PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION - CHIN
 

37311.16 / 1030 / Counselor's Office

[Chin] Sam left the holo-doc's office at a brisk but not unduly eager pace that brought her momentarily to Lt. Talt's door. She keyed the signal and waited, making an effort not to give in to the nerves that were most people's almost reflexive reaction to being ordered to a psychiatrist's office....

[Talt] The Counselor's slightly muffled voice sang out from behind the closed doors.  "Come in-n!"

[Chin] Sam gestured the door open and stepped forward, automatically stepping fully through and one pace to the side rather than framing herself in the doorway. There was no caution in it, nor even really thought -- just well-trained habit. She paused a moment beside the doorway while her eyes adjusted to the unusual lighting, looking around and taking in the odd shapes and ranges of color.

A dim reddish light filled the Counselor's office.  While the illumination was still close enough to normal shipboard lighting to see by, all the colors of the walls and furniture were shifted, obscured.  The air was hot and dry.  And the sound of a continual strong wind rushed about in the corners of the room.
        Against the far wall a couch was obscured by a clutter of artifacts and sculptures - all obviously Vulcan in design.  To the right of the doorway, the Counselor's desk was likewise buried in knickknacks and mementos.  Two comfortable chairs of indeterminate color (given the odd lighting) faced the desk.  Spread on the wall behind the desk was a large viewscreen currently displaying a real-time vista of Mt. Seleya.  On the wall opposite the viewscreen, a standard ship's replicator was showing signs of hard use.  Resting inside the aperture of the replicator was a large plate holding something that the carmine light made difficult to see.
        Lt. Talt's cluttered desk was a bit easier to make out.  A number of things teetered dangerously near the desk edge.  Among the datapads and scarves on her desk, Lieutenant Commander Chin spotted a Klingon D'K Tahg, a small metal flute, a stuffed doll, a  miniature of an Excalibur class starship, two silver enameled plates, a copper and silver necklace with a large tear-dropped shaped pendant, a small fern in clay pot, three small books, a small statue of a wooden horse, and a large ovoid sculpture of frosted glass with the words "Take Nothing, Leave Nothing, Kill Nothing" engraved over the etched image of a Defiant class starship.  There were a number of other items too obscured by the general clutter to make out.

[Chin] How odd, Sam couldn't help thinking. The Counselor was Betazoid, the Commodore had mentioned that...hadn't he? A little unusual for her to immerse herself so completely in all things Vulcan. Unless, of course, she was the sort who, like old-time method actors, immersed herself in the subject of her studies to better understand his mindset. And the array of -- what was her great-grandmother's word? Tchotchkes, that was it -- on the desk exhibited a comforting eclecticism. As her eyes adjusted, the security chief began to feel a trifle more at ease with the prospect of the meeting,
and moved to stand behind one of the chairs, waiting for Dr. Talt to appear.

[Talt] There was no sign of the Counselor herself until a sharp thump sounded from under the desk.  Many of the objects on the desk jittered slightly and Lt. Talt emerged from under the desk rubbing the back of her head slightly.  With a rueful grin, she glanced up at Lt. Cmdr. Chin.
        "Oh! Ahhh, Commander!" she paused and nibbled on her lip. "Have you seen my stylus?"

[Chin] Chin blinked, pausing just a half second for her mind to shift gears before scanning the chaos on the desk. "No, but then I just got here. I think I may have one with me though." She patted herself down, and found she was mistaken. "Guess not," she shrugged. "Sorry." She felt a bit at sea, but not horribly so. A disordered desk, after
all, was the sign of a woefully pedestrian programmer, and her father and his friends had been far from pedestrian.

[Talt] The Counselor gave a little pout at the Lt. Cmdr.'s pronouncement.  "Oh, pooh.  Well, I suppose that I don't really need it right now."  A gleam of self-directed humor crept into Lt. Talt's eyes.  "And when I do, I'll just have to ask the computer . . . again!"

[Chin] "Well, that's what replicators are for," Chin shrugged. "When you find the old one, just...what is it?" Sam's brow furrowed as she noted with concern the Betazoid's expression.

[Talt] Mirifice tilted her head to one side and gave Chin a puzzled look.
        "Commander?  Do you feel alright?  You look a bit flushed . . . Oh my!"  Lt. Talt quickly stifled a giggle behind one hand.  "I've left 'Vulcan' up, haven't I?  Pardon me, Commander Chin."  Mirifice continued to laugh gently at herself as she looked around the altered room.
        "Computer, disengage simulation Talt 7."  she said to the air.
        The room's lighting, temperature and sound levels faded to normal shipboard standards and the image on the viewscreen gradually shifted to what looked like a real-time feed from the forward visual sensors of the Chronos.  Talt was slowly shaking her head.  A rueful grin refused to be repressed.
        "Oh, Commander.  I am *so* sorry.  Honestly, I . . ."

