Protocol

Posted on Thu 31st Jan, 2013 @ 4:09am by Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Commander Jasmine Collins-Keller & Lieutenant JG Sir Edward Lawrence XII Duke of Oaksley
Edited on on Thu 31st Jan, 2013 @ 5:42am

2,505 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Lawrence’s Quarters and sick bay
Timeline: Current
Tags: Paul, Oaksley

ON:

Lawrence using the information on the Padd the station XO had supplied him with, made his way to his quarters which were by protocol equal distant between the Tactical/Strategic Operations enter and main operations {OPS} as served the room he found it adequate it had a reasonable living and a fair sized personal work station. He laid his ancestors’ rapier on the bed and made his way over to replicateor and pulled several isolinear optical chips from the pocket of uniform inserted them into the replicateor the chip programmed the device with not only his personal prefaces for his tea but also information need to replicate his personnel affects as was his custom when he was transferred he would copy the information on the chips and recycle the affect on his previous posting, and re-replicate them on his current one it was great space saver. First his British naval officer’s uniform circa 1800’s followed three flags a British naval ensign, a Union Jack and the flag of the United Federation of Planets which then mounted in the ordered they were replicated from left to right along the back wall of his quarters with the corresponding sword beneath it. He replicated and hung a few pictures 1 of the current head of the British government, one of his parents, 1 of all his siblings, and one of the entire families to gathers and several of his more famous ancestors: T.E. Lawrence, Captain James Lawrence, Brigadier-General Charles Lawrence, and one of Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson. With that done and quarts now appositely decorated, he replicated himself a fresh uniform and set off for sick bay as protocol required all officers and enlisted personnel upon arrival at a new posting to have a complete physical and psychological evaluation. He made his way to the main sick bay and stepped through the doors.

"Good afternoon." Nyx seemed to be in a good mood at the moment and she smiled as the man came in. "Can I help you with something Lieutenant?" She noted the pips on his collar.

“As per Starfleet regulation 619-3 sub section C, I’m here for change of post physical and psychological evaluation.” Lawrence replied coldly.

"Have a seat on bio bed 3." She pointed to the bed. "I'll be with you in a moment." She thought the man quite cold and wasn't sure she wanted to be polite. She knew she had to maintain her professionalism and went about her tasks in order to provide the man with the physical that was required. Picking up the trichorder to scan the man, she asked for his basic information.

"You're humanoid, I can see. Are you from Earth?" She asked without looking at the man.

“Yes, Briton to be specific.” Lawrence responded beaming with pride as sat on the bio bed.

"Very good." She continued her scan. "Do you have any medical history that I should know about? Any genetic flaws, or old scars, broken bones or internal damage in the past?" She asked as she tapped information into the PADD.

“None, I’m fit as a fiddle, and I plan to stay that way.” Lawrence replied again beaming with pride.

"Everything looks good Lieutenant." Nyx smiled at him. "She completed her scan with the medical tricorder and made notes in her PADD. "You're free to leave, unless you have any questions for me or concerns."

“Which way to the counselor’s office I hoping to get all done in shot.” Lawrence resounded his got off the bio bed.

"Next corridor and look for the double doors. You can't miss it." She smiled. "Out of sick bay and to the right."

“Thank you Doctor.” Lawrence replied as he exited and made his way to the counselor’s office. He stepped through double doors and waited.

The sliding glass window at the opposite end of the lobby from Lawrence slid open, and a woman with dark hair and blue eyes glanced out. She wore the insignia of a petty officer first class. "May I help you, sir?" she asked with a look at his rank pips.

“I’m here for change of post eval.” Lawrence replied.

She glanced at her computer screen and scrolled it a time or two. "Ah, you're Lt. Lawrence? I'll let Counselor Graves know you're here, and he'll be right with you. Please have a seat." She gave him a brief smile and then slid the glass window closed. A couple of minutes later, the door into the lobby opened, and she stood there waiting for him, a tallish, slender young woman in the teal uniform of Sciences. "Lt. Lawrence, if you'll come with me?"

Lawrence followed, having never sat down

She led him down a short hallway, rang the door chime, and then withdrew as Graves answered the door.

