Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie - A Question of Ethics
Addison MacKenzie
The pair of officers had met in an unlikely encounter in the ship's library. MacKenzie, having inquired about what might have piqued Storm's interest in the library, was mistakenly interpreted as a question about her choice of dress. Once that had been cleared up, they moved on to the literary interests of the tactical officer.
Storm: But if I had chosen a book it would have been a high stakes search for a missing person, but with a happy ending. Maybe something like, The Rescue. It’s an old fiction book from Earth, but it hits home.
Addison's brow furrowed slightly as she tried to recall whether or not she'd ever encountered the novel. Finally, she shook her head.
MacKenzie: Sounds like a thrill without needing to be a physical thrill... I don't think I know it. Is it any good?
A smile appeared on Storm's face.
Storm: Yeah. It is. A storm pushes a car off of the road. When a firefighter finds the car and she regains consciousness, she realizes her four-year-old son is missing from the car. The book is about trying to find her son.
Her voice trailed momentarily, but then picked back up again.
Storm: And other things. But what about you? What’s your poison?
The soft overhead lights cast a shifting shadow as the Captain rocked her head back and forth.
MacKenzie rocked her head back and forth thoughtfully.
MacKenzie: Truthfully, I don't get a chance to read much for leisure. It's usually reports from Starfleet, or the occasional medical journal if there's something really interesting that catches my eye. Reading for fun is a bit of a luxury these days, so I'm happy to take any recommendations if you have favorites you like to come back to.
Storm: I do. There’s this other one I’ve read recently that I’ll come back to by Mickie Hawthorne. It’s a great psychological thriller about a man, Grant, who gets trapped in an underground cavern system. While he’s trying to find his way out, he comes upon a ‘home’ someone made in a tunnel and through different clues and pieces he saw before he fell down there, he discovers the other person down there is a wanted murderer, who may have engineered Grant’s fall into the tunnel. It’s pretty intense.
MacKenzie: Sounds exhilarating!
Storm: I based a recent phaser qualification practical on the setting, actually.
A smile crept on the commanding officer's face. It was the kind of exercise she enjoyed putting junior officers through whenever it was time for a medical examination - especially if they were long overdue.
MacKenzie: How did your victims do?
Storm: Imril passed with flying colors … ::A spasm bit into her back where Imril’s shot bit into her skin.:: If he ever decides to leave engineering, you should recruit him for Security or Tactical.
She nodded slightly at the recommendation, which didn't warrant any further explanation.
MacKenzie: That one might be a hard sell for a lot of reasons, but I'll certainly keep that in my back pocket.
The tactical officer removed her shoes and set them on the ground next to her before leaning back against the mahogany end of the bookcase. Clearly there was something getting at her - perhaps an unasked question - but MacKenzie didn't know the woman well enough to intuit what it might be. Instead, she opted to let the silence of the room coax whatever might be hiding in the light into being.
Storm: When you were CMO, did you or even now, do you ever have misgivings about having to shoot someone? Even if it was on stun?
Addison's brow raised slightly, a bit surprised by the question.
MacKenzie: Are we talking from an ethical perspective?
Storm: Response
For whatever reason, Addison felt the need to reach back and adjust the tightness of the knot that held her hair in a ponytail.
MacKenzie: Well, I suppose the first thing I'd say is that the ethics of being a doctor don't simply disappear because one is no longer assigned to that particular duty post. The other thing I'd say is that there have been several instances in my career where I was faced with a singular decision: them, or me. And in every instance, I always chose me. The alternative was never an option.
Storm: Response
Her eyes narrowed slightly at the question. Intentionality had a lot of definitions, and often didn't give a damn about ethics.
MacKenzie: I was once kidnapped and tortured by the Tal Shiar... Let me tell you, if I'd have had a phaser - or any other kind of blunt object, for that matter - there would have been nothing stopping me from beating them to within an inch of their lives. (beat) Maybe beyond.
Storm: Response
Tag, and TBC!
Commanding Officer
USS Artemis-A