The Man in the Mirror

Posted on Fri Apr 3, 2020 @ 8:15pm by Lieutenant JG Sydney Friedman Jr

1,150 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Nibiru
Location: Counselor's Office
Timeline: The day after the away mission.

Sydney was sitting on her couch, making notes on a padd when the chime to her office rang. "Come in," she said, looking up and putting on a kind smile.

Zack walked in. "Lieutenant Zack Logan." He waited until told what to do; he doesn't look too happy.

"Hello," Sydney said, standing up and walking over to him hand extended. "Doctor Sydney Friedman. It's a pleasure to meet you. May I call you Zack?"

Zack shook her hand. "Zack is fine."

"Please, come have a seat," she said, gesturing to one end of her couch as she sat down at the other. "What's on your mind?"

He sat on the couch. "I don't know how much you know about me that's not in my record, but I was almost killed by a dinosaur on an away mission, and was saved by a member of the crew, who was injured."

"I....okay," Sydney said, a bit thrown. "I've still been studying the notes and histories left by my predecessor. I hadn't yet been briefed on current events. Presuming a dinosaur is current. How are you, coming away from that?"

Zack looked at her. "Probably not in my record, but this is important background on me. When I first came on board, I wanted two things: one, to do my job well, which I think I have, and two, have sex with every woman on board." He looked at her for any reaction.

"I...see," Sydney said, keeping her tone neutral. "Well...goals are important, and the first one certainly is what every officer should strive for," she said.

"When I met Bry, she was involved with another woman, but she was okay with me being with her and the other woman. I liked it, and I wanted it to continue." He took another deep breath. "If I wasn't committed to Bry, I'd be hitting on you now." He took a breath. "After the near miss with the dinosaur, I decided I wanted to change my ways, be more mature. So, I asked Bry to marry me. She accepted, and then I started meeting with the other women that I had sex with, and asked for their forgiveness. Most have accepted, some slapped me in the face, and some just didn't want to talk to me."

"I see," Sydney said.

"So..it looks like I'm going to ask the captain for a transfer for Bry and myself."

"I see," Sydney said, again, this time reaching for the padd on her coffee table and making some notes. "I have a few questions, if that's all right," she said. "First, who is 'Bry'? Second, how long have you had this sexual gratification compulsion, and third, why are you asking for a transfer?"

"Ensign Bryanna Wakeman, Stellar Cartographer. I think I've had this 'compulsion,' as you call it, since just before the Academy. And it appears that no one is going to want to work with either of us anymore; the best thing to do is get a change of scenery," he responded.

"So, on a ship of well over one hundred and fifty people," Sydney said, "you've managed to upset every single one of them? Bryanna as well? You'll forgive me if that seems a bit hyperbolic. Is it possible you haven't offended as many as you think?"

"I might not have offended all of them, but on a small ship, word gets around. Those that I have offended have many friends. And those friends have more friends, and so on. Not everyone is going to want to work with us. So it would be better, for me as well and Ensign Wakeman, that we transfer and start our lives over again. I hope that answers your question." Zack responded.

"Not entirely," Sydney said. "You haven't explained how Bryanna factors into this. Have you discussed your impending self-imposed exile with her? And what about the friends you do have on board? And the friends she has on board? Those are questions the two of you need to address together. Now, what I'm curious about is, what ghost of your past is so terrifying you'll rush off a ship of the line to avoid it?"

"Like I said, I wasn't the nicest person when I came on board. Other men looked up to me like an idol. And the women who were friends of those I seduced and then left, hate me, and aren't afraid to show it. Bryanna has the same issues with her past. So I don't think either of us had what could be called, actual "friends" on this ship. I was hoping that our changed attitudes would have changed that." Zack looked at her. "And of course, we have discussed this many times...and we have decided that we want to be together, wherever that ends up as."

"So you weren't a nice person, but idolized, but you used some of the women on board, and now they don't care for you," Sydney said, summing it up. "I can see how that can seem insurmountable, to have half the ship's population against you. And I can understand why you feel your efforts are invalidated if you've been trying hard to overcome your past. How long has it been since you've had this change of heart?"

"Since I almost died, doctor." He was starting to resent being here. "I'm not asking for pity...or sympathy. But if these people can't find it in their hearts to forgive me and Bryanna, then the hell with them!"

"I thought you said you didn't want sympathy," Sydney said.

"I don't want sympathy! I want people to try and put the past behind us, and accept the two of us for who are we now, in the present. I doubt 24 hours or 24 days, weeks, months or years will make a difference."

"Well you say you don't want any sympathy, but you're pretty much expecting everyone to forgive you within a day. Don't you think some effort on your part is warranted? Maybe more than twenty-four hours worth?"

Zack leaned back in his chair. "This is worthless. You're telling me things that aren't going to work. It's becoming a toxic environment for Bryanna and me. I think it's better if we just leave."

"All right," Sydney said, holding her hands up in surrender. "I'll start the paperwork. Where would you like to transfer to?"

"Any place that needs an operations officer and a stellar cartographer. We want to stay together." he responded.

"All right," Sydney said. "Do you want three options, or just two? How many transfers ahead do you want to plan?"

Zack frowned. "Just get the paperwork stamped. I have to pack," he said, standing up and walking out of her office.

Sydney blew a lock of hair out of her face and sat back. "Strike one," she said, grabbing a padd.

 

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