S1E9 The Bright Side of Life

[Lek]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

Rayek sipped at his Chai as the Ferengi described his work environment; and here he'd thought the Federation prided themselves on their tolerance for other species and that it was just his own people who were xenophobic.

"So Cleroux is obnoxious as a standard, not just to me.  Good to know. On whole the others are being civil. There's nothing they do or say in my presence that I can bring them up on charges for.  But I am patient man. I know the three that shot us and am biding my time."

[Crew Lounge]

Lek arched an eyebrow and then frowned.

"You are the first Romulan I have ever met, so I hate to generalize, but what you just said sounded very Romulan to me. Revenge and scheming are your stereotypes. Greed and scheming are the Ferengi stereotypes. I suggest letting what happened go. This injustice you feel, no one else cares about it, so it is only eating you alive. I can assure you that lummox Cleroux isn't troubled by stunning us.

"I will offer the 217th Rule of Acquisition to support my position. 'You cannot free a fish from water.' I have learned however, that you can free yourself from a prison of your own making. Maybe you can too."

[Rayek trLhoell]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

[Crew Lounge]

Lek arched an eyebrow and then frowned.

"You are the first Romulan I have ever met, so I hate to generalize, but what you just said sounded very Romulan to me. Revenge and scheming are your stereotypes. Greed and scheming are the Ferengi stereotypes. I suggest letting what happened go. This injustice you feel, no one else cares about it, so it is only eating you alive. I can assure you that lummox Cleroux isn't troubled by stunning us.

"I will offer the 217th Rule of Acquisition to support my position. 'You cannot free a fish from water.' I have learned however, that you can free yourself from a prison of your own making. Maybe you can too."

Rayek laughed at the Ferengi's comment. "If you think I take offense to being called vengeful or scheming, you sorely misjudge me.  As you suggest they are very Romulan stereotypes for good reason.  They are highly valued traits back home.  But ... as I am no longer back home, perhaps you have a point. It's been suggested that I need to try harder to 'fit in'."

Rayek sipped at his Chai one last time, draining the last of it before addressing the Ferengi again.  "What would you suggest as a means of 'letting go'? The concept is foreign to me."

[Olivia Briggs]

[Deck 8 - Lounge]

With the Lounge getting steadily busier, Liv finished making the cocktail pitchers and placed them in the remaining cooler unit to keep them chilled and ready for use. With that done she looked out across the room and noticed a couple of the crew that she recognised and that those in the Lounge seemed happy enough.

It was then that she took a moment to think about Kyle and their son, wondering how they both were and looking forward to the end of her shift so they could spend time together before moving onto the next task, putting together bar snacks.

[Lek]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

Rayek laughed at the Ferengi's comment. "If you think I take offense to being called vengeful or scheming, you sorely misjudge me.  As you suggest they are very Romulan stereotypes for good reason.  They are highly valued traits back home.  But ... as I am no longer back home, perhaps you have a point. It's been suggested that I need to try harder to 'fit in'."

Rayek sipped at his Chai one last time, draining the last of it before addressing the Ferengi again.  "What would you suggest as a means of 'letting go'? The concept is foreign to me."

[Crew Lounge]

Lek stopped eating and frowned as he tried to come up with words that would make sense to someone other than himself before taking a deep breath and replied.

"The instrument of change for me was Counselor Maddux. She helped me through several mental sticking points, for lack of a better term, that were making me, make myself miserable. One of the first she taught me was a saying by the brilliant physicist Albert Einstein. He defined insanity as 'doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result.'

"That really resonated with me and was my eureka moment. Maddux called it radical acceptance. I was miserable because I wanted something to be different than it was. I didn't have friends in the crew and felt isolated because of that. I was disappointed, angry, hurt, and it was killing me. When I accepted that I didn't have friends in the crew was my reality, I stopped raging about what I didn't have and started concentrating on what I did have.

