Deception: The lesser part of Valour – Let Sleeping Nausicaans Lie
by Commander Rakka & Lieutenant Jana Kasikova
Post Details
Rakka dragged her heels to the counselor's office, deciding finally that she had to get this over with. The request had been blinking at her from her computer console for weeks, and if nothing else she needed to get this shrink off her back. Too many counselors had failed her and she had long ago given up any hope that they had anything to offer her.
The Nausicaan stabbed the chime with one finger and crossed her arms.
"Come in." Claire said with a sigh. With all the evaluations that she had taken over for Zorana she felt slightly overwhelmed. She had always given her reports to Zorana and Zorana submitted them. It felt good being in charge of the department, even if it was only for a short time. Claire was going to make it work and make her friend proud that she could leave Claire in charge.
Rakka carefully ducked under the door frame and shuffled up to the counselor's desk. "You want to see me?" she grunted.
"Ah yes! Come in! Come in!" She said enthusiastically. She grabbed a new PADD and looked up smiling.
"I guess you'll want me to sit down..." Rakka said, glancing around the room. "Will this take long?"
"Oh sorry yes please have a seat." Claire gestered to the chair in front of her desk. "I don't think this will take very long do you have another meeting or a shift starting soon?"
Rakka folded herself carefully into the seat. "My position is demanding," she said vaguely. "I try not to spend too much time away from it." She slouched down and folded her arms tightly, forming a virtual wall as she prepared for the inevitable therapist onslaught.
"Yes, I completely understand." Claire responded. "How long have you been on the starbase?" she asked.
"Did you not have time to read my file," Rakka wondered, "or are you just making small talk? I'm not fond of small talk."
"Of course I have read your file. Just my standard start of questions...thought I would start out slow before I bombarded you with questions. Do you care to continue or should we reschedule?"
Rakka clenched her jaw for a moment, aghast. "I finally made the time to come here, so I'd like to get it over with!" she said shortly. "Let's continue, but please dispense with the pleasantries. We're not going to become 'friends' in five minutes, so just go ahead and ask me what you really want to ask me."
Quick to temper, Claire wrote down. "How are you with dealing with the day to day stress of your job,rank?" Her voice was no longer friendly, less emotion, more counsellor.
"Stress? Well, I guess I just keep busy. Stress is only a problem if you stop and think about it!"
"Relax commander, these are standard questions. What do you do to keep busy?" Has a hard time controlling her temper, she wrote.
Rakka noticed the writing and slouched down lower in her chair. She guessed what she might be writing. "Mostly work," she replied carefully, trying to sound less gruff, although it was always a difficult task through her Nausicaan mouth. "Sometimes I enjoy the holodeck."
"Oh? what programs do you like on the holodeck?" Claire noticed the change in tone with Rakka, she smiled inwardly hoping that she wouldn't notice.
Rakka scratched her head, thinking over her repertoire of holodeck oddities and wondering how to answer the question. "Erm... combat," she offered. "That sort of thing. Like... for workouts. Some programs of my own creation. Private ones!"
"That's one way to get rid of your anger. I would encourage you to continue to use those programs." She wrote down some more.
Rakka shrugged, wondering why she needed a counselor to tell her that. "Who said I was angry?" she returned, unfortunately sounding angrier than she intended.
Claire raised her head and cocked her eye.
Rakka narrowed her eyes at the counselor's expression. "Look," she said curtly, "I know everyone around here thinks I'm probably angry all the time, but I just can't put on a pleasant face, all right? Nausicaans don't smile, and I'm not about to get cosmetic surgery to convince everyone I'm not going to tear their heads off!"
"I didn't say anything about you having to smile...but I think you need to be able to control your temper. You can't be angry all the time." She sighed.
"But.... I'm *not*," Rakka said slowly, very carefully trying not to sound as frustrated as she was beginning to feel. "What exactly is causing you to think my temper is out of control?"
"You have very heated responses to the questions and comments that I have asked."
