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Joy

I Have a Sister

Joy sighed, looking across the conference table at Rian.

 

"I don't think you are getting the hive mind thing. Perhaps it is my fault. You know I am very strong by the standards of organic beings? Yet, do you recall the one time since I returned to the Republic when I used that strength?

 

"I strive perhaps too hard to 'pass' for organic, to not be special, not be different. As I seldom flaunt my strength, I seldom flaunt the skills and memories I share with my sisters. I'll use them, but quietly. I think, this once, I have to be explicit.

 

"I have a sister, Nine, who served as councilor for the diplomatic ship USS Lovisa. I have a sister, Six, who teaches artificial intelligence and law at the Academy, also mentoring and protecting a small collection of sentient holocharacters who assist in cadet training.

 

"The Admiral's condition is much worse than you are letting on. It is not just the recent loss of old Republic. It has been building for a long time. There are drugs that can help, but she is over reacting emotionally and may need a much lower stress environment.

 

"She ought to be under the care of a mature capable councilor. While Holly has the knowledge and the skills, I do not know that she has the maturity. Holly and the Admiral are generally good for one another. They need one another. While Holly should have the skills to do the job as councilor, she knows what is needed, knows what has to be done, she is still not entirely over her justifiable anger at how she was treated in her youth. In some ways, she is making it harder on the Admiral rather than giving her the environment she needs.

 

"This ship needs a mature rational command staff. Between the Admiral's emotional outbursts whenever any glitch comes up and Holly's continued prodding and harassment, we have a problem. I don't think the answer is to pretend there is nothing wrong. A quiet word to a few folk to calm down and give the Admiral a little slack might be appropriate.

 

"I have a sister. Ambassador Seven has been representing Mudd's interests on Earth for quite some time. One thing ambassadors to Earth do is pass judgement on rogue Starfleet captains. Kirk wasn't the first. Corizon won't be the last. The question is whether one should give the rogue a medal, bust him from Starfleet, or both. Neither generally isn't an option. Pardon, but I feel a need to vent a bit.

 

"There are two basic perspectives and lots of variations in between. There is a Pragmatist faction who generally work for the best interest of The Federation. They tend to measure interests in material measurable way: territory, resources, fleets, production capability. They see The Federation as competing with assorted other powers, and are determined to win the competition. Starfleet is somewhat biased towards this perspective.

 

"There are also Idealists. They see a large number of planets and races joined in a federation. Ambassadors, assigned by the member planets, often act in the interests of the planets and races rather than the abstract whole. The Prime Directive means the central government cannot meddle with their culture. The Guarantees means the central government has to leave their people alone. Pacifism means resources are not taken from the planet, and its citizens are less apt to die. When one looks at the interests of the various planets rather than Starfleet or The Federation, the old ideals aren't obsolete abstract philosophy but critical day to day goals. The Federation exists to enable and enhance the interests of the planets, not the other way around.

 

"Neither perspective is uniquely true. While Seven is a well known Idealist, we understand the need for balance between the two perspectives.

 

"Judging Starfleet captains after the fact is a political exercise. The Pragmatists are apt to try to make Corizon a hero. He will be doing something that arguably needs to be done. If the Republic prevents him from achieving said mission, they will turn someone into a scapegoat. The Idealists won't like unnecessary violence, and all violence will be considered unnecessary. If laws and treaties are broken, they won't like it. If relationships with our neighbors are disrupted, they won't like it.

 

"There is also a question of division of powers. Offensive use of force requires approval of Council, by representatives of the planets. Recent Federation presidents have tried to usurp that power into the executive branch. Starfleet Intelligence and similar agencies have tried to usurp that power into secret cliques that strive to avoid civilian oversight. Individual captains, such as Corizon, will just make a rude gesture towards Earth, disregard chain of command, and do as they claim their conscience demands.

 

"One problem is that sometimes the bureaucracy is wrong and the individual's conscience is correct.

 

"Some suggestions for consideration. Before entering the Neutral Zone, confirm your ass is covered permission wise. Consider inviting a Romulan officer aboard. Consider working in tandem with a Romulan ship. On the other hand, consider that even asking permission to enter the Neutral Zone could draw attention to the area and thus put Corizon's self assigned mission at risk, endangering his ship and crew. Consider that it might be best to wait for him to come back out into Federation space before acting.

 

"And you may wish to gather as much information as possible on what Corizon might think he is doing. Go for the basic what, where, why and how. If you have that, a rough plan, and that plan includes an exit strategy, this would be a good thing. If your intent is to sail into harms way and hope for the best, this is apt to be frowned upon.

 

"I do have a sister. Ambassador Five is currently with the diplomatic corps at Camelot, Excalibur's home port. She will know something of Corizon's recent assignments, and might or might not be able to provide meaningful information about what has been troubling him of late."

 

Joy sighed. "And that is a glimpse at how a Mudd hive mind works. Our form of government has been described as a 'wide area network.' The strength of a hive mind culture is in getting the right information to where it is needed. Military cultures have a conflicting virtue of secrecy, often keeping information isolated. By keeping communications secure, honoring Starfleet regulations, and remembering need to know, the opposing principles can be held in a reasonable balance. Mudd, Starfleet and the Federation Diplomatic Corps have had a satisfactory relationship for quite some time, except on rare occasion when Admiral Blurox's prejudices against hive minds flare up. That problem is unique to Admiral Blurox.

 

"Five has entirely different problems with Captain Corizon. Pragmatist, idealist. Idealist, pragmatist. Round 27. Begin…

 

"It takes all kinds. Idealists and pragmatists. Organics and artificials. Hive minds and individuals. Males and females. Felines and canines. Infinite diversity. Infinite combinations. If the admiral expects me to split off permanently from my hive mind, I cannot work with her. If she is not comfortable with sharing all the necessary information to run the Republic's science department with all my sisters, if her personal prejudice against hive minds trumps in her mind well established Starfleet regulations and procedures, then I will not be comfortable working with her. It will only be a matter of time before the issue comes up again.

 

"We can work around it for now. She doesn't particularly need another headache at just this moment. However, I do want the issue understood and resolved."

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Did Joy make sure that Kwai was still in the room before continuing to speak? I thought she had dismissed you at the end of the sim.

 

Capt Rian Kwai -> ::nods:: Okay then. You may return to duty. We'll re-assess at the end of the mission.

 

Sort of the old question...if a tree falls in the woods, does the XO hear it? lol

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Did Joy make sure that Kwai was still in the room before continuing to speak? I thought she had dismissed you at the end of the sim.

 

Capt Rian Kwai -> ::nods:: Okay then. You may return to duty. We'll re-assess at the end of the mission.

 

Sort of the old question...if a tree falls in the woods, does the XO hear it? lol

 

Hmm... It could be turned into an e-mail easily enough if that pleases you. I'd like to think she'd be willing to listen. Maybe not, though.

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