Personnel File for Lieutenant Sepeth

[Counselor’s Office, USS Normandie]
[July 22nd, 2386, 1500 hours]

Sepeth marched purposefully down the corridor to the office of the ship’s counselor. When he arrived he pressed the button near the door to announce his presence.

“Enter!” Eiri called out as he stood from behind his desk and pulled on his uniform, much as he always did, although this time he was a little surprised. The mind on the other side of the door was organized, structured, only a Vulcan could be so. He was not aware that there were Vulcans on the crew, but he also had to admit to himself that the last few days had been a blur.

As the doors parted, the Chief Engineer stepped into the doorway and greeted the Counselor. “Good afternoon, Lieutenant. I am reporting for my scheduled evaluation. May I come in, sir?”

“Of course! Please, come in, sit. Would you like something to drink? Sepeth, is it?” He had gleaned the Engineer’s name from the ship’s roster as fast as he could. “May I call you Sepeth?” He smiled a little, unable to hide how happy he was to finally be in the same room as another well-ordered mind.

The Vulcan engineer bowed his head slightly and entered. He took a seat in one of the dark brown chairs arranged around the office. “Certainly, sir. I would not decline a cup of spice tea. And yes, my name is Sepeth, so there is no reason to call me otherwise.”

“My name is Eiri.” The silver-haired Vulcan mix went to the replicator and came back with two cups of hot spice tea, holding one out to Sepeth. “It is very nice to meet you. I am glad to know that there is a Vulcan aboard.”

The engineer accepted the cup with another small bow, in thanks. “It is excellent to meet you, sir. In truth,” he said, taking a sip of the Vulcan tea, “I have eagerly anticipated our meeting. I must admit, sir, that I greatly admire your professional achievement. Vulcans sometimes experience difficulty with the politics of Starfleet Command, so your status as second officer of the Normandie is particularly noteworthy.” He sipped his tea again and set it down on the saucer.

Eiri beamed and sat down on the sofa, across from the Vulcan. “Thank you so much. This post means a great deal to me. My first assignment was planetside. I was afraid I would be grounded forever.” He chuckled softly. “And it is Eiri, please. I am only half-Vulcan, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it. I have never seen it either way, it merely is what it is. How do you like your post here?”

“Ah, of course. Apologies, Eiri, I was simply observing protocol.” He watched the counselor closely as he sat down, examining his mannerisms. Fascinating, he thought. I am not the only member of this crew of mixed Vulcan blood. As the thought came to him, he felt a rush of sadness that he immediately suppressed.

“At my previous post on the USS Appleseed, I was charged with instructing Starfleet enlisted personnel in small spacecraft specialisation. Accordingly, I find that I can be highly effective at instructing new engineering recruits here on the Normandie, and my skills and training are well suited to my post as Chief Engineer.”

Eiri lifted one eyebrow. “That is excellent to hear. I am glad that these young minds have someone such as yourself to guide them. Do you feel that you fit in well with the other crew?” He was very conscious to keep his questions casual so they did not sound like a interrogation.

Sepeth bowed his head for the third time. “It is most kind of you to say so, Eiri.” He thought of the senior staff and replied, “Yes, I believe that I have cultivated a satisfactory working relationship with the other department heads, although I have yet to meet several of the newest arrivals.” His thoughts alighted upon the ship’s Romulan executive officer and his mood soured considerably, although his face remained impassive. “Among any large population, however, conflict is bound to arise from time to time,” he said solemnly, reaching down for his tea.

Eiri almost choked on his tea over the image of T’Lani in the Vulcan’s mind, but he managed to keep a handle on himself. He nodded. “Of course. It is only logical that not all working relationships are perfect, especially when you are expected to work with so many different people and cultures. How are your meditations?”

The engineer took a sip and contemplated the question. “My workload has been significantly increased recently, so my opportunities to meditate have been decreased in duration and frequency.” He ran his hand over his shaved head, deep in thought. “There comes a point at which Starship systems efficiency must be considered satisfactory, beyond which point additional fine-tuning proves more taxing to the crew than the associated benefit to the ship itself.”

Eiri nodded again, in agreement. “I do not wish for you think that I am lecturing you, but you should make sure that you spend enough time in meditation. I know you are aware of the consequences of not spending enough time in said state. Would you like me to contact the Doctor for some assistance? Have you experienced any visions during your meditations?”

“But of course, Eiri, I endeavour to find time for meditation whenever I may. I do not believe that my meditation schedule is hampered to a degree that requires medical intervention, but your concern is appreciated.”

