Time of Scorn

Chapter 15: Professor Klein

Tyson knocked on the door and waited with his holo-rib, hoping that this video would be short enough that he'd have time to submit the whole thing by lunch. This project had taken too long, in his mind. He wanted to show the new medical bay staff as his test run and they had already been awakened.

Libba opened the door with a smile.

"Tyson! Glad to see you," she said, opening the door wider for him to enter. "Have you met Cary?"

"Tyson, good to see you," said a voice that Tyson recognized.

"Dr. Klein?" he questioned. "Why... how?"

Dr. Klein had been one of his professors in his master's program. Their class was the only one he had nearly failed. He tried to smile, but was sure that Dr. Klein saw right through that.

"I was supposed to be the psychologist on the Canary," they said. "And they seem to have forgotten to wake me. The captain and I have been discussing how best to use my services."

Tyson had been ambushed, he realized. It was too late now.

"Well, you got to complete your education; you'd be a much better resource than I am," Tyson pointed out. "I'd love to focus on more social events."

Cary and I have been talking about that; I may move you to archives," Libba told him. "Only, the department is taking on more than just archival work. Even under Harper, they are working toward community building, like their audio library and the blueprints from Earth. So I want to relabel the department, add you, and I think that will start to resolve your lack of funds. You won't have your own office for appointments for a while, but I've heard you do house visits? Would that be a temporary solution?"

Tyson nodded. Libba was already breaking Dashiell's pace for effecting change. He was too overwhelmed to know whether or not it would be for the best.

"You don't have to move your things out of the office today," Dr. Klein offered.

"I still need to talk to Harper," Libba admitted.

"And Keller?"

"I think he'd go with you. You two have taken on too much for you to continue on your own. Oh, you were going to film me for your video. You don't happen to have the rest of it, do you? I'd love for Cary to see it."

"Yes, I have all the parts, I haven't made it into a seamless thing; Keller knows more about that," Tyson said slowly. "But I can show you what I have."

"Great! Let's get this filmed. At my desk? It's already so messy. Oh well."

Libba sat at her desk and Tyson balanced his holo-rib under the scrutiny of Dr. Klein.

"How long have you been awake?" Dr. Klein inquired.

"Nearly a cycle," he replied. "We can chat after this, if you want."

Mostly he wanted to be candid and he didn't want Libba to hear him. There was a lot of base gossip he had obtained from his time as a therapist here. Partially, he was relieved someone better trained could help these people. Partially, he had grown to accept this role of his and was a little reluctant to give it up.

"I'd be glad to," Dr. Klein told him.

Libba sorted some of the papers on her desk and straighten her notes in front of her. He had sent a script and it looked like she had made some notes.

"I'm ready," she told Tyson.

"Go ahead," Tyson told her, pressing record.

Libba smiled at the holo-rib.