Kelly arrived at Metropolis University with a chipper expression on