Conversations
Posted on Thu Jan 30th, 2025 @ 12:29am by Lieutenant Maya Canak
Edited on on Sat Feb 1st, 2025 @ 4:20pm
2,010 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 - The Sins of History
Location: Office of the Chief Security and Tactical Officer - Deck 10 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD003 1300 hrs
There was still a great deal to do before Maya felt that she had truly settled in. One that was on the top of her list was meeting with the senior staff. Between her shift in sickbay and projects she was working on, time seemed to get the better of her. She checked the sickbay rotation, saw that she had some time, and tapped her combadge. "Lieutenant Canak to Commander Benson. Do you have some time that I could speak with you?"
Faith raised an eyebrow a little, "Um...yeah, I suppose I do." Leaning back in her chair.
"Shall I come to your office, or would you prefer to meet somewhere else?" Not everyone wanted a formal meeting in their office, so Maya decided to let the commander decide where to meet. For now, she wanted to know more about the security officer, so the location was of little consequence.
"Doesn't really matter to me unless it's in an official capacity and may require paperwork. In that case it may have to be in my office after we spar." She smirked to herself.
"I will be sure to note in your files that you have a...combative reaction to paperwork." There was definitely humor in the doctor's voice. "It's always good to know how a patient is likely to react to reports. Shall we meet in your office then? If you agree not to spar, I'll agree not to use a hypospray."
"I suppose that might be arranged." Faith smiled again, "I'll be here."
Five minutes later, Maya rang the chime to the chief's office. She had not bothered to bring a hypospray.
She raised an eyebrow, "That was fast. -- Come." Standing up and coming around to sit on the edge of the desk.
The door opened. Maya walked in and glanced quickly around the room. You could tell much about a person by how they chose to decorate their office. "Hello, commander. I'm Maya Canak, the new chief medical officer and ME."
"Good after noon, Doctor. Though...I'm a little curious of.." She smiled a little, "Security clearance I would assume." Faith stood up from the desk. As for the décor, there were many things that probably Maya has never seen before. There were trinkets and odd looking objects that had to have been from at least the 20th century. Thing from figurines of then popular culture icons to things that looked like rudimentary computers.
"Why I'm here?" Maya raised an eyebrow. "I wish to know more of the senior staff than their personnel files and medical records. Thus, the need to make a house call. Or, in this case, an office call."
"Well, there you go, not a bad idea. Something to drink?" Getting up, Faith moved to a seemingly blank wall panel. Doing something or another, it opened. She got out a bottle of a dark brown liquid and two tumbler glasses.
"Perhaps just a small glass. I generally drink tea." Maya smiled politely. "As a doctor, I need to practice what I preach."
She raised an eyebrow with a little bit of a smirk, filling up both tumblers just a little under half. The liquid was whiskey, 90 proof(45%). "I'm right here for you to ask."
Maya could smell the whisky. It was definitely more than a bit, which made her smile. "Very well. What led you to choose your current occupation?" It was a simple question, and left it open for Faith to reply however she wished.
Faith set one of the tumblers down in front of Maya. "That would probably stem from what happened to my people. Though actually, I was going to do JAG first at one point in my years. I switched last minute before being assigned."
"Is that why you came to the Artemis?" Out of politeness, she took a tiny sip of the alcohol and set the tumbler back on the desk.
Faith shook her head, "Not particularly, not that I know of. I suppose there could be some underlying reason."
"We generally have underlying reasons for most things we do. Some are more public than others, but if we don't, then we're merely going with the tide, and that is not a productive way to live." That led to another question. Doctors were generally curious, and Maya was no exception. "Have you had many careers over your lifetime or have you always gravitated toward security"
"I quite remember a phrase uttered one time on the Enterprise-D. From one of my own actually, a Doctor Tolian Soran. 'They say time is the fire in which we burn. We leave so many things unfinished in our lives.' I'm sure you also have read my file. That should very well explain it. Faith took a draw from the tumbler.
"A person is more than a list of facts in a file. I learn more about a person by talking with them face to face." She considered the other woman for a moment. "So, you've left a lot of things unfinished?"
She raised an eyebrow a moment, "Don't all of us? My entire race was essentially wiped out by the Borg, I'd say that altered plans for finishing things for a long time."
"That's true. But some of you have built new lives throughout the known worlds, have you not?" It was true that Maya did not know any El Aurians well, but her grandfather had an El Aurian friend when he was a young man.
Faith nodded, "We have, I mean look where I am now."