"This is just the way I sound," Rakka sighed. "You might as well tell a Vulcan, 'you should try to work on that lack of emotional response'. I am what I am, and what I am is not a human! I admit to being mildly frustrated by this conversation, but trust me, if my temper were out of control, there's very little in your office that would be intact right now!"
"I wasn't asking you to change who you are. Shall we continue or...?"
"Continue away," Rakka replied, her shoulders slumping. "I shall endeavour to turn down the 'temperature' of my responses."
She wanted to apologize but thought it would just anger the Nausicaan further. She sighed before asking the next question. "Crisis', how to react when the crisis is over?"
"Crisis," Rakka repeated. Was the woman referring to the terrorist attack? "Can you explain what you mean by that?" she asked.
"Umm...warpcore breach, encounters with the Borg, the terrorist attack." She rattled on.
"How do I react when it's over?" She thought over the question, still not entirely understanding its meaning. "I don't know... I do my job, like with anything else. Everyone thinks their own problem is a crisis. I just follow procedure."
"Ok, let's try it this way, what is your emotional state when the crisis is over?" She elaborated
"I suppose relief, if the crisis is over," Rakka replied. "Although it would depend on the particular crisis. It might be more difficult if, for example, one of my officers is killed. Surely that's what you're aiming toward...?"
"I meant in general but if you wish to finish that thought..."
~Oh, listen to her, pretending she wasn't gunning for this one all along...~ Rakka thought to herself. "You're not an empath, are you?" she asked suddenly.
She heard what Rakka had thought and it brought her up short. She sat straight in her chair, putting the PADD down and folding her hands on her desk. "I am."
Rakka's jaw tightened. "That might be something to make known before you begin such a conversation with someone," she said.
"I was not reading your thoughts Commander. Have you not read my file?" She replied.
"I don't know who you are!" Rakka returned. "I was expecting a Counselor Kasa-ko-something."
"Counsellor Kasikova is on an away mission. I joined the crew shortly after she did. I am betazoid-human." She reached into her desk and handed the PADD from her desk and handed it to the Commander. "Here. This is all you need to know...and I am sure more."
Rakka took the PADD and skimmed it over, then handed it back. "All right. Now I know who I'm talking to. You say you're not reading my thoughts, but are you sensing my feelings?"
"I have the ability to shut it off and on. I'm not using any of it."
Rakka wasn't entirely sure she trusted the statement, but she sat back and tried to relax. "Fine then. Back to business. Yes, I was upset by the death of my officer. I don't know what else to say about it. I feel plenty of things other than anger, but these are not things I feel I can put words to."
"Do I have your permission to sense your feelings?" She asked.
Rakka found she really had to think about this one. On one hand, letting the woman take what she wanted would make this whole process a lot easier for both of them. On the other, Rakka didn't know what she would find in there, and certainly there was a whole lot that would concern a counselor, and that she was not ready to share with someone she had just met. "I don't think it would be appropriate."
She nodded, " I only asked because you said that you couldn't put what you felt into words and I thought it might be easier." Claire said explaining herself. "Did you do anything different after he died? Like the holodeck or?"
Rakka took a deep breath. "Well... I visited his quarters. It's just... you know, I... I had to see if he had any... like, a will or anything. It was strange... being there. Sort of... as if he'd never left." She felt her throat tighten a little.
"If you don't wish to talk about it I wont go any further. We can end here if you like."
Rakka nodded, wanting that very much. She stood.
Claire stood and extended her hand, "It was nice to meet you Commander. Please come back any time you feel the need." She smiled.
Rakka gave her hand one brief shake and turned to book it out of there, letting out a long breath once the door had closed behind her. Talking to a counselor, she mused, was like having a large needle dug under her skin. She didn't think she would feel the need for that again anytime soon.
