Posted by Lieutenant Commander Katie Nunn (Chief Counseling Officer) in Please define sanity. A visit to the CNS.

Posted by Ensign Ranlei (Engineering Officer) in Please define sanity. A visit to the CNS.

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Katie Nunn (Chief Counseling Officer) in Please define sanity. A visit to the CNS.
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

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Katie listened carefully and attentively to Ranlei as she introduced herself and smiled as she asked if she could be of service. She’d found in her short time as a ship’s counselor so far that it was remarkably rare for people to inquire into how a ship’s counselor was doing. In a way, that was an excellent perk of the job in her current circumstance. “Well, I think first I need to be of service to you and we should get your evaluation done. It seems like you’re overdue given the ship hasn’t had a counselor for a while.” She gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “I haven’t had much time to settle in, but we can still get it sorted out.”

Nunn, CNS

Ranlei didn’t sit as she hadn’t been given permission to do so yet. Her stint in a military academy made her a bit of a stickler for such details. “As you will maam. I know a herbal tea blend that will do wonders for your energy levels if your a bit run down Maam.”, she said taking the two steps over to the replicator while never facing away from the CNS. She tapped the command input button and said, ” two 8 oz mugs Oolong, boisenberry blend twist of lemon. A nd 4 raspberry danish. “, she ordered and picked up the teas and plate of danish in a way only a practiced server would and set them down on the commanders desk. “I was going to be in ops when I first joined the academy Maam and no meeting is complete without some edible componant. Of course I changed focus after I started getting comments on how I looked like a holiday decoration in a red unifor. That and It was made clear I was destined to never rise in the ranks because nobody would ever trust a Orion. So I entered Engineering where I can be of service to Starfleet without rank really mattering. I was upset about the willingness of Starfleet officers to judge me based on my spiecies at first but if I am honest when anyone anywhere says Orion everyone thinks syndicate in their head. So like it or not you play the cards life deals you.”, Ranlei said as she served the tea and Danish. As she took the spot she had stood in before and waited.

Ensign Ranlei Greene. Engineering.

Katie’s head bent to the side in interest as she carefully watched Ranlei’s actions. This was the first time she had been served tea and pastries in her own office by a crew member and she had to admit that it made her distinctly uncomfortable. Overhearing the order issued to the replicator, she did have to admit that it sounded delicious and she graciously accepted the goodies from the engineering officer when she returned. Respecting cultural differences was key in her field, even if they meant a moment of discomfort. Noting that Ranlei was still standing despite her previous gesture to a seat, she realized that she needed to be more explicit and, between sips of the delicious warm beverage, murmured, “please have a seat, Ensign.”

As she waited for the young woman to get settled, she took a small bite out of the raspberry danish, noting that she’d have to run a few miles further after her duty shift if she was going to have a midmorning snack. She chewed thoughtfully and then sat back. “I can’t say I disagree. Snacks are always welcome. How are you finding engineering to fit you?”

Nunn, CNS

Ranlei seated herself and smiled as the CNS sipped tea and munched on a danish, “Thank you sir. Engineering is the best possible place as far as I am concerned. Everything is inter related. Every system part of a greater whole. A new and exciting challenge every day. New puzzles to solve. New technologies to intergrate. It’s not just fix the whatsit with the whosit. Every ship is different. Far more than just parts that make it up. If you listen long enough she’ll speak to you.”, Ranlei said enthusiastically.

Ensign Ranlei Greene. Engineer.

Katie mumbled with her mouth full of danish, “please call me Katie,” in response to Ranlei’s use of sir and then chewed and swallowed her bite as she listened to the officer’s answer. “It sounds like transitioning from ops worked well for you, then.” The young woman’s enthusiasm was practically infectious and made Katie feel like she might want to learn something about engineering, which would probably be a disaster for everyone involved. “How did you end up interested in Starfleet in the first place?”

