Posted May 11, 2022, 11:10 a.m. by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) (Lucas Foxley)
Posted by Ensign Kajhel (Security Officer) in Side sim: Preparing to leave
Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: Preparing to leave
Posted by Ensign Kajhel (Security Officer) in Side sim: Preparing to leave
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The ship was in orbit of the planet below, and Shirley had just given the order that they’d be going down to the planet surface in search of the origin of the warp trail on their sensors. Roman was in his lab, preparing everything for him to be away. Finishing up notes, catching up with paperwork, that sort of thing. He did his work in the biology lab, he preferred to be there rather than his office.He was excited of course, as a biologist and zoologist, he loved an opportunity to see an alien world though he knew in this case he wouldn’t have time to stop and examine the wildlife. Unfortunately. Even so, he was going to have his science tricorder and it would be easy enough to slip a lab notebook into the carrying pouch with it. He was nearly done, just a few more things to do (there were always a few more things to do).
~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO
It’s only been a few days since Kajhel had come onboard the Sentinel, and he was about to go on his first away mission too. When he read the mission brief in his PaDD it struck him that it was a covert mission, going undercover, disguised to gather intelligence with a pre-warp society. Abiding by the prime directive was paramount.
When he thought of this, it occurred to him that if the prime directive is paramount, and the mission itself secondary, then surely his telepathy skills – those of reading the thoughts of others – would come in handy. However, it was considered unethical among his people to do so when the situation did not call for it. So did the situation call for it?
Kajhel needed help in managing this dilemma. He knew that Commander Alden had been assigned as his team leader for his away party. He decide to seek him out to see what counsel Alden could give.
He chimed the door outside Alden’s office, knowing very well Alden was in, and waited…
– Ensign Kajhel (Security)
Roman stood from his place in the lab, where he was presently organizing and putting away samples. He needed his notes, to see which ones went to which project. He headed towards his office, pausing when he saw somebody standing in front of the door. “Ah, Ensign Kajhel. Were you looking for me for something?” He asked. The lab’s door and the CSO’s office door were right down the hall from each other, and Roman was standing right about in between the two.
~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO
Kajhel tried to discern whether the presence and voice was Alden’s or, perhaps, of an assistant’s. The man gave out an aura of command, however. At the same time, Kajhel tried to judge the emotion conveyed in the voice. Was it annoyance? Had he been disturbing Alden?
The emotion in Roman’s voice was not annoyance, rather intrigue or questioning what the Ensign was needing. Roman was of the mind that it was better to ask and get an answer than for officers to guess and do something wrong, and so he never faulted officers for asking questions. It would be seen favourably to Alden that Kajhel thought to ask instead of assuming.
“Commander Alden, sir?” Kajhel noticed an implicit recognition from the figure standing in front of him. He decided to go ahead with introducing his question.
“I have been assigned to your away team, sir, and thus, there is something I feel I must share with you – a concern, dilemma, that I require your experience to help me guide through. It might be bordering on muddy legal territory. It is of importance to the mission, from what I understand of the mission brief. Do you have time to speak now, sir, or might we make an appointment? I’m only shadowing people these first days, so my days are rather flexible.”
Kajhel sensed himself to be a bit nervous, and was why he spoke quickly and used many words. In time – he thought, tried to forgive himself – he would get better at being succinct and calm. But “coming out” as a full telepath (much more so than trained Vulcans – the closest connection was the similarity among the Betazoids) was difficult. People – no matter their species or cultural background – reacted in various strange ways. Some were intrigued, wanting him to read their thoughts and make a psychological evaluation. Others were scared, warned him from ever reading their thoughts.
– Ensign Kajhel (Security)
Roman stepped into his office and waved Kajhel inside, “I have time now, especially concerning the mission come in.” Then he took a seat as his desk folding his hands over the desk and looked up at Kajhel. Roman did prefer brevity and directness, but he patiently awaited Kajhel to get on with the question. “What is the question?” Despite his reputation for being a stickler, and occasionally a grouchy one, he did not seem annoyed at all.
~ Roman
“Thank you, sir,” said Kajhel, remaining standing, putting his hands behind his back. It was a comfortable position.
He took a deep breath.
“In the mission brief, it said we had to go down on the surface, in disguise, in order to gather intelligence regarding the unknown warp signature – and the same time we’ll be visiting a seemingly pre-warp society. When I meet the villagers, should I read their thoughts and probe their minds while speaking to them? Or would that be wrong? It does not take me much trouble at all to read someone’s thoughts, especially humans, and I understand they’re humans down there? However, it is unethical to read someone’s thoughts without their consent.
Roman glanced up, covering a surprised expression, and then uncomfortably glanced around the office. “Read thoughts?” He asked in a neutral tone. It was slightly comforting to know it would be considered unethical and therefore unlikely Kajhel would do it, but still unsettling to know it was possible. “They are very similar to humans, yes.”
