A Discussion Amongst Angels

Posted on 26 Feb 2014 @ 9:47pm by Ensign K'os Beaumont & Lieutenant Teth Miir
Edited on on 27 Feb 2014 @ 9:00am

2,088 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: Hollywood Cemetary, Richmond VA, Earth
Timeline: MD 52 - 1500

ON:

When Counselor Miir first arrived on Earth, just after disembarking from the USS Glasgow and just as he received his orders to serve aboard the USS Galileo, he thought it would be fun to do counseling sessions at the park or in a cafe. Anywhere but one of the drab counseling offices at Starfleet Medical or aboard the Galileo.

But his layover lasted weeks and he felt like he was running out of places to go. Thanks to his temporarily lightened workload, courtesy of Dr. Carlisle, he technically wasn't supposed to be counseling anyone to begin with. So when K'os contacted him that morning, he was quite grateful for the diversion that the meeting would provide.

He hadn't expected the request even though he knew he had advised weekly visits for the crewman, and it had been well over a week. But that short span of time between meetings had stretched on for an eternity. So much had changed in such a short span of time. The birth of his half Kzin neices and what was likely the least restful and relaxing trip in the history of Starfleet shore leave.

So there he sat, at a picnic table in the middle of an ancient cemetery in Virginia. He hadn't spent a great deal of time there, but he remembered the city fondly from his only previous visit six years before. He'd attended a forensic psychology conference when he was just barely out of the academy. Everything seemed exciting and fresh and new back then, even the worn cobblestone streets and tourist-laden historical districts.

There were endless rows of elaborate headstones and mausoleums overlooking the sprawling metropolis that was the city of Richmond. And from the cemetery one could easily make out the line where half of the city had been razed during the Eugenics War. One half of the city was built in antiquity, pointed Victorian rooftops and early twentieth century office buildings dwarfed by towering modern structures with sharp angles and waved walls of glass.

The most spectacular building within visual range, the enormous university hospital, covered in mirrored green glass. It was easily the largest hospital on the eastern coast of North America. And as Teth drank his thermos of tea, he watched the medevacs land and take off from the rooftop emergency shuttleport. Flashing red and blue lights controlled the traffic patterns, and the shuttles waited in static, like bees filing into a hive before a storm.

In contrast, K'os who had not yet seen the Counselor, was less interested in the skyline and more focused on feeling the texture of the stone of a large winged humanoid. He studied the carved lines, wondering how old it was. He wasn't as bothered with meeting Teth here as others may have been. To the young man, death was as natural of a process as the flowers blooming on the ground, and it no longer held sway over him. He was fascinated with the sculptures and the large mausoleums, to the point where it almost threatened to overstimulate his senses. He resisted the urge to touch them all.

He continued to follow the winding path per Teth's directions, leading him over rolling hills that overlooked the James River. The garden atmosphere was peaceful, putting him in a very calm state. Like the texture of the stone, he also resisted the urge to stop and smell all the brightly coloured flowers he passed by. Coming a long a path he stared intently at a stone carving of an animal. The dark smooth stone reflected the sunlight of the day and he stared at it as he came into view of the picnic table that Teth sat at.

The counselor had heard K'os approaching and waved him over.

"Mr. Beaumont. Please, join me." he smiled warmly as he greeted the engineer, "How are you today?"

For someone who experienced emotions on a complex and simultaneous level, that was always a difficult question to answer. He unslung the brown leather satchel he always carried. As K'os approached he settled with, "I am well, Counselor. How are you?" He slung his leg over the bench of the picnic table opposite Teth. He could feel the wood through his tight denim pants and the sun was at his back; his skin felt pleasantly warm through his thin green tshirt.

"I'm well." Teth replied reflexively. He was wearing his Starfleet uniform for the first time in weeks and it felt strangely restrictive and far too warm for the weather. The sleeves always pulled at his fur and it was quite obvious that it was not designed with his people in mind. He tired to adjust the always too-tight collar, today it felt more like a noose. He picked up the PADD he had laying on the table with the notes from his last meeting with K'os on the display.

"So, is there anything in particular you would like to discuss? I believe the last time we spoke you were telling me about the Vulcan and Terran methods you use to control your emotional responses. How is that going?"

"Surprisingly well." He admitted. His finger traced the pattern of the wooden picnic table absently. "I still need practice." He laughed suddenly, "Actually, a lot of practice." He breathed in, and the ecstatic intensity of his smile faded. No doubt from utilizing said techniques. "My mind feels clearer. Detached some how. I have..." he searched for the right words to explain it, "...more control over what I want to feel."

"And so you feel more in control in general? What have you been doing to occupy yourself during shore leave?"

His cheeks flushed a little and he turned his attention away from Teth momentarily as his thoughts of Ellsworth flooded in. "I've met someone. A companion." He said as if that answered both questions. He smiled suddenly, wide and warm. "I've never been with anyone like him before."

"Well that sounds exciting." the counselor noted, "What is he like?"

