Meeting of the Minds

Posted on Mon Nov 23rd, 2015 @ 6:59pm by Captain Charybdis MacGregor
Edited on on Mon Nov 23rd, 2015 @ 7:01pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Taking Chances
Location: USS Bonne Chance, Deck 2, Chief Science Officer's office
Timeline: 2265
Tags: bonnechance,Suval

Suval sent a message to Charybdis for her to report to his quarters at 1630 hours. It provided him time to complete his duty shift and make a few rounds to the science labs before he would speak with her. He planned to inform her that she was being returned to duty, though he was going to be very specific with what she would be doing to start off with. He considered meditation before the meeting, but decided to forego in hopes that she might not be as irrational this go around. He continued on with his work as normal, with only an hour left on his duty shift on the bridge.

The message came across the tiny screen as Charybdis was using a ridiculously easy quiz built into the materials to test her understanding of turbolift principles and maintenance, and she raised an eyebrow. His quarters? That certainly was appropriate... actually exactly the opposite thereof. Place a formal reprimand in her file and suspend her from duty, then his first contact was to invite her to his quarters? Apparently Suval had never done any research into the sexual harassment policies of the Starfleet Code of Military Justice, and it made her chuckle. Ohhhh, the trouble he could get into just for this action alone never even occurred to his logical mind. To him, of course nothing sexual or inappropriate would occur, so it never dawned on him that it could be interpreted any other way. It was illogical.

She checked her duty status- she was still unassigned at the moment, but she would check a few more times to insure that he wasn't entrapping her with the meeting by calling her to meet with him, only to have assigned her to be on duty at that moment under the pretense of Section 24, subsection 71, paragraph 5: "All Starfleet personnel will be aware of their duty status at all times and report on time for their assigned duty." She rechecked the status reports from Science and Engineering, as she had been for the past few days, and rechecked the SCMJ to insure that she had the appropriate passages and sections memorized.

Her options were certainly opening up faster and faster. She set an alarm for 1530 to remind her to shower and dress, so that she would be inappropriately early, and returned to the turbolift quiz, making notes for questions that she would ask instead if she were writing the quiz- less overview, more useful facts one would need for the job.

The computer chimed, indicating 1530 before she knew it, and she hopped in and out of the shower quickly, put on her uniform, brushed out her hair, installed her headband and made sure that her appearance was Admiralty-inspection ready. Then her right eyebrow shot up, and with a smirk she sprayed just a hint of 'Pon farr' behind her ears. It was within regulations, but few of the females onboard bothered with scents, and it would add an element to this meeting that made her giggle.

At 1549 she sashayed out of her quarters and headed down the hall to Lieutenant Suval's quarters, where she placed her back against the bulkhead, placed one foot against it as well, crossed her arms and waited. She didn't know if he was inside or not, but this would give her the opportunity to intercept him on his way in if he was not, and it would just look awkward if he was. But she was patient... she had nothing but time as she reviewed schematics in her head, guessing the relays and conduits that ran through the walls and in the visible conduits overhead.

Suval looked to the chronometer that adorned his sparse quarters. He had 5 minutes before his meeting, and no sign of the requested. He decided to make sure she was en route. He walked to his intercom panel and sent a message for her to check in. He was quickly responded to by Charybdis, who informed him that she was outside his quarters. He informed her to proceed in.

As the door closed behind Charybdis, she stood at attention, and Suval stood. Pressing a button on the wall, he turned to her, "Because of the informal setting, I want you to feel at ease. Please be aware I have activated the monitoring options so that a full record of this meeting will be available should either of us require a review at a later date. I wish to inform you that I shall be returning you to duty as of 1500 hours tomorrow. You will be functioning as my Beta Shift commander, and will be responsible for completing any tasks that I or the rest of Alpha shift is unable to complete. It is my hope that you will take to the task as a means to show you are capable of following rules and regulations and perhaps gain a place in Alpha Shift over time."

