LtJG Gila Sadar - Why did we get the happy corpse?

[Gila Sadar]

(( Counselor’s Office – Deck 7, USS Artemis-A ))

Vhysa’lia: Provisional Crewman Vhysa’lia, here for my briefing.

Gila looked upon the Kobali Crewman entering the counselor’s office with a mixture of apprehension and interest. The Kobali culture had been a very divisive topic in the Academy, with the memoirs of Admiral Janeway providing the most thorough material for study, and that was obviously written from a Federation-centric viewpoint. Even disregarding that - as a good Historian ought to - Gila could understand the apprehension that many students had when reading on species such as the Kobali. The same kind of disgusted sensibilities colored the study of Vidiian Xenology or Borg Xenology, and for good reason. For a galactic government so thoroughly occupied with the idea that great strength was to be found in diversity, the concept of species that took diversity and adapted it to service the needs of the one community was off-putting at best, repulsive at worst. The Borg was the logical extreme of that concept, but the Kobali and the Vidiians had a similar kind of reputation amongst xenologists.

oO This isn’t just a Kobali though. This is a crewman, your responsibility. Oo

Gila shed her thoughtful recollections on her time at the Academy for favor of the present.

Sadar: Welcome aboard the Artemis, Crewman. I’m Doctor Sadar, and I’m here to assist you with acclimatizing to the vessel, as well as answer any questions your might have concerning the counseling program.

Vhysa’lia: Fan-tastic! It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you, again, for squeezing me into your schedule, despite how much work you’re likely dealing with in sickbay.

The exuberance that the Kobali Crewman carried herself with startled Gila, and she felt herself struggling to get back into the required headspace for the briefing. Out of preconceived notions, she’d anticipated Kobali to be morose or melancholic by disposition, and yet - at first glance - Crewman Vhysa’lia seemed more like Lt. Commander Hopper in terms of joviality.

She wasn’t sure whether that was an improvement just yet...

Sadar: Of course. Uhh... ::gestures to the armchair before the desk:: Have a seat.

With a fluid motion, Crewman Vhysa’lia sat themself down in the indicated chair, crossing one leg over the other. They already seemed very much at ease in the setting, which Gila presumed was going to be a strength for the continued work the Crewman would be doing.

Sadar: Anything in particular you want to start with?

Vhysa’lia: Of course. So. ::she folds her hands together in her lap:: I presume someone above me is dealing with the counseling assignments? I doubt you want me running around the ship abducting people to pick their brains. ::pause, then a laugh::

Gila blinked.

Vhysa’lia: Sorry, bad joke. ::putting on a more professional tone:: In all seriousness, I’m not exactly sure how the administrative side of all this works here in Starfleet - from how I understood it, I’ll be assigned patients, and then I’ll have to work with them to sort out all the scheduling of their actual appointments? Or is that done for me already?

oO I think I would’ve preferred a melancholic counselor... Oo

Sadar: W-Well, you’re correct that the patients will be assigned to you. The mandatory counseling programme has all of us check in with one of the available counselors over the span of a couple of months, ensuring that any lasting trauma from Frontier Day can be identified and dealt with in a competent manner. As such, the patient roster for each counselor has already been finalized, and all crew will receive a summons when their appointment comes up.

Vhysa’lia: I understand. ::little shrug:: In time, I hope that they’ll actually come find me to help, rather than just be assigned to me. But that’ll take time.

Crewman Vhysa’lia had no way of knowing, obviously, that Gila was one of those prospective patients who tried to avoid counselors whenever possible, and yet their comments on prospective patients seeking them out on their own still made Gila feel suitably reprimanded.

Sadar: ::twists anxiety band:: O-Originally, it is very much on a more voluntary basis, but Frontier Day is... W-Well, it necessitates extreme measures.

Vhysa’lia: Now, ::she leaned forwards slightly, smiling a bit again:: patients. Can you tell me a bit more about them? I know that my provisional assignment here is entirely caused by a need to heal the trauma of the Borg… infiltration. Can you tell me if I’ll be working with former drones, the unassimilated, or both?

Sadar: Considering your experience with ::blinks as she tries to recall the word:: k-kynstaia? - is that right? - we thought that your expertise might fit the best with counseling the ones who were assimilated... It’s impossible to completely limit you to former drones though, so you will have a mixed patient base, just slightly skewed

Vhysa’lia: Response 

Sadar: W-Well, as soon as you’re settled, I should think. I can see that Commander Adea - our Chief Medical Officer - has recommended one of the Ensigns for an accelerated timetable, so I suggest calling in Ensign Kel for your first session.

Vhysa’lia: Response 

Sadar: Ensign Kel is a Bajoran and Vulcan hybrid, security officer. He was assimilated into the Collective under the designation Ten of Ten, but has no recollection of the time he was assimilated. Beyond that, I’ll allow you to make your own observations.

Vhysa’lia: Response 

Tags/TBC

LtJG Gila Sadar

Medical Officer

USS Artemis-A

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