Graves was Lawrence's own height but leaner, with black hair and alert, gray eyes. The eyes widened a bit at the sight of a man in Starfleet security/tactical uniform, wearing a powdered wig and a sword.

"Lt. Lawrence? I'm Counselor Graves. Please come in," Paul said

The counselor admitted Lawrence to an office whose walls, carpet, and upholstery were colored in earth tones--browns and beiges, with splashes of brilliant color from two landscape paintings of stone bridges whose sides were overgrown with wildflowers. A loveseat, sofa, and coffee table were arranged near the door, while a desk and two chairs stood at the rear of the office. Two diplomas hung near the desk. A box of tissues, a PADD, and a puzzle cube sat on top of the coffee table. Aside from that, the room was elegantly minimalist.

“Thank you, Counselor, not to seem rude but may we dispense with pleasantries and get to the business at hand.” Lawrence replied in typical manner.

"I'm amenable to that," Paul said after a moment. "Politeness ruins conversations." He gestured to the sitting room furniture in his office. "Please have a seat, Lieutenant, and we'll get started."

Lawrence sat in chair stiff and ridged he even sat at attenion.

Paul sank into the loveseat, feeling his body relax as he did so; it was much more comfortable than his desk chair. He slid and tapped his fingers over the PADD he held for a few moments. At last, he looked at Lawrence. "I see you've just arrived here at Starbase Protector, Lieutenant. Could you tell me about your previous posting--what sort of work you did there, what you thought of the assignment, and so forth?"

“I was Strategic Operations Officer, on the USS Wain, as to what brings here that would orders from Admiral Gardner of Starfleet Command.” Lawrence replied

"Your reassignment was abrupt, then, I take it. Did you have to leave many friends behind on the Wain?" Paul asked.

“It was very abrupt and highly unusual to take a chief and reassign him as an assistant chief, as to friends I’m not in business of making friends I’m in the business of war specifically, strategy, tactics and coronation of resources.” Lawrence replied coldly.

Paul thought about what Lawrence had told him. "What I'm hearing you say is that you were surprised and taken aback by your reassignment. Is that correct? And that you prefer to forgo social connections in favor of your work?"

“Yes, I was taken aback by my reassignment, as for the second part of your question social connections of the individual must come second to needs of the service.“ Lawrence replied.

"Of course they do," Paul agreed. "But social connections can also enhance your ability to do your job. As chief or assistant chief of a department, you function as the leader of a team. Lacking social connection with your team members, how can you do your job well? How do you share, solicit, and assess ideas effectively with them?"

“Counselor, I communicate with my team as you put in very clear and precise way, I Give orders, or ask for suggestions and the two are never confused with each other.” Lawrence replied.

"I have no doubt that you are very precise and direct with any team you're a part of," Paul said with a nod. "That is your communication style. Do you ever relax it when you're off duty?"

“Not really to let down ones’ guard is to present a weakness for the enemy to exploit.” Lawrence said.

"Even among your close family?" Paul asked. He glanced down at his PADD for a moment and then back at Lawrence. "Do you ever let down your guard with, say, your parents or your sister?"

“No, it is breeding that in part that made me the man I am today and I am proud of that.” Lawrence replied coldly.

"That is upbringing," Paul said. "Breeding gave you brown hair." He paused and gazed at Lawrence for a moment. "By which I am trying to convey a counseling point, not a semantic one. Would you tell me about your family? What was it like, growing up with them?"

“Breeding and genetics are the same despite what federation would have you believe, but to answer your question about my family. It was typical of our status; I was well educated, firmly disciplined for my misconduct, and well carried for with a healthy a doses of culture and arts.” Lawrence replied.

"What sort of things did you and your sister do as children? Did you ever play pranks on each other, tease her about her boyfriends? Help each other with your homework? Play with the dog, if you had a dog?" Paul asked, recalling things he and his own sister had done as children.

“My sister went to an all Girl school and was not allowed to see suitors’ till she was 18 we most of our childhood learn to act and be Gentleman and she was taught how to be a proper lady.” Lawrence replied.

