The Orville (the Alternate) Season Three

S3E1 Chapter One

"Should I start keeping everything we say confidential?" Isaac clarified.

"How about, every time we're in the holodeck, doing my gravity exercises, we keep our conversations confidential?"

"Alright."

"I was thinking of coming every three days for gravity exercise, instead of every five days."

"You have already increased your gravity exposure time from every seven days, to every five days. Has Dr. Finn advised this?"

"Well, if I was back on Xelaya, then it would be every day, now wouldn't it?"

"That is correct."

"You don't have to accompany me each time, if you don't want to."

"I will accompany you, as long as my services are not needed by the Captain or other officers, after hours."

"Fair enough."

"Your extra gravity exposure is not necessary, considering you serve on a human starship."

"Well, I don't want to return to Xelaya as a cripple." Talla had heard of what happened to Alara, the last Xelayan security officer to serve on the Orville. Dr. Finn had assured Talla that the once-a-week gravity sessions on the holodeck were more than enough to keep up her bone density and muscle mass, but Talla wanted to remain strong. Unlike Alara, Talla was older, which meant she'd suffer less from these gravity issues, but, as she got older, lack of high gravity exposure would take its toll on her too. Lately, she felt older. Her back hurt last week after a trip to the gym, and she noticed she didn't look as young as she once did.

"Are you planning to return to Xelaya?" Isaac asked.

"What? No." Talla sighed. "I just want to stay in good shape."

Isaac didn't reply and Talla stopped running to stretch, the runner's high had abated as fast as it had come on. She'd asked Isaac to keep their conversations confidential so she could have someone to talk to, even if it was a robot and not an emotional, biological being.

"Actually," she said, her heart speeding up a bit at the thought of opening up to someone. "I don't know." She stopped. "Hey Isaac?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be alright if I asked you to turn off your internal comm unit for the rest of our jog? It's after hours and I'm the security chief. There's always the potential for being recorded, while channels are open and the system is listening for commands."

"Not a problem. The comm unit has been temporarily deactivated."

"Okay, thank you. I left my wristband in my quarters."

"Did you deactivate it?"

"No."

"Then it will notify you of any missed communications, when you return."

"It was a pretty chill work day. I think we'll be fine. But I just wanted to feel free to talk." She looked down at her feet, which had cushioned shoes on them. "I don't know why I feel so secretive about regular things, it's just...private, you know?"

"What is?"

"Talking about my feelings."

"You were saying you are not sure whether to go back to Xelaya or not."

"I guess I've been feeling isolated here, even more than I felt on Xelaya, which I didn't think possible, since I'm of a lower intelligent lineage, among my people."

"Have you shared these feelings of isolation with anyone?"

An Eevak emerged from the foliage to their left and Talla grabbed Isaac's arm. "Isaac, look!"

"An Eevak," he said, emotionlessly.

Talla scampered her way through the brush to reach the Eevak. Her heart sank as she felt its artificial existence. It was almost frightening. Eevak's had a gentle nature that brought immediate calm to anyone who came near them. But this one did not have that effect. It was not a real Eevak. Talla's shoulders slumped. She turned to look back at Isaac. He was not a real being either. Suddenly she felt more isolated from any connection to another biological being than she'd ever felt in her life.

Talla didn't bother petting the Eevak, but returned to the pathway again. Isaac stood with his arms slightly bent, in that robotic way of his.

"To answer your question," she said, "I don't talk to anyone about my feelings, really."

"Dr. Finn is the ship's counselor."

"That's exactly it," Talla said, starting up her jog again. "I work with Dr. Finn, she's not separate from my acquaintances, do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, it is difficult for a therapist to maintain her neutrality in her sessions, when treating someone she knows on a personal level."

"Exactly."

"As a non-biological entity, I could be considered impartial and neutral, in listening to you."

"Yeah." Talla smiled at Isaac. "That's what I was thinking too."

"And yet," Isaac continued. "Your view of me as a non-acquaintance and someone you do not consider connected to you on a personal level, alienates me in the same way you are feeling alienated. I am someone who has no emotional connections either."

"Awww," Talla said, not sure if she actually felt bad or just wanted to laugh. "Well, it's a good thing you don't have feelings, right?"

"Yes. If I did, I would feel isolated and disconnected from you and the others."

"I wish I could just look at everything logically, the way you do."

"You can. You come from a race that is highly intellectual and logical."

"I think I missed the intellectual gene, and got the emotional one instead."

"It is not possible for you to have missed a gene of intellect in place of a gene of emotion."

"I mean I'm not as smart as most Xelayans."

"You have never come across as an uncommonly emotional biological being."

"I hide it well."

"Why?"

Talla didn't answer, because she didn't know the answer to that question.