round 1 JP Ensign Jansen Orrey & Sgt. Brooks Gwinnett - Shields and Apenda

[Sedrin Belasi]

((Counselors office))

::Gwinnett had an appointment with the new counselor. She was hoping that she might ‘bluff’ her way out of this after a few sessions. The run in with the Zalkonians had put on hold then her meetings with the Captain. She wasn’t particularly thrilled that she had been scheduled with a new meeting with another counselor or any counselor. She buzzed the office and entered. She was dressed in her normal fatigue uniform and boots. She had left her equipment in the marine lockers.::

Gwinnett:Sergeant Brooks Gwinnett, reporting as ordered, Ensign.::Standing at a sheepish attention, as this was the ‘last’ place she wanted to be. She had seen the inside of the brig from time to time, but that was usually after one of her all night benders, and that would've been better...::

::Jansen had stood as the door chimed and couldn't possibly understand why so many people stood at attention around him in this office. He was a counselor for Pete's sake...::

Orrey: At ease. Please take your pick of seating. ::He had shifted the room slightly to provide more options with a large section of one corner covered by comfortable pillows, a pair of chairs sitting beside a table elsewhere in the room and a large comfortable couch in another spot.::

::She put her arms behind her, and then walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. She then put her hands in her lap. She had been flying the straight and narrow of late, and she was itching to let her hair down, but she knew that every move she was making would be under close scrutiny.::

::Jansen moved to the seating she chose and settled in some.::

Gwinnett: I hope we aren’t going to look at any ink blots.::With a trace of sarcasm.::

Orrey: ::snapping his fingers he shakes his head with a quiet smile:: No not since you ruined the surprise.

::Gwinnett groaned. First she had to look at those pictures of Andorians and now she was going to look at ink stains.::

Gwinnett: If we must, but if anything is evil looking, I might stab at it.::Half seriously.::

Orrey: I'm Jansen Orrey by the way. ::he extended his hand slightly.:: and what brings you here?

::Gwinnett took his hand and gave it a firm handshake. She had learned the custom from earthers, and it seemed like an okay greeting. Someone once had told her it was to show that you didn’t have a weapon in one’s hand. But she had heard a lot of strange things.::

Gwinnett: I am told that I have a problem with Andorians, which I have never liked. Frankly you could ship the lot of them out, and yes I know what I did wrong. And I am sorry for that.::Her tone had changed to a bit more serious, that last part of the statement seems almost like an afterthought.::

:: Jansen immediately thought of his dinner the previous night of Andorian red bat and nodded slightly as he recalled his recent stint of time on the Andorian home world trying to fix his own problems.::

Orrey: Why is it that you've never liked Andorians?

Gwinnett: Something about the way they look, it gives me the shivers.::Trying to mentally blot the image out her mind. She had tried and for the most part blocked the real reason, but she also suspected it went back to her time as young girl and crazy which had captured her, but she wasn’t ready to admit it to herself. She had never knew what had happened in the cave after she blacked out mentally and physically. Anyways, she was embarrassed by the incident, and always avoided her younger years as any topic of discussion.::

Orrey: Interesting.

::Jansen settled for a brief moment considering the next way to proceed.::

Orrey: And Just Andorians do it?

Gwinnett: Just andorians? Of course crazies, but they are mutants, you only find them on the homeworld, Byzatium. Nasty place. Frakin... Omunics.. creating those nasty mutations. ::Her voice dripping with disgust.::

Orrey: Okay why is that?

Gwinnett: I don’t know. ::Uncaring, like she was some counselor looking into her own soul.::

::Jansen nods some an idle thought of what they were really doing to the marines around here crossing his mind.::

Orrey: I'd like to help you with this. But part of it is you wanting to get better you know.

Gwinnett: Alright. her is the very short version. Life on Byzatium is hard, that is why the smart ones leave. Do you think I should of stayed?::Defensively::

Orrey: No I'm not saying that. But if you can become more comfortable with Andorians it will open up worlds of new things for you.

