Discipline... Again

Posted on Wed Mar 11th, 2009 @ 9:15pm by Captain Elsie Halliwell

2,609 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: In The Dark
Location: Office of the Executive Officer, USS Archimedes
Timeline: Current

[Arkham’s Office]

Commander Rowena Arkham had been dreading the beta shift today, knowing full well what she had to do. Rapidly getting ready for the mission to the surface of Citadel Prime, the altercation in the labs had been the last thing that Arkham had needed -- it was high stress enough, and there was plenty enough to do without this. Sighing, she sipped at a cup of coffee that had long gone cold, managing a slight smirk as she watched the two young engineering crewmen working in her office -- the events of the last couple of days had mandated additional precautions in her office and quarters, and the Captain's as well.

The engineers finished, quickly leaving the room just as Master Chief Vrel entered for the evening shift. Sighing, Arkham rasped, "You might notice it's rather quiet in here. This office's ventilation system has been set up to secrete a chemical that negates the neurotoxins in your paracortex that allow you your telepathic abilities. Entirely temporary, only in certain rooms on this ship. R&D worked it up for us following the Turoc matter and we elected for it after your most recent...incident. It can be removed if we so desire...but right now, it is a precaution."

Not waiting for the Master Chief to react to this latest development, Arkham pulled out a PADD and held it up -- the report to the Executive Officer about the incident in the labs. A stern and cold look crossing her features, Arkham rasped, "You telepathically assaulted a civilian. Tell me what, exactly, I'm supposed to do about this. I can't exactly make this go away."

"I did not assault anybody", Dhindara replied coldly, "and I do not agree to being exposed to any of your neurotoxins. Your doctor was extremely rude. She managed to make me angry, what nobody had managed in years, not even Turoc. Trust me, I did not assault her."

Arkham's features remained inscrutable, her steady cobalt gaze focused straight at the young Master Chief. "You mentally slapped her, Master Chief. If that doesn't qualify as assault in Starfleet's book, then I don't know what does anymore. Yes, Catherine was rude, she was in the wrong too and has admitted it, but you were way out of line."

Arkham paused a moment, rubbing her dead eye, and then continued, "And as for the "neurotoxins" present in this room -- Master Chief, since when as Command Staff of this ship and senior line officers, are we required to consult you to make a decision? The decision was made purely out of concern for our safety. It can always be reversed, and we were assured by a specialist in Betazoid neurology that no harm would come of it. Explain the mental slap, Master Chief. Because you can explain it, or I can go through the feeds in the labs and check for a surge in your neurochemicals and prove it happened and then draw my own conclusions. And believe me, you don't want me drawing my own conclusions. I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself. Word of advice, you should probably take it."

"I am willing to explain", she said, "but not in this room, and not while exposed to your poison." She turned and headed out of the office, as she was already feeling a nauseating effect and needed to get rid of it.

Arkham smirked a little--she hated doing this, but it had to be done. "I don't recall giving you an 'Option C: Make a Deal With the Executive Officer,' Master Chief; as soon as you violated probationary status you lost the ability to make deals with me. The Captain is on his way. And our discussion will take place here, or it will take place in another secured office with similar effects. You can start talking now, or you had wait until he gets here. Up to you, really."

"I... cannot function in this environment", Dhindara said. "It is like... like cutting the antennae off an Andorian." The room was starting to spin as she felt the disorientation take hold.

[Intelligence Officers, Deck Three]

Commander Lane was down with Lieutenant Commander Kemmer in the Intelligence offices when the summons from his First Officer reverberated around the bulkheads.

=A=Arkham to Lane. Could you come to my office?=A=

He swiftly flicked his commbadge and replied, "On my way, Commander."

The Trill nodded to Lieutenant Commander Kemmer and smiled. "Keep me informed, Commander."

He closed his eyes slightly and exhaled as he turned on his heels to leave the office. He had read the report submitted by Commander Arkham concerning the telepathic assault on Doctor Halsey earlier than day and on its merit had approved the suggestion of the anti-telepathic technology to be utilised where his XO saw fit.

Up until now, Lane had left the day-to-day disciplinary proceedings for his First Officer to facilitate as both procedure and his own schedule dictated. And, to her own credit, Arkham kept everything in order marvellously. However, with his XO required on the surface as per his own orders, and with the severity of what had transpired, Lane felt it necessary to step in.

