Subjects of Change

Posted on Sun Jul 2nd, 2023 @ 4:32pm by Lieutenant Azrel Vox & Lieutenant JG Fargo Greene
Edited on on Sun Jul 2nd, 2023 @ 5:53pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 4: Through a Glass, Darkly
Location: Recreation Room
Timeline: M4 MD01 (2268.07.10) 1500

His knee was acting up, so Chaplain Fargo was walking with a cane as he entered the reception room. He glanced around the room and spotted her right away, his target, a Trill woman.

But he didn't walk right to her. Instead, he made a beeline to the drink synthesizer. He punched in the code for a mix of whiskey and cola.

A moment later, dark amber-hued drink in hand, he made his way over to Trill woman.

"Mind if I sit with you? I've been on my feet for hours," he asked, but took the seat before she could even open her mouth to respond. "Been a heck of a day."

He had sat before she could say anything but Aze didn't mind. She had this feeling she might not get to the end of the chapter she was reading so she put her bookmark where she had gotten up too and closed the book, placing it on the table. She picked up her small cortado coffee cup and a took a sip.

"You're not wrong there. But of a day but still exciting none the less. " Aze commented.

"Depends on the person I suppose. I'd just as soon. Have a nice quiet day with no drama and no blood pressure-raising excitement," he replied and took a swig from his drink. "I'm Chaplain Fargo by the way."

"Oh, hello Chaplain Fargo. Is that the proper way to address you? " Aze Asked. " I am Lieutenant Azrel Vox, Chief of Communications. Its a pleasure to meet you." she added.

"You can just call me Fargo, everyone else does," he replied with a chuckle. "I've been meaning to touch base with you. I haven't seen a Trill in years. Not a lot of your kind in Starfleet."

"Oh really? You have met a Trill before? We do get around but the majority of us tend not to leave our homeworld. The last I heard, I was one of only 23 Trills in Starfleet and one of only 12 joined Trills. I'd like to hope that changes over time. " Aze replied.

"I grew up near the border of Orion Space. I've seen peoples from all over the galaxy, or at least the Alpha and Beta Quadrants," Fargo replied. "I am betting that Starfleet will expand to include peoples from all over. As many races as the Orions claimed as slaves, the Federation will make part of Starfleet."

"It is often said that with infinite diversity comes infinite possibilities. Tell me Fargo, what exactly does a Chaplain do?" Aze asked.

"What do you think a Chaplain does?" Fargo asked with a smile. He honestly liked to hear what people thought he did, sometimes they were spot on and sometimes they were off, but usually it was enlightening.

"Well, from my basic understanding, chaplain's are responsible for tending to the spiritual and moral well-being of the ship's crew and their families. The chaplain's responsibilities include performing religious rites, conducting worship services and providing confidential counseling. That's what I read when I heard we were getting a Chaplain. Anything I am unsure about I tend to research. " Aze commented .

"Sounds about right, though that's more a clinical approach to things. A straightforward definition," Fargo replied with a smile. "I like to think my job is to look after the crew's mental and spiritual health. We don't have a therapist so I get to act as one, but also my job is to help put things in context. It's a big galaxy and a lot of things are hard to put into context spiritually."

"I agree with you on that one Fargo. Because I am one of the few from my world to be in Starfleet, when I visit home I am often treated differently by people and this can be in one of two camps. Those who approve of us venturing off-world and being part of the wider galactic community and organisations such as the Federation and Starfleet, and those, who are a very small group, that don't approve of membership in the Federation and feel we should focus on our own world. I tend to get more issues with the latter if I arrived back on Trill in my uniform. I tell you this because it does affect me, mentally. "

"How could it not?" Fargo replied taking another swig of his drink. "We all seek out community and being rejected by those who we view as part of that community is a painful thing."

"Especially when, as a joined species like the Trill, who have an obligation to ensure that the life for both symbiont and host is both enriching and fulfilling, surely venturing off-world, despite the risks, allows for that obligation to be fulfilled. " Aze explained. She wasn't sure if Fargo was fully versed in Trill society regarding the symbionts and how many Trills are actually suitable for joining and the processes involved.

"If I may make an observation," Fargo offered leaning forward. "To carry a symbiote is a rare privilege for your race. I have never met a joined Trill, but I have heard a little of your kind." He paused and scratched his chin. "I would think new experiences for a symbiote would be highly prized. What could be a greater new experience for a symbiote than to travel the galaxy? The safest way to do so, by far, is on a Starfleet ship. So in a way, you are doing better than fulfilling your obligation, you are providing a novel experience."