Sepeth swirled the tea in his cup and inhaled its spicy aroma. “Visions...” he mused. His mind became flooded with scattered images of notable events in his past: graduation from Starfleet Academy, sitting with an elderly human on a park bench, completing the rite of kahs-wan as a child, and holding his head in his hands at a human funeral. The emotional deluge that followed was deep in magnitude and highly erratic in direction, but the raging torrent suddenly blinked away as if a door had been slammed loud enough to drown it out. “Visions...” he repeated. “Memories... missed potential.” He finished his tea and placed the cup back on the table. “Yes sir. ...Eiri. Occasionally.”

Eiri was not exactly prepared for the onslaught of images and the strong feelings. They came in such a wave of intensity that for several moments after, all he could do was sit and blink while he found his voice again. He had spent so much time around other species, far removed from his own, that he had almost forgotten how deep Vulcan feelings could run. When he did find his voice again, he cleared his throat, almost as if he did not trust himself to speak. “And... your visions are not hampering your ability to meditate?”

The engineer brought his knuckles to rest against each other in his lap. “I believe not, Eiri. As I said, they only occur on occasion. Only my unnecessarily stringent systems analyses are preventing me from meditating ideally.”

The counselor fidgeted and scooted to the edge of the couch, crossing his legs and folding his hands together over his knees. He set his PADD on the low table between them and tapped out a few notes. He sensed that there was more to the story, but he was not sure what it was as of yet.

Sepeth took up his cup and gestured to the food replicator. If I may?” he asked, rising to get a refill.

“Of course, please help yourself.” The counselor smiled. “Are you able to focus on your work? What sort of system analyses are you involved in?”

As his beverage was replaced, the engineer responded, “My work is my highest priority, and I take steps to ensure that my daily tasks are well-planned and that my subordinates have similarly orderly schedules. As far as the work itself, I’ve been required to run Level 2 diagnostics on all primary engineering systems daily, rectifying any inefficiencies that are discovered in the process. Standard procedure mandates less in-depth, Level 3 diagnostics daily, with further investigations being required only under special circumstances.” He returned to the chair and sat down.

“Presently, this is my only source of dissatisfaction, as my significantly understaffed department is being pushed beyond the limits of their comfort, which has had an appreciable impact on crew morale. In my time as an engineering instructor, I have learned that morale plays a far greater role in successful performance than one might expect.” He nodded at the counselor as if to acknowledge that he was not suggesting that Eiri underestimated the value of crew morale.

Eiri chuckled and nodded in agreement. “It does indeed, Sepeth. I think that you are probably not the only department that is experiencing a lot of stress. Many of us did not have time to recover properly from what happened with the Wanderer before we were placed back into a working environment and expected to perform. After my evaluations are complete I will be speaking to the Captain about the overall stress on this ship.” He looked over at the Vulcan engineer, studying the man’s face for a moment. “If you became so dissatisfied that you felt you needed to take your concerns to someone, who would you go to?”

Sepeth arched an eyebrow at the man across the table. “If I am unable to control myself, I imagine that I would come to you. As ship’s counselor, that is one of your functions, and I would be foolish not to avail myself of your counsel.” He took a deep drink of the still-warm tea.

Eiri bowed his head toward the Vulcan in respect. “Thank you. It makes me hopeful for my future on the Normandie to hear you say that. I know that relaxation can sometimes be seen as a waste of energy and illogical, but do you have anything that you do to relax? Aside from the meditations?”

The engineer stared into his teacup as he spoke. “While not on duty, I spend my free hours trying to keep up with the latest developments in warp theory and other intellectual pursuits.” His eyes returned to meet the counselor’s. “I have also made a habit of observing cultural rituals of many species. I find that it improves my ability to build rapport with individuals of other races.”

“Oh! That’s an excellent pursuit.” Eiri smiled. “Are there any particular rituals that interest you? Or is it just rituals in general?”

Sipping at his tea, Sepeth replied, “I am primarily interested in rituals and rites of passage that help to inform the personality and behaviour of the individuals who undertake them. My own childhood rite of kahs-wan has had a profound effect on the adult that I have become. It taught me to be self-sufficient and willful, and it forced me to face my fear of the unknown, paving the way for a fulfilling future spent traversing the stars. Human adolescents have similar, albeit less formal rites of passage: athletic and academic competition, periodic extension of personal freedoms and other such loose milestones. One ritualised behaviour that seems to be present in the vast majority of sentient species centers around the bearing of children, although not all races are known to find a single mate before reproduction. The galaxy is full of other intriguing examples.” He replaced his teacup on the saucer.

“I knew someone at the academy that studied practices of thanatology from all sorts of cultures. It was fascinating, but a little darker then my interests run. I would much rather deal with the living. Speaking of the living, how is Hayley doing?”