"Indeed." Maya went back to a previous question. She felt there was still more she could learn by asking. "Why do you feel a need to leave things unfinished?"
Leaning back in her chair, she actually smiled lightly. Giving a pause, Faith folded her hands together and leaned forwards. "Because time is never ending. You can continue to work on a goal and believe that you've accomplished that goal. However, it's never finished, just as time is. If you always follow time, and look to the future, you never have to look back. And if you do look back, it's because you are looking for a hidden answer to a question you had a long time ago and didn't know you did."
What Faith said made sense. And it didn't. But Maya hadn't lived for several lifetimes. "I see a difference between things changing with the passage of time and deliberately leaving something undone and moving on to something else." She shrugged. "My grandfather was always looking at both history and technology. He believed in learning from the past and looking to the future. He taught me to appreciate both, so I don't see time the way you do. I think it's also because I won't live as long as you do, so I don't have that perspective."
"There is always something to learn from the past. A lot of people tend to forget that and only focus on what is right in front of them. It's a long lesson to be learned to remember where you or in this case, where those things came from." She gave a bit of a giggle at herself. Finishing the liquor in her tumbler and refilling it. Motioning if Maya wanted more. "You know there is an officer that I heard say this quote, and I like to live by it. 'Excuse me, sir, but I plan to live forever."
"Where I'm from has a rich history, but most of it was destroyed hundreds of years ago. We have some ancient structures, some pictographs, and four codices from one of the ancient civilizations, but little of others. My grandfather spent his life learning as much as he could of our past." It was a very different point of view, but it was all Maya knew. "I have no interest in living forever, but I do want to learn and preserve the medical history of my people--or as much of it as can be found." She looked at Faith for a moment. "I don't mean to be disrespectful. I can't imagine living as long as you do. So, not to change the subject, but changing the subject, do you develop different hobbies and interests over the centuries, or do you focus on a few things?"
Faith shifted a little in her chair and then got up, taking her tumbler with her. Sitting down in the other chair next to where Maya was sitting. Turning a little in her direction. Taking another good long drink. "See, we have that in common. Most of all of my history, my culture was destroyed as well. However, you have a way to get it back, just we have." Taking a breath, "We should always listen to our elders, even after they have died." She wasn't sugar coating anything, for a reason. "So, make the time of it that you can. I believe I will live forever, even in death, but that's my belief. You are more than welcome to yours."
Maya nodded. "Those are wise words. I agree that there is much to learn from our past. And that we must never forget what our history and our ancestors so we can build on it. I learned that from my grandfather. He made a point of taking me into the jungle to teach me what was left of the ancients and their plants. He is the reason I became a doctor. I just wish that their writings weren't burned. We have no idea what was lost of their science and medicine."
She smiled a little bit in the fact that they both seemed to be on the same page. "Your Grandfather seems like he is a much wiser person than I am. I'm actually a little bit out of my adolescent in terms for my race. I'm actually considered by age almost an Elder by Vulcan standards. So, to you in earth terms, I'm about...36 maybe. Even though I'm actually 436."
"That's still a lot of history to live through. I often speak of my grandfather as if he were alive, even though he passed away before I finished high school. Sometimes it still feels as if he's around. Especially when I go home." She smiled at Faith. "He's the reason I joined Starfleet. I was originally going to get my medical degree and work with him, but when he died, I knew I wouldn't be able to work with his replacement, so I chose this. I feel that he approves." She paused, then asked, "Do you ever feel like your ancestors are still around?"
"Since we're spilling things," Faith got up to get two tumblers. Setting them down, she sat back down. Unlocking a drawer on her desk. Pulling out a bottle of Andorian Whiskey. Filling the one for Maya, if she wanted it about a quarter of the way. Her own was half; setting Maya's down on that side of the desk. "There are always the spirits of those before us. It's completely reasonable to feel that way." Faith almost wanted to mention the Nexus but, decided to forgo that for the moment.
"Yes." Maya raised her glass in a toast. "To those who went before us." Then she took a tiny sip, knowing the whiskey would be strong but wanting to make the toast.
She set the glass down just as her combadge chirped. "Lieutenant Canak, you're needed in sickbay."
"On my way. Canak out." Then she stood and smiled. "My apologies, but a doctor is always on call. Thank you for your time, lieutenant. I enjoyed the conversation." Then she turned and headed back to sickbay.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Maya Canak
Chief Medical Officer/Medical Examiner, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Commander Faith Benson
Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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