Nunn, CNS

Ranlei went quiet a moment, “Kind of a long story and I only have my point of view really. The short version is Orions do not usually stay in Federation space longer than nueeded to transact business and go anywhere but Federation space. The reason for this is simple. The Federation assumes every Orion is everything that the Federation stands against. My parents were traders. They delivered a load under contract to Starbase 17. I was born there. But I was a rare case in that I was born with with a compromised immune system. So A Starfleet doctor kept me in sickbay for a week. In the meantime base security started a intensive investigation into the Orions docked at the Starbase. Not a very gsubtle one either by the records as the Orion ships Captain chose to leave in haste before some trumped up excuse was found. There were a series of incidents at the same time that were blamed on the Orion traders crew. Turned out to be locals who were using securities preoccupation to act out. So I have generally found the Federation to be very willing to claim superiority on a moral level. But to be no better than anyone else in practice.”, and she shrugged, ” Not a direct anuswer. But I am getting there. So my parents never returned to get me once the week was over. Treatments fixed the immune deficiency as a aside. So I ended up being moved from foster home to foster home. Never in one place long. Because even a infant is guilty of something if that infant is an Orion Katie.” , Ranlei paused to reflecrt, “Should I continue? Or sum it up in one sentence? I am trying to explain this in a manner that won’t offend anyone. I have never had a great deal of luck with the why are you in Starfleet question.”
And she paused to sip her own tea.

Ensign Ranlei Greene. Engineer.

Katie crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair beside Ranlei as she spoke, looking down at the tea that she held in her hands as she listened carefully. “I’m following you so far,” she responded, her voice calm. “I understand how you ended up being around the Federation, but how did you go from foster home to foster home to Starfleet? That’s an ambitious undertaking for such an unstable childhood.”

Nunn, CNS

Ranlei took a long draught of her tea. “Funny thing is That my childhood wasn’t so bad. Yes it was disapoinuting when I moved house to house but you learn not to form attachments to anyone. So you stop feeling hurt and betrayed because the people are not family, they aren’t even friends usually. But puberty is where I learned how to be hurt again. Green Orions are genetically designed for the role in their society that they fill. But nobody in Federation medical had a clue just what that means when you stop being a child and your suddenly the focus of every males attention. Because thats when the pheremones kick in. I went from being a Tomboy loner to the life of the party. Overnight because my species genetic manipulation don’t just effect others.”, and she stopped. Smiled and said “By now your noticing that I am talking around your question not to it. But you have the unenviable job of determining if I am fit to be a member of this crew. I do the work I am assigned. I get along with others mostly. For pretty much everyone in known space thats enough. But Starfleet requires that you get in my head and determine that I am fit. Well to determinue that you need to understand who I am from three perspectives. I am a alien Katie not because I wanted to be but because I was never allowed a chance to fit in. Thats the Federation point of view. I am also a Alien to The Orion species. I never met anyone who is my own species. I have no idea who they are or how they live. All I know is accounts of others who met them and other than a few comments on how beguiling th7e women are Nothing said was posative.” , Ranlei put the teacup down. “The last point of view you need to know would be my own. Well Katie. I am me. I have heard other peoples opinions all my life. When I was young I didn’t know better so I was exactly what they expected me to be. When I hit puberty I was exactly what they wanted me to be and because of the tampering with how I respond emotionally I was more than happy to be that when in the middle of it. But I was miserable about it all when I was alone.”, as she said this she pulled up her sleeve to reveal scars. “Stupid kid I cut myself. Easily removed but it’s a reminder.”, and she frowned. “I was sixteen when I fell in love with a older man. It ended badly. He was married so blamed pheremones, etc and so on. I ended up being charged with prostitution. Court really didn’t want to touch the case. So I opted for a military academy to straighten out my life.”, and she shrugged, “Pretty much no academy wanted me based on species and criminal record. So they shipped me to Earth as Starfleet was willing to accept me if I could pass the entrance exams. And That Katie is how I came to be in Starfleet.”, and she shrugged then smiled again, “To be honest Starfleet treats me better than anyplace I have ever been so no regrets.” And she sat there smiling at the CNS as she waited for a responce.

Ensign Ranlei Greene. Engineer.