*** Chief Counsellors Office. * SB Unity
***
" Commander...please, come in."
The door slid closed behind Rangi as she entered a moderate
sized room, decorated and furnished in tones of cream and
grey.
Colour was added by groups of paintings on the walls and by
a large vase of brilliant red flowers standing on a low
table near a pair of sofas set at right angle to each other.
The man who spoke stood up from his seat on one of them,
held out his hand and said:
" Stephen Jacobs...and as Twain famously said 'Reports of my
death have been grossly exaggerated."
Rangi took the offered hand,smiling widely at the quote, for
the rumour that the Chief Counsellor had met an untimely end
during the recent battle had reached her too.
She found her fingers grasped firmly for a moment.
"Rangi Summers." she said in reply.
"Take a seat.." he said, indicating the sofas "..may I get
you a refreshment?"
"Umm..juice please." she replied and at his quizzical
expression added " ..Apple."
"Apple." he repeated, turning to a selection of bottles set
on a nearby cabinet. " Lets see..." he murmured, running his
eyes over the collection.
Rangi sat down onto the softness of a cream sofa and
observed him.
He was tall and slim with thick yet receding hair which had
been dark brown but was now greying. He had a trim moustache
and a short beard tinged white and wore comfortable
informal clothes.
"I'll be glad when the replicators are fixed. " he
commented, glancing back to her "...its alot quicker than
this."
Rangi settled herself a little more as he poured liquid from
bottles and added ice.
"It's priorities though." he said.
His tone and expression were both kindly as he returned to
her smiling with deep brown eyes as he handed her a glass. "
Here we go....I hope thats a type you enjoy."
"Thankyou." Rangi accepted the drink and took a sip as
Stephen sat down adjacent to her, holding a glass of his
own. He looked at her.
"It's very good." she said.
He raised his own glass and took a drink, savoured the taste
and leaning forward to set the glass onto the table said:
" I needn't run through the '
Just-look-on-this-as-an-informal-chat' routine need I? "
He sat back and looked at her with slight amusement in his
eyes. "Let's cut to the chase. I'll ask you a few questions
and you give me the answers ok? Where are you from?"
Taken a little by surprise at his approach Rangi replied "
Earth."
" Brought up where?"
"England mostly."
"Family?" She was obviously answering too slowly for he
prompted her " Parents, dead or alive?"
" Dead..both dead."
" Siblings?"
" No"
"Married?"
"No."
"Children?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
" One...a son"
Stephen smiled to her as though to say 'You did that rather
well' but began again with another round of fast fired
questions.
"You're a former XO.. miss it?"
Rangi hesitated, for she didnt think it was the sort of
question that was easily answered by a 'yes or no' but the
Counsellor obviously thought it was.
"Yes or no" he urged.
Rangi took a second to reply and managed to sound uncertain
as she replied: " Yes."
"CMO position?"
"Yes"
"Think you'll do well here?"
"Yes"
She was astonished that he would pose the question in that
way and her expression reflected it but the counsellor didnt
appear to notice as he got to his feet, picked up his drink
and wandered across the room to a brightly lit aquarium.
He inspected the contents for a few seconds, swallowed a
mouthful of liquid from his glass then still not looking at
her asked:
"Do you like fish?"
Rangi wondered if the formal part of her routine appraisal
was on hold, so looked at the part of the Aquarium visible
to her from where she sat.
It appeared to be a well set up system with numerous
colourful things swimming about between plants and
waterweeds.
"It's very pretty." she said.
Stephen glanced at her, turning his head quickly at her
reply. " I didn't ask if you thought it was pretty.." he
said meeting her eye. " I asked if you like fish." His gaze
remained on her for a split second longer before he returned
his attention to the Aquarium.
Rangi had not liked his tone but after a second or so
replied evenly:
"I like to eat them."
" Eat them.." he repeated and this time when he looked at
her she was sure there was hidden amusement in expression
and voice.
She raised her chin.
"Actually, I find them rather irritating." she informed him.
He took a swig from his glass eyeing her all the time and
walked back with relaxed easy strides to retake his place on
the sofa.
"...and why might that be?" he asked.
Rangis eyes moved to the watery world and back to his. " I
find their constant activity distracting sometimes." she
said " ..they never keep still."
" They do tend to move alot." Stephen agreed " Could it be
they forget they have visited the same place five hundred
times in a day?....perhaps they constantly search for
something...perhaps we will never know."
His face broke into a disarming smile and once again he got
to his feet, setting the almost empty glass back on the
table.
"Thankyou for coming Commander.It's been a pleasure meeting
you." He sounded as if he meant it.
Rangi got to her feet too. { Is that it?} she thought.
" It's been a pleasure meeting you too counsellor." she
replied.
He took the glass she held in her hand."Allow me to see you
to the door." he said and walked beside her, opening the
door and bidding her goodbye as she went out.
The door slid shut with a faint 'hissss'
Rangi set off along the corridor but a frown developed
between her grey eyes.
It was the most surprising Counselling Evaluation she had
ever had. She shook her head and released a long breath as
she headed back to the medcentre rerunning the meeting
through her mind.
Inside the room, Stephen returned to the sofa, sat down,
reached for his glass and smiled down into the remaining
liquid before downing it in one go.
He leaned back against the cushions and looked at the
aquarium.
{Yes..} he told himself {..you can certainly learn alot
about people simply from the way they say 'yes' or 'no' }
"Eat them." he said and laughed.
*** End Log ***
Commander Rangi Summers
Med Adv 1st Task force
SB Unity
&
Dr. Stephen Jacobs.
Chief Counsellor
SB Unity
( npc) Rangi
