Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Back on the Atlantis…Rinker and Lila Horne…when the past does not match the present or the future

Posted by Commander Heathcliff Rinker (Chief Medical Officer/ Psychiatrist) in Back on the Atlantis…Rinker and Lila Horne…when the past does not match the present or the future

Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Back on the Atlantis…Rinker and Lila Horne…when the past does not match the present or the future
With the addition of the extra crew, the return to the Atlantis required another shuttle. Rinker had waited long enough to be assigned to the second one. Of the three officer left standing only one was going to be paired with him and all three gave no indication of which one it would be. There were two females and a male. They all however appeared to have as much interest in the remaining Atlantean officers as they did to them. The control of the group could only be explained through military experience. Civilians had a knack or small banter or independent thought. One of the individuals however was paying far more attention to Rinker as if she was drinking in every minute detail.

Lila Horne was assigned to be Rinker’s companion so it was vital she garner the intelligence she received on the man with the physical being before her. He was much younger than she expected based on the reports from the Beacon of Hope’s distress call. This was easily explained by Jessa’s youth. Children never gauged anyone’s age correctly. The slightly salt and pepper at the edges of his temple and through his barely there five o’clock stubbed made him a rather attractive man. This would make her job much easier. The reports also claimed he was highly intelligent which emanated from his personality like a heartbeat. The man had kept his verbal interactions to a minimum indicating he chose his words carefully and was judging everyone’s reaction. Hearing her name called, Lila stepped forward. Sticking out her hand, she greeted Rinker with a genuine warmth.

“Commander Rinker it is a pleasure,” she replied. Her hair was long but pulled back in an elaborate braid that presented as a half up half down style. She had a button nose and bright blue eyes. Her hair was a dark almost onyx color with some bright blue strands that highlighted the blue in her eyes. Her uniform was a combination of a business suite and a military uniform. The tailoring fit every curve of her body perfectly yet left more than enough to the imagination about what was actually under it. The lapels of her jacket framed her bosom so that the eyes were drawn to her chest but revealed no cleavage due to the cut of the shirt underneath. It was the type of suit that let the mind roam freely but gave the psyche a bit of guilt for even thinking about such things due to the long sleeves and full-length pants indicating it was not meant to entice one’s imagination. Lila knew the effect the suit had and knew its design was for this purpose.

Lila Horne Psychopathologist

Rinker let his eyes scan over the person the Union designated as his counterpart. ‘Blue eyes, blue streaks in her hair, and a uniform specially tailors to accent her curves.’ He remembered seeing the Holovids of the Voyager missions. No matter how many times Seven of Nine said her uniform was functional, he never bought it. Unless Seven was planning on swimming or needing to be aerodynamically frictionless. Her uniform function had nothing to do with being effective.

Ignoring, or adding in her figure, this one was exceedingly beautiful which put Rinker on guard. Was it a strategic choice based on the fact he was a man or was Lila just a person that was naturally beautiful. “Nice to meet you,” he shook her hand. “You were not introduced with a rank so does that mean you are a civilian? I am not sure the proper way to address you?” On the surface Lila appeared professional and sincere, but it was too early to know if this was genuine sentiment and not an act.

“Well I would suggest whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. We can be formal, and you can address me as Ms. Horne but that reminds me of my mother and you and I both know that is the basis of ninety percent of our casework.” She let out a small chuckle. In was a time honored joke that the mental baggage one carried was due to their mother in their childhood. It wasn’t true of course but that is why it was humorous. “You could call me by my professional title manovaigyaanik rogavigyaanee Lila Horne but that is a mouthful. There is also the tried and true Lila.” She stopped talking and waited. Most people did not like silence however Rinker would know that was her plan with her long winded choice. It made one feel like they needed to validate the facts she threw out. On the other hand, Rinker could not just stand there and say nothing. It could appear rude or arrogant and this man did not fit that profile.

“Umm, hmm.” Rinker pursed his lips. The options were diverse. He didn’t let his mind wander too much and returned to him main topic

“I think you drew the short-straw, meaning you are getting the worse choice, I’m just an old country doctor without any great tactical or strategic knowledge.” Rinker locked in on her eyes, smoothly ignoring the body that she knew she was displaying.

Heathcliff Rinker CMO

“Nor do I. I am just a cruise director of sorts. The Chancellor, your Captain, the security and intelligence staff will play the cat and mouse games trying to find out what makes our governments tick. I am looking for the social aspect of the society’s we meet.” Lila did struggle containing her excitement in meeting a mind seer. It had been several generations since mind seers openly practiced in the Galactic Union. Her profession was close to being a mind seer but instead of treating those with problems, they only evaluated the extent of the problem. Lila was fascinated and slightly terrified at how easily this man had taken the truth Jessa knew and morphed it into something else. Engaging with him would give her insights to mind seerism that Lila could never learn from scholarly texts.

“That would mean I’m a cruise director also since you expect me to show you the social aspect of the Federation, not that I’m insulted, but again. You might have an expectation of my skill that is greater than my actual ability.”

As the moved towards the shuttle, Lila saw the three Adjudicators move into the space. Their black, floor length flowing robes gave the impression the individuals were floating along the ground instead of touching it. It was a powerful illusion that made the fight or flight part of the brain instantly trigger. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Adar moved to converse with the triad and Pellan quickly usher Jessa onto the waiting shuttle. “Shall we go,” she gestured to the same shuttle and began to walk directly to it instead of waiting for Rinker to reply.

Lila Horne psychopathologist

Rinker did not miss the commotion nor the three figures in dark robes approaching Pellan and the Captain. Jessa had been extremely vocal about being tried for some crime or another and the figures in the dark robes matched her description of the Adjudicators. With all the Atlantean officers gone, Rinker briefly wondered if this was planned. Come on Kelly what are you doing? he thought watching the interaction play out. Technically he had no legal right to intervene on Jessa’s behalf with the Captain there but if what Jessa had told him in session was correct, he was not going to just stand there and let Jessa be tried on a possibly fictitious charge.

He could feel the tension in the air and yet the day was still surprising him. Instead of Bordeaux needing to intervene it appeared Pellan and Vyce would run interference. “Curiouser and curiouser,” he mused watching Pellan abruptly usher the Bordeaux’s and Jessa onto a waiting shuttle. “That isn’t going to turn out the way anyone thinks.” Rinker continued his thought

“It’s a quote from an ancient story written by a man named Lewis Caroll. It is about a girl that falls into a rabbit hole and meets a cadre of anthropomorphic characters on the surface. In a deeper literary aspect, it is the girl’s journey through the rigid aristocratic society of Victorian England.”

The journey back to the Altantis was far less eventful than the arrival on the GUS Redemption. In fact, it reminded him more of a shuttle filled with cadets heading to basic training. There was an underlying tension so thick it could almost be suffocating.

As the ship landed and the passengers mulled about the decks, Rinker unbuttoned the catch at his collar. Their orders were vague at best and open to interpretation. This gave Rinker a lot of leeway in following them. “I’m not sure the social acculturation is best learned in a formal setting… so up for an alcoholic beverage,” he asked Lila

Heathcliff Rinker CMO