[Chin] "No, don't be," Sam chuckled with a wave of her hand. "Some people feel the same way about my choice of music first thing in the morning." So the counselor was a little absent-minded. What the hell, it probably came with the territory, spending so much time in other people's minds...she shrugged inwardly and dismissed the thought.

[Talt] The Counselor stepped around her desk, gesturing and shrugging.  "Well, it's just that . . . what I don't know about datacubes and temporal travel and holoprograms would just about fill the universe.  So I decided to concentrate on what I do know.  People - the Commodore."

[Chin] *Ah...ha.* It was a good guess, then. And comforting to know the radical change of circumstances this day had wrought hadn't softened the edges on Sam's ability to read people, even without the advantages sported by the 'heads'....

[Talt] Talt continued to chatter as she walked past Chin over to the replicator.  "I guess I thought that all this," she gestures around the office, "would help me get a little 'into his head'."  The Counselor shrugged lightly once more.  "I'm getting to used to it.  I forgot that it was running.  But hopefully I can make it up to you."

[Chin] Sam's gaze followed the doctor, a brow arching at her back.  The teasing comment that got halfway from her hindbrain to her mouth before her forebrain stepped in and stopped it, was something along the line of, "But Doctor, I hardly know you!"

[Talt] Lt. Talt returned around the chair.  Her eyes twinkled and she was smiling broadly.  In her hands was a large blue plate holding six medium sized cookies.
        "Would you like a cookie, Commander?"

[Chin] "Thank you," the short commander said with a warm smile, and surveyed the plate for a second before taking one. I could get to like this woman's style, she reflected lightly.

[Chin] Chin bit into a cookie and smiled, eyes half-closing. "Very nice. Thank you, Counselor. Your own recipe?"

[Talt] Mirifice nodded quickly with a sparkle in her eye. "Yes, sir.  I do a little . . . well alot of experimenting and exploration with the replicators off duty.  I like to fancy myself as a bit of a chef."
        The Counselor returned the Security Chief's smile and gestured to the chair Chin was standing near.
        "Please, sir.  Have a seat."

[Chin] Sir, Chin reflected with a touch of humor as she sat. "We're in your province now, Doctor, no need to stand on ceremony if you're more comfortable with my name. Call me Sam if you like, most people who know me do."

[Talt] A wide smile lit the Counselor's face.  "Certainly Sam.  Then you must return the favor and call me Mirifice.  'Doctor' is so . . . well spooky."  Lt. Talt laughed out loud as she stepped over to the desk.

[Chin] Sam joined in the laughter, just a quiet little ripple, and relaxed another notch.

[Talt] Mirifice placed the plate of cookies on the desk near enough to the Lt. Cmdr.'s chair that she could help herself to another if she were so inclined.  Then, Lt. Talt blew out a quick breath and dropped bonelessly into the other chair facing the desk.
        As she 'seated' herself, her arm brushed the nearby desk and a few of the teetering objects dropped to the grey carpeted floor.  Mirifice looked over the arm of her chair, and shrugging turned back to face the CSO.

[Chin] Sam half-rose from her seat, the impulse to lunge for the falling objects half-formed. She stopped in mid-gesture; nothing breakable and it would have been just a little too slow anyway.  'Relax, Sam, she's going to think you're OCD or something....'

[Talt] A giggle was quickly stifled and the Counselor rolled her eyes.  "Oh, my.  Me and my clutter.  I'm afraid that I'm still not used to being posted to a starship.  There just never seems to be enough space."  Mirifice shook her head gently at herself, still smiling.

[Chin] Sam nodded. "I know what you mean. I had a lot more personal clutter with me on my first posting; most of it went into storage when I transferred the first time." She shrugged. "We'll see. If Chronos starts feeling like home, maybe I'll send for a few more
things."

[Talt]  Lt. Talt crossed her legs up into the chair so that she was sitting 'Indian-style'.  She smiled over to the Security Chief.  "Well, I hope that you'll start feeling at home aboard the Chronos fairly soon, Commander, it's always nice to be around  fellow clutterer."
        Lt. Talt winked.

[Chin] Sam chuckled again. "Shipboard living will work that out of you eventually. Unless you were a burrowing animal in a past life or something."

[Talt] Mirifice's face startled suddenly and she stood up.  Leaning over her desk, she picked a PADD up out of the clutter.  She turned back to Lt. Cmdr. Chin and grinned.
        "Oh, if you'll let me put on my 'cruise director's' hat for a moment, I'll tell you about some of the shipwide activities.  Just in case you are interested."  Talt smiles brightly and then consults her PADD as she practically sing-songs.