Gwinnett: I guess. ::She could never see herself working with one, except under the most extreme circumstances. She would have to control herself to dispatch with one of the those hideous antenne.::

Orrey: Well what happens if you are forced to work with one?

Gwinnett: I guess under duress.::Turning away and not wanting think about it.::

Orrey: Or if you are advanced in your career and put in charge of them.

::She laughed. She had never been put in charge of anything, and she would be frankly worried if she would be placed in charge of Andorians.::

Gwinnett: You gotta be kiddin, I am lucky that I have sergeant's stripes. Me in charge of a detachment? That is a laugh. ::She paused for a moment.:: Look, I will be amazed if I make to fifty, which is old age for a any dorfman. We live life to the fullest each day, as most of us don’t expect to see the next.

::Jansen shifted slightly he had easily found the nerve he was looking for. Now what if we poke it slightly.::

Orrey: So you would find yourself adversed to working with Chen?

::Gwinnett wasn’t sure of the newbie counselor had heard, that she didn’t like Andorians.::

Gwinnett: He wouldn’t be my first choice, Probably the last choice, even missy deBarres would be better. She does have any rotating appendages out of her head, last I checked. ::Gwinnett was now firing from the hip, and really didn’t care. But she had just given away a clue, even if she didn’t know it.::

Orrey: Tell me more about life on your home world.

Gwinnett: The less say about it the better. Father was a doctor. Killed. Never remembered my mother. My brother is still a para regular in a milita. Stupid. I expect him to be dead one of these days. I was lucky, I wised up, and got frakin out of the pile.

::Jansen was purposefully skewing his questions to multiple fronts in hopes of finding another opening in further beyond the shield that all the marines seem to have up.::

Orrey: Interesting. oO rotating appendages huh? Oo So how do you feel about Vulcans?

Gwinnett: What about them? Other than that cool logic, and acting superior to everyone. I don’t have a problem with them. ::Shugging her shoulders.::

Orrey: I thought you might have a more favorable opinion of them considering the former hostilities between Vulcans and Andorians.

Gwinnett: Not really, just don’t like Andorians.

Orrey: Do you like mountain climbing?

::Brooks thought it an odd question, but it was easy and run of the mill type.::

Gwinnett: Never tried it for recreation. Not that I haven’t scaled some hills, not a good combat environment particularly if you are going up. Anyways, I tend to find ‘liquid refreshment’ for my recreation. Among other things.

Orrey: Ever done combat training in the snow? Or desert?

Gwinnett: The corp does almost every type of environment. Of course, being a medic I usually have one of the heavier packs.::Showing just a bit of pride.::

Orrey: What about Zero G?

Gwinnett: Yea, I always get nausea. At least I don’t barf in the helmet.

Orrey: ::with a small chuckle given:: Always a plus in one of those suits...::Jansen snapped the focus back to her problem.::...so what is it about the Andorians antennae that bother you?

::Gwinnett wasn't paying much attention and before she could clam up it came out.::

Gwinnett: Darn antenna. Would be so bad if they were stationary.::There was resentment in her voice, but also a bit of nervousness.::

:: Gwinnett decided that she wasn’t going to go there, into that deepest of corner of her mind. It was just too painful. She fidgeted a bit in her chair. Then settling back in the seat..::

Gwinnett: Well, I just don’t like Andorians. We just need to figure out how I can work with them, right? :: Trying to move the goal to something that she might be able be more palpable.::

Orrey: Absolutely. That is our primary goal. My over arching goal would be to make it where you can judge them as individuals rather than on a racial level.

Gwinnett: Good. ::Still a bit off of her game plan. She decided that this counselor wasn’t as green as he looked.::

Orrey: If you'd like I have a thought we could try on one of the holodecks on station. It would give us more time and an easier way to unwind after words without time restrictions like we have here on ship

Gwinnett: Alright. What do you have in mind? ::Hoping it wasn’t life sized ink blots.::

Orrey: ::Jansen templed his fingers in front of his face for a moment. After a second he nodded sitting up.:: I have a few thoughts, can you meet me on station tomorrow afternoon and we can go from there?

