S1E11 Crash Course

[Lizzie Vaughan]

CPO Rayek
[Sickbay]

Rayek smiled at her congratulations. "Thank you Doctor".

He listened as she explained about the implant. From her tone he got the impression that this was an excellent procedure.  Yet still he hesitated at her question.

An implanted inhibitor would strip him of the option to use or not use the device.   He would be denied access to his telepathic abilities completely; and though he had not made use of them at all since his first day aboard, Rayek was leery to have that option taken away from him permanently.

As he considered his choices, a call came in for the doctor.
He nodded as she interrupted their conversation to reply and Rayek politely focused his attention on his decision rather than listening in to the comm call, though he was curious to know about the ships new Chaplain.

When Dr. Vaughan turned her attention back to him Rayek slowly let out a breath, not looking forward to the remainder of this conversation.  It was rare for him to Á¢â,¬Ëœwin' against her when she gave medical advice.

"I apologize Doctor but unless the implant can be just as easily removed or turned off, I must decline. My ability if widely known would be a liability to the ship, but that may not always be the case. I would rather deal with the side effects of the medication than permanently cut off access to my ability.  I trust you understand."

Sickbay

Lizzie gave a smile and nod of understanding.

"Of course Chief." She replied. "I can understand that you want the flexibility of being able to use your skills if you feel you need to."

She paused before continuing.

"There is no pressure on you one way or another and the decision is completely yours. I only brought it up as you expressed interest in an artificial method rather than a pharmacological one. Should you change your mind in the future, the offer will remain open. Meanwhile, please continue on your current treatment routine." She finished.

[Ashley Weir]

[Personal Quarters]

Ashley stood at her mirror for a few second studying herself. She placed her raven colored hair on her right shoulder and left it there for a few seconds. She let out a frustrated puff of air and then pulled it back into a pony tail and left it there for another moment. Another miss for her. She allowed it to fall and sit naturally and decided to leave it be. Her jade eyes conveyed a slight sadness as she admitted defeat in finding a style she liked that day. She rolled her eyes and left the room so that she could go and get to work.

[Bridge]

As the doors slid open Ashley stepped onto the bridge. Without hesitation she moved to take her seat at the helm of the ship. A slightly older man stood and left as she came to stand next to him, allowing her to take over. It didn't take her long to have everything perfectly adjusted to her liking either. As she waited for orders she began running pre-flight checks on the Challenger to make sure everything was as it should be.

[Bonnie Moors]

USS Challenger - Bridge

Solluk's skin became marginally greener as the Doctor praised him.  He said nothing, though, as she went on to explain the reason for her imminent departure.   He listened, and thought.  A six month contract, she'd said.  But was that satisfactory to everyone involved?

"Doctor, please forgive me for making an observation... but it seems to me that you do not actually wish to leave this post.  If you are happy with the work that you have done here, and if the Captain is happy with the work that you have done here... perhaps your six-month contract could be... renegotiated.  In a manner of speaking."

He gestured to one side, as if gesturing to a distant solar system far beyond the ship's hull.  "You could go to Sol, enlist, and be back here within three months.  Perhaps sooner, if the Captain were to request your expedited posting here.  I began as an enlisted crewman myself, before taking my Officer Candidacy Course and Examination.   You've mentioned that you already have an extensive University education, which grants a great number of earned credits at the Academy.  Within fairly short order you could become an officer of the fleet.  Earth and Betazed are not the only avenues open to you."

He watched her face to see how the idea might strike her.  He may have misjudged, of course.  Some people did not want a career in Starfleet.  But he couldn't imagine such people looking so forlorn at losing their posting on a Starship.

Bridge

Bonnie shook her head, she felt uncomfortable talking about this. the truth is, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Part of her wanted to stay in the community that she had come accustomed to over the past few months, the other half of her wanted to go back to her passion which was medicine. But either way she wouldn't be applying to Starfleet. She wasn't allowed to. "I was barred from applying to join unless there was a special circumstance, commander." Bonnie tugged at her collar slightly in discomfort, she felt uncomfortable talking about this. "I... I was diagnosed with depression some time ago which gave me an immediate barring from joining until further notice." Bonnie paused, during the silence the XO's commbadge chirped.

After the transmission had closed, Bonnie stood back and smiled slightly. "I see you're busy, commander. I will take my leave if you have other matters to attend to." Bonnie finished.

