A conversation with the Counselor

Posted on Tue Oct 3rd, 2023 @ 4:28am by Captain Tyler Driskill & Lieutenant JG Freya Walker
Edited on on Tue Oct 3rd, 2023 @ 4:29am

1,799 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 1 - Project Concord

Captain Driskill sat in his ready room awaiting his final senior staff member to arrive. A Counselor might be just the thing to keep people sane when they were so far from home. His door chimed and he called “enter.”

Walker walked in and stood at ease. Her hair was multitonal red. Her eyes had three distinct colors. She moved more like someone who was a Vulcan Intelligence Operative than a Doctor. She was very, very light on her feet almost an absence of sound. Her eyes had the passion of the meanest Klingon Warrior. The bone hammer hung from her neck. It was the Symbol of the Human Faith that Settled the New Asgard Colony. The worship the Norse Gods. Because of Q, she was under 30, but served during the Klingon Federation War. "Captain, reporting per transfer protocol."

“Ah yes” he watched as the woman with interesting eyes came closer to his desk “Lieutenant Walker if I’m not mistaken?” He knew she was by her service record and the fact they had a meeting scheduled for a week now.

"Yes, Sir.", Walker answered. She wore a duty belt like Security does. She had a phaser holster, despite not being security. It was for a type 1, specifically one the cize of a small 20th century television remote. She had a knife on her belt as well. The hammer necklace hanging from her neck. Being Armed was mandatory in her religion. Being armed was a phaser was mandatory on her last ship.

Before he let the meeting go any further a few things already caught his attention. “Lieutenant” he took a breath before approaching the issue “why exactly are you armed… and with a weapon that isn’t Starfleet issue?”

Walker looked at him. She pulled it out and put it on his desk. "It is a Starfleet model. Just three or four decades older design than what is currently issued to Security and Tactical." This was one that could be palmed. The holster for this was easy to hide unless you knew exactly what you were looking for. "Armed is a Requirement for my faith. Armed because the last ship I was on required it. I wore it for so long, I feel naked without it."

“Very well” Tyler had no idea about Walkers faith but he respected it. “Have a seat” he gestured to the chair across from the desk. “How was your journey to the Concord” he was making a little small talk.

Sitting dow, "Peaceful. Disturbing. Communications with Nieces and Nephews that weren't born when I was listed MIA, but are now older than me. I am glad to see those who Augment Markets aren't outlaws anymore." She wasn't an Augment, she inherited hers. "I managed to read several papers written by Psychologists who were in diapers after I graduated from Starfleet and are now experts in the field. "

“Interesting how things turn out, isn’t it” the Captain smiled. Tyler didn’t know much about her field of expertise, other then most crew didn’t like paying the Counselor a visit. “So what drew you to Starfleet and Counseling?”

She grinned, "I like the complexity of the human brain. My grandmother on my mother's side was a Völva. It translates as Witch. She was a Herbalist and a Listener. I loved what she did for our People. My father was Starfleet and his family had a long History of service. I grew up on New Asgard Colony. We still practice the Ancestral Faith there. After we go through our Kenning, Rites of Passage, child yo adult, many young adults seek to go Avikining. It means trade or raid. Starfleet gives us that opportunity to grow our brains and soul with life experience. That is the purpose of Avikining."

“I’ve never had the pleasure to meet anyone from your world” the Captain smiled “but I’m honored and want to welcome you to the Concord.” The Captain wanted to make sure the Counselor felt welcome. “Have you been briefed on the forthcoming mission?”

Walker looked at him, "I am human. My father from Earth. My mother was there. As far as the mission, we are a Long Range Recon, Search, and Rescue. I volunteered. Everyone I knew at home is dead, except one. I saw her baby pictures during the Klingon Federation War before I was MIA. Now she is Elder. Service is all I know. Avikining is all that is left. My parents are dead. My siblings are dead." She choked a little. "My wife is dead. Starfleet is Stability."

“I’m sorry” Tyler said softly “but that’s right and we are going to be a long way from home.” He looked into the Counselors eyes “being so far away from home I am afraid the crew may become lonely and need someone to talk to.”

She took a breath and righted herself, "I'm prepared to Listen. If they need to work out or fight first, I'm overtly prepared for that as well."

“Good to know you are prepared, Lieutenant” the Captain wore a smile.

