Lt. Commander Tahna Meru - Conversational Inefficiencies
Tahna Meru
((Aithela Cove, Deluvia IV))
Meru paused for a moment, debating whether to ask the next question that crossed her mind. Perhaps V’Lar would consider it unprofessional, but since they’d talked about Meru’s family, it seemed only fair to ask after hers as well. Still, she had the impression that Vulcan families were a bit different from Bajoran ones as far as social roles were concerned. She tabled the question for now.
Tahna: Is your interest purely academic, or are you artistically inclined yourself?
The unmentioned third option, that her interest was out of newfound social obligation, seemed most likely, but it would be impolite to imply as much. She was curious whether the doctor had hobbies outside of her scientific pursuits.
V’Lar: My inquiry was sociological. I strive for objective precision, whereas art typically celebrates subjective interpretation. I do not believe the two to be appropriately compatible.
Tahna: That assessment itself is very subjective.
Meru was not an artist herself, but she knew enough to know that some styles did value “objective precision”. Even where they did not, how individuals chose to interpret the world around them in art could tell you lots about culture and individual mindsets, and were those things not worth learning about as well? It was good to understand what was technically true, but there was also value to understanding phenomena in the context of how imperfect people fit into the equation.
V'Lar: Perhaps not incompatible, but certainly distinct. I see a chemical reaction. There is a... mathematical elegance to the display that is not unpleasant to observe.
“Not unpleasant”... well, alright, at least she knew the doctor wasn’t having a terrible time.
Tahna: I appreciate the natural world, and art, for their beauty. But artistic interpretation isn’t without scientific value. How and why people chose to immortalize things in art can provide significant insights into the culture they are part of and themselves as individuals. I think it’s worth studying.
V'Lar: An interesting perspective.
Meru watched another wave roll in, bringing with it another brilliant prismatic show. She heard one of the Selkie harps begin playing again, faintly as if the harpist was afraid to play too loudly and ruin the moment. But the music was a beautiful complement to the view.
V'Lar: You possess a background in science, yet you place significant value on this subjectivity. Do you find that maintaining this... duality... enhances your operational efficiency as a First Officer?
Meru frowned. She didn’t tend to think of operational efficiency as her highest calling as first officer, even if it did have its benefits. Efficiency was important, of course, and did need to be the key priority in some scenarios, like when they were trying to survive the Borg and had nothing but their own ship to rely on for an unknown length of time. But adherence to efficiency over all else in all scenarios, in her experience, led to overall poorer outcomes. More emotional species simply couldn’t operate like robots, or Vulcans.
Still, she wasn’t sure she wanted to argue semantics today. It seemed…inefficient.
Tahna: Part of my job is to ensure the crew is operating at their best. And since our crew are not made up solely of Vulcans, and therefore are not so rigorously logical…::She shot a smile at the doctor.:: Yes, I think being able to understand multiple perspectives is a valuable skill.
V’Lar: Response
Tahna: Have you ever considered it? Command? I know it’s a bit different for doctors, but you wouldn’t be the first medical officer or Vulcan to make Captain, if that’s something that interests you.
V’Lar: Response