Lt. JG Natasha Cole - Two Ways of Thinking
Natasha Schell
((USS Artemis-A, deck 8, Chief Tactical Officer office))
Cole: Ideally, the scenario forces people to think before they react, but not so long they freeze. We’d want the crew split into sections, communications degraded or intermittent, and enough unknowns built in that they can’t solve it by memorizing the pattern.
Commander Silveira leaned back before speaking solemnly.
Silveira: Sounds interesting. ::he turned to Alex:: What do you think Lieutenant?
Storm: I think it’s a tender subject, and we didn’t know we’d be touching on a nerve. But the scenario is sound and does test everything you want us to. It would test the crew’s ability to make quick judgments and act on them in a split second.
Silveira nodded and seemed to be in deep thought for a moment before clearing his throat.
Silveira: As I said that’s very familiar and hits too close to the heart…. Literally… I have been doing this for some time now and I have faced more than my share of… Things.
Storm: Would you prefer that we work up another scenario?
Cole: We can pivot if you’d like. But if the point is to prepare the crew for what actually goes wrong, I think there’s value in discomfort so long as we build the right safeguards around it.
Silveira: But the idea has merit and you can both work on it. I want one thing to be added, space battle. It’s only a proper drill if we get to do everything. So flesh it out, but again take your time with it. Once ready we can review it and I will propose it to the Captain. If she refuses… Let’s say it isn’t any fault of the planning. I am sure both of you will do a good job.
Alex turned in her seat to face Cole.
Storm: I’m sure we can work out the rest of the details. But only if you’re sure about this …
Storm: … Commander.
Natasha glanced at Alex, catching her slight hesitation. She adjusted in her seat clearly, her idea inadvertently struck a nerve or dredged up memories for Commander Silveira.
Cole: You ok Sir?
Silveira: Look it was complicated and I don’t want to go into that. Lieutenant Cole I am not shutting down your proposal because it brings back trauma to some of us. My command style and I will dare say it’s quality derives from that. ::he tensed slightly and straightened himself:: Commanding by example and through experience. ::his forehead frowned as he spoke:: Years and years of experience facing Q, doppelgangers from other universes, Klingon, Ferengi, Iconians, Suliban, Borg… That’s why I know holding a cricket in your boots can go pretty bad and start a diplomatic incident that takes months to solve. That’s why I know we all risk too much and we need to be more careful and have some sort of safety course…
Natasha was caught a little surprised at the tone of Commander Silveira’s response and shift in topic mid lecture.
Silveira shrugged and leaned back, trying to force a smile.
Silveira: Sorry, I didn’t mean to lecture any of you… Just some dark memories that passed my eyes…
Alex gave a nod, but Nat couldn’t help but feel like she wanted to say something more. Then again Alex had a friendship with Silveira, that she herself was only starting to cultivate herself.
Storm: Damn funny things, memories. They can be quite a two-edged sword, huh?
Cole: ::nodding:: Often they can remind us of things we could have done, or remind us of what we did right.
Her mind briefly drifted to her impromptu camping trip in the mountains. Ten days surviving on her own had left marks she didn’t talk about often, but on Callis I those memories had helped more than they hurt. They reminded her that she had been cold, hungry, angry, and alone before and had still kept going. It also reminded her that survival was easier when someone had thought ahead before things went bad.
Storm: Okay. So, short-term, you want us to work on a threat assessment. My only question on that is you said you want us to bring medical and counseling in on that. How does that work with annual physicals and psych evals? Do we just use those, or do we need to double down on those even if one was just done?
Nat tilted her head at Alex’s mention of psych evals, that twitched an idea in her head. She furrowed her brows as she made note of that train of thought.
Cole: ::to Alex:: That gives me an idea, I’ll explain later.
Silveira: Response
Storm: Okay. We’ll make sure we loop that into our planning. Once that’s completed, you want us to finalize the ship-wide training scenario, making sure that we include a space battle as a part of it. Will this be carried out shipwide or on the holodeck? If it’s shipwide and we’re using doppelgangers, that might prove more difficult. Could we use a holodeck on DS 224 and run it in cycles until we get the entire crew through?
Cole: If we’re limited to the ship, we could see if Commander Jovenan would allow us the use of her TOV unit. That gives us a way to evaluate space combat decision-making without compromising the rest of the drill. ::beat:: Strictly with her permission, of course.
Silveira: Response
Alex made notes on her PADD, as Nat keyed in a few on her own.
Storm: You’ve given us both quite an assignment, Commander. But I think we’re both up to the task and make a good team.
Cole: We do. Alex and I approach things a little differently, which honestly makes me trust the end result more. If we’re building something for the crew, I’d rather it come from more than one way of thinking.
Nat gave Alex a smile, between Luxasi Station and Callis I they had formed a friendship that was tested under some rather interesting conditions.
Silveira/Storm: Response
Cole: I think with that in mind the risk assessment could tell us a lot, not just where people are vulnerable, but where Security and Tactical may be assuming readiness instead of building it.
Silveira/Storm: Response
Cole: If we’re doing this right, it should show us where our readiness actually is, not where we assume it is.
oO If I’m ever going to help lead, this is the kind of work that matters. Oo
Silveira/Storm: Response
Tags/TBC
----- ◌● -----Lt. JG Natasha Cole
Security Officer
USS Artemis-A
Writer ID A240205NC4