A Look Back
Posted on Tue Apr 9th, 2024 @ 3:49pm by Lieutenant Vura & Corporal Andrew Shy
Edited on on Tue Apr 9th, 2024 @ 10:02pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Counselor's Office - Deck 5 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 1200 hrs
Andrew sighed. Checked his pace and then his chrono. He should be just on time as he approached the counselor’s office once again. After his recent meeting with Neil…and the rumored blow up between the Major and the new Head Counselor, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
But, complain he could, but go he must…as the saying went. His booted feet scuffed slightly on the carpeted deck padding and he smirked at himself. Subconsciously, he was literally dragging his feet.
Stopping in front of the hatch, he reached out and touched the annunciator and announced himself.
The door opened and he stepped through, coming to attention, finding the counselor seated. He came to attention and fixed his eyes three inches above her bald head, stating “Corporal Shy. Reporting per appointment.”
"At ease, Corporal," Vura replied with a small chuckle. "Please, take a seat, Andrew, and make yourself comfortable." The counselor was pleasant as usual, including the little hints of flirtation. She continued, "I don't bite, unless you ask nicely, and only if you're Deltan."
Andrew slowly eased into the proffered chair and and smiled slightly. "I heard something similar on Regula III, just before a Caitian tried to eat my ear off." He kept his tone light, matching her own.
"So, was it regenerated or did someone interfere?" Vura asked, hoping that this line of conversation would keep him relaxed and allow him to open up more.
"I kicked the feet out from under ol' Tabby before things got too heated. She'd apparently thought I was Betazoid; was pretty deep into her cups; and had been reading old Caitian histories." Andrew shrugged lightly. "Just one of those stories. Prior to that, I hadn't known Caitians used to hunt and eat Betazoids...."
"I'm sure that it is something that both species would rather put behind them. Now, everyone lives in peace. It is amazing what lifeforms can accomplish when they move beyond their preconceived notions and instincts."
Eyeing the doctor, Andrew asked. "Instincts are what they are, aren't they? Given that Tabby used being drunk as an excuse...well I dunno about that. Boiled down, aren't people driven by instinct and intent: it's up to their better muses to direct them in polite society?"
Vura smiled warmly and somehow at the same time with a glance that could make someone feel as if they were a fly caught in a Venus Fly-Trap, waiting to be digested. "Instincts are not what they are. Most creatures are born with fight or flight responses. However, through years of evolution and practice, we do not immediately try to kill things when they upset upset us, nor do we automatically run from something that might frighten us. Instead, some of us explore. For example, space is a pure vacuum and terrifying to many, yet here we are."
Andrew resisted the impulse to slouch in his seat and said, "That's just the unknown. Space is what it is. Experiences color and direct us. I've experienced more than a few members of the Fleet who don't have a healthy fear of vacuum and been on too many recovery Ops when last ditch hull shields can't compensate for the hull being breeched." He knew she was digging at what he'd felt in that underwater lab.
After a few tics, he said, "Kivicus used me like a marionette. I worry that he's still inside here," he tapped the side of his head. "Sometimes."
This was an unexpected change and Vura was a tad skeptical of it, but perhaps she finally found a way through to him. There was only one thing to do, and that was to see if he would pursue it all the way through. "That's certainly not unexpected."
Unlike the first time that they met, Vura had more information regarding Kivicus and what happened. Certainly her meeting with Rowena and her time with Edmund showed that something more had happened than anyone knew. "Tell me, after that incident, did you have a scan done of your person?"
Andrew nearly gritted his teeth but counted to five and said in a calm voice. "Yes ma'am. Standard procedure after an event like that. My bio reads were checked against base line. The suits record all of that and it and me were fully scoped and scanned upon my return. Especially since I was in med bay for twelve hours. According to the docs, my systems is normal."
"My fault in not keeping the suit buttoned up the entire time," he said somewhat embarrassed. "The Major has my as...er. Chewed me out good. Ma'am."
"Did he now?" Vura asked as one of her painted on eyebrows rose upwards interestedly. "Tell me about that."
Andrew spread his hands and said, "Not much to tell. I broke SOP. Unknown environment. Sensors were giving us garbage. The major and I came up together, but he's always taken it personally when one of his Marines get hurt that way. See's it as a lacking in the training, I guess." Then he cracked a wry smile and moved to wipe his hands on his trouser legs, in the guise of smoothing the material.
"Neil was a good NCO...he can chew butt with the best of them," he added.
