Meeting of the Cadets: Cultural Division

Posted on Wednesday July 12th, 2023 @ 7:02pm by Lieutenant Commander Erika Itsumi & Cadet Junior Grade Ayumi Yamagou & Crewman Eradaar Ezazzan

1,528 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: USS Poseidon; Deck 6 - Cultural Division Offices
Timeline: During the events of "Shore Leave"
Tags: Shore Leave, 2395, Introduction

[ON]

Cadet Junior Grade Ayumi Yamagou was among the new batch of cadets being brought aboard the Poseidon. As assistant Chaplain, Ayumi had been instructed to report in to Lieutenant Commander Erika Itsumi, the Poseidon's Chief Cultural Officer. A task which would normally be easy. However, for Ayumi, who was seven months great with child, the process was just a little bit more complicated than it needed to be. The walk to the turbolift from her assigned quarters just about took the wind out of her, and she was grateful to have to wait for the turbolift, as she had a moment to catch her breath. Equally fortunate for her was that Commander Itsumi's office was a short walk, or rather awkward waddle, from the turbolift on her destination deck.

As Ayumi stood braced against the wall by the turbolift doors, she ran her free hand over her belly, where the new life forming inside her was learning ambulatory motion at Ayumi's expense.

"Simmmer down there, little one." She told the baby as she ran her hand over her belly. "It is not your time yet..."

The turbolift doors opened and Ayumi would get a glimpse of a rather unusual and rare sight. A female Gorn stood there, in purplish-pink Starfleet attire and looking very young for their species. She stood roughly six feet tall and turned her reptilian gaze towards Ayumi with a preliminary judgmental gaze that turned to surprise upon seeing the belly. The naturally shy Gorn timidly moved forward, helping Ayumi into the lift.

"You are expecting a child?" Eradaar asked. Her voice was slightly raspy with a gentle feminine accent to it, and a hissing noise that ended each word. "Why have you been assigned a position? Should you not be in care? Here, I help you. I am on the way to Deck 6. Where are you heading?"

"Deck 6 as well." Ayumi said. "I'm supposed to report in to Commander Itsumi. Thank you for the good Samaritan assist, by the way. As you can imagine, moving around at this stage of the pregnancy is... Challenging, to say the least."

The way the human avoided her questions was noticed, but the Gorn thankfully did little else but nod gingerly and shyly. "You are welcome," she replied, her voice softer and timid. "I am to report in as well. The Poseidon will be my way into Starfleet eventually. I am excited."

"Well, congratulations." Ayumi smiled. "And may the winds be in your favor."

The turbolift hummed as it proceeded through the ship.

"And what about you?" asked the shy Gorn.

"I am in the chaplaincy program." Ayumi responded. "The lord has willed for me to be in Starfleet to tend to the spiritual needs of our comrades."

"Oh, that's nice," Eradaar replied kindly. She didn't particularly believe in any human faith, but she was grown to show that tolerance and respect. "I hope it goes well for you," she dared to add.

Eventually the turbolift doors opened.

Commander Itsumi's office wasn't all that far from the turbolift. When Ayumi reached the doors, she rang the chime to alert Commander Itsumi of her visitors.

Erika had been alerted that two cadets assigned to the cultural division would be reporting in to her, and she had switched out her regular office chair for her wheelchair. When she heard the chime, Erika set down her work and called out "Enter:" without rising from the chair, as she wanted the cadets to believe that she was wheelchair bound on first impressions.

Ayumi entered Erika's officer followed closely behind by Eradaar. As Ayumi approached Erika's desk, she stopped and stood to attention, or at least as close to it as her present condition permitted her to:

"Cadet Junior Grade Ayumi Yamagou, reporting for duty as ordered, ma'am." She proclaimed.

"Crewman Recruit Eradaar Ezazzan, reporting as ordered, ma'am," the Gorn said upon entry and promptly coming to attention. Her eyes briefly drifted towards the wheel-chair bound Chief before away. She knew it was rude to stare.

Still, it somewhat surprised her to see the Chief Cultural Officer in such a state. With advances in Federation science and medicine, it was hard to find anyone with any crippling condition. It wasn't impossible, but it was entirely hard. Seeing her new Chief in such a condition gave the Gorn an impression of frailty, of weakness, and perhaps a sense that she was dealing with someone who was given a less extensive desk job.

