PNPC Provisional Crewman Vhysa’lia - I Am Removing Myself From This Stressful Situation Posthaste
Lich
(( First Officer’s Office - Deck 2, USS Artemis-A ))
Even though Lt. Cmdr. Munro was keeping any finer details from them, she was still saying too much. Every part of Vhysa’lia’s body felt on edge learning even the slightest bit about their kyn’steya. It was going to happen eventually, she knew, but even the most innocent of details, like her past-life being “very accomplished” felt like a massive burden being placed on her shoulders.
“Very accomplished”. What did that even mean? What did it mean for them…? Would trying her best and succeeding here mean that she was falling too close in line with the past? Would the opposite mean that they were a failure, not an improvement upon the past like they wanted to be? This was why any knowledge of kyn’steya was dangerous. It led to rumination and being trapped by the past, not the present.
Vhysa’lia: I’m glad to hear that I wasn’t some sort of hardened criminal wanted by the VSA in my kyn’steya, but given how much of a wild frontier the Delta Quadrant was for your Federation around the time I was reanimated… it wasn’t impossible! ::nervous laugh::
She felt dangerously on edge, and her only defense against that was jokes. Perhaps not the most appropriate time nor person to joke with, but they needed to get the air cleared somewhat, or risk losing their composure. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but Vhysa’lia couldn’t risk it.
Munro: I know that there are some vast cultural differences when it comes to death. And Starfleet will respect those. I also, as first officer on this ship, need to factor in the wellbeing of everyone on this crew. You want to be a doctor? I need to know that you will do everything you can to save a life and respect the death rituals of our crew? The Captain entrusts me with that responsibility. So the question is, can I trust you?
It felt mildly pointed that she assumed Vhysa’lia might not respect the rest of the crew and their approaches to death. But the Kobali had already clashed with the Federation before on the topic, and it wasn’t something that she was keen to repeat. That’s why they were here, after all, to try and patch over some of the roughness in the relations between them both, not to start up another conflict by killing patients through negligence and reanimating them to be Kobali.
Vhysa'lia: I’m not about to start “raising the dead”, if that’s what you’re worried about. ::nervous laugh, before becoming serious again:: Unless I’m ordered to. ::pause:: But jokes aside, you can trust me, sir. I’m a good doctor, and I’m prepared to follow Starfleet guidelines “to the T” while I’m here on-board the Artemis.
Best not to get into the details of it, but she did have a small supply of the Kobali pathogen in her personal belongings, so if ordered (which she assumed would be unlikely anyways), reanimation wasn’t off the table. The supply of the pathogen was just there as a backup, in case something happened and their body started to return to what it was before death. That shouldn’t be possible, with how long she’d been with the Kobali, but Starfleet had managed it before, and the higher-ups had wanted to send her well-prepared in case it happened again.
Munro: That does help settle the matter for me.
Vhysa'lia: I’m glad. I have no intention of causing issues for you or any of the rest of the crew. I’m just here to help out, as best I can.
Of course, if someone had issues with her, she would make a fuss about it to the command staff. They weren’t a pushover, even if they wanted to try and be as unobtrusive and easy-going with their colleagues as possible.
Munro: I'm going to approve your transfer from the counselling department to medical with several conditions. The first is that you appropriately handover your current clients in therapy, and if possible retain those you feel would benefit from continuing with yourself as their therapist. At least until it's appropriate to pass them on to another counsellor. The second is that you continue your own counselling :: delicate :: I'd also like you to think about discussing your feelings on the life of your kyn'steya - that is just good old fashioned professional advice, and optional :: serious :: The rest is not optional.
Vhysa'lia: Thank you, sir. I can get that started right away, I’ll reach out to my patients and have a discussion with them to see what would be best. ::pause, slightest grimace:: And I’ll continue seeing a counselor as well, sir.
She made no attempt to acknowledge the last suggestion. If their XO was trying to rattle them, and make them feel uncomfortable, well, mission accomplished. A horrible thought cropped up in a dark corner of their mind - that perhaps the commander would prefer to have them turn back into a Real Vulcan again rather than remain a Kobali, a walking desecration of Federation death rituals - but they pushed it away. That wasn’t a helpful thought.
Munro: Response
With a bit of effort, she plastered a big grin on her face, trying to focus on the positives in the situation here, rather than continue to marinate in all the tension and stress that had been lumped onto her shoulders. The transfer to medical had official approval, and all the exchange PADDwork would be submitted with that stamp as well.
Vhysa’lia: Yes, sir. I just am not always comfortable on the other side of the desk, which, I know, makes me a bit of a hypocrite. ::laughs a little:: But I haven’t disobeyed an order yet, and I don’t plan to start now.
Munro: Response
Vhysa’lia: Again, thank you, sir. ::getting up to leave:: It’s been a pleasure to get to meet you.
Munro: Response
With that all said and done, Vhysa’lia made their way back to the enlisted quarters area of the ship. Hopefully, when the PADDwork cleared and they were given provisional officer status, they could move into a proper, single room, rather than sharing with others. It wasn’t dignified to be visibly stressed like she was in public. In private, of course, but not where everyone else would see.
But was that the Vulcan way of thinking? She sank into her bunk, digging the heels of her palms into her closed eyes, hoping the sensation would drive away the headache she was starting to develop over all of this.
Tags/End scene for Vhysa’lia :)
as simmed by