Chosen Profession
Breakaway + ~ 1yrs
The file in front of John Koenig was that of a perpetual student. Three different undergraduate degrees, including one in biomedical sciences, one in physics and one in computer science. It was the graduate studies that had Helena in his office. She stood by the window, arms folded, stubbornly looking out at the landscape. She had already stated her case and asked for his help. He knew her well enough after nearly a year in deep space to know that she had made every effort on her own before coming to him and she was sure he would rule on her side.
"Helena, I can talk to him, but I can't make him..."
"John, he's the best qualified... the only qualified... to fill the need."
"And he's turned you down over and over again.."
Their conversation was cut short as John's commlock beeped. He pulled it from his belt. "Koenig."
"Douglas Fentiman is here to see you, Commander." Tanya Alexander's exotic voice said.
"Send him in." John sighed, adjusted his tunic and glanced at Helena. She remained where she was and gave him a stern look.
The smaller door to Main Mission from his office opened up and John stepped forward.
A painfully tall and slender man entered, all elbows and knees, moving awkwardly. He had shaggy, unkempt hair that was turning from a nondescript brown to a nondescript gray. He was somewhere in middle age. John knew his actual age was 48, but he could have passed for five years to either side of that. He looked at the world through thick glasses in heavy frames of the type favored by Clark Kent. He pushed the glasses nervously up onto his nose and looked around. As he noticed Helena Russell standing by the window he paled considerably and took a step back, muttering, "oh, no."
"Dr. Fentiman, please have a seat. Dr. Russell and I have been looking over your file and we'd like to discuss a change in your duties."
"I'm... not a doctor. Just an engineer." Fentiman shuffled awkwardly down the steps to the conversation pit in the Commander's office without making eye contact.
"Oh, but you are a doctor," Helena insisted, moving to join Koenig on the small sofa opposite the one Fentiman chose.
"I never finished the clinical requirements." Fentiman shook his head in denial.
"You have much more experience than anyone else on Alpha." Helena countered.
"And that's why we've asked you here," Koenig said. "You have excellent credentials. Three undergraduate degrees, a master's in engineering, a DDS –" he held up his hand to allay Fentiman's protest. "lacking completing the practicum. Then back to a degree in astrophysics. Why such a drastic change?"
"Commander, I was here at Breakaway doing post-graduate work assessing the practicality of creating a Very Large Array here on Alpha."
"Yes, and you've built on that work to give us our long range sensors. You've done an excellent job."
"Thank you. It's work I've always wanted to do. It's what I've always been interested in."
"Then why the degree in dentistry?" Koenig asked.
Fentiman looked uncomfortable. "It was my mother's idea. She wanted me to have a profession that would earn a good living. That's not astrophysics."
Koenig nodded and waited for Fentiman to continue.
"She was paying for my education, and she was very... persistent." Fentiman shook his head. "It wasn't that I couldn't do it. I've always been good at studying, and interested in a wide range of topics. But the clinical work..." He made a face. "It was just so... messy. I thought it would be better than being a regular doctor. But once you actually had to stick your hands in people's mouths," he shuddered. "I was constantly getting spit all over my glasses, and the smell was just awful. I hated it. I was halfway through my clinical when my grandmother died and left me a substantial sum of money. As soon as the will was read, I resigned and applied for graduate school in engineering. Haven't I done a good job here so far?" he asked, pleading.
"Yes, you have," Koenig assured him. "An excellent job." He glanced at Helena. "And, to be honest, we can't afford to lose you from that job." Helena looked like she had just bitten something bitter. "But we also need your help in the other area – at least part time."
"Commander, you don't understand, that was a long time ago. I'm not a dentist."
"You're all we've got," Helena leaned forward, intense.
"I wasn't even that good at it! Oh, I never hurt anyone or anything, but I was barely competent at it. Is that the kind of person you want drilling on your teeth?"
John thought to himself that it really wasn't, but Helena was still looking stubborn. "Look, Doug, you really do have more experience in this field than anyone else. Would you be willing to train someone?"
"I don't have any text books, any of the training materials..."
"That's the case, all we have is what you remember. Helena, you said when we first began identifying needed specialists that you could possibly have some of your staff cross train, learn another specialty."
"Yes, if there was no other way, if no one else had the training we need."
"Doug, would you consent to train someone?"
Doug looked like a rabbit caught in a trap, eyes large behind thick glasses. "I... suppose I could help with that."
"Then that's settled." John stood up and held out his hand to Fentiman. Fentiman stood and shook it. "You'll be hearing from Dr. Russell. She'll assign someone to work with you. It'll be no more than part of your day, and if there are any emergencies, I would assume you'd need to handle them, until you have a replacement trained." He gave Fentiman no time to protest as he urged the man toward the door. "Thanks for your cooperation."
Fentiman managed to turn and give one more startled look as John took his commlock and closed the door to his office.
Helena managed to maintain a straight face until the door was closed. Then she had to laugh. "You are evil," she said, still laughing. "I thought sure you were on his side right up until the last."
"Once he's dealt with a few cases, he'll be fine. I just hope I don't need his services for a while."
ECL
July, 2006
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