Assumptions and Biases

Posted on Mon Aug 14th, 2023 @ 3:12pm by Lieutenant Evelyn Stewart
Edited on on Mon Aug 14th, 2023 @ 3:21pm

2,256 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Year One: Whispers in the Wind
Location: Brighton Colony - Dock 4
Timeline: MD 007 - 1100 hrs

Evelyn was unloading the cargo from one of the Romulan freighters. Stacking and lifting the last of the crates that wouldn't require machines to move, she took them down the ramp to the rest of the dozens crates that piled up into uneven columns, forming a virtual wall in front of her and checked the crates against the inventory list. It was meticulous and tedious work, but it was quiet and she was left alone. Her mind still going over everything that had happened with the captain on the ship. She needed a simple easy job that didn't depend on her skills in her distraction.

Scrolling through her PaDD, she started with the next section to go through when she heard a noise in the chaos and spotted what looked to be a head of hair ducking behind more crates. Despite not being allowed to carry a phaser, she wasn't alarmed. Several children and come to the docks to investigate the relocation the last several days and were found playing amongst the cargo containers. Placing her PaDD down on a container, she turned towards where she saw the movement. "Alright, come on out." She called with a tone that was not of annoyance but of tired patience with the children's games.

After a moment a small Romulan boy a little more than a meter tall worked his way through the rows of cargo. He made his way to standing in front of Stewart.

Stewart looked at him. "What do you think you are doing? There are dozens of kids here. Go play." She ordered as she went back to work.

The boy looked at her with what could only be described as Romulan aloof. "I don't want to." He said defiantly.

With a sigh, Evelyn looked down at him. Her patience was now being tested. "Why not?" She asked bluntly, she wasn't going to talk down to the boy. She didn't believe in showing children any less respect than any adult. That is when she saw the aloofness faulter and the nervousness come through.

The boy looked towards the colony anxiously. "They don't like us, Romulans I mean. They think we're strange and sneaky. They say we can't be trusted."

"That's just what they have heard or what they have been told. What's your name?" Stewart asked dryly as she focused on the manifest.

The Romulan took a moment before he would answer, as if deciding if this was a conversation worth having with a non-Romulan. "Tonkan." he eventually admitted.

With a glance at the colony, Stewart put her work aside for the moment and lifted the small boy up and sat him on a crate so she could be eye level as they spoke and she could continue her work. "Well listen, Tonkan, people don't like what is different and they certainly don't like change. It can be hard to understand and accept. That will change with time once they get to know you."

Tonkan looked at her, getting emotional. "You can say that because you are a human. You don't know what it's like to be different." He vented.

Stewart looked up from her PaDD at the boy in surprise "How old are you?" she asked incredulously.

"Six." He said seriously, holding her gaze.

Evelyn eyed him over and shook her head. "You don't sound six." She admitted matter of factly as she focused on her work for a second before tossing the PaDD aside and turning her attention on the boy. "Look kid, believe it or not I was once the one who was different, except I was surrounded by people with pointy ears.”

The boy stared at her with a mix of confusion and intrigue. “You grew up around Romulans?” He asked with genuine curiosity.

“Worse, Vulcans.” Stewart corrected him dryly as she went back to work as they chatted. “So as you can imagine, it wasn't easy growing up being the only human around, but I got through it. I learned a lot from them. And a lot of them didn't accept me either but I didn't stop being human. Those that did give me a chance only did because I gave them one. It’s not right or fair, but…” Stewart sighed as she put things into perspective. “ But you already know that. Unfortunately that’s just how it is sometimes. The only thing we can do is make the most of it. Got it?" She said frankly. She saw that Tonkan was still skeptical as he nodded and sighed. "Alright listen, I'll make you a deal. You go play with those kids over there for two hours and if you aren't having any fun, you can come help me. Sound good?" She asked, pointing to a bunch of children the boy's size and likely age running around and chasing each other in the colony.

Tomkan gave her a skeptical look but nodded and Stewart helped him down off the crate and watched him head for the group before getting back to work.

Lily had been wandering around getting the lay of the land as it were. She rounded around a corner of some crates, just in time to be witness of a woman speaking kindly to a young Romulan boy. She observed, and then smiled as the boy went out to join the other children. She approached where the woman was moving crates, "Hi there would you like some help?" Currently Lily was on civvies, a pair of bluejeans and a light blue tee shirt, and a pair of boots. If there was going to be some work to do, she thought best to be in something that was not a uniform.

Evelyn looked up when she heard the voice of a woman and saw her approaching. The young woman was in civilian clothes and seemed more lost than anything. Stewart gave a polite smile. “Thanks, but I’m good. We’ve been assigned to take care of the unloading of the cargo.” She explained. “I think your teams are meeting at the administration building.” She said, pointing in the direction of the complex at the center of the colony with her PaDD. Evelyn assumed she was one of the URC volunteers. After giving the woman directions, she went back to work.

Lily gave a slight smile in answer to the smile the woman had given to her. "the crew of the USS Moore has been assigned to unload some cargo? Then I am in the right place." she looked to see if there was anything left for her to help with. "I've been newly assigned to the USS Moore, my name is Lily Marlow, the Chief Medical officer. Where is the next area we need to work on?" Lily already rolling up her sleeves, to get to work.

