Lt JG Quentin Beck - Welcome to the Alpha Isles
Quentin Beck
((Sickbay Complex, Deck 10, USS Ronin))
Beck: Please - it's Quentin right now.
Syrex: Ok, Quentin…
He couldn't really blame her hesitation; it was uncommon for a superior officer to suggest their junior to speak with candor, usually it was the other way around asking for permission. Kel had always made him feel like he could speak freely at any point, though, and he wanted to instill that confidence in Alyndra, too. If she was going to be worth her salt as a medical officer, she'd have to learn to speak up when she had concerns.
Taking into account time and place, of course.
He was glad to see her shoulders relax, even just slightly, as she continued.
Syrex: I will be honest, I am quite nervous, we are going to be dead in the water, so to speak with the jettisoned escape pods, which would be scary enough… To make this situation even more terrifying, this is my first mission, my first proper mission. I feel there’s not only pressure on me as a medic, but on myself as a Trill to make a good first impression:: Straightens her back:: I need to show I am competent.
He nodded slowly as she spoke, moving to lean his hips back against the table and crossing his arms over his chest. The tip of his hook poked lightly at his bicep so he turned his wrist so it would settle more easily in the crook of his arm. She wasn't the first Ensign worried about making a good impression, nor would she be the last, but it was good to know she was worrying about the right things rather than just how to advance as quickly as possible. He'd met a few officers too ambitious for their own good.
Quentin was suddenly reminded of a book his mother used to read to him when he was little.
Beck: ::almost under his breath:: Oh, the places you'll go…
Syrex: Doct-… ::small chuckle:: Quentin, did you say something?
He smiled a little and cleared his throat.
Beck: Heh - sorry. I'll uh… have to start working on the muttering thing. It's a quote from a book on Earth. It's a children's book, but I think it has some of the best life advice I've ever come across.
Syrex: Oh, the places, you’ll go. Was that the quote?
Quentin nodded, raising his good hand to rub at an itchy spot above his left eye.
Beck: There's a section where it talks about how you'll find yourself alone, more often than not, and when you're alone you'll meet things that scare your pants off, so scary you won't want to go on. But you will go on, because you should and you must, and you'll find ways to overcome whatever it is that's scaring you. ::raising a finger:: I do want to point out, though - you're not alone here. I'm right here with you.
Syrex: Thank you, Quentin. I appreciate that. I’ll admit I’ve not read much Earth literature before, aside from a few recommendations I had at the academy. May I ask the author of that quote?
Part of him wondered if he should be embarrassed to be referencing Suess at a time like this, but that was a very small, very quiet part that he only rarely listened to; it was a tiny little nibblet of self-doubt he couldn't ever really be rid of, though he'd managed to corral it into a small corner of his mind at the very least, so it only occasionally popped up trying to ruin his day.
Beck: Dr Suess. He was arguably the most famous of children's authors in the mid to late 20th century and on. Lots of families are still reading his books today.
Syrex: Dr Suess… I have heard that name in passing. I admit I did read some books that I thought were for children in my time at the hospital on Earth. I tried to find some on my own, unfortunately, Animal Farm isn’t quite as child friendly as the title may seem. Although it had some great quotes, “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which” is one of my favourites.
It had been quite some time since he'd heard anyone talk about Animal Farm; it was still on a list of required reading for those in middle and high school as it was still considered a classic, but the impact of it had grown to be much less than the period it initially released. But then, Orwell was a product of his time and was still considered to be a genius when it came to allegory and satire.
Beck: Yeah, there are plenty of examples of books with misleading titles… there's a reason we came up with the phrase 'you can't judge a book by it's cover', though that's often as not about not judging people by how they appear rather than meant to be taken literally… ::pausing:: so why that particular quote?
Syrex: I mention it as in a way, its how I see this situation. I mean… ::Puts her instruments down slowly and turns to Quentin:: Appearing dead in the water to then strike… Granted I know little about this region, but it seems wrong, it’s putting low-hanging fruit close to starving mouths. Out there they may yearn for combat, but that doesn’t need to be the way.
The fact of the matter was there wasn't a whole lot of information to be had about the Alpha Isles for her to have better knowledge. Everything they had discovered had been on the fly, which made planning a lot more difficult, so they'd been forced to think on their feet. Quentin thrived in that kind of situation, but he knew it wouldn't be easy for everyone. While he thought he understood what she was trying to say, he encouraged her to continue.
Beck: Speak freely, Grasshopper, that's what this discussion is about.
Syrex: The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. Will there come a point where we cannot distinguish ourselves from pig or man? We're healers and explorers, but now as a ship, we're seeking combat. It may be our last resort, but we shouldn't descend to the level of our enemies. What if they approached us diplomatically? Would we listen, or unleash a prepared surprise attack? Do we desire this at the expense of a potential peace?
Quentin didn't interrupt. He could tell it was important for her to express herself once she got started, and anyway it would help him to better frame his response if he understood her mindset. By the time she was through, he was nodding his slow agreement, though he was also stroking his fingers against his chin thoughtfully.
Syrex: I am sorry for that, it was unprofessional and it will not happen again. I don’t want to come across that way, I’d rather you think of me as the bubbly ensign who brings you coffee, rather than, well… You know… I am aware that my opinion may be uninformed, I am new to the region and low enough in rank to not receive key pieces of information. I do know that the captain has the best interests of the crew and the wider federation at heart.
Beck: You don't need to apologize. I asked you to speak freely because I wanted to hear what you were thinking, so thank you for sharing. One thing I can confirm - Niac has our best interests in mind here.
He shifted his weight forward enough so he could slide down the length of the table until he was closer to her, his chest swelling as he drew in a breath and considered his next words.
Beck: What's going on out here is not so cut and dry. In multiple instances, we've tried extending an olive branch to the Lattice Alliance so we could have a discussion rather than a firefight, but they don't care to listen. Neither does the Tholian Assembly at large, nor the Sheliak Corporation. We have tried.
He tapped the end of the hook against his shoulder.
Beck: You also have to remember, we're not in Federation space. We're just on the outskirts, just outside, so our authority only extends so far. This is wild space, for lack of a better term, which means the rules of war are a lot different out here. No one up there –
He raised his hand, finger extended, to point upward in the general direction of the bridge.
Beck: –is bloodthirsty or actively seeking to start a fight, but all indications right now point to the Alliance launching an attack instead. This is our way of preparing and maybe drawing them out before they can do it properly. I don't particularly like it either, in part because I'm not the biggest fan of serving as the bait, but I've served with Niac, Raga, and Alieth long enough to understand they have a pretty good idea what they're doing. The crews of the Khitomer and Excalibur are also highly regarded.
Syrex: Response
Quentin laid a calming hand on her shoulder.
Beck: Don't stop questioning things. Don't be afraid to try to study things a little more closely. That's the sort of spunky attitude that I think is sometimes lacking in some officers. This is how you show you're competent - by showing you know how to think and not just blindly follow orders.
Syrex: Response
His hand dropped away and he stood again.
Beck: Here - let's get a crewman to take this over, I know there are a few that can handle it. I'd like you to join me in Sickbay and help me start putting together the teams to start dispensing the inoculations.
Syrex: Response
Tag/TBC
Lieutenant JG Quentin Beck
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS Ronin NCC-34523
A238810SA0