"I can tell you from my experience, understanding what she was saying was remarkably cathartic, but the key point of radical acceptance she made certain I knew is, just because you accept something, it does not mean the same thing as approving of that something. I still don't like being isolated, but it doesn't bother me any more because that is my situation. I focus on things I can influence. For example, I am working on improving shield efficiency. I am an engineer, shields are something I know how to fix, so that's what I do.

"Perhaps you can accept that the crew doesn't trust you and work on something that you can influence instead of 'raging against the machine' as the Counselor called it. Find a hobby, pick one of the elements as a security officer you like most and improve it in some way. Otherwise, the anger you feel now will only consume you and not whom you are angry at. Revenge rarely feels as good as we imagine it will feel."

[Rhymus Cleroux]

Hydroponics Bay

Bonnie's focus turned to the bag that he revealed from behind his back. Her expression turned to one of delight and surprise as he offered her the gift. "You shouldn't have..." Bonnie said, allowing the man to walk into the greenhouse. Bonnie followed him in.

Bonnie looked around the greenhouse in silence for a minute. She turned towards Rhymus and smiled. "Now I just need to get to work on planting things in here." She paused for a moment. "I'm just glad I've been able to make my mark on the ship." The room was fairly full with both of them in; the only reason they had breathing room was the fact that Bonnie was smaller than him. Bonnie made her way out of the greenhouse and waited until Rhymus followed her out.

Bonnie smiled at Rhymus and looked towards the seeds which she'd placed on the side earlier. "You helped me get the lab itself. The seeds were really unnecessary." Bonnie walked towards the man and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, for everything." She said, releasing him from the hug and pointing towards the rose seeds. "Do you want to help me plant them?" She asked.

[Deck 19 - Hydroponics Bay]

"It was nothing, less than nothing even," Rhymus said as he exited the bay. "You could have done it all without me. I just provided the seeds. I'll stick around and help for a bit, but I may have to leave if work comes up. If that's alright with you. Otherwise, I can come back later."

[Rayek trLhoell]

[Crew Lounge]

Lek stopped eating and frowned as he tried to come up with words that would make sense to someone other than himself before taking a deep breath and replied.

"The instrument of change for me was Counselor Maddux. She helped me through several mental sticking points, for lack of a better term, that were making me, make myself miserable. One of the first she taught me was a saying by the brilliant physicist Albert Einstein. He defined insanity as 'doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result.'

"That really resonated with me and was my eureka moment. Maddux called it radical acceptance. I was miserable because I wanted something to be different than it was. I didn't have friends in the crew and felt isolated because of that. I was disappointed, angry, hurt, and it was killing me. When I accepted that I didn't have friends in the crew was my reality, I stopped raging about what I didn't have and started concentrating on what I did have.

"I can tell you from my experience, understanding what she was saying was remarkably cathartic, but the key point of radical acceptance she made certain I knew is, just because you accept something, it does not mean the same thing as approving of that something. I still don't like being isolated, but it doesn't bother me any more because that is my situation. I focus on things I can influence. For example, I am working on improving shield efficiency. I am an engineer, shields are something I know how to fix, so that's what I do.

"Perhaps you can accept that the crew doesn't trust you and work on something that you can influence instead of 'raging against the machine' as the Counselor called it. Find a hobby, pick one of the elements as a security officer you like most and improve it in some way. Otherwise, the anger you feel now will only consume you and not whom you are angry at. Revenge rarely feels as good as we imagine it will feel."

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

Rayek set his empty cup down on the table between them as he listened to the Ferengi speak.   To learn that the Ferengi had been helped by the Counselor was a tad bit of a shock.  As yet Rayek had found little use in the weekly sessions he had with her - he attended them mainly because it was part of the doctors orders.  Apparently, he still had yet to have his 'Eureka' moment with her - no surprise there.

The more he listened, the more Rayek thought the poor Ferengi was being duped.  "So your solution to being friendless and alone is to delve more into your work - to the point where you are likely isolating yourself even more from your peers.  I don't see how that's a solution." Rayek commented with a slight frown.  He glanced over the room a moment, noting the Commanders wife popping out from behind the bar.

