Shattered Planes Archives (Seasons 4 & 5)
Saeculum Galaxy => Tefillin => Topic started by: Admiral Regis Hermitage on November 30, 2012, 10:31:49 PM
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2000 hrs
8 Hours after Operation: Charlie Foxtrot (Revenge Incident)
Capitol District, Teffilin
Capitol Building, Sora Wing, Intelligence Psychiatric Unit
Admiral Hermitage strolled into the Hand's Psychiatric Unit, the main mental health ward for all of the Hand Agency. Agent are usually called here to be admitted into the unit, or to be evaluated after any traumatic happenings on an operation. Hermitage's case was one such case. Losing a friend is hard enough for agents in the field, but losing someone that close to you, in such a high position, people dont like to take chances with your mental health. Especially if you are in charge of the Intelligence and Security of the Empire.
Regis walked up to the desk, and checked in. Handing her some papers, and his ID, he informed her of who he was, as redundant as that may be. "Admiral Regis F. Hermitage...." he said. "Im here to see Dr. Harrison."
(Can someone RP the DR?)
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The secretary nodded and added his information into the database before pressing a button on the desk. The smooth, cream colored walls split open revealing a hallway made of pleasant, creamy colors and brown wood. At the end of the hallway was a door with the label of "Doctor Harrison" on a plastic plaque.
"He's expecting you." The secretary said.
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"Thank you." Hermitage said, and proceeded to the Doctor's office door. He stood in front of it, staring for a bit. He went for the door knob, but hesitated. These things never really made him comfortable. Even with Harrison's predecessor, LCDR Katie Harrison, his sister. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
knock, knock, knock
"Commander, its Director Hermitage." he called out.
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"Come in, Director, the door's open." A calm, collected voice called. Whether it was just the voice or any magical effects that the doctor had implemented, it would make most people feel calm and open towards him. When Hermitage would open the door he would see a soothing cream color walls, with darker shades for the wooden planks that made up the floor. In the middle of the room was a small, square desk with a man of indeterminate age, black hair and piercing purple eyes sitting behind it, typing on a small holo-computer screen.
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Hermitage walked inside, ad winced at the attempts to calm him. The wall colors, the quite office, and the general layout of the room made him uneasy. He looked around examining the room, quickly analyzing everything about it.
Definitely different from his sister's... Hermitage thought. Only exit, is the door, which is obstructed by 2 chairs, and a coffee table. Hermitage concluded his tactical analysis of the room. Reluctantly, he put on a smile and greeted the doctor.
"Good Evening Doctor..." Hermitage said. "I've heard good things about your work."
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Dr. Harrison smiled warmly, noting the quick glancing about the room. The nervousness of patients with the Director's type of trauma was quite understandable.
"As have I. You have quite the history of accomplishments, Director." He said, motioning for Hermitage to take a seat. "Which is why they've sent you to me. Your superiors are worried, Director. I hope you can show me that they have no reason to be."
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"Of course..." Hermitage nodded and took a seat. "I can see no reason why I should not be able to perform my duties as the Hand of the Council." He said. "but I do digress. These kinds of evaluations are sometimes neccisary to reassure the superior supervising body over me, when my word cannot be taken in confidence."
"I am ready to start the evaluation when you are, Doctor." He folded his hands in his lap and maintained his eye contact with Harrison.
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Dr. Harrison nodded. "I'll begin with some basic ink blots. I'll show you the image and you'll tell me what you see. Old fashioned, I know, but I think they provide some good insight."
He turned his holo-monitor over, where it was portraying an inkblot.
(http://i49.tinypic.com/eb7kfo.gif)
"Now what do you see?"
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Hermitage looked at it for a moment... "Hmm.... I see a pelvic bone, and a ribcage housing 2 lungs." He said.
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The Doctor nodded and took some notes. Then he pressed a button on the holo-board and the screen changed to another inkblot.
"Just two more I promise." He assured Hermitage.
(http://i50.tinypic.com/xqjcba.jpg)
"And here?"
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"A man wearing bubble wrap riding a hoverbike with an odd looking helmet." Hermitage responded.
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Once again the doctor nodded and took some notes before pressing the button and having a new image appear.
(http://i45.tinypic.com/6r4gwp.jpg)
"And this?"
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Hermitage took a few moments on it... "Hard to tell..." he said. "But the first thing that came into my head was a pair of demons conversing."
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Doctor Harrison nodded and turned off his screen.
"Now we're getting somewhere. Are you a religious man, Director?"
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"If by religious you mean that i believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing being, yes... I believe in an unconscious god, one within ourselves if that makes sense." Hermitage explained.
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"Yes, I've had many patients with some such belief. And what about the morality of sentient beings? Are we all inherently evil? Good? A blank slate?"
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"I believe that we are, at the most basic, primitive level, selfish. It is the nature of beings to gain power, compete for resources, war with one another, and continue with its own survival. Of course, this does not take into account personality. I believe that people are a blank slate when it come to that. If they can balance their Id, and Superego, their Devil, and Angel on their shoulder respectively, they can be good. If either one takes a priority over the Ego, the conscious being, they person will be Evil." Hermitage continued. "My answer is up to you to debate. In short, the Unconscious is bad, but the conscious is a blank slate. However, i do keep in mind that the unconscious makes up 90% of the personality."
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"Indeed it does, Director." The doctor nodded."Now, tell me. What were you doing the day of the cult attack?"
