Space Cadet

Posted on Sun Jan 8th, 2023 @ 3:11pm by Ensign Avis Larant & David Meddows MD-Ph.D.
Edited on on Mon Jan 16th, 2023 @ 8:32am

600 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Fool’s Errand
Location: Deck 7: Medical Section
Timeline: M1 MD08 (2268.23.05) 1000-1005

Dr Meddows looked up from his monitor as the door swished open and his next appointment came in. He gave the kind of smile that doctors always gave you, a sort of grudging smile that showed they were here to help, but it was just a job and they weren't about to try and be your best friend or anything. Avis might have been visiting her dentist or a chiropodist rather than the ship's psychiatrist, sorry, counselor.

"Hullo, Avis, is it?" asked Meddows, glancing back at his monitor "Or do you prefer Cadet Larant?!"

Senior Cadet Avis Larant was not there of her own free will, a shrink's office was about the last place on this ship she wanted to be. There was not a hint of a smile or friendliness on her face.

"I'm on duty, Doctor, so it is Cadet Larant," she managed to get an only barely annoyed response.

Oh, one of those.

"Quite right, Cadet." nodded Dr Meddows, seriously. He looked at his screen, which displayed both Avis' personnel file and the report on the so called 'incident'.

"So, Cadet Larant... this 'fight' you were in? Sounds like nothing more than a bit of girlish horseplay to me. Is that how you would describe it? Girlish horseplay? A bit of 'rough and tumble'? I mean, what exactly is your relationship with..." he scanned the report "... Lieutenant Thraxina?"

Avis glared at him like he had just insulted her.

"Not girlish horseplay, for our workout we decided to scrimmage, spar, whatever you want to call it," she answered the first part.

"And I have no relationship with the lieutenant. We had just met in the gym, we did not even know each others names," there was a bit of a defiant tone in her second response.

"Hmmm" The psychiatrist looked at the report on the screen again "So, basically this is all just a storm in a teacup?” He asked, feeling like his time was being wasted by all of these referrals.

Now that was more like it, he was getting it now. Avis nodded.

"Yes, someone overreacted to our admittedly vigorous scrimmage and reported to security who then rushed a team to then take us into custody. While I verbally protested the need for that, I did not resist in the slightest. After all I am in Security myself."

Dave nodded and gave Avis one last glance. Unlike some officers who clearly had potential mental-health timebombs ticking away, this young woman was remarkably 'together' - especially considering the family history which was so starkly laid out on the screen before him.

"Well, I don't see any reason to detain you any longer, Cadet Larant." he said formally. "Cleared Fit for Duty. If Lieutenant Thraxina is out there waiting, please send her in on your way out!" he dismissed her.

Avis was surprised, pleasantly surprised that is, that this was over already. Not uncomfortable at all. The man seemed quite reasonable.

"Thank you sir, and she is. I will send her in. Good day, sir," Avis then spun about and went back out of the office.

Thrax', waiting outside looked delighted to see her 'sparring partner' "Oh, hello!" she beamed.

"You're next. I'm cleared for duty. See you around some time," Avis actually smiled at Thraxina.

"Toodle pip!" waved the helmswoman. She was thinking of asking what's it like in there? but, well, she would find out soon enough, wouldn't she?

As the door swished shut behind her, her patrician tones could be heard cooing "Hello! Oooh, what a lovely pussy cat...!"

 

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