet called earth. But this world was not as it once was, when that symbol of unity, however waxing and waning since its inception, represented a force, and a powerful one, of democracy, and freedom. Little did those framers of the Constitution realize the fate that would befall, not only the aggregate of provinces they strung together oneday...but the entire planet. Lina, her mother, and countless humans across the globe, were today living in the remnants of The Last War..or surely it must be,for how could, after all the bombs, from all the nations that had unleahed that horror upon this world be in any position to rise up with their hatreds, and greed for power, to attempt to stand at the top...of a pile of ashes. So, from out of the chaos, a few hardy hangers-on, in pockets across the earth, came together, trying to survive. Seperately. To many the future was a wholly unknow quantity. Hope was as in short supply, as food. But there was plenty of fear....of the Other. Of the Outsider. And it was unlikely to go away any time soon. ''Lina!'' her surviving parent called down the corridor. ''Time to eat!Are you up, honey?" ''Y es, Mom'' she murmured, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, as she threw off the covers , and felt the pervasive chill in the mountain air this time of year touch the exposed skin on her cheeks, and around her ankles, and hurriedly dressed into her warmies, following the scent of today's fare to the kitchenette, where, as always, she was met with a smile. '' Sleep all right, dear?'' Andrea Blakely asked, smiling, as she always seed to be, down at her only child-and one she would do anything, and everything for, as would any parent. ''Yeah. Okay'' Lina replied. Her mother glanced concernedly over as she spooned their food onto plates. ''Are you sure?'' Linea hesitated. ''I had the dream again'' ''About Dad?" ''Yes'' ''I'm sorry, Lina" Lina attempted one of those cavalier smiles, that she saw adults put on, when they were trying to spare someone they loved hurt-and there was far too much, she thought, to go around. ''It's going to be all right, Mom. Really.'' ''He will always love you. And me.'' Now Lina did smile true. Mom wa right. She always was. ''Oh, how proud he would be, to see how you've grown into this brave, fine, and caring young lady.....as I am''Andrea leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek. ''Now, we'd better eat this, beforeit gets cold, hm? Schooltime is soon. A groan issued from her daughter. ''Now, Lina. You know this is important.Life goes on-as your Dad reminded us every day. And getting an education, however this community can provide it, matters. Ther will come a time, when it will be needed. You, and all the other children here have to be ready'' ''For what, Mom?'' Lina had to ask. She had not missed the forlorn expressions, the haunted eyes, of so many adults here in Bozeman. In them Lina hadn't glimpsed the future..not one to look forward to. Even if she wanted it as badly as her mother. Andrea Blakely assumed one of those faces that Lina was equally familiar with. She looked deeply into her eyes, and said, firmly, ''For a day when there won't be people who are frightened...who aren't willing to trust, that everyone outside their little corner of this earth isn't going to hurt them. And it will happen, Lina. We just have to be patient.'' Seeing the absolute belief there, Lina felt shame, that she alloed herself to doubt. Dad woudn't have wanted that for her. She had to try. ''Okay, Mom. I will keep thinking, that we won't always ahve to be scared. And'' she added, rolling her eyes, eliciting a laugh from her mother, '' I'll even go to school without complaing-so much, anyway'' Andread tousled her straight brown locks, and winked. ''That's my girl'' ''You bet'' Lina winked back. An hour later, she was all set, and heading down the path between the various buildings that was the town,most of it huts like hers, and some ersatz structure that were representative of local government, loosely associated it might be. Her father had been one of the leadres-along with Zephrem Cochrane, a colorful, as Mom described him, fellow, who liked to ''whoop it up'' some said, evenings with his buddies. Lina frankly didn't see much to whoop about, but Zeph, as his pals called him, was nice to the kids, and fixed toys when they broke, or even made new ones up out of seemingly nothing. He was VERY smart-and so was his friend Lilly, a tough, but caring woman who worked with him on some kind of project, down in the big silo that held one of ''the awful things'' people once had unleashed on the world. Only this one she'd heard said was a 'dud'. Wonder what Zeph would do with that thing? She really had to ask him about that. Schooltime was always very early, so as to allow cildren to help with the daily struggle to survive; the sun had yet to come up., and Lina hugged her writing pad against her chest, as a clold draft blew across the gound along the way to the slightly bigger hut that was