He smiled again, this time tight-lipped making the dimples in his cheeks more pronounced. "Passionate. Lonely. Loving. Intense. Beautiful. Chaotic." He listed them off as if they were all equally his favourite parts of the man. "He's a Betazoid, Ellsworth is his name." He explained, "His feelings are just as complex as mine but somehow...somehow it doesn't bother him to feel things intensely."

Ellsworth Hudson was definitely a name Teth had become familiar with over his stay on Earth. He remembered that he had met him at a cafe in the middle of the night in San Francisco. He had been drinking. Heavily. But he did vaguely remember their being confusion regarding the purpose of their meeting. He wondered what K'os' thoughts regarding monogamy and adultery were.

"So you trust him?" the counselor tried not to sound too incredulous regarding K'os' enthusiastic gushing.

"Trust him?" K'os thought about that for a moment, genuinely confused by the question at first. He placed an elbow on the table and cradled his chin in his hands as he thought it through. K'os had a hard time reading other people to begin with, but he thought he knew what the Counselor meant. "As in faithful?"

Teth shrugged, "Well, to whatever extent that that's important to you. I know that both humans and Vulcans tend to prefer monogamous pair bonds."

The counselor held his breath as he waited for a response, hoping that he hadn't betrayed too much from his other patient.

He knitted his brow together in thought, the ridge on his forehead could be seen through the skin, making him look more Vulcanoid. "I am neither." He said, more to himself. He lifted his chin off his hand and looked down briefly at his open palms, remembering the telepathic link he had formed with Ellsworth. He knew of the reputation that the Betazoid had even if he hadn't experienced the bond. Enlisted crew members gossiped a lot. He wondered if that's what Teth was getting at. He suddenly felt a defensive need to explain his thoughts.

"Lust and love are not the same emotion." He blurted, then reconsidered. Would the Counselor even understand how K'os felt? "I understand the transitory and impermanent nature of all things." He began again carefully, grateful that Teth allowed him to collect his thoughts. "Ellsworth has needs that are unique to his Betazoid nature, and I accept him without judgement. I know intimately and completely how he feels about me through a bond that can't be explained to a non-telepath. Will he find intimacy in someone else? Maybe. Will that change my feelings for him?" He smiled then, "Not even a little. All things end Counselor. It is the nature of all things. In this moment, he chooses to be with me and this moment is the only one that exists until it doesn't." He searched the Counselor's eyes. Did he understand?

"So you are saying that since you share love on such an intimate level, any passing feelings of lust for others would be comparably unimportant. That seems reasonable to me."

He smiled widely and nodded. "Utterly irrelevant." he agreed leaning forward, propping his chin in his hand again. "But I would still feel this way even if we didn't share a connection. These feelings have always been separate in my mind."

Teth smiled inwardly thinking about Ellsworth. It seemed he had found to perfect mate- for himself at least.

"Well it sounds like you are forming a very strong relationship. The Galileo is operational again, for the most part. Have you been up there at all?"

K'os' face lit up with excitement in contrast to the frown he had just had. "Yes I have! Mostly to study, and to get some hands on learning on the systems. Oh, and I helped install the new bar module." He let out a small breath as he calmed his excitement. "I think a lot of us will be happy when the upgrades and repairs are finished."

"I know I will." the counselor agreed. His shoreleave definitely had not been as restful as he had hoped. It was more or less the exact opposite of that.

"So you've become acquainted with some of the crewmates from your department? How did that go?"

K'os sifted through his thoughts for a moment before he finally answered, "For the most part I've had a lot of positive interactions with other crew. My roommates at the temporary housing are nice, and I've met some colleagues that I'm looking forward to working with."

"Anyone that you aren't looking forward to working with?"

K'os looked at his hands. His mood, ever chaotic, flipped back the other way again. "Keval -- I mean, Chief Grayson. We met a month ago, but I haven't seen him since. He bought me food and then took me to play a holonovel adventure. I --" He looked back at Teth. "I had fun, but I got overstimulated by the experience and had to end it early. Then Ellsworth..." He reconsidered the thought, "Ellsworth hasn't really said anything, but during our connections I've always sensed there was something between them. During meditation I came to realize that I'm nervous about seeing Chief Grayson again. I don't want there to be tension between us."

"Is he someone you might have to interact with on a regular basis?"

K'os nodded. "I specialize in energy systems. The very nature of my position on the Galileo will have me spending a lot of time with Operations personnel."

"Well then, that does complicate things. What do you plan to do when you encounter him?"

"Me? Well, nothing I suppose. I have the advantage of being able to detach my thoughts from my emotions. He doesn't. So I guess ultimately our interaction will be entirely up to him." He cocked his head in a, what-can-you-do sort of way.

"And we really can't control the actions of others." Teth stared over the Richmond skyline, as if he'd had some personal epiphany from the statement.

"It's a beautiful world, crewman. I'm going to miss it greatly. Is there anything else you wished to discuss?"

K'os smiled warmly, then shook his head. "No, not today anyway." He stood, anxious to continue exploring the rest of the cemetery. "Thank-you for listening, Counselor."

"I look forward to seeing you aboard."

OFF:


PO3 K'os Beaumont
Matter/Energy Systems Specialist
USS Galileo

&

Lt. JG Teth Miir
Counselor
USS Galileo

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