The Ground Rules

Posted on Sun Mar 30th, 2025 @ 8:31pm by Commander Izzy Schröder & Jase Jackson & Ronan D'Sai & Jo McEntyre & T'lari

1,215 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: A Choir by the Bay
Location: Brief Room, USS Warbler
Timeline: Current

ON:

With everyone seated, Schröder queued up a file to display on a large screen in the room and individually on the students' PaDDs. "Jase Jackson, Josiah McEntyre, Ronan D'Sai, and T'lari," Izzy spoke each of their names. "You will learn more about one another in plenty of time. You will study, learn, and work together during our travels; however, before we go anywhere I have ground rules to cover."

Izzy began going over rules and expectations:

Always use a buddy system when off the ship. Do not go anywhere without informing an instructor, and always take a buddy.
Bedtime is zero hundred hours. All students will be in their assigned quarters.
All students will be up and ready by zero nine hundred hours.
We will respect the diversity of our classmates and of the cultures we visit.
You will observe integrity and academic honesty at all times.
If anyone feels sick or unwell, report to sickbay.
Have fun but be responsible.
All instructions or directions given by instructors are to be followed.

"Those are the basic rules" she stated firmly. "There are no other instructors or staff aboard at this time. This will change in the future. All medical needs will fall onto me for general scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Anything more serious merits our emergency medical hologram. If there is a dire need for more complex medical treatment, we'll set course for the nearest medical facility."

Izzy let them read through the list. "You are here to learn, but fun is important. Fun is part of learning, but space isn't a playground. There are dangers out here and on all planets no matter how nice it may seem. Always always always be careful."

The idea of a buddy system did not sit well with Ronan; there were few he trusted enough to be himself with which was limiting but not unexpected. His true self could not speak as they could and the silence was not comfortable for them. If there was a holodeck aboard, he could spend time running in his true form before class, take the edge off. He could be alone and himself. Problem solved. And having worked it out, he said nothing but instead walked his emptied glass over to the reclamation chute and returned to his seat.

Izzy was part Betazoid. She could sense a bit of apprehension and the source being Ronan. "For safety" she stated. "The buddy system is for all of your safety, and mine. We need to make sure that we stay safe."

T'lari noted down the rules preferring pen and paper to PaDD. The rules made sense to her.

Ronan nodded, his guard going up immediately, as the realization hit him that she could read him. Among his people, telepathy was used as a means of communication but to go deeper? To know what was in his mind and heart? This felt more like an invasion. His jailers, at the facility they had kept him after his rescue, had tried such tactics as well. Years of captivity at the hands of Orion Slavers had taught him control far beyond his years. And so, he employed those tactics now, quieting his mind and heart, becoming still like the surface of a lake in the early morning hours.

"Any questions or concerns about the rules," asked Izzy. She knew each student had their own personality.

"I have a question." T'lari raised her hand. "Who assigns buddies."

"There's four of you at the moment," Izzy stated. "I trust you can pair up on your own when needed."

T'lari raised an eyebrow. "But how do we ensure that we are a fit, personality wise I mean."

"You won't," Izzy replied crispy. "That is perfectly alright and to be expected. You see, there are only a few of us but like the great United Federation of Planets, we have diversity and these differences may clash and conflict at times. Not fitting doesn't mean not working together towards a common goal."

She was quiet for a while. "I see." She tilted her head. "Are there rules of engagement in terms of arguments?"

"Try diplomacy. If there are issues, come to me and we will work it out."

Josiah had been sinking into the background. They were still quite uneasy with all the new people. Still closed off. They didn’t really know how to really open up to people, hard to trust. It would take a lot to bring them out of their shell, like a caterpillar from its cocoon.

Izzy recognized that Josiah was a bit shy, closed off from the others. That would undoubtedly change in time. "So, there you have it kids. Those are the expectations that I have."

"Will we have a few days to settle in or will instructions begin today?" T'lari spoke out loud. She'd been wondering it and hadn't meant to but there was something she wanted to do before the ship left. "Apologies." Her face flushed a bit green. "I should have raised a hand."

Izzy nodded. "Yes, there will be time between places we go. You'll have time to settle in, and no hand raising needed."

Ronan listened. Understanding was always the first step. Where others chose to speak up, call attention to themselves, he didn't. He listened and watched and learned. That was always the first step. Though he had never done anything wrong, Ronan had been a prisoner for most of his life, first by the Orions and then by the Federation. They were different than this new one who made promises. The question in his mind was whether she would keep those promises. Freedom, the chance to run, to explore, to take in the scents of a living world. And when the room quieted, he asked his first question, "What is ... diplomacy?"

Oh Ronan thought Izzy. This was to be expected with his admittance. "Not an easy question to answer my young friend. Diplomacy is an action or set of actions taken to try and achieve peace, to end wars, avoid conflicts, in hopes of working together for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, many people many worlds and cultures struggle with diplomacy."

T'lari looked over at Ronan. "I believe we will all learn as we go about being diplomatic. It's not easy and I doubt any one of us is good at it." She hoped in some way to comfort her shipmate.

"Ronan has not seen this," he said finally. "Among my people, there is no self. No "I". We work for the good of the group but that's not diplomacy. Ronan has seen no others who could do even that much."

"You'll get to learn about many cultures, Ronan. Some of the good of them as well as the bad" replied Izzy. "Now, I say we break and allow you all to explore the Warbler."

Josiah nodded, picking up their pad and holding it close to their chest. They were both excited and also on edge, ready for adventure but still nervous.

T'lari collected her things as well. She had questions for Izzy and she would get to them as soon as she settled into her new quarters.

 

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