A logical solution

Posted on Tue Nov 21st, 2023 @ 11:59am by Lieutenant Commander P’rel M.D & Commander N'Garzi Zora

Mission: Wrath of the People
Location: XO's Office
Timeline: TBC
1400 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Having been engineered down to about the same size, P'rel marvelled at her own ineptitude in not having had sufficient foresight to modify an emergency personnel transporter into her new rank pip. As her fingers released from the door chime of Zora's office, she suppressed a momentary dread that it was a decision she would regret. Perhaps Doctor Ki or Lieutenant Zade should have been given advance warning of this meeting, she pondered...

Zora was staring out of the window and trying to count the millions of tiny white lights set against the darkest black of space. It was a monumental task where the point wasn't to get the correct answer, that was inconsequential. The idea was to calm oneself down, focusing on something daunting instead of the meeting she was about to have. It was working until her reverie was broken by the door chime. "Come in." Game time.

Zora watched as the Vulcan strode into the office, a sense of arrogant ownership in every step she took. The Commander turned to face her, a somewhat bemused look on her face. "Delete the first officer?" She said, echoing the words on the holodeck transcript report.

Sitting without being asked, P'rel crossed one knee over another and steepled her fingers, resting her hands against her thigh. "The first officer in this instance was a superfluous addition. I effectively managed resources" the Vulcan responded, not at all surprised that Zora had kicked things off with that particular facet of her performance review.

"Indeed," Zora replied simply. She sensed as though P'rel was acting extra prickly today, trying her best to get a rise out of the first officer. She would not be part of the Vulcan's game, not today; her recent encounter with Lieutenant Zade had taught her the wisdom of patience, in all situations. "Since you have already made yourself comfortable, can I offer you a drink, Commander?"

Not missing the opening for an irksome rebuke, P'rel's brows arched as she replied; "My promotion causes you concern..." she stated, rather than asked, as she held a polite hand up to refuse the refreshment offer.

Nodding, Zora took her seat on the other side of the desk and paused at P'rel's question. She was torn between being truthful and keeping the peace and honestly wasn't sure which way to answer the question. "A little, yes," the El-Aurian finally said. "It's fair to say you don't always play well with others and your methods are... questionable."

"Effective" P'rel corrected, not willing to be drawn on her ability to work in a team.

"Sometimes, yes," Zora admitted. "Sometimes disastrous."

Zora clearly wasn't going to give any ground here. The fact remained, that the Vulcan's methods almost consistently resulted in positive results, if one were to agree that the ends justified the means anyway. Sensing the impasse, she decided to bring the conversation back around to why they were there in the first place; "You have comments regarding my latest command simulation" she again stated, rather than asked.

Instead of answering the intelligence officer straight away, Zora turned slightly and activated the small terminal on her desk. The computer flashed on, displaying the test results from P'rel's Kobayashi Maru attempt, it was the lowest she had ever seen. She gently turned the computer off and looked up into the Vulcan's face. "No," she said softly. "There's no logic in discussing your score if the test wasn't taken seriously."

"Commmander Zora" P'rel began, unsure if the fact that the woman had irked her was carrying in her voice; "I can assure you the test was taken seriously..." frowning, she looked genuinely confused at the XO. The confusion abated however, as the Vulcan came to the realisation that the complexity of her own solution was probably beyond Zora's comprehension on the face of things.

Zora crossed her legs and rested her arms on her lap. She leaned back in her chair slightly, giving an attitude of pure serenity. She was trying to decide if the Vulcan was being sincere or playing one of her mind games. "Go on," she said eventually, deciding that she would take the bait.

P'rel eyes the Commander with the sort of suspicion a domestic canine would eye a new vaccuming device in it's home; "The scenario sets the scene of an ongoing conflict with Romulus - " she corrected herself " -with the Romulans. By destroying one vessel of civilians, I both saved the lives of my own crew and set a precedent of futility for further attacks...". She uncrossed her own legs and stood, walking to the replicator and keying in a command for Alderean spiced tea; "I need not remind someone of your experience, that the needs of the many quite axiomatically outweigh the needs of the few". She looked over to Zora and motioned with her hand to the replicator, to offer the same beverage from her own replicator allocation.

Zora nodded gently and accepted the cup when the Vulcan handed it to her. She placed it gently on the table and looked into the depth of the liquid as she tried to find the correct words to say. "So in your opinion, destroying a ship full of civilians is preferable before even attempting a rescue?" She eventually asked, looking into P'rel's eyes to try and gauge her response.

Zora wasn't giving much away, which really only served to motivate P'rel even further - an emotional indulgence perhaps, but one worth exercising. "It is agreeable to see that you concur with my logic..." she said, almost daringly.

Zora smiled, she never disappoints, she thought to herself. " 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,' " Zora quoted the infamous Vulcan idoism. "Can I be truthful with you Commander?" She asked and continued without a response. "That phrase has always irked me. It sounds so serene, hopeful even. However, there's another phrase that it reminds me of, one from human history: 'for the greater good'. It's okay to erase the few, the less important, as long as it serves a greater purpose. History is filled with marginalised groups who look or act differently, eradicated for just that. They were the few and their needs mean just as much as the many." She smiled sweetly, "something for you to think about."

Arching a damn eyebrow again, P'rel noted inwardly that Commander Zora hardly needed to ask to be honest; in fact she would be surprised if they El Aurian didn't give her "both barrels" to quote a human phrase without warning in any scenario. "You assume I had not already thought about it...and acted regardless of...perhaps even because of", she countered.

"You're right, I do assume since you answered my question with a derisive comment," Zora said as she placed the cup against her lips and sipped the hot tea, it was good. "The bottom line Commander," she continued as she placed the cup back on the table, "is that we need to work together for the good of this crew, will that be a problem for you?"

Without missing a beat, P'rel countered with "No more so than it will be for you", and just ever so slightly pursed her lips into the faintest hint of a smug smile. It was no surprise to the Vulcan, that the first officer was moving off of her test analysis so readily and rapidly; being able to sustain even a weak logical argument would have still been an argument. But no...the XO clearly wasn't up to the task, instead using the time to fulfill an emotional desire to put the Vulcan in her place, so it seemed.

"I'm glad we're both in agreement," Zora said with a curt nod before she rose to her feet. "I'm glad we had this chat." Her tone and demeanour told the Vulcan that the little parley had reached its conclusion. Zora waited until P'rel had reached the door before speaking again, "I expect your real test results on my desk soon."

Nodding slightly, P'rel looked to the Commander with little more than a mixture of pity and derision - though she hid it behind a politely neutral expression. 'Challenge accepted...' she thought, as she stepped back from the threshold and the office doors closed, sealing that exasperating woman back into her little den.