Trust

Posted on Fri Dec 4th, 2020 @ 11:19pm by Chief Science Officer Mika Rai'z D.Sc., Ph.D. & Commanding Officer Maralen Seitha
Edited on on Fri Dec 4th, 2020 @ 11:20pm

Mission: New Starts
Location: Captain's Office
Timeline: 247912.28 0900

Maralen had been prowling as cats are wont to do, and was now heading back to his office. He couldn't say he felt caged in it; it was a very large office. But at the same time, he did like to roam about his domain. He had nearly reached it, was a corridor away, when he saw someone heading in the same direction. From the back, he could not identify the person -- and he had not smelled them before, so his sense of smell was no help in that department either -- so he called out to them.

"Excuse me? Are you looking for somewhere?" He decided that it would seem less rude, intrusive or just plain stupid if he put it that way. After all, this was a huge ship; it was easy to get lost on.

Mika stopped and turned around, taking in the large feline. "Yes I am," he smiled, politely, glad for the question. "I’m looking for the Captain’s office. This ship is so large, I’m starting to wonder if I have gotten myself lost."

Maralen chuckled softly, the sound holding a bit of a purred quality as well. "Quite all right. This is a very large ship," he said by way of assurance. "And you are not lost. My office is just in the next corridor. I'm Maralen Seitha, the new captain for this flying city. And you might be?"

Mika smiled at both the information and the sound that came from Maralen. He looked relieved. "I’m Doctor Mika Rai’z, your executive officer," he smiled, walking back towards him. "It’s really nice to meet you, Sir."

Maralen let his analytical mind take in the man before him. "Well, I am pleased that Ashlyn found someone to help me run this place. Perhaps we should get to know one another a bit. After all, we will be working very closely together for the foreseeable future," he suggested, approaching Mika and meeting him halfway.

"I agree. I’m looking forward to it." Mika replied, and then realized it was the first he’d actually felt that way since taking the job.

They had started walking, and Mika became thoughtful, his mind quickly going back, to how he wouldn’t even be there...if it hadn’t been for Karyn. He’d be running the science department of the starbase in Ba’ku’s orbit, having never improved the quality of a young boy’s life. If he had never met her, if she had never slid into his life, he wouldn’t be experiencing the feelings that were growing inside him whenever he thought about her, whenever he saw her face.

He had to smile, and looking around him, his mind having returned to FarVoyager and the Ledaran that commanded her, he said, "I've been on large vessels but a flying city is very new."

Maralen walked beside the other man, sensing that the other was in deep thought for a few moments and not distracting him. Mar was not the kind of person who needed to talk all the way to a destination, after all, so if Mika preferred to walk in silence, he was just fine with that. But then, the other man broke the silence, and Mar chuckled softly.

"I'm pretty sure it's new to everyone here," he noted, including himself in that statement. "Even I have never served on such a large vessel, much less commanded one." The Ultimate Force BlackLights the Singers had used had been at least this size, but they were very different, and he had never flown one. They had force-bonded him to one, and it had nearly killed both him and the ship, so they had pushed him on to the next Rank Level. "It will be a challenge, I'm sure. We don't just have military, or even paramilitary, personnel. There are decks of civilians as well." Yes, the description of 'flying city' did imply that, but he was ensuring clarity.

Mika listened carefully to everything Maralen said and was reminded once again how much he still needed to learn about this new universe, its technologies, and most of all, its people. He nodded, understanding. "One of the things I plan on doing as soon as possible is to start getting to know her, find my way around."

Maralen nodded, not missing the fleeting look that entered the other man's eyes and was gone as quickly but not saying anything about it either. "That's what I've been doing between meetings... and at night," he admitted. "It will take some time to learn it all, like any large city. But it never hurts to make the effort. The more of it we know, the better prepared we are to help the rest here."

They reached the office, and Maralen touched the silvered plate beside the door. A few things happened in the split second that it took for the machine to recognize him and open the door. One was that the silvered surface conducted and translated into machine language his ThoughtCode. The other was that tiny receptors, invisible to the naked eye, took tiny samples of his DNA for comparison against that on file with ShadowDragon Enterprises. The last thing that happened before the door opened was that the two combined were compared with his set on file. If both did not match him, the office would not allow him entrance. But the door opened, and he stepped in, moving aside to allow Mika in as well.

He had not had time to redesign the office, so it still held the 'standard' furnishings that had 'come with it'. These were the high-backed leather chair behind the slick black desk and the two shorter-backed chairs between the door and the desk. The wall behind the desk was a display screen that currently displayed the Tassryth Station where the ship was docked, though it could be made to display any scene its user desired.

