Welcome to the Flying Asylum
Posted on Wed Jun 26th, 2024 @ 3:22pm by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brix Saad & Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Commander Lorut Vila & Lieutenant Kevin Bianchi Ph.D. & Lieutenant JG Rosalind Paget
Edited on on Thu Jul 11th, 2024 @ 10:20am
2,587 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Silver Rain
Location: USS Intrepid - Captain’s Ready Room
Timeline: MD1: 8000 hours
Max had already taken his morning reports from Brix and begun to sort them into piles of ‘deal with later, shit I’m in trouble and Albion will reign hellfire down upon me the next time we emerge from deep space. Every third day, the Intrepid was to drop out of warp to deploy subspace beacons because they were not available this far out.
His annunciator chimed that the new arrivals from the starship Lovelace had arrived. Unfortunately, like Rena, Roaa had stepped back a bit to attend to furthering education. That left an open spot, but these two “came as a sort of pair(?)”.
Max hoped that Commander Lorut would keep him in check as he had been really quite busy with the political unrest on Krios and the aftermath of the ‘accidental’ fall of the Hotel Pearl, which had formerly hung in the sky, well above A’ransari, the Capitol city of New El-Auria - as the El-Aurian Elders had adopted in the week since their departure. Not to mention their application for admission to the United Federation of Planets. He wasn’t easy shocked, but that was top of the list of shocking recent events.
Hating to feel underprepared, Max brought up the personnel files for both before calling out, rather gruffly, “Enter.”
Vila entered the room, a bit pink-cheeked after a quick breakfast with the Doc. She was keeping it quiet, especially because it was still early and it could end as quickly as it began. And also because she wasn't about to give anyone the satisfaction.
"More new people," she said, more as a statement than a question. She fought the urge to roll her eyes but she wanted to. Their counseling department was a mess. She was overdue, though.
She settled in. "Where's Lyo?" she asked.
Feeling a bit ruffled, Max wondered at the question. Were people talking? Their relationship was barely days old, though lifelong - and both species lived extended lives compared to the mayflies that the rest of the galaxy seemed to live. “Commander Lyo has the CONN. We can’t all be off the bridge to welcome new crew."
She raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "I don't know, Ripley does fine," she said. "But yes." She should be asleep herself but duty called. "Especially if the turbulence we experienced overnight continues," she said, unaware of the man's internal strife. His face was odd, but when wasn't it?!
The annunciator chimed a second time and Max felt a lot less annoyed by the work set out before him. “Enter,” he responded, feeling a little less paranoid about not knowing their records and now focused on whether the crew was talking about Rylen and him.
The doors parted and Lieutenant Kevin Bianchi entered the room first, his eyes immediately falling on the captain, who looked younger than he'd expected, and next the first officer, who had the look of someone not to be trifled with. Already he had the sense of stepping into a hornet's nest, but it was challenges like these that made him want to be a Starfleet counselor in the first place.
As he stepped forward, he gave a warm smile to the pair of senior officers and mentally reminded himself of the importance of making good first impressions — a mantra he often used when stepping into a new situation for the first time. This crew had been through significant upheaval recently according to the records he had access to. Providing a steady, calming presence from the start could make a big difference in earning their trust.
He glanced back briefly at his Counselor's Aide Rosalind Paget following behind him. Her story was one he knew all too well after overseeing her recovery with the other USS Heyerdahl survivors from 2245. Kevin couldn't help but feel a touch of pride at how far she'd come, standing beside him on her own terms despite the understandable nervousness crossing her expression. This was her first active assignment since that life-altering trauma, and he intended to be the guide she needed through these first unsteady steps.
Turning his attention back to the captain and first officer, Kevin gave them a confident nod. "Captain Culver, Commander Lorut, thank you for receiving us. I'm Lieutenant Kevin Bianchi, please allow me to introduce my aide, Lieutenant Rosalind Paget."
Max relaxed quite a bit, feeling the most trepidation from the counselor’s aide. Extending his hand in a very human gesture, he offered a very friendly, “Welcome to the Intrepid, Counselor Bianchi, Miss Paget. You’ve clearly done your homework by knowing our names. Please, don’t stand on ceremony,” Max offered. “You’ll find I’m not your traditional commanding officer.
