Arrival Part I
Posted on Fri Dec 22nd, 2023 @ 5:11am by Lieutenant Vura & Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Edited on on Sat Dec 23rd, 2023 @ 8:30pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Chief Counselor's Office - Deck 5 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 0730 hrs
Quietly she came onboard, having joined the crew when the Pioneer was docked at Poseidon Station. Her name, Millicent Tabitha Ambrose, newly minted Ensign. She barely looked at the security officer who made certain she belonged upon the ship. It was early enough, she had received her room assignment. She said hardly a thing to the girls she'd been assigned to share quarters with, giving them a soft shy hello. Then she left the quarters and headed towards Medical.
Almost like a ghost, Milly passed by a few, keeping to the side of the corridors to avoid getting in people's way. Finally, she made it to the floor where medical and counseling were located, there weren't many about as it was just around 0700 people stirring and getting ready for their day. She made her way to the doors which led into the office of the counseling staff, there she paused for a moment almost bouncing in one spot, as if she were debating on whether to wait or make an appointment. She was already there, Milly decided that she'd make herself somewhat comfortable, helping to prop up the bulkhead wall just a few feet from the door. Waiting....
Vura was smiling from ear to ear. Today was the first day that she and the crew were going to get into space on the Pioneer. Shore leave had been more of a work project for her. However, she did not mind. She enjoyed getting to meet much of the crew and knocking out several mental health evaluations.
It also would be the first briefing that she held with the senior officers. Some of them, like the Commodore and Chief Security Officers were sticks in the mud and did not want to play. In fairness to Ja'sol, however, he had been hurt by such play before. So, his being more staid was understandable. The Commodore, however, was more businesslike, which was not fun.
The nearly too skinny Deltan strode down the corridors to get an early start on her day. No doubt Nina would have a packed schedule for her but also would be making certain she took some time for herself. The woman was an administrative whiz. Some people just must have been built for it. She was not. She preferred people.
Most surprisingly, there was one in the counselor's waiting room. She was a pretty young thing and nearly looked lost to Vura's eye. The Deltan purred, "Can I help you?" There was a bit of an undertone of playfulness, as if innuendo was lurking just behind that simple phrase as Vura spoke it.
Milly had been lost in thought, playing with a strand of her hair which had magenta coloration in it. She brushed back the strand of hair almost leaping from the place where she sat. Quickly straightening the tunic which had the gold of engineering. "Uh yes, certainly. Well, I hope so." Milly feeling slightly nervous. "I wanted to see the counselor, which is you. I'm Ensign Milly- Millicent Ambrose. Milly is a nickname that I have." She felt a lump rise in her throat. Milly swallowed hard to get it to go away. "Hopefully I'm not in the way of any appointments you might have? I don't have one so do I need to make one?"
"I have no appointments yet, but I will in about a half hour." She looked at Milly, concerned about Milly's body language with the hard swallow. "And there is more than one counselor on this ship. I'm the Chief Counselor, Vura. Feel free just to call me Vura."
She got slightly closer to Milly, just short of coming close enough to invade Milly's personal space. "You seem troubled, Milly. Do you want to come into my office, and we can talk about it?"
Milly gave such a vigorous nod that her hair swayed. "You're the first one I came to see, and yes please." She moved to follow Vura. "I just didn't want to run into anyone right now, well except for you, so I had hoped we could speak. It's not just for the cursory check in, but I wanted to see if I can get along with the counselors here."
"Well, follow me. We can talk in my office. I'll just send a little note to Nina to let her know. She would likely get upset if she found my door closed without explanation. She's quite the diligent aid, I've found. Come on." With that, Vura started leading the way to her office.
Once they arrived, Vura led Milly into her office. At the entrance, Milly could see lavender plants on either side of the entrance to Vura's office.
On a wall, over a couch, she had put up a copy of Katsushika Hokusai's "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife" above a periwinkle couch that swooped up and then down in the middle and then back up again. The couch had definite sensual innuendos written all over the convenient shaping.
The walls of her office were of a deep rose with hints of purple hues. From there, she opted only for a small desk, so the desk would not set a barrier between her and her clients. It was a semi-circle and she placed it carefully in such a way where she could swivel on a chair and quickly type something on a computer or PADD and not interfere with her relationship with her client. The color of the desk nearly blended into the wall but was more mauve on closer inspection.
