Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

Posted on Sat Jul 10th, 2010 @ 11:26am by Lieutenant JG Hannah Andeti & Lieutenant JG Malia Jacy

Mission: Episode 1.2 - "A House Divided"
Location: Counselor's Office
Timeline: MD-15; 1650 hours

ON: [[Counselor's Office, USS Pandora, MD 15, 1650]]

Velia strode down the hall, a frown casting shadows upon her face. She took no notice of those around her, so deep in thoughts of the day's events as she tried to make sense of it all, and found herself failing. logically she could see how a government could abandon an experimental colony, but not so completely that those who'd been placed there were left to fend for themselves. The sharp chime was muffled by the closed door and Velia hoped she'd managed to catch the counselor before her shift came to a close.

The counselor looked up from her PaDD and immediately called for the caller to enter. While Myrin was occupied in a neighbouring suite she had thought her own appointments were at an end for the day. The Beethoven symphony was playing on low as the PaDD clunked against her desk but she smiled when the young ensign entered.

"Computer, pause playback." She stood and retrieved the jacket of her uniform from the back of her chair. "I'm sorry I wasn't expecting anyone come in."

Waving her hand as though to push aside the formality, Velia's glance danced around the office. "If you're done for the day, I can always return some other time; one more convenient for you." She gave half a shrug. She wasn't about to be the cause of an extended shift if she could help it.

"And have to return to my paperwork? I don't think so." Hannah smiled. "Take a seat if you'd like." She gave up on her own attempt to appear professional and returned to her own chair, leaving her uniform jacket in place on the back of her chair.

With a grimace, Velia half sat, half allowed gravity to pull her into contact with the couch. "I don't understand people. Not just humans, any people," she said solemnly, staring upward with her head reclined to rest on the couch back.

The counselor raised an eyebrow. "That's not exactly abnormal." She hoped it didn't sound unkind. "What exactly aren't you understanding right now?"

"Well, it's this whole Nerus V thing," she said raising her head so she could look at Hannah. "It's frustrating to work toward an end, just to find out that, that particular end doesn't exist. These colonists have been abandonded for all purposes. Not recalled, but abandoned by a government I can only assume they put trust in. And now they're stuck on that God forsaken planet, alone. What kind of leaders do that?!" Displeasure was scrawled all over her face.

Hannah nodded but slowly and without the apparent passion of the ensign. "It's hard to believe in a culture like ours but for the Romulan government I suppose the rights of the individual are just not as valuable as they are in the Federation." She smiled gently. "I find it hard to believe that as an Intel officer this is the first example of this that you've encountered."

"Define example," Velia shrugged slightly. "There's a difference between knowing because you read it in an Academy course, Counselor, and knowing because you know."

"Has it bothered you this severely in the past?"

Velia struggled with the urge to throw her hands up in the air and just leave. The whole reason she'd come here was to vent a little, and see if Hannah could provide yet another of her differed viewpoints that would give Velia something to mull over. It was not to talk about why she was annoyed. Choosing to disregard the question, she let it hang, "the rights of the individual ... that's all a society is ... just one big group of individuals with rights. They're idiots if they think they aren't hurting themselves with this sort of mindset."

The counselor nodded once. "Of course." She sat back in her chair. She hadn't realized that this was the first time the young woman had encountered this outside of the Academy. "Realizing these truths can be a hard thing for people to come to terms with and it's not unhealthy for you to feel this way." She eyed the young woman. "Is it your inability to help these people that has you frustrated more than anything?"

Well of course it wasn't unhealthy. NOT feeling like this was wrong would be unhealthy. Velia swallowed a half groan and shook her head. "Not really." She knew it wasn't her place to help them. It was the responsibility of ... hmm, that was it. "What frustrates me," she explained, "is that the government has some level of responsibility for these people, and they're -NOT- meeting it, apparently." Velia was all for independence but being stranded on a hostile planet really set limits on what one could do with themselves.

"You don't think that's why the government asked Starfleet to step in? To help where they knew that they were failing?" The counselor smiled and didn't let her answer right away. "That might be a bit naive, of course." Nevertheless, she was curious to hear what the ensign had to say about this.

“I don’t know why they asked us to step in,” Velia admitted, reminding herself mentally to ask Commander McNeil just that very question tomorrow. Most of this was speculation at best, since they really had nothing of interest to speak about concerning Nerus V; no, for Velia this was an intuition building mission … though it could be labeled any number of names, she supposed. Either way, some things in life were not meant to be taught – only learned – and if it took speculation, trial and error, and being a bit jaded, Velia was willing to do it all. Her mouth formed a line and she folded her arms over her chest. “There’s a saying on Earth, Counselor. ‘Too little, too late’.”