OFF:
Lt. Cdr. Rakka
&
Lt. (JG) Claire Mackenzie (NPC)
by Commander Rakka & Lieutenant Jana Kasikova
Post Details
| Title | Let Sleeping Nausicaans Lie | |
| Mission | Deception: The lesser part of Valour | |
| Author(s) | Commander Rakka & Lieutenant Jana Kasikova | |
| Posted | Mon Jan 26, 2009 @ 3:47am | |
| Location | Office of Counselor Mackenzie | |
| Timeline | SD6 - 2000 hrs. (BACKPOST) |
The Nausicaan stabbed the chime with one finger and crossed her arms.
"Come in." Claire said with a sigh. With all the evaluations that she had taken over for Zorana she felt slightly overwhelmed. She had always given her reports to Zorana and Zorana submitted them. It felt good being in charge of the department, even if it was only for a short time. Claire was going to make it work and make her friend proud that she could leave Claire in charge.
Rakka carefully ducked under the door frame and shuffled up to the counselor's desk. "You want to see me?" she grunted.
"Ah yes! Come in! Come in!" She said enthusiastically. She grabbed a new PADD and looked up smiling.
"I guess you'll want me to sit down..." Rakka said, glancing around the room. "Will this take long?"
"Oh sorry yes please have a seat." Claire gestered to the chair in front of her desk. "I don't think this will take very long do you have another meeting or a shift starting soon?"
Rakka folded herself carefully into the seat. "My position is demanding," she said vaguely. "I try not to spend too much time away from it." She slouched down and folded her arms tightly, forming a virtual wall as she prepared for the inevitable therapist onslaught.
"Yes, I completely understand." Claire responded. "How long have you been on the starbase?" she asked.
"Did you not have time to read my file," Rakka wondered, "or are you just making small talk? I'm not fond of small talk."
"Of course I have read your file. Just my standard start of questions...thought I would start out slow before I bombarded you with questions. Do you care to continue or should we reschedule?"
Rakka clenched her jaw for a moment, aghast. "I finally made the time to come here, so I'd like to get it over with!" she said shortly. "Let's continue, but please dispense with the pleasantries. We're not going to become 'friends' in five minutes, so just go ahead and ask me what you really want to ask me."
Quick to temper, Claire wrote down. "How are you with dealing with the day to day stress of your job,rank?" Her voice was no longer friendly, less emotion, more counsellor.
"Stress? Well, I guess I just keep busy. Stress is only a problem if you stop and think about it!"
"Relax commander, these are standard questions. What do you do to keep busy?" Has a hard time controlling her temper, she wrote.
Rakka noticed the writing and slouched down lower in her chair. She guessed what she might be writing. "Mostly work," she replied carefully, trying to sound less gruff, although it was always a difficult task through her Nausicaan mouth. "Sometimes I enjoy the holodeck."
"Oh? what programs do you like on the holodeck?" Claire noticed the change in tone with Rakka, she smiled inwardly hoping that she wouldn't notice.
Rakka scratched her head, thinking over her repertoire of holodeck oddities and wondering how to answer the question. "Erm... combat," she offered. "That sort of thing. Like... for workouts. Some programs of my own creation. Private ones!"
"That's one way to get rid of your anger. I would encourage you to continue to use those programs." She wrote down some more.
Rakka shrugged, wondering why she needed a counselor to tell her that. "Who said I was angry?" she returned, unfortunately sounding angrier than she intended.
Claire raised her head and cocked her eye.
Rakka narrowed her eyes at the counselor's expression. "Look," she said curtly, "I know everyone around here thinks I'm probably angry all the time, but I just can't put on a pleasant face, all right? Nausicaans don't smile, and I'm not about to get cosmetic surgery to convince everyone I'm not going to tear their heads off!"
"I didn't say anything about you having to smile...but I think you need to be able to control your temper. You can't be angry all the time." She sighed.
"But.... I'm *not*," Rakka said slowly, very carefully trying not to sound as frustrated as she was beginning to feel. "What exactly is causing you to think my temper is out of control?"
