Babylon 5: I’ve Found Her | Project - Story - “Nirann’s Sleeplessness”

June 2, 2254
The City of Sorrows, Minbar

     “City of Sorrows is not the right name for such a beauty”, — tiredly thought Nirann, admiring the sight of crystalline buildings of Tuzanor through the half-opened window. Their shiny walls appeared to be made of glass, with the dark sky in the background, filled with rare fluffy clouds lit by the sun from under the horizon. The sleeping city didn't look sad, it looked like a focus of peace, order, silence and the mighty hidden power, which recently was released by the impudent young race. They paid a terrible price for that mistake.

     It was quite dark in the Nirann’s room, and glowing computer screen was the only one source of light, spilling the strange blue sparkles on the dull grey walls decorated with plenty of shiny crystals. On a small polished three-cornered desk sat a pile of ancient-looking scrolls. Nirann was seated by the desk, a look of exhaustion hung upon her. If only it weren’t for the magnificent panorama, she would have succumbed to her fatigue much earlier. It hindered her, she could not sleep but to gaze upon its beauty.

     Not looking away from the window she reached for a carved cup which contained a herbal tea, her favorite, but missed and the cup fell down to the floor with a dull sound, splitting into a thousand shiny pieces and leaving the precious tea on the floor in a shapeless green puddle. Nirann sighed, she was too weak to collect the pieces and sweep the floor. She wasn’t even sure if she had enough strength to reach the bed. Of course, it was a beautiful cup — a gift from her friends and colleagues. And the tea was very expensive… But it didn’t matter now. Tomorrow would be the most decisive day in her whole life. And not so short a life… She had a goal to reach and no time to worry about such insignificant things like broken ware.

     A black silhouette moved in the shadows behind her, the door had opened, but Nirann didn’t turn around, she knew very well who was the one who would visit her in this hour of night. A tall man stepped through the doorway, light from the room outside illuminated his white religious caste robe. Nirann wasn’t even concerned when the man walked over and put his hand gently on her shoulder.

     “Couldn’t sleep, Nirann?” — he asked with a concerned tone.

     “Yes,” — she answered motionlessly, still looking out the window.

     “That dream again?”

     “Yes.”

     The man shook his head disappointedly, but suddenly young and mischievous smile lit up his face. He had to say something encouraging, had to lift her spirits, make her a little more talkative.

     “I always thought my daughter was a historian, not a dream weaver…” — he said half-jokingly. “I can’t believe I was wrong…”

     These words made her smile, finally, but that weak smile was only the sign of exhaustion.

     “We must understand the meaning of our dreams to better understand ourselves,” — she said, barely audible. “I believe those are your words, father…”

     “Yes, mine. But now you should think not of the dreams about the past, but of you’re future. I don’t think it would be wise to fall asleep during your meeting with Satai tomorrow… And you won’t be able to dream about the beings of light anymore… You’re going to see nightmares… Only…”

     “I cannot sleep,” — she replied weakly. “Not now…”

     He shrugged and sat down beside her, still smiling. When his studying sight stopped upon the glowing computer panel, he leaned closer, looking carefully at the perfectly sharp picture. A few seconds later he turned his face to his daughter, trying to catch her sight. But her grey eyes, like his, were dimmed by the veil of tiredness, hiding her emotions. “I’ll have to push through,” — he thought.

     “A star map? You’re studying star maps, why?”

     Nirann sighed quietly and closed her eyes with her palm.

     “I need some information,” — her voice was even and lifeless.

     “Interesting. I’m beginning to suspect that you’ve got something in your mind… Does it have anything in common with tomorrow’s visit? As far as I know these sectors are in the Earth space…”

     “Not anymore,” — she snorted with the sudden surge of icy contempt.

     “But the humans are patrolling them now,” — reasonably objected her father. “There’s no use of these sectors to anyone except for them, so now they are under their jurisdiction.”

     Nirann maliciously snorted even louder.

     “What patrolling, father? They don’t have a fleet after the Line. There are only pirates and marauders on their space lines, they can barely defend their own planet!”

     “But they build new ships,” — he said softly. “Didn’t you see them yet?”

     Suddenly, Nirann’s eyes sparkled with kind and cheerful light, her father mentally gave his praise to the universe for such a remarkable change. This time she spoke with sarcasm.

     “No, how could I see them, I'm just a dream weaver…”

     Father has burst out laughing, and Nirann embraced him and buried her face on his chest. Her shoulders shook slightly with laughter, and it finally dispersed all remains of misunderstanding and awkwardness.

     “Sometimes I even feel pity for your husband-to-be,” — he noted with the slight inflection of malice. “Because sometimes the Warrior Caste seems to be the true calling of your heart. So, it is… Nirann?” He called, not seeing any reaction from her. He knew he deserved a good and definitely not Religious punch in the ribs by joking like this with her, but she did nothing — she slept, her arms wrapped around his neck, like in unbelievable times so many years ago, when he dangled her in his arms.