Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in side-sim Needing Cobb’s Advice

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in side-sim Needing Cobb’s Advice

(snip)

He’d seen that plaque. Walked by it a thousand times with barely a thought. The agonizing miscellany of death amongst the stars. Cobb merely nodded an acknowledgement that the girl in the photograph was indeed the same who had recently invaded his briefing room.

Casela changed subjects, or so it would appear at first. “Sir, what’s going to happen to Gen? I have spent the last several days with her, and…she’s just a child. Human, but not quite. Strangely arriving on the ship, but a child non the less. No one, other than Doc Fey, has come to check on her, and I find myself perpetuating that problem. Keeping her out of sight of anyone that might threaten her. She’s…something happened to her and her family, and I’m sure RFT and ARU are going to want her for all kinds of testing.” Her voice changes, softly whispered, hard and dangerous. “I can’t allow that. Not won’t. I can not. It is not…I am not capable of letting them do that. She is mi…under my protection. I won’t let them experiment on her, interrogate her, cause her any discomfort at all. I. WILL. NOT.” Casela was trying to convey to Cobb the extent of the problem. From a professional stand point, on the subject of Gen, Casela was compromised. She knew it, but she was unwilling, or unable, who knew, to do anything about it.

Casela Cynthi-er

He moved with a speed that belied his years and, before her sentence was done he had been at her side, crouching down to meet her seated height and taking her hands into the confident grip of his own.
“It is not us who are the monsters, Counselor. And as far as the ARU are concerned, we are already in pursuit of a target that should satisfy their desire, whatever form that may take.”

Casela lactched onto his grip with one of her own. She’d been sent here, not of her own choice. She had wanted to finish out her tour and then disappear to some far flung lost backwater world where no one would bother her. And now, she was here, with more problems than she had before she came, and she hadn’t thought that was possible. “I know that, Zachariah. But monsters lurk where we least expect them, and I’m one of them. I joined star fleet in the hopes of…” she stares at the passing stars, “of being a hero, I guess. And in most cases my time here has turned me into the things I hate most. This…” she waves her hands indicating the problem they are discussing, “is the one part of me they haven’t twisted. There weren’t supposed to be children on this ship.”

“You…will never be a monster,” he whispered.

Cobb rose once more and, with his glass freshly replenished, drifted slowly over to the observation window. On the other side, space flew by at dizzying speed, making haste for the Paulson nebula. And whatever it was that lay in wait.

“But safe haven comes at a price, Lieutenant,” he continued, his back to her now. “Even for a child such as Gen. She claims to have information on our mission and I want to know every detail of it. If she can help us, then perhaps we can expend some effort into helping her in return. And I would continue to shield her from other members of the crew, as you have been doing. Or, Manhattan and McHarrie at least. I would not trust their scientific intentions around her.”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

“I’ve talked to Gen, I’ve tried to get information from her. She is willing to talk to me, but I’m not sure she understands what she’s seen or sensed. Whatever happened to her has made her telepathic to a point. I could try, with her permission to get more details. I don’t know what that would do to me though. I don’t know exactly what she is. In physical form she is human, but she is also something else. It maybe that she simply doesn’t understand how to interpret what that other part of herself knows.” She glances at Cobb, “She thinks you and the rest of the crew severaly dislike, or even hate her. She says she came to warn us not to go after the Einstien. That she tried to warn them how dangerous it was. She also says we are like the other ships, but Very different. I’m not sure if that means we have a better team, or maybe it’s worse.” Casela shakes her head, combing back hair that isn’t in her face. “I’ll take you to talk to her, if you’d like. I…I can’t say that I’m the best to question her alone. Perhaps together?”

He turned back to face her, or perhaps it was the bottle that his eyes were seeking out, his glass once again empty at his side.
“Aye,” he nodded in agreement as he retraced his steps back towards the table. “Aye, I think you’re right and I should talk to her myself. As long as you are there to reassure her then perhaps I won’t come across so…intimidating?”

Casela nods in agreement. “She’s very lonely, and has been for a long time. The few people in the lower lounge overwhelmed her with the amount of noise. And she’s very afraid of Dave. I’ve been trying to take longer routes around the ship to avoid her being near him. He really seems to scare her. I think one-on-one, or just the 3 of us would be better. If she has become telepathic, and can use it some what then the conflicting emotions of all the senior staff can be daunting.”