"Exactly. One of the reasons I feel helped me as an initiate in the Symbiosis Program. So, I am the first joined Trill you have met. If you have any questions. I don't mind answering them. Bear in mind I am only the second host to Vox so not experienced as someone like Arjen Prell, who is on their 7th host. I know them from my initiate training."

"Honestly, I'm more curious about you, how are you finding your time on the Midway, as a Trill?" He asked leaning forward slightly and taking another long sip from his drink. He had a hunch there was something bothering her and he wanted to figure out what it was. He'd had one person confide in him about her and he knew he could help if he could get to it.

"Well. It is, how shall I put it, an interesting experience being the only one of my race aboard the Midway. " Aze replied.

"I'll bet it is. Probably a lot of looks and people not sure how to react," Fargo replied. "How are you holding up with it? I can't imagine it being all that easy to deal with being an oddity to much of the crew."

"I have made a few friends so it's good in that respect but up until recently I was in a relationship with our former Doctor, Michael Slatterly. That was until he was reassigned due to issues with his conduct and behaviour. It was only after he left did I discover that I was merely a curiosity to him in terms of my erm biology. So basically he used me. "

"Ouch," Fargo replied shaking his head. "I always hate to hear about that kind of thing." He took a drink and sighed. "How are you holding up since his departure? Any lingering thoughts or feelings that are bugging you?"

"Well, I try my best to treat others fairly and treat them how I hope they would treat me. I also try not to hold a grudge but for the first few days after his departure and after the revelation, I struggled to control my anger, to the point where I had get a vase in my quarter's replaced. It ended up making contact with a wall with some force. "

"Not the best way to get out frustration, but an understandable one," Fargo replied and set his drink down. He was plenty buzzed enough and he avoided crossing the line into drunk while on duty. "So other than that incident, you've been handling it okay?"

"I have. I have used some meditation techniques that my first host, Torbin learnt from a friend of his on Earth. " Aze advised.

"That's good to hear, have you had the chance to sit down and talk through some of those lingering feeling with anyone? A friend or family member?" Fargo asked. It wasn't good to hold things in and he worried that the meditation could be a form of emotion denile.

"I haven't, no. I haven't had contact with my family back home for a while. Mainly because of other issues going on back there, you know, with the whole being in Starfleet and off-world thing. "

"Sounds like you need to talk then, meditation can only get you so far. Talking about how you feel and working through those feelings with someone else is critical," Fargo replied shaking his head. "And to be cut off from friends and family only makes bad situations worse. You need to be able to vent, or it's gonna break you down eventually."

"Who would you recommend that I talk to and, as you put it, vent to?" Aze asked.

"If you've got no one else, have you considered having a word with the ship's new Chaplain? He's a liquored-up ex-con who knows the Good Book and a couple of other ones too. Or so I hear," he grabbed his glass and winked at her before taking another drink.

"Soooo you mean you?" She said winking back. "I suggest we ought to discuss such issues in a more private setting. A public room such as this isn't really appropriate. " she added.

"Want to schedule something, I'm open, or I'm free now if you want to continue elsewhere," Fargo said with a slight smile. It was exciting when someone opened up, even a little. "As for appropriate, that's where you're most comfortable talking. If you insisted we sit in a shuttle in deep space, it may take me longer to set up."

"Do you have an office aboard ship? A private space where you can conduct such meetings?" Aze asked. She would have thought that the captain would have assigned the Chaplain with an office or if not, then perhaps the use of a meeting room.

"I do have an office," he replied with a smile. "It was a nice office when I got it too. Now it's somewhat of a mess though."

"Well, perhaps we can use your office. It will give you an excuse to tidy it up a bit before I come for an appointment." Aze smiled.

Fargo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Will it now? I do need an excuse to get my office a little tidier, at least before I get a visit from someone with the ability to kick my butt." He shook his head. "Nah, I'll make sure I at least have a chair cleared off for ya." He laughed.

"In that case I will do my upmost not to comment on the mess. Which reminds me, I still need to clean up the broken vase in my quarters. When can you book me in? Same time tomorrow?" She asked.

"Anytime you'd like, I'm not overly busy these days," he said with a chuckle. "Let me know when suits you and I'll be sure to be prepared for it."

"1700hrs tomorrow is good for me." Aze advised.

"Then it's good for me too, I shall make a note of it," he replied with a genuine smile.

"Until then." Aze replied. "I have some other matters to attend to. See you tomorrow, Fargo." She replied. She then left.

 

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