To Boldly Go

"Wow, cool!" The native spoke excitedly.

Their universal translators in their combadges translated his language, as they had been studying his species for some months, with the Na'vi language already added to the lexicon.

"Sir..." the lieutenant repeated, his tone tinged with concern.

"Yeah, I see it..." sighed the commander, "Bye-bye Prime Directive..." The commander cautiously approached the native and spoke, "Hey... son... can I have that back?"

The native boy looked at him with a curious tilt of his head, unfamiliar with the words coming out of his mouth.

"We have universal translators; he does not have one," the biologist explained, taking off his combadge and waving it at the native boy before tossing it to him.

The boy deftly caught it and, mimicking how they wore theirs, placed it on his chest, where it adhered to his skin.

"Interesting," Tey'un spoke in perfect clarity.

"So, you can understand us now?!" the biologist asked giddily.

Tey'un cocked his head and replied, "I guess so," then turning to the small box in his hands, he asked, "What is this?"

"That's a Tricorder. It scans things and..." the scientist began to explain.

"...shows living information on this small moving picture," Tey'un finished, his fascination evident.

"My name is Lanel. What's your name?" the biologist inquired.

"Tey'un," he replied matter-of-factly, before asking, "How does this work?" Returning to his newly discovered device in his hands.

Just then, another Andorian emerged from the complex, holding another strange metal box in their hands. "Commander, I can't get the communications array back online!" they exclaimed, their frustration evident.

With his interest piqued, Tey'un dashed over to the alien's side in a bounding leap. "That looks broken… Its pieces are not in their logical spots," he muttered aloud. His words marking the longest conversation he had ever had up to this point.

The Andorians looked at him in fascination as Tey'un snatched the box out of the engineer's hands and sat on the ground cross-legged, fully absorbed in the strange object.

The engineer looked at the commander in panic, who motioned for them to calm down and let Tey'un be.

Tey'un carefully examined the strange box, turning it over in his hands and shaking it slightly to hear a rattle inside. Upon discovering a missing piece, he deftly opened the box and found the component rattling inside. With a skillful hand, he placed the chip back in its proper place, and the device whirred to life. What was once alien and frightening to his people came as second nature to him; he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the device.

Utterly shocked, the Lanel knelt beside him. "Tey'un… You fixed it… How did you do that?" she asked, her tone filled with curiosity and admiration.

Tey'un shrugged, his demeanor nonchalant. "The piece wasn't in the correct spot, so I put it back and fixed it," he stated plainly.

"Do you enjoy fixing things, Tey'un?" she inquired further, her interest piqued by his newfound skill.

Again, Tey'un shrugged, his expression thoughtful. "I've never fixed things before, but I…" The light in his head went off, as the sudden realization of his newfound interest, he looked at her with wide eyes. "I like fixing things!"

"That's enough, Doctor," the commander stated firmly. "He needs to return to his people; this goes way past the Prime Directive."

"But I don't want to go home!" Tey'un protested earnestly, his gaze pleading. "There's nothing for me to fix there, and the other boys are mean to me!"

"Hey, Kid!" the whale called out from the shallows, his whistles and toots now understandable thanks to the strange badge on Tey'un's chest.

Tey'un's face lit up with excitement as he dashed towards his Tulkun friend. "I can understand you now!" he exclaimed joyfully.

Intrigued, the scientists followed him towards the beach and his aquatic companion.

"I can understand you now!" Tey'un repeated as he stood beside the Tulkun in the water.

One of the Andorian scientists cautiously approached, holding out a badge. "Here, wear this," Tey'un said, taking the combadge and affixing it to the Tulkun's head. "Can you understand me now?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, I can," the Tulkun replied softly.

"My name's Tey'un!" he announced proudly filled with excitement.

"I am Kayuli," his Tulkun friend introduced himself, his tone cautious. "Tey'un, these blue creatures are not from this world. They might be dangerous."

"I know they are from another world!" Tey'un bounced up and down, his enthusiasm undeterred. "Just like in my Uniltaron!" Turning to the Andorian scientists, he declared, "They are my destiny!"

The team of scientists exchanged surprised glances, taken aback by Tey'un's confidence and conviction.

"Destiny Tey'un?" Kayuli inquired. "How do these strange creatures relate to your Uniltaron?"

Breathless with excitement, Tey'un replied, "In my Uniltaron, I encountered their broken device… and I just repaired it!"

"I'm not sure if I trust them, Tey'un," Kayuli sighed. "But you ARE different from the rest of the tree people, and I feel I can trust you."

As the two native boys discussed, the scientists continued scanning them eith their tricorders, "Doctor, take a look at these readings…" one scientist requested, displaying tricorder data on Kayuli. "The cognitive brain functions, synaptic readings, are off the charts," they remarked in amazement. "This whale might possess the capabilities to be one of the most intelligent beings in the known galaxy."

"I am a Tulkun," Kayuli asserted firmly and warily, overhearing the scientists conversationabout them, "And My name is Kayuli," he added, as the giant behemoth began to return to the depths of the waters. "Come, Tey'un, let me escort you home."

"No, no, no!" Tey'un protested. "I want to stay with them!"

"You are both welcome to stay!" Lanel declared warmly.

"At least until our ship returns to pick us up and return us to Starfleet," the commander added.

Tey'un cast a pleading look at Kayuli. "Please, Kayuli! Can we stay?"

"Fine," Kayuli relented. "But I'm staying here to watch over you."

"Oh, just wait until Cetacean Observations hears about this!" Lanel exclaimed with contagious excitement.