“Evelyn Stewart, chief helmsman.” Stewart offered looking up from her PaDD and reaching for another one. If the doctor insisted on helping her she was going to put her to work. “Just have to go through the inventory and make sure everything is accounted for. You want to take the piles over there?”, Evelyn asked as she gestured to the half dozen stacked piles that were nearly as tall as her in some instances.

"Sure I'll take that stack " she replied, Lily accepting the PaDD and began checking off the contents of the crates. "All these crates representing what the people here have left of their belongings, clothing , food stuffs and little momentos that they could carry with them." Lily quietly remarked as she checked off each crate, comparing it to the manifest that was on the PaDD.

Evelyn looked up Lily’s words and looked at the mountains of crates and sighed heavily as the words and situation landed. It was one thing to say the Romulan Empire was gone, billions dead but millions surviving. It was something else to see all that remained for a few thousand individuals were a few hundred containers. It was more than uncomfortable or difficult to stomach the truth of the situation. “Yes…tragic really…” Stewart commented the only thing she could on the matter before going back to work. After several minutes she glanced at Lily, “So how did you up getting assigned to the Moore?” She asked to start a conversation.

Lily was continuing on cataloging the crates, when Evelyn asked her question, "Well, perhaps its my unique set of skills that I learned." Lily began then she gave off a slight chuckle. "That sounds so much like I am tooting my own horn. It is more on my part requesting to be assigned somewhere that I will hopefully be the most helpful. Or maybe it is due to my knack of standing up to my superior officers if I think they are wrong or.. a combination? Or because I have served upon a military ship and have seen action so to speak? I don't mind being here, if I can help out, I will help out. I am not afraid to work hard."

Stewart was distracted again. Her thoughts drifting back to Stryvek and the night in his quarters and the thoughts and memories they shared. She was only half listening when she realized that Lily was done talking. She gave a polite smile to the woman. "Then I think you will fit in quite well here. Some are more vocal than others but everyone works hard. It's what is expected."

Lily hadn't realized that Stewart's mind had drifted off to somewhere. She was talking whilst going through the crates and cataloging. "Since you have asked me about why I am now here with the USS Moore. What brought you to the ship and how long have you been with this crew?" pausing to glance over towards Evelyn over her shoulder.

Evelyn barely heard Lily speaking, she was preoccupied with going over the crates and making a conscious effort not to think about the Vulcan. “What?…Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve only been on the Moore since it left Earth about a month ago. I was originally assigned to the Madrid but last minute changes in the personnel and apparently logic dictated I be assign to the ship…” with a small shake of her head she focused her attention on the conversation. “Before that I was a flight instructor on one of the of the remote academies.”

Lily gave a bit of a nod, though she tilted her head slightly. "Are you okay? You seem to be having your mind occupied with something. Is it due to the little boy you helped a little bit earlier? I noticed you talking to the boy who was amongst the crates. You were very kind to him, and I liked that."

Evelyn just shook her head and gave an embarrassed laugh and sheepish smile. “No, sorry, I just have a lot on my mind. You were saying?” She asked to try to make up for her distraction.

"Oh okay." Lily was slightly curious, it wasn't her business though. "Well we were talking about each other's experiences and how we came to be here with the USS Moore. I am definitely looking forward to getting to know the crew. I already have met Commander Davaris, and I have requested her to help train me in more self defense arts so I won't be a hinderence."

Stewart nodded as she glanced at Lily. “Kei is a skilled security officer, but make sure you to broaden your education beyond what she teaches you. Defense can only get you so far.” She commented, remembering her own fight with Keishara weeks ago and how she took the offensive fight to Kei, who was just keeping up.

"My brothers also gave me advice to not be afraid of fighting dirty. I do know the rudimentary skills that were taught in the academy. For the most part though, I've not put into a whole lot of thought in more offensive fighting. Then again<" Lily looked once more around at the crates and also thought over her experience with her other ship. "From what I am thinking, I need to be better prepared."

Stewart looked at Marlow more seriously. "We need you focused on healing people, not hurting them, Doc." She said with a reassuring smile. She glanced around at the colony, noticing the Romulan boy playing fairly easily with the group. "Listen, they are having a festival in the colony for First Contact day. A bunch of us are going to go together. you should join us." She offered, knowing Lily was new to the crew.

"I would prefer not to hurt anyone, however If I need to do so, I need to have the mindset to do so. Sort of like a combat medic, have some skills and be prepared or be caught flat footed and die. I know a little bit dark for a doctor, I just don't want to have the feeling of being helpless. I want to be able to punch instead of slapping at someone ineffectively." giving a slight shrug. "Anyhow, to a brighter subject, yes, I will be glad to go to the celebration. It should be fun." a slight smile appearing. "When I get done here lets go."

Evelyn laughed at the statement. "Easy, Doc. The festival is still for a few days. I'll make sure we swing around Sickbay before we head out though." Stewart fell into a comfortable silence with Lily as they worked through the inventory.

 

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