He looked back to the Ferengi and continued before the Ferengi could form a response.  "And while I can see your point on how mentally accepting the situation might bring about some sense of peace, I'm really not of a mind to be peaceful when I'm being discriminated against in a society that professes equally.  Yes, my people are not members of the Federation, but that should not exclude me from their fundamental beliefs, especially as I have turned away from my own people to learn their ways."   Rayek stated somewhat sourly. "And with all that I've endured to get to this point, I'm not about to accept the status quo as my reality.  If I was that type of person, I would hardly be considered scheming"   Rayek smiled at the descriptive, "and would still be waiting for Starfleet to accept my enlistment."

His expression turned thoughtful a moment as he considered more of what the Ferengi had said.  "You suggest working on things I can influence...  like my work.  I'm not that altruistic.   But your suggestion of a hobby is a valid means of 'connecting' with other crew.  Perhaps you and I could brain-storm an idea together?"  

[Bonnie Moors]

[Deck 19 - Hydroponics Bay]

"It was nothing, less than nothing even," Rhymus said as he exited the bay. "You could have done it all without me. I just provided the seeds. I'll stick around and help for a bit, but I may have to leave if work comes up. If that's alright with you. Otherwise, I can come back later."

Hydroponics Bay

Bonnie shook her head and smiled. "I doubt I'd have gone to ask if you hadn't suggested to. I'm surprised that I managed to get it, to be honest." Bonnie took the seeds off the side and went back into the greenhouse. The nutrient rich liquid had already been distributed about the trays so all Bonnie had to do was put the seeds into the trays.

"They should take about a month to grow. It's quicker than normal with the nutrient rich liquid. They should be done in no time." Bonnie gave the man some seeds and pointed to one of the small trays. "You can plant them in there. The majority of the space is for fruit and vegetables so there's more variety in the menu." She paused for a moment and grinned slightly. "Better than stuff out of the replicator. I'll hand it over to the mess hall manager and she can do what she wants with it."

Bonnie continued to plant the seeds into the racks and decided to make some small talk while they were planting. "So, what is the mission about then? It seems to be quieter than normal. It's usually chaotic about now." Bonnie asked as she planted the seeds. The mission seemed to be slow for everyone involved. The time she'd spent on the bridge consisted of her sitting and doing scans which came back with the same or similar readings every time. She wondered if they'd been put here so they wouldn't cause any more trouble for the admirality back home. But it seemed quiet to Bonnie, too quiet.

[Lek]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

Rayek set his empty cup down on the table between them as he listened to the Ferengi speak.   To learn that the Ferengi had been helped by the Counselor was a tad bit of a shock.  As yet Rayek had found little use in the weekly sessions he had with her - he attended them mainly because it was part of the doctors orders.  Apparently, he still had yet to have his 'Eureka' moment with her - no surprise there.

The more he listened, the more Rayek thought the poor Ferengi was being duped.  "So your solution to being friendless and alone is to delve more into your work - to the point where you are likely isolating yourself even more from your peers.  I don't see how that's a solution." Rayek commented with a slight frown.  He glanced over the room a moment, noting the Commanders wife popping out from behind the bar.

He looked back to the Ferengi and continued before the Ferengi could form a response.  "And while I can see your point on how mentally accepting the situation might bring about some sense of peace, I'm really not of a mind to be peaceful when I'm being discriminated against in a society that professes equally.  Yes, my people are not members of the Federation, but that should not exclude me from their fundamental beliefs, especially as I have turned away from my own people to learn their ways."   Rayek stated somewhat sourly. "And with all that I've endured to get to this point, I'm not about to accept the status quo as my reality.  If I was that type of person, I would hardly be considered scheming"   Rayek smiled at the descriptive, "and would still be waiting for Starfleet to accept my enlistment."

His expression turned thoughtful a moment as he considered more of what the Ferengi had said.  "You suggest working on things I can influence...  like my work.  I'm not that altruistic.   But your suggestion of a hobby is a valid means of 'connecting' with other crew.  Perhaps you and I could brain-storm an idea together?"

[Crew Lounge]

Lek shrugged as he started eating again. In between bites he added.