The counselor nodded and decided to try a different area of attack for the strong opinioned woman. "You don't think they might find it a bit presumptuous of you to make that assumption?" She crossed her legs. "You're right that we know very little about why we're here and even less about the Romulans' past intentions. You don't think this sort of isolation was what the colonists signed on for?" She swallowed. "And even if it wasn't, who are you to make that sort of judgement about their government. A government that hasn't exactly been stable since the Reman incident. Perhaps the intentions were good but the means simply haven't been there." She wanted to impress upon the woman the shades of grey that came along with the uniform.

"It's not presumptuous to make an assumption if that's the only option open to a person is it?" Velia countered. She didn't care what the Romulans thought about her ideas of their government. That was a concern for a diplomat. "Making one and acting on one are two different matters entirely, I think. We also have a saying that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. And for the most part, history -- at least on Earth -- has proven it true. As for who I am ... as a person, it's pure conjecture, but as a Starfleet officer aren't we supposed to arrange and rearrange the puzzle until the pieces fit?" She asked this in earnest; well aware that the tall blonde woman's career in the field was of a longer standing than her own.

Hannah looked thoughtful. "No, I don't think that is our job at all. As much as Starfleet likes to pretend that we're the guardians of the universe they don't exactly have a prestine reputation themselves." For a moment she was surprised by her own honesty on the subject, usually she was a bit more . . . idealistic and had to wonder if it was a certain Commander's influence. "In peace time, it's Starfleet's job to explore the galaxy and I think the first job of an explorer or any scientist is to approach one's job with an open mind, without bias or assumption, regardless of how tempting that might be."

Velia was a bit surprised herself by Hannah's admittance. And in complete disagreement with her opinion on the rest of it. Well, almost complete anyway. "Counselor, permission to speak freely?"

The counselor nodded once, wondering what the ensign would have done if she had said 'no'.

She breathed deeply. "As an explorer or scientist, you may have a point. And I fully realize that my outlook on it is tempered very much by my lack of shipside experience and the fact that I'm completely frustrated personally and professionally by everything that isn't coming together. But you have to understand ... it's my department's job to gather information and to produce answers. Yes, we can't exactly state our personal feelings as facts," and Velia got the very distinct impression that her frustration was shared throughout the Intel department as a whole, "but when we can't produce even the simplest answers ... it's not exactly bias that taints assumptions. At least, not for me personally." She certainly couldn't speak for her fellow officers. "When minimal information is not forthcoming, there are usually reasons for it. I can admit to not knowing something, but if I didn't have strong feelings about it, or if I lacked the desire to rectify it ... well, then I would have absolutely no right to wear the uniform."

"But there's a difference between having strong feelings based on fact and those based on assumption. Again you're looking at an entirely different culture and making assumptions based on the cultural standards of our own. The Romulans aren't exactly known for being open and honest but that's not necessarily because there's something to hide." She shook her head. "I'm not denying that we should care and feel for other people but if you react this strongly in the face of every unknown or potential injustice you're going to exhaust yourself."

Velia raised an eyebrow just slightly, fighting to keep her head from shaking. The counselor had a valid point, and she may even be right - Velia wouldn't find any comfort in the idea of 'we're from Romulus and we're here to help' any time soon. For a fleeting instant, Velia wondered if Hannah came by her willingness to trust the motivations of others naturally or if it was something that years spent on a ship did to a person. Everything the ensign could think to say sounded argumentative in her mind so she settled for a shrug. "Anything's possible, right Counselor?"

Hannah nodded again with a smile. "If you learn one thing in Starfleet then that would be it."

"I think," Velia stood and straightened her pant legs, "that I've intruded on quite enough of your evening. Thank you for setting aside your time." Her head inclined in a parting gesture but she stopped just shy of the opening door. "You know Counselor, there is a positive side to being naturally pessimistic. It makes life a lot less disappointing." A few steps later Velia was in the hall and headed for her quarters.

The Lieutenant stood with her. "Maybe but it probably also makes life a lot less interesting." She grinned. "It's been a pleasure, as always." Although the counselor had a feeling that she hadn't really helped the young woman at all.

OFF:

A JP

by

Lt. JG Hannah Andeti
Chief Counselor
USS Pandora

and

Ensign Velia Moretti (PNPC)
Intelligence Officer
USS Pandora
played by: Lt JG Malia Jacy