Master of Disguise, Part 2

Posted on Sun 24th May, 2020 @ 7:38am by Elizabeth Anderson M.D. & Li Kainon

1,138 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Brown Sector
Timeline: MD 3, 1220

Previously, in the Brown Sector .... "I happen to be running a special today. Counseling with a side of cookies and mint tea, if you're interested," Dr. Anderson offered in a different way.

“I do like cookies,” Kainon said, following her gesture inside. “I never did like tea very much, though. My mother always had tea. Never understood why.” He followed her deeper in, looking at everything with careful consideration. It was a professional space, so there was only so much to be gleaned, but he still knew it was important to pay attention to the details.

And now, to get under the skin ....

A counselor in Brown Sector could represent any number of things. Starfleet interests trying to get involved with the refugees, possibly for future deportation. Or simply Federation government issues, seeking to remove people they deemed in need of a different environment. Or worse, somebody trying to learn the secrets of vulnerable people to be used in the future. Desperate people pushed even deeper into the shadows could be used to do some terrible things. “So why the Brown Sector?” He asked her. “Why come down here? There aren’t enough crazy people upstairs?”

Anderson laughed, motioning him toward an arm chair, while she picked up the tin of cookies from her desk and brought it over. She sat in the companion chair, took off the lid and offered him the tin of lemon iced sugar cookies.

"Well, I don't think of them as crazy, but I take your meaning. There probably are enough. I'm not Starfleet personnel any longer, so I opened an office in Tivoli Gardens, near the River Walk, if you're familiar with it." She shrugged. "Starting a new clinic or business of any kind is a little slow, and I was looking around for more to do when I came across references to this area. When I came down to see what was here, I thought perhaps I could be of some use here, too. I'm not actually charging a fee, though some people insist on paying something, so I've bartered a bit with them."

She took a bite of her own cookie, and then said reflectively. "I believe it's actually good for people to give something in return. I think it makes all of us feel more independent ... as if we are taking care of ourselves. Most of us are not fans of taking charity, though we're happy to give it. Charity meaning the love and care of others, not what's generally meant when someone says they don't want charity! However, if we're to give it, someone has to be happy to receive it, don't you think?"

“Sometimes,” Kainon replied. “If that’s the spirit it’s intended.” He tried the cookie. It was good. He’d always liked anything with cinnamon. “But that’s not always the case. Sometimes people offer charity so somebody will feel like they owe them something. A doctor providing their services for...cookies or a nice handmade chair, that’s one thing. But everybody knows that’s not what things cost. Somebody could always say, ‘Gosh, I really loved the cookies. But times are tough now, and I’ve been helping you so long, maybe you could do something else for me.’” He shrugged and looked at her, gauging her reaction.

Swallowing, Elizabeth nodded. "I do take your point, but in this case, I made the cookies, too. However, I don't really think of what I do as charity. It's a convenient term, but to me, it only means I'm not charging people for my services. And why not, you probably wonder. I sense you are of a suspicious nature," she grinned at him. "The truth is ... I like to solve puzzles. If you come to me with a problem, that's a puzzle. I can't solve it and present you with a fix, but I can share what I know to help you work out the solution for yourself. It might be very different from my solution, in fact, but if it works for you, that's what counts.

"Yes, upstairs, so to speak, if someone comes with a puzzle for me, I do charge to help them. For one thing, they have the resources. For another, it's the way things are handled ... exchanges of credits for services and goods. Down here," she shrugged, "there are other ways things can be handled. Credits are acceptable, coins, almost anything a person values can be exchanged with someone else who values it the same. If someone comes and has no medium of exchange, that doesn't stop me from helping. Why would it? The goal is ... mental health, productive life, happiness ... whatever you want to call it."

Elizabeth was enjoying sparing with her visitor. She still wasn't sure what his purpose in visiting was, and maybe they could be friendly, or maybe they couldn't. His mind worked a little differently from the ones she most interacted with, and that was interesting, as well as a good thing for her experience databank.

He watched her as she spoke, paying attention to everything she did. Nothing went off in the back of his head. She seemed genuine enough, and if she was lying she didn’t give anything away. “That might work up there,” Kainon said. “Hell, it might work on a bunch of planets in a bunch of places for millions of different people. But down here, people have been kicked around for so long that you’re going to find getting them to open up a hell of a job. Especially when you say payment’s not required.”

Kainon leaned forward, holding her gaze. “I’ll be straight with you. I think you’re here to help. So now I have to worry about you. This place will eat you alive if you’re not ready. Most of the people here are great. They struggle and they live their lives and smile a hell of a lot more than they should, considering. If you want to give them a little help, I’m all for it.

"But there are other people here who will look at you and your nice words and start figuring how much they can get from you. There are people who will lie to your face, be your best friend and stick a knife in your back when it suits them. This place can be violent, and scary, and sometimes you’re on quicksand and you have no idea how you got there. People disappear, like they never existed. Are you prepared for that? Because if you’re just here to give people cookies and feel better about your place in the world, you can get right back on that tram and go home. We don’t need any new problems.”

 

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