[Solluk]

USS Challenger - Bridge

As Solluk spoke to Doctor Moors, the flight control officer of the ship entered the bridge, walked past, and took her station.  He spared a glance in her direction, remembering her photograph from the crew files.  But he quickly returned his attention to the Doctor, who was explaining her situation in more detail.

"I was barred from applying to join unless there was a special circumstance, commander."  She tugged at her collar slightly in discomfort, clearly feeling uncomfortable talking about this. "I... I was diagnosed with depression some time ago which gave me an immediate barring from joining until further notice."

The uncomfortable confession was interrupted by a surprise message from the Captain.

XO, this is the Captain. Prepare for arrival of the brass. Get a welcome detachment to Transporter Room One.

Solluk blinked in surprise, and touched his badge, Acknowledged, Captain.

After the transmission had closed, the Doctor stood back and smiled slightly. "I see you're busy, commander. I will take my leave if you have other matters to attend to."

Solluk felt terrible for having probed too deeply into the Doctor's affairs.  His encouragement had forced her to admit a potentially shameful personal secret.

"My apologies, Doctor.  I did not mean to....  I hope you will excuse me if I delved too deeply into private matters."

He stepped back and then turned to one of the auxiliary stations on the bridge.  His fingers moved on the console, bringing up a personnel manifest, which had changed slightly since his last time reviewing it on the USS Mercury.  Then he tapped his badge.

  Lieutenant Commander Solluk to Doctor Vaughan, Chaplain Vem, and Security Chief tr'Lhoell.  Please change uniform to dress standards, and meet me in Transporter Room One in fifteen minutes to receive a member of the admiralty.

He turned to the Helm, "Lieutenant Weir, you have the bridge.  Be sure that we do not receive the admiral until our reception committee is in position."

With that, he raced to the lift.   He had to find his quarters and change into his own dress uniform as quickly as possible.   He wasn't sure why a member of the admiralty was making an unnanounced visit, but it probably wasn't for any good reasons.  Hopefully, a proper reception would set the right tone for whatever followed.  Not long ago, the Tempest had been visited by Admiral Kirok, and Solluk hadn't been entirely happy with the state of the ship and the crew during his arrival.

At least the Challenger was not in the midst of being assailed by energy-leeching mines.

Small boons.  He'd take them where he could get them.

[Lizzie Vaughan]

  Lieutenant Commander Solluk to Doctor Vaughan, Chaplain Vem, and Security Chief tr'Lhoell.  Please change uniform to dress standards, and meet me in Transporter Room One in fifteen minutes to receive a member of the admiralty.

Sickbay

Lizzie had just finnished speaking to Rayek when Solluk's call came through. She immedately tapped her com-badge.

Vaughan to Solluk. On my way. Out.

Closing the channel, she looked at Rayek and gave him a brief smile.

"Looks like we're needed. I'll see you in the transporter room." She said, before heading out the main doors and down the corridor to her quarters.

CMO's Quarters

Lizzie entered her quarters and Saw Alex in the living area rocking a sleepy Alys. The younger woman looked up at her with a questioning expression.

"I'm not staying Alex." She replied softly. "Got to change into dress uniform and meet an Admiral in the transporter room." She added, heading into her sleeping area.

Minutes later, having changed into her dress uniform, she emerged and nodding again to Alex, made her way out of the door and to transporter room one.

Transporter Room One

Lizzie stepped into the transporter room and discovered she was the first there. So she stood next to the duty Chief to await the others.

[Vem, son of Motag]

[Personal Quarters]

Vem had just been reviewing the denominations (and lack thereof) of people on the Challenger when the XO's message came in. The Klingon puzzled his ridged brow and he stood up. He dusted himself off and began to search for something among his many dirty rucksacks, hemp bags, fetishes and spare uniforms.

"Ahh, here we go." He said absentmindedly, retrieving something and placing it in his hemp sack that he always had slung over his shoulder. No one ever wanted his gifts but he figured that it was the thought that counted.

"Vem ta' Solluk... er Lieuten'en Comm'er Solluk. I'm on ma' way." He said. Damn it was hard to remember all that jargon and rank stuff. Speaking to no one other than dirt beetles for 6 months was far easier than all this and just as rewarding...