The female Gorn averting her eyes was not lost on Erika, and she knew her party trick would have its full effect, when she would rise from the wheelchair to shake the cadets' hands and welcome them aboard, but that was to come.

"Please, have a seat." Erika motioned to the empty seats in front of her desk.

Nodding, Ayumi proceeded to move around the chair and sit down. As she was heavily pregnant at this time, she couldn't sit as normal, and instead had to sit with her legs spread, as if she were squatting down.

"I was told to expect a chaplain and a Cadet Learning Program trainee to be reporting in today." Erika said, noticing the collar Ayumi was wearing under her uniform. "I take it by your collar that you're the chaplain?"

"Yes, ma'am." Ayumi said.

Erika turned to Eradaar.

"So that would make you the Cadet Learning Program Trainee, correct?" She asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," replied the Gorn crisply. She stood a bit straighter and the look on her face, if it could be read by her superior, was one of trepidation and nervousness.

Erika made note of the Gorn's failure to assume the indicated seat.

"Do you have a medical condition that prohibits you from sitting down, Crewman?" She asked. "Or is the sight of an officer in a wheelchair making you appreciate what you take for granted a little while longer?"

Eradaar gulped, realizing her mistake. She looked to Ayumi quickly before sitting in the indicated seat.

"N-no, Ma'am," the Gorn replied, nervousness clear even in her reptilian voice. "I-I apologize. I am still new. I will do better."

In truth, while the sight of an officer in a wheelchair did surprise her, it wasn't the reason she had failed to sit. She was anxious, nervous, and a wreck mentally at that moment. Everything transpired so quickly - to her - that she had overlooked and missed the command to sit. She tugged at her uniform as she sat, eyes focused away from Erika briefly as she gathered the strength to recover from her mistakes.

"I see." Erika said flatly. "Fortunately for you, the Cadet Learning Program was created especially for cadets such as yourself. Though you shouldn't let that label get to you; you still have the rights and privileges of all other cadets assigned to this ship. You'll just be working more on the administrative side of things instead of being assigned to work in a department. The cultural division primarily oversees Academy operations on board the Poseidon, think of it as something along the lines of school administrative staff... You do have schools where you're from, yes?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Eradaar replied. "Though to be truthful, they are not as inclusive as the Federations. The Gorn are a very...strict society."

"Well, my administration certainly won't be as strict as Gorn society, but there will be ground rules:" Erika said. "It is my understanding that the department was not run with great care by those who came before me, and I intend on fixing that: A carelessly-run department is what puts Starfleet officers into wheelchairs, or worse. So, I'll be meeting with members of my department and lay down the groundwork for what I expect of them. I will inform both of you of when the next meeting will be taking place so that you may attend. Are there any further questions from either of you?"

"No questions here, ma'am." Ayumi responded. "I'll speak to you another day about maternity leave."

"When you need maternity leave, cadet; keep me informed." Erika stated. "Any other questions?"

"None from me," confidently stated the Gorn Crewman.

"Very well." Erika said, pushing back from the desk and wheeling her way around it so the wheelchair was within Ayumi and Eradaar's field of vision.

Expecting to shake Erika's hand in the wheelchair, Ayumi was quite surprised when Erika proceeded to rise from the wheelchair and offer her hand.

"Welcome aboard the Poseidon, both of you." She said with a smile.

Ayumi rose up from her seat and shook the commander's hand.

"Thank you, Commander." She said. "And God bless you."

Eradaar watched with amazement as Erika rose from the wheelchair. She then looked with suspicion, hidden by her timid and shy gaze. She glanced at Ayumi briefly, before examining Erika's outstretched hand. She carefully accepted it, glaring briefly, before displaying a mixture of emotions which ended in her releasing the hand.

"Thank you, Ma'am," she replied.

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Crewman Recruit Eradaar Ezazzan
Cadet Learning Program Trainee
USS Poseidon

&

Lieutenant Commander Erika Itsumi
Chief Cultural Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Cadet Junior Grade Ayumi Yamagou
Assistant Chaplain
Chef
USS Poseidon

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