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Holodeck - Music Is The Soundtrack Of Your Life

Posted Feb. 21, 2021, 6:34 p.m. by Lieutenant Kiama Naim (Chief Science Officer) (Silke Fahl)

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Holodeck - Music Is The Soundtrack Of Your Life

Posted by Lieutenant Kiama Naim (Chief Science Officer) in Holodeck - Music Is The Soundtrack Of Your Life

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Holodeck - Music Is The Soundtrack Of Your Life
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Alex looked at Kiama and listened as she spoke. When she was done, he smiled softly and said “Sounds like your mum and my mum should get together and go bowling.” and he chuckled. He lay the bow against the cello strings and played softly.

“Maybe,” Kiama said hesitantly. She had a feeling that those two women would not get along well.

“The thing with parents is that no matter where you go, they are always right there in you. Its hard to break fee… especially if the relationship was or is… problematic.” and he fell silent and played for a bit.

“You can say that again,” Kiama replied with a humourless laugh.

“So did you hear any rumors about me before you came to the Manhattan? Rumors about my mother, maybe?” he asked with a slight smile.

Cochrane

“Yes and no. Coming from one of the leading houses of Betazed, and being the only heir of ours, meant that next to my regular education I had to follow the goings on not only on Betazed, but in Starfleet and the Federation since the end of the Dominion war. So yes, I know at least the public side of the whole incident involving your mother. But I didn’t start putting two and two together and realised that you are her son till after I had been on the Manhattan for a few weeks.” Looking at him closely out of those black eyes of hers, she continued, “It must have been really hard for you and your family.”

~Lt. Naim, CSO

Cochrane simply smiled. The emotions coming from him were surprisingly calm. Sure there was an undercurrent of anger, but mostly it was… acceptance.

“It was for a long time, yes. But we made it through.” and he stopped playing and set the bow aside and looked at her, turning to face her fully.

“Ms. Naim… Kiama… I want to give you some advice. And since you know some of my story, you will know where this advice comes from. Amongst all the choices a being faces in their life, one is of paramount importance… ‘Am I going to be me or am I going to be my parent?’. The advice is this: Never forget that you have to make that choice every single day. So… you need to decide if you want to be Kiama Naim, Chief Science Officer of the single largest science vessel in Starfleet and the only Federation vessel stationed in the Delta Quadrant and a lover of music… or skating… or crocheting… or whatever. Or are you going to be Jeanoya Naim’s daughter?” and he reached back and grabbed the bow and adjusted the cello and began to play.

“The choice is yours.”

Cochrane, CO

Kiama was silent for a while as she contemplated Alex’s words and listened to him playing. Her gaze fixed on the lake, she finally said, “I know what I want.” Turning her head back towards Alex she continued. “I want to be my own person. That’s why I’m here. Why I went against my mother, became a neuroscientist and then even joined Starfleet. I know that one day, I’ll have to take her place in council. I’m not a politician and don’t want to be one either. At the same time I understand that there are certain responsibilities you can’t run away from. But when I eventually take her place I don’t want to be a copy of my mother.” Shaking her head and looking down at her hands still folded neatly in her lap, she added with a soft laugh, “Some things are just awfully hard to shake off. Like not sitting all prim and proper every single time I sit down somewhere.” Kiama rolled her eyes at herself and then looked at Alex again with a small, slightly sad smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

~Lt. Naim, CSO

“Good choice.” Alex said with a smile. “Now… what do you want to do?” he asked as if that was the easiest question in the galaxy to answer.

Cochrane

Seemingly without having to think about it Kiama replied, “Live my live and follow my dreams with out feeling guilty.” With a soft sigh she added, “But that sounds a lot easier than it is. And actually, being here and trying to find something I’d enjoy doing just because is one of the baby steps I’m taking in that direction. In my family we don’t do anything without a purpose and that purpose should always be to serve others and the greater good. It’s mostly a black and white world with very little space for shades of grey. Like friendships and spending time with friends is good, to a certain extant important even. Casual relationships not at all. Reading if it furthers your knowledge is good. If you do so just for fun not so much. I could break that down with regard to basically every aspect of life. And while I disagree with that view, I find it incredibly hard to get past that deeply ingrained concept. But I want to get past it.” she finished emphatically and looked straight at Alex, locking her black eyes with his blue ones.

~Lt. Naim, CSO

Cochrane looked at her and hung his arms over the cello. “Well… your family isn’t here, is it? And you are surrounded by people who not only want you to be happy… but they need you to be so that you can do your job to the best of your ability. Your family relies on you to make them look good and appear acceptable…” and he paused and looked intently at her.

“We rely on you to help keep us alive.”

Cochrane, CO

Kiama blinked a few times, taken by surprise, before she nodded and said, “Thank you Si- Alex. I never thought about it that way. I didn’t even consciously consider how my well-being might affect the crew. I’m sorry. I should have considered that a long time ago.” She felt a little ashamed and rather self-centred that she hadn’t. And at the same time she realised that this perspective resolved some of her internal conflict. For if she did something for her own enjoyment so that she could do a better job while on duty, then whatever hobby she’d pick or any self-care routine she allowed herself wouldn’t be selfish act after all.

~Lt. Naim, CSO

Alex chuckled and slid his arms off the cello. “Not a problem, Ms. Naim. And don’t feel self-conscious about it. Hell of a lot of new officers miss that aspect of being in Starfleet.” He laid to bow to the strings and then said “Go. Skate. Think a bit. I’ll be here for a bit and if you want to talk we can.” and he then activated the computer and froze the lake, keeping the weather the same.

Cochrane, CO

“Thank you,” Kiama replied sincerely and gave Alex a warm smile. Leaning slightly forwards, she unzipped the bag she had brought with her. At first she pulled out a black hockey helmet (without the face guard) and placed it on the ground next to her. She then took out a pair of white figure skating skates with pink skate guards. After taking off her shoes in silence she, she slipped into her skates and quickly tied them securely before putting on the helmet. Rising to her feet she stood a bit wobbly for a moment, but quickly found her balance and managed to walk to the end of the deck with relative ease.

Once there Kiama stepped onto the ice while still holding onto deck with one hand before taking of the guards. Taking a deep breath, she started to glide on the ice. At first everything seemed to go fine. Sure, she was a little wobbly and not skating fast by any means. But she always managed to keep her balance. Well, till she didn’t. Several minutes in, she was getting a little more confident as she remembered some of the things her roommate at the Academy had told her when she took her ice skating and thus started to feel more stable on the skates. Suddenly she hit the ice wrong with one blade and started to loose her balance. But this time she didn’t manage to regain it. Instead fell backwards and landed with gasp and slight wince on her behind.

~Lt. Naim, CSO


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