Warm wooded mahogany chairs were available in case her clients did not prefer to be on the couch. There was a small glass circle table between the chairs. The table contained a small zen sand garden and rake for clients to manipulate.
"Make yourself comfortable," the Deltan practically purred.
Milly walked around examining the counselor's office, she paused to gaze at the picture that Vura had there, her eyes widened, and she hurriedly turned her back to it. "Perhaps I will go to the other counselor," she told Vura, seeming to be very visibly shaken by that piece of art upon the wall. She moved towards the door. "Thank you for your time."
Vura noticed Milly's fixed gaze on the picture. "Or maybe we can spend our time somewhere you're more comfortable," Vura offered. "Something about my picture has upset you, I see."
"For some, it may be considered rather sensual in the terms of erotica. For others, it's a depiction of a sexual act...." Her voice drifted off, for a moment her eyes focusing on Vura's. "Please, if you don't mind, I would like to be away from a room that is so sensually charged, but I don't know where we could go to. Do you have a suggestion?" Milly pleaded with Vura.
"Of course. There's a vacant office next door," Vura answered simply. She wondered what caused this person to be so harmed by such a lovely act. Whoever corrupted it for her must have been a terrible person. "Please, follow me...." Vura exited her office and then moved next door, the office opening to a stark white room with two very generic Starfleet chairs across a nearly transparent table.
Milly relaxed somewhat and looked apologetically at Vura. "I am sorry, your office looked so lovely, yes sensual, that embodies you as a person, but the picture...." She walked over and sat upon one of the chairs. "it reminded me of him." wrapping her arms around herself and shivered.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Vura asked concerned.
Milly gave a nod. "Have you ever met someone who seemed to be the one from your dreams, one who you thought could be that one you could spend the rest of your life with?" It might seem like a rhetorical question, but Milly wanted to know.
"Yes," Vura replied painfully. "I have."
Milly gave a nod when she heard Vura and there seemed to be a hint of pain in the counselor's answer.
"Well, I found I was mistaken about Alaric Thorton, I thought he was the one. Handsome, great smile, and perfect gentleman. He made my heart sing." She sneered slightly and twisted her lips as Milly recalled her former dream man. "I hope your person didn't turn out to be a bad egg."
"No, nothing like that," Vura answered, involuntarily wincing, trying not to remember Cannir's death.
She immediately switched back to Milly, "So what about the picture reminded you about him?"
"He had that same picture in his so-called love nest, along with the wedding dress he had picked out, for me. You see, my thinking that he was the one, things progressed to where we became engaged. Then things started to change. He..." she swallowed hard choking down her tears. "He became very controlling, I wised up thanks to some good friends of mine and I dumped him, and I thought that was that, except he wasn't going to accept it. He...he kidnapped me. I walked to get to class, felt something sharp in my neck and I then blacked out."
Milly abruptly rose from her chair. "I need a glass of water." She walked over to the replicator to get one. "Would you like something?" she nervously licked her dry lips.
"No thank you," Vura answered politely, focusing on Milly and her history. She had definitely suffered a well-defined trauma. Was this the reason that she came to her before the Pioneer left? Or was it something else. Whatever it was, Vura knew she accidentally opened a can of worms that she was going to have to assist Milly through.
Milly received the water and slammed it back, as if she were drinking something besides water. Then got another glass walked over towards the chair and sat back down. She looked at the water, then back to Vura.
"When I woke up, I wasn't at the academy anymore. There was Alaric Thorton, my ex, seated upon a chair near the bed I was in. I was fully clothed, still in the same clothing I had on, when I had blacked out. He claimed that I had fainted and that someone had let him know I was ill. Out of the goodness of his heart, and since he cared for me, Alaric took it upon himself to help me get to feeling better. I did feel ill, a little bit dizzy. So, at that moment, I was grateful for his help." She sipped her water. "This probably sounds a little bit far-fetched doesn't it."
"Why do you say that?" Vura asked softly, curiously, and intensely.
"It's been said to me before, that couldn't have happened. Nothing like that could ever happen. Especially anywhere near Star Fleet Academy campus. I was told that I was just making up a good story to get attention." Milly replied. "I can understand someone thinking that. It is almost like something out of a book or even a movie. Just the fact that I told you this I can scarcely believe it myself. It happened though. It happened." Milly went silent to take a sip of her water.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Engineering Officer, USS Pioneer
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