The Human Girl (A Star Trek Story)

11. Family

I spun around in my new clothes. I had gotten clothes from Earth and Mazew had given me some Klingon civilian clothes.

I left the room and headed for the transportation room. I was meeting Mazew there to beam down to the surface. Mazew had gotten a hold of my brother's descendants. I was so excited to meet them and talk to them.

I walked into the transportation room. Mazew was already waiting for me. He smiled at me and kissed me sweetly.

"Ready to go?" Mazew asked.

I nodded. "Let's go."

We stepped onto the pad and we got beamed down. Once my vision cleared, I looked at Mazew. He offered his arm and I linked arms with him.

Mazew led me down the road to a cute little cafe. I spotted three people surrounding a small table. One of them, a teenage girl, looked just like me.

Mazew led me over to the table with the three people. They immediately brightened up and stood up. They each hugged me.

The oldest, a kind woman with dark skin, grabbed my shoulders with a large smile on her face. "Hello! You must be Zari. I'm Nina, Valentino's granddaughter."

I smiled. "You might have guessed, but I'm Valentino's sister. I'm older than I look."

Nina laughed. "I know. This is my brother, Diego, and this is my daughter, Josephina. Please, sit down. I want to talk to you."

Mazew and I sat down with the three.

Diego handed me a cup of something. "Try this. Grandpa always said you like hot chocolate with flavoring."

I took a sip and smiled. "It's raspberry flavored! I love it. Thanks so much. What did Valentino tell you guys about me?"

Diego sipped his drink. "He said you were the kindest person he ever knew. He always told stories about his sister, the one who disappeared."

I shifted in my seat. "What happened? I don't remember much."

"You were hiking with a friend," Nina said. "Reports say you disappeared after a freak lightning storm."

My eyebrows knitted. "I remember that. What happened to my family after I went missing?"

"Your parents were distraught," Diego replied. "Your entire family searched for years trying to find you. Now we have. You're here."

I smiled. "I am. What's happened since then? What's happened to Earth?"

Diego gestured to our surroundings. "You can see what happened. It must be hard, getting used to your surroundings."

I nodded, looking at Mazew. "It hasn't been easy, but I had Mazew to help me."

Nina reached out and placed a hand on Mazew's arm. "Thank you, Mazew. I'm glad you helped our Great Aunt. You've helped so much."

Mazew nodded. "It's a pleasure." He grabbed my hand. "Zari is a wonderful person."

Josephine looked at our hands. "Are you two a couple?"

I nodded, a little embarrassed. "Yeah. For a few months now."

Nina smiled. "I knew there was something more! That's great!"

I smiled shyly. "Thank you, Nina."

"What do you want to do now?" Diego asked. "There's so much more to see and do."

I smiled softly, thinking. "I want to see what my family looked like. Did Valentino ever marry Carmen?"

Diego nodded. "Yes, he did. Shortly after Valentino graduated from college."

I sighed, getting sad all of the sudden. "I wish I was there. I would've loved to see their wedding."

"I saw pictures," Nina said. "It was amazing. Carmen was so pretty."

I swallowed. "Do you have pictures?"

Nina pulled out a PADD and swooped through some things before showing me a picture of Valentino and Carmen. Valentino was dressed in a colorful suit. He was smiling widely. Valentino still had the same beard and the same hairstyle that I remember.

Carmen had longer hair. Her smile was just as bright as Valentino's. Her dress was a typical white wedding dress. She looked great.

I started to tear up and I covered my mouth. Mazew wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. Nina placed a hand on mine and squeezed. I missed my family a lot.