She arched an eyebrow but remained at attention, apparently waiting to see if he would either dismiss her, invite her to speak or if he planned to continue.

Suval saw a bit of tension in Charybdis. He suspected that she would prefer to be out of there rather than talk with him further. He decided to be as brief as possible. "I have been informed that you are getting familiar with just about every system on the ship. This is admirable, but might I suggest that the first thing you review and commit to memory are the rules and regulations so that we do not have another incident moving forward. I have sent a copy of them to your computer console in your quarters for review at the first opportunity." He was belittling while still being professional. It was something Vulcans were able to do with great efficiency, and something that most people had trouble dealing with.

A sigh escaped her and she shook her head- like most Vulcans, he stood on protocol when it suited him and ignored it when it did not. She produced a data card tape from somewhere behind her, and tossed it casually onto his desk, where it skidded over to him.

"I'll save you the trouble. It's a copy of my transfer request to Engineering. The first things you said to me were that you expected work of the highest quality from the department, and that I would be set to an even higher standard if I expected to remain in your department in good standing. The very first words you spoke to me were prejudicial, and that set the tone for our relationship right there. That you would discriminate against me."

"I wasn't on duty when I reported to the sensor array. You expressed in one of your Science Officer logs that they needed calibration... since I had no official duties as yet, as I am still on leave and just checking into the command, I volunteered to do it. Yes, I ignored protocol. Yes, I should have had much more help. And you could have chosen to assign it. Instead you let me go on alone, then added a reprimand in my file and relieved me of duty... which you never checked to insure that I was on duty... while others corrected my 'mistakes'... which were nonexistent. I followed the technical manuals and procedures to the letter, and all the wasted work you put your department and Engineering through for the past few days just proved that. I have read the reports, just as you have. That was time that could have been spent much more constructively- all of the transporters have still not been properly calibrated, the helm controls are still in need of a level 5 diagnostic, the shuttlecraft have not even begun their test flight checklists, the lateral and navigation sensors have not been calibrated... the list goes on."

"You, Lieutenant, have made it abundantly clear that your bigotry towards me is not something that you are capable of overcoming, and I am unwilling to linger and absorb your abuse of position while I wait to see if perhaps a few years of good service might change your mind. I am taking the Chief Engineer's exam tomorrow at 1200. I expect before the Beta Shift tomorrow I should have completed it and qualified to be Chief Engineer of a Constitution Class starship. And seeing as how the current Chief Engineer is rotating off this duty station, I should be perfect for the job, and hopefully I will be considered."

"I did take the time to review, by the by, and you might want to consider taking your own advice, Lieutenant. I will not choose to press charges against you for discrimination and unfair persecution, as per the Starfleet Code of Military Justice, Chapter 10, subsection six hundred, part twenty: Commanders at all levels must be personally, directly, and continuously involved in correcting discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity for all Starfleet personnel."

"You demanded more, unfairly... but in the Starfleet spirit of cooperation I gave you more. You penalized me for it, so I worked harder; perhaps this too was a test. And I gave you this opportunity, which you chose to use to insult, belittle and attempt to force me to be what you wanted rather than seeing any flaws in your professional behavior. If you block my request or deny me the ability to test it will only prove my point, and you and I will be facing one another over an official hearing, where the facts are not at all in your favor. And for the record? I never took leave in four years on the Antares. I have 258.73 hours of leave time available to me... I can relax on Starbase 4 while we wait for a tribunal to determine your punishment, Lieutenant, if that's your decision, and I will not spend another moment directly under your command."

"But after all of the previous opportunities I have offered you, which you chose to use rather illogically, I am giving you this opportunity, right here and now. It is obvious that I will never get fair treatment from you while in your department. However, in the interest of professionalism I am stepping aside to pursue a different venue rather than allowing your prejudice to attempt to ruin my career, and this matter need not be spoken of any further outside this room. I do not plan to press charges and bring this embarrassment to light. Unless, of course, you wish to make a larger issue of it and bring the facts to bear in a military hearing, to be judged by our peers. Starfleet peers, of course, as this is a Starfleet matter. I do not serve on a Vulcan vessel for very good reasons, which you have illustrated clearly over the past few days."