"You have very heated responses to the questions and comments that I have asked."
"This is just the way I sound," Rakka sighed. "You might as well tell a Vulcan, 'you should try to work on that lack of emotional response'. I am what I am, and what I am is not a human! I admit to being mildly frustrated by this conversation, but trust me, if my temper were out of control, there's very little in your office that would be intact right now!"
"I wasn't asking you to change who you are. Shall we continue or...?"
"Continue away," Rakka replied, her shoulders slumping. "I shall endeavour to turn down the 'temperature' of my responses."
She wanted to apologize but thought it would just anger the Nausicaan further. She sighed before asking the next question. "Crisis', how to react when the crisis is over?"
"Crisis," Rakka repeated. Was the woman referring to the terrorist attack? "Can you explain what you mean by that?" she asked.
"Umm...warpcore breach, encounters with the Borg, the terrorist attack." She rattled on.
"How do I react when it's over?" She thought over the question, still not entirely understanding its meaning. "I don't know... I do my job, like with anything else. Everyone thinks their own problem is a crisis. I just follow procedure."
"Ok, let's try it this way, what is your emotional state when the crisis is over?" She elaborated
"I suppose relief, if the crisis is over," Rakka replied. "Although it would depend on the particular crisis. It might be more difficult if, for example, one of my officers is killed. Surely that's what you're aiming toward...?"
"I meant in general but if you wish to finish that thought..."
~Oh, listen to her, pretending she wasn't gunning for this one all along...~ Rakka thought to herself. "You're not an empath, are you?" she asked suddenly.
She heard what Rakka had thought and it brought her up short. She sat straight in her chair, putting the PADD down and folding her hands on her desk. "I am."
Rakka's jaw tightened. "That might be something to make known before you begin such a conversation with someone," she said.
"I was not reading your thoughts Commander. Have you not read my file?" She replied.
"I don't know who you are!" Rakka returned. "I was expecting a Counselor Kasa-ko-something."
"Counsellor Kasikova is on an away mission. I joined the crew shortly after she did. I am betazoid-human." She reached into her desk and handed the PADD from her desk and handed it to the Commander. "Here. This is all you need to know...and I am sure more."
Rakka took the PADD and skimmed it over, then handed it back. "All right. Now I know who I'm talking to. You say you're not reading my thoughts, but are you sensing my feelings?"
"I have the ability to shut it off and on. I'm not using any of it."
Rakka wasn't entirely sure she trusted the statement, but she sat back and tried to relax. "Fine then. Back to business. Yes, I was upset by the death of my officer. I don't know what else to say about it. I feel plenty of things other than anger, but these are not things I feel I can put words to."
"Do I have your permission to sense your feelings?" She asked.
Rakka found she really had to think about this one. On one hand, letting the woman take what she wanted would make this whole process a lot easier for both of them. On the other, Rakka didn't know what she would find in there, and certainly there was a whole lot that would concern a counselor, and that she was not ready to share with someone she had just met. "I don't think it would be appropriate."
She nodded, " I only asked because you said that you couldn't put what you felt into words and I thought it might be easier." Claire said explaining herself. "Did you do anything different after he died? Like the holodeck or?"
Rakka took a deep breath. "Well... I visited his quarters. It's just... you know, I... I had to see if he had any... like, a will or anything. It was strange... being there. Sort of... as if he'd never left." She felt her throat tighten a little.
"If you don't wish to talk about it I wont go any further. We can end here if you like."
Rakka nodded, wanting that very much. She stood.
Claire stood and extended her hand, "It was nice to meet you Commander. Please come back any time you feel the need." She smiled.
Rakka gave her hand one brief shake and turned to book it out of there, letting out a long breath once the door had closed behind her. Talking to a counselor, she mused, was like having a large needle dug under her skin. She didn't think she would feel the need for that again anytime soon.
OFF:
Lt. Cdr. Rakka
&
Lt. (JG) Claire Mackenzie (NPC)