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"I was finishing up some work in my office when i heard that Assistant Director.... er, rather, Former Assistant Director Jacobs was following a lead at a senator's office... needless to say that i was curious, so i dropped by." Hermitage leaned forward. "My plans were to finish this thing up as quickly as possible, and take Ms. Jacobs, FADM Sora, CDR Tarov, a foreign diplomat, and myself out for a meal. Of course that was before they attacked, Amy blew the building sky high, right as Aki was going to blow it even higher anyways."
"So, i guess we are all too busy to attend, wouldnt you say Doctor?" Hermitage chuckled.
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"The sad side effects of the job." Harrison agreed somberly. "And how would you describe your relationship with the assistant director?"
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"We were friends... That is no secret, Doctor. She was a brilliant woman." he said.
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"And good friends, I'm sure." He nodded. "But were there any... feelings between you? Anything else? Remember, I won't tell high command anything. Whatever you say in this room is completely confidential."
He wasn't lying and as far as he knew he was correct. However, under the floor was a microscopic, magically hidden bug. After all, the good doctor dealt with many high profile individuals and they were to be monitored.
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"The truth? Yes... I had romantic feelings for her, but my objectivity was not compromised in any way." he sounded somewhat defensive, but calmed himself. "I just wish i could have told her that."
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"There are moments like that in everyone's life. Lost to time, with only hindsight as our guide.... But did she feel anything like that towards you?"
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"Yes, i suspect so... She tried to tell me only moments before her death." He lowered his head. "I tried.... tried to save her." he looked up.
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"The very fact that you tried proves that you aren't to blame for her death. You never could have known that she was going to detonate an explosive." Dr. Harrison said reassuringly. "No one could have known."
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"I should have known. Its my job to know." Hermitage says. "I dont know why she did it... i could have saved them all."
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"You're not infallible. She made her own choice, thats not for you to beat yourself up about. It was her decision. She probably had reasons of her own to consider." Harrison said gently.
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"I know, but its just that feeling that I did something wrong." He admitted. "I dont know what it is, but it still seems like her death, and all of the Agents that perished deaths were because of me. I was responsible for them."
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"The first step many people must take when they face loss is to learn to accept it. Then you start and try to avoid any mistakes that led to the previous incident. I personally don't see any mistakes on your part." Harrison reassured him.
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"Its the fact that i have to call the families of 9 Agents, and Amy's family and tell them that they're dead." Hermitage almost shouted. "I've done this many times as a Commander, and even during my work in the Agency, but i've never had to do this when its hit so close."
"You see though, its not even the calls that get me... its having to walk up in the middle of everyone, put 10 Eagles on the Wall of the Fallen, and write their names in the black book below. It is an ultimate demonstration of shame." he looked directly into the Doctor's eyes. "Something i will have to do very soon after this evaluation ends, and i talk to the council."
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"Its not shame. People die. Its the course of war, the its price of vigilance against the enemies of the empire. If anything, it is an honor for those men and women to die doing their duty." Harrison insisted. "To be remembered as heroes who helped keep the empire going even in its darkest hours? Honor, not shame, Director. You know that."
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"I suppose so... but that doesnt make it any easier." He said. "Lets move on..."
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"Do you take your vacation time, Director?" Harrison asked, looking at his screen.
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"Unless forced to by the Office of Personal Management, about as much as FADM Sora." Hermitage said. "Im a busy man, and my job is one that never takes a day off."
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"Would you classify yourself as a workaholic?" The doctor queried.
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"I suppose so, yes. The nature of my work requires it." Hermitage said very bluntly.
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"Your dedication to your job is admirable. How many hours of sleep do you get on average?" Harrison nodded.
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"Less than 1 per day, and about 5 per Galactic Standard Week." Hermitage said.
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"And you don't find that unhealthy in anyway?" He queried.
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"Im sure you have seen my medical records, as limited as i may keep them. I am still in tip top shape." Hermitage reassured him.
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"Physically, yes. Mentally, is what I'm supposed to decide." He shrugged. "And what about friends? Do you have anyone close to you or do you prefer to keep people at a distance?"
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"Generally i like to keep people at a distance. However, i do have friends. I do keep in mind that i am a high value target to enemy states, and cannot be too careful. Anyone and everyone can be turned under the right circumstances, and i would not hesitate to kill anyone of them if i need to."
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Bump
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"Any of them? Even, hypothetically speaking, someone you had deep feelings for? A lover or a spouse?" He asked, eyebrows raised slightly.
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He paused for a second to ponder the question. "I knew the risks that came with being an agent all of those years ago. I knew that if the state required it, then i had to kill those i love in the name of its safety." he said. "Every agent knows this, and every agent has to accept this."
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"Accepting the fact that you may have to do something and actually going through with that thing are very different." Harrison pointed out. "Deep down inside you, think about it, would you really do it?"
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"Im very aware of the difference, Doctor. Since my induction into the Hand, i have killed, interrogated, and tortured those whom i thought were my friends." He said.
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"And does that unsettle you in any way? Do you think that in doing so you proved yourself to your superiors?" HE asked.
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"It does not cause me grief. If someone betrays the state, then they to betray me." He said. "And I don't think that I have proven myself to my superiors.... I KNOW I have. Considering my relatively short service, I'd like to say that my promotion record speaks for itself."
"Of course none of this is to say that my humanity is gone... But I am a strong believer in if one has to die to save a million, then so be it. Since that is sometimes the very nature of our work."