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[Backsim] JP- Lt. Alieth and Commander Saveron: A Mentor of my own Species


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I honestly loved how this flowed. It's like you can feel the emotion without any emotion. Great job @Saveron and @Alieth!

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(OOC: Timeline wise this would have taken place before the Constitution left Starbase 104 for the Shahar Nebula.)

((Saveron’s Quarters, USS Constitution / CMO’s Office, Main Sickbay, deck 10, USS Thor))

 

Saveron wasn’t expecting a call when his console chimed. He glanced at the originator for a moment, the USS Thor, before he pushed the accept button. The only crewmembers on the Thor with whom he was acquainted, that he was aware of, where Fleet Captain Kells and Doctor del Vedova. 

 

The Federation logo disappeared, replaced by the face of a Vulcan who was unknown to him. Automatically, he raised a long-fingered hand in the ta’al gesture.

 

Saveron: Sochya heh dif. Whom am I addressing?

 

Alieth: Dif-tor heh smusma :: The petite Vulcan replied, as she raised her hand in a perfect imitation of her countryman:: I am Doctor Alieth, Chief Medical Officer of the USS Thor. I hereby contact you, Osu Saveron, in order to consult you on a couple of issues. One is medical in nature regarding one of my patients. The other is of... personal matter.

 

The woman shifted slightly in her seat, straightening her posture, and folded her hands over the desk, as a restraining mechanism.

 

There was the faintest rise of one eyebrow as Saveron registered the Vulcan formality, and the nature of the request. Reading the unspoken in Alieth’s words, this was Vulcan business, not Starfleet. He suppressed curiosity. 

 

Saveron: I have no objection to consulting with another Vulcan. ::Quite the opposite.:: How may I assist?

 

The multi-species environment of Starfleet could be a minefield for those of their kind. 

 

Alieth: The patient is a 28-year-old Vulcan male. He has a congenital malformation in his brain that makes him telepathically null, as well as a couple of associated problems.

 

Telepathically null. Not only unable to establish a telepathic connection, but unable to receive one. Unusual in their species and not without implications. 

 

Saveron: Interesting. What investigations have been performed on the individual?

 

The young doctor tapped briefly before she continued speaking. The familiar sound of a sent file rang out on Thor's sickbay, to echoed back a galaxy away, with the familiar ring of a received file.

 

Alieth: These are the tests and scans that we have carried out so far, but the patient's history has been either manipulated or the information obscured, so I cannot provide the evolution of the patient in the past, only over the last few months.

 

The Constitution’s First Officer ran a practiced eye over the results. It had been some years since he’d been a practicing medical officer, but this was his home ground as it were, and his psychology experience was very recent. Still, the comment that the patient’s history had been manipulated was extremely suspicious. 

 

Saveron: If we do not have the patient’s history, then we must work with what we do have. ::He acknowledged.:: The condition is unusual, but not entirely unheard of. However, in other cases of which I am aware such is the cause of a traumatic injury. 

 

And Alieth had already said that the malformation was congenital. 

 

Alieth: Indeed, we have seen some parallels with cases of trauma or telepathic assaults, but so far this has defied any other case of which I have record.

 

This meant, essentially, that they dealt with a fascinating mystery.

 

Saveron: You mentioned associated problems? ::He recalled.:: This manifests in other ways than telepathically?

 

Alieth: Indeed. The patient has medium-term memory retention deficiencies. The patient has developed methods to overcome this deficit, but I am concerned that the difficulties with his memory will worsen over time and lead him to make a mistake that could endanger the crew, as his position is critical within the ship.

 

Saveron: Presumably he was able to pass all mental acuity testing during his time at Starfleet Academy. Have you observed any degradation in his memory retention since his posting to the Thor?

 

Alieth: I have been monitoring it since stardate 239711.27 and there have been no significant changes since then.

 

Saveron: Then one would suggest, in the interest of doing no harm, that no action be taken with the patient at this time, beyond monitoring their situation. ::He said mildly.::  

 

Alieth tilted her head fractionally, as she pondered over the ramifications of what had been suggested to do. Upon a brief moment of silence, she resumed her perfectly poised stance and performed a small bow.

