Mandatory head shrink

Posted on Tue Apr 28th, 2020 @ 8:04am by Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani

Mission: Season 3: Episode 4: Cause and Effect
Location: Counselling Suite, USS ELysium
Timeline: Three days before departure
876 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON]

Next thing on the list of settling in tasks was a psych eval. It wasn't something Miraj was particularly looking forward to, but neither was it something she was avoiding. Counsellors just didn't really understand flying. Most people didn't understand flying.

So best to just get it over with, and then it was done for another year. "Miraj Derani to see Lieutenant Kelea-Salik," she asked the crewman acting as receptionist, and then waited to be called in.

Crew evaluations were well underway, having arrived at her office early Alicia was ready for the first of many appointments today. She smiled as she appeared in the waiting area. "Ensign Derani please."

Miraj pulled her finger out of twisting one of her pink bunches and stood up. "That's me, ma'am."

"Hello Ensign, please come with me." Heading back into her office Alicia paused as she entered. "Please make yourself comfortable, can I get you anything to drink?"

Miraj looked at the comfy chairs, picked one and sat down. "Just water please, ma'am." best not ask for anything to fancy. If she ended dropping it, or choking on it, at least it wouldn't stain.

“Water it is” Alicia smiled and headed over to the replicator to get two glasses of chilled water. It didn’t take long and she returned to sit down, placing the two glasses on the coffee table by the sofa. “Please feel free to call me Alicia, titles aren’t necessary here.”

"Er, okay." She remembered her fumbling with the Commander and was pleased with her ability to stomp on the automatic yes sir, no sir reflex from the Academy

“So how are you settling in aboard the Elysium?” It was an easy question to start with.

"So far its okay. She seems nice. Though she's got emitters in places I didn't expect to find emitters. That threw me a little bit. And no one warned me about the giant horse-man. I think I embarrassed myself to Lieutenant SHib."

“I can understand that” Alicia smiled. “I’m sure SHib has encountered it before. Do you like to socialise outside of duty hours or are you someone who prefers to spend time alone?”

Miraj had to think about it. "I don't really know. There wasn't really time at the academy. I've never really tried. I went to a couple of parties, they were fun. but I don't know if I could have done anything enough to have a preference."

“That’s fair enough” Alicia smiled. “Aboard a starship you become part of a unique family. It gives you plenty of chances to learn more, not that you have to socialise. Everyone is different. I see that you’re the Assistant Chief of flight control, what made you interested in flying a ship like this?”

"Are you kidding? Its got Quantum Slipstream. I know its just a retrofit and maxes out at velocity 1, but its still the biggest leap forward in propulsion technology since Zephram Cochrane flew warp. You'd have to be certifiably nuts to not want a crack at this ship. The only way you get me off it is if you got me one one of the purpose built machines that can get to Velocity 3. I'm not even sure the human brain can even comprehend how fast that is. Its not quite teleporting round the galaxy, but its the next best thing. And you know what that means? Flying between galaxies! Properly intergalactic, not just interstellar. No-ones flown in the true void before. How could I say no?"

Alicia couldn’t help but grin at the outpouring of excitement and enthusiasm from Miraj, it was nice to encounter someone who was so bright and bubbly about their role onboard. “It’s so nice to encounter someone as enthusiastic as you!” Alicia was grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat. “You enjoy your work and that’s a lovely thing to see.”

Miraj beamed. "Flying is the only thing I've ever wanted to do. I've got over twenty thousand hours at conn already, across all manner of ships."

“Have you ever faced a situation that you couldn’t handle?” Alicia looked at a Miraj curiously.

"At conn? No," Miraj scoffed. "And I've flown some absolute duffers. The worst is when the inertial dampers go and you're doing significant fractions of the speed of light. You don't dare slow down too fast or you and the entire crew get splattered to strawberry jam on a sudden stop or turn. If its got wings of a propulsion system I can fly it. "

Alicia nodded. “In that case I’m perfectly happy to declare you fit to carry on flying!” She grinned. “I’ll sign off on your evaluation so you’re free to go, unless there’s anything else you need to talk about?”

Miraj shook her head. For the moment it was true, but even if it wasn't, she'd rather get out while the getting was good. Nothing was more important than flying. "No, ma'am"

Alicia nodded. “Okay then, consider yourself free to go.”

Yay! "Thank you, ma'am. I look forward to serving with you."

“Likewise Ensign, likewise.”

{OFF}

Ensign Miraj Derani
Assistant Chief Flight Control
USS Elysium

Lt Alicia Kelea
Chief Counsellor