[Arkham’s Office]

As the doors parted before him, Dhindara and Rowena were stood, facing each other, in the office.

He simply nodded to both parties as he entered.

Arkham rose from her chair as the Captain entered, breaking her concentration on the young Betazoid in front of her. Nodding to Lane, she said, "Just in time, Commander. Master Chief Vrel was just about to explain her...dubious actions to me. I assume, sir, that you have already read the report?"

Remaining silent, Lane solemnly nodded. “Ms. Vrel?�

Dhindara was doing all she could to stay on her feet. She wasn't able to have an intelligent discussion at the moment. She was steadying herself with a hand on the wall and had closed her eyes, her head lowered.

Arkham smirked, moving over to the replicator and getting herself a glass of scotch. Shaking her head, Arkham said coldly, "You do realize, the faster you start talking, the faster you're out of this room? Because until I'm satisfied, I'll detain you all day. And really, considering the fact I was supposed to be at Citadel Prime hours ago and we're holding up an entire diplomatic proceeding for your telepathic nonsense, it better had be the damned explanation of the century, don't you agree, sir?"

Dhindara was under some stress. She was doing her best to stay coherent. Since puberty her telepathy had always been an integral part of her mental control and focus. Now that she had been robbed of it she couldn't think clearly. "I... have trouble. Speaking is hard." She took a deep breath. "Hindas." She was now slipping into other languages, as her mind tried to find a way to focus. "Folter."

Lane raised a solemn eyebrow in a slight air of contempt, but then relented. “Commander, deactivate the ventilation technology. Just for now.� He nodded curtly but kept his eyes on the Betazoid. “Now, Ms. Vrel. I do not wish to cause you distress but I need you to explain your actions concerning Doctor Halsey to me. And now.�

Arkham grimaced a little -- she did not like the idea of lowering the security of her office for anyone, even the Commanding Officer. "Sir, with all due respect, I think that's a foolish idea. I'll...lower it, but I will not eliminate it. Perhaps you'll trust a telepath that has assaulted an officer and a civilian, but I will not."

“Commander, deactivate the device,� he said, turning to face his Number One. “We’re not going to get anywhere with the Master Chief incapacitated.�

Arkham smirked, clearly unhappy with how things were unfolding. Grumbling a little to herself--tapping a button on her desk, she summoned a security team to just outside her office, just in case. "All right, sir. But this foolishness is beginning to try my patience."

Fixing his uncompromising eyes on to the Betazoid in front of them, he matter-of-factly said, “Ms Vrel. The contraption has been deactivated. Now explain yourself. I want to know exactly why you struck a civilian onboard my ship.�

The effects of the drug were still in her brain. Just because the toxins were being filtered out of the air didn't mean that the effects were gone instantly. It took a while. She could feel some relief though, and actually opened her eyes. She grabbed the Trill's shoulder with her free hand and said, "The chair, please."

Lane grabbed the chair from underneath the desk and placed it in front of Dhindara, helping her to settle down in it. “Would you like some water, Ms. Vrel?�

Now that Dhindara was slowly regaining her telepathy she was radiating fear to those in the room, and probably also others who happened to be close enough by. This was not out of any malicious intent, this was because she was afraid and still hadn't regained control over her telepathy. She was scared, and had it not been an absolutely overwhelming experience to be suddenly robbed of what had always been with her, what was a part of her for all her adolescent and adult life, she would have freaked out, possibly caused physical harm to objects and people around her. She still wasn't prepared to speak, as she was fighting in her mind to reassert control over herself.

“Ms. Vrel. I need you to explain your actions. Now,� the Commander said in a stern voice.

"I cannot", she said. "I cannot think."

“Master Chief. I’m done with playing games,� the Trill said, quickly losing patience. “If you wish to do this another time then I’m afraid that I will have no other choice than to confine you to quarters until you are willing to discuss the matter with me. We have a mission to get underway and I cannot have members of this crew running around assaulting people. Am I understood?�

Dhindara wasn't playing games. She was severely disturbed and frightened.

“What’s it be, Ms Vrel?�

"Sir, with all due respect, we confined her to limits before with no tangible results," Arkham said coldly. "Clearly I made a mistake the last time I dealt with her. Perhaps we need to consider a...sterner tact."

