STF

Standard check in with the CNS.

Posted Nov. 13, 2018, 3:06 a.m. by Lieutenant Tom Jarvis (Internal Security) (David Bennett)

Posted by Lieutenant Riley Dekker (CNS & 2O) in Standard check in with the CNS.

Posted by Lieutenant Tom Jarvis (Internal Security) in Standard check in with the CNS.

Posted by Lieutenant Riley Dekker (CNS & 2O) in Standard check in with the CNS.
Posted by… suppressed (12) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>

Riley cleared his throat, “I’m going to assume I passed.”

“Easily.” Tom said with a genuine smile.

He settled further into his seat, dark eyes taking in the man across from him, trying to read his body language. It was a poor substitute for his sixth sense.

Tom’s body language was even hard to read. Most likely due to the extensive training Tom had in reading body language himself.

“We can talk about your work in a minute. I’d like to start with your personal life. From my notes, it looks like we’ve talked before about the difficulty you have forming social bonds due to your psionic field. The Captain is the only person aboard the ship who is able to remember you, due to his android components, correct? How are you doing here on the Genesis? With the crew?”

Dekker, CNS

Tom steepled his fingers at his chin and looked thoughtful.

“Our half Denobulan science officer, Ensign Fahr, get’s incapacitating headaches when we cross paths. Something about part of her brain telling her that she knows me while not being able to bring up any memories. I have a program set up that monitors our proximity and lets me know if we’re about to cross paths and from what direction so I can keep out of sight and out of mind.”

That piqued Riley’s curiosity, but he stayed silent. He wasn’t a medical scientist, but he wondered if there was an avenue worth exploring if the man before him one day hoped to counteract the effects of his psionic field. Of course, the lieutenant may very well be comfortable with things as they stood.

Tom relaxed his arms again resting them on the arms of the chair.

“The Captain is the Captain. Cybernetics help him remember. Sort of cheating if you ask me.” Tom said with a smile, “The XO, through recordings, now recognizes me on sight, knows how long I’ve been here, and knows to record any and all activities with me if he wan’t to know about it later. As far as the general crew go, I’m doing as I usually do with the crew. Every day is the first day. I must be new to the ship, and usually the suspicious stares of those who recognize the black on black of Internal Security rather than the charcoal on black of Intel. I have been here long enough to know how to manipulate certain members of the crew through conversation to get desired responses if I chose to, not that I would ever do that for personal gain. Besides, I’m sure you know the monotony of having the same conversation over and over and over. It doesn’t take long before the monotony over rides the enjoyment. I learned that really fast in the academy. In my line of work it’s usually not smart to involve one’s self in long term dedicated relationships anyway. I’m probably too close to the Captain but there’s something about someone being able to remember me that I find comforting.”

  • Tom, IntSec

Part of Riley wondered about the effect on crew morale, seeing an unknown security officer on board the ship, frequently. Especially now that they were heading into deep space and there was little opportunity for new crew to board, but he shelved the thought for the moment. He hadn’t heard any whispers of unease and so he kept the conversation focused on Tom.

“Is Captain King the first person who has been able to remember you?”

Dekker, CNS

Tom thought a moment.

“No. There have been one or two from an asylum but they were so far gone anyway. Oh yeah,” Tom said getting a gleam in his eye and a half smile, “There was this extra-dimensional being that was on board for a while. She was Azmodian. She couldn’t pin down specifics, but she could recognize me and that we were familiar with each other. She was the first sentient in a long time I had considered pursuing for personal interaction over the long term but then she had to leave. Then there was a member of the crew that had apparently had her brain experimented on that somehow immunized her to my forget field. Unnerving, intriguing, and attractive all at the same time.”

  • Tom, IntSec

Riley noted the positive words Jarvis used when talking about the two females who had been able to remember him. As unnerving as it was, words were all he had to go by with the man across from him.

“Are you in touch with either of these people still?”

Dekker, CNS

Tom smiled wistfully.

“Alas no. I’ve considered purging them from my memory but I’m still enjoying them. Especially the dark lady with the horns, hooves, and voluptuous endowments.”

Tom’s eyes snapped to Rileys as he momentarily looked uncomfortable.

“But I suppose remembering them is rather pointless now as the chance of meeting them again would likely be no more than a minute singularity.”

  • Tom, IntSec

Tom joked. Riley knew that was often a cover for very different feelings, but he couldn’t pierce the veil of Tom’s psionic field to ascertain for himself. A thought struck him. Riley and Tom were really quite opposites. Sensing others’ emotions allowed Riley to become deeply connected to people. When loved ones were away it wasn’t simply their smell or the sound of their voice that he missed, but something altogether more intangible. Feeling others made him feel even more. He wouldn’t be able to function in Tom’s world. In fact, few non-empaths would be able to.

“Humans, humanoids, are social creatures. There have been a number of documented studies that show isolation’s deleterious effects to one’s psyche. How do you cope with this?”

Dekker, CNS

“I don’t know. I think I’m doing okay. And I’m not really isolated, I’m just…” Tom looked deep in thought for a moment, “I’m just on the outside. An observer of secrets and lies others think hidden. You’d be amazed what people will say when they forget you’re near.”