How much could he read? Roman had once heard a rumor some species could pick up on your emotional state just by being around you. Was Kajhel like that? Would he be able to tell Roman had nightmares? What of his other… problems, that came from that incident, three years ago? Would he sense Roman’s fear of Sickbay, if it came up? His worries were probably completely unfounded but Roman just didn’t know enough to know and that unsettled him. He wouldn’t let it show on his face.
Kajhel noticed that Roman became somewhat unsettled, and tried to “look away”, but it was hard as Roman’s emotions were rather obvious. Kajhel used telepathy like sight – similar to a bat “seeing” from echolocation, telepathy aided Kajhel in sensing what was around him. This included of course the demeanour and obvious feelings of people. Reading people’s thoughts was a bit more complicated – it would be akin as to putting on your reading glasses in order to read a book. It was more of a conscious decision. Still, Kajhel did not pry into Roman’s mind, but he did notice the obvious dicomfort in him.
It was a common reaction, Kajhel sensed this most of the times when he told people of how members of his species actually functioned biologically. No one cared that he felt it was uncomfortable that people could see him, see his body, see the way he looks, moves, behaves, that they can record him with a camera and watch him from afar. But that was his reality, no one cared about Kajhel’s feelings there, yet, the privilege of the galaxy was tilted that way that he had to show consideration for others by simply having a physiology.
It was frustrating, but a testament of the realities of the Federation they were in.
He would sense not only the discomfort with the idea of telepathy, but the sadness, pain, and fear that bubbled up whenever the thoughts of that incident three years ago came to Roman. Roman was used to hiding his emotions visually - that is, covering body language and facial expressions, maintaining a calm and stoic presence. But within his mind he struggled often, and was unused to having to hide even that to avoid Kajhel knowing his true feelings about things - whether that be being unsettled by telepathy, or other feelings.
“However, given the prime directive, it would seem the most ethical way forward with regard to that, as it would cause least upset to their pre-warp society, as long as they remain unknowing of it. And accessing such information quickly, covertly, would help our mission stay on the surface for a much shorter period of time, and thus helping us to uphold the prime directive. Moreover, we are already deceiving them and trying to retrieve information from them, so what harm would some telepathy add?
“On the other hand, like I said, it is generally unethical, and among the Aenar, we have strong codes about not doing it without consent. But what ethics weighs stronger here? The individuals’ right to mental privacy, or getting the data as fast and easy as possible, and thereby minimise detection?”
– Ensign Kajhel (Security)
Roman gave the question some consideration. It would be an extremely handy talent, putting aside how uncomfortable it made him. He had to gather his thoughts. “I won’t say it wouldn’t be a helpful talent in a mission like this, however I also won’t force you to do something you are uncomfortable with. If you don’t wish to break the ethics of your people, then it is not our place to make you.”
~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO
“Thank you, sir.”
He took a deep breath, and brought the hands in front of his body, in a spirit of animation. He only noticed it after he had done so.
“It is already unethical to be deceitful and lie, so how big a step is it to read someone’s thoughts? It’s so easy, I could do it right now. Like, how are we supposed to gather information if not by prying? So would this be much more of an overstep? Are there any ethical information-gathering methods here?”
Kajhel’s hands moved as he spoke. Not much, ever so slightly, but they were demonstrative of his conviction.
Alden’s reaction had provoked Kajhel slightly, so he felt a need to bring down the drama of it, yet at the same time, tell him that it was such an easy thing to do and that he would be willing to do it. It was Alden’s responsibility as his commanding officer on the team whether or not Kajhel would use this or not. And as officer of command, he would also take responsibility if it should go wrong.
– Ensign Kajhel (Security)
It’s so easy, I could do it right now. How did Roman know he wasn’t doing it? How, if Kajhel was willing the break his ethics on Roman’s command, did Roman know he wouldn’t give in to curious temptation and do it anytime he pleased? Did that mean he could hear what Roman was thinking now? Was there no way for him to not sense Roman’s private feelings and emotions?
There was a significant trauma in Roman’s past. Three years ago, his ship had been attacked by Klingons and left disabled, drifting through space on the edge of the Federation for a month before it was recovered. Overall, over thirty officers had died, one of which a close childhood friend of Roman’s. Roman had been among the severely injured. Roman experienced several aftereffects of the incident, among them reoccuring nightmares, hypervigilance, and social isolation. He never spoke about it and he hated anyone knowing about it. He thought it made him look weak as a leader, and he didn’t want to be asked about it or anything. No, he just wanted to be left alone about it, it was better to him to keep it private.
“We lie in order to protect the development of the civilisation, to prevent them from learning things they are not ready to know. Not to deceive them,” he replied. “Is it much more of an overstep? Ensign, to those of us who cannot read minds, our personal thoughts and feelings are deeply private. The offense if someone found out what you were doing would be much greater than that if they found out we lied about our identities. Also to be considered, this world is considered equivalent to Earth’s medieval era. If they have similar ideals and you are caught, it could mean being tried and executed for witchcraft.”
~ Roman
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