trans_9 | The Funeral

Everyone's had a chance to recover somewhat, to stop reeling or at least try. Now that people are at least somewhat closer to being on balance again, it's time to say goodbye.

There is a message throughout the ship, one tinged with sadness:

||Attention, crew. Those who wish to attend the funeral services for the crew-mates that died during the conflict should report to Obs Deck immediately. Services will begin in approximately a thirty Earth standard minutes.||

The floor of the Obs Deck shifts to allow lifts to come up through it. Tubes connect from the space there to the hatches that suddenly appear between the windows, giving something of an impression that the closed caskets are missiles about to be shot through a missile tube. The funeral pods themselves have clear round domes in them--some of the people that died more peacefully are visible, looking as if they're sleeping. Most, however, were killed in a way that would make them appear less than presentable, so in their funeral pods only the vaguest outlines of humanoid forms can be made out. Some have entirely closed pods or were vaporized and thus, only have a funeral pod there to represent them.

The ship lurches lightly as it comes to a stop to a random universe, but where it's stopped at is beautiful to behold. They are in the middle of a nebula, surrounded by red and blue plasma. Several new stars burn brightly, here, and they are stopped near one, just short of being sucked in by its gravitational pull. It's a red dwarf, small and faint and new, but its light is welcoming. Here, where the very fires of creation burn, and stars are born is the last place the dead will be sent.

[ooc: Instruction thingies]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's strange to eulogize someone that was supposedly you, but Brainiac 5 finds the words come much more easily than he thought they would.

Brainiac 5's body is stiff and inexpressive as he floats up to the podium and sets down again. He has no omnicom or paper in his hand--memorizing something as short as a eulogy is beyond child's play and into something monkeys can do, for him. His expression is oddly--or perhaps not oddly, knowing him--calm. Blank. Perhaps a little zen, rather than empty.

When he speaks, his voice is strong and clear.

"I'm not a public speaker in any sense of the word. Symposiums on astrophysics and lectures on quantum mechanics are well within my expertise, but I am one that favors rationality and accuracy to emotionality. This makes me, perhaps, the most inappropriate person on the crew to speak about B5, given his nature. It was, after all, his nature that set him apart as a person, rather than the extraordinarily brave actions that led to his death."

He holds up his hand, showing his flight ring.

"Where I come from, where B5 came from, these rings represent an ideal. The Legion of Superheroes, in both our universes, was a group of individuals called in to prevent wars, end wars, and sometimes to do nothing less than save all life in our galaxy and civilization itself. In Sensor and I's universe, we were meant to be an example to the rest of the United Planets--a group of individuals united in cause, overcoming the prejudices between our respective species to show that such things could be accomplished--and B5's Legion was not horribly different. This is our duty, our calling, our professions, if you will, and one of the expectations we had placed on us, that we place on ourselves, is that we will protect life, at all costs--even if the cost is ourselves."

He adds, deadpan, "This means that the Legion tends to attract those who are mildly suicidally insane."

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he goes on, "B5's death was courageous, his choice and sacrifice saved us all, but his death was the death of a Legionnaire. Rather than his death, albeit one that was admittedly brave, what I found more remarkable about him was how he chose to live his life. It is an unfortunate quirk of some individual members of the human race to hold such ideals as selflessness and the capacity for loyalty, courage, friendship, and love to be the very essence of humanity, while ignoring the fact that these traits are not exclusively "human," that these traits are instead the very essences of what is simply noble sentience. To be selfless is not to "be human," it is simply humane. B5 seemed to think he needed to be organic and human to be a good person, without realizing he had already reached that plateau of altruism and self-awareness. He took an interest in the people around him, he cared about people and attempted to understand and bond with them. He embraced emotion and wanted to better himself, to become more self-actualized and self-realized to better serve in the interests of other people, and to better protect life, sentient and non-sentient. Despite being my counterpart, someone that was supposedly a version of myself from another universe, he was an entirely different person--and as such, was a much better sentient than I."

Here he looks sad, finally, tinges of emotion showing through.

"As I said to another crew member several days ago: There are some individuals that exist in the universe whose influence makes one desire to be a better person and fulfill one's fullest potential. I had the rather unique experience of having one of those individuals be a version of myself. But rather than seeing B5 as a mirror, held up to showcase all of my flaws, I believe he was one that...that showed me what I could be. I don't know if I am capable of becoming such a person, but for the chance he gave me by allowing me to live long enough to become that sentient being--the chance he gave all of us to do the same--my gratitude is immense and my--" His voice cracks here, but only once, only briefly. "--my grief is indescribable. "

After taking a moment to get control of himself, he brings the eulogy to a close.

"It is said that the greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. I don't believe this is true--I believe that life is too valuable a thing to be treated like currency, and instead that the greatest use of life is living up to your own potential--and allowing your actions to benefit others in the process. Rather than self-sacrifice being the most courageous action one can take, I think that the most exemplary show of courage an individual can make is to be able at any moment to sacrifice what they are for what they can become. In this way, B5--the other Brainiac 5--was one of the most courageous sentient beings I have ever met, and I can only hope that I can live by his example."

And that's all he has to say. He swallows and steps down from the podium, looking distinctly uncomfortable and rather like he might be having some difficulties holding himself together.

The Funeral

B5's Eulogy

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