Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Starbase 237 Promenade deck - Lieutenant Witley summoned to meet Captain Cobb
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Posted by Lieutenant Laural Corynn Witley, Ph.D., M.D. (Counselor) in Starbase 237 Promenade deck - Lieutenant Witley summoned to meet Captain Cobb

Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Starbase 237 Promenade deck - Lieutenant Witley summoned to meet Captain Cobb

Witley accepted the concoction with gratitude and took a sip from it, relishing in its sweetness before considering Cobb’s words. Despite their solemnity, Laural offered a small smile, appreciating the way he could address serious matters while avoiding the gruffness that others thought such discussions required.

“The truthful, albeit perhaps clichéd, answer is I like a challenge, sir. While I can appreciate the role mental health professionals like myself play in ships and bases of the line, a part of me has always known I would be happiest with opportunities to deepen my knowledge to apply it in any number of specialized ways.” She paused, then added, “The part of my answer that doesn’t remotely smack of cliché is I am a living, breathing, example of a sentient being who doesn’t quite fit the standard mold, and if anyone simply tried to handle me by capturing me or controlling me, I believe it would certainly be his or her loss. In short, people made an effort to understand me even though I was different. I think I owe nothing less to my colleagues and anyone or anything we might encounter.”

It was an honest answer and a personal one at that, but still, looking at,, she couldn’t help but wonder if he would respect it if not relate. She got the distinct impression she was looking at a potentially traumatized man himself, someone who was speaking with far more personal experience than she realized.

~Doctor Laural Witley, Chief Counselor

Cobb’s eyes never left Laural’s as she spoke, as if through them he could view the machinations of her consciousness at work. When silence once again fell, he found himself expressing a murmured yet honest appreciation of her words; “I like that.”

A pause to drink and to collect professional thought. Then, “So rarely do any of us fit the standard mould,” although his glance towards the Admiral suggested one who most certainly did. “Duty by numbers might wash on some of the smaller exploration vessels of the fleets, but in the ARU, and particularly the Leviathan, it is our differences and our individual talents that see us uniquely qualified for these roles. There are no classes at the Academy on anomalies, no exams to be taken in containment architecture or expedient capture. Ours is a world where the rules are learned quickly to save the lives of us all. No stakes could be higher than the continued existence of the universe herself.”

Did she consider his words fantastical? Hyperbolic? It was often remarked that Cobb had a flair for dramatics. But this speech came from the terrifying and uncomfortable forge of truth.
“Questions, Doctor Witley? I imagine you might have more than a few? Strike now while you find me in honest mood and I shall speak plainly.” A chuckle from the Admiral caused him to add, “Relatively plainly. No sense in dissipating every shred of mystery that forms a captain and risk you revealing me as no more than mere man.”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

“Perish the thought, sir,” Laural answered dryly, but with a smile that revealed her teasing intentions.

His laughter was raw and from the soul. So rare was one who could understand Zachariah Cobb. Or even tolerate him. His impression of this new counsellor grew more favourable by the nanosecond.

More seriously, she added, “At the risk of sounding like a wet behind the ears newbie, I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts on what you see as my role here. Generally speaking, I understand I’m here to provide guidance to the command staff, psychological support to the crew, and to make myself of use for the anomalies we encounter in whatever way might make sense, but is there something more I should know, particularly to best support you in your role here?”

~Dr. Laural Witley, Chief Counselor

Brevity vanished as the captain’s countenance turned grave. “You, Dr Witley, are our final bastion against madness. Beyond your protection, beyond your council, lies only the void.”

With exasperated sigh, the Admiral now stepped forward. Younger in age than the Leviathan’s captain yet with no smaller burden for his years. Still, Roebuck’s features remained youthful and appealing. A lone shaft of sunlight piercing the eternal maelstrom that was Cobb.
“The ARU requires monthly psychological evaluations for all crewmembers,” he explained. “Your team will complete these on schedule and transmit all results back to base via a secure, encrypted channel. Any members who fail basic evaluation will submit to more intensive testing, to be handled by you personally. All concerns will then be raised with the head of psychological services for the ARU, Doctor Rachel Ebbinghaus.”

Moving to Cobb’s side, Roebuck extended a dish of strawberries towards the Counselor, as if his next words might be more palatable with a sweetner.
“There may be occasions when it is deemed necessary to perform selective engram deletion. In our opinion, there are certain experiences, certain encounters, that are simply too traumatic for a sentient consciousness to endure. Are you familiar with this operation, Doctor Witley? Or have any moral objections to its use?”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb / Admiral Roebuck

Laural was taken aback by the change in tone of the conversation, and she wasn’t quite sure if she should be kicking herself (something she could only do figuratively, of course) for getting a bit more personal with her new commanding officer. It wasn’t like she had asked him whether he preferred boxers or briefs, but she took his reaction to mean it was a conversation for another time… Perhaps when they were out of the view of such senior eyes. Of course, this was just Laural’s impression, but she decided to test it out another time.

Turning her attention to the Admiralwhose demeanor made him seem a bit too close for comfort even though he hadn’t intruded upon her space any more than anyone else had. “I’m familiar with the procedure, Admiral, though I’ve never been 100% sold on its efficacy, particularly in the long-term. In my experience, trauma has a way of breaking through one’s consciousness, especially because how it’s processed isn’t exactly the same for everyone.”

~Doctor Laural Witley, Psychiatrist

“Interesting,” Roebuck cast a curious glance towards Cobb. “You are, of course, encouraged to explore such a hypothesis in your research. Such knowledge can only ever be of a benefit to the ARU.”

As the Admiral melted into the background once again, Cobb met Laural’s eyes with an exasperated roll of his own. What he wanted to tell her, once free from the Admiral’s grasp, was that on his ship she would be free to run her department as she saw fit, ARU command be damned. But with Roebuck’s eyes still scorching their mark into his back, he offered “Well if that is all then we shall keep you from your duties no more. Although if there is anything you need, or any way I can help you get settled in on my ship, then please do not hesitate to ask.”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

Relieved to see she had not completely misread Cobb and more than a bit amused by his eye roll at the Admiral’s words, she worked hard to keep her own grin under wraps. Still, part of her mind was thinking of what the Admiral had suggested matter of factly and its psychological implications for their future and for the well-being of her crew. Laural saw them as her charges, Cobb included, and no one was getting a memory wipe if it wasn’t absolutely the last thing she knew to do…and Laural was prepared to learn a million more alternatives if she had to. She cleared her throat. “Thank you, sir…sirs. My door is always open to you.” Wit was already looking forward to speaking to Cobb again, though next time, in private.

~Dr. Laural Witley, Chief Counselor