“Though you’ll probably want to watch out for the XO, I hear she’s a real nose to the grindstone kind of woman,” he added quietly, as if it was a secret.
Vila shot him a look. "And yet, here you are," she said. "Please, sit down. The Captain is a bit verklempt from his late evening," she said. She was aware of something between the Captain and the Second Officer, but if he wouldn't give her shit about her thing with the Doc, she wouldn't say anything, either. She really didn't actually care-it wasn't her PiPS on the line.
Rosalind gave a flicker of a smile at the warm greeting as Kevin took the lead, grateful that he did so.
Kevin smiled warmly as Captain Culver extended his hand in greeting. He stepped forward and shook the captain's hand firmly.
"Thank you, Captain. It's a pleasure to be aboard the Intrepid," Kevin replied. "And feel free to call me Kevin. I try not to stand too much on formalities when possible. I find it helps put the crew I'm working with more at ease." He glanced at Commander Lorut and gave her a respectful nod, making a mental note about the captain's aside regarding her intensity. Every ship had its own personnel dynamics to learn.
"I appreciate you putting us at ease right away," Kevin continued. "Adjusting to a new ship and crew can be challenging, so it means a lot. Though I have to admit, your reputation precedes you, so I expected nothing less from an officer of your calibre."
Kevin paused for a moment, glancing back at Rosalind who still looked a bit nervous. He gave her an encouraging smile before returning his attention to the captain.
"I'm sure you were notified Rosalind and I were assigned to your ship together. She'll be working closely with me as she reintegrates into active duty. I've been overseeing her recovery and transition after..." He trailed off, not wanting to reveal too many personal details about Rosalind's past without her consent. "Well, let's just say she has a remarkable story of her own to tell. I'm sure you'll both find her to be an excellent addition to our team once she finds her footing."
“Upending your lives to join a starship in previously occupied space that is no longer the thumb of the Romulans will have its challenges. I would imagine she could use someone to talk to.
“I would guess you’ve also done your homework, so you are aware that the entire crew has just experienced a traumatic event where several hundred people died after one of our antigravity hotels fell from the sky, fortunately only a few hundred died in the fall. Initial estimates indicated possibly tens of thousands more would be dead before rescue came:
“Fortunately, the El-Aurians were saved by a female Q. Quite astonishingly, she rid the landscape and healed the people of her own volition.
“Brix is the one who forced the Lady Q into action. To say she has mixed feelings is an understatement.”
“I’ve already booked my weekly session with Rena.” Max sort gave a half hearted shrug.
Vila was quiet throughout the Captain's spiel, nodding occasionally. "Even though Petty Officer Brix was NOT authorized to do so," she interjected. Still, Vila couldn't really fault her-she HAD saved lives.
Max used his coffee mug to hide the rolling of his eyes at the comment. ’What a stupid thing to say,’ he thought.
"I don't have an appointment yet; now that Lieutenant Roaa has stepped back to pursue further studies, I was hoping one of you two could handle me," she said. It was more or less a challenge. But she WAS there only if she kept her regular psych appointments, and, truly, she WAS doing better.
Not just the rolls in the hay she'd been having, but the sleep was helping a lot, too, as was her chance to get some breathing room on shore leave. Her role on the bridge hardly gave her room to move, and everyone knew by now that she was full of kinetic energy that needed a place to go.
Rosalind listened attentively glancing at those in front of her as Kevin spoke trying to read their expressions feeling that she did so quite well.
“This is also a welcome aboard to you, Lieutenant Paget. From your records, I can see you haven’t had it easy,” Max said, noting she seemed to stand in Lieutenant Bianchi’s shadow.
A moment’s hesitation preceded Rosalind’s short step forward.
"Thank you, sir," she replied folding her fingers into the palms of her hands. "Yes, sir." she continued holding his gaze steadily, but chickened out of any comment that could have broken ice.
“It must be overwhelming to have to integrate to a temporal jump like yours. I mean,” Max paused, sensing an insecurity from the Counselor’s Aide. “I hope you’ll find our crew very welcoming, and definitely dynamic,” he admitted. “I have the feeling that you’ll come to know many of them during our travel time to our next exploration mission.”
"I'm...looking forward to it, sir." Rosalind replied speaking the truth. She 'was' looking forward to it. Wanting to fit in and regain all that was still missing for her.
