Why Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today?

Posted on 06/16/2021 @ 11:42pm by

2,022 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Mirror’s Edge
Location: Counselling
Timeline: MD 02

ON:

Tim had been putting off his check-in with counselling for a while now. At first it was simply because he had more important things to focus on with the Admiral (Captain, actually) getting "arrested". However, he didn't want to sink into his old habits. He had seen moving across the quadrant to his first posting as an opportunity to turn over a new leaf. It wasn't good to let it start with something as inane as missing a doctor's appointment, even if things were getting a bit hectic again on the station. Taking a breath, he walked into counselling and was directed to the Chief Counsellor's office.

"Come in," Liam said at the chime. "Ahh Ensign, how are you? Please take a seat."

Tim walked in and slumped down into the chair across from the counsellor. "Hello, sir," Tim hoped he wasn't being too formal, "I'm here for my mandatory post-arrival counselling. Sorry I kept putting it off, but I got caught up in the whole situation with the Admiral, uh Captain, on the planet."

"Oh don't apologise. I understand completely. That was a whole ... crazy situation to navigate," Liam shrugged. Memories of his fight with Danae, the evening of blood wine and Shaes revelations with K'Nara and having to go see Adira filled his own mind.

"So how do you feel about the Admiral .... well captain now returning back," he asked.

"Well, I didn't get much time to get to know him before he left, but after all that effort we put in to 'save' him down on the planet, I'd hate to see it all be for nothing," Tim said with a laugh.

"Well hopefully you will get to know him better now," Liam said. "So tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Well, there's not much unusual to say about me. I grew up a Starfleet brat, applied to the Academy, spent four years of my life there, and then caught the first transport after graduation to this quaint place called Starbase 50," Tim said with a grin, hoping that the counselor hadn't read enough into his file to see his disciplinary record, "I specialize in computer systems, but I try to balance my interest in engineering with a healthy social life."

"Wow so your first official placement. Congratulations. How do you feel its going and tell me a bit about your social life. What do you enjoy doing? Are you a bar guy?" He asked. "Have you found the Neptunes Folly and the docking bay yet? Excellent spots."

"Actually... I was there the other week, before all this stuff went down with the Doctor. There was this place I used to go in SF near the Academy, but its quite different up here, that's for sure. As for the docking bay, I try to avoid even getting near airlocks when I can. There was an unfortunate incident as a kid where I got stuck inside one. I guess that taught me why that section of the station was off limits to unescorted children," Tim chuckled.

Liam chuckled. "The docking bay is a bar," he clarified. "But yes I can see your point. An important lesson. I promise you your very safe in this one."

"I sure hope so, Counsellor. Although rumor has it crazy things happen on this station. My parents worry a bit for my safety being here, especially with the recent scandals, but they're also in the fleet, so they're quite familiar with the general risks of Starfleet service."

"What are you aspiring for?" Liam asked. "Personally, professionally?"

"Honestly, I didn't have the best record at the Academy. For now, I'm just trying to be a better person and a better officer," Tim said with a weak smile, "I want to get back on my feet here and see what happens from there. My parents are both senior officers, so it seems I have a family reputation to live up to..."

"How do you feel about that idea?" Liam asked. Clearly it was important for him to bring it up. Was it pressure on him? he wondered.

"Well," Tim began, regretting opening up to the counsellor so quickly, "I get the feeling that I'm being nudged in various directions from time to time. My parents have been in the fleet for decades and have connections everywhere."

“But you want to stand on your own two feet I sense?” Liam said, “And walk your own path.”

"Exactly. That's why I like being out here on the 'frontier', so to speak," Tim replied, "Nobody knows me for once, which is a nice feeling... less expectations. I don't know if the Admiral... err... Captain, even knows about my background."

"Well i can't help you there. I have no idea what Captain Harrington knows but I understand completely. I deliberately keep some of my Betazoid background out of my professional federation profile. I much prefer people to take me on my own merits," Liam said. "And not my birth right."

"Oh..." Tim said, not having known about the Counsellor's Betazoid heritage. "I was worried I opened up a bit too much at first. I guess it wouldn't have mattered much anyway," he said with a smile.

"My experience with the Captain is if he has something to say to you, he will do so. So I wouldn't worry. And Im sure he will have read your file at the very least," Liam offered wondering what he was concerned about. Was there something in his background he was concerned about Harrington knowing?

"Well, that was bound to happen any day now, especially now that's I've met him in person," Tim replied with a nervous chuckle, "Thankfully there's nothing in there that would be grounds for dismissal from the Fleet. Really I just don't want him to treat me differently because I have good connections, so to speak."

"I don't really think the Captain is the sort of man that sort of thing is a consideration," Liam said trying again to put him at ease. He wrote down the word anxiety? on the mans file. "Is there a Mrs Portillo?" he asked.

