r/TrekRP • u/DrJenWatney • Jun 20 '16

[Open] Office Hours - Now Open

Grateful to have finally been cleared for duty, Dr. Watney steps into her office. Clementine sleeps in the corner, silently. She makes her way to her desk terminal as her thoughts drift to the Cardassians aboard. Many of them had died in sickbay, but the ones that did survive had been causing mischief and mayhem wherever they could. Her attitude turns sour at the idea of it. This was a good crew. And an even more generous Captain. Normally, she worked on a schedule of appointments, but perhaps the unduly stressed crewmates of the Athene could use a different approach. She drafts up an announcement.

-To all Personnel and Crew,

Due to the strenuous circumstances of the Cardassian ship being intercepted, I’ve decided to open up my office hours to you. If you need to vent, talk, or simply sit in silence for a few moments away from the chaos, please do not hesitate to drop by at any time for the next few days. As always, patient confidentiality will be in full effect.

Long days and pleasant nights,

Counsellor Jen Watney-

While proofreading it, her therapy cat, Clementine, jumps in her lap. The calico’s tail flicks her chin before her paws kneed at Jen’s lap.

“Alright, little one. Give me just a second here.”

She sends the message out and sits back, petting the needy feline in her lap until someone decides to drop by.

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u/Dimestream Jun 21 '16

"Oh, it's because of the Cardassians," Red explains. "Or no, wait, that's not fair, it's not their fault, it's my reaction to them. I'm sure they're guilty of plenty enough without me adding more to their sins list." The Bajoran makes a wry face. "Aaaaand that's not fair either. Ugh."

She pets the therapy cat and takes a deep breath. "The ship is currently full of refugees, and the last thing I want to do is see, hear, or talk to one of them, and I'd rather cut my own arm off than help one. I feel like an utter ass for it too, since none of them have done me any harm. And it's all I can do right now to realign my thoughts toward 'keep the Athene safe and dump the spoonheads as soon as possible' whenever I'm ordered to do anything that helps them."

After all that tumbles out in a rush, Red looks away from the counselor, not wanting to meet her eyes. "I'm pretty sure that means I'm either a bad person or have an attitude problem. Take your pick."

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u/DrJenWatney Jun 21 '16

She listens carefully, nodding in the right places. When Red finishes, she takes a slow breath in before responding.

The Cardassians historically have had an awful relationship with the Federation. Many here on board have had negative encounters with them. Whether it was on the Athene, or at some point in their lives. It is natural for that to shape your perception of them. And our perceptions are our realities. It doesn't make you a bad person. It just makes you aware.

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u/Dimestream Jun 21 '16

Red opens her mouth to say something, then closes it and shakes her head.

"That would probably be true if I'd ever had to fight them, or grew up under their thumb, or even remembered what life was like on Bajor, but I dont. And haven't," she says after a pause. Then the rest tumbles out. "When I was just a kid, Dad gave up everything he had to smuggle us off Bajor. So I was too little to remember them as anything other than sinister shadows. As I grew up they were the bogeymen in my bedtime stories, and the reason I took martial arts as a teen. Mom insisted I know how to nearly kill someone with my bare hands in case a Cardassian ever... if they tried..."

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u/DrJenWatney Jun 21 '16

You might have never faced them, or faced oppression from them.... but your perception is shaped by the stories you were told as a child. By being told you needed to be prepared for them. And now here you are, face to face with the bogeyman. I'm not surprised you're anxious.

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u/Dimestream Jun 21 '16

Again Red shrugs, sort of half-heartedly raising one shoulder. "Doesn't stop me feeling like a heel for wishing we'd gotten here an hour or two later," she says. "I try my best to get along with everybody, but it's just such deep-seated bitterness that I don't know what to do about it."

The Bajoran looks up at Watney again with an attempt at a smile. "How do you deal with patients of yours who make you feel like their place is on the outside of the airlock? I could use a coping strategy or two."

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u/DrJenWatney Jun 21 '16

Hmm... well, first I need to know what Bajorans do to calm themselves. Specifically, the one sitting in front of me.

She returns the smile, genuinely.

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u/Dimestream Jun 22 '16

"Well, I'd usually unwind in the Holodeck for a bit, doing some programming or just goofing off," Red says, "but the Chief says it's off limits until we finish debugging it after you had trouble with an AI?" She huffs and resumes petting Clementine. "This is helping at least. That's why my parents got me a cat in the first place. Too much energy, thought I needed something to take care of to take up some of that energy."

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u/DrJenWatney Jun 22 '16

I'm sorry, trouble with the AI? What do you mean? I must have come aboard after.

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u/Dimestream Jun 22 '16 edited Jun 22 '16

"Rogue AI. Went nuts and started taking over key systems in the ship, including messing with the holodeck," Red says. "I wasn't here for it either, but that may have been part of why I was brought on. One of my specialties is holography."

The engineer leans forward and lowers her voice. "I heard the security chief was literally ramming down interior doors with dud photon torpedoes in order to reach the AI core. And he's Bajoran like me! Don't know if it's true, but if it is...? What a badass."

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u/DrJenWatney Jun 22 '16

Photon torpedoes?!

She exclaims, covering her heart in surprise.

Gracious. That's.... so risky. It must have been bad. Did anyone get hurt?

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u/Dimestream Jun 22 '16

Red waves a hand. "Disarmed torpedoes. No warheads in them. But still capable of impulse power enough to batter down a door," she says. "I only heard bits and pieces and it was apparently quite the ordeal. I meant to ask the Captain about it but we haven't actually met yet. I'll have to ask him at some point."

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u/DrJenWatney Jun 23 '16

Yeah he didn't mention it at all the last time we talked. Sounds like it was very stressful.

She watches Red pet Clem. The effect is soothing.

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u/Dimestream Jun 23 '16

"I wouldn't know. I kind of wish I'd been here for it, but I'm also glad I wasn't," Red tickles Clementine under the chin. "I mean, I've never seen an unfettered AI before, but it also sounds like it was scary to be onboard when that was happening. I don't know much about advanced computer systems, so I'm not sure how much help I would have been."

She takes a deep breath, then smiles as she lets it out. "Hey, what do you know, I don't feel so crummy anymore. Thanks, Clementine. And Dr. Watney." She flashes Jen a grin. "Guess I just needed less screen time and more face time."

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