Lt. JG. Gnai - The Artemis Is My Home, Even If It's Stressful Sometimes... Well, Most Of The Time
Lich
(( Chief Science Officer’s Office — Deck 9, USS Artemis-A ))
It had taken a great deal of effort for Gnai to even find itself here, offering up the PADD with its medical record and doctor’s note to Lt. Cmdr. Jovenan, and asking to be reconsidered for away team duty. Every part of it wanted to just ignore this, but Dr. Meyers had been deadly serious about her recommendation, and it wasn’t sure that going back to her and reporting a failure would be a very smart plan.
Gnai: Thank you, sir. ::gesturing to the PADD, speaking quickly:: Recently, this started to notice… adverse physical and mental reactions to away team missions, and being off the ship in general. Doctor Meyers did a physical and has recommended that this be removed from the roster of potential away team members. ::pause:: More information is on the PADD, as is her note on the stress.
The news didn’t seem to land well with Lt. Cmdr. Jovenan, as she frowned while reading the PADD that it handed over.
Jovenan: Just the away team missions? And not the ship-side service?
And that was exactly what Gnai was worried about. That asking for this one small change might spiral into something larger, and it would find itself on a shuttle back to Galador II before it could even think.
Gnai: Yes, sir. Just away team missions.
Jovenan: Well, I could remove you from the active away team rotation and talk with the rest of the ship staff so that you wouldn’t be called into a mission if it’s possible to avoid that. Is that what you’d want?
It bobbed in its tank vigorously. That was all it was asking for, just to be kept aboard the ship.
Gnai: Yes, that would be very appreciated.
Jovenan: But are you certain you want to risk it with resuming service on the Artemis? I’m not sure if the ship would be much less stressful for you. You have good grounds to apply for a transfer to a starbase or a planetary installation, and I would of course give you a good reference and help you find a place…
A bolt of worry flashed across its filaments and tendrils. Dr. Meyers had also recommended the same, but it just couldn’t bear the thought of being stuck somewhere like a station or a planet, unable to explore and see the stars move around it, stagnant like it had been on Galador II.
Gnai: Sir… this isn’t sure how to explain it, but this isn’t stressed while aboard the Artemis. Leaving the Artemis for good would be far worse than staying.
Jovenan: Response
Gnai: This left Galador II to study the stars, and to live amongst them. Being confined to a station, or stuck planet-side would mean that this couldn’t follow its dreams, and be truly fulfilled. ::pause:: Aboard the Artemis, even with the risks of battle, this has felt that it is exactly where it’s supposed to be. It’s just that when it goes down to a planet and is stuck in the middle of a warzone, or chased by homicidal plants or pre-warp aliens… that is what causes this stress. Being away from the ship, away from the science that this loves and understands, feeling useless with the exception of the containment suit’s strength…
That’s all it had really felt useful for on their most recent mission, when it thought back over the entire time. The only moment in which it had conclusively helped everyone had been when it had smashed down a door, and later when it had used the strength of its suit to help some of the trapped Grunden. But the rest of the mission? It had felt worse than useless. It had left its crewmates and friends behind, at the hands of an enemy, when they’d been expecting it to help keep them safe.
Jovenan: Response
With a bit of relief flashing across its tendrils, Gnai bobbed again in its tank.
Gnai: ::as if a great deal of tension has vanished:: Thank you for understanding, sir.
Jovenan: Response
It gave her a little bow, as best it could with its containment suit, before leaving the office behind. It didn’t want to stick around any longer than it needed to, or it might start questioning its decision, or make itself seem even more stressed than necessary and perhaps force her to recommend its dismissal for its own safety… Best to just abscond back into the labs and its work, and leave all the PADDwork for the reassignment to her, as its boss.
Maybe in a bit, with help from Dr. Meyers and the veritable gamut of tests she had run (and likely still wanted to run, much to Gnai’s chagrin, as it felt somewhat under the microscope again), it could return to away team duty, safely. But for now, it was thankful to just be able to remain aboard the ship. It could be useful that way, helping behind the scenes of any missions to strange planets or mysterious crises, working on important science but far away from any situations in which it would be a danger to itself… or worse, to others.
Tags/End Scene for Gnai :)
((OOC: If this wasn’t obvious yet, this is the last sim I will have for Gnai as my PC, as I am transitioning it to a PNPC aboard the Artemis, and will be writing for Vhysa’lia as my PC for the foreseeable future! I am still going to continue any and all Gnai scenes, and will always be down to sim with it for shore leaves, so don’t worry, this jelly isn’t going anywhere. Doctor’s orders!))