 

Alieth: I will proceed along those guidelines.

 

Saveron: It would not, however, be inappropriate to undertake further research, and to consider the future implications of the patient’s condition. I assume from his age that he is sub-adult.

 

Meaning that he had not reached sexual maturity. That tended to occur from the late twenties to late thirties in full blood Vulcans, with there being far more variation in hybrids. 

 

Alieth: ::with a slow nod:: He is, indeed, an immature sub-adult.

 

Saveron: Then you may wish to consider the potential implications of this individual reaching maturity.

 

Telepathy played an important part in Vulcan relationships. What many non-Vulcans didn’t realise was that Pon Farr was not satisfied by physical interaction alone. That was why holograms were useless in alleviating the drive. What happened to a non-telepathic Vulcan, when that drive hit?

 

Often it depended on the individual and the reason for their lack of telepathy. 

 

It was something that most Vulcans were loath to talk about, but Saveron was old enough and ugly enough to have lost any illogical embarrassment about the subject. He’d dealt with it often enough. 

 

Alieth held her tongue in silence for for a moment before she replied. 

 

Alieth: ::deadpan::  So far, the most likely outcomes are that the patient will die or kill someone. 

 

Both were physicians, and Vulcans, so there was little reason to beat around the bush. Sirok, with his condition, was not capable of establishing a telepathic connection with a partner, Vulcan or otherwise, so if no contingency measures were prepared for when that time came, there were only these two options possible. Biology left little options for their kind.

 

Alieth: Both of these scenarios are undesirable in a deep space mission.

 

Understatement. And a difficult situation.

 

Saveron: Indeed. ::He said gravely.:: It may be possible to resolve the situation by utilising a violent holodeck scenario with the safeties disengaged. ::Threat to the individual’s life would take priority, resolving the Pon Farr urge.:: Otherwise it would be advisable for the individual to establish an advanced care directive; to be acted upon before he endangers others. 

 

Which was not a simple or agreeable prospect. 

 

Alieth: I will take it into account, grateful for your insight, Osu.

 

The older Vulcan nodded gravely.

 

Saveron: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. 

 

The young Vulcan woman leaned against the edge of the desk and amended her posture.

 

Alieth: As for the other matter…

 

She failed to carry on with the statement, so, she stretched out her slender fingers in front of her and eventually clasped them together to avoid fidgeting with something on the desk, a behaviour that would surely have been frowned upon by any fellow Vulcan.

 

He noticed the movements, generally indicative of nervousness or discomfort. He wouldn’t say so of course, accusing another Vulcan of an emotional display was the height of rudeness, but it didn’t go unobserved. He waited patiently.

 

Alieth: Osu, You have been a senior officer in Starfleet for a while and, as I could easily read in your profile, successfully. Nevertheless, I fail to understand how effective leadership can be achieved when most of the hierarchy is subdued by irrational emotions.

 

That was an interesting way of putting it. What did that say about Alieth’s view of aliens? And what effect might that have had on her interactions with them? There were reasons that their kind were the only ones who had single-species ships in Starfleet. Vulcans could be the epitome of Does Not Play Well With Others. But they could also be very effective crewmembers; it was agreeable to the older Vulcan that Alieth had recognised the issue, and asked him for counsel. 

 

He decided to try to get a fuller picture. 

 

Saveron: Have you experienced cooperative challenges with individuals of other species? 

 

Alieth: I think curt and snotty were the most repeated adjectives so far. None of which suggest anything significantly positive.

 

That would be a ‘yes’. And it was easy, oh so easy, to see the bizarre and sometimes completely irrational behaviour of other species and dismiss them as entirely unprofessional and not worth one’s time. It was also extremely common amongst Vulcans. But unless one wanted to get relegated to a Vulcans-only crew, a shift in viewpoint needed to be found. 

 

Saveron had been extremely fortunate in that he was a natural xenophile, fascinated by difference and by aliens in particular. Had he been otherwise his career might have been very different. 

 

Could he help Alieth to see them a little differently?

 

Saveron: You are a medical officer. One assumes that you do treat non-Vulcan crew. 

