"Yes, Elder," he replied.
I turned and walked towards the council chambers. They would be there. They never slept. There was too much to do and never enough time. I remember those cycles. Once I became Chief Elder, I was finally allowed to sleep. It was a wonderful feeling, a feeling most of the population never got to experience.
As I was walking, I passed a mirror. I only got a glance of myself, but my age showed. I didn't have much longer to live, I knew that much... My only hope was that I would live long enough to oversee the upcoming ceremony.
**********
The Captain and several other members of her crew beamed into my meeting chambers (as had been requested). Elder Ipay (head of medicine and medical research) demanded to have a meeting with the strangers. I don't know what he hopes to gain. We haven't been able to gain anything useful in generations.
"Captain Janeway, welcome," I greeted. She returned my greeting, and quickly went on to introduce her crew members. Lastly, I introduced Ipay.
"Captain," he said, "our sensors have detected a myriad of different forms of sentient life on your ship. We are curious to the nature of this." I kept myself from sighing in exasperation.
"Back where we come from, there is an alliance that consists of hundreds of different species," she explained.
"Interesting," Ipay replied. "May I ask the lifespans of the species on board?"
"Well," a hairless middle-aged man said. "Lifespans on Voyager range from 60 years to 220 years." I saw Ipay squirm excitedly in his seat. We had encountered species that had lived beyond 60 years, but never even near 220.
"Why do you want to know the lifespans of my crew?" the Captain asked.
There was a slight pause. "We were not fortunate enough to have been given long lifespans," I began to explain. "The average Luozian lifespan is 92 cycles."
"92 years isn't so bad," the Captain responded.
I looked at her confused, "A cycle on Luoz is not a year. A cycle is the time it takes for the sun to rise, set, and then rise again."
"A day..." she trailed off. "I still don't understand asking about our lifespans is going to help?"
Ipay began to explain how we had doubled our lifespans through genetic research and selective breeding. We had evolved directly from insects, which often didn't have a lifespan of more than several cycles. Until we had gone out among the stars did we realize 40 some-odd cycles wasn't enough to accomplish much. Even at 92, it wasn't enough. We needed years. It took years to invent technology. Most inventions took several generations to fully develop and perfect. In order for the Luozian culture to reach it's potential, life had to be elongated to an amount where progress is possible.
"I'm sure we can arrange to provide you with genetic samples," the captain offered.
"Thank you, Captain," I replied, putting on my best smile. It was for the guests only. Ipay knew how much I disliked this. My hopes of anything advantageous coming out of this been dashed away with my youth. "Now if you'll excuse..." I began to leave and then turned around. "I hope you and your crew enjoy their time here on Luoz."
**********
I stood in the square, ready to greet the first shore leave party. It had always been custom for the Chief Elder to welcome every alien that set foot on Luoz in the hopes that it would encourage a reputation of grand hospitality and an extremely courteous society. This being done, of course, all in the hopes of increasing our lifespans.
The familiar sound of a transporter reached my ears. "Welcome to Luoz," I greeted. "I am Chief Elder Rigiqux."
A murmur of greetings emulated from the crowd. I began to visually scan them, as they dispersed. I saw the Captain talking and laughing with a man. He had some sort of marking across his forehead. Probably her mate, I mentally noted. My eyes continued to look around, seeing nothing of interest.
I sighed and turned around, ready to go back to my chambers and rest when I saw a young women. She was standing off to the side, looking extremely out of place. At first, I thought nothing of it; that is until I saw something above her eye. As quickly as I could, I walked up to her. "May we talk?" I inquired.
"Yes," she replied. "I am Seven of Nine."
"Are you Borg?"
"I was Borg," she paused. "The Borg have not come into contact with your species. How do you know of them?" At this point the heat of the mid-day sun became too much for my old body. I signaled Seven of Nine to follow me.
We entered my chambers. I gestured for her to sit as I did the same. "Over 200,000 cycles ago, a ship visited our planet seeking refuge from the Borg. They were the last of their race. While here, they described these Borg to us. It is somewhat of a legend among my people."
"I don't understand," she interrupted.
"Our doctors and researchers theorized that with the proper altercations, Borg nanoprobes could be used to increase our lifespans by 10 fold," I explained.
"I will have to ask the Captain's permission before a sample of my nanoprobes is given to your people," she replied. For the first time in Luozian history, long-range space travel seemed possible. I envied the generations to come.
Seven of Nine got up to leave. "Could you do me one more favor?" I asked.
She nodded. "I meant to ask your captain earlier, but I forget.
"When does it begin?"
"Tomorrow's tomorrow."
"Pardon?"
I laughed, realizing what I had just said. "It's an old Luozian expression.
Tomorrow's tomorrow means two cycles from now."
"I'll be sure to pass your messages on to the captain." She turned and promptly
left. Today had proved to be an interesting cycle.
**********
I walked into the gigantic ceremony hall. The ceiling stretched to amazing
heights, seemingly limitless. The floor extended for several kalimetras;
fortunately, I had entered through the door nearest to the platform. Every
ceremony in Luozian culture is held here, from naming ceremonies to Feivoz
to funerals. The Feivoz, however, remained the most important. Perhaps it
was because it happened so infrequently. Naming ceremonies were held every
other cycle and funerals: every hour.
