Re:ST: Pandora "All the Evils of the World"
Redwing was sitting at his desk in Medical when War'en entered. He was so absorbed in what he was reading on his computer display that he didn't even notice when War'en approached the desk. After a moment, War'en placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, can you spare a moment?
Redwing let out a surprised yelp and spun in his seat, which caused War'en to jump back. When Redwing saw who had touched him, he immediately calmed down and grinned. "Wow, sorry. I didn't even hear you come in. What's up?"
War'en glanced around before looking back at Redwing. "Well, something, actually. Do you have time to talk?"
"Yeah, of course," Redwing said, his voice adopting more of a concerned tone. "What's wrong?"
War'en took a breath and thought for a moment before he continued. "It's Captain Oren-De. I'm becoming very concerned with the way he's... acting."
"You mean how he led that away team mission back at the science outpost? Because while I agree it was definitely a bit weird for a captain to do that, you have to admit he knew what he was doing."
"No, it's not that. Hell, Shrel actually commended his skill with a phaser rifle to me. Voluntarily, even. I don't think I've heard Shrel complement anyone before."
"So what is it then?"
"It's the fact that he seems to be completely ignorant of the crew's morale and emotional state. You heard that comment during the meeting today, right? He thinks the crew is operating well, because there isn't any conflict between the old and new personnel. Meanwhile, he doesn't seem to even care how the crew is dealing with the very reason why we needed the new personnel."
Redwing nodded and let out sigh. "Yeah... I don't think he's even noticed Talona's state."
War'en shook his head. "How is she doing, by the way? I keep trying to get her alone to talk to her, but I'm pretty sure she's desperately trying to avoid that."
"Ditto. I can tell she's bottling it up and you don't need clincal psychology experience to tell you that's a recipe for disaster. But, even though I do have that experience, there's nothing I can do if she won't even start to open up."
"Actually, Dr. Redwing, you could order her to..."
"Nope, not until I see some evidence of it significantly impacting her performance. Showing signs of stress doesn't really cut it. Until I see something more substantial, I can only intervene as a friend."
"See, that's just it. Captain Jacobs would have noticed by now. He would have been calling her into his ready room to talk to her about it, if only to let her know that he cared. That man constantly had a read on how the crew was doing. Hell, when you and I started dating, he practically knew the second after our first kiss."
"Well, it was a pretty hot kiss."
War'en gave him a look. "While that is true... it doesn't change the fact that Captain Oren-De is so ignorant of this crew that he can't even tell half of it is on the verge of a breakdown and the other half is sure that he hates them. He barely even acknowledges anyone who isn't a senior officer."
"Well... yeah, that's true. However, cut him a little slack. He is an Enhasan, after all."
"So? Being an Enhasan, or any race for that matter, doesn't excuse him for treating the crew the way he does."
"No, but it does at least explain why. I mean, think about the culture he grew up in. It's a far cry from anything on Earth, Trill, or really any member planet of the Federation."
War'en's blank expression caused Redwing to look at him quizzically. "You do know what I'm talking about, right? The whole 'meritocracy' thing?"
"Well... I... haven't really had time to read up on it..."
"War'en! Are you serious!? He's your captain, and you don't even know the first thing about where he comes from!"
"Well, not all of us are as fascinated by xenography as you are!" War'en bristled.
Redwing instantly regretted the sharp tone he had taken when War'en retorted. War'en apparently did as well and took a breath. "I'm sorry. It's just... being both first officer and Chief of Engineering hasn't left me a lot of free time to look into it. I've been meaning to but... stuff keeps coming up."
Redwing stood up from his chair, placed his hand on War'en's shoulder, and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I know. Want me to give you a quick run-down? It will be just the important bullet points, and you can even stop me if I start to ramble."
"Yeah, I'd like that," War'en said, offering the other man a small smile. Redwing grinned broadly in return before moving over to a panel next to a large display that occupied one of the wall's of his office. After a few taps, the image of a verdant class M planet came into view. War'en noticed that it also had a ring, but it was much more sparse than other ring systems he had seen. Redwing motioned to the image before he began.
