Elana's Answers

Elana is explaining  Enkaren physiology to the D.E.O. and Superman in no uncertain terms. And actually, this is the first time we've heard half of this.

Elana's Answers

“You honestly have no idea do you? You are so set in finding answers you don't even see why the question is wrong. I meant it when I told you this is unneeded. But it's also fracking pointless. You keep asking me what my home planet was like; my home town is 500 miles from here. You want to know what I really look like well, I don't look like the rest of my kind but this is the real me. The second most common question you guys have for me is how I know what I do? My people are more advanced in the sciences. My mother was a biologist at the university. I'm not being reticent-stubborn-obtuse or defiant when I don't give a location. I can't answer where I learned it because I never did. I have all my peoples knowledge and my families memories, I remember what it ALL was like. But I never learned any of it, it's all in my head. Everything I know is in my head. Everything I experienced started 26 years ago in Salida Colorado.”

"What your people have sufficiently advanced technology to have embedded learning programs? Your spaceship downloaded you with these files?"

"Come off it. My mother's people have genetic memory. As far as my human appearance, if I was entirely of my mothers people I would be a lot more of a freak of nature. I literally mean this: If I was completely of her blood the high cheekbones I have would be turning the color of your oceans right now. I mean they would be sea-green. When the hair on the back of our neck stands on end, we stand ram-rod straight and bristle like iron. The sore, bristly bones I have and my hard stature that your physicians read as some unknown form of Arthritis is simply genetics. You missed it because it isn't pure. I mean, I'M not a pure sample. My father was human, my mother was from the stars. I was born days after she crash-landed here on Earth: I opened my eyes for the first time 500 miles from here!

This is just something for later:

My Xavallen race in my stories have what they call the Ten Glorious Tales. Or the Basic Instructions By Light Eternal. They leave the after-life to something that happens after death. Thier attitude, the concepts they live thier life by from these scriptures can be boiled down to this: Be better than you were. Be Kind as well as Good. If you can't bring light, don't bring darkness. Which is all stuff Eastern religions and Islam seem to understand better than Christianity.

“I'm still getting used to calling people a son of a bitch. I mean I know it's an expression but it would never occur to us.” Elana said laughing.

“Because it's too degrading?” Barry guessed.

“My people's use of our language, we wouldn't call someone a bastard unless we thought it applied. Unless we thought they were an illegitimate son or daughter of their parents. And it's kind of hard for a biped to come from a female dog. I mean I've lived on this planet my whole life and it still sounds weird to me.” Her hand stopped in mid-air and she let it fall to her side. Her face, suddenly looked sad.

“What's wrong?” I asked her. I didn't really know what else to say.

“My..I was raised by my Enkaren mother. And I just realized why lately pretty much everything has reminded me of the fact my mother raised me by herself and my father died when I was five. Yesterday was the anniversary that we go the news of his death.”

I set my drink down. “What happened?”

“Bar fight.” She answered simply. “He...tried to break up a bar fight. Got stabbed in the ribs. It was the weirdest accidental death ever. Mom kept talking about 'how could they stab him in the heart like that, he was just trying to help'. I'd tell her 'They didn't mean anything by it, it's not the same for humans.' " She smiled at our faces and looked down at her side. “That's where our heart is, the left-side of our ribs. I didn't think it did that much damage in humans.”

“If you don't get medical attention.”

Her mouth opened in a perfect okay that makes sense look. “Your rib-cage doesn't guard your heart, so it's not double-bladed like that.”

“Okay, you've officially lost me.” Barry said in his typical easy tone.

“Your rib-cage literally guards your heart.” I exclaimed.

She nodded rapidly. “And I knew yours protected your softer organs like your kidneys and such but it is more of a cage than a shield.” She smiled faintly and whispered. “It's why I walk so stiffly all the time. On my left side I have internal armor that my torso doesn't actually know what to do with.”

Musings Drawn from Arias

The first proof that Henshaw has truly changes his approach to aliens is when he released former prisoner Mon'el and asks for a second chance with him. Mon'el having had a-lot of time to think and reflect and no one but Nikita or Winn to talk with has come around to their way of thinking. In so far as people can be jerks...but don't always stay jerks. While not on probation, he stays nearby ready to help out if he is needed. He calls it being 'on call...sort of'. But only because he wants to help, not as a condition of his release. Here Mon'el was released directly into Nikita's custody. But they are never more than friends and allies, fighting on the same side and for the same goal. In other words, they never consider any kind of romantic relationship. He's quickly learning both DEO protocol and Earth custom. And while he slips up mildly, he learns really fast.

Hank Henshaw remembers Jeremiah Danvers as an agent he never thought too much of, standing up for him like a mouse to a lion. Jeremiah went with him on the mission to execute a particularly dangerous alien. When Hank was injured Jeremiah came to his defense a sword in one hand an olive branch in the other. “There are rules even in war. He's no threat to you, leave him alone.” Before literally dying to save his life. Stunned and humbled by this TRUE courage, he returns determined not to fail Jeremiah twice. He reasons the best way to honor both the man's life and his sacrifice is to be kind and listen to the one sentient being outside his one family Danvers clearly cared about: A human looking alien named Nikita. Less than 4 months before this mission Jeremiah had risked general court-marshal breaking Nikita out of the DEO. She didn't belong there and he didn't want her trapped in a cage for no reason that actually existed. Nikita agrees to return and be the voice for her friend, keeping Henshaw on a just and honorable path.

Elana is of a race called Enkarens, well she is a half-breed but identifies herself as one of her mother's people. She can give people images or videos in thier minds eye if she maintains the connection, like they were watching a movie or in a holodeck. She's explaining that if she were entirely of her mother's people this would be a full immersion experience and indistinguishable from reality. Where ever they would put one, one would literally believe they were there and it was real. To other races in the galaxy this ability is known as 'traumatic hypnosis'. “It's an misnomer, but an understandable one." She says. Her race are such fierce and capable warriors, this is assumed to be the only way they'd use that ability: to bring enemies to their knees.

Her friend suggests that might not be because of the Enkaren race at all. But because other alien races are such single-minded warriors and conquerors. They would use a gift this way, it is what makes sense to them. It is the only 'sensible' thing to do according to thier mindset. So how this ability is perceived has less to do with a misunderstanding of Enkarens and more to do with the mindset of the other races. What is this kind of reflection called? Where the description of a thing is taken more from the viewer than the picture itself? If it makes it easier to understand what I'm asking: Instead of 7 mice seeing 7 parts of a single thing and think it's something different, each of the seven mice sees the elephant, the one thing and give it seven different names.

“That wasn't posturing you know, I was serious. I trust you a lot more than I trust him. He is breaking our laws coming into a private residence without permission, searching the place without prob-a reason to think something illegal is going on. Also I know enough about you to trust you. You are a guest in my house and my responsibility. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. No one with a brain in their skull insults a friend of mine in my house."