"Sorry about the office," he apologized, "but I haven't had the time yet to redecorate it." He motioned to one of the chairs. "Please make yourself comfortable though."

"Thank you, Sir," Mika responded and headed for the seat in question. looking around the office as he did, and then took a seat. "It's actually quite nice, especially having a view 'window' like that." He had nodded towards the display screen.

Maralen looked to the "window" then back to the other man. "Well, some people get weird about it if you don't 'make the office yours' by putting your own belongings all over it." He chuckled. "I've never really felt the need to embellish a room. But thank you. I do like the 'window' though. I can have it display anything in the database, but this is the view that was here when i took over the office. I think it's tied into the outside cameras."

Moving to sit behind the desk, he sighed. He had been all over this ship today, and it was nice to sit down again. "So, tell me something about you that I can't find in your Dossier," he requested. Dossiers only told part of the story. He wanted to know the people behind those dossiers.

Mika gave a small smile as he thought about what wouldn't be in there that he felt comfortable talking about. "I keep a journal," he responded. "It helps me clear my mind and at the same time reflect on what is important."

Maralen was not sure what he had expected the man to tell him, but that had not been anywhere near the list. He thought about it now though, reflecting that they had this in common even if they did it for different reasons. And fair was fair; he had asked for information, so it was only right that he give some. Besides, as his Executive Officer -- that title still made him pause -- Mika would need to know, at least on some level, the man he would be working with.

"That is actually interesting," he said aloud. "Not many do journaling anymore from what I understand. I do, but that is a bit of a hold-over from how I grew up. We were all required to keep a journal, but no one ever read someone else's without permission. It was, I think, a way of monitoring the thoughts we didn't share with them." He considered that again for a moment. In fact, that was very likely. None ever got punished for what they wrote in the journal either; he suspected that was because that would discourage them from keeping the journal. Interesting. Even that had been a form of manipulation.

Mika listened intently, at first feeling as if he could relate, for his parents, as scientists, had instilled in him the importance of good note-taking. It was the last of what Mars had said that threw him off a bit.

"Monitoring your thoughts?" Mika questioned, feeling perplexed, not understanding how they monitored and yet retained privacy.

Maralen nodded. At first, he didn't understand what had caused the confusion, but replaying his own words in his head fixed that. He chuckled at himself. 'Sorry. I realize my wording must have thrown you. Everyone has to keep one but no one ever reads anyone else's was what the gentleman who gave me the first journal said to me. By no one, he meant none of the other students or the... instructors. The Realm themselves were always in our heads, listening, watching. So they knew what we wrote in the journals, but we were never punished for it." He paused. "Does that make more sense?"

His brow still furrowed slightly, Mika nodded, yet slowly, thinking most likely telepathy was involved. "It does but, I’m not familiar with The Realm. Who are they?"

The Realm. How did one explain them to someone who had no frame of reference for them? "Well, they are an extremely old power. Their method of keeping order in their space is authoritarian. The history gets a bit complicated, and I doubt that you want a lesson in their history, but suffice it to say, they eventually evolved into a state of pure energy, as did their rivals the DarkLights and the neutrals The Center. Each side began to integrate corporeal life forms into their 'organizations', and they continued their conflict through these mortals. Until very recently, however, the Center managed to stay clear of it. Anyway, because of their nature as authoritarian, the Realm monitor their Reps -- that's what they called us -- very closely. They told us it was for our protection as much as anything else, but..." He shrugged, indicating that he was not convinced that this was their primary motive. In fact, he knew better, at least for those who had 'trained' him.

Pausing, he sighed. "I likely only further complicated the situation and confused you, but I hope not. Either way, ask anything you wish. I will try to answer." As his Executive Officer -- that title always made him mentally cringe just a little -- Mika should know whom he was working with. This was why Maralen was in Full Disclosure Mode.

The explanation did help, piquing Mika’s curiosity more, bringing with it a lot of questions he would table for later, despite Maralen's offer to ask anything. He wasn’t quite ready to do the same, not when it came to the Ba’ku’s origin . "Not at this time,” he lightly smiled, “And that does make more sense." He didn't want to judge, but the idea of higher beings using corporeal races to fight their battles did not sit well with him.

Something in the other man's manner spoke of discomfort. Maralen couldn't tell, however, if it had to do with what he'd said or something else. "I'm glad that I could clear up the confusion," he said truthfully. "I've never really had to explain them before to someone who had no frame of reference for them." He chuckled a bit then became serious once more. "Did my explanation make you uncomfortable?" he asked, giving the other man that 'out' if it was something else that he didn't want to discuss. Hell, he could see how that information could make a person uneasy. He had lived it, and it made him... okay, uneasy wouldn't really cover what it did to him.

