Ensign Morton: The Sound of Clarity
James
((Soul Bell Therapy Chambers, Cryethrae))
The Soul Bells sang with a tone just at the edge of hearing, setting quiet tremors dancing over the mirrored water. Light filtered down from bioluminescent vinework overhead, turning the water’s surface into a shifting mosaic of violet and green. Vala sat cross-legged near one such pool, her Canar crystal held lightly in both hands. The Canar rested warm in her palms, its surface quietly attuned to her touch. It showed no outward sign of change. As her focus steadied, she felt a subtle shift within, as if the shape of her emotions had clarified in the crystal’s presence, drawn gently into balance by its silent companionship.
She wasn’t here to bond, just to center. The Thal'ethan ritual (meaning soul reflection) was one she’d been taught as a child on Lolagi IV, a solitary use of the Canar meant for reflection and grounding. In the wake of a stressful mission and a slow-blooming sense of isolation aboard a ship full of strangers, it felt overdue. She closed her eyes, letting the stone gently draw her focus inward, toward memory and emotion, untangling the knotted ache of homesickness from the dull thrum of self-doubt.
A shift in the pool’s surface made her glance up. Someone else had entered the chamber quietly, reflected across from her in the mirrored water. Not close. Just near enough that their outline shimmered in the same surface she studied. Their features were indistinct, caught between light and motion, but something in the posture, the attentive stillness, held her gaze. For a breath, the Canar felt hot to touch and it seemed to shimmer and sparkle faintly just for a moment. A trick of the light, maybe. Or a brush of resonance.
Then the moment passed. The reflection moved, dissolving in the soft ripple of a departing footstep or a breath held too long. Vala looked away, pulse calm but unsettled, the Canar now dim and quiet in her hands. She couldn’t say why, but a part of her already knew: whoever that was, they’d be important.
((CSO’s Office, USS Octavia E. Butler))
As Vala stepped into the Chief Science Officer's office alongside a tall Trill Ensign, she felt something she hadn't experienced since they got sucked into that wormhole: genuine joy. The soul bell meditation had worked its quiet magic, untangling the knots of homesickness and self-doubt that had been weighing her down. Meeting your boss for the first time was typically nerve-wracking, and until this morning, the very thought had made her stomach clench with anxiety. Where she would have felt intimidated and small just hours ago, tongue-tied in the presence of senior officers, Vala now felt bright and energetic, more like her true self than she had since stepping aboard this ship.
As the door slipped open, she held out her arm to allow Skye to enter first then followed in behind her. The CSO nodded to each of them and motioned to the two chairs in front of her desk. Vala sat on the left-hand side.
Morton: Ensign Morton, reporting for duty.
Shepherd: Response
The CSO’s eyes flitted between the two Ensigns. Vala was filled with anticipation and didn’t realise she was holding her breath as Peri turned off her PADD, set it down and addressed them.
Katsim: I am Commander Katsim Peri, Chief Science Officer. Welcome to the Butler.
Vala was mildly surprised at how softly he spoke. She was completely clear but she had become accustomed to the loud and outspoken instructors at the Academy. She supposed they had to be loud and outspoken. Knowing what many of her peers were like, keeping cadets in line was oftentimes like herding pods of wilful dolphins.
Katsim: Expectations in detail will be sent to your inboxes. Generally, you will receive assignments and are expected to turn in progress reports and updates, but there is no need to do so in person. You can simply send them to me. If there are experiments or there is research you would like to do, submit a proposal through the same means. Meetings are done on an as-needed basis. You are encouraged to participate in social activities, but it is at your discretion. Do you have any questions?
Morton: oO So many! Oo
At the forefront of her mind though was getting off on the right foot with the boss. She would never forget the first time she was glared at, every day for a week, for calling one of her female instructors ‘Sir’. Technically, it was acceptable. Nevertheless, there were a few people who took offense to the term. Getting ‘Sir’ vs ‘Ma’am’ vs goodness-knows what else was as important as using the correct pronouns so it seemed prudent to check. Vala had taken a peek at the CSO’s personnel file three times and hadn’t seen it noted.
Morton: Yes. Do you have a preferred form of address?
Shepherd/Katsim: Response
Morton: I’ll keep that in mind. My preferred pronouns are she/her.
Now, the thing that was most on her mind. With her specialisation being in Xenobiology and related fields, she hoped that a significant portion of her work would involve botany, zoology, ecology and the like. Of course, Vala recognised she would often need to work outside her preferred area - as this last mission showed. While she accepted that, she hoped she would be seeing a lot of the arboretum and biolabs. So, with that in mind, she wanted to know more about how those sections operate. After all, she could hardly go barging in there and start replacing plants willy-nilly. At the same time, if she had to seek permission for every little thing, then it would be hard to get any work done either. As a Xenobiologist, she hoped and expected to have some level of access to maintain the facility and use it appropriately for research. Secretly, she was hoping that she might be given a small patch to oversee. It certainly seemed to her like the simplest solution to ensure the ship’s botanical specialists could work in peace without fighting each other for territory and resources.
Morton: Could you tell me more about how you prefer to operate the arboretum and biolabs?
Shepherd/Katsim: Response
Vala really only had one other pressing question in that moment and it stemmed from the imposter syndrome she’d felt while working with the wormhole. Many people might have assumed that having just spent several years studying at the Academy she would be glad to be done with structured learning, but that wasn’t so. She had no desire to pursue it full-time mind you. Part of Vala recognised that no amount of ‘collecting knowledge’ would ever fully prepare her for everything, and nor would it eliminate that nagging voice that said ‘not good enough’. However, a far bigger part of Vala simply loved to learn. A scientist that wasn’t curious and didn’t love to learn was what exactly? Of course, most of her learning going forth would come from on-the-job experiences, but she saw no reason why she couldn’t also enjoy some structured learning. Shore up those weaknesses and delve ever deeper into her obsessions. Most workplaces on Lolagi offered ‘10% time’, where 10% of working hours were reserved for continued learning and development. Now that wasn’t always going to be practical here (if it was even offered!) but any time the boss was willing to give her - circumstances allowing, of course - would be welcome indeed.
Morton: That’s good to know. Just one more question from me. What options are there for continued learning?
Shepherd/Katsim: Response
Ensign Vala Morton
USS Octavia E Butler NCC-82850
O240205VM3