Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Cherp’Eng (Scientist) in Boarding Counselling Appointment ‘Check out the Bird Brain’ - Pre Sim

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Boarding Counselling Appointment ‘Check out the Bird Brain’ - Pre Sim

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Cherp’Eng (Scientist) in Boarding Counselling Appointment ‘Check out the Bird Brain’ - Pre Sim
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snips)

IC: Cherp-Eng smiled at Janna and happily sank into the rug. It was soft and a relief to be able to take the weight off his feet and relax for a short time at least. He considered her question, what brought him here? did she mean which ship? Did she mean why was he here? He couldn’t decide, so he decided to answer both questions.

“I don’t know the name of the vessel that brought me here, but it was very uncomfortable for me. I had to sit in a corridor which meant I was in the way of the crewmembers doing their jobs and my fellow passengers. I couldn’t stand at my full height for fear of hitting my head on the ceiling, the quarters there were almost long enough for me if I lay on angle. Apart from the academy when I was originally assigned to a middle bunk, it was the only time I doubted I should be in Starfleet. But when I conduct an experiment in the lab or discover something amazing, I have no doubt I am where I am meant to be. I am here because when I am here I am free, the most free of any living Avisarite as I can fly, not under my own power, but I can fly all the same and bring knowledge of the galaxy back to my people. I joined Starfleet to find out more about the galaxy and to find out if there arr any others out there like us. This is my third attempt at this as a career. There were deaths in the Roost and I had to return both times to celebrate their lives. But, I am here now and looking forward to life on the Athena.”

–Cherp’Eng

Janna smiled at the description of being free and there was a sincerity in the words that she could feel was true. There were a lot of small details to unpack there that could potentially affect how the officer adjusted to being on the ship, but they could only go in one direction at a time. “Tell me about the previous attempts at this career. Did they last long? And what do you think you gained during those times?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“I have felt accepted each time I have served. Because there are so few of my people off-world, let alone in Starfleet, I feel a certain amount of loneliness while in this uniform, even if I am never alone. During my initial period in service, I was in the Academy and then placed as an ensign on the USS Livingstone. During the Academy, I suffered from a bout of bird flu and had to go to Starfleet Medical for treatment and recovery and graduated a year later than my fellow cadets. I was in my 2nd year post graduation when a grey feather from my Roost died, I needed to return home to remember her life and celebrate her future life when she flies across the skies unaided. It was my first farewell to a Greyfeathet I have participated in as a fully mature member of the Roost. I was homesick and sought a further leave of absence. That wad granted for a further three months, before I joined one of the outposts. That time I was in service for approximately one year before word reached me that a prominent pair of grey feathers, one from my roost and one from a neighbouring roost, both representatives to the Aviary, had died, and once again I had to return. Due to their status as … what’s that word? … high flyers … a lot of non Avisarites attended the farewell. I stayed on once again, it was our mating season, and being an open nester, I participated in the traditional practices of making a nest and being visited by eligible empty nesters from my and neighbouring roosts.” Cherp’Eng said.

Cherp’Eng paused, smiled and continued, “I was told that I could be assigned to the Starfleet team on my home planet, while they found a new permanent posting for me. I accepted the positng, was there for a while, before being posted to the Athena as a Scientist. So, it was then shuttlecrafts to here for my new posting.”

“During the Academy and the Livingstone, I learnt about the Federation and Starfleet, I learnt more about Science and about lots of different aliens and their death practices and beliefs about death,” Cherp’Eng replied after a moment’s thought, “also the importance of teamwork. One of the academy instructors told us that ‘teamwork makes the dream work’, which has stuck with me ever since, even if I don’t understand what he meant by that. My dream is to be a Greyfeather so I can fly free instead of having to return and live thorugh this life again. I am not certain that’s the thought of thing a team can help with. We are cooperative by nature and working with others is something I am used to. I am not so used to the regimented nature of Starfleet, the various ranks and the position titles and so forth. I’ve taken to calling people Sir and/or Ma’am, that way I’m mostly ok. My second posting gave me the opportunity to learn about Romulans, given we were one of the closer facilities to the Romulan neutral zone.”

-Cherp’Eng, Science

Janna listened intently, taking in not only what Cherp-Eng said but also how he spoke, the words chosen and what he chose to share. “Thank you for sharing all that. It helps me learn amore about your and your people as well, so I’m grateful. I hope you’ll get a chance to remain here longer so you can see what that is like.”

She considered the different ways they could take this conversation and went where it felt most natural to go next. “Tell me about science and how you chose that field. Also, any specific interests you want to explore here on the Athena?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“When I was younger, I asked the adults in my Roost lots of questions. They answered my questions and I asked more questions. I questioned our place in the galaxy and whether or not there was anyone out there that looked like us. They couldn’t answer that question, and I decided I would find that out for myself. We don’t know those that sat on our eggs and hatched us. Instead, all of the adults in the Roost raise us in community. I was encouraged to question and to seek out knowledge. I was particularly interested in social sciences, social norms and the like, and even though I know it can be considered taboo amongst other species, death and death practices of aliens is something I have always been interested in. What causes different species and beings to cease breathing is something that intrigues me. Scientific experiments from all the strands of science: among them planetary, social, physical, life, formal, chemistry, physics and biological help me to find out about death and funerary practices. As for here on the Athena, I’m happy to be guided by what’s best for the ship and the science department.”

Cherp-Eng paused and looked at Janna, “I also like to imagine I can fly under my own power rather than on a starship or similar. I have heard that many wise people of various other worlds have also had similar dreams. I would like to see if the dreams can come true on the holodeck. It may just be a flight of fancy on my part, but then again, it may come to pass and if I can achieve it, I wouldn’t need to wait until after becoming a Greyfeather to achieve it.”

–Cherp’Eng, Sci

Janna smiled. “Dreams teach us about who we are, of what might be possible. I can’t think of a better example than to learn to fly. And as a scientist you have many avenues to explore how that might happen. The holodeck is a great place to test things about in a safe way, too.”

“I’m curious, though, about your idea of community. Every culture is different in how they define it. Does your sense of it transfer outside of your world and your Roost, or is it a singular thing?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS