Math

Posted on Wed Feb 24th, 2021 @ 1:23am by Lieutenant Commander Junjie Han

2,247 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: Chief sciences office
Timeline: Tbd

ON:

Charlie was very excited about this. If there were any other females in her school she would have them all jealous with envy getting to spend some one on one time with this man. He was just so dreamy. She had pulled her hair down trying to wear it so she looked more mature.

Pressing the chime she held her algebra chapter and assignment in one hand and an apple in the other. She had read the pupil gave the fruit to the teacher.

" Enter! " Junjie called. He had his back to the door And talking to the computer screen. " Yes please send me the results of the test when it is completed. Screen off." He swiveled in his chair to face the door. " Ah..right on time. Welcome Charlie, Would you care for some tea before we begin?"

“That would be lovely, ” she said. “What am I allowed to call you?” she said popping her bag down and shrugging off her jacket to reveal a lowish cut tank top. She had changed special and taken Minkas advice on what to wear.

He had walked over to the replicator and tapped on the console. " Is green tea acceptable or is there something else you'd prefer?" He glanced over his shoulder to answer the second half of the question and noted what she was wearing but did not comment on it. " As what you may call me, I believe Mr. Han will be adequate for now."

He turned back towards the replicator and lowered his head and very softly spoke onto his combadge as not to be heard. Computer gradually lower the temperature in my quarters to 15 degrees celsius. he whispered. He turned and smiled as he brought the tea to the table. " Lets have a look at those books shall we?"

"Thanks Mr Han," Charlie said. She was disappointed he hadn't said call him Junjie, after all even the Captain let her call him Keiben but then she thought about it. Mr Han sounded mysterious. Sexy even. She took the tea and placed it on the desk within reach. And lugged up 2 actual books.

"Mum got me these from my grandfather on Earth, algebra. I hate it," she groused. "And the teachers making us do it. I mean it was easy at first but then we got Polynomials, Monomials, Binomials and also Trinomials so it got more confusing. Coupled with today she decided to start dropping in a few Vulcan things too as we now have 2 more students.

Also who do I talk to about injecting some better personality in that holographic teacher. She has her moments I mean algebra "find the kiss, X get it," she grinned at him, "I suppose a programmer thought that would be amusing .... But she's terrible about 95% of the time. Can you help there or do I have to venture to see chief Stoun?" she asked seriously. "He will probably be washing his hair anyway," she chuckled. Even with the school kids that infamous joke had reached them.

The truth was they needed a proper teacher but that was unlikely to happen.

Junjie smiled as he watched Charlie pull REAL books from her bag. " Let me guess, The holographic teacher is a standard model with no real name or personality. Hmm.. Should be an easy fix. No need to bother Chief Stoun during his hair washing." He said with a grin. His eyes drifted back to the Books laying on the table.

"Charlie, you have two precious treasures laying right there." As he pointed to the books. " Anyone can download a book onto a PADD. But these are real. They are your grandfathers from earth, And a part of your family history. Treasure them and take care of them, As there is nothing like the feel of a book in your hand. The smell of the pages can bring forth the warm memories of loved one and friends, never forget that."

He pointed to his bookshelf against the wall. " that is my traveling library. One hundred of my favourite books. Our past is just as important as our future and our present. It defines who we are and where we're going and where we've been." He paused a moment. " Speaking of the future, Have you given any more thought as to what you're going to be training for when you get to the academy? It will make things a lot easier if you know where you need to study for your field of interest."

" So what do you want to do?" he asked pointedly as he looked her square in the eyes. " do you want to pilot a ship and be at the Helm? Perhaps follow in your mothers footsteps and be a Doctor. Maybe protect those aboard a ship and be Security. Perhaps you have an interest in fixing things and keeping the ship safe and flying? or maybe an Archaeologist? And rediscover lost civilizations and how they lived. Please give it some serious thought. OK?"

"Back to the lesson." He began explaining the use of polynomials, they're uses and how to derive a proper solution. " Now don't get frustrated if you don't get it the first time around and always keep an open mind when it comes to learning. Questions?"

"One. Why is everyone so concerned with what I am planning to do with my life. I have immediate goals. Survive and graduate school, be a good yeoman and find another boyfriend," she looked at him dreamily. The room had got fairly cold and she was refusing to put her jacket back on. She would look boring and not get his attention if she did.

"Isn't that enough for a 14 year old?" she carried on.

"Why is everyone wanting me to declare what I will do, who I will be. I don't even fully know who I am yet.

Why are people not just letting me be me and find that out?

And the math, I get the basics but its like you all want me to jump to define X without fully solving the equation first. Wow that was quite deep don't you think?" She looked down at the scribing they had been making as he had gone through each part of the sum leading up to them identifying what X was.

Junjie raised an eyebrow and spoke softly. " Really?" He looked at her and shook his head. " Did you not tell me you were planning for a career in Starfleet? I am simply asking what your interest are so that I may custom tailor these lessons so as to benefit you the greatest in your chosen field of interest."

