From: "Melvin Pollack" <pollack@enews1.nrl.navy.mil>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 09:21:00 -0400
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Items for the Masses....
Scene: SOC
MD 11.1200
Upon seeing Murray's face, Fielding's spirits fell. The day before,
Murray had seemed better; almost cheerful. He should have known better than to
hold his breath in hopes that the mood will continue.
Murray looked up. "The next time I go crazy enough to let you choose a
replacement officer, I want you to shoot me. Trust me, you'll be doing me a
favor."
Why wait? "Sereh?"
"She is absolutely impossible. She's rearrainged the entire
department, she's brought the students back to the labs.... Do you know what
her latest idea is? Extra credit if they can determine a better way of doing
experiments. I asked her about it, and she started babbling about how it would
get their creative juices channeled, and how they had to prove it logically and
with empirical data, and how it was part of the assignment to explain why they
thought going against regulations was important...."
"Look, I know the two of you have had some differences...."
"No, it's not just the differences. It's the attitude. It's the way
she calls me by my last name, and the way she argues with everything I say, and
the way she debates even a direct order, and the way that she.... I told her
not to bring the rabbits into the labs, because of our previous experiences.
Do you know what she said? 'Fascinating. I had initially believed that the
rabbit problems were part of their general laboratory inefficiencies. However,
it appears that you have evidence that these problems resulted from their
hatred of rabbits. I will endeavor to study this hypothesis should it make
sense.' You didn't just hire another emotionless, stubborn Vulcan. Nooooo.
You had to hire one with a sarcastic streak."
"Look, I'm sure this can be worked out. Where is Sereh anyway?"
"She went to lunch. Not the least bit flustered either. I'm about to
have a heart attack; she's about to have a nap. You know, I'd like to see some
emotion from her JUST ONCE."
Scene: Sereh's quarters.
MD 11.1200
Sereh paced the floor in her room, talking to no one in particular. "I
should have stayed in Engineering, or at the Stonewall. Then I'd have superior
officers with basic intelligence. But nooooo. I had to transfer. 'Oh, Sereh,
I'd like you to justify your well thought out plans one more time. Not that it
matters; I can't understand it, so I'm not going to accept it anyway. And you
have to do it because I'm the boss and I said so. Oh, and call me Anne; we
really should be on a friendly basis. Come on, show some emotion.' Hey Anne!
Come here so I can punch you in the nose. Is that enough emotion for you?
HUH?"
Sereh flopped down on the bed, and started to meditate. She.... Hey,
wait a minute. Why can Sereh insult other characters, but not th'Tellan?
{Well, I think Sereh's cuter than th'Tellan, so I'm going to let her get away
with a little more.}
I can't believe that you'duse a double standard....
{Why did th'Tellan get promoted, while Sereh got demoted?}
Touche.
Sereh began to try to focus; to let the anger flow out of her. The
medicine that she got from Vulcan was helping significantly, but she still had
a little trouble focusing. She could still feel a little anger, mixed with
hatred, shame, jealousy....
Jealousy? Where did that come from? She focused on the emotion.
Logically, the emotion came out of the blue. As far as she knew, th'Tellan
only spoke three words to Murray. Even if they had gotten friendly, it wasn't
as if there was a law forbidding it. The feeling defied all logic, instinct,
and common sense.
Then again, if she could keep logical, she wouldn't need the Vulcan
medicine.
Finally, she felt complete logical control. Picking up her notebook,
she recorded the new emotional states and symptoms; then wrote a note reminding
her to look into the Jealousy factor one more time. Apparently, the body was
producing its own view of reality to get the emotions it wanted. It was too
bad the subject was taboo, this would be an interesting angle to research....
Scene: Bridge.
MD 13.1500
> "Would you like to swing on a star...", O'Graeachs voice trailed not
>unskillfully across the room while he was keeping the ship in orbit.
>Not that it was difficult. It stayed there by itself, although he *did*
>perform the occasional twirl around a piece of junk of a small asteroid.
th'Tellan attempted to ignore the FCO. It was hard; th'Tellan couldn't
stand incompetence, and O'Greach....
{Note to Fabian: The about to follow comment is in no way meant to be an
insult.}
Oh brother.
th'Tellan's fingers danced along the panels. His hearing picked up the
report that the Correlians were scanning them. Well, why not? They were
scanning the Correlians. Th'Tellan's hands danced along the keys as he
continued to perform the routine duties, scan the planet and the Chesapeake,
and even get a little solitaire in.
> A little blimp appeared on his sensor screen. Without ceasing to sing
>he zoomed closer, investigating. "Uh oh, looky who's here !"
Looky?
> "It's a miners vessel on rendezvous course, and boy, does it look in
>need for a new paint job.", he reported. "In fact, it looks pretty much in
>need of repairs as well. It's only the rust that's keeping it together, and I
>can't say that it's grade A rust. I think someone wants to talk to our
>head-honcho. Hey, Cmdr, there's someone trying to talk to you."
th'Tellan piped up. "I'd like to add to the FCO's much unneeded
comments to confirm the sigfhtings and point out that the rust matches the
grades of aforementioned FCO. Opening communications grid."
"Tell him to beam right over," Brennan commented. "I assume
everything will be all right."
"Yeah, everything should be ready. We got all the rats out, although I
intend to keep an eye out just in case. You know how rodents can be."
NRPG:
Amy, Takako: Take it away.
Masako: You didn't like Sereh's emotionless state before. Happy now?
Fabian: No offense meant. th'Tellan believes in competence and efficiency.
O'Greach.... Well, you know.
All: Let's get this mission on the road, shall we.
Submitted by....
Melvin Pollack
Lt Cmdr Avikar th'Tellan
OPS USS Chesapeake
mpollack@wam.umd.edu
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