Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharah Fayth (Medical) in Another New Ship

Posted by Lieutenant Markus Woods (Chief Science Officer) in Another New Ship

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharah Fayth (Medical) in Another New Ship
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“I learned to draw when I was 4. It was part of my…” Sharah sighed. Such a heavy topic for…what was this-a date? Well whatever it was it was a heavy topic, but her life was a heavy topic. “It was part of my recovery when I was in the hospital. The doctors had me draw what I had heard and seen before the mindstorm that put me there. I was too young to describe, to explain or understand what had happened. Even now it’s…” ‘it’s terrifyingly intense to remember what happened that day.’ “But I have a little talent and then was taught a lot of skill. It is one of the therapy techniques that has grown to be more. I have only ever used paper and pencils. I’ve never wanted to try a different media. Though I enjoy art of all types.”

Fayth

Heavy topic indeed. But he listened with silent encouragement and interest, judgement free. And he wasn’t sure what to call it either, though the idea of a date had crept into mind much earlier. For now, he was just going with the flow and what felt natural or right. As she finished, he nodded with a small smile. “Well, that makes a lot of sense. Great thing about digital is it can mimic almost everything else. And it’s not as messy,”he said, gently bumping her with his shoulder and a wry smile. Gently teasing her once more, he was. Trying to lighten her spirits.

He was teasing her again! Sharah flushed softly and laughed, it wasn’t loud or boisterous, but genuine and a truly happy sound. “The mess helps.” [She liked his smile.]

“Does it,” he asked, returning her smile. Hers wasn’t bright but still dazzling somehow and warmed him to the core. His question was both earnest and still teasing. “Are we talking about graphite-on-fingers messy, or smudgy smearyness? Or just general sketchy and rough linework?” Technical questions, maybe, but they would tell him a little more about her, and perhaps shed a little more light on all things Sharah.

“It does help. It means I’m grounded in what I’m doing, and that’s important for me.” She looked at him horrified, but he could feel soft mental laughter, “Smeariness??? I would never!”

“Graphite fingers messy, pencils rolling across the table to the floor, papers strewn everywhere. Sketchy rough linework is not messy. That can be it’s own style of creativity. Life is messy and sometimes art should reflect that and not just the ‘perfect’ moments.”

“Sounds almost romantic, the way you describe it,” he murmured into his glass. “But yeah, there’s something in the tactile nature of it. Right on all counts. Though relaly the whole process, from construction to polished piece is all part of it to me. All has value.” He liked the way she thought about it, and it made himsmile. Not a big bright one but a small, pleased and warm way.

Making his way over to a small cabinet, he pulled out a glass and then filled it from a decanter with a couple fingers of amber liquid. Turning back around he tilted his head. “Can I get you anything to drink? It’s going to take about forty minutes for that to bake.” Sure it was a little bit of a wait, but some things were worth waiting for and taking the time.

Mark

She sat on one end of the couch turned slightly so she could still see him as he moved around the room. “Just ice water.” The amount of time did not create any stress but it smelled really good and there was anticipation at getting to try it.

Nodding, he made his way over to replicator and grabbed a glass of water with ice, then brought it over to her. “Here you go.” Tucking one foot under him he sat in the space next to her, turned more toward her, whiskey glass in hand.

Sharah sipped at the water quietly listening to the internal dialogue. She could empathize with him so much.

“What was your calling then? I can ‘see’ the things you are good at, that you enjoy, but they don’t seem to....fulfill…provide what you need for yourself. Maybe a little bit…” She was probably talking out of turn and not aware of it. She was taking information she had cleaned from his thoughts but not spoken aloud.

Fayth

A heavy sigh escaped him as he cast his stormy gray gaze around his quarters. For a time he said nothing, out loud at least. But thought, feeling, and even memory poured from him. He knew he had potential, but wasn’t sure he lived up to it. Despite his accomplishments. There was an invisible moving goal post. Perfectionism. Self-criticism. Nobody else had those things to say, only the pressure that he put on himself. Markus knew he could branch out into any section of Starfleet, or anything really. He had the mind for it. And his interests were so vast and varied. Trying to pick just one or two felt so limiting. He wasn’t sure that would ever leave him feeling fulfilled, satisfied, professionally.

She understood that. She was capable of so many things, but for her it had come to clear focus what her… true north was and how that guided her. Immense sadness and self recrimination and failed responsibility was accompanied by a vision of herself, but much much smaller - Mini Fayth

Except maybe she had a point about Command. It was possible that there, he could do the most good. The other options were to invent something, cure a disease, discover a new phenomenon. While he fully intended to do what he could for Sharah and others like her… the condition was rare. Finding a way to treat it would be amazing, of course. A true achievement.

Maybe he was still chasing his father’s ghost? He wasn’t sure. Maybe it was that he hadn’t actually solved anything or been useful in the year or so he’d been on the Viking, either version. Had he lost his edge, his nerve?

What really got him out of bed, when he thought about it… wasn’t art. Wasn’t going to the lab. Or research. It was… duty. Commitment. Obligation. Not that those things were a bright spot in his life. Honor, integrity. He’d joined up for a term of service, and he had a job to do. And he was most alive when he could make a difference. Whehter helping cure a disease for some colonists like his own family. Or under pressure in a phaser fight with raiders and marauders.

Excitement. Adventure. A Jedi craves not these things, he reminded himself silently.

All in all, everything was so tangled and intertwined, it was much like the tightly packed roots with the plants in the arboretum.

Mark

“What are Jedi?”

Fayth

Mark almost spewed part of his drink as the question popped out, but he caught himself with a half-laugh. “Sorry, caught me off guard. That question has many answers. All of them true.” He finished taking another sip, then sat the glass down on the low table in front of the couch. “The Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and prosperity throughout the galaxy, before the dark times. Before the Empire. Or so Jedi Master Obi-wan would tell you.” After a moment he digressed. “They’re followers of a religion and code within a fictional setting colloquially known as Star Wars. Set a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Late twentieth century Earth science fiction stories that proceeded well into the twenty-first century.”

“It spawned a real world religious moment that adopted it’s precepts. Jedi are based on the samurai, and were in many ways servants, or public servants. They served as commanders and generals because of their general integrity and abilities. They had the ability to read the minds of others, even influence and cloud the mind when needed. Many could move objects with their minds. And perform many other psionic feats. And they had a hated enemy, the Sith, which comprised a rival philosophy. Though neither were truly complete or whole.”

He nodded, mostly to himself. “But they often were wise. Seeking knowledge, peace, and more. But many were also first-rate warriors. Like our own Security personnel. Highly disciplined and dedicated. Much like the samurai their creation was inspired by.” He gave her a small smile. “Maybe sometime I can introduce you to some of the stories from there.”

Mark