PNPC Provisional Crewman Vhysa'lia - Some More Housekeeping
Lich
(( Counselor’s Office – Deck 7, USS Artemis-A ))
Sitting across from Dr. Sadar, Provisional Crewman Vhysa’lia was as relaxed as ever - in sharp contrast with how the Mizarian doctor sat. The apprehension didn’t deter them from being amicable and enthused about their upcoming duty. She was going to put her best foot forward, and prove that there really was nothing to be afraid of with her.
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
An amused smirk played out across Vhysa’lia’s lips. The doctor’s pronunciation was close, but she’d messed up on the vowels. Clearly something that she’d learned about from a book, or from someone who didn’t speak their tongue. Did they teach about the Kobali at Starfleet Academy?
Vhysa’lia: Close, it’s kyn'steya. You’ll have to tell me where you heard that some day.
But the good doctor was right. When she had to directly work with her patients, they were some of the rare ones that were still burdened with past lives that stopped them from thriving in their new life. Her training was focused on trying to lessen the impact of unwanted experiences on the psyche, lifting the weights on the shoulders of new Kobali.
It would be a slight bit different, working with ex-Borgs who were trying to return to their lives… but she could adapt, just like they would have to. They hadn’t told the Starfleet recruiter everything - they might not have been entirely pleased with her background in genetic engineering - just that they were heavily involved in the Kobali integration process. They gave a nod to Dr. Sadar, pleased with her analysis of their talents from what her crew profile said.
Vhysa’lia: And I can see the reasoning there… The past loves to cause problems for the present, does it not? ::pause:: So, when can we get started?
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.
Great. They didn’t need to waste much time then, and could dive right into the work. Most of what she had brought was unpacked already, making the little bunk area that she shared with other crewmen into a space that wasn’t exactly home, but as close to. Being around others again was nice, even if they weren’t their family. The ship that they’d “grown up” on (if they could call it that as a Kobali) had always been a bit crowded with various extended relatives - parents and siblings and cousins and whatnot.
Vhysa’lia: Ensign Kel? I’m not sure I’ve had the pleasure to run into this officer yet aboard the Artemis. What can you tell me about them, and their case?
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.
What a horrifying thing, to be assimilated. She knew that most others would see that as a hypocritical thought - that as a Kobali, she should be completely fine with some higher collective taking over her body and repurposing it for their means - but in her mind, what the Borg did was infinitely worse. The Kobali gave their new members a second chance at life after they’d reached the end of their first lives, without being tied to their past. The Borg just ruined the life they already had, extinguishing the person they’d taken far before their time.
They’d heard of other Kobali having run-ins with the Collective - and seen the bodies brought back from more than one skirmish with a probe - but they’d never seen them up close and alive until Frontier Day. If the Artemis’ drones had caused as much devastation as the Kitty Hawk’s had… they hoped that this Ensign Kel wouldn’t ever recover his memories.
Vhysa’lia: No recollection… ::taps her chin, looking off as she ponders this:: That’ll hopefully be easier than if he remembered it all. The ones that remember more are always harder to help. ::pause:: I'll check over his files for more details, when I have the chance.
Sadar: Response
Vhysa’lia: Are there any other patients on this accelerated timescale that I should know about? Or will I get more as I get properly settled into the ship?
Sadar: Response
Vhysa’lia nodded, that was wise. Logistics had never been her forte, best to leave all the planning and scheduling to those Starfleet officers above her. They could deal with all of that, while she got lost in the actually interesting parts of the job - finding out what made people tick, and finding ways for them to deal with their grief.
Vhysa’lia: And this office, it’s shared with the counseling staff? Or can I take meetings with patients elsewhere on the ship?
Meeting patients where they felt the most comfortable was probably a good plan, given that she wasn’t exactly the most inviting face aboard just yet. Sitting here, in this room they likely only ever saw on occasion (and mostly on bad ones), wasn’t likely to do much to help.
Sadar: Response
Vhysa’lia: ::nodding, smiling with a light twinkle in her eye:: Now that we’ve squared away everything regarding my duty… Is there anything I can elaborate on for you? Any questions you have for me ::pause:: or about me?
One thing that she loved about the Federation and Starfleet, despite how tense their initial meeting with her people might have been, was their unbounded curiosity. Curiosity and openness were the keys to relieving people of their fears, and maybe allowing the good doctor the chance to ask what was on her mind might make her a bit less on edge.
Sadar: Response
Tags/TBC