"This is Enhasa. It's been an allied world of the Federation for nearly a century. It can never be a full member world because its system of government violates one of the equal rights clauses of the Federation charter. Specifically, it's caste system."
War'en looked at Redwing quizzically. "What's a caste system?"
"It's a social system where the people are organized into well-structured tiers and mobility between them is practically impossible. While common in pre-warp cultures, they're absent from most space-faring civilizations. Caste systems tend to oppress a vast majority of the population, and by the time a civilization develops warp drive, that majority has usually revolted and established a more egalitarian system of government. That's why you never really hear the term tossed around. However, there are exceptions, and the Meritocracy of Enhasa is one of the most famous.
"There are two main castes in Enhasan society. The upper caste are called the 'Ya-Shin', or 'those of the sky', and the 'Udu', or 'ground-dwellers'."
War'en cocked an eyebrow. "That seems rather insulting."
"In Enhasan society, it's also very literal. With very few exceptions, the Udu live on the surface of Enhasa while the Ya-Shin reside in an expansive network of orbital stations."
The image of Enhasa blinked out and was replaced with an image of one of those orbital stations. It looked almost like the saucer section of most Starfleet ships, though significantly larger. "There are literally thousands of these spread out in orbit above the planet in a ring. In fact, they house nearly one-third of Enhasan society."
"So, which one of the castes would our captain be from?"
"He is in the Ya-Shin caste, as are the other Enhasans that serve in Starfleet. However, it's more complicated than that. The two main castes are divided and sub-divided into specific niches that specifically define an individual's role. On top of that, the entire system is determined by the central government of the Meritocracy. It is constantly evaluating every Enhasan from the moment of birth, and determining the caste and role that each will occupy based solely on their aptitudes and skills; hence the 'meritocracy' name. Enhasan society is regulated and controlled by its government to a degree that is unheard of in nearly every other culture the Federation has been in contact with."
"That sounds... awful, to be honest."
"Well, it's not my cup of tea either. When I was a kid, no one would have even guessed I'd become a doctor, let alone a Starfleet one. However, it does explain a lot of the captain's actions. Think about it, War. He comes from a society where everyone is organized by skill. On top of that, it's a caste system, so that in turn determines who he socializes with. He just hasn't been brought up to talk or even empathize with those who aren't his immediate peers. The problem is that, on a starship... there's not really any peer to the captain."
War frowned as he turned over all of this information in his head. Taking what Redwing had told him to its logical conclusion painted a very bleak picture for the crew's relationship with its new captain. Not only would Oren-De be adverse to socializing with any members of the crew, it might actually be impossible for him to do so. In War'en's eyes, that was exactly the wrong type of captain that the crew needed right now.
"No wonder he seems so ignorant of everyone else."
Redwing nodded. "Yup. On the plus side, Enhasans are the best organizers and delegators in the galaxy. They have a knack for immediately determining a person's abilities and the job that is best-suited to them."
"That's not very useful when the crew is too frightened or depressed to function."
"Well... War, that's where you come in."
"Huh?"
"You're the first officer. If the captain is missing something, it's your job to bring it to his attention, right?"
War'en nodded. He had known for some time that he was going to have to speak with Oren-De about this. It didn't mean he was looking forward to it, though.
"Thanks. I think I know what I need to do."
Redwing grinned. "No problem. After all, someone's got to he--"
He was suddenly interrupted by red lights and klaxons going off around the medical bay. Redwing and War'en looked around in alarm at the sudden outburst from the ship, which was followed momentarily by the sound of Oren-De's voice on the comm system.
"Report to battle stations immediately. Prepare for engagement wit--"
This time it was Oren-De's turn to be interrupted. For a second, there was only white noise. However, the dissonant chorus of cold voices that followed sent a chill down the spines of everyone on the ship.