The Trill simply looked at the Betazoid and then back to his First Officer. He nodded solemnly and winced with the taste of regret. "Agreed. Ms. Vrel, you're dismissed and confined to quarters until otherwise notified." He then stepped forward to activate the doors to his Commander's office and revealed the two burly security officers waiting patiently outside. "You're both dismissed, also. Return to your posts, thank you."

He then turned to face the young, shattered woman before him. "Ms. Vrel, as a member of this crew and an officer who wears that uniform, I am appalled at the telepathic outburst that you displayed towards a civilian onboard my ship. That behaviour, coupled with that fact that, at the time, you were operating under a probabtional discipline put in place by myself and Commander Arkham, is utterly unacceptable. Now, I trust that you can find your own way to your quarters until your duty shift is to start later. You will remain there until that time and report directly to Mr. Larkin who will manage you until I can trust you not to lash out again. Am I understood? If you need assistance there, I can arrange that for you."

Dhindara simply nodded. Her cabin sounded good to her, for the time being. She wasn't in any shape to speak but she did want to get out of this office, away from the threat of the torture device, for that it was to her, to be turned back on. She stood, somewhat shaky, and left the room without another word.

After the frail Scientist left the office, Lane turned to his Number One and shook his head. "I just don’t know what to do with her, Rowena… I'm shocked and saddened by the little creature."

Arkham nodded solemnly, her features managing as much of a frown as possible for her. She rasped, "Agreed, Coltan. I blame myself -- we both know what this must have been about, and I should have seen it coming. I think she thought she was acting in my best interests. But it was completely uncalled for. Perhaps, sir, we need to consider a sterner tact. I'm keeping the ventilation device in my office and quarters -- the less she's in my head, the better for all, I think. I think it would be a prudent precaution in your own office as well, sir."

“I concur, too, Rowena. Just for the time being. As you have said, there’s no permanent damage, and, I have to admit that if I lost my sight, I would be disorientated and scared but not hurt. And, please,� he said, as he placed a hand on her shoulder, “don’t blame yourself for this. Sometimes the lines between personal and professional relationships become blurred, and you cannot blame anyone for that. Nor, rake ‘em across the coals for it.�

He sighed and perched himself on the side of the desk, supporting his weight by clasping his hands over its lip. “What should we do about this, Commander? You are heading the away-team, my priorities lie with the Bridge… This isn’t the time to be micromanaging an aggressive member of our crew. I do think we should let Larkin step in and take the reigns with her.�

Arkham smirked a little, looking rather stern and dour. "It was my own fault -- i should have seen what her misguided attempts to 'make me happy' would result in. Ah, well. But really, if I had trouble with her --and I am by no means a pushover, as you well know-- what's Larkin going to do? He's a department head that doesn't know how to assert his own authority."

“Then, Commander Arkham," he said, with a wry smile and a slight twinkle in his eye, "he shall have to learn like the rest of us. I cherry-picked him for CSO and he will have to endure the rights and responsibilities that accompany the position." He broke into a relaxed smile and took her shoulder with his hand once more. "We'll both be there for him through it, now won’t we....?"

Arkham raised an eyebrow, looking incredulously at the Commander. "I suppose we'll have to. I'm just saying, it may not be the most prudent thing to toss him head first into it. He's inexperienced, and she's...probably going to prove quite the challenge. If it was anyone else, I'd say yes, but she's a telepath. Are you sure he's ready for this?"

"He will be… But, please don't misunderstand me, Commander. We'll both over see this. Together. But with the away-mission you're about to embark on, and with my efforts required elsewhere, also, we need him to continue the day-to-day of this. Otherwise, as before, the practice won't stick."

Arkham shook her head. "I don't misunderstand you, sir," she rasped, smirking as much as her ruined face would allow her to. "I'm simply being...appropriately sceptical. It's kept me alive all these years, after all."

"And I would not have you any other way, Rowena. Any other way…"




Commander Coltan Lane,
Commanding Officer

Commander Rowena Arkham,
Executive Officer

AND

Master Chief Petty Officer Dhindara Vrel,
Historian and Anthropologist (NPC)
Played by Captain Dola chi-Trei

 

RSS Feed