"The overall impression you are conveying to me is one of strict adherence to tradition, a constant, perhaps unrelenting, expectation that you maintain self-control in all things, and a deeply-ingrained sense of duty. Would that be correct?" Paul asked.

“Yes.” Lawrence replied

"What were your parents like?" Paul continued.

“My father was much like a navy man, and member of the House of Lords, the same devotion to duty until he died, and my mother was the ideal nobleman’s wife.” Lawrence replied.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Paul asked. "You describe them almost as strangers, as if they are more like ideal figures to you than flesh and blood human beings."

“There are flesh and bone but we not over emotional there are rules of edict and such that members of the nobility adhere to.” Lawrence said.

"It's not being overly emotional to simply describe your family in human terms," Paul said. "Do you like them? Do they ever annoy you? My sister, for instance--she always puts the toilet paper on the roll backwards. I know this is because she has cats, and they'll unwind the roll if she puts it on the usual way, but it's still annoying when I go visit."

“My family was very reserved with our emotions both privately and publicly, and yes there were some things my siblings did that annoyed me but a gentleman does not all his emotions to the better of him.” Lawrence replied.

Paul grinned at Lawrence. "Or discuss his sister's bathroom? Point taken."

He thought a moment about what he would discuss with Lawrence next. There was an enormous, invisible elephant in the room, and it was time he mentioned it.

"I'm curious, Lt. Lawrence. Could you tell me why you wear the powdered wig and the sword?"

“Traditions again the wig was worn by members of the nobility and being from a long line of naval officers I also carry the naval rapier, It comes in handy time and again.” Lawrence replied in cold almost Vulcan manner.

"Well, that's what baffles me," Paul said to Lawrence. "Wigs and swordswere worn by British nobility and naval officers--six centuries ago. The only people I know of who wear wigs like that now are high judiciary officials in Britain--barristers and judges--perhaps some members of the monarch's court for ceremonial occasions." Paul shrugged. "On the other hand, I come from Betazed, so I don't know the finer details of life on Earth. I've only been there a couple of times to visit relatives, aside from my time at the Academy."

“It is not one of the more common practices but I like my am an abide traditionalist.” Lawrence replied.

"And that's certainly your right, as long as regulations permit it," Paul said with a nod. "How long have you worn the wig? I presume you didn't begin to wear the rapier until you became a naval officer."

"I began to wear the wig at age 10 and the rapier at 18 when I was a midshipman.” Lawrence said.

Had Paul been drinking tea, he would have choked on it. "Age ten?" He counted to that number and then looked back at Lawrence. "How was school for you, after you began wearing a wig?"

"It was slightly awkward for a day or two as all boys at the school came similar background as myself so they understood the tradition. “ Lawrence replied.

Paul gave the other man a curious look. "Did the other children in your school wear white wigs, too?"

“Some from other traditionalist’s families like mine.” Lawrence replied coldly glaring at man across from him Lawrence’s patience were beginning to wear thin.

"Ah." That made the issue more comprehensible. "My apologies, Lieutenant. I had thought you were the only student there to wear such a style and that you and your family were the only ones in your social set to wear such a style. I'm acquainted with other crew onboard this ship who also choose to observe traditional customs of their cultures as a matter of daily habit. Thank you for clarifying for me that that is what you're doing."

Paul leaned back in his seat. "I think that concludes my portion of the evaluation, Lieutenant. Are there any questions that you would like for me to answer?"

“No questions, Counselor if I should find I require your services in the future I know where to find you.” Lawrence replied as he stood and turned to leave.

Paul eyed him and rose also. "Thank you for coming, Lieutenant. I appreciate you taking the time away from your duties to see me. I hope you'll be willing to speak with me again in the future, should you ever feel the desire to."

He doubted that Lawrence would ever feel such an inclination, but one had to at leat let him know the door was open.

OFF:


Lieutenant JG Sir Edward Lawrence XII Duke of Oaksley
Chief Tactical & Strategic Operations Officer
Starbase Protector

Lt. Paul Graves
Chief Counselor
Starbase Protector

Lt. Nyx
Chief Medical Officer
SB - Protector

 

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