There was something about the way the Corporal used the word "was," that caught Vura's attention. "I'm curious, Andrew, why did you use the word 'was.' He is still a marine. He just also happens to be the XO of the ship. It is an unusual arrangement to be sure, but all the reports I have read seem to indicate that it works."
Andrew tilted his head slightly, peering at the counselor and then said, "He came up through the ranks ma'am. He was a Gunnery Sergeant when he came aboard, then they gave him field promotions and now he's not a non-commissioned officer. He received, and deserved, his commissioning. But the Fleet pushed for most of that. In the Corp officer community, he's something of a...."
Andrew paused, then shrugged and said, "Well. A pain in the posterior. With Fleet recommendations, he jumps the line when it comes to Time in Grade and meritorious promotions." He smiled then, "There's a few senior NCO's who don't like him just because the Major's always been, well, blunt. Then you have a fairly large slice of Corp officers who dislike him for gaining promotions faster than they have. He was and is Pioneer's Detachment commander. But he has more Rank and a staff because he's also the ship's Exec."
After a pause, Andrew said, "And then you have the Fleet officers who don't like him because, a Marine has no place being XO of a starship. He's removed a fairly coveted spot from a number of Fleet officers. So... yeah. He was a good NCO. He's kinda morphed into something else given his posting. How he got it and the amount of Flag grade officers who have written off on all that, make him sort of untouchable too."
"You obviously admire him very much," Vura observed. "You seem to follow him quite closely. Why is that? Have you always been on the same ship? And why do you think he's 'untouchable.'"
At that, Andrew shrugged. "He was my team leader out of academy, and he taught me a lot. Then, when I showed more aptitude toward intel, he got me transferred into a unit that was going to be short in its intel shop after about a year. Someone he went to boot with ran that shop so I had the leg up when it came to getting the slot myself. And he's a good man to serve under, if you can measure up."
"For the untouchable part, well...right now he's a favorite of Brigadier Sobel. Scuttlebutt is that Sobel is going to make Major General in a few years, if he lets them. He's already tried to make Neil his aide-de-camp a couple times and rumor is he tried to give him a Battalion within his brigade too. Neil turned him down at each turn to stay aboard the Pioneer. As to how I know so much. The Major's also a friend, so I keep an eye out on him."
Vura started to mentally calculate the facts that she had and formed several conclusions. The first conclusion that she reached was that explained the XO's immediate interest in Corporal Shy. After all, he would want his friend back on duty. It also explained why he pushed hard despite Vura telling him that the plant display was not an appropriate place to discuss the matter. When he likely discovered that Shy was not reinstated, he decided to exert his authority over her. Now, he likely sent him back shortly thereafter to try again and if she cleared him, then the XO would cease being an ass to her.
That sort of behavior was not going to work as long as she was on the ship as the Chief Counselor! She affirmed with herself that Shy would be permitted back on duty when she could safely determine that he had adequately addressed his trauma and would be able to perform without being a threat to himself, the crew, or the ship.
"Before hooking up with the Major, did you have intel experience?" she wondered. "Or was that something that you learned 'on the job'?"
Andrew tried not to be frustrated.
He'd told himself not to get frustrated.
Carefully, he said, "When I was put into the Major's squad back on Garalall VI, we were peace keeping. A lot of that is making nice with the indigenous people. I was pretty good at developing contacts, so he let me gravitate, then got me into schools with the right endorsements from Regiment. I guess you could say I found I was good at it, and he let me."
"I see...." Vura mused. Yep. Tied at the hip. Well, damn if I am not going to get the information that I need and want before letting go. I don't like playing this game but what choice do I really have? "I was thinking about our last conversation about Kavicus. Last time you told me that you had your helmet off so he was able to take you over. How did you get free of him?" And how can you tell you are free?
Andrew shrugged. "The base was fragged and I woke up mostly myself in sick bay," then he met her eyes, holding them as he said. "I do believe, Doctor that you're supposed to determine if the Kavicus entity is gone. All I know is my bio signs and signatures are all back to baseline normal."
"Doctor?" Vura wondered why he called her that. Was it a slip of the tongue or did it indicate something more? "I'm a counselor, not necessarily a doctor...." She pursed her lips thoughtfully before continuing. Last time when they met and even some of the time here, he always addressed her as ma'am. So why the change? She must have hit on something. Perhaps it was time she tried something. Sitting straighter, she took a more authoritative posture. "And Corporal, you do not know all of my mission parameters, so please do not try to tell me what they are, OK?" she told him in a more commanding voice, as she knew that he responded to authority. It was a test for the Corporal, but how would he react?
