Lessons

Posted on 12 Jul 2013 @ 4:33am by Marine Captain Ray Fernandez (Ret.) & Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton
Edited on on 12 Jul 2013 @ 6:41am

1,820 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo - Observation Lounge
Timeline: MD 10 - 1845 hrs

ON:

Ray was going through his roster of candidates and saw the next one on his list. Pendleton Ray ran the name around in his mind. Interesting

Jacob sat alone at the Lounge looking over some of his music compositions and songs he was learning. He began to work on a piece he had just picked up recently. He smiled to himself as he began to edit the musical phrases, notes and other little things he found throughout the piece.

Ray entered the lounge quietly, letting Jacob continue listening to his music until he was fully in the room. "Hello Lieutenant Pendleton." Ray said, having already sat down in a nearby chair behind the Lieutenant, his cane clasped in both hands.

Jacob looked up a bit startled and looked around to where the voice came from. He immediately stood up military straight in respect and as rank protocol demanded as he saw the Marine Captain sitting behind him. "Yes Sir. Lieutenant Junior Grade Jacob Pendleton at your service Sir."

"Oh, sit down Jacob, if I wanted a formal greeting I would have barked at you to do so." He snorted and gestured for the chair with his cane.

"What are you doing at the moment?"

Jacob nodded and sat back down, "Currently just working on some of my music that I am learning and practicing. After all the planetary surveys and research we're doing, it feels good to have some personal time. Is there something I can assist you with Sir, I'd be glad to help out in any way." He smiled at the Marine Captain.

Ray continued onto the next question. "What piece? I fancy myself a bit of a musician myself." HE chuckled. "Though it's more of a jazz oriented passion instead of the classical."

"Currently two songs from the legendary Gordon Lightfoot, one called 'Sundown' and the other 'Too Late for Praying'. I love most music but am really intrigued with Legendary past artists of the twentieth and twenty first century Earth." Jacob looked at his sheet music. "I am glad to hear another person aboard has a passion for things musical."

"When I'm not blowing the heads off of the enemies of the Federation..." He eyed the man hard. "But you would know all about hurting your enemies, wouldn't you? Did that Nausican ever recover when you broke his back?" His second question was delivered thoughtfully, his grin still splayed across his face in a big smile.

Jacob lowered his eyes, "That was some time ago Captain. He was threatening a female friend of mine as well as making disgusting sexual remarks towards her that intimated violence and rape. I got in his face. He tried to push me out of the way and I had none of that. My wrestling skills and my strength I am sure were a surprise to him. Yes, I broke his back and yes he recovered eventually. I would do it again in a heartbeat Sir, but not without remorse or regret." He looked back up at the Captain, "Sir, I don't know why you would pick out that incident from my files or what that incident has to do with anything, but I work hard every day to be a better man, so if for whatever reason you might be looking for someone who is a cold-hearted, remorseless or ruthless individual for some kind of mission or what have you, I am not your man Sir."

Fernandez sat studying Pendleton as the man continued his speech. "Pretty speech mister Pendleton, but I think you do know why I picked that incident. It displayed everything that you just referred: ruthlessness, with our remorse...very interesting."

Jacob raised his left eyebrow, "Well Sir, if I may be frank, what is this all about?"

Wrong answer Ray thought.

"Does it or does it not sound hypocritical Jacob? You claim that if I want someone ruthless and remorseless to do my 'dirty' work, as you claim. Yet you break a man's back ' without remorse', and I'd dare say you weren't exactly gentle about it because you let him get the best of you. " He shook his head. " You got mad and you almost killed a man, yet you are now going to claim noble intentions? Give me a reason why I should believe you..." Ray pressed.

"Because right now all I see is a hypocrite. At least when I pull a trigger or break a man's spine I know it's because I want them dead, and there is nothing noble about wanting to hurt someone."

Jacob chuckled, "Your attempt to goad me into getting angry or upset is a miserable failure Sir. First of all, you were not there at that incident, secondly, you do not know how I feel about the matter, which is remorse as I said, and thirdly your opinions about me matter to nothing; so I will ask again, what is this all about Sir?"

that's a little better . Ray suppressed a grin at the man as he chuckled. "Answer me this then, before I answer your question. Is it or is it not odd that you break a man's back without remorse...then feel remorseful about it?"