—

Over the next few days, Tey'un and Kayuli remained with the Andorian scientists, exchanging information and experiences with each other.

All until a chirp sounded over the communications array, "This is the USS Prague to the research team, are you ready to depart from that location?"

"You're leaving?" Tey'un asked, panic evident in his voice.

"Yes, Tey'un," Lanel replied, "Our ship is returning to take us home."

"I want to go!" Tey'un almost protested, "Take me with you!"

Lanel looked up at the Commander with hopeful eyes, "We can't simply return him to his tribe, given the Prime Directive and all."

The Commander sighed, deep in thought.

"You CAN'T leave!" Kayuli protested, "Where will you live? Where will you go?"

Tey'un dashed toward his friend, who was still in the shallow waters. "Please, Kayuli! We can go together!"

"You're not understanding me, Tey'un!" Kayuli flapped his fins in the water in frustration.

Tey'un huffed, his mind racing, until an idea flashed in his mind, "Tsaheylu with me!" he demanded, holding out his long black ponytail toward Kayuli.

"What?! You can't be serious! But that will make us 'Bond Brothers' for life!" Kayuli protested, his fins fluttering. "I have no Bond brother at this time, but…"

"Tsaheylu with me!" Tey'un insisted once more, extending his ponytail. "I need to understand! I need you to understand! I need to See You!"

Kayuli accepted defeat with a sigh. "Very well. Just know that we will be Bond Brothers until one of us dies."

Tey'un nodded vigorously, ready to proceed.

With that, Kayuli opened his great whale maw wide, and Tey'un stepped inside.

"What are they up to now?" the Commander asked, calling the Lanel's attention.

"Tey'un said Tsaheylu, and Kayuli mentioned Bond Brothers…" she repeated, pulling out a tricorder. "Could it be some sort of Mind Meld?"

"All species on the planet can link to another or connect their nervous systems through the Eywa network," another biologist added. "Perhaps that's what they're doing…"

—

Within the maw, a faint yellow light materialized as Kayuli's neural queue emerged from his throat, while Tey'un's nueral queue extended from the end of his long ponytail. Their pink tendrils reached out and intertwined, locking into Tsaheylu, the Bond.

Tey'un and Kayuli's eyes dilated, their minds merged and connected into one.

Tey'un's usually erratic and anxiety-filled thoughts, partly due to his Asperger's and autistic tendencies, found solace and clarity in Kayuli's strong and steady mind, sharing his burdens.

For the first time, Tey'un's thoughts and emotions settled, becoming clear and focused, his mental landscape tranquil.

Simultaneously, he gained insight into Kayuli's fears and concerns. The vastness of the world beyond the seas posed daunting questions: Could an aquatic being survive on land? Would the gravity of the outside world prove too much? How would he navigate unfamiliar terrain?

In turn, Kayuli began to comprehend Tey'un's inner world—his lifetime of ridicule and isolation, the perpetual feeling of alienation. He witnessed Tey'un's memories of his Dream Hunt, the celestial wonders he had encountered, and his familiarity with alien technology. And in that moment, Tey'un finally felt a sense of belonging he had long yearned for.

After what seemed like an eternity, yet passed in the blink of an eye, the two minds were fully intertwined, each carrying a part of the other. From that moment on, they were forever bonded in heart and spirit.

With a shared sigh, their connection dissolved, severing their link and returning them to their individual selves.

Kayuli's jaw opened wide, and a new, composed Tey'un emerged from within, facing a group of curious scientists, their tricorders scanning intently.

Tey'un, now possessed of a newfound composure and inner tranquility, spoke with a calmness he had never known before. 'We have both decided that we would like to accompany you,' he announced. 'However, there are some accommodations we would require. Firstly, Kayuli will need access to water for swimming, and I would prefer to remain close to him. After all, he is my brother."

Lanel's grin widened. "That won't be an issue," she replied. "Our ship features a pool designed for aquatic species just like Kayuli."

—

Tey'un and Kayuli joined the Andorian research team aboard the USS Prague, marking the beginning of their journey into the realm of space exploration.

Their enrollment in Starfleet Academy marked a historic milestone for their people, as they became the first natives of Eywa'eveng to leave their home planet and embark on a career in Starfleet. Both Tey'un and Kayuli achieved remarkable success during their time at the academy, with Kayuli graduating as Valedictorian and Tey'un as Salutatorian, benefiting from his brother's assistance along the way.

Following their graduation, Kayuli took on the ambitious task of assisting in the compilation of the "Encyclopedia of Eywa," a monumental project that aimed to document the vast knowledge of their homeworld. In return for their cooperation, Starfleet agreed to continue its silent and remote observation of Eywa'eveng, ensuring its ongoing study and protection, while keeping to the laws and principles of the Prime Directive.

—

"And that, Captain Anzyl, concludes the tale of our encounter," Kayuli concluded, his tone carrying a hint of exhaustion, resting besides his Bond brother in the spiders web decorated ball room of Phantasma Keep.

"Quite the eventful First Contact," Anzyl remarked with a grin. "Two counts of Native Abduction and contributing to the literal book on your planet's biology that kept me up for countless hours at night. Quite an accomplishment, gentlemen."

Neil trotted towards then, approaching the trio, having successfully completed his side quest. "The Fair Haven villagers are all safe, and we're ready to continue our quest and hopefully find our way out of here," he announced, clapping his hands together with a sense of determination.

With renewed purpose, the quartet pressed on, delving deeper into Phantasma Keep, eager to face whatever challenges lay ahead.