[Chin] Sam snapped to sharp alertness at the suddenness of the Counselor's movement, but showed it only in her eyes. The look softened to curiosity as Mirifice produced the PADD. "Well. I'd love to hear," she said pleasantly. "I'm surprised you'd have much of a
social schedule on a ship like this, with no relief crew."

[Talt] Mirifice tilted her head a little and her eyes grew somewhat distant.  She spoke softly.  "I think it's *because* we don't have a relief crew that we *do* have a social schedule.  It'd be so easy to be 'all work and no play'.  And it's not that the missions aren't important, there's nothing more important.  But with just us few, it's also important that we each be ourselves as well as our jobs."
        The Counselor shrugged and refocused on Sam.  She grinned.  "Oh, that came out all in a muddle.  Never mind.  Let's just say some of us are *so* social that a schedule becomes vital."  The Betazoid woman laughed cheerfully and consulted her PADD once more.

[Chin] Sam chuckled, shaking her head, and thought for half a moment of Mitchell -- who certainly seemed the type to waste no time. Pity he had to be so obvious. Maybe, she reflected, if he turns out to have more subtlety and discretion than that normally...she shrugged off the thought.

[Talt]  "Lt. Skald hosts an open meditation session in his quarters every morning at eight o'clock."  She looks up to meet Chin's eyes. "It's really quite relaxing and makes a good start to the day.  Lt. Agoyr and myself have been attending regularly for almost two weeks now."

[Chin] The dominant reaction was skepticism. While 0800 wasn't a particularly disgusting thought on its own to the security chief, plainly, that sort of quest after serenity first thing in the morning was not her cup of tea -- or cup of Raktajino, more appropriately.

[Talt] "I have a open breakfast invitation to all crew members for nine o'clock in the messhall.  Though the food served can be quite . . . exotic.  But if you have a taste for spicy foods and a little gastromical adventure, it can be really fun."  Talt laughs and winks again.

[Chin] Sam grinned, squinting and wrinkling her nose a little. "A Betazoid who likes it spicy. Haven't met many of those. I think we'll get along just fine." Her eyes went wide for half a second and she covered her mouth with a hand in half-embarrassed humor. "Eeesh. I didn't *really* say that, did I?"

[Talt]  Mirifice laughs merrily.  "Oh, Commander," she said shaking her head, "I can see that we *do* have a lot in common.  One of my many little quirks is a tendency toward the 'Freudian Slip' as well.  I tell you what, sir.  I'll ignore yours, if you'll ignore mine.  Deal?"  The Counselor stood and held out her hand, still grinning widely.

[Chin] Sam weighed for a half-second in her mind just exactly how much she wanted to ignore. But at least she could be fairly certain the Counselor wouldn't take it too seriously....would she? Chin abruptly stopped the line of speculation and extended her hand to take Mirifice's. "I'll try my level best, Mirifice," she answered with a grin.

[Talt] "Also, Lt. Skald hosts a weekly activity called D&D every Friday night at 1900 hours in the Time Out.  It's a bit hard to explain but it is fun.  Currently, Lt. Skald, myself and Lt. Sharpe are 'playing'.  Lt. O'Connell's expressed an interest and will probably be joining us for our next session.  But we could certainly use another player.  Again, there's an open invitation for all crew members."  Mirifice smiles once more in invitation.

[Chin] D&D? Sam puzzled over the term for a moment. "Hard to explain, huh? Can you give me a hint?"

[Talt] "Well, Lt. Skald calls it a 'role-playing game' meaning that a player takes on the 'role' of another person.  I tend to see it as a more structured version of the 'let's pretend' games that children play.  The game also has a lot in common with some of the simulations that you probably went through in the Academy - team-building, problem-solving - that kind of thing.  Either way, it makes for wonderful interactions and 'flights of fancy' between the players.  It's certainly worth at least a look-see."

[Chin] "Sounds interesting," she shrugged. "Maybe I'll check into it."

[Talt] Mirifice's face grew a little more serious and she leaned back against the desk edge and looked over to Sam with a furrowed brow.
        "Academy simulations . . . that reminds me."  The Counselor nibbled slightly on her lower lip.  "Lt. Cmdr.?  I was wondering if I might impose upon you in a bit of a more formal capacity.  Ummmm.  During our last mission, I was . . . well it turned out to be completely unnecessary but at one point, I was issued a phaser by another crewmember."  Lt. Talt blushed and looked down at the floor.
        When she looked back up at Sam, her eyes were showing a lot of chagrin and sincerity.  "Sir, before then I hadn't touched a phaser since the Academy and . . . Well, I didn't shoot anyone by accident but I was rather uncomfortable with my lack of expertise.  I was wondering if you would be so kind as to monitor me through a refresher course in phaser handling and safety?"

