Jansen meet Karatek

Posted on Wed Jul 7th, 2021 @ 3:02am by Lieutenant Sky Jansen-Carey
Edited on on Wed Jul 7th, 2021 @ 3:07am

Mission: The Mentarin Effect
Location: Counsellor’s Office

Sky was just wrapping up her notes on her latest psych evaluation, she needed to make sure her notes were clear and concise for adding to the personnel files. She looked at the chronometer noticing it was time for her latest appointment, a Lieutenant Karatek. No sooner had she looked then the door chime rang. “Come in!” Smiling as the door opened she stood to greet the new arrival. “You must be Lieutenant Karatek?”

"You are correct." he said. The first few seconds of an appointment with someone you knew for the first time was often uncomfortable, Karatek knew. While he wasn't very skilled at alleviating it, what he was genuinely thinking could nonetheless help, he thought. "I was looking forward to meeting you. I believe you have an important role on this ship and it is imperative you have a good evaluation and knows what need to be known about me. So, I am ready to follow your lead and answer any question you might have. I have also prepared a list of what I thought you should know about me. They include some of my youth background, some difficult experiences I have lived... I tried to include everything I thought relevant. They should help complement what we are going to discuss today." he said, lending her a padd."

“Wow!” Sky smiled warmly. “I wish everyone came as organised as you” She motioned for Karatek to make himself at home in her office. “Please take a seat, how are you settling in aboard ship?”

Karatek sat on the chair as he was invited to. "It is understandable that arriving in the middle of a mission, all the staffs have urgent matters to attend to. Briefing the new assistant chief engineer on the mission and helping settling him is not the priority right now. I haven't had the time to meet any of the command officers yet. I also only had a very brief encounter with my direct superior. We are to meet once he is done completing this urgent task he is working on. So until things calm down, I am concentrating on being an observer and trying to be up to date on this mission. Until then, I have settled my personal belonging in my quarters, and I have organized my office to make it as efficient as possible." he explained. "I appreciate you are taking the time to meet me while we are in the middle of this mission." he said nodding to show the respect he had.

“It’s my pleasure, and my job” Sky smiled warmly. “As for you not being updated, it’s up to your department head to brief you on the current status of things in engineering, and the mission at hand. I suggest you report in with Captain if you haven’t already done so. When I came onboard I made a point of meeting the Captain as something of a priority.

Karatek reflected on what the chief councillor said. "You are right I should make those meetings happen instead of waiting for the opportunity to present itself." he paused. "It's the first time I am assigned on a ship that is already in the middle of a mission. I haven't really reflected on what are the priorities in those circumstances. Thanks for clarifying that for me."

“Well it’s a matter of choice on how you normally do things but that’s how I go about it.” Sky smiled warmly. “So tell me more about you Karatek.”

It was a vague question...yet one he was used to hearing. Apparently, that was how humans asked people to talk about themselves. They didn't ask for something specific. Karatek prefered precise question, but he learned to play along. "There is so much I can tell you about me. I don't think I can summarize if a few sentences. To speak about my past, I would say I did not know right away I wanted to be an engineer. When I was younger, I was more intrigued by my people customs and history. I thought I would become an anthropologist. I was always interested in physics, but it was only at Starfleet Academy I found a deep interest in engineering. Also, I think what defines me the most is not only being Vulcan. It is also my commitment to eventually go through the Kolinahr. It certainly has defined my relations with my shipmates. When you purge your emotions, it is hard to sense and understand those of others." Karatek was about to continue, but he realized Lieutenant Sky wanted to jump in.

“So you have decided to undergo the Kolinahr.” She looked at Karatek curiously. “That is a very honourable thing for a Vulcan to do. I take it you currently have emotions, but choose not to express them?”

Karatek was slightly surprised of the chief councillor interest in the Kolinahr. It was refreshing. "I'm committed to undergo the Kolinhar. But I am not ready yet. It takes years of discipline with a Kolinahr master to get through the ritual successfully." he said. His eyes started to wonder away as his mind was bringing him back to Vulcan... to his memories of the training he had started. Serving with Starfleet for the last 10 years, his Kolinahr training had taken a pause. While he was doing everything he could to improve, without a Master, the progress to this final stage of mental discipline was extremely difficult, and probably even impossible. "I do have to admit being in Starfleet have put an hold on my progress. Yet, I haven't lost my discipline either, so it is my intend one day to complete it." he explained. He looked back at the Chief Councellor. "I have enough control to have been able to bury my emotions deep. but I was not able yet to completely purge them, so there are still there. It's rare I sense them. When I do, they don't even seem to be part of me. When I told this to my previous councillor, she make an analogy with a house, which I find very interesting and accurate. My consciousness is like a person and the mind is the house. You feel safe in your house. The emotions are like a wild animal outside. You can see it and observe it, but the wall protect you. But until you have completely purged your emotions, you are never sure they won't resurface again. The wall can be broken. That is why I want to complete the Kolinahr. I will never be free until then."

Sky nodded. "I completely understand. There are those who don't understand Vulcan's, who find them to be cold. That's not what I believe, everyone is different, each species is different in what they believe and do. I think it's a very honourable thing to do. A high goal to set yourself and I wish you well in your endeavour."

Karatek nodded. "Thank you Lieutenant." There was something he wanted to ask the lieutenant. "About that, I have something to ask from you."

Sky nodded, “By all means, please ask away.”

Karatek continued. "Since I can't relate on my emotions to understand my shipmates feeling, I have to rely often on others to tell me how someone feel and why. Would you be willing to help me?" he asked.

“Of course” Sky nodded and smiled. “We are more alike than you think” she tucked her hair behind her pointed ears. “I’m not Vulcan but I am part Romulan.”

Karatek hadn't noticed. He was also puzzled by her comment. THere was so many things racing in his mind. He had always been curious to know more about Romulans. That is why he was part of the anthropologist team who were supposed to be sent on a scientific mission to help with the reunification. But it never worked, so he never actually had to opportunity. It seemed the opportunity was presenting itself again. Though she was only half Romulan, but still, he could certainly learn a lot about the Romulan from her. "I hadn't realized you were half Romulan. I have always been interesting in knowing more about the Romulans. Since they have the same physiology, yet they have rejected Surak's teaching, I am intrigued to know how they deal with their emotions. How have you dealt with them?" he asked.

“Not really” Sky shook her head. “I don’t know who my father is, my mother never talked of him. From what I know of my heritage, Romulans prefer to be emotional to emotionless. Though that’s something we all know anyway. They’ve taken the more... primate road choosing to use their emotions unlike their Vulcan counterparts.”

Karatek was listening intently. It must have been difficult not having known her father. "It must not have been easy. Especially when there is a part of you you may not understand and there is no one to answer your questions." he said. He realized it was something she might want to discuss. "My apologies Lieutenant, I have no right to ask that question."

“That’s alright” Sky offered a smile. “To be honest, I don’t normally have a chance to talk about it. People aren’t comfortable around Romulans hence why I tend to keep my ears covered.”

Karatek understood the reaction. While for different reasons, he had sometimes also experienced tensions. Not everyone felt confortable with a specie that rejected emotions. But, why would people feel uncomfortable with Romulans, that was puzzling. "If you are ever interested in finding more about your Romulan heritage and looking for someone to help you, I would be glad to help."

Sky smiled warmly, “I would like that very much, thank you.”

{TBC}