Junjie closed his eyes for a moment ad massaged his temples briefly before opening them again. " You say you want to discover who you are, That's fine. In fact I wholeheartedly support the idea, I'm not here to try and mould you into anything. I just want to point you in the right direction for you can be the best you that you possibly can, And for that I require information. I know your intelligent and understand, But I'm trying to determine what would be the best way to help you. Alright?"

"Oh .. oh no your taking this personally Mr Han," Charlie said. Awwww he was sensitive too. What a sweet sweet sweet man. And he thought she was intelligent too. She nearly swooned.

"I was talking in general. Everyone wants me to pick a path. Keiben, Tam, Mum, My brother, my uncle, the teacher, my grandfather ... and I just think its too soon. I haven't got all the information required to know what I want to do you know. How did you decide you wanted to go into Science?" She asked him wanting to find out more about him.

"How did I know I wanted to be a scientist?" He paused and thought a moment. " When I was about four years old I kept asking my mother an endless stream of questions about everything in general. Why does this work this way? Why is the sky blue? Why did the Mongol empire invade China? And after weeks of questions, my mother sat me down at a table and put a book in front of me and told me that this would answer my questions on the most recent subject. Thus began my love for real books."

" I studied everything. And the more I learned the more questions I had. By the time I was six I knew most of the librarians at the local library by name." He then looked Charlie in the eye. " Do you know what the worst question is? An unanswered one is the most annoying to me. Then I got involved in Math, and Chemistry and Physics. To me there was never any question of what I wanted to do in my life. So tell me, What are you passions Charlie? It just might point you in the direction of what YOU want to do with your life."

“The problem with passions is no one takes you seriously when your still looked at as a kid. I'm much more mature than people realise,” she locked eyes with him. “And I'm a people person.”

" Science has always been my passion, And no one ever questioned it. I dedicated my life to helping others in whatever way I could. You certainly don't look like a child, But you also don't quite look like and adult yet either. Your at that awkward in between stage of being a teenager. I know how frustrating it can be, trust me I was one myself."

Junjie looked down at the table and spoke softly. " By the time I was twelve, My parents, other adults and my teachers had praised me for my academic skills. I had to learn martial arts because I was being bullied every day. Even then that's not even a good reason to fight at times. But when they start harassing your siblings and beating your friends, That is when you rise to defend others. If you want others to respect the choice's you make for yourself, then you have to show them you are serious about it. You say your a people person. Are you merely a social butterfly or do you want to help others?"

Charlie laughed. "Social butterfly. There's only me and Lance my age on the ship. And all I do is school, math," she indicated the books. "And plan the Captain and XOs diaries. I mean I would love to be a social butterfly. I was thinking about maybe media, communications or counselling," she admitted.

" Hmmm...Media, Communications or Counselling." He repeated softly. " Those are are very good choices. Media would most likely get you assigned to either Earth or a Starbase. Communications or Counselling would most likely get you on a Starship or Starbase. You tend to listen to people pretty well, So regardless of what you choose you'll be helping people and I admire that."

"Well Ive spent a lot of time going from place to place. Im not sure I want to keep travelling. Unless I find the right companion .. maybe," she said smiling. He admired her too.

Junjie smiled. " Once you figure out which of those fields you want to go into, We'll tailor your math skills for that vocation. Because unless you plan on going into a full science field some of these math classes you won't need. But if you go into Media or Communication you'll at least want to know how to repair the equipment you'll be working with."

She nodded but not really taking it all in. Who wanted to listen to learning about equipment. She certainly didn't want to have to go learn repairing comms. equipment with the bald chief nor have him make that suggestion next. Although Minka told her there was sweets and food everywhere in engineering. "I need to go. Start on my other homework."

" Very well, Our time is about up anyways. I'm glad your dedicating yourself to your other studies as well. We won't be able to study tomorrow evening since the Captain has us doing a full system analysis of the equipment. So we'll continue in a few days and pick up from there."

Charlie smiled and stood on her tip toes kissing the mans cheek. "Thank you Mr Han. I'll see you next time." Before disappearing out the door.

Junjie stood there stunned for a few moments as Charlie slipped out the door. He closed his eyes and remembered the time when his sister Luli had her friend Jilpa who had a major crush on him right before he went into the academy and wanted to be his wife and tried to convince him to stay with her instead of going to the academy.

" Gods, Not again!!" He groaned. He sat down and thought about how he could dissuade her from her infatuation. Besides he was friends with her mother who is the CMO, and didn't fancy the idea of an upset mother trying to put a laser scalpel into his skull during his next physical. No this would have to be nipped in the bud and quickly!

It wasn't until several minutes later that he noticed that she had left her jacket behind. " I'm not going to chase her down to return it, It'll be here when she comes back."

OFF:

Junjie Han
CSO
USS Copernicus

Charlie Brooks
Yeoman
USS Copernicus

 

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