Tim let out an uncontrollable laugh, "Oh, hopefully not for quite a while yet. I don't think I'm quite in a position to settle down yet. Maybe when I make Lieutenant?" he chuckled "My parents keep suggesting people, but I don't think the time is right yet, at least not until I have my bearings in the fleet."

“You know you don’t have to settle down in the first instance,” Liam said. “You are allowed to have some fun if it’s reciprocated. But as someone who’s been trying to find the one for a long time, personally I’d tell you not to waste time. Even when you think you have found the right one, it might not be. Being a Lieutenant over Ensign also isn’t an important factor if you do find the right one.”

"I appreciate the advice, Counsellor," Tim responded with a smile, "Although nothing feels certain when either of you could be transferred at a moment's notice. Both of my parents are in Starfleet and sometimes, growing up, I'd be separated from one of them for a year at a time when they were reassigned. My parents still tried to keep our family life as normal as possible, but it was still quite a strange feeling only having one of them around until the other got leave to come visit us." Circling back to his original topic, he continued, "That's honestly my biggest worry about dating right now."

“Well the dating usually needs to come before the kids before that becomes an issue,” Liam said sagely. “And just because your parents ended up that way doesn’t mean you will. You might not even get involved with someone Starfleet. It’s a big station Ensign, plenty of civilians.”

"I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I never thought of that, Counsellor," Tim said with a chuckle, "For some reason, I always imagined the stereotypical 'Starfleet' family in my future. I don't mean this to be too prying, but how difficult have you found balancing both a Starfleet career and an outside life to be? I've found it's been nothing but work work work since I got here, especially with the conference..."

“It can be challenging at times. Not all the time, I mean being busy in your career tends to not always be constant. I will say that I've had 4 relationships with another officer and again its not always been easy but it's be worth the effort. Every time, ” Liam said honestly. “If you want something, you do everything you can to make it work.”

"As with everything good in life, it takes effort I imagine," Tim replied, "It seems there's always something going on on this station, whether it's an arrested admiral or a dead doctor. Or maybe I just had the worst timing with my Academy graduation?"


“No.This is the life.You sign up to explore the cosmos, find the new, wonderful and strange out there but you don’t realise that sometimes you don’t have to go far to find the strange and unreal. Again though it comes in waves, ” Liam told him. “You will alimatise Ensign.” He offered up a reassuring smile.

“My first assignment out the Academy, they decided I was the person to do a tour on a bird of prey and convince Klingons that counselling was beneficial. Now that was strange, weird and out there and I had very limited success, ” he chuckled.

"Now that couldn't have been fun... I have to ask, did they make you try the gagh?" Tim inquired.

"I tried it before I went onboard. I tried lots of Klingon cuisine. I'll be honest Ensign, you get used to it. The texture, the squirming .... Now when I used to be a diplomat for a little while, some of the Ferengi grubs and bugs, they seemed worst to me," he said honestly. "There was this one Ferengi ambassador - woman. I know," he said at his face. "She was quite the character. Always insisting I have these grub things. I used to give her sherbet lemons. Her face at that flavour was probably mine at eating her jellied bug contraction. Have you had Gagh?" he asked.

"Thankfully I've managed to avoid it so far. Bloodwine though... now that's a different story. There was this one place near the Academy that served it. Recently someone started a tradition involving lots of bloodwine after you finish your first round of exams," Tim said.

"Was that someone Klingon?" Liam quipped. "Or friends with one? How was your head the next day after your exams?"

"Federation friends, unfortunately. I feel like a Klingon would have had a better sense of just how strong it can be for non-Klingons," Tim laughed, "I honestly don't remember very much of the next day - it was all a blur."

"I am not surprised. And not all Klingons thing that way. They like seeing us try to keep up with them," he told him. Memories of K'Nara Corval and well the entire Bird of Prey from his time there flashed over his eyes.

"Are there any other things you have any concerns about Ensign?" Liam asked him.

"No, sir. Unless you wish to psychoanalyze me further," Tim responded with a flash of a smile.

“I think your safe at present,” Liam said warmly. “Just stay away from that blood wine okay,” he joked.

"That I can promise, sir," Tim said with a chuckle, "Unless there's a mandatory function with the Klingons again."

Liam laughed and kept expecting him to stand up and leave but this was not for coming. Finally it dawned on him and he hadn't had to say this in a while.

"Well if there's nothing else dismissed Ensign."

Tim nodded and stood up to leave. With a smile, he said, "Thank you, sir," and headed for the door.

OFF:

Ensign Tim Portillo
PNPC Samson
Computer Systems Specialist
Poseidon Station

Lt. Cmdr Liam Reynolds
Chief Counselor
Poseidon Station

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