"Given our track record. I'm certain we could come up with something to keep us occupied that won't result in us getting accused of treason. However, I challenge your position that I am at the risk of isolating myself. If that were true, I wouldn't have eaten here. I would have gone to my quarters or found some other place to eat by myself. I simply no longer worry what the crew thinks about me. If someone wants to ignore me or make fun of me, that is their problem, not mine. I happen to be awesome and if the crew can't see that, it is their loss.

"I know the Federation fails at some of it's ideals, but we do not live in a flawless universe. We live in one with Borg and the Dominion. I understand how you feel about giving up what your society holds dear, other Ferengi look on me as an aberration and look down at me as much or more than the crew of the Challenger.

"My time with the Counselor has simply made the opinion of others irrelevant. I choose to work on the shields because it is a difficult puzzle and I want to solve it. I suppose you could apply your frustrations to something useful. What brings you happiness? What piques your curiosity? Focus your energy into that. A way of getting revenge is to kill them with kindness, become the de facto authority on something that everyone has to acknowledge. That seems like an excellent form of revenge."

[Rayek trLhoell]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

[Crew Lounge]

Lek shrugged as he started eating again. In between bites he added.

"Given our track record. I'm certain we could come up with something to keep us occupied that won't result in us getting accused of treason. However, I challenge your position that I am at the risk of isolating myself. If that were true, I wouldn't have eaten here. I would have gone to my quarters or found some other place to eat by myself. I simply no longer worry what the crew thinks about me. If someone wants to ignore me or make fun of me, that is their problem, not mine. I happen to be awesome and if the crew can't see that, it is their loss.

"I know the Federation fails at some of it's ideals, but we do not live in a flawless universe. We live in one with Borg and the Dominion. I understand how you feel about giving up what your society holds dear, other Ferengi look on me as an aberration and look down at me as much or more than the crew of the Challenger.

"My time with the Counselor has simply made the opinion of others irrelevant. I choose to work on the shields because it is a difficult puzzle and I want to solve it. I suppose you could apply your frustrations to something useful. What brings you happiness? What piques your curiosity? Focus your energy into that. A way of getting revenge is to kill them with kindness, become the de facto authority on something that everyone has to acknowledge. That seems like an excellent form of revenge."

Rayek took note of the Ferengi's tone as he spoke.  The man did seem to be more confident, and dare he say .. more content?...than he had been in previous encounters. Maybe there was something to his outlook?

Rayek went to take a sip of his tea then noted it was empty.  He took a moment to catch the attention of Mrs Briggs by raising a hand in gesture towards her.  Then while waiting for her to arrive Rayek looked to Lek and replied.  "Yes, of course, sitting with the only person on this ship more avoided than you, is a great way to socialize.  But I'm glad to hear that you find the opinions of others irrelevant.  That way when people begin to gossip about our collaborating together here today... it won't bother you."  He chuckled slightly.

"As for what piques my curiosity - that is that would be pretty much anything I don't already know. I spend my free time reviewing the ship's logs, and old archived information.  I'm not sure how that can be made a hobby."

[Lek]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

Rayek took note of the Ferengi's tone as he spoke.  The man did seem to be more confident, and dare he say .. more content?...than he had been in previous encounters. Maybe there was something to his outlook?

Rayek went to take a sip of his tea then noted it was empty.  He took a moment to catch the attention of Mrs Briggs by raising a hand in gesture towards her.  Then while waiting for her to arrive Rayek looked to Lek and replied.  "Yes, of course, sitting with the only person on this ship more avoided than you, is a great way to socialize.  But I'm glad to hear that you find the opinions of others irrelevant.  That way when people begin to gossip about our collaborating together here today... it won't bother you."  He chuckled slightly.

"As for what piques my curiosity - that is that would be pretty much anything I don't already know. I spend my free time reviewing the ship's logs, and old archived information.  I'm not sure how that can be made a hobby."

[Crew Lounge]

Lek laughed, a true, warm, heart felt laugh.

