(OOC: Hi All. I haven't actually written in a long time and I
haven't written for a sim in nearly two years. Hopefully, it'll come
back to me. In the interim, you'll have to put up with me, I guess.
Just a simple one to get going. Good to be aboard. Please note that
I am very particularly about what my characters say and how they say
them, so unless it is a bit line, please make sure to contact me when
using Waqas. I'm always up for a JL. Thanks.)
Lieutenant Waqas Jilani
Counselor
USS Charon
"Father Figures"
= San Francisco, Earth =
"I need a drink."
A simple enough human phrase but one that Sarkal, Professor Emeritus
of the Behavioral Studies Department of the Vulcan Institute of
Sciences, was not quite comfortable with. It was rather imprecise to
state that one was in need of an alcoholic beverage, when often one
simply desired it. Granted a true need might exist should one be
suffering from an addiction. However, given that addiction was an
illogical state, Sarkal certainly saw no need to ever use the vile
phrase himself.
Since he had met Waqas Jilani, however, it was a phrase that Sarkal
had been using more often than was proper for any self-respecting
Vulcan, in his opinion. That was probably why, the aging scientist
concluded, why so few self-respecting Vulcans associated with
Lieutenant Jilani.
Jilani had come to Sarkal's attention many years ago, while the young
man had been a student on Vulcan. Actually, 'student' was a generous
term. 'Inmate' was more accurate. At any rate, the point was that a
Federation judicial officer had decided it would be wise for Jilani to
obtain an education and, at the same time, shed his less than legal
hobbies. Vulcan, it was apparently thought, was the ideal place for a
young man to simultaneously achieve both those goals.
Early in Jilani's first semester, Sarkal had seen why the judicial
officer had thought the boy could find his way in the world again.
Disguised by a quick smile, camouflaged by an unfortunate tendency
towards one-liners, somewhere in Waqas Jilani's obsidian eyes there
was a brilliant spark of intelligence. Unfortunately, the boy had
then, and still retained, a compact, handsome frame and a visage
Sarkal had overheard of his students describe as 'roguish.' Why a man
who looked like an outlaw on bandit, Sarkal could not say. He could
say, however, that such looks were a serious deterrent against the
full development of Jilani's potential when combined with the man's
stunning weaknesses for women, drink and gambling.
That is not say that Sarkal thought good looking individuals did not
make excellent academics. He considered himself a prime example that
this was a possible combination. However, he could not help but
wonder if Waqas would have been more successful in his career if he
had a little less luck satisfying the desires caused by his previously
noted flaws.
Certainly, tonight was doing nothing to disprove Sarkal's theory…. At
any rate, Sarkal had developed an interest in the conflicted young man
and had become something for a mentor to him...not a source of pride
for Sarkal when events like these unfolded.
"It really was not that bad," the young man replied with an easy
laugh, "The captain simply overreacted."
"Do I understand the facts correctly, Lieutenant?" Sarkal nearly
snapped, turning to face his former pupil, "Did the commanding officer
not discover you in a compromising position?"
"You should have seen this girl. Trust me, there were no compromises."
"You were engaged in sexual intercourse. While on duty. With the
captain's daughter. On his Ready Room desk. Let me assure you as an
individual who has daughters of his own, Mr. Jilani, you are fortunate
to have been thrown into an escape pod before being jettisoned from
the Defender. What were you thinking?"
Jilani rubbed the stubble that had grown over his sharp brown featured
wearily, "She wanted to celebrate getting into the Academy. I was
only helping. As a favor to the captain, if you will. And the ship
was supposed to be empty. How was I to know the captain was going to
stop by?"
"If those are your best attempts at justifying your behavior, you may
want to consider that you are not only disgracing yourself as an
individual, but also as a psychologist."
Waqas grimaced. "I have to admit it got a little weird when he walked
in and she was calling out for 'Daddy'."
"That is when it got 'weird'?"
The young lieutenant held up his hands in mock defeat. "Fine. I get
it. I made a mistake. I'll go back to the Defender and...."
"You are not going back to the Defender," Sarkal stated in a matter of
fact manner as he poured himself some syntheol. "You were reassigned.
It was in the alumni update. How is it possible that you would not
know?"
"I was busy orbiting the moon in an escape pod."
"Ah."
"What?"
Sarkal raised an eyebrow at his pupil. "The rare valid point."
Jilani sighed and got to his feet. "So…where am I going now?"
"The USS Charon."
"Charon? As in the guy who took the dead people across the thing in
this boat?" Upon a nod from Sarkal, Jilani grimaced. "Why do I get
all the ships with the gloomy names? Why can't I get sent to the USS
Pumpkin Pie or the Lemon Tart?"
"I suspect it is because Starfleet does not name its ships after
strippers. An error I am sure you will seek to rectify should the
duty of naming vessels fall to you."
"You know what…bite me, old man. I honestly don't care what the damn
ship is called. I bet it will be great. And you know why? Cause I
have a feeling there aren't going to be too many pointy eared
authority figures in sight when I get there. I'm really starting to
resent your lectures about how I should live my life."
"That," Surak replied with absolute calm, "Is only because you know I
would do a much, much better job of it. Do not worry though, Mr.
Jilani, I have come to expect small things."
"That is totally not what she said."
= End Log =