Throughout it all, she had been calm. Not emotionless- if anything she sounded regretful at the course of action. But she had maintained an even tone and a calm demeanor throughout, and her logic was not unsound.

Suval was calm and emotionless. The diatribe had done little but confirm his belief that her emotions were indeed in control of her and make him wonder if he was up to the task of instructing her in the values of logic. Her emotions were so deeply rooted, it would likely take years of intense meditation and introspection to even begin to break through the resistance. Should he inform her that he was aware of all that she had done and was not in the least bit concerned about her baseless accusations. Logic dictated that he provide her with all relevant information.

"Both logic and my duty as an officer require that I inform you that I have been aware of all of your actions from the moment you came aboard the ship. You may check the duty logs to see that from the moment I was made aware of you, you have been included in all reports, despite you not being given assignments. Additionally, as StarFleet officers, we are always on duty. How you spend your recreational time is in fact up to you; however, rules and regulations exist for a reason, and you did indeed bend, if not break them. I showed you the courtesy of keeping this issue in the department, but you seem to wish to go over my head. Only further proof that your emotions, in union with your lack of experience due to youth cloud your judgement. After speaking with Admiral Mullen in the JAG office, I can tell you that the idle threats you are making will not dissuade me from doing my duty. Furthermore, it should be noted that racial norms are considered when dealing with decorum in the regulations. While you obviously cannot handle dealing with others of a more enlightened nature, that does not change the fact that I am indeed the superior officer and will expect proper respect given to that station. I will expect you at your duty station at the required hour tomorrow unless proper documentation is provided to the contrary. I suggest you take the time between now and then to meditate and seek harmony and balance. You are dismissed."

It was all so matter of factly on his part. No emotion, no inflections in his voice, not the slightest hint of emotion. It had to be agonizing for anyone that railed against logic as she did. Seeing how indifferent he was was only more taxing, as she was turning to leave and he was walking towards a ceremonial chest in his room.

"Fine. I'll be filing those charges in a few moments, and we'll see what comes of it. The JAG office, I somehow doubt, will leave me under your supervision with such charges filed against you. Meanwhile, if you are so very determined to have me under your control so that you can abuse me, I'll make this abundantly clear to you. I left Vulcan because one of your kind tried to strangle me after abusing me for over two years, determined to 'rehabilitate' me. I joined Starfleet to be free to live as myself, and not have to subject myself to the likes of you and your bigotry. I will be free of you or I will resign my commission, plain and simple, and if need be I will serve in Starfleet as a civilian, or perhaps find another venue. But I. Will. Not. Be. Bullied. By. You."

Suval remained cold and distant in appearance. "That another became violent with you is regrettable. That you feel that we are all identical is equally regrettable. I have found, through talks with my children, that our ancient saying of infinite diversity in infinite combinations becomes more and more true the longer we live. I believe you view me as hostile, a pure logical Vulcan that is devoid of heart. That is far from the truth. I take my duties very seriously, and hold my subordinates to high standards. I would expect the same thing from myself that I expect of you or any other. You feel that I have lashed out against you, that I am wrongfully targeting you for wrongs you do not feel you have committed. I am simply following logic and regulations. My daughter Saavik would tell me that I need to alter my perceptions and allow for less than perfection. If that is what is required, so be it. It should be noted that my hope was to make you my assistant chief in the future. As we apparently have a difference of opinion, I suggest we attempt to resolve it rather than allow it to fester. Do you agree with this assessment?"

The look of incredulity on her face was lost on the emotionless Vulcan, but he did realize that it was the first time that she had shown naked emotion since entering his quarters.

