COLLEAGUES, CLUBS, AND OTHER QUICK QUESTIONS
THE TIME HAS COME ONCE AGAIN, LOYAL READERS OF THE MOST POPULAR ADVICE COLUMN IN THE SECTOR, AS MEASURED BY THE METRICS OF MY HEART. AS ALWAYS, I, H’AJAH, DAUGHTER OF SHAL — WEAVER OF TALES, GIVER OF HOPE, BANE OF AUTHORITY FIGURES — WILL ANSWER THE QUESTIONS WRITTEN UPON YOUR TROUBLED BROW. THIS TIME, I WILL ANSWER A SELECTION OF SHORT QUESTIONS WITH EVEN SHORTER ANSWERS WHICH MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE WARRANT A SPOT IN A NORMAL WEEKLY COLUMN.
BE ADVISED, DEAR READER, THAT I AM AN ENGINEER BY TRADE AND A WARRIOR AT HEART, NOT A TRAINED THERAPIST. MY AID IS AT YOUR DISPOSAL, BUT IF YOU NEED IMMEDIATE HELP FOR A TRUE MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY, YOU SHOULD SEEK OUT A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR TO GUIDE YOU.
CHESS QUEEN FROM DEEP SPACE 13:
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SEIZE POWER AND REIGN WITH AN IRON FIST, QUEEN. IF THIS LEAVES LITTLE TIME FOR CHESS, JUST SET UP A CHESS COMPUTER TO PLAY IN YOUR STEAD — IT WILL NEVER LOSE, BECAUSE CHESS IS A SOLVED GAME OF FINITE OUTCOMES. TRY KLIN ZHA INSTEAD, IT IS BETTER.
ANXIOUS AND FRUSTRATED FROM DEEP SPACE 13 WRITES:
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NEITHER AM I.
PARANOID BUSYBODY FROM DS13 OPERATIONS WRITES:
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CONFRONT THEM, BUSYBODY, AND MAKE YOUR ACCUSATIONS TO THEIR FACE. A TERRAN SPY WILL ATTEMPT TO TURN SUSPICION BACK ON YOU, AND THEN YOU WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN SETTLING THE MATTER WITH COMBAT. BE WARNED, HOWEVER, THAT A TRUE TERRAN IS LIKELY TO BE MUCH MORE EXPERIENCED IN HAND TO HAND COMBAT THAN A STARFLEET OFFICER FROM OUR OWN UNIVERSE. THEREFORE, IF YOU FIND THAT YOU ARE WINNING THE FIGHT, YOU WERE PROBABLY WRONG ABOUT YOUR COLLEAGUE.
KINDRED SOUL FROM AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION WRITES:
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I WILL.
FRETFUL FROM K-7 WRITES:
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YOU COULD CHALLENGE YOUR ROOMMATE’S COMMANDING OFFICER TO A TEST OF STRENGTH AND VALOR, BUT THIS WOULD NOT ADDRESS THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM: YOUR FRIEND’S COWARDICE. IF YOU ARE A TRUE, RIDE OR DIE COMRADE IN ARMS, YOU MUST INSTEAD CONFRONT YOUR ROOMMATE AND LET THEM KNOW HOW THEIR WEAKNESS SHAMES YOU BOTH. EXPLORE THE ORIGINS OF THEIR INSECURITY AND HELP DEVISE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS TO OVERCOME IT. THEN, WHEN YOUR FRIEND HAS FOUND THEIR TRUE INNER STRENGTH, THEY CAN CHALLENGE THEIR COMMANDING OFFICER THEMSELF!
HOPEFUL HOBBYIST FROM DEEP SPACE 13 WRITES:
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WHAT IS ELEMENT COLLECTING? AND WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO ASK ME ABOUT CLUBS? SURELY THE FIRST STEP WILL BE FINDING ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS INTERESTED IN ELEMENT COLLECTING. I EXPECT THIS WILL KEEP YOU OCCUPIED FOR SOME TIME, BUT WHEN YOU FIND THEM, WRITE BACK FOR STEP TWO.
AMELEA AIRHEAD FROM DEEP SPACE 13 WRITES:
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YES I CAN.
THANK YOU FOR INDULGING THIS DIGRESSION. THOUGH I HAVE NOT REACHED INBOX ZERO, THIS WEEK I HAVE DEALT IT A MIGHTY BLOW. NEXT TIME I WILL RETURN TO MY REGULAR FORMAT. UNTIL THEN, DEAR READER, QAPLA’!
OOC As always, you can ask H’ajah your burning questions via this form.