"I sat here because there was an open seat. You happened to be here. If any other seat would have been available, then it would have been a simply random selection as far as that is concerned. However, you are completely correct, what others think of the fact that I am speaking to you means less than nothing. If they want to think collaborating, that their problem.

"Collating data can be interesting, but it's what you do with it that is the important part. If it is just to have something you can use against someone, then I say you are back on your sneaky Romulan stereotypical and maladaptive path. If you were going to use that information to make a holonovel, well that would be entertaining and potentially profitable. It is your choice, but again, if you keep doing the same thing the same way, you have met the criteria of Einstein's definition of insanity again. It is your choice. The secret to life in my experience is realizing, it's always your choice."

[Olivia Briggs]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

Rayek went to take a sip of his tea then noted it was empty.  He took a moment to catch the attention of Mrs Briggs by raising a hand in gesture towards her.

[Deck 8 - Lounge]

Liv looked up from what she was doing when she noticed Rayek motion over to her and walked out from behind the counter, picking up the small PADD that she used to take orders and made her way over to where he was sat with Lieutenant Lek. Up to now she hadn't really spent that much time around either officer but was aware of what part they played in effectively saving the ship when they were stuck in a time loop so was slightly surprised to see them sat together then again with the Lounge being busy due to the current mission space was limited.

However as she got closer to the pair she couldn't help but pick on slight tension between them and unintentionally heard some of the conversation. Not sure how to broach the subject and offer her advice she decided to wait for the moment as she stopped in front of the table and greeted them.

" Mr Rayek, Mr Lek, it's good to see you both and what can I get for you?".

[Lizzie Vaughan]

CMO' Quarters

Lizzie had caught up on her reading and Alys had woken up from her nap. After having fed and changed her Daughter, she decided to head up to the lounge. Putting her uniform on, she dressed Alys in her lambs wool jumper and a pair of green denim dungarees. This would enable her Daughter to crawl if she wanted to and make changing easier. Once they were both ready, Lizzie picked up her Daughter and the changing bag and headed down to the Lounge.

Deck 8 - Lounge

Lizzie walked in and saw Lek and Rayek. As well as Olivia behind the bar.

[Deck 8 - Lounge]

Liv looked up from what she was doing when she noticed Rayek motion over to her and walked out from behind the counter, picking up the small PADD that she used to take orders and made her way over to where he was sat with Lieutenant Lek. Up to now she hadn't really spent that much time around either officer but was aware of what part they played in effectively saving the ship when they were stuck in a time loop so was slightly surprised to see them sat together then again with the Lounge being busy due to the current mission space was limited.

However as she got closer to the pair she couldn't help but pick on slight tension between them and unintentionally heard some of the conversation. Not sure how to broach the subject and offer her advice she decided to wait for the moment as she stopped in front of the table and greeted them.

" Mr Rayek, Mr Lek, it's good to see you both and what can I get for you?".

She walked up to an empty table next to them and sat down. Reluctant to let Alys down as she was liable to be on the other side of the room before Lizzie could blink, she held the squirming little girl on her lap.

Catching Olivia's eye, she smiled and relaxed a little.

[Lek]

" Mr Rayek, Mr Lek, it's good to see you both and what can I get for you?".

[Crew Lounge]

Lek had finished his meal and was sipping his Slug-o-Cola when manager arrived. He looked up at Liv with a friendly smile as he replied.

"Actually, I was just finishing up, so I do not require anything. Other than to thank you for stocking up on tube grubs and a Ferengi beverage. I know Starfleet is rather squeamish about live food. It was nice of you to do so."

[Rayek trLhoell]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

[Crew Lounge]

Lek laughed, a true, warm, heart felt laugh.

"I sat here because there was an open seat. You happened to be here. If any other seat would have been available, then it would have been a simply random selection as far as that is concerned. However, you are completely correct, what others think of the fact that I am speaking to you means less than nothing. If they want to think collaborating, that their problem.

"Collating data can be interesting, but it's what you do with it that is the important part. If it is just to have something you can use against someone, then I say you are back on your sneaky Romulan stereotypical and maladaptive path. If you were going to use that information to make a holonovel, well that would be entertaining and potentially profitable. It is your choice, but again, if you keep doing the same thing the same way, you have met the criteria of Einstein's definition of insanity again. It is your choice. The secret to life in my experience is realizing, it's always your choice."