"There were parts that did,” Mika answered casually, not wanting there to be any concern. "I'm sure given time and learning more, I'll understand." He smiled. At least he had landed in a verse he felt he’d be able to adapt to, one with people so welcoming and willing to take on a stranger. Things could have been far worse.

Maralen nodded. "Fair enough." He relinquished the topic easily enough. "Do you have any questions for me then?"

With his smile lessening, his expression no less pleasant, Mika had nodded. "I do," he said. "My position has been explained to me, but I would like to know what you expect of me as your executive officer?”

Maralen gave a small nod. This was an expected question given the unusual nature of this ship. "I can understand the reason for the question. The FarVoyager is like no other ship. Tell me. How do you see your role here?" Yes, he was aware that he was pulling an Executive here, testing the man, but he needed to learn this new person, understand him even if that was possible. They would be required by the job to trust one another, and trust was not easily given... at least by Maralen Seitha. The testing helped.

Mika had to smile at how the Captain had turned his question around and replied, "I’m here to support you, to give advice... to be a liaison between you and the crew as well as making sure your orders are followed.”

Maralen nodded. "That is the classic definition of our role, and it does still apply here. However, there is another thing I would ask of you, given my... unusual background." He paused a moment for effect, then continued. "I was trained to be cool and efficient. However, these people are not Realm agents, and that training must be... restrained. I need you to help me to do that. I know that this is a more personal request, and you may feel free to tell me if this is not something you are comfortable with, but it is something I would appreciate as it would benefit the crew."

This time Mika nodded as he thought about it, his blue-grey eyes revealing an understanding of what Maralen was asking of him. "I have no problem with helping you. But I think some insight into this training you have had would be helpful."

Maralen smiled an odd little smile. "Are you sure that you want to chase that particular rabbit down that particular hole, Mika?" It was partly a tease, but he was partly serious. There were things in that training that were... abhorrent to him and would possibly change the man's mind about him. He hoped not, but it was possible. "There are disturbing things down that hole."

His brow furrowed again, Mika nearly hesitated at Mars words and the way they were spoken. But with a resolve he was still feeling, in wanting a clear understanding of what Mar was asking of him, he answered with, "Yes, I am."

Maralen's whiskers twitched, as did his ears slightly. His tail might have joined the Twitchfest had it not been wrapped around his waist. "Before I begin, I must ask you to keep what you hear in this office in strictest confidence." He gave a slight pause. "And if, after you have heard it, you decided to leave, I will understand and will not stop you. However, I hope that you won't."

"Alright" Mika nodded, ready to hear what Mar had to say. "And it won't go any further, you have my word."

Maralen sighed. So the man wanted to know the details of his past."All right. Just remember that you asked." He chuckled slightly then became serious once more. "It began with the destruction of my world by forces unknown. Large, black ships that I have never seen since. They said nothing. They gave no warning. They simply came, laid waste to the planet, then vanished as suddenly as they'd come." He then proceeded to lay out all of the things first the Realm had made him do, taught him to be, forced him to be. Then came the Singers and all of their atrocities, all they'd made him be and do. And as he told it, laid it all out, for his first officer, even he heard the breaks in his voice, the slight auditory signs that all of this had reached into his heart and soul and put cracks in them. And when he had finished, he looked at the man, curious and worried to know what he would see now in his commander, what he would feel about a man who could do all of that and not be broken utterly.

Mika was silent as he tried to process what he’d been told. He was also from a world that no longer existed, but by it’s own hand. And the serene life he had on Ba’ku led to it’s own problems But despite all that, even with all he’d experienced in Starfleet and his talent for insight, he had never imagined he’d feel the way he did now, appalled. Yet, as he looked back up to the ‘man’ before him, he found he couldn’t judge. His face still hardened, he managed to ask with a neutral voice, "How much do you trust yourself."

Maralen studied the man before him. He was not reading the other's mind, so he did not know precisely what Mika was thinking, but he did recognize subtle physical cues, and the pure neutrality of Mika's voice told him what he needed to know just then. "I am in complete control of my own faculties now. I trust myself. It is the universe I don't trust." He held Mika's gaze for another moment. "Can I trust you?" He wanted to trust this man, needed to as his Exec. But had all that he'd just told the man tainted Mika's view of him?

Mika nodded, "You can. If that ever changes, I'll let you know."