Lt Jovenan – Could we talk about politics again?

[Jovenan]

((Grombria’s office, Palais de la Concorde, Paris))

 

Grombria: Well now, we’ve been thoroughly depressed so let’s chat something else. Jovenan, what do you do for fun aboard the ARtemis?

Jovenan was somewhat surprised, once again, by the direction the discussion was heading towards. When she had received an invitation for an audience with the Federation Councillor for Rubicun, she had expected to discuss matters of politics and strategies, or maybe she would have been asked to recount her own perspective to Starfleet and the Battle of Frontier Day, or to explain all the difficulties and opportunities she had faced as an Edo and a Starfleet scientist –  the serious issues that a Federation dignitary would deem as appropriate use of their valuable time.

Instead, he wanted to know about how they had fun on a starship.

The more Jovenan thought of it, though, the more she realised she should have expected it. There were many types of people on every world, even on hers. Every world had its boisterous merchants of cheap trinkets, former devotees who had changed their minds, fervent activists of a lost cause, and more – even some individuals with bizarre combinations of traits, such as the insecure and shy adventurer she was. But as much as the stereotypes don’t dictate the character of an individual, sometimes they described a population at large, or in plurality. And Councillor Grombria very clearly represented a stereotype of an Edo right now, unlike Jovenan, at least in this matter, as she had to dig through the depths of her mind to find a reply that was both truthful and acceptable.

Jovenan: Oh? Um, I’ve taken a habit to go for a run in our Fitness Centre. The ship starts to feel a bit cramped without exercise, and running in the corridors on a daily basis may cause accidents, not to mention doesn’t fit the ship’s standards well.

It was… an okay answer. She had hoped the Councillor might get her, perhaps he too had encountered some limitations to the traditional Edo method of locomotion offworld. It just wasn’t a good answer when seeking something fun, and the Councillor’s exchange of looks with Genkos revealed that much of his thoughts to Jovenan as well.

Grombria: I said fun, Jovenan. Recreation, enjoyment, games, entertainment, that sort of thing!

Yes. Fun. I know what that is. This set of questions appeared to be more difficult for her than the previous ones, and more vital to the Councillor than the conversation about the recent battle that saw thousands of people killed. Despite the seemingly trivial nature of the subject, Jovenan could understand that it might be a cornerstone question in the mind of a young Edo choosing whether to seek a career in Starfleet’s ranks or offworld in general. She… she just wasn’t a good role model to any of them.

Jovenan: Well, um, much of the recreation happens during the shore leaves, typically on different planets, like when the Commander ::moves hand at Adea:: invited me to visit his old home town. But we also have some recreational facilities on board, like the holodecks. I sometimes have social activities there with my, um, friends.

It was difficult to end the sentence with that word. She didn’t know if Vitor wanted to view himself as her friend any more, after what they had said to each other in the Elysium. She didn’t know what he was to her. Perhaps she had cut off the one string that had truly connected her to the social web of the crew, and now she had only colleagues and acquaintances. She could still trust the people like Genkos, Talos and Doctor Sadar with some of her personal matters, but she didn’t know if they would be comfortable with her being so close to them as friends could be. Maybe, just maybe, she was becoming miserable.

Grombria: Now we’re talking. Okay, what sorts of things do you get up to in the holodecks?

Oh? The Councillor’s rather enthusiastic follow-up question caught Jovenan in the midst of her angsty thoughts. Even Genkos looked like he was expecting an interesting answer from her.

Jovenan: Um, cooking, most recently. We shared some foods from our respective cultures. It was fun. And different training scenarios, of course. The holodecks are a useful resource for all sorts of projects, both work and personal…

The Councillor seemed to slump. Jovenan knit her eyebrows apologetically. She had known this person for less than an hour, and she had already disappointed him. She wondered if disappointing her superiors was her innate talent or something she had learnt at some point on the way.

Grombria: Oh, is that it?

Councillor Grombria had proven to be a stereotypical Edo, in some respects more than in others; he was, in a sort, the opposite of what Jovenan was. And Jovenan wondered if that was true in regard to those stereotypes. The ones that made Rubicun a popular tourist destination these days, the ones Jovenan very, very much did not follow. And if that was where the expectations to her arose from.

Jovenan: Well, um, yes. I- I don’t use holodeck much for, um, recreational uses. I’m sure you can find more experienced people in the city if you want, um, other views on the matter. But I’ve heard others use them for things like adventures, or plays, or – or dances with people they like.

She moved around on her seat, wondering if she could squirm long enough that the Councillor needed to attend his other appointments, and they could go home.

Grombria/Adea: Response

Jovenan: No, nothing like that! As I said, I have friends, and all the crew are like a family to me now, but I, um, don’t have any relationships that would be more intimate than that.

Grombria/Adea: Response

Jovenan: I doubt that. I’m not particularly skilled in forming or keeping lasting relations with others.

Grombria/Adea: Response

TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11