Gwinnett: I guess. ::Gwinnett knew that powers that be, would be keeping an eye on her compliance with counseling, and during shore leave she didn’t have any excuses. ::

Orrey: Alright thank you. ::Jansen did have some wonderful ideas, but he had to speak to someone else first....::

((Outside Holodeck 9 - Deep Space Six))

::Jansen stood outside of Holodeck number 9 and waited patiently the day before brought about many meetings and changes. The most pressing on his mind was the one he was continuing right now. He had spent quite a bit of time researching and preparing the program he was about to run and hopefully gain a bit more ground with Brooks. Her problems were deep and home related but he chose to start with something distinctly human. A new day and a new approach as they say.::

::Gwinnett was surprised that the counselor wanted to meet off the ship that she didn’t mind too much. She really didn’t want to be seen with him anyways and this was going to work out. It was just probably giant ink spots that she had to tell him about, so she really didn’t care. She arrived on time to make sure she got out of their on time. She saw the counselor. ::

Gwinnett: Morning Sir.

Orrey: Good Morning, Sergeant.

Gwinnett: Are we ready to get this get over with? ::Looking at the door, and then back at the counselor.::

::Jansen nodded some and opened the door and they stepped into a jungle scene.::

Orrey: Earth has a very diverse history did you know that?

Gwinnett:: I read that somewhere. Glad they got their act together.::Looking around at the wild environment.

Orrey: Oh yes. A long history with much to offer the concentrated learner. My mother was from earth before she became a teacher on Starbases.

Gwinnett: Interesting.:oOI guess.Oo

::Jansen led them to a small campsite with some logs around a fire as well as a few knives and things scattered around what would be on any planet a hunting camp.::

Orrey: I learned many things from her.

::Brooks decided that the counselor was trying to make a point. Gwinnett decided that she would find out where he was leading them to if anywhere.

Gwinnett:: Never knew my mother. My father said she left about the age of 2. He never wanted to talk about her, but family relations on the homeworld were usually those you had around you. Transient in a lot of cases, you never got too close to people.::Which was true for the most part. She had been lucky to know her father and brother for a good part of her life. She had stuck around for a few years after the death of her father, but finally decided to leave, and never look back.::

Orrey: ::Jansen nodded as the rolling mass of a large anaconda slide down the tree behind the marine and started for her. The test was getting interesting.the snake wasn't going to hurt her just pass by at a few feet.:: I understand that about your home now yes.

Gwinnett: If this is a combat test, I don’t have a problem with that.:: Watching the snake slitter by her.::Gwinnett could conjure up any number of things as she watched the snake. Not liking them much.::

Orrey: ::He shook his head.:: Combat isn't going to help you learn how to suppress violence is it?

::Gwinnett had grown up in a violence society, if one called what her upbring a society. Shielded from it for the first few years of her life, she became almost numb to the constant death and violence, that surrounded her.::

Gwinnett: It is what I learned from an early age. I was lucky in a lot of respects, I got out of there. Best thing I have or will have ever done.::Watching the snake retreat.::

:: Jansen counted off tempo in his head. He had the program planned to a beat all his own.:: oO One two three....one two three. Oo

::The snake stopped and began to focus more on the local area flicking it's tongue before changing direction and crawling toward the councilors log first, crawling across his feet before looping around the fire and starting for the marine.::

Gwinnett: Nasty things.:: She moved slightly, then realized that it was only a holograhic image.::

Orrey: From what I've learned lately you were very lucky yes.

::Jansen watched her mind reassertion itself. It was only a hologram, but he wondered how long that would hold out against his programming. He had a line to approach and push, he had to be extremely careful not to go over it.::

::Gwinnett watched as the snake started back at her and she moved her leg back, wondering if this was a test. Either way she didn’t like it as the snake appeared that it wanted to climb up her leg.::

::The snake writhed and slithered to Gwinnett and regarded her leg for a moment before starting an attempt to slither across her feet as well, doubling back again before starting up her leg, or attempting to, as if she were a tree.