She smiles, but it doesn’t meet her eyes. Her face showing too many years of struggle. “Well, Manhattan and McHarrie can’t get past me, and they both know it.” She winces and lifts the hem of her shirt, showing the bruised and cracked ribs, “Not a gift from them, someone else, but at least Manhattan is aware and knows the risk he would take trying. However,” here she pauses, “I’m not happy with the number of S31 officers on board. They have mixed loyalties.” She smiled ruefully, “I know, aren’t I one of them? Not by choice. My loyalty is to you, and then this crew.” And now Gen. She’s was in a hard spot and she knew she’d put herself in it.

“Good gods, lass,” the captain gasped, his fingers extending to trace out the bruise but pulling away at the last. “Who the hell did this to you, eh? I’ll have their head on a stake, whoever it is! You just say the word!”

Casela smiled, a little taken aback by his sudden vehemence. She could tell he meant every word of it, and it was touching that he should feel that way. Casela however wasn’t sure what do with it. No one expressed that kind of concern over her since she’d left home for the Academy. She chuckles, “Someone who thought that they could teach me a lesson. Don’t worry captain, I gave as good as I got. I’m sure you’re observant enough to figure it out.” She didn’t want to tell him out right because the whole situation with Ryder was now very complicated. She didn’t want to lie to Cobb either. “I..I don’t think you would want this persons head on a stake. It wasn’t as if he caught me by surprise. I knew what I was doing. And well we all know I’m a hot head.”

“However, McHarrie, I like him, and if push comes to shove I think we can trust him. Time will tell. We have…an understanding. If I ask him to leave her alone, he might. But, and the crux of the matter is, I don’t trust myself to trust them. I know this is an issue for me, and honestly, you’re the only one I trust.” She wasn’t going to mention Ryder Rauuhl. She didn’t know where that was going. He was competent and cared about his crew, but that particular relationship was suddenly very complicated.

Lt. LSynthi-er, CNS

Zachariah sighed and lowered himself wearily back into his seat. “McHarrie is an…unknown quantity and that makes me nervous. If you feel like you’re getting the measure of him then perhaps you’re a better diplomat than I. Not that the bar is set too high in that regard,” he laughed. “It is not my wish to place you in a compromising position, Casela, but…if you ever have cause to change your opinion of Mr McHarrie then I would appreciate knowing it.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m a diplomat, but I got very good at reading my fellow S31 operatives. And he knew all about me when he got here. Though usually there is a lot of posturing that goes on between agents. There was none of that in him. But I promise if anything looks strange or wrong or suspicious, or different you will be the first to know. Even if I have to get you out of bed in the middle of the night. I’m not comfortable with all the different secret divisions that are on this ship. It has the potential to create an amazing and formidable crew.” She glanced up at him, “But you, and only you, will have to be the one to make that happen. Despite how you feel about this assignment, you have the ability and skill. You’ve already created quite a bit of loyalty in different members of the crew.

He sat back and released a heavy sigh. “Sometimes I think I have more enemies on this ship than friends. Manhattan. What does your counselor’s sensibilities make of our noble RTF chief, might I ask?”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

“As a counselor, I can’t tell you. He hasn’t shown up for a formal eval yet, though I have made notes in his file based on my interactions with him. As myself and all my experience. He’s good at what he does, and he knows it. He’s cocky, but mostly likely it’s earned. He’s here to make the RTF work smoothly and successfully and he believes in that. He also thinks he needs to ‘fix’ me.” She lets out a little wolfish grin. “He has this idea that adding more to my plate will make me more....pliable to being a good agent.” She shrugs. “I’m on his team by default, because I’m the only one who can train and handle the AARM. But his attitude towards me indicates he sees a problem and will work to fix it. There is some tension between him and Cmdr. Rauuhl,” she wasn’t going to tell him why. “I would suggest you make it clear to Manhattan and Rauuhl what their individual duties are. Or you can let them work it out like big boys. Just expect some tension along the way.” Casela shrugged at that point. “I don’t have much more to stay other than that. I haven’t spent enough time with him to really know. I start training with RTF tomorrow night. Maybe I can tell you more then.”

Lt. Synthi-er, CNS