"Breath"

[Garnoopy 0]

Lieutenant Commander Garnoopy

Chief Engineering Officer

USS Manticore, NCC-5852

Personal Log Stardate 50402.22

“Breath”

 

In and out. Twelve separate breaths to calm the body and slow the heart. Each breath carefully felt by the mind. Slowly the stress, worries, fears, frustrations, joys, concerns filtered outwards. Each breath breathing in calmness, each outward motion removing the problems of life.

 

The wind drifts across the prairie. Grass gently ruffles. No foreign sounds can be heard. Nothing to disturb the peace that holds the strength of the land.

 

Slowly his body leant over, his hands reaching towards the ground. His hamstrings stretched slowly.

 

His eyes closed, Garn listened to his body. Felt every sensation that ran across it. He gently let his hamstrings stretch as his mind cleared itself of the thoughts that plagued him daily.

 

In and out. Each outward breath stealing some of his worry.

 

Life was a constant worry on the planet. The stability of electro plasma conduits flowing behind walls was gone. Stars no longer were but a button away. Food grew at the rate mother earth allowed.

 

His hands slowly lowered themselves to the ground in front of him. They moved forward forcing the back into a catlike arch. Stretching the lower back. Pulling the stress that accumulates there daily.

 

The back moved flat for a moment, then arched.

 

In and out he breathed.

 

Although the world around him is Earth, it is not home. The gently rolling hills and rising sun were close, but off enough to be a constant reminder of everything he had missed.

 

He pulled his right leg up, letting it become level with his back, his left hand reached directly up towards the sky. Towards a type of freedom he missed.

 

Blue skies. Gently floating clouds. All a reminder of Earth. Not his Earth.

 

In and out stress flowed with every breath.

 

Slowly his oblique stretched. The air rushed around his body causing his nerves to fire. His blue eyes remained closed. Feeling the Earth. Feeling his body through senses.

 

Garn had come daily to this location since his arrival to gently go through his yoga paces. Every day he was reminded by the creation of fuel that time was ticking away. Yet every day he took the time to bring his body back to life. To keep the energy flowing.

 

Air flowed in and out.

 

His hand lowered. His leg lowered. The stretch was repeated but on the other side.

 

What did he miss of his family’s life? Did his brother ever fulfill his dreams? What had happened to them?

 

His mind was clear. No thoughts could penetrate it.

 

He slowly returned his hand and leg to earth.

 

He lowered himself to the ground, moving his legs into a cross-legged position. Gently leaning forward he felt the stress that remained in his back begin to dissipate.

 

Years of the practices of yoga had made Garn flexible. Although his bottom remained on the ground his nose could touch the earth. The power flowed right below his face.

 

An engineer is a being who believes in power. A power that be created from a natural source. There is no power greater than the power flowing right beneath where you walk. Touch the earth and you’ll feel it.

 

Garn felt the power flow. He felt it flow beneath him and into him slowly. Replacing the worn energy of his body with a new flow. A rejuvenated flow.

 

In and out. His breath absorbed the oxygen.

 

He gently extended his legs in front of him and leaned forward, bringing his nose to his knees. Gently letting his legs stretch.

 

Would they return home? Could they return home? What did it matter?

 

He was supposed to want to return to home. It was his duty. It was his purpose. Yet every day that he remained on this planet a little of the power that flowed went into him and a little of his resistance flowed into the planet.

 

In and out. His chest rose and fell with every deep breath.

 

Slowly he brought his left leg and pulled it up to cross over his right. He pressed his right arm against the outside of his leg and twisted his body, stretching the back.

 

It had been many years since Garn had sat in the middle of an open field outside of a holodeck. The calmness of his surroundings brought peace to himself and wounds that lay open from pain were nearly closed. It was as if the wind flowing over his body could regenerate a broken heart.

 

His legs switched and he twisted the other way.

 

In and out, fresh air refreshing his lungs.

 

The pain from his losses in life had been healed. What on this strange replication of Earth had done it he did not know.

 

Perhaps it was the length of time he had spent with nature. There was no gently humming in the background from systems running here. There was only a wind that made one feel alive inside.

 

Energy flowed in and out.

 

Slowly, he laid back. Soon he would return to work, but not now. Now was a time of rest. A time to enjoy a stress less body. His muscles lay fresh and ready for the day. His mind reenergized from the earth.

 

His heart healed. Air in and out.