[Chin] "Of course, Counselor. That's what I'm here for. Whenever you'd like to start."

[Talt] Mirifice just barely repressed clapping her hands together.  "Oh, thank you, Commander."  A huge grin crossed her face and then the Counselor tilted her head and her eyes grew a little distant.
        "Let's see.  We're kind of in the middle of things right now.  Of course, we'll *always* kind of be in the middle of things.  Ummmm. Would tomorrow be alright?  After duty hours?  At your convenience of course."

[Chin] Sam beamed. The Counselor -- Mirifice -- was so vibrant that she couldn't help but find the mood contagious. "That'll be fine," she responded cheerily. "Let's meet for dinner and then take some practice after?"

[Talt] Mirifice's eyes rolled to the ceiling and a mischievous grin spread across her face.  After a moments of 'searching the air', an obvious 'ah-ha!' look appeared.  "You're on, sir!  And I think I have just the recipe to introduce you to 'Betazoid spice'."  Talt giggled. "Oh, you do like spicy food, don't you?"  The Counselor looked a little concerned.

[Chin] "Didn't we already cover that?" Sam laughed. Uh oh, she thought under the laughter...I hope she doesn't think I was really hitting on her before! "Yes, of course I like spicy."

[Talt] This time the Counselor did clap her hands together happily.  "Wonderful!  I just love introducing new friends to old favorites."

[Chin] Sam grinned. "Sounds like a plan, then."

[Talt]  A muffled chime sounded from underneath the clutter on Talt's desk and the Counselor's face fell slightly.  With a slight pout, Mirifice turned and pushed aside some of the PADDs to look at the inlaid chronometer on the desk's surface.
        She looked back over to Chin.  "Oh, I'm sorry, Sam.  It looks like we're all done here."

[Chin] Sam blinked. "So soon?" She felt just a touch of disorientation, as though a deep level of concentration had been disrupted and forced to shift gears. Then she took note of the nearest chrono and shrugged the feeling off.

[Talt] Mirifice's eyes showed a little sadness but then the twinkle came back into them.  Reaching across her desk, Lt. Talt picked up the plate.  "Would you like another cookie before you go?"  As Mirifice turned back to Lt. Cmdr. Chin, she accidentally caught the side of the plate against the large glass sculpture on her desk.  The resultant chiming collision tossed three of the cookies off of the plate.  One landed on the floor at Sam's feet, but the other two ended up squarely in the security chief's lap.
        "Oh, MY! OH, Commander, I am *so* sorry."  Mirifice blushed furiously, deep embarrassment showing in her eyes.

[Chin] "No, no, Lieutenant, please. It's no big deal," she said, taking the two cookies from her lap in one hand and bending down for the third. "See? No harm done. I'm just glad nothing broke," she added, eyeing the sculpture and the plate's edge.
    She stood, and placed one cookie from each hand on the plate -- the one from the floor at the edge, away from the others. "But thank you," she grinned. "I will."

[Talt]  The Counselor stood forward from the desk's edge, grinning in return.  "Well, thank *you* sir.  It's been a real pleasure meeting you, Lieutenant Commander.  And I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night, *Sam*."  Mirifice laughed at her own title confusion and held out her hand once more.

[Chin] Sam took the offered hand, squeezed lightly, and held it perhaps a half-second longer than professionally appropriate. There was sincere pleasure in her smile. This, she thought, is a good person. Bit of a flake maybe, but a good person.

[Chin] "Take care then, Counselor," Chin said. "If you need anything further, let me know." She turned and passed through the door as it opened for her.

[Talt] Mirifice smiled fondly after Lt. Cmdr. Chin, a slight sparkle in her eye.  Once the doors to the Counselor's office swooshed closed, she turned to regale her 'Vulcan Museum'.  A quick giggle escaped her.  Maybe she had gone a little far, but what the heck?
        Shrugging, the Counselor strode back to her desk and began work on the reports that 'had to be on the Captain's desk' as soon as possible.  Mirifice sighed a little.  She was spending so much time lately staring at PADDs - it was nice to actually *work
with people like Lt. MacGillivray and Lt. Cmdr. Chin.  Of course, it was nice working with Lts. Skald and O'Connell too, but that was different.
        Mirifice shook her head and quickly cleared a work space.  Helping herself to one of her own cookies, she got her mind to order and began composing the Psychological Evaluations of the Chronos' two newest officers.