::A flash of panic spread on her face, and then she grabbed it just below the head and pulled it off and tossed the snake away. Her breathing had increased and a she could feel a cold sweat on the back of her neck.::

Gwinnett:: Don’t you bother little girls.::She had forgotten completely about counselor, and then she realized he was standing there.::

Orrey:: ::Jansen for his part did nothing but observed. After she tossed the snake he nodded slightly and, with his internal count clicking away the scene changed to a verdant green plain with them standing at the mouth of a cave.:: This time you may want to arm yourself. Ancient Greece was a dangerous place, especially with the safeties off. ::Truthfully the safeties were still intact but this would make part two interesting given what she had just revealed.::

Gwinnett:Computer, Give me Klingon Bat’leth, make it 5 percent smaller than standard size.::Gwinnett had handled them from time to time, and while she could handle the standard size, she preferred one just a bit smaller.::The computer instantly made one as it materiziled on the ground. She picked it up.::

::Jansen lifted a spear from its place beside the cave and handed it to her as he himself took up a short sword. When she chose a more modern weapon he shrugged softly and laid the spear back in place.::

Orrey: After you..

::Gwinnett didn’t like caves, the reminded her way too much of the experience on the homeworld with the crazy. She was starting to think that the counselor had done his homework. In fact, he had done it way too well. She steeled herself, she wasn’t going to have some freakin counselor get the best of her.::oO&^% counselor. Probably a tribble in there.Oo::She snorted.::oOThe great tribble hunt!Oo

Gwinnett: Alright. Anything you can dish out. I can handle.::Trying to be boastful.::

::She started in the cave, there wasn’t a lot of room, so she had to duck a bit. There seemed to be some light up ahead as the exterior lighting faded quickly. She was now moving slowly trying to feel around. The cave started to angle down a bit, and the ambient temperature seemed to cool a few degrees. She started to use the edge of the weapon to find the top of the ceiling, hoping there wasn’t anything to hit her in the top of the head. The light was growing stronger as the seemed to come into a large part of the cave. There was a torch burning, but it wasn’t regular. Some breeze in the cave forced the lighting brighten than dim, only to grow strong one again.::

::Jansen nose twitched his own medical condition flaring as his muscles tensed and his own mind fogged for a moment before he could clear it.::

Gwinnett: How far do you want me to go, I am guessing there is a reason for all stuff? ::She was trying to be strong, but internally she was a bit nervous.::

Orrey: oO Easy Jansen. Deal here. Stay now. Oo There is a reason for everything, yes.

is?

::She stopped in the center of the large room not too far from the torch that was sticking in the wall.::the large chamber they entered was covered in statuary. All manner of being Human, Vulcan, Andorian, even Tellerites and Klingons were frozen in positions of fear, faces twisted in a rictus of terror and silent screams. In some places there were shattered stones and bone piles. The far end of the room had an opening smaller then the one they came out of.::

::Gwinnett turned around to see the frightful statues of various humanoids. Cold sweat started to pour down her back as she saw the Andorian as the light flickered almost giving it a real life quality to it. The she saw something start to move in a darker shadow that was moving directly towards her. She raised her weapon in the ready position. She had a death grip on the weapon.::

::The first thing she saw was some tentacles that appeared out of the darkness. Or at least that is what she saw. Her mental state had be shifted back to her as a preteen. She attempted one wild swing, but the grip on her weapon failed as she was transformed into that scared child. The bat’leth fell to the floor clanging on the stone.::

::She turned to run, but except for the darkness she was totally disoriented.::

Gwinnett: Father. ::It was plea.::

::Jansen dropped his sword and wrapped Gwinnett in a light but protective hug standing silently and holding her safely against the darkness waiting to see if she had completely slipped or if she would say more.::

Gwinnett::Make it stop!, keep those things away from me.::She could feel the appendages started to probe her body, a least mentally.::

Orrey:::Jansen nodded some and kept her close.:: Computer end program. ::Jansen kept his arms around her and held on a moment more.:: Its alright. They’re gone.

