Ensign Meris - Borderlands Briefing
Meris/Brian
(( Captain’s Ready Room – Deck 1, USS Artemis-A ))
As Meris began talking about piloting, they felt a calm come over them. They might not have scored the best at the Academy – Meris had, in fact, finished in the 58th percentile of their Academy class – but during their time there, they had lived and breathed flying. Once they'd set themself on that trajectory, it had become an all-consuming endeavor, and talking about it was like slipping into a warm bath.
Meris: Well ... I didn't set out to become a pilot. In many ways, piloting found me.
The corner of Meris’ mouth twitched – the only indication that this was intended as an amusing statement.
Meris: Prior to attending the Academy, I had never actually flown … anything. My parents had never even allowed me to drive our hover car. But we were given aptitude tests prior to starting, and I achieved high marks for spatial awareness, reaction time, and situational judgment. Based on those scores, the Academy Counselor suggested I participate in a Flight Workshop in the months before my first year. Well – once you've been airborne, do your feet ever really reach the ground again?
MacKenzie: ::shaking her head rapidly:: I wouldn’t know – I’m a doctor, not a pilot.
The J’naii helmsperson straightened and shifted from one foot to the other. They had to admit they felt slightly bad for MacKenzie, never having experienced the feeling Meris had just described. Maybe it was a pilot's thing.
Meris: As for why Starfleet ... it was an expeditious means to an end.
MacKenzie: Oh?
Meris: On the J’naii homeworld, young people are expected to serve our culture directly and meaningfully. There are few opportunities or paths that allow one to move off-world. My parents are a scientist and an educator, and had I stayed, I would’ve been expected to follow their path and contribute locally, just as my twin, Seral, will. Seral is a brilliant scientist, and they'll continue that legacy. That would have left me to become an educator. But that’s not who I am, nor who I want to be.
Meris: Joining Starfleet wasn’t about rejecting my heritage. I’m proud to be J’naii. But I’ve always found the galaxy beyond my world more fascinating than what was within it. My twin and I have an unspoken agreement: they stay and carry forward our homeworld and culture, and I explore everything else the galaxy has to offer. Eventually, I’ll be expected to return and share my experiences. In that manner, I’ll fulfill my role as an educator. But until then, I serve the Artemis.
MacKenzie rocked her head from side to side.
MacKenzie: That was certainly no small sacrifice. But, if you feel that both your interests and your obligation to your people are being met...?
The J’naii responded without equivocation.
Meris: I do, ma’am.
MacKenzie nodded.
MacKenzie: Fascinating. And have you ever piloted a Luna-class starship before?
There was a long pause before Meris responded, and they shifted back to their left foot again before finally speaking.
Meris: In simulations only, ma’am. The Artemis will be the first Luna-class vessel I’ll have had the pleasure to fly off the holodeck. I have, however, passed the required Starfleet Aeronavigation Standards Suite for Luna-class deployment. I’m also fully certified for a variety of capital vessels and have practical capital ship experience with the Excelsior and Ambassador-class.
MacKenzie: The Borderlands presents its own unique set of astronomical challenges, particularly where piloting the ship is concerned. What do you know about the region?
Meris: You're of course referring to the space-faring monsters, yes ma’am?
The corner of the J’naii’s mouth twitched slightly, giving an indication that this was once again intended as an amusing aside.
MacKenzie: Response.
Meris: ::more seriously:: I did spend part of the trip to Starbase 224 familiarizing myself with the local space lanes and stellar phenomena. I confess that I’m quite anxious to get a first-hand view of the Paulson Nebula. I’ve also completed simulations of navigation within the Briar Patch, the Celendi Nebula, and the Azure Nebula.
MacKenzie: Response.
(( Tags/TBC ))
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Ensign Meris
Helm Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240207M14