Andrew chewed at the inside of his cheek for a moment and said, "Sorry, ma'am. I guess I'm looking at all of this as a medical issue. I don't get out of hack until I'm signed off. That sign off is all kinda grouped together on the form." He'd noticed her change of tone and posture and wondered if she was trying to impress him. He'd heard Deltans were...very full of themselves. The rumor mill said this one more than most. "I thought your mission was to get me squared away and back to duty, ma'am. Am I missing something?"
"My mission," she continued in a haughty voice, "is not your concern. Your requirements are to respond to my questions fully and completely until I release you or clear you for duty. So how did you break free of Kavicus?"
Standing abruptly, Andrew said, "Ma'am. I was not under the impression that this was an interrogation. I answered your question. Further, while I may be required to complete counseling in order to be put back on full duty, it's also within my rights to cut a session short if I don't think we're working toward my own best interest. Toward that, I am exercising my right to end the session. If you feel the need to bring me up on charges. Have at it."
Vura sighed. She had hoped to get through to Shy and once again failed. "This is not an interrogation. You're refusing to address your trauma, which is not in your best interests or that of the crew. Should you choose to leave, you do so at your own peril. The choice is yours, Corporal."
Andrew crossed his arms and met her eyes, then said, "No offense Counselor, but you seem to be fishing. More interested in Kavicus than what he did to me. How that affected me and what I need to do to get past this hurdle. I told you, not to mention that it's in my debrief. I wasn't aware of much until, from my point of view, I blacked out and then woke up in SickBay."
"Actually, Corporal, I'm very interested in what he did to you. I'm also very interested in getting you past the hurdle. However, the road is not linear. If there is anything you remember now that you did not in your debrief.... Any detail, no matter how small.... It might matter."
"I've nothing to add to my debrief and my suit's recorder was active and files dumped to the mission logs, ma'am." Andrew decided to start speaking slowly to maybe help the Deltan understand. "Per SOP, those individual logs are then reviewed and processed as part of the debrief. My narrative is there and nothing new has sparked any memories since. Kavicus was using water as carrier for its essence. Not sure how they managed that, but the repeated scans I've had since indicate there isn't residual in my system. Mentally, I experienced some of the games it was playing before it took me over. The suits record full bio and environmental scans. My mine is an intel suit, so it also takes some samples. All of that should have been turned of to sciences. I'd suggest you look at those if you need more on Kavicus. I simply have nothing more for you there."
Vura restrained herself from throttling Shy, only slightly narrowing her eyes at him, knowing exactly what he was doing. She was not stupid and his slowing his speech, deeming her stupid in her eyes, was not helpful to his cause. However, something did catch her attention and her face lightened. Water was a carrier? Humans were at least 70% water, as were most humanoids. If he could go from water to water, would touch or breath be enough for transmission of his/its being? "I agree. I should definitely talk to science about that. Now, as to you, I think we should run you through some psychological tests. Once I have those results, I can better ascertain how to assist you and to determine your readiness for duty."
Pushing (just a little) Andrew murmured, "About fragging time," Then louder, said "Aye aye, ma'am. Point me at progress please." He moved to resume his seat as he eyed the counselor. She reminded him of a jack in the box.
Vura moved to her desk, her thin hips undulating as she headed to her desk. She pulled a PADD from her desk and pulled up a questionnaire, a TSI - 7. The purpose of the test was to determine any trauma related problems. Of course the 100 question test was not always direct, but it would get her information that she compare with some other tests.
Returning to Shy, she bent down towards him, leaning in so much that he could practically taste her breath. "Here you go, Corporal. Hopefully this will give us something to look at in terms of making, as you call it, progress."
Chuckling, Shy took the proffered PADD and said, "Off the record ma'am and no offense. But doesn't the full on sex kitten with sheathed claws confuse people?"
"Everyone, especially every woman, has to have some mystery, Corporal," she replied with a sly smile and a knowing wink. "I believe Terrans have a saying: 'Keep 'em guessing.'"
"If you say so ma'am," Shy said, turning his attention to the PADD. "See how much trouble I can get into with just the PADD."
"Indeed. We shall see," Vura replied interested in seeing the results.
A Joint Post By
Corporal Andrew Shy
Tactical Systems Operator, Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
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