Pandora's Box #127 - 128 "Philosophy from a Psychologist"

<<< Previous Log ]   [ Log Index ]   [ Next Log >>>

-={On}=- [Counselor's Office, USS Pegasus]

Andrew looked at the PADD on his desk again. It appeared he had babysitting duty, on account of the Morale Officer getting into a barroom brawl. "Great, just what I want. Babysitting a feline." Andrew was suddenly glad the doors were soundproof. "I've really gotta ask Floyd for that cure sometime soon..." He grabbed a PADD, placed it in his pocket, and began walking to the Brig.

Ryylar did his best to smile and reaffirm that he had to keep a positive attitude on this. It would be much easier had this revelation come to him after his time in the brig was up, but the hum of the forcefield and the stark bland walls dampened his spirits and he was fighting a constant battle of his will versus the brig's aesthetics to be happy.

Andrew entered the brig. He saw the men who had supposedly caused the fight in cells, and Ryylar in one, looking cheerful. "Intriguing. Despite his situation, the Cait appears to be happy." Andrew shook his head, and moved on as if he mant to say that. "You're Ryylar, I presume? Heard about the brawl earlier, and I'm here to make your acquaintance." "And to see if you're really all that menacing" he added quietly.

"You'rrrrrrre the counssssssselorrrrrrr then? Prrrrrrrobably my bessssst hope forrrrrrr a quick rrrrrrrreleasssse then. A pleasssssssurrrrrrre to meet you." He said with a nod and smile. Andrew wrote some notes on his PADD. "Doesn't seem all that bad. Explains the morale officer position. Somewhat ironic he hurt men aboard this ship, seeing that he's SUPPOSED to keep them happy." He glanced up. Clearly, Ryylar heard what he just said. "Uhh... anyway, pleasure to meet you as well. We'll be seeing quite a bit of each other after you get out, it appears."

"I ssssshould hope ssssssso. Ssssssinccccce it'ssssss Caelen'sssssss orrrrrderrrrrrrsssss." He said with a nod, standing up.

"I would ssssshake yourrrrr hand and offerrrrrr to let you come in forrrrrr a drrrrrrrink, but I'm afrrrrrrraid I can't." He said, trying to chuckle and make a joke.

Andrew smiled. "I don't know how you're able to do it. If I were in there, I'd need a psychologist to try and keep this psychologist sane." He looked at Ryylar. "You don't seem aggressive, I don't know why you're being forced into this..."

"Becausssssse I'm not politically convenient." He said matter of factly as he nodded, repeating the reason cited to him by all three members of the command staff.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "What a stupid reason..." he murmured to himself. "From what I heard about the incident, what you did was honourable. That reason's just a way of saying 'good job, but don't do it, fool.'" Jeers could be heard from the cells of the others. "And of course, the dymbbell pushers get angry when I agree with the Cait..." he said to himself.

"Well sssssirrrrr while I agrrrrrrree with you, and sssssssso doesssssss mossssst of the crrrrrrrrew, you terrrrrrranssss have a sssssaying that no good deed ssshall go unpunished." He said with a slight smile. It was hard maintaining a smile when he found that the counselor agreed with him. He could feel his heart tugging at him to just agree with the counselor, but his mind snapped him back and his love for Kristiana cemented him there. He wouldn't falter.

"The smile now seems forced. Hmm..." Andrew wrote on his PADD as he continued speaking his mind. "Would be interesting to pursue the reasons for this in the 2 weeks I'm forced to watch him after shifts..." He looked up. "I really need to get that damn cure... My job's impossible with this thing."

"On the contrrrrrrarrrrrry ssssssirrrrrrr, I find it verrrrrry rrrrrrefrrrrresssshing and much morrrrrrre comforrrrrrtable to sssssspeak to you knowing that we have sssssssomething in common. Even if it issssss thissssss sssssstupid virrrrrrusssss." He said with a nod.

