Beyond Her Ken

[A Davis 0]

Beyond Her Ken

A Joint Log by Captain Chirakis and Counselor Davis

 

“Oh my, Captain,” Counselor Amanda Davis finally broke the silence. Her mouth agape as Amanda looked up from the PADD, the remnants of her Welsh accent hung in the air. In light of the directive they had recently received from the RSE concerning the orphans’ education Amanda expected something, but certainly not this. They were well settled into a smooth generally accepted curriculum in the Childrens’ Home and the report she had just read seemed to put the kibosh on everything. “I’ve never seen figures like this before.”

 

Captain Chirakis seemed to take it in stride. “Nor have I,” she remarked blandly, “especially in one so young. However, if one had the correct teaching and was encouraged from birth, perhaps…. ”

 

“Oh, no, Captain,” Amanda broke in, leaving the captain with her mouth open. One seldom survived the captain’s correction when she was interrupted, but Amanda ignored the raised brow and pressed on. “Any ordinary child taught from birth might be ahead of her peers when it comes to shapes, figures, reading, computation, and the like, but this?” She waved the PADD in the air between them. “This is no ordinary child. She is way beyond O levels, and quite a bit above A levels. Whatever are we to do for her education?”

 

“That,” the captain reached for another PADD, “is where you come in, Counselor.”

 

The first thing Amanda noticed as she took it in hand was the UFP symbol emblazoned on the PADD’s cover. It was separated from the much more imposing symbol of the Romulan Star Empire by a thick diagonal line. Across the top of the screen was Annisha’s name in both languages, followed by a detailed description of what the reader would find within. Everything on the PADD was side-by-side, first in Rihan and then in Federation Standard.

 

Her astonishment melted into concentration as Amanda paged quickly through the syllabus, then the sample of lessons that followed. At the end of the introduction was a method of scoring and monitoring progress, then the system of reporting her scores to a higher authority. The manual was extensive and it took her some time to glance through it but the captain didn’t seem to mind the wait.

 

“I sent the psychological evaluations you provided,” Captain Chirakis gestured with a hand, “along with the educational diagnostic from the station’s computer system to the professionals you suggested. They collaborated and chose the most appropriate material for her diagnosed capability.”

 

“And did you tell them how old she is?”

 

“They did not ask. Is it important?”

 

“Well, yes it’s important, Captain. It’s very important. There’s a distinct difference between cognitive age and emotional age and when one so young is capable of technical manipulations well beyond her years, special accommodations must be made so her intelligence does not overwhelm the emotional needs of a girl her age. But now that I think of it, I always include age when I evaluate anyone, and you sent my evaluation, so they must have known. But tell me, Captain, how are we to handle this?”

 

“Which? The intelligence or the emotions?”

 

“Oh,” she’d gotten ahead of herself again. “I mean how are we to pursue this; how are we to implement… to use this curriculum? How are we to teach her?”

 

“You are the counselor, Ms. Davis. That is for you to decide.”

 

“Oh. I see.” Timid? yes. A bit overwhelmed? Definitely. “And am I to have anyone to help me?”

 

“SubCenturion tr’Korjata has been informed and has already begun some of the lessons.”

 

There was that nod again, like it was nothing, nothing at all for anyone to take on the educational responsibility of….

 

Then it hit her.

 

“Nijil?” Oh, it came out so quickly. It jumped right out of her mouth before she could stop it and she wished she could take it back especially when she saw Captain Chirakis’ reaction.

 

“Please don’t get me wrong, Captain. But,” she sucked in a breath to think, to gather her wits, “Nijil isn’t exactly a teacher.”

 

“He seems to be doing well so far.” The captain’s expression hadn’t changed. It was her piercing ‘why not’ look, the kind you really don’t want to challenge.

 

“What I mean is,” Amanda stammered, gesturing nervously, “that he’s not a trained teacher. You know, one who has gone to university to learn how to teach, what to say, how to go about things, how to break down assignments into….”

 

The captain continued to stare.

 

“But of course,” Amanda took another breath and forced a smile, “that can be rectified.”

 

“Rectified?”

 

She didn’t seem to understand. “Yes, rectified. Changed. I mean, I can teach him… how to teach.”

 

“Good. Then do so.”