Posted by Lieutenant Commander Janusz Korczak (Counselor) in Counsellors Office - Cadet Simon Starr Psych Exam

Posted by Cadet Simon Starr (Security Officer) in Counsellors Office - Cadet Simon Starr Psych Exam

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Janusz Korczak (Counselor) in Counsellors Office - Cadet Simon Starr Psych Exam
Posted by… suppressed (19) by the Post Ghost! 👻
As much as Simon was OK with Sickbay, the counsellors office was a different story. He never liked looking at the ghosts of his past, but every counselling session he ever had always ended up bringing them up at some point. There were just some things he wasn’t comfortable talking about with friends, let alone someone he barely knew. Every time he went there was always a different face in the academy, someone else who wanted to know the ins and outs of his mind.

The slight reassurance he gave himself was there was only one counsellor once you were aboard a ship, so at least you can get to know them a little better, or at least try to. He never really found it easy to connect with people who studied his every move and action and the decisions made. It was the one part of Star fleet he always dreaded. The annual psychological evaluation. Those words still send shivers down his spine as he found himself in front of the door to the counsellors office. Taking a moment to pull himself together, whispering to himself just outside “Well, I won’t hear the end of it until I get this over and done with,” and with that, he looked out into space one more time, saying out quietly under his breath “I hope the last five years haven’t driven me mad, now I’m finally here…” and he pressed the chime as he exhaled a breath.

OOC: Always make sure to sign off on your posts. Makes it easier to see when you have multiple responses in a thread and who said what. And don’t worry, everyone forgets to do that from time to time.

OOC: And there I was when I wrote this at 2am this morning thinking at the beginning “must remember to do that this time…” :P

IC: The doors slid open to reveal an office unlike most aboard the Challenger. Whereas many looked quite similar and more sterile, this office was warm and inviting. It was lit in a more subdued manner than the rest of the ship and bookcases lined one wall, filled with copies and originals of many texts on many different subjects. The desk was set against the opposite wall, allowing for a large open space in the middle. Here there was a couch and a few chairs, one of which sat in front of and facing away from the desk. Pictures hung on the walls, some were even old photographs.

Starr took some time to look around the room, become familiar with his surroundings. He had to admit, this was a very different office to the other counsellors he had seen during his time at the Academy on Earth. Skimming titles of the books around the room. He did a lot of reading, especially when looking at interstellar law and constitutions.

Standing at one of the bookcases was a nondescript man of average height and build. His brown hair was unremarkable, and it would entirely probable that he would go unnoticed in a room with more than three or four people in it. As the newly arrived Cadet was part of the graduating Security class, there may have been something familiar about the figure. The man turned and looked at the door and said “Come in, Cadet. What can I do you for you?”

Lt. Cmdr. Janusz Korczak

Simon approached the desk, looking at the counsellor, he saw the build, and relaxed a little. Recognising someone who had once taken a similar path, and the posture all security officers took. Stood before the counsellor was a human male, just shy of six foot, who spoke with a southern British accent “Hello there, I’m here to report for my psychological exam.” He said, a little too matter-of-factly. Realising that this was a session that this sort of thing would be looked at, he added “unless I’m too mentally unstable, that is” he said, with a smile.

Cadet Simon Starr

Korczak looked at the Cadet and said with a chuckle and a shake of his head “You are now the second Cadet who has started off the evaluation with an expressed concern over their mental health. I really must address this with the Academy. The Cadets are obviously placed under too much stress during their time there.”

“Just breaking the ice, Commander” Simon smiled “it helps make me feel a bit more comfortable in these sorts of places, I’ve never really liked the couch” he said, honestly.

Korczak leaned back in his chair and pushed his glasses up and looked intently at the Cadet. “You are… Cadet Starr, correct? I remember you from my Interview and Interrogation class. If I remember correctly, you did fairly well. Well, welcome aboard. Have a seat.” and he indicated the seating area in front of the desk as he stood. “Would you care for a drink or a snack before we begin, Cadet? I was just about to get myself some tea.”

Korczak, CNS

“Ah yes, in my Second Year. I thought I recognised the face. That makes this a little bit easier, well in the sense that it’s not exactly someone new. It could also be harder, considering how well you taught the class, your not going to interrogate me too much today, I hope.” he said, with a smile. “And I would love a lemon tea” he took up the counsellor on his offer, as he walked towards the desk and took a seat.

Cadet Simon Starr

Korczak nodded and retrieved a lemon tea for the Cadet and a hot black currant tea for himself. He sat his down and handed the other to Starr as he took a seat. “No, no interrogations. I tend to restrict myself to more pleasant conversations now.” he said in a friendly manner. “So tell me, Cadet. How do you feel about being on the verdge of graduation and being assigned, finally, to a star ship?”

Korczak, CNS

Simon smiled and nodded. “Well, I’ve been looking forward to it for some time now, and I guess I feel a sense of… accomplishment. But at the same time, a bit nervous. Not for me so much as well, mother and father back home. They’ve said they’ve found some extra help at the farm, but as I’ve been there for some time, I can’t help but worry a little about them” he added “and well, considering the family history, being the youngest of two, and both of us have ended up leaving Earth…” he paused for a moment, knowing that this is a possible point that made him nervous in these sessions.