"I couldn't agree more. I love it for the fact I don't have to brain pick as much. But I can't let others know what I think of what they're saying, or they'll be able to reinforce their lies to get past what I'm thinking." He sighed. "But it's not hard to tell what I think of you Ryylar, I would have openly said it if the irus didn't make me say it earlier. You're a nice guy. Suits the morale officer position."

"Thank you sssssssirrrrrr. I only hope that I fit sssssssecurrrrrrity even morrrrrre." He said with a nod.

"Clearly, based on your actions in the Bellerophon's Den, that would be the case..." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Now you see why I'm saying it's hard to do my job with this virus..."

"I can underrrrrrsssssstand yourrrrrr need forrrrrr tact. I jussssssst wonderrrrrr and perrrrrrhapssss you can exxxxxplain it to me ssssssirrrrrr. Why do humansssssss pay morrrrrrre attention to politicssssss than morrrrrality and honorrrrrrr?" He asked, his smile disappearing as his true inquisitive nature came forth.

"I could give the humourous answer, but you'd just ask the question again. The reason why I think we don't use honour as much anymore is due to the fact that honour can only go so far. Other species would kill us if we turn our backs to them. Hell, other humans would do it. Making false alliances gets one further ahead than morality."

"But if we all acted with honorrrrrrr and did the rrrrrrright thing, would we not be in a betterrrrrrrr galaxxxxy?" He asked, not understanding completely.

"Ideally, yes. But when you think about it, all species are self centered. All want to be one up on everyone else. Perfect example is World War 2 and the race for atomic bombs. The winner would have the advantage. With honour, backstabbing for personal gain can't happen. So we backstab, scrweing morality." "And killing everyone off. Soon, no one will remain, and this will be for nought..." He added quietly.

"I guessssss I have a lot to learrrrrrn. I hope I'm neverrrrrrr in a posssssition wherrrrrrre many many livessssss arrrrrrre in my handssssss. I would prrrrrrrrobably fail Sssssstarrrrrrfleet then and do the morrrrrrral thing rrrrrrratherrrrrrr than what rrrrrrrregulationsssssss call forrrrrr." He nodded a bit saddened.

Andrew jotted notes on his PADD. "To be honest Ryllar, I'd probably do the same. It might get me kicked out of Starfleet, but at least I'd have a sense of justice in my mind. Remember that. You did what you thought was RIGHT. Not what others think was right, but what you thought. You may be in here, but the barmaid isn't traumatized, and I'll be seeing her sometime soon to talk about it, and the others..." He looked at the other cells, "the others re being aptly punished as well."

"But if I did what wassssss rrrrrrrright, then why am I herrrrrre? Ssssssssorrrrrrry. Ssssstupid quessssstion. I've allrrrrrrready gotten the anssssswerrrrrr. I guesssssss changing who you arrrrrrrre issssss a lot morrrrrre difficult than I thought." He said with a nod.

"At least you're trying to change. Asking questions will help." "Better than I ever did..." He looked down to the floor, lost in thoughts.

"I'm changing to be a betterrrrrrrr officcccerrrrrrr. It'ssssss going to be harrrrrrd though. The only thing I've had all my life wassssss my morrrrrral compasssss, essssspecially afterrrrrr being exiled frrrrrrom Caitian ssssssoccccciety. Now it'sssss a hindrrrrrranccccce that will cossssst me everrrrrrrything I love." He said with a nod.

"I know it'll be hard, but perhaps joining security will be befeficial. The ability to save lives in case of an attack would kinda throw out the 'right' thing. Because the right thing is the morally correct thing. Incapacitating the victim, whether through death or unconsciousness, is correct."

"I'm morrrrrrre worrrrrried about ssssssomething like thissssss happening again. What if I'm called in to help sssssstop a confrrrrrrrontation asssss ssssssecurrrrrrity and I ssssssstrrrrrrrike a ssssssuperrrrrriorrrrr rrrrrranking officcccerrrrrrr like thossssse guysssss?" He asked, thumbing down towards the Lieutenants. How was he supposed to do his job if it meant that by doing it he was going to be punished?