Vem didn't rush, he almost never did, but sauntered down the hallway to the nearest turbolift. He inspected himself, feeling something was off. He looked to his finger and realized his inchworm was not with him. He was about to turn around when he spotted the little guy on his eyebrow. Vem helped the small bug onto his finger and smiled, "Ok then little one. Let's go see the admiral."

And, with that, Vem made his way to the transporter room.

[Transporter Room One]
The Klingon entered a few minutes after the CMO did and gave her an overjoyed smile.

"It is an absolute gift ta' meet you." Vem said kindly, like an old grandfather as he offered a deep bow. As he spoke his eyes lit up with genuine joy. It wasn't Starfleet custom but... he was hardly into those.

"I jus' read some of yer' files... I must say yer' quite the light in da' darkness... Oh... I'm Vem. Son of Motag... hi."

[Lizzie Vaughan]

[Personal Quarters]

Vem had just been reviewing the denominations (and lack thereof) of people on the Challenger when the XO's message came in. The Klingon puzzled his ridged brow and he stood up. He dusted himself off and began to search for something among his many dirty rucksacks, hemp bags, fetishes and spare uniforms.

"Ahh, here we go." He said absentmindedly, retrieving something and placing it in his hemp sack that he always had slung over his shoulder. No one ever wanted his gifts but he figured that it was the thought that counted.

"Vem ta' Solluk... er Lieuten'en Comm'er Solluk. I'm on ma' way." He said. Damn it was hard to remember all that jargon and rank stuff. Speaking to no one other than dirt beetles for 6 months was far easier than all this and just as rewarding...

Vem didn't rush, he almost never did, but sauntered down the hallway to the nearest turbolift. He inspected himself, feeling something was off. He looked to his finger and realized his inchworm was not with him. He was about to turn around when he spotted the little guy on his eyebrow. Vem helped the small bug onto his finger and smiled, "Ok then little one. Let's go see the admiral."

And, with that, Vem made his way to the transporter room.

[Transporter Room One]
The Klingon entered a few minutes after the CMO did and gave her an overjoyed smile.

"It is an absolute gift ta' meet you." Vem said kindly, like an old grandfather as he offered a deep bow. As he spoke his eyes lit up with genuine joy. It wasn't Starfleet custom but... he was hardly into those.

"I jus' read some of yer' files... I must say yer' quite the light in da' darkness... Oh... I'm Vem. Son of Motag... hi."

Transporter Room One

Lizzie looked on with more than a little amusement as this highly unusual Klingon came in and introduced himself. 'This is really going to be interesting!' She thought to herself as she nodded to him in greeting.

"Pleased to meet you Mr Vem." She replied. "I have never had the privilege of working with someone of your expertise before. This should be a rewarding experience." She added, almost as an afterthought.

[Vem, son of Motag]

[Transporter Room One]

"My particular expertise..." Vem said, rolling the words around his mouth like they were some strange math formula he was trying to decipher. He seemed lost for a split second before he gently came back around,

"I suppose. We 'ave very... different ways at lookin' at healing a person but I prefer ta' see connections." He said a little more softly, "I will defer ta' yer' expertise 'en if das' ok. Conciser me a weird bug guy who knows a few things about field medicine, an' use me where you will." Vem added with a raspy-voiced chuckle.

Vem was the first, and only (to his knowledge), person to be duty-certified as medical officer in Starfleet who used "alternative medicine"... though, in reality it was practical medicine that followed all the rule... just not traditional medicine. The likes of Dr. Phlox and others proceeded him but he was still a-typical.

"Dat' is ta' say, I'm at yer' service."

[Lizzie Vaughan]

[Transporter Room One]

"My particular expertise..." Vem said, rolling the words around his mouth like they were some strange math formula he was trying to decipher. He seemed lost for a split second before he gently came back around,

"I suppose. We 'ave very... different ways at lookin' at healing a person but I prefer ta' see connections." He said a little more softly, "I will defer ta' yer' expertise 'en if das' ok. Conciser me a weird bug guy who knows a few things about field medicine, an' use me where you will." Vem added with a raspy-voice chuckle.

Vem was the first, and only (to his knowledge), person to be duty-certified as medical officer in Starfleet who used "alternative medicine"... though, in reality it was practical medicine that followed all the rule... just not traditional medicine. The likes of Dr. Phlox and others proceeded him but he was still a-typical.

"Dat' is ta' say, I'm at yer' service."

Transporter Room One

Lizzie nodded in agreement.