[Deck 8 - Lounge]

Liv looked up from what she was doing when she noticed Rayek motion over to her and walked out from behind the counter, picking up the small PADD that she used to take orders and made her way over to where he was sat with Lieutenant Lek.
...
" Mr Rayek, Mr Lek, it's good to see you both and what can I get for you?".

Rayek seemed taken aback by Lek's comment for a moment, looking almost insulted.  "Maladaptive?! Really?!"  Rayek prided himself on being adaptable to nearly every situation.  He was a survivor after all.  To be potentially considered on a maladaptive path was disturbing. "That is your opinion, and you are entitled to it, but whatever way you look at it 'knowledge is power' and is a means to better your situation, whether it be through scheming blackmail, or .... writing a holonovel." His tone conveyed just what he thought of the idea of writing holonovels.

[Crew Lounge]

Lek had finished his meal and was sipping his Slug-o-Cola when manager arrived. He looked up at Liv with a friendly smile as he replied.

"Actually, I was just finishing up, so I do not require anything. Other than to thank you for stocking up on tube grubs and a Ferengi beverage. I know Starfleet is rather squeamish about live food. It was nice of you to do so."

Rayek turned his attention to Mrs. Briggs when Lek responded to her query.  He studied her reaction to Lek's jagged-toothed smile and appreciation.  From what he'd seen and read about the woman so far she held no discrimination but rarely socialized with the crew other than her husband, which he supposed was part of the marital contract.

When she turned her attention to him, Rayek nodded his head slightly towards his empty cup, "Another spiced chai tea, if you would please."

Deck 8 - Lounge

Lizzie walked in and saw Lek and Rayek. As well as Olivia behind the bar.

She walked up to an empty table next to them and sat down. Reluctant to let Alys down as she was liable to be on the other side of the room before Lizzie could blink, she held the squirming little girl on her lap.

Catching Olivia's eye, she smiled and relaxed a little.

He glanced about the room then, and noted Dr. Vaughan at a table next to theirs.  He inclined his head in greeting.  "Dr. Vaughan."  He eyed up the distinctly Cardassian female infant she had sitting on her lap. Nothing in the records he'd read up on her indicated she was married or had children.  Though admittedly he'd only been able to access public records from a few years back and the child was definitely under a year old.  He glanced to Dr. Vaughan's hand.  She didn't wear the typical Terran wedding band, but then she was a doctor - perhaps she chose not to wear it at work?  Or the child could be someone else's.  "Is your other occupation sitting babies?" Rayek asked in humour, risking being wrong in favor of hopefully gaining information.

[Lizzie Vaughan]

PO2 Rayek
[Lounge]

He glanced about the room then, and noted Dr. Vaughan at a table next to theirs.  He inclined his head in greeting.  "Dr. Vaughan."  He eyed up the distinctly Cardassian female infant she had sitting on her lap. Nothing in the records he'd read up on her indicated she was married or had children.  Though admittedly he'd only been able to access public records from a few years back and the child was definitely under a year old.  He glanced to Dr. Vaughan's hand.  She didn't wear the typical Terran wedding band, but then she was a doctor - perhaps she chose not to wear it at work?  Or the child could be someone else's.  "Is your other occupation sitting babies?" Rayek asked in humour, risking being wrong in favor of hopefully gaining information.

Deck 8 - Lounge

Lizzie nodded in greeting to Rayek.

"Mr Rayek." She replied with a smile. "And no, this is my adopted Daughter Alys." She paused and gave an involuntary giggle at his attempt at humour. "I don't remember if you were with us about 7 months ago when we assisted a Cardassian vessel. One of her crew gave birth to this little one and because of her heritage, abandoned her. I decided I could not allow her to grow up in foster care so I adopted her." She paused. "Would you like to hold her? She loves meeting new people." She asked as Alys was now looking at Rayek and waving her arms.