::Gwinnett hovered for a moment, she had shut her eyes, it took her a moment to realize that warm arms were holding her and she looked up to see the counselor. She looked around to see the normal pattern of the holodeck. She now tried to shake off his embrace. Recovering quickly ::

::Jansen let go of her simply prepared for her defense.::

Gwinnett: I’m fine...frakin crazies.::Breaking free and backing away from the counselor.:: She paused for a moment , looking away. Then she turned back around to see him.

Gwinnett: So you know my dirty little secret. ::Shamefully and with a bit of spite.::

Orrey: It is a secret that is safe with me. I’d still like the chance to help you with it. ::Jansen smiled lightly as he continued.:: We all have secrets. Not everyone has free and willing help to deal with them so they aren’t secrets anymore.

Gwinnett: I guess you want to know the rest of it. :;Her tone was cold, but in a low tone of voice.::

Orrey: If you want to talk about it right now. Then yes. If you would rather come back to talk to me another time. I’ll gladly wait until you are ready. ::Jansen matched her coldness with his own warmth and understanding.::

Gwinnett::Computer, beach scene, some ocean ...rolling waves.

::The holodeck was transformed into a beach with a gentle rolling waves coming up from the surf. She moved out to the edge, watching the waves.::

Gwinnett: I was about 12 years old, I was mad at my father so I ran away, into no mans land. I must of tripped on something and passed out. Next thing I know it was dark and I was in a porrly lit cave. There was this thing....::Shuttering a bit.:: A crazy with this wild tentacles out of its head, reaching for me. I must of passed out. I remember something going over my body. ::She turned towards him.::That is all I remember. I must of passed out or blacked out, or I don’t know.::She let the sounds of the waves wash over her.::

::Jansen nodded some as he listened. He could only imagine from his talk with the Major about life for the young on the homeworld he and Brooks shared. He moved up beside her and spoke softly enough that the waves nearly drowned him out.::

Orrey: As a Marine I assume you’ve been called a lot of things, yes?

Gwinnett::Laughing dryly at herself. Gwinnett had been called every name in the book. Some of them justified, other not so much.::Yep. Some of them true. I am not a very nice person sometimes. I have been known to take and use. But I am a good soldier and a better medic. Who was it in earth history? Some dude, named Patton. Break glass only in time of war.

Orrey: ::Jansen smiled some.:: Im going to call you something then and even if I’m not wearing this collar its true. ::He turned to face her.:: A friend. I’ll help you with this as much as you want.

::Even if she had not been turned inside out, she was still shocked. Gwinnett had lot of buddies in the marines, but she didn’t have any real friends among the fleeters.::

Gwinnett: Ensign, I understand the gesture, but I have a tendency using people, sometimes I make a horrible friend. Just get some drinks in me, you probably will not like what you see. ::Gwinnett had a basic rule for her life, train hard, and party harder. It barely kept her in the uniform.::

Orrey:: ::With a Shrug he turned away from the water.:: I’ve said it and I’ll keep to it. It’s up to you.

Gwinnett.: You better.::She paused for a moment and then turned to Orrey.::You know I really don’t personally dislike Lieutenant Chen. ::Starting to realize for a instant that it was her upbring and her torturer that was causing some of these feelings.::

Orrey: I told you. We will work through it together and fix the feelings and problems you have so things will improve. It won’t be easy and it won’t be short but it will happen.

Gwinnett: I will try. Can’t promise anything. ::Getting some of her bravado back.::What should be the first thing? An apology? ::Shugging her shoulders just a bit.::

Orrey: ::With a short nod.:: It would be the best place to start.

JP

Ensign Jansen Orrey

Counselor

USS Vigilant

&

(PNPC) Sgt. Brooks Gwinnett

Combat Medic Marine

USS Vigilant

simmed by Eerie