"We both have our own areas of expertise and I'm sure yours can be just as useful in the right circumstances." She replied delicately.

She did not want to insult her new colleague, but she had no time for Homeopathic medicine. She knew many otherwise respectable people who swore by it, but she did not trust it. She was happy that he would defer to her expertise as the last thing she needed was to argue with him over treatment practices.

[Vem, son of Motag]

[Transporter Room One]

Vem simply smiled warmly, "It finds a way to be useful. I never intend it to be, but it seems ta' come up almost accidentally." He explained, "The bes' things in life are like dat'."

He squinted for a second at her then seemed to come to some epiphany, though it was clearly an act, "Ah! Like us. Meeting like this with a few moments ta' talk before the brass arrives? What a wonderful accident."

He slowed, "Do you believe in fate doctor? Something that guides us? Is this all pre-programmed?"

[Lizzie Vaughan]

[Transporter Room One]

Vem simply smiled warmly, "It finds a way to be useful. I never intend it to be, but it seems ta' come up almost accidentally." He explained, "The bes' things in life are like dat'."

He squinted for a second at her then seemed to come to some epiphany, though it was clearly an act, "Ah! Like us. Meeting like this with a few moments ta' talk before the brass arrives? What a wonderful accident."

He slowed, "Do you believe in fate doctor? Something that guides us? Is this all pre-programmed?"

Transporter Room One

Lizzie listened, cocking her head slightly. 'Did she believe in fat?' She asked herself.

"Not really." She replied, shaking her head. "You see to my mind, if you believe in fate then everything is pre-destined. And if everything is pre-destined, you are not in control of your own life and that is something I firmly believe in. While there may be outside forces that either hamper or aid you, I believe that your life is what you make of it." She finished, hoping she had got her point across.

[Vem, son of Motag]

[Transporter Room One]

Vem smiled even wider, "So it's free will 'en? Jus' random chance we meet like this?" He said analytically (or... at least as analytically he could get).

The Klingon paused for a long moment, respectfully mulling over what she had said before finally deciding, "I can respect dat. Who'd want ta' be shackled to the idea we aren't in control of our lives. It's unsettling fer' sure and we fear a lack of agency in our lives... but I wonder if what we fear or even what we like has any bearing on what the truth of da' matter, or reality, is."

[Lizzie Vaughan]

[Transporter Room One]

Vem smiled even wider, "So it's free will 'en? Jus' random chance we meet like this?" He said analytically (or... at least as analytically he could get).

The Klingon paused for a long moment, respectfully mulling over what she had said before finally deciding, "I can respect dat. Who'd want ta' be shackled to the idea we aren't in control of our lives. It's unsettling fer' sure and we fear a lack of agency in our lives... but I wonder if what we fear or even what we like has any bearing on what the truth of da' matter, or reality, is."

Transporter Room One

Lizzie nodded again.

"I don't suppose either of us truly knows." She replied slowly. "We both have our beliefs, but that is all they are. We have no evidence one way or another." She added.

[Vem, son of Motag]

[Transporter Room One]

Vem nodded in agreement, "It's one of life's great mysteries."
He shifted a little, "But dat's also what makes it so much fun. I wouldn't want ta' live in a world where I had all da' answers. Jus' like science, theology has its own frontiers; only we seek not to solve them but merely to envision them. Each step in absolute understandin' brings us one step farther from da' truth, if that makes any sense. Faith is about understanding what is true to the individual, not what is true in the empirical sense."

He paused, helping a small inchworm from his shoulder onto his finger,

"Thank you Doctor. Yer' presence enlightens mine."

[Lizzie Vaughan]

[Transporter Room One]

Vem nodded in agreement, "It's one of life's great mysteries."
He shifted a little, "But dat's also what makes it so much fun. I wouldn't want ta' live in a world where I had all da' answers. Jus' like science, theology has its own frontiers; only we seek not to solve them but merely to envision them. Each step in absolute understandin' brings us one step farther from da' truth, if that makes any sense. Faith is about understanding what is true to the individual, not what is true in the empirical sense."

He paused, helping a small inchworm from his shoulder onto his finger,

"Thank you Doctor. Yer' presence enlightens mine."

Transporter Room One

Lizzie smiled.

"Oh I love a good mystery. It makes life so much more fun of you have to work it out yourself. Even more so if there is a prize to be claimed at the end." She remarked.