Captain Addison MacKenzie - Words That Cut Like a Scalpel
Addison MacKenzie
((Conference Room - Deck 1, USS Artemis))
Addison sat at the conference table flanked by the first officer of the Artemis.
In front of them, their newest officer: a Napean by the name of Larek Tyron.
Like all officers newly assigned to the ship, she enjoyed getting to know more
about them, particularly through the lens of what their service records did not
reveal. In many cases, it helped give her insight into how they might respond
to situations that the crew typically found themselves in. Tyron would not be
exempt from this practice.
MacKenzie: Tell me about your background, Ensign. ::holding up the
PADD:: I’m talking about the things I won’t learn by reading your formal bio.
Tyron: ::Looking a bit more nervous and unsure:: I have come to enjoy
some of the aspects of mind 20th century earth, particularly a
region called Appalachia. I am a cousin (in the holodeck) to a man named Junior
Johnson ::Picking up a bit of a 1940’s Appalachian accent:: we modify car
engines to get more power and speed out of them. ::Blushing a bit:: Then we try
to deliver moonshine to cities around the south. We end up running from the
police through the Appalachian Mountains and the foothills. : Pausing for a
moment and looking at the Captain:: I admit some aspects of earth history from
that time that do not make sense to me. ::Pausing again for a moment:: I have
learned to play banjo and fiddle, and have taken part in some strange ritual
events called barn dances ::Dropping the accent:: but I am not sure any of
these are useful. I also like cherry pie and blueberry pancakes.
There was a brief pause before he continued.
Tyron: Just so you know, I do not drink. I am told moonshine tastes a
bit better than gasoline and has the kick of a mule. I am not sure why anyone
would do that.
Addison cocked her head slightly, her steel-blue eyes narrowing as she tried to
ascertain whether the ensign was having some kind of mental condition. To say
that he was awkward was an understatement… She couldn’t help but let the
silence grow longer as she tried to ascertain what in the gods’ right mind
would possess the ensign to think it appropriate to reveal his affinity for
participating in a 1940’s holonovel program, or that he doesn’t drink.
She put a pin in that – as part of his onboarding, she could recommend he get
evaluated by one of their counselors. While it was true Starfleet’s counseling
staff was severely overbooked, she’d have no problem recommending they squeeze
in another appointment…
For now, she decided the best response would be to pivot.
MacKenzie: And what about your interest in the helm position?
Tyron: ::Smiling a bit more and visible less nervous as this was outside
of him:: I spent most my life on a planet watching an atmosphere develop, from
seeing millions of stars to seeing fewer, from baren ground to fertile soil,
and to watching clouds form and rain falling. I know more about different types
of algae, waste and water reclamation, carbon filtration, plant growth, and
hydroponics than any boy should ever know. My parents may terraform two or
three planets in their lifetime, but there is a lot to see and experience.
She’d asked him about his interest in the helm.
He’d answered her with terraforming.
She looked to Dakora with a confused look, and raised her arms – an invitation
for his assistance.
Dakora: Response
Tyron: I know with everything going on, there is a
lot of crew taking leave and helping out. I would like to start earning my
keep, can I help in any way or are there things you would like me to start
learning? Specific tests or simulations for the helm and navigation systems
that you would like me to participate in? Are there any updates to the
astrogation charts or star maps that I should review before the ship returns to
active duty?
She pondered the question carefully, deciding instead to pivot and take a second
shot at her earlier inquiries.
MacKenzie: Ensign, I’m not sure your answers satisfied my earlier
questions. I asked you about your background, you told me about your fascination
with a holodeck program. I asked you about your interest in the helm, and you
told me about your parents’ experiences with terraforming… So, let’s revisit
the first question, perhaps in a more pointed way. What got you interested in
Starfleet?
She was a surgeon and, like a surgeon, her words could cut as deep and precise as
a scalpel.
Tyron/Dakora: Responses
MacKenzie: And what do you know of the Artemis so far?
Tyron/Dakora: Responses
Tag, and TBC!
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Captain Addison MacKenzie, M.D., Ph.D., FASFS
Commanding Officer
USS Artemis-A
Captains Council Member at Large
V239601AM0