"You haven't really listened to a word I've said, have you Lieutenant?" she said slowly. "Even your attempt at an apology is insulting, insinuating that you are perfect, thus the rest of us are flawed." Charybdis sighed and shook her head. "Yes... I would much prefer for our relationship to be something other than adversarial. But that is completely and entirely your choice. I greeted you as a respected elder only to be threatened. I have not insulted you, but been consistently insulted. I have not reprimanded you until now, but had my record permanently damaged by you. I have not penalized you until now, yet I have been penalized. I have not shown disrespect for your position, but have been disrespected by it consistently. I have simply done my very best, and in return you have consistently delivered contempt that has nothing to do with regulations, and everything to do with Vulcan culture- though you do seem to delight in using the regulations to enforce that. What about such an officer would make me even remotely desirous of being his assistant... I, who am of the same rank and nearly the same qualification as you, who might have instead been your superior should I have been transferred to this vessel a few weeks earlier?"

"I had thought my solution was elegant in its simplicity- rather than continue to be a thorn in your side I would simply pursue another departmental avenue where I might flourish, and you would be rid of me since I am so obviously an irritant and an affront to you. Your persistence in refusing me transfer seems highly illogical. So I challenge you, Lieutenant... give me a good, logical reason why I should work to resolve this difference of opinion that as I threaten legal action you now suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, can perceive?" She held up her index finger. "A good logical reason that makes sense to me, from my perspective which i have just clearly explained... not what seems logical to you."

Suval could see this was a fruitless endeavor. Once bias took root, it clouded everything and made it impossible to proceed. Nonetheless, a question had been posed, and an answer was required. "You ask for a logical response, but that is not waht you want at all. You simply see that which your jaded perspective allows. It is a flawed state which I will not continue down. You see threats where none exist, hostility and inappropriate behavior where none has been presented, and my attempts to help you false on deaf ears. I would expect such reactions from a human or an Andorian, but certainly not from a member of my own race. I understand that you have had unfortunate events in the past that might tilt reasonable judgement, but that does not excuse your behavior and blatant disregard for policy and procedure. You ask me to provide you with a logical reason for you to want to deal rationally with this conflict, a conflict that is emotionally driven and by its very nature irrational. Logic dictates that it is far better to deal with a problem than to run away from it. You solution solves nothing. If you are an abomination in my eyes, how woulf you being in another department change that perspective? Point in fact, you being on the same ship as i and any other Vulcan ought to cause you nothing but problems. As you have said yourself, you left Vulcan to get away from us, and yet you joined StarFleet, knowing that you would have to be around Vulcans who serve the Federation here as well. The issue is not with me, but with yourself. You are running away from the conflict within yourself. Inside your mind and heart, you know this is true. Your rebellious attitude toward your own kind, the hatred of logic, makes you sound more like a Romulan than a Vulcan. For it was the Romulans that could not see beyond passions, refused to embrace the purity of logic, and for that they were cast out. You see yourself as a martyr, one who must sacrifice to be around other Vulcans. You play on the emotion of pity, hoping to gain support through remorse. I have none for you. I have only my logic. I had hoped that we could work together as colleagues, that I might be able to over time mentor you and show you that logic does indeed hold the key to your salvation, but I see now that this is not possible. As such, i will give you what is required. Please report to the bridge at 0800 hours for duty at the Science station. Dismissed."

The Vulcan had spoken at a level tone, but his words cut into her like a hot chisel through ice. It was an empassioned speech by Suval, despite the fact that no emotion had come from it. All she could do was leave and ponder his words.

Suval for his part, once Charybdis had left his quarters, disengaged the recording device. He then went to his computer console and requested a communication channel to be openned to StarFleet Command. He spoke with Admiral Selar, deputy chief of StarFllet Science and asked for an immediate transfer to a new posting. He was told that orders would be sent to the captian immediately notifying of Suval's immediate transfer to Earth and for him to take a shuttle to rendezvous with the the USS Oberth which was returnign to earth from a research assignment. Suval thanked the Admiral and then proceeded to begin to gather his things for immediate transport.

 

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