She nodded, "I understand why I can't go back. It would pollute the timeline. It could create ripples and splinters in time. Our core decisions do that enough. Serving on a deep space mission makes everything else easier in my Social Environment. Helping others, helps me. I know I have to go back and face my home. This mission and doing my job will strengthen me for that."

“It’s going to be a challenge for many” Captain Driskill agreed. “It makes me happy to see someone so willing to help others jr admitted.

Walker smiled, "In many ways, I'm running away. Heathens run towards danger. I believe this will make me strong enough to face the pain at home." She had been pulled out of time and dragged to the future. Now she knew too much to go back. "My duty is my faith is to help as many People as possible. Becoming a Psychologist helps in that. Being equipped to stand side by side with them in the violence and unknown of the delta quadrant will make me easier to talk to." Walkers could fight. They were all extensively trained to fight.

“I agree” Captain Driskill smiled “having you to lean on is going to be invaluable to the crew as a whole.”

Walker looked at him, "I've been to the Delta Quadrant. When Q sent the Broken Arrow there, it was Chronologically a Century ago, but 23 weeks ago for me. My information about the Quadrant is dramatically out of date. I will tell you, the Kazons are dicks. "

Although the language probably wasn’t appropriate “from what I’ve read they have seemed to cause Voyager some” he paused for a moment “headaches” Tyler added.

Walker looked at him, "How much word have we had on Voyager?" She was supposed to be read in. Other than Voyager making initial contact, which made very big news. Communications had been hush hush since.

“Not much communication from them honestly” Tyler adjusted in his chair. “We have some of their sensor readings and information on the species they have encountered.”

Walker nodded, "I heard rumors that they sent an extremely compacted data packet. Then they were asking for letters from family. I don't know much about it. I know I got yanked in for more debriefing and they focused on the Delta Quadrant that time. Then this mission came up. No such thing as coincidence. Our goal is to use more advanced Technology be a relay in communications, if we can save them. I get that."

“We are as prepared as we can be and the people assembled will be able to pull off the job” Tyler was trying to be as confident as possible.

Walker looked at him, "Starfleet trained us. Most of us volunteered knowing the risks. Your Security is multi trained with advantages hand to hand and CQB and EMT experience. Most of your Operations department is dual trained as Security and Engineering. We have a system set up for Additional cross training and basic courses. We are set up to be a multigenerational ship. We can do this."

All information Tyler was wel aware of “I hope we don’t have to implement those protocols” he admitted.

Walker nodded, "Years to get there. Start an Investigation. Warp. Investigate. Warp and so on. We are going to find them. Our Warp is better as well as other tech. I haven't reviewed it all, but I've seen the run down. This ship is more advanced than the Broken Arrow when it started. The Holographic Teaching program, I kind of want to play with it." She laughed.

“Perhaps eventually you’ll have time but for now I think Lieutenant Chaika has things set perfectly for our journey.” Tyler knew how the engineers got when you went and poked around in their work.

Walker grinned, "Altering code is not my wheelhouse. Debating Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy and some of the Circular arguments is. I try not to anger Engineers by playing with their code. They get petty. In two minutes, they can mess up your shower and your replicator."

Tyler chuckled “revenge, surely not.”

She grinned big, "Before you ask, my great great Nephew is Commander Cullen Walker on the Victory. Our Walker line is Special." She laughed.

“I’ve heard good things about the Victory” Tyler smiled.

She looked at him, "It is odd being yanked out of time and dropped back in. It means you get to meet new and interesting People, some of them related to you. I served with a Driskill during the Klingon Federation War."

“No doubt my ancestor” he smiled “the Driskill name has a long history with Starfleet” Tyler said proudly.

Walker grinned, "His wife was pregnant. We got a long range communication during a Foothold Situation. His wife had given birth to a son, he ran headlong at four Klingons yelling, 'I'm a Daddy. I will see my son.' Then he yelled , 'Boot to the head.'and kicked one in the genitals."

“Good reason to live” Tyler replied with a smile as the visual of fighting Klingons grew in his mind.

"I'm a Daddy and Boot to the head became out mantra that day." Walker grinned, "Nuhnahnuhhh."

Tyler grinned “family is important, the most important thing.

Walker nodded, "Always and Forever." She felt like she was running away taking this mission. Her family was there, just all the ones she knew were dead. This family was their grandchildren and great grandchildren, but they were still family. She would die for them, just getting to know them was hard.

Tyler gave a nod “always and forever” he repeated.

 

RSS Feed