The Tenth Voice -
The Journal of Orzal Dax.

What a beautiful morning for some garden work! The weather was absolute perfection, glorious sunshine, clear blue skies, and just a few drifting white clouds. While tending to the plants, we've been talking about adding a small water feature. We don't want anything flashy, just a simple setup that benefits the local birds and insects while bringing the relaxing sound of moving water into the yard.  Living  as colonists on Docosie is a privilege, and we want to make sure we aren't disrupting the planet's existing ecosystem. The native wildlife was here first, and we owe it to them to be good neighbors. Speaking of relaxing, we floated the spa idea to James and Jean, and to no one's surprise, they are completely on board. It’s going to be the perfect way for the four of us to unwind. We’re looking to get it booked for the end of next week. Every time we get together with James and Jean, it’s a guaranteed good time. They’re such a wonderful couple, and since they were ...

We received another report today from the survey team regarding the northern expansion of the colony. They have conducted a follow-up survey around the outer edge of the main expansion site and discovered a series of geothermal vents. In their write-up, they suggest we consider harnessing the power from these vents, or perhaps even constructing a spa resort. An additional power source is never a bad idea, especially one that is natural and practically inexhaustible, which would be invaluable in emergency situations.  As  for the idea of a spa resort, I don't think we could ever compete with Risa, but such a facility would be greatly beneficial to the colonists. It could also potentially bring in visitors from other worlds, further raising the profile of our colony. Over dinner, I discussed this with Ranih. Her immediate thought was to arrange a holosuit spa day for the two of us, James, and Jean. I can't fault her logic, it should be a lot of fun. Ranih also asked if I would b...

Ever since receiving that wonderful message from Kira, my mind has been flooded with memories of her, and of our time together when I was Jadzia, and then Ezri.  It  didn’t take long for those memories to spur me into action. I simply had to reach out. I got in touch with Dezi Zoler, who is still en route to Bajor. They kindly provided the details I needed to establish a subspace communication link directly to Kira. Careful to calculate the time difference so I wouldn't call too early in the morning or too late at night, I finally opened the channel. The moment my face appeared on her screen, Kira’s face lit up with pure thrill. We talked for just over an hour, stepping back into the past. We spoke of everyone: Benjamin, Kasidy, Jake, Garak, Miles, Keiko, Rom, Leeta, Worf, Quark, Julian, Morn and, of course, Odo. Our conversation was a tapestry of laughter, shared tears, and occasional moments of solemn reflection. She thanked me once again for looking after Dezi, and I told h...

Today, we said a bittersweet farewell to the Bajoran Archaeology Group. Our local Bajoran community, true to form, threw a magnificent send-off party that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Near the end of the evening, Dezi Zoler, Kira Nerys's granddaughter, approached me. She thanked me warmly for my help with the excavation work and for handling the mountain of administrative support required to pull it off.  With  a knowing smile, she handed me a PADD and told me to tap the screen.  There, flickering to life, was a video message from Kira herself. "Hello, old friend. I wish I could come and see you in person, but sadly, I am rather frail these days. My granddaughter sent me a picture of you and your beautiful wife, Ranih. You make a lovely couple. Thank you for looking after Dezi for me. May the Prophets guide you and watch over you always."  Tears well'd up in my eyes. Hearing her voice immediately transported me back, unlocking lifetimes of memories shared with Kira f...

The survey for the northern expansion of the colony is finally complete, which means construction can begin. Before anything on the surface can be built, however, all of the underground infrastructure must be put in place. This includes power connections and the links from every new building to the existing underground passageway network—which is used mostly during the harsh winters, but can also be utilized in emergencies. While the construction of the new area is managed by a separate team, they do liaise with my team throughout the process. The expansion should be fully completed by the end of the year, allowing new residents to move in sometime in early 2474. James and his team were able to fully repair the cargo vessel that arrived a couple of days ago, and it went on its merry way this morning. Although it didn't have any cargo for us this time, it is one of our regular vessels. We currently have four vacant homes on Docosie due to various reasons. While they are unoccupied, ...

It’s been a dangerously quiet day. Most of our work is up to date, and the colony expansion on the northern perimeter is entirely on hold while the survey team does their thing. The trouble with a lull is that it gives the mind room to wander. And when you’re a joined Trill, your mind doesn’t just wander, it brings along a committee of previous hosts. Naturally, they all decided to chime in on the exact same theme: How to Distract Yourself When Bored. Left to my own devices, I tend to get agitated. Case in point: earlier today, I found myself in the corner of my home office, actively standing on my head. Emony, being an Olympic-level gymnast, used to do this for relaxation. My symbiont apparently felt compelled to try it again. But just like Ezri, who once fell for the exact same muscle-memory trap... I just ended up with a massive headache. Tomorrow promises actual mental stimulation, thankfully, as we should finally get the expansion survey updates and make some real headway. James, ...

James seriously needs to improve the maintenance of his garden. While the immaculate patio area is entirely Jean’s domain, and always an absolute pleasure to sit out in, the rest of the garden and the vegetable patch are completely up to James to keep in order. As you can probably imagine, the contrast between the two areas is stark. I have frequently offered to help him, but James can be incredibly stubborn and often flat-out refuses my assistance.  Today, however, Jean finally told him in no uncertain terms to accept my offer, as things were starting to require some serious work. With her intervention, he relented. We spent most of the day sorting out his ornamental beds and tackling the vegetable patch.  James, like myself, thoroughly enjoys old-school gardening; we vastly prefer using traditional, manual tools rather than relying on 25th-century equipment.  While it certainly takes much longer, the manual labor feels genuinely more satisfying at the end of the day. Al...