An open discussion
Posted on Sun Mar 8th, 2020 @ 8:59pm by Chief Petty Officer "Chief" Alpha I CSH & Lieutenant JG Draestrad
Mission:
Discovery
Location: Counselors Office
Earlier in the day, Captain Kamar had sent out a message to all crew members, the message was a welcoming of the new ship's Counselor, Lieutenant Draestrad, but also an instruction that all crew should go meet with Counselor for an evaluation. Chief thought that it was a little strange for him to need psychiatric evaluation, given that he was a hologram and able to run self-diagnostics on his program, but the order was clear.
As a result, Chief had booked a session with Draestrad. When it was time for his appointment, Chief manifested an avatar of himself just outside the Counselor's office and pressed the buzzer. While Chief was easily able to just appear inside the office, he was still programmed to respect manners and also value others privacy. As he waited for a reply, Chief decided to spend the few seconds reviewing Draestrad's service file, as well as reviewing all available Starfleet material on Psychology and psychotherapy. Both subjects were compelling reads, leaving Chief with an added interest.
“It’s open!” called the counsellor. She glanced up to see an unnaturally attractive male with red hair enter. He wore the rank of chief petty officer and there was something slightly “off” about his countenance. Then her mind recalled that this was the holographic entity which went by the name Chief. She massaged the area where her neck and shoulder met with one hand.
“Please make yourself comfortable, Chief. I’m Counsellor Draestrad. Before we begin, I believe this is your first session. So I think it’s important to go over some points to acclimate you and set expectations. Whatever is said in this room stays between you and I. You’re free to talk about anything you like, but generally it’s most helpful to stick to discussing how you interact with your environment and how that effects you. I’m specifically trained to avoid stereotypes or prejudices based on species or whether or not you’re a corporeal being, so you can expect fair treatment. Now, what shall we talk about?” said the El Aurian.
Chief lowered himself down into one of the chairs opposite Draestrad, he listened to her welcome with interest "Honestly Counselor, I do not know. As you have said, this is my first true session with any Counselor. I did undergo an evaluation as part of my initial design and programming phase, but since then I have not needed to attend any meetings" He said in a self-reflective tone "My program has been designed with numerous diagnostic sub-routines and back-ups to prevent any kind of psychotic abnormalities. Further, I have also been built upon previous EMH programs, therefore I already come with a complete counselling database" Cheif paused for a moment, gazing off into the distance for a second, then his attention returned back to Draestrad "I have just completed a self-diagnostic, there were no anomalies or errors detected in my program at this time. So I do not know what to discuss, what do others discuss in these types of sessions?" Chief asked out of genuine curiosity, while he had nothing to start with, Chief was always willing to learn as much as possible in all situations
Draestrad smiled at the man. She had been part of a panel of professionals who tested the Auxiliary Counselor Hologram, the programming of which he would have access to. “Well counselling, as you know, isn’t simply a gaze inward. We also deal with how you interact with others. And how they interact with you. Have you found anyone who is perhaps reluctant to include you as a peer? Or maybe you lack a rich social life that you desire? These are all areas I’m here to help you with.” said the woman.
Nodding in understanding, Chief gave the question some thought, approximately 0.68 seconds. Which, for a Hologram, that was nearly an eternity. "So far the crew has been more than welcoming of me, there was only a small incident of hostilities prior to my activation. Though, from what I am told, that was more so due to incorrect filing of paperwork. Someone had forgotten to tell the Captain about my instillation before it happened" he answered with a small smile, while Chief had not been present for the entire situation, he had read the reports from that day, it made for an entertaining story. "Since then, the crew has adapted to my presence as well as any living crew member. In fact, I believe a large portion of the crew is curious about me and what I can do, not just literally but what I can achieve for the future of sentient Holograms. After all, is it not a Starfleet principal to seek out new life? Why must that life be organic in nature, could it not also be synthetic life?" He asked, almost turning Draestrad into the patient, rather than himself.
“How about relationships? Do you have someone onboard that you consider a friend? A romantic interest? Is that a goal of yours?” asked the El Aurian. She considered that Chief was probably going to become her counsellor as well. The thought wasn’t entirely unwelcome, as she would need someone she could talk to honestly with no fear of repercussions. But that would be for another day. She refocused her attention on him as she adjusted in her chair, tucking one leg under herself.
"Relations, it hasn't crossed my mind, so to speak" Answered Chief, again he paused to think about what he had been asked, the conversation was turning out to be more interesting then he had initially anticipated "My program was never designed with intimate relationships in mind. While I am built to emulate emotions and understand them, I can't fully replicate true emotions, I understand them as a concept but nothing more" he replied honestly
"As for friendships, I would hope that most of the crew think of me fondly. I have been able to assist several crew members in a variety of tasks, everything from basic data retrieval to temporarily taking over in the Science department. No one has reported any dissatisfaction with my work" Chief added with a shrug
Draestrad offered the man a small smile. “I think we’ve found the subject of our work. Friendships are a much richer experience than simply assisting each other with tasks. Due to the nature of your being, it would be easy to treat you as a genie in a lamp, metaphorically speaking. Rub the lamp when one needs something, dismiss the genie back to the lamp when the need is fulfilled.” She gestured with her hands as she spoke. “What real friendship looks like is a less formal version of what you and I are doing right now. Conversing about one another’s lives as we share in an experience such as a meal, a fun trip, or something as simple as a quick chat at the end of a duty shift. Tomorrow afternoon, I’d like you to join me in the mess hall for a cup of coffee. I’m new here, so it looks like we both could use a friend.” said the counsellor.
Chief nodded, vaguely understanding the reference that Draestrad was making. The genie analogy worked well for holograms, especially for earlier models. Often, people would deactivate holograms without consulting them prior, or they would leave the hologram running endlessly. Now, most holograms had the option to activate or deactivate themselves at will, within reason.
"While I do not consume food and drink as you do, I would be happy to join you in the mess hall tomorrow. I have found this conversation extremely interesting. I believe that we could gain a lot from continuing it further" Chief said in a friendly tone, after all he was designed to learn and grow, a further conversation with Counselor Draestrad would provide ample opportunity.
“Wonderful. In the meantime, I’d like you to consider having off-duty hours if you don’t already. This time could be spent furthering your personal interests as you see fit. I’ll see you tomorrow, Chief” said the counsellor.
Standing up, Chief nodded at Draestrad's request "I'm looking forward to it Counsellor, have a good day" He said with a warm smile. With that, the hologram exited Draestrad's office and left her to her work. The session had been far more thought-provoking and interesting than Chief had originally anticipated, he would need to spend several minutes replaying the session in his memory buffers and examine the conversation more closely. Perhaps this could be a good use of some off-duty time. With that, Chief deactivated his avatar and returned to the pathways of the main computer.
END
Lieutenant Junior Grade Draestrad.
Ship’s counsellor
USS Pennsylvania
CPO "Chief" Alpha I
Chief of the Boat
USS Pennsylvania