  • Tom, IntSec

“That sounds like one of those superpowers people wonder about. It’s like the proverbial fly on the wall. You can hear and see and no one knows you were there. But what’s the fun of knowing secrets if you can’t share them? Of course, that’s part of my job description. I learn things about people I’ll never share. I can use my empathic abilities to understand others in a way they may not even understand themselves. I like to think I use my abilities to help. Do you feel the same?”

Dekker, CNS

Tom nodded.

“I understand all to well about keeping secrets I can’t tell anyone about, however, I can forget them if I want. But for the most part I think I’m doing my part to help protect the Federation from internal domestic threats. I don’t have empathic abilities to work with but I can read body language and hear voice stresses that enable me to fake it at times. For example, I can tell that my own psionic field blocking your ability to pick me up with your own psionic abilities makes you a little uncomfortable and very curious.”

  • Tom, IntSec

“It is,” Riley admitted. “I’m not used to being on an even playing field, so to speak. Or, perhaps, at a disadvantage. There are a few species who are blanks to empaths, but they are uncommon in the Federation.”

Riley shifted in his seat and changed tacks, “Are you finding your work here on the Genesis fulfilling? Is there enough to keep you occupied?”

Dekker, CNS

“You mean other than reassuring crew mates that I’m not spying on them?” Tom laughed, “Yeah. There’s always something. Snippets of overheard conversations, unauthorized use of ship’s resources, questionable statements in careless conversation. Almost all of it amounting to nothing but notated anyway in case it becomes relevant.”

For a moment Riley wondered if all starships had a person acting in a similar vein or if the Genesis had been singled out for the honor, and why. It was an unsettling thought, but an inappropriate question to ask in a session focused on the patient’s health and status.

Tom shifted forward again looking slightly uncomfortable.

“With us heading out for unexplored territory with potential first contact situations, I’m not sure how my duties will change. Internal Security is just that, internal, concerned with domestic matters within the Federation. Outside the Federation, that’s more Marishka’s territory.”

  • Tom, IntSec

“Without giving me any details beyond my clearance, can you tell me if you’ve sought guidance from your superiors on your role for this mission?”

Dekker, CNS

Tom smirked, he was obviously out of his element when it came to exploration and first contact.

“Yeah, I did. Their reply was, on top of my normal IntSec duties, to follow Julien’s orders until further notice. They’ve made Julien my handler as he’s the only one on record that can remember me directly due to his cybernetics.”

  • Tom, IntSec

“Hmm,” Riley mused, “it makes you wonder if they know more than we do about what’s out here. I would think you’re unique abilities make you quite valuable and your posting a matter of consideration. I apologize. I don’t mean to delve too deeply into the nature of your work, but I suppose I’ll remember little of our conversation besides what’s in my notes. Are you comfortable with the Captain acting as your handler? His background is medical not security.”

Dekker, CNS

Tom nodded.

“My abilities are a two edged sword. As valuable as they may be, when no-one in my department can ever remember meeting me personally it’s easy for them to overlook me because of the lack of even a first impression. I’m comfortable with Julien being my handler, his background is irrelevant and, so far, you haven’t heard anything above your security clearance so I can send you an unedited recording of this session if you like.” Tom said pointing to the small recording device on the table between them, “It’s a light field recorder so, if you want, you can view it from any angle you like. You could even take the recording to the holodeck and walk around the scene as it plays out in life sized glory.”

  • Tom, IntSec

“I’d like that. It may make things less disorienting the next time we meet,” Riley nodded toward the recorder. “It sounds to me, Mr. Jarvis, as if things are as they are and that’s okay. I don’t see any causes for concern on a psychological level that are new and Captain King has expressed no concerns. As I’ll have no memory of you in a short while, I rely on you and the Captain to reach out. I appreciate that you’ve done so today. Do you have anything other you’d like to discuss before we finish?”

Dekker, CNS

“Nothing I can think of.” Tom said as he grabbed his recorder and stood up, “If something comes up I’ll be sure to come see you.”

Tom held his hand out.

“I’ll send the recording to you in about twenty minutes.”

  • Tom, IntSec

Riley took the man’s hand and thanked him. It was hard to believe he’d forget this encounter so soon and so easily.

For that brief moment of contact as they shook hands, Riley experienced something odd. Complete silence. Alone with his own thoughts and emotions without so much as the background hum of others. As they released the silence was gone just as fast, the background noise of surface thoughts and emotions had returned as if nothing had happened, and Tom left.

Tom, IntSec

After Tom’s departure, Riley took a seat behind his desk and began updating reports. When his terminal dinged, letting him know of an incoming file he was mildly startled. He opened it. It was an audio file and as he let it play he found himself in a state of disbelief. It was his voice and the computer assured him the recording had completed no fewer than twenty minutes earlier, but he had no memory of the conversation. He did recall Julien telling him quite a long time ago about an officer coming aboard the Genny who had a unique psionic field. He had assumed he was no longer aboard.

“Well, I’ll be…”

Dekker, CNS


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