Posted by Cadet Rhese Bowman (Scientist) in [Pre-Sim] Counselor’s Office - Psychological Exam (Tag CNS)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Janusz Korczak (Counselor) in [Pre-Sim] Counselor’s Office - Psychological Exam (Tag CNS)

Posted by Cadet Rhese Bowman (Scientist) in [Pre-Sim] Counselor’s Office - Psychological Exam (Tag CNS)
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

[snip]

Without pause, and almost as if he could see what the young man was thinking, he asked flatly “And how do they… and you… address the fact that your service in Star Fleet could lead to your demise?”

Korczak, CNS

Bowman’s face briefly expressed a slightly shocked expression as his eyes widened. Was this man a Betazoid? Rhese had familiarized himself with the roster of officers – at least, the ones whom he would be interacting with on a regular basis, as well as the command staff. But he could not recall any Betazoids serving on the Challenger. “Well, Commander, it’s something that both they, and myself, have accepted. We talked about it at length, actually. Mom was the one who had the hardest time coming to terms with it. At first, she felt uneasy about my wanting to join Starfleet; and though I never made her any false assurances that ‘I’d be okay’ or that ‘I’d always come home to see her again’ when I left, I did promise her that I would stay in contact. And that’s a promise I’ve kept, and intend to continue to keep, throughout the entire tenure of my service,” Rhese stated. “Knowing, understanding, and accepting the fact that missions are often dangerous, the possibility of death during service is very real. Everyone knew what that meant, or I would not have signed up. If my folks hadn’t been able to support my decision because it might one day mean that I didn’t come home, then I would have stayed home. But in the end, it came down to my realizing – and their understanding – that my life had led me here; that my purpose seemed… somehow, greater than what they, and life on the homestead, could provide for me. And they gave me their blessing,” Bowman concluded.

Cadet Rhese Bowman (Scientist)

Korczak watched the Cadet explain, and he felt comfortable that he was accepting of that sometimes hard to grasp reality. But one thing he said did concern him, although his face and body language remained completely flat and expressionless. “You say that you promised to keep in contact, that you have, and that you intend to keep that promise. What will you do if you are forced by assignment or circumstance to break that promise, Cadet? Because you must realize that sometimes our duty puts us in places where communication is far from guaranteed. For instance, there is a Star Fleet vessel stationed in the Delta Quadrant. That means even subspace communication can take days, even weeks, to reach their destination. And if I know the Captain of that vessel like I think I do, I doubt that regular communication would be permitted for security concerns. And that is a ship of hundreds… potentially thousands… who would not be allowed to communicate regularly with home. How would you deal with that situation? How do you think your family, especially your mother, would?” he asked.

While he applauded the young man for being forthright with his acknowledgment of the potential dangers, Janusz was concerned that he had simply replaced the unrealistic ‘I will be fine and always come home’ belief with a more palatable fantasy.

Korczak, CNS

Bowman thought for a moment, before answering: “I definitely do understand that, sir. What would I do? Well, I would want to regularly record messages – or keep a log, even – that could be sent via subspace if or when the mission did allow. If we were going to be on a mission that required radio silence, I’d either send my folks a communique before the ship were dispatched to mention that we’d be out of touch because of the mission, or simply let them know this with communication before the mission began – if possible – and then make sure to get in touch with them once the mission was complete.” Bowman knew well that missions, especially remote missions, would mean losing contact for a while – possibly even, a long while. Also, at the mention of the Delta quadrant, Bowman couldn’t help but be reminded of the story of the Voyager from the Academy history courses. He’d often wondered what it would have been like to have been posted to that vessel; and those kinds of thoughts had prompted him to have some similar discussions with his mother. Anyway, while he was reasonably certain that the Challenger wasn’t already assigned to undertake a remote mission (so far as he knew) in the near term, the possibility still existed; though a long, remote mission wasn’t a high likelihood for a training cruise. Of course, Bowman also understood that he wouldn’t be serving on the Challenger as a cadet forever, either. At least, he hoped he wouldn’t. “But,” he continued, “my folks do know, if I don’t make contact for some reason – say, we’re given a mission which required immediate radio silence – that they can inquire through the civilian channels to see if my ship has been dispatched on such a mission. So while those kinds of missions might make me a bit homesick, they certainly would not impede my ability to perform my duties. And – my folks understand that I’ll be in contact whenever possible and permitted, sir. I only meant to say that my promise meant, to me and to my folks, that I wouldn’t forget them, or where I came from.”

Cadet Rhese Bowman (Scientist)

Korczak filed the response away in his mind and then, for the first time nodded. He then said “That is a very healthy attitude, Cadet. Don’t lose that, and it will serve you well in difficult situations. Now tell me about what interests you about science, and your specific fields of emphasis. Why plants instead of, say, geology? Or astronomy? Or even meteorology? Why life sciences specifically?”

Korczac, CNS

“I was fascinated by the plants, trees, bugs and animals all around me growing up in Alaska’s cold climate,” Bowman began without missing a beat. “It was really obvious how life had found ways to adapt to the colder climate and the really long winters. I remember thinking, as a young boy, how winter (with the cold and ice) killed everything – only to find that stuff didn’t die once spring would come around. I was captivated by this cycle, and had to learn all about it. And then, of course, that transitioned naturally into life on the homestead, too. We grew our own vegetables. At first, Dad just had cold frames – but as I grew older, he and I decided to build greenhouses so I could work on growing plants even into the late fall months – and even into winter.” Bowman always delighted in talking about plants; it was as if his interests in them had grown right along with them. “Over time, I began to study about soil aeration rates, fertilizers, hydroponics, and even delved into entomology texts to learn more about proactive fertilization, and pest and fungal control for our plants. It became more than just a hobby for me, it became my way of life. Geology does play a role, of course, when you’re talking about the make-up of the various soils – as does the weather. But I guess because of the greenhouses, one could say I made my own weather for my plants back then,” Rhese said with a chuckle. “But I’m still interested in meteorology, too; it directly influences the life cycle of plants and animals. I feel that it’s all connected.” Rhese thought, then, for a moment. “I guess I just chose to stick with plants as my primary specialty because I enjoy them so much,” he added with a smile.

Cadet Rhese Bowman (Scientist)

Korczak responded with “And how did your knowledge and practical experience translate into your pursuit of higher education, specifically the Academy?”

Korczak, CNS