The Chief Engineer pursed his lips and pressed his knuckles together again, rubbing his thumbs against one another. “I had actually intended to ask you about her myself, Eiri.” He looked down at the brass bowl in the middle of the table. “I’ve known Hayley Griffith for four years, and in that time I’ve learned that she can be hard-working, determined, and even stubborn, but at times she allows her emotions to prevent her from achieving her potential. When Hayley and I were unexpectedly reunited here on the Normandie, I noticed immediately that her emotional state was uncharacteristically fragile.”

“Indeed. I also noticed that she seemed to be suffering from quite a bit of sleep deprivation. With some help to sleep she should be alright to return to work. Although, I have been reviewing her evaluation and I believe that she might have a valid reason for her fragile emotional state. Her ship is so much more to her then just a transport vessel or a machine. Even though it is a little unusual, I believe that she is experiencing grief over the death of Wanderer.” Eiri sipped his own tea and smiled a little. “I forgot how good this tea could be. I have developed a taste for Andorian teas.”

Sepeth raised an eyebrow and considered the counselor’s theory. “Grief, you say?” The Vulcan rubbed at his scalp again. “Now you mention it, Hayley has been imbuing inanimate objects with anthropomorphic characteristics since the very day that I met her. She has a habit of naming things, and using gender-specific pronouns for objects and possessions. But feeling bereaved over the loss of a ship?” He waved his hand, dismissively. “Highly illogical, even for her.” He contemplated this new information and finished his cup. “Yes, the tea is excellent, is it not?”

“Illogical or not, I do believe that is what she is suffering from. As little sense as it makes to you or me, Hayley is human, and they are very prone to flights of fancy and become very attached to objects. I think a project would be good to help her process. Something trivial perhaps? Something she can do with her hands. I gave her a logic puzzle box, but that will only keep her occupied until she finishes it several times. No, to make sure that she is once again in good health I think that a personal project would be of great benefit to her mental state.” He smiled a little, continuing to sip at his tea. “Have you ever tried Fridd?”

The Vulcan engineer cradled his empty cup and thought about his human friend. “Perhaps you’re right, and if I know Hayley, she’ll have come up with solutions to the puzzle box that the manufacturer never intended. It won’t keep her busy for long.” He set down the cup. “A project... how interesting that you should suggest such a thing. Just before I came to see you, she presented me with a plan to resurrect some ancient relic of machinery. When we’re done here I am going to visit the Starlight Lounge to speak to the hostess about it. Perhaps I will try this... Fridd while there.”

“That might be our perfect solution, then. It should be interesting to see what she can do and it will allow her the necessary time to grieve. When she has completed her project she should be able to return to duty, although I would not mind seeing her several times between now and then.” He set his cup of tea on the table and picked up his PADD, leaning back and tapping himself notes on it.

“Wonderful,” said Sepeth, “I am eager to see her return to work.”

Eiri nodded and drained his cup of tea. “I am certain that she is eager to return to work as well. I hope that this helps though. I know that even if what she is grieving for is not an animate object, it still has much value to her and her feelings about it are real. Speaking of feelings, how are yours? No strange thoughts or ideas of hurting yourself or others? Please do not be offended, I have to ask.” He looked down into the empty cup and then back up at the Engineer with a little smile.

“As you know, Eiri, as a Vulcan I have the capacity for strong feelings that I keep suppressed with a strict mental discipline.” He shifted his weight in the chair and continued, “No, I have no desire to cause harm to myself or anyone else. I take no offense, I understand that you have your own protocols to follow.”

Eiri shook his head with a little chuckle. “I try to be disciplined, but it is a constant struggle.” He looked over his PADD again. “I believe that we are all in order here. Although, one more thing, and it is merely a question for my own curiosity.” His gaze drifted up to Sepeth’s shaved, bald head. “May I ask why you shave your head?”

Sepeth’s face betrayed just a shred of amusement at the question. It returned to normal as he responded. “As you well know, as a senior staff member I have very little time for personal considerations. Maintenance and care of my hair took valuable time away from my assigned duties, so I began shaving it off, which only takes a few minutes two or three times per week.” He cocked his head slightly to the side. “It was a purely logical decision.”

Eiri nodded, feeling a little protective of his own hair. “Of course, and I can see the logic in that. Thank you, Sepeth, for setting me straight about that.” He smiled. “It was a pleasure to meet you. Although I am sure that you will not need it, I will hopefully see you again. You can always feel free to just stop by and talk.” He smiled a little and stood, tugging on his uniform. He raised his right hand and spread his fingers in the Vulcan greeting. “Peace and long life, Sepeth.”

The engineer stood and bowed his head respectfully, then stood tall and mirrored the Vulcan salute. “Live long and prosper, Eiri.” Without another word, he headed out the door and into the hallway, on his way to a meeting with the ship’s chef.

((A joint post by one-and-a-quarter Vulcans))