Cadet Simon Starr

“Is your sibling in Star Fleet? Brother or sister?” he asked.

Korczak, CNS

Simon gave a small smile when the counsellor asked about Tom “Brother, and no - in fact nobody is quite sure what his doing these days - he left with a trade ship five years ago, and that’s the last my family and I have heard from him”, the smile changing more to a look of concern as he finishes the comment.

Cadet Simon Starr

Korczak made a few notes and then said “Tell me about your brother. How was your relationship?”

Korczak, CNS

“We got on well, we had the occasional disagreement now and again, but not more than usual for siblings to have.” Simon began. This was the part he never liked, the part that worried him “then five years ago he said that he wasn’t staying on Earth and left by the following week. That was the last any of the family heard from him. So I guess the last five years, there hasn’t really been an interaction. What his like now, whether we would still get on.

He always gave a smile when we talked about the federation, but not one of those giddy smiles that people who want to join get, more a smile at someone telling a joke” he finished, “so I don’t know what he would think of me in this uniform”

Cadet Simon Starr

OOC: Sorry for the delay, but I’m back from vacation now.

IC: Korczak looked at the Cadet for several moment without saying a word, but then he spoke. “Have you tried to look for him during this time?”

Lt.Cmdr. Korczak, CNS

OOC: No problem, hope you had a good time :)

IC: Simon looked out for a moment. “Well, I have tried to contact him, but without even knowing the name of the ship his on, that’s proven difficult. Plus, there’s a lot of the galaxy out there, and he could be anywhere in it. So I haven’t looked for him physically” he responded. “If his even still alive” he added under his breath.

Cadet Simon Starr, Security

Korczak heard the comment and said “How did your brother leave things with your family when he departed? I ask because if there were any… let’s just say ‘animosity’… at his leaving, that could perhaps explain the lack of him reaching out to you or your parents.”

Korczak, CNS

“Heh, he was excited, and that much was obvious. He wouldn’t stop telling our parents about the things he was going to see in space leading up to it. We said our goodbyes when he was taken in a shuttle, then nothing since that day.” Simon reflected. “At first, my parents were of the mind of just letting him enjoy the freedom for a time, but when days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to a year… they worried. If there’s any animosity, then it is between my parents and I moreso. Being able to contact them via subspace though, something that my brother never did. To be fair, I don’t even know who he went with. It’s a long shot, but who knows, there’s always the expression back down at home of “it’s a small world” back when we thought it was a massive planet. Maybe it’s also a “small galaxy”, in that vain…” his thoughts trailing off slightly.

Cadet Simon Starr, Security

Korczak cocked his head to the side and said “Is that what you believe, Cadet? Or is that what you hope?”

Korczak, CNS

Simon shrugged slightly “A little of both, I guess.” he smiled. “If out paths are meant to cross again, there seems to be a way for that sort of thing to happen. Otherwise, well, who knows. It would be nice to know his OK, you know? It’s been five years now, and not even a subspace communication. I don’t intend to go out of my way to find him, but you never know what the universe has planned for that sort of thing” he half smiled. There was definitely hope that he would at least find out what was happening with Tom, but at the same time it wasn’t the only reason he joined Starfleet.

Cadet Simon Starr, Security

Janusz nodded slightly and made a few notes, and then looked up and said “What is your biggest concern being aboard a starship for the first time in this role as a potential officer?”

Korczak, CNS

“Hmm” Starr began. He hadn’t really thought about that. “I guess any position on a starship is risky. They are effectively bombs floating in space which if something goes catastrophically wrong, it can end very badly” he said. “I try not to think about that, but it would probably be the biggest concern. Thankfully, that’s what we have engineers for” he chuckled.

Starr thought if there was anything else on the subject. “Well, there’s also the worry of what if my brother has done something that means his aligned himself against the federation as a result of the work his done, then well… choices between duty and family are always tough. Hopefully, that isn’t the case though” he smiled.

Cadet Simon Starr, Security

Korczak nodded and smiled back. After making a few notes, he said “Tell me about your social circle in the Academy.”

Korczak, CNS

Simon nodded “Well, I wouldn’t say I was Mr. Popular kid at the academy, but I had a small circle of close friends, about 4 people I could call more than acquaintances, I guess. I prefer that, it’s better to have less friends that you can trust with more personal things than more friends to open up to. In my opinion, that is” Starr responded to the the counselor.

“But I wouldn’t say there was anybody that took a particular dislike either to me or that I felt any negative feelings towards” he added. “Probably because I didn’t open up to too many people to make anybody think of that.” he shrugged.

Cadet Simon Starr, Security.

“Sometimes it’s better to play things close to the vest, as they say.” he said with a small smile. “Tell me about your best friend. Who would you say was the closest to you over the past few years?”

Korczak, CNS

“Well, that would be Cadet Rolands, he and I were bunk mates in the academy, and we were in the same year. He didn’t go down the same route and went into Starfleet Engineering instead. He did always like to talk about the ships that he would get to work on one day.” he chuckled as he thought back to the first year of the academy.

“We’re still communicating via subspace, his taken his internship with the starfleet corp of engineers at Utopia Planitia. He always wanted to be involved in the initial construction of starships. At least that’s what he said at the academy. I always say that there’s nothing quite like travelling at warp speed on a ship myself” Starrr smiled.

Cadet Simon Starr, Security