"...I enjoyed starship life before and am sure I will again." she added with a slight nod to confirm it.
This was also true, although she knew it was still some way off. She resisted the urge to glance at Lieutenant Bianchi as her nails began to dig into her palms, although her expression appeared amiable.
Vila watched the woman with interest. They had both been through traumas-different ones, of course, but still. They would either be able to understand each other, or hate each other. Time would tell.
She had read the woman's file, as well, and just hoped that the Fleet knew what they were doing, throwing someone with that kind of issue on a ship like THEIRS. Of course, she wondered the same thing about herself. "What can we do to ensure your longevity? We've had a bit of...turnover in the Counseling department," she said. Was there something that she and Max could do to help them stick?
“Aside from avoiding crashing into moons, strange temporal shifts and long-term transporter traumas,” Max added rather seriously.
At that, Vila simply nodded. Those things were important, and...weren't outside the realm of possibility of occurring with THIS crew.
Rosalind’s eyes moved to the Captain and back to the Commander. The pause began to lengthen before she replied.
"We...I....like a challenge, ma'am," she answered feeling her cheeks redden and a strong desire to leave.
"I hear you, Commander, Captain," Kevin added quickly before the air between them all could become uncomfortable. "Stability in the counseling department is crucial, especially given what your crew's been through. Truth is, counselors across Starfleet have been stretched pretty thin these past few years. The Borg attack alone..." He shook his head, letting out a small sigh. "Well, let's just say the mental health needs it created are still keeping us all busy. There are more counselors stationed at Starfleet facilities now than at any time since the Dominion War."
He glanced at Rosalind supportively before continuing. "Rosalind and I are here to help, and we're both committed to giving this crew our best. But, at the end of the day, Starfleet Medical has the final say on where we're needed most. That said, I'm hoping we can build something lasting here on the Intrepid."
Kevin's tone became more serious as he addressed the Intrepid crew's recent tragedy. "I've seen the initial reports about the hotel incident. It's... well, it's a lot to process. I'd like to sit down with you both soon, get a better sense of how the crew's coping, and figure out the best way forward."
He then turned to Vila with a nod and a slight smile. "And Commander, I'd be happy to take over your sessions. How about we grab a coffee later this week, start getting to know each other? I promise I don't bite."
“Biting is her love language, Counselor,” Max responded with an amused smile a a twinkle in his eye that dared Lorut to say anything. “I think, unless either of you have questions, we’ll give both of you today to settle into your new offices; before you start seeing the crew for appointments. I’d suggest you both be ready to hit the ground running.”
Vila nodded. "It is," she said, in agreement. But she meant mostly her biting personality, not the physical act. "I'll see what happens," she said. She'd just gotten a bit used to Rena, but maybe a new person could crack her hard exterior. It was always fun to see, anyway. "Yes, settle in. There's plenty of time for sessions. Trust me, this crew will NEED it," she said. "Make sure to check in with Lieutenant Campbell. Woman knows her stuff," she said, grudgingly. Vila had been grateful for the Betazoid's powers during the scuffle on Kaitos, after all.
{Thats another ordeal over.} Rosalind thought feeling a mite of relief present itself as she risked a quick glance towards her companion.
“And look in on Brix for me please,” Max asked, clearly a request but not an order. “I think she’s still a bit stuck on what happened on New El-Auria. Shaken would probably be the best description as far as my empathy is picking up.”
Kevin nodded. "Thanks for the heads up about Petty Officer Brix, Captain. Dealing with Q-related incidents can be tricky - I'll make sure to approach that carefully."
He then smiled at both officers. "I appreciate the warm welcome you've given us. I'll make sure to check in with Lieutenant Campbell and start getting to know the rest of the crew. I don't have any further questions, but if anything comes up I'll be sure to let you know." He glanced at Rosalind, giving her a subtle nod in case she wanted to add anything.
“They say ‘my door is always open’, but I think the hydraulics would give out within an hour,” Max said. “Still, the sentiment remains. Don’t hesitate to ask us anything. It’s our job.
“If that’s it, consider yourselves dismissed.”
Vila simply nodded. "My office is open, as well," she said. "See you later," she said, with a small wave of her hand.
"Thank you, sir...ma'am," Rosalind murmured looking from one to the other, glad that the meeting was at an end.
Max nodded to both and watched as they departed the office.
RSS Feed