I thought back to my own Feivoz some 90 cycles ago. It had been one of the
best times of my life. The party that would never end, I remembered saying
to a friend. Unfortunately, it did end and I had felt no more grown up than
before I had entered.
As I sat in the ceremonial throne, engrossed by my sweet reverie, the first
Luozians had begun to arrive. It would only be a matter of time before the
room was filled with Luozians and Voyagers alike.
**********
The ceremony hall was packed to capacity and then some. I wasn't sure why
they didn't expand it. The population was increasing and a Feivoz rarely
went by where there weren't alien visitors. I remembered a race called the
Wafojay had been at my Feivoz. They had been... loud.
I glanced over to my right and saw Captain Janeway attempting to get past
one of my personal guards. I got up and walked over to see what was the matter.
"Is there a problem?"
"I wish to speak to you on the matter of the nanoprobes," she answered.
I smiled, "Not now, Captain. Now is the time for celebration, not business
matters. See me after the ceremony."
"When will that be?"
"2 cycles from now."
"Tomorrow's tomorrow?"
I laughed, "Quite right."
I sat back and watched the Captain as she walked away. She began talking
to the same man I had seen her with earlier. At first they're tone was very
serious, but quickly lighted. Within minutes, they were in hysterics. It
wasn't what was funny that interested me, but they themselves. My earlier
assumption about them being mates didn't seem right. There was something
about their interaction that said they weren't, but wanted to become so.
I caught the eye of the man. I smiled and gestured for him to come up on
the stage. It was the Chief Elder's job during the Feivoz to guide the young
persons into adulthood; I now took that opportunity to guide this man.
"Hello," I greeted. "Enjoying yourself?"
"Yes," he replied, attempting to shout over the music. "I'm Commander Chakotay."
"And the Captain, is she having a good time?"
"I believe so."
"How long ago was it when you fell in love with her?"
"I don't understand."
"It's a simple question, Commander," I said. "You're in love with the Captain;
don't try to deny that. And, whether or not you believe it, she is in love
with you."
He took a deep breath, "Okay, I admit it, but how did you know?"
"When you get to be my age, you see things that others would miss," I paused.
"How much do you know of this ceremony?"
He cautiously answered, "Other than that it's meant as a rite of passage,
nothing."
"It's more complicated than 'a rite of passage'. Before the ceremony is over,
each Luozian you see here will have chosen a mate. Granted, many members
of the crowd decided who their mates were going to be long ago, but tomorrow's
tomorrow it will become official," I paused. "It appears you and the Captain
chose each other long ago, why not make it official?"
The commander nodded, understanding my meaning. He walked away. I could only
hope that something would come of this, that she would admit her love to
him. She was a private woman; it might take some prying on his part. Suddenly,
various members of the Voyager crew began applauding. I looked around to
see what had happened. I saw the captain and the commander embraced in a
kiss. Okay, so it didn't take much prying...
**********
I stood up and looked out among the paired Luozians. "Today, you become an
adult. You swear a vow to yourselves that says you will do everything in
your power to benefit Luozian society and to make things better for the next
generation. Do you swear?"
"I swear," the million or so Luozians replied.
There was a paused as the ceremonial chimes sounded. "You stand before a
person you have decided to take as a mate. Destiny has brought you together
to sire the next generation. You will take an oath to your mate. You must
treat them fairly and as an equal. Do you swear?"
"I swear."
"Lastly, you two must pledge to make the next generation genetically superior
to their predecessors. Do you swear?" I hated that last one. It always implied
that the past generations were inferior; which, of course, they weren't.
Damn tradition.
"I swear."
I began to chant the ancient prayer, who's translation had long since been
lost. When I had finished, the ritual cups of bratka juice was passed out.
Some believed that it bounded the couple, making sure they never stopped
loving each other. I believed that it was simply a drink that made you tipsy
for about 2 hours.
"May you go in peace," I concluded. The music played while the couples exited.
I had been awake for more than 2 cycles; yet, I wasn't tired. The spirits
of youth had raised my mood. Truly, the captain and the commander had captivated
my attention throughout the ceremony. I was surprised that they had agreed
to being bonded in this way. I had expected them to get on their ship and
be joined in whatever way was custom to their Federation. It was the first
time any aliens had been united as a result of the Feivoz. I smiled at the
oddness of the situation.
**********
"Captain, I wasn't expecting you to call for another cycle or so," I said,
looking at her through the viewscreen. She looked contented.
"I promised to contact you after the ceremony. I didn't plan on breaking
my promise."
"I understand." I did. The burden of leadership often made one put others'
needs and wants before their own.
She paused, "I've talked to senior staff and I've decided to let you have
some of Seven's nanoprobes. I'll send someone down with them sometime during
the next hour."
"Thank you, Captain. You can't know how grateful we are."
I sat back in my chair, sighing. It would take cycles to figure out how the
Borg technology worked and then even more to adapt it for our use. But we
would be able to use it. Without even having the chance of living that long,
I knew we were on are way to becoming an independent species, no longer needing
to depend on others for supplies and information about the stars. We could
go out there ourselves.
I felt an enormous sleepiness fall over me. I got up and hobbled over to
my bed. The last two cycles had felt like ten. My age was catching up. A
new Chief Elder would be chosen soon. I fell asleep, enjoying the last perks
of the Chief Elder position; knowing that tomorrow's tomorrow would be a
truly better time for the next generation.
*
