Chief Counselor's Log #1 - Good News/Bad News

Posted on Thu Sep 29th, 2016 @ 4:33pm by Lieutenant Commander Marit Lantry M.D., Ph.D.

First, the good news. Despite fears to the contrary, Captain Von and Colonel S’er’in’e have been found alive, and at least physically, both are on the mend. Of course, during that time of uncertainty, the rest of the senior staff helped to ensure it was business as usual at 332. It's a testament to Von's leadership and her judgment that I was surrounded by staff who could continue the business of the station without upsetting the delicate balance here, despite the anxiety I knew they were all feeling.

I was feeling it too, frankly. No matter what the Starfleet recruiters say about Starfleet members being ever vigilant and prepared for the dangers they face on any given day, the psychological reality is, if all of us truly thought about all the things that could go wrong on a regular basis, merely the life-threatening things, none of us would ever get out of bed. It's not professionally correct to say so, but I happen to believe having a small capacity for self-delusion is necessary for survival. How else would you get sentient beings who are otherwise programmed to survive at all costs, to agree to live and work in a place where others are actively trying to kill us from outside and, some of the station's inhabitants would no doubt kill us from within?

We have to believe to some degree the dangers aren't that bad. We have to believe, even if they are, we have the capacity to not only survive, but to thrive.

It's why we can think of a journey by shuttle as routine. It's why, despite the organized and petty criminals outside the station and within it, people like the Captain and the Colonel are willing to agree to go on a "routine journey by shuttle." It also happens to be why when the outcome isn't routine, it can come as such a shock, even though intellectually, none of it should be surprising or unexpected, given all the crazy things we've experienced or heard about as Starfleet officers.

I can only imagine what it was like for the two of them to experience a crash and then work to survive while injured for days, not knowing if they never be rescued. Yes, we all received standard survival training, but the problem with 'standard' is still the reality that any given planet does not fit any specific mold. It's while I'll be speaking to both of them as soon as possible, once they've had some rest and a little time to process what they've experienced in their own minds.

Unfortunately, there is also bad news. The investigation into the murder of civilian Lothar Lux is ongoing. Any resident of 332 copes with a certain amount of criminal activity, and even a certain amount of death, but thankfully, cold-blooded murder is still a rarity here. Residents are naturally even more on edge in light of his brutal death. I've been doing what I can to offer reassurance and crisis support, but I know realistically, the only thing that's going to truly put minds at ease is by catching the person or persons responsible. Fortunately, the investigative staff has been more than open and willing to my collaboration, hope that together, we can get to the bottom of this.