the schoolhouse, where Mrs. Davis taught the handful of kids all manner of things. She called them '' Our hope'' It was an awful lot to pin on so few. Again, for her Mom, she'd try to represent that-and maybe..for the sake of her own child, oneday...... Then something occured to her, pausing Lina in her tracks. Where were half the folks of Bozeman? It looked as if a lot of them were elsewhere; the street was empty. A shiver of worry grabbed at her heart. Had something happened? Had one of those groups she heard Lilly and Zeph whisper about come her, trying to hurt, or take things? She sttod very still, and listened to see if she could hear anything-theterrible sound of guns clack-clacking, yells of defiance...but nothing. No, wait....on the edge of the next cold breeze, she caught the sound of waht seemed a murmur..lots o f people, talking low, but intensely. Something WAS going on. 'I have to see' Lina thought, and took off at a run in the direction of it all. Soon, she found herself at the outskirts of town, where, indeed, a group of citizens were gathered...Zephrem at the forefront, clad in his ragged old coat. Her pulse quickening for a reason she could not name, Lina skirted around the perimeter, and came as close as she could to the place where the defacto other town leader, and inventor stood...looking up into the yet-darkened sky...full of stars. And, when she at last was near enough, to be able to glimpse the expresion that the rough-hewn adult had on his gruff-bearded face...she felt something new, again...someting that seemed to be infectious. Anticipation. Even.....excitement. Lina wanted to tug Zeph on the sleeve, and ask, but somehow, it seemed inappropraite-as if this were a holy moment, almost, like in Sunday church Mom and she went to at the community chapel. So she waited..and wondered. Then something drew the attention of the inventor, and everyone here. Something in the sky.It was moving down....from the stars, it seemed, even. An aircraft? But, it could be from a Faction-with soldiers, carrying guns, to kill, and take from the people of Bozeman! Why wasn't somebody going to try and stop them!? But all anyone did, was stand ther..mouths falling open, eyes widening, at this uninvited visitor. Or was it? The murmur of the crowd had become utter silence, but for the sound of the wind..carying a strange hum. It came, Lina heard, from the newcomer. And shortly she understood...it wasn't an airplane. It wan't like anything she had seen, in any book, or drawing. And that thing that sometimes an adult can let themself lose, that we forget, arose from somwhere within the yet-potential hopeful heart of Lina Blakely. Wonder. Not fear. And now the Object filled the air above the town. It was incredible! There it floated, practically, without wings, or pulsorjets....just his hum, that vibrated into ones' bones, into the hard, cold ground at her feet...not that she would ahve cared. Lina's whole being was absorbed in this sight, from out of what could only be a chlid's fantasy...or of an adult's...someone who saw possibilities..beyond other imagining. The 'ship' at last settled to the earth, some few dozen meters from the edge of the gathered townsfolk. For just a moment, something managed to tear Lina from her rapt attention, back over her shoulder, to the greater township..where her mother was all but running at full tilt up to meet her. ''Lina!'' Andread gasped, grabbing her hand. She thought that mom was about to take her away, perchance to safety. She didn't want to go!! ''Mom..look!'' she breathed, the former's own eyes, wide as saucers.......Saucers....... And then she had it. Stories, hande handed down over generations..of Visitors from The Stars. Oh, the stars.................Andrea did look. It seemed all she could do, also. ''My Heaven. He did it'' she breathed in absolut awe. ''Did what, Mom? Who did what?'' Andread beamed down at her precious child....whom she wanted to save t, and help to nourish her Hope. And it stood, right there, on the hard soil of Montana...........Mom embraced her with a swell of joy. ''Zephrem'' she whisperd in her ear, lookin up at the man, who had just moved, tentatively, closer to the now-motionless craft out there. ''Oh, honey....he WENT TO THE STARS!!'' The stars. A dream, at least for humans, Lina thought. How could anyone on earth be able to do such a thing? But Mom wouldn't lie-nor would Zephrem. It was true. And.....he had FOUND someone there. Someone, she understood suddenly, who followed him back! Now, both Blakelys, along with the man Andrea had always seemed to so admire saw something happen on the red-hued SPACESHIP. A door was opening. Someone-or something-was coming out! Around them, the crowd pulled back. That old Fear tried to step in. And it hovered for those initial moments, over the denizens of a place left over from those days of Chaos. But here are things in this world-in this universe-even more powerful. The planet earth, and all its people did not realize it at this moment in