"Good Grief' Counselling

Posted on Tue Jan 2nd, 2018 @ 11:03pm by Captain Remas McDonald

1,452 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: S1:2: Rubicon
Location: Deck 11, Main Engineering and CEO's Office
Timeline: MD 7, 10.45am

Arivek walked through the large doors into Main Engineering. The hum of the warp core pulsed in his ears as his eyes gazed over the large room. It didn't take long before his eyes settled upon his assistant, Lieutenant Jenkins. The rotund man was bent over the expansive MSD table with a stylus in one hand and a sandwich in the other.

Closing his eyes, Arivek took a deep breath. Jenkins was... well, Arivek wasn't exactly sure how to describe the man. He was passionate about his work but he questioned whether the man had ever missed a meal. Nay, Arivek was almost positive this man had more than his fare share of dinings.

"Jenkins," he called out, getting the man's attention. "I need to speak with you."

"Ah, well, you found me Sir," Jenkins said. Or tried to say as crumbs and a mild amount of choking occurred. After the fit was over, Jenkin's put the sandwich down on the MSD, the warm bread activating the touch screen's sensors enough that it began a rapid flickering between status panes.

The piggish man smiled broadly, looking at Arivek expectantly.

Arivek stood there for a few moments before flamboyantly gesturing for the man to come towards him. "Had I wanted you to stay over there, I would have walked to you," he said.

"But you said you wanted to speak to me..." Jenkins said slowly, small dark eyes narrowing as he walked over to his new boss, who unlike the old boss hadn't raised his voice yet. This was good. "But I'm here now, and we're speaking so...what can I do for you Sir?"

"I need you to assess the departments' morale," Arivek said, his voice lowering. He began walking away from the man, assuming he would follow. "Everything has been a tad...crazy, lately. I want to make sure they are holding up well."

“Oh you mean after Lt Daton was murdered by that fanatic nut job?” Jenkins said, his voice betraying neither rage nor sadness at the loss. “Well I’d have thought it clear as day that morale’s a little topsy-turvy at the moment. We made the jump! We’re here but...not all of us.”

Jenkins sighed.

“I suppose you’ll want to talk to his spouse’s right?”

"Why would I do that?" Arivek asked, his forehead scrunching.

“Well Lizzy and Natasha are fluid dynamics specialists in deuterium storage, and Kenny works in matter reclamation. Given they’re all part of the same marriage contract and working in Engineering I assumed as Daton’s replacement you’d have...talked...er...” Jenkins slowed down, fingers fidgeting. “I should talk to them then?”

Arivek shook his head, "I doubt they are unaware of their mate's death."

"Yeah, I mean I'm pretty sure that true but...but still, passing on your condolences? I mean you are stepping into their husband's shoes after all," Jenkins scratched his head, eyes tracking up towards the gantry levels above where more engineers worked. "Not to mention the others in this department in line for succession."

"They should be grateful that a superior individual has taken their spouse's role. Daton was sub-par and sloppy and I'm sure they will be relieved that an individual, such as myself, is now in charge," Arivek said.

+++ A Short While Later In Ari's Office +++

Jenkin's stepped away from the replicator holding the still warm box of tissues, and held it out to Patience Simmons, who was say next to William Baskins, who were both consoling the sobbing wailing wreck of Katia Baxter. The married trio, who had been a quartet at the start of all of this, had been alright until Ari's lips had parted to speak.

Arivek leaned aginst his desk, his arms folded as a hand covered his face to hide his absolute annoyance. "I'm sure you all thought quite highly of him. But I can assure you I'm going to be much better at this than he was. And if he was anything in bed like he was at work, you're better off this way."

Jenkins, after delivering the tissues and witnessing the statement, wisely took a position against the wall and tried to blend in with the bulkhead. Patience just glowered, William threw a murderous eye at Ari, and Katia renewed her sobbing.

"I'm sure what Chief Zhuri is trying to say-" Jenkins began to say, before Patience got to her feet and pointed an accusatory finger at Ari.

"Our husband is dead not a week, and all you can do is say how much better off we are! Not only as a crew but in a conjugial sense as well? What ice runs through your veins I'll never know!" She snarled at Ari in a thick South African accent. "He was a fine husband, a good engineer, and a better sentient being than you are!"

Arivek squirmed. Nothing made him more uncomfortable than public displays of emotions, especially ones that were uncontrollable. "Could we perhaps stop the crying? It's certainly not going to bring him back."

The sobbing turned into wails and the man turned towards Jenkins with a look that screamed: "Help me."

Jenkin's hands flapped: this was so far outside of his job description it bordered on animal husbandry. But when working with a total ass...but it was too late. Patience's patience had worn wafer thin and snapped. She took a powerful stride toward's Ari, hands balling up at her sides, and Jenkins could see the almost seismic role of her shoulders as kinetic enginery was forged from utter rage.

He jumped in, pushing her aside and into him.

"You don't want to do that!" he hissed, nodding back towards Katia and William. "Is that going to help them?"

"He openly pissed on Daton's grave! His character! his legacy!" Patience snarled. "People loved him! Came to him for help! Now they have this...this 'machine man'! This cold-hearted bastard with ice for blood!"

Then her voice got quiet: "What am I suppose to do now?"

"Be there for them," Jenkins said, placing a hand on hers. "The ship, its crew, will be there for you. You have my word, as Daton's friend."

Jenkins looked over his shoulder at Ari, and shook his head hoping the chief engineer would remain silent.

And that's exactly what Arivek did. While no one was paying attention to him, he slid around the side of his desk, mostly to put a physical piece of furniture between him and the woman who obviously wanted to harm him.

Jenkins walked her back to her family, and the trio soon got up and left. Though not without a muttered curse, something in long rumbling Romanian sylables, before it was just Jenkins and Ari in the room.

"That...went..." Jenkin's let out a breaht, his gut expanding a little form where he'd sucked it in. "...well. Better, really. I'd have expected a demand for a duel."

"I just don't understand," Arivek said, shaking his head. "He wasn't even that good of an Engineer."

"No. No he was not. But he was good organiser, a good leader....and a friend," Jenkin's said softly. "You came in from the outside, and what have you done to make yourself part of this team? You've alienated the sections heads, and pissed off the mans grieving family. That door-"

Jenkin's pointed at said door.

"Leads out through engineering. So people saw them walk in, and then walk out. What message do you think got sent by that display?" he asked in as mild a tone as he could manage.

"With all due respect, Jenkins, I'm not here to be anyone's friend. I'm here to do my job. And you are here to do your job. My job is not to make people feel good and my job is not to care about the crew's feelings. That's for the Counselors." Arivek took a deep breath and sat down behind the desk. "Now, you have a job to go do. So..." Arivek made a shooing motion with his hand.

Jenkin's face scrunched up, and part of him wanted to say something....well not career ending. Though given the unique spatial position the Traveller occupied was there such a thing?

"Lt Daton had a saying: I work as hard for you as you work for me," Jenkins said, turning to the door. "I say that to give you an insight for when you need us."

The doors closed behind the man and Arivek took his seat, turning to his Computer console. He sighed, "I promise, I can do my job, your job and everyone else's job with ease," he said, out loud, but for his own benefit.

 

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