Jacob shook his head again, "A man as yourself should know about 'situational awareness and emotion', my friend was being berated and threatened, I reacted and responded accordingly. I have remorse looking back on it because even though he got what he deserved, I still disliked using violence to solve the matter. End of story."

Ray listened before and almost chuckled, not that the man was wrong...because he was right...in part. He began shaking his head. "Situational awareness and emotion is more than simple 'reaction/response.'" He began, deciding to explain. "To be aware of the situation that is present is to be aware of every possible alternative to extreme violence. To be aware of one's situation is to be aware of you own strengths; mental and physical and knowing when and where to implement those strengths. Analyzing that initial burst of emotion and applying it to the current situation is one of the most important things someone can learn about the concept of situational awareness." He leaned forward and smiled for the first time during the conversation. "To understand the entire concept of the situation, one has to understand his or her initial emotions to said situation then in turn reevaluate it again in a clear mind. It sounds like a long process, but it takes seconds. Sometimes even fractions of seconds to properly assess the situation." He sighed slightly and shrugged. " Reevaluating the situation was the one thing you didn't do when that individual was harassing your friend with his sexual advances and insults." Ray replied to Pendleton's answer with the practiced ease of an instructor, as if he had said this many times before.

"You have had many years to sit back and reevaluate what you did, and you now understand that it was too much, that you probably could have restrained that man or simply knocked him unconscious with a straight up punch, but you thought with this." He poked his heart. "Instead of this." He tapped his head. "...when you were in the middle of the confrontation and that is a dangerous game to play.

"Don't get me wrong Jacob, you are a good man, an honest man and you have learned much since then. I believe you fully when you say that you have come to regret your actions now . That rapist deserved to have his back broken. In my mind you didn't do anything wrong." He stopped for a second letting that sink in.

"However..." He started again. "Not being able to verify that initial reaction, not being able to reevaluate your situation. Unfortunately those are risky things to take through into a specialized combat team. So to answer your question. I was hear to test you for your application for the Tactical Response Team. I have been going along and testing each individual on the biggest sore spot of their career. For you, it was that one instance of violence that you have regretted ever since."

Jacob had a surprised look on his face, "Tactical Response Team? Me? Sir, I am a scientist not a warrior. Yes, I can fight, and yes I am in superior shape which is something I make sure of on an everyday basis. Perhaps you assume that because of my size and strength and maybe even my mental aptitude would make for a candidate, but truthfully Sir, I doubt I would be a good fit to a Tactical team. Just being honest with you. And as to what you said earlier, I believe that all learning comes through our victories and our failures and so deep personal searching should always be something one does regularly."

"Don't preach to the instructor mister Pendleton...you might learn a thing of two." Ray chuckled. "You are a scientist, that was the point of this team. to have a group of cross trained individuals that could help in a pinch. " He stopped for a moment. "I like you Jacob, you remind me of me when I was younger...a little less crass than I was but..." Ray chuckled again and continued. "You will become a good officer in your own right, but the idea of a Tactical Team that can actively adapt to every situation...I'm sorry, but you failed the entry test." Ray took a deep breathe. "I'll tell you why though. It's not because of your actions in the past, but how you answered. You showed reflection, but you didn't show adaptability. That flexibility is essential in a team like this, not only because the TRT is supposed to be a jack of all trades task group, but because they all need to be able to use that situational awareness that you don't have in full."

Jacob nodded, "I respect your judgement and your decision Sir." He looked around the room for a moment and then back at Ray, "I have to say Sir, you are so much like the Fernandez's I know. One of the surnames of my family tree is Fernandez and just like many of them, you exude the same kind of personality: Sureness about things and strength of will to carry out the things you must do... good to know that you keep the great surname at its highest of honor Sir. As for me, I believe I will continue to work the situational awareness part of my 'game' as it were. Good luck with your Tactical Response Team."

[OFF]

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Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

Marine Captain Ray Fernadez
Retired
USS Galileo

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