time.....but a tipping point had come. And the actions taken, the choices made, here in this litle town in Montana, would forever change the present....and, IF those right choices were allowed....could mean a differnce that a generation removed, and beyong, would look back upon...and be proud. Andrea gathered her daughter close, as they stood near Zephrem, who was fixed upon the Being...with two arms, two legs, clad in a long robe, hooded. A pair of hands reached up from out of the folds, and drew it back..revealing at last a face. Everyone looked on, seeing not some hideous, green behemoth, shrp-toothed, and clawed..but one not so dissimilar to a human's, but for the ears, swept-up, and elegantly pointed. Yes, one might conjure an image, rendered long centuries past, of The Devil and his hordes....but in those eyes, sparkling full of intelligence, Lina, and her mother, and Zephrem and the others, saw no malice, or threat. Only a Curiousity...something that humans had let themselves forget. Almost. Auniversal trait....on planets that orbited stars seen from the soil of earth-and far beyond. The alien raised a hand. His lips parted, and he spoke his first words, to a race that until this moment not known his kind. ''Live Long'' he greeted, gently, but with calm conviction, '' And Prosper'' Live Long. All humans wanted that. Prosper. Oh, yes...to do that as well. And here stood that chance..even if noone knew it yet. Zephrem Cochrane, creator of the thing called 'warp drive'' looked into that unthreatening face..and smiled, as he raised his own hand..in salute. And then the first human to make official contact with extraterrestrial life stepped closer to his counterpart from that distant world, to offer, in the tradition of his people, that greting which was once intended, to ascertain the potential danger of a would-be enemy. On this day, in this place, it meant something so very, very different. Hope. And friendship. A handshake across the distance which future men would deem inconsequential, in the face of an expanding galaxy...a community of beings, all sharing one view. To boldly go together.......into places that wbefore were scarcely imagine. ''Mom'' whispered one little girl in complete awe....shared by every soul present with them. ''I know, Lina. I know.'' Andrea took the briefest moment to draw her into her full view-to smile that smile of Faith. ''You see, sweetheart. There it is.'' ''The future?'' ''And so much more than any of us can dream'' '' I want to'' Lina told her. ''And so you will.. my precious girl.'' Together, they turned their eyes back to the amazing tableau before them. And just savored a moent, that neither of them woul forget, to their last day on earth. Unbeknownst to the enthralled people of Bozeman, back in the shadows behind the town, there stood other watchers..who had a perspective that noone in this place-and time-could yet concieve. The honor of being here, in this place and time, was not lost on any of them. ''It almost seems unreal'' a tall, bearded man offered to his friends. Beside him, a beautiful, dark-haired woman grinned up at him. ''But it is'' ''We're lucky'' commented another, younger man with striking blue eyes. '' to be here at this moment'' 'Indeed '' agree the one who had lead them here-who had shared with them adventures in places across the stars. And it was to them he tore his own riveted gaze up towards. Wher his heart felt so very free. Where he belonged. ''It's time to go home'' he announced. and they turned awy to do so, reluctant-yet anticipating....and one of their number, who was in his own way as amazing as the being out ther with The First Great Explorer, summed up his own view of it all. ''And to a future which we have helped to preserve'' The leader smiled back. ''Yes. And if that were all that we ever had accomplished..I believe that I could leave the world in peace.'' ''Here, here'' the bearded man said...to his captain. ''Beam us aboard'' the other commanded...and they all dissolved into sparkle. But, as his last perceptions of the great moment out there faded, this Captain caught, or so he thought, a glimpse of a little girl, who with boldness, with purpose, strode up to the tall alien visitor...and took his hand. And she was smiling,,bright....as a star.

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

Excellent, Voyager Recruit! I'm especially appreciative of the historical setting of the story. Imo, a lot of great stories (yours included) can be found in the history of Star Trek. Keep up the good work :)

[Voyager recruit 0]

Many thanks! I thought later that perhaps I should have added an epilogue-perhaps a future-Lina as part of the early Starfleet(Another story? Shrug-well, assuming anyone would want to read it)

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

Definitely do so. I can see this story really taking off. I look forward to further installments.

[Voyager recruit 0]

Ohhh...guess that's a challenge! Me an' my big mouth... Maybe I will! And thanks!