"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your biological and technological resources will be added to our own. You will be made to service us. Resistance is futile."
Redwing let out a surprised yelp and spun in his seat, which caused War'en to jump back. When Redwing saw who had touched him, he immediately calmed down and grinned. "Wow, sorry. I didn't even hear you come in. What's up?"
War'en glanced around before looking back at Redwing. "Well, something, actually. Do you have time to talk?"
"Yeah, of course," Redwing said, his voice adopting more of a concerned tone. "What's wrong?"
War'en took a breath and thought for a moment before he continued. "It's Captain Oren-De. I'm becoming very concerned with the way he's... acting."
"You mean how he led that away team mission back at the science outpost? Because while I agree it was definitely a bit weird for a captain to do that, you have to admit he knew what he was doing."
"No, it's not that. Hell, Shrel actually commended his skill with a phaser rifle to me. Voluntarily, even. I don't think I've heard Shrel complement anyone before."
"So what is it then?"
"It's the fact that he seems to be completely ignorant of the crew's morale and emotional state. You heard that comment during the meeting today, right? He thinks the crew is operating well, because there isn't any conflict between the old and new personnel. Meanwhile, he doesn't seem to even care how the crew is dealing with the very reason why we needed the new personnel."
Redwing nodded and let out sigh. "Yeah... I don't think he's even noticed Talona's state."
War'en shook his head. "How is she doing, by the way? I keep trying to get her alone to talk to her, but I'm pretty sure she's desperately trying to avoid that."
"Ditto. I can tell she's bottling it up and you don't need clincal psychology experience to tell you that's a recipe for disaster. But, even though I do have that experience, there's nothing I can do if she won't even start to open up."
"Actually, Dr. Redwing, you could order her to..."
"Nope, not until I see some evidence of it significantly impacting her performance. Showing signs of stress doesn't really cut it. Until I see something more substantial, I can only intervene as a friend."
"See, that's just it. Captain Jacobs would have noticed by now. He would have been calling her into his ready room to talk to her about it, if only to let her know that he cared. That man constantly had a read on how the crew was doing. Hell, when you and I started dating, he practically knew the second after our first kiss."
"Well, it was a pretty hot kiss."
War'en gave him a look. "While that is true... it doesn't change the fact that Captain Oren-De is so ignorant of this crew that he can't even tell half of it is on the verge of a breakdown and the other half is sure that he hates them. He barely even acknowledges anyone who isn't a senior officer."
"Well... yeah, that's true. However, cut him a little slack. He is an Enhasan, after all."
"So? Being an Enhasan, or any race for that matter, doesn't excuse him for treating the crew the way he does."
"No, but it does at least explain why. I mean, think about the culture he grew up in. It's a far cry from anything on Earth, Trill, or really any member planet of the Federation."
War'en's blank expression caused Redwing to look at him quizzically. "You do know what I'm talking about, right? The whole 'meritocracy' thing?"
"Well... I... haven't really had time to read up on it..."
"War'en! Are you serious!? He's your captain, and you don't even know the first thing about where he comes from!"
"Well, not all of us are as fascinated by xenography as you are!" War'en bristled.
Redwing instantly regretted the sharp tone he had taken when War'en retorted. War'en apparently did as well and took a breath. "I'm sorry. It's just... being both first officer and Chief of Engineering hasn't left me a lot of free time to look into it. I've been meaning to but... stuff keeps coming up."
Redwing stood up from his chair, placed his hand on War'en's shoulder, and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I know. Want me to give you a quick run-down? It will be just the important bullet points, and you can even stop me if I start to ramble."
"Yeah, I'd like that," War'en said, offering the other man a small smile. Redwing grinned broadly in return before moving over to a panel next to a large display that occupied one of the wall's of his office. After a few taps, the image of a verdant class M planet came into view. War'en noticed that it also had a ring, but it was much more sparse than other ring systems he had seen. Redwing motioned to the image before he began.