 

The petite Vulcan nodded curtly, the previous discomfort aptly quelled by a return to a subject she found familiar.

 

Alieth: Most of my patients are, indeed, non-vulcanoids.

 

Saveron: So you do hold a preference for their wellbeing.

 

Alieth: It is my duty to look after their physical well-being, as well as to encourage them to make decisions that favour preventive health care and awareness. :: The young woman's nose wrinkled up slightly before she was able to suppress that faint expression of frustration:: A commitment that often collides squarely with their unreasonable habits.

 

Saveron: I cannot argue with your observation. ::He observed dryly. He’d said as much himself before.:: It is also your duty to act in a manner which best facilitates crew functionality. 

 

She tilted her head, with a mixture of curiosity and restrained exasperation.

 

Alieth:  It is, of course, included in the responsibilities of the position.

 

Saveron: Then you will acknowledge that having an adversarial relationship with your crewmates is contrary to your duty to the crew. In order to function at optimum efficiency, the crew must operate cohesively. 

 

Which was all well and good but even Saveron could admit that sometimes non-Vulcans left him scratching his head. 

 

Alieth: Adversarial is arguably not the most suitable term, although a few remarks about the most efficient way of accomplishing the work could be misinterpreted as such from a purely non-rational perspective.

 

Of course Alieth was not excusing herself or on the defensive. Although, maybe, she crossed her arms across her chest in a way that could be interpreted that way.

 

The erstwhile counsellor considered his words carefully. 

 

Saveron: My choice of adjective was perhaps not ideal. ::He acknowledged.:: Yet being less than logical at times is the nature of other species, even as logic is ours. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. ::He pointed out, being devoted to the IDIC principle himself.:: There is an ideal which perhaps may serve you; One should have the serenity to accept the things one cannot change, the courage to change the things one cannot accept, and the wisdom to know the difference. 
 
Or to hide the bodies of the people one had to kill today because they [...]ed one off. But that was the apocryphal version.

 

Alieth: Wise words, which deserve to be meditated upon and cherished.  Nevertheless, I do not recall reading them in Surak's teachings... is it in the work of his disciples?

 

Saveron: Not Surak in fact, nor his disciples. It is a Human expression of aspiration. They can be logical, on occasion. 

 

The young woman blinked repeatedly, an obvious indication of her shock. By the time she was able to regain control over herself, she leaned forward a bit in a small bow. Once her dark eyes fell in the other Vulcan once more, there was a small glint in them.

 

Alieth:  You have provided me with a considerable food for thought, osu, and this conversation has been more enlightening than I had anticipated.

 

Saveron: That is agreeable. It is my preference that I assist you in appreciating the… interesting side of working with other species. 

 

Once one got past the sometimes puzzling behaviour, aliens really were intriguing. His friends had given him fascinating insights and broadened his viewpoint over the years. With a little consideration, Alieth might be able to experience the same. 

 

Alieth:  I would like you to consider making these conversations a regular occurrence, as I might benefit from your mentorship.::She tilted her head slightly::  If you consider me worthy of it, or I can compensate you for your help somehow

 

The request was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

 

Saveron: I would have no objection. This has been an interesting conversation, and I appreciate the opportunity to act as a mentor, if you would view such as beneficial. No compensation is required; it is a privilege to assist. 

 

She offered a deferential bow in front of the screen.

 

Alieth: So it is settled. There is no need to occupy any more of your time now, but I will contact you in a further two weeks' time.

 

Saveron: Then I shall anticipate our next conversation. Live long and Prosper, Doctor Alieth. 

 

Alieth: Peace and long life, Savensu

 

Without further ado, both screens flickered off, closing the link that had connected two starships millions of kilometres apart.

 

And two beings billions of kilometres away from their shared homeworld.


 

[[END]]

 

OOC:

 

Sochya heh dif→ live long and prosper

Osu → sir

Savensu → teacher, professor, one who teaches


Commander Saveron

First Officer

USS Constitution-B

R238802S10

&

=================================

Lt. Alieth

Chief Medical Officer

USS Thor NCC-82607

E239702A10  

Image Collective Facilitator /Art Director

=================================

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