"Remember the simple rules. Never strike a superior, never attack when a peaceful solution is possible, and when in doubt, call backup. That's how it's been since forever, I don't expect it'll change." Andrew replied.

"But what if it would take longerrrrrrr forrrrrr backup orrrrrrr help to arrrrrive? Am I going to be exxxxxpected to ssssssit therrrrre and watch sssssssomeone get hurrrrrrrt?" He asked, his brow furrowing.

"I know it's angering you, I can see that. Call in backup, delay the attack as long as possible, even if that means standing in the way of it."

He nodded. At least by standing in the way of it he could delay the attack.

"That'ssssss prrrrrobably the bessssst ansssswerrrrr I've everrrrrrr gotten to a quessssstion like that Doc." He said with a nod.

Andrew laughed. "Yeah well, sometimes command may not know the best answer to everything. It's not like the Admirality encountered every situation. So, a philosophical answer would be best."

Ryylar nodded.

"Well sssssssirrrrrr like I sssssssaid, I'm going to trrrrrrry and imprrrrrove myssssself sssssso thingssssss like thissssss don't happen again." He said with a nod.

Andrew nodded. "That would be best. Remember, honour gives you the inital reaction. Keep that, but don't base everything on it."

"I hope you don't think I'm nutssssssss forrrrrrr being all sssssssmilessssss when you arrrrrrrived doc... I jussssst hearrrrrrd a tune and it rrrrrrreminded me of... no, you'll think it'sssss ssssssilly." He said, shaking his head.

"I must say, it caught me off guard. I expected forlorn emotions, depression and a suicide threat." He smiled as he said this. "This is nice. I'm not even speaking my mind due to the virus with him. It's just flowing." He said softly.

"Well ssssssirrrrrr. The sssssssong issssss called "Ssssssmile" by Charrrrrrlie Chaplin... Maybe if you hearrrrrrr it you'll underrrrrsssstand why I wassssss ssssssmiling." he said with a nod.

"I'll look into it. And about that thing you say I'd find silly, we'll see during the two weeks of psychiatric assessment. Hell, the way things look now, we'll be playing chess after one week." He laughed as he said this.

"Thrrrrrree orrrrrrr two dimenssssssional?" He smiled brightly. The Caitian military academy had promoted tactical and logical thought processes and exercised them by playing live games of chess and the simpler board games.

"Depends on what you prefer. I have an old keepsdake two dimensional chess board from my ancestors of the 21st century. Granite board, glass pieces. Quite beautiful, really. Of course, I'd have to get a three dimensional one on shore leave if we want to play that." He continued smiling.

"I'd be happy to play you Doc." He said with a grin.

"It'd be interesting. Anyway, I should be heading out. My shift is about done, I'm getting hungry and tired, and I still need that stupid cure. Just don't go all angsty on us in here, and don't let those nimrods in the other cells get to you too much." He stood up, saved his document on his PADD, and prepared to leave.

He nodded.

"I have to ssssssay that you'rrrrrre not assssss sssssscarrrrry asssssss the Counsssssslorrrrrr'ssssss rrrrreputation paintsssssss you." He said while sitting back on the bench in his cell.

"The couselor reputation of being serious and always picking your brain? That's me, I just hide it well. Everything I ask can be used to make a profile of a person. I just don't do it all the time. Anyways, until our first meeting then." Andrew turned around and began walked to the brig exit.

He nodded and smiled, watching the counselor leave. Whether it was an act or the truth, Ryylar felt good in the idea that the Counselor seemed to understand him and be on his side.

-={Off}=-

Understanding a jailbird:

Ensign Andrew Kennedy Chief Counselor USS Pegasus "A feline jailbird, that's a first..."

Warrant Officer Ryylar Morale Officer Jailbird USS Pegasus "The right thing to do is not necessarily the legal thing to do."

<<< Previous Log ]   [ Log Index ]   [ Next Log >>>