"This is Enhasa. It's been an allied world of the Federation for nearly a century. It can never be a full member world because its system of government violates one of the equal rights clauses of the Federation charter. Specifically, it's caste system."
War'en looked at Redwing quizzically. "What's a caste system?"
"It's a social system where the people are organized into well-structured tiers and mobility between them is practically impossible. While common in pre-warp cultures, they're absent from most space-faring civilizations. Caste systems tend to oppress a vast majority of the population, and by the time a civilization develops warp drive, that majority has usually revolted and established a more egalitarian system of government. That's why you never really hear the term tossed around. However, there are exceptions, and the Meritocracy of Enhasa is one of the most famous.
"There are two main castes in Enhasan society. The upper caste are called the 'Ya-Shin', or 'those of the sky', and the 'Udu', or 'ground-dwellers'."
War'en cocked an eyebrow. "That seems rather insulting."
"In Enhasan society, it's also very literal. With very few exceptions, the Udu live on the surface of Enhasa while the Ya-Shin reside in an expansive network of orbital stations."
The image of Enhasa blinked out and was replaced with an image of one of those orbital stations. It looked almost like the saucer section of most Starfleet ships, though significantly larger. "There are literally thousands of these spread out in orbit above the planet in a ring. In fact, they house nearly one-third of Enhasan society."
"So, which one of the castes would our captain be from?"
"He is in the Ya-Shin caste, as are the other Enhasans that serve in Starfleet. However, it's more complicated than that. The two main castes are divided and sub-divided into specific niches that specifically define an individual's role. On top of that, the entire system is determined by the central government of the Meritocracy. It is constantly evaluating every Enhasan from the moment of birth, and determining the caste and role that each will occupy based solely on their aptitudes and skills; hence the 'meritocracy' name. Enhasan society is regulated and controlled by its government to a degree that is unheard of in nearly every other culture the Federation has been in contact with."
"That sounds... awful, to be honest."
"Well, it's not my cup of tea either. When I was a kid, no one would have even guessed I'd become a doctor, let alone a Starfleet one. However, it does explain a lot of the captain's actions. Think about it, War. He comes from a society where everyone is organized by skill. On top of that, it's a caste system, so that in turn determines who he socializes with. He just hasn't been brought up to talk or even empathize with those who aren't his immediate peers. The problem is that, on a starship... there's not really any peer to the captain."
War frowned as he turned over all of this information in his head. Taking what Redwing had told him to its logical conclusion painted a very bleak picture for the crew's relationship with its new captain. Not only would Oren-De be adverse to socializing with any members of the crew, it might actually be impossible for him to do so. In War'en's eyes, that was exactly the wrong type of captain that the crew needed right now.
"No wonder he seems so ignorant of everyone else."
Redwing nodded. "Yup. On the plus side, Enhasans are the best organizers and delegators in the galaxy. They have a knack for immediately determining a person's abilities and the job that is best-suited to them."
"That's not very useful when the crew is too frightened or depressed to function."
"Well... War, that's where you come in."
"Huh?"
"You're the first officer. If the captain is missing something, it's your job to bring it to his attention, right?"
War'en nodded. He had known for some time that he was going to have to speak with Oren-De about this. It didn't mean he was looking forward to it, though.
"Thanks. I think I know what I need to do."
Redwing grinned. "No problem. After all, someone's got to he--"
He was suddenly interrupted by red lights and klaxons going off around the medical bay. Redwing and War'en looked around in alarm at the sudden outburst from the ship, which was followed momentarily by the sound of Oren-De's voice on the comm system.
"Report to battle stations immediately. Prepare for engagement wit--"
This time it was Oren-De's turn to be interrupted. For a second, there was only white noise. However, the dissonant chorus of cold voices that followed sent a chill down the spines of everyone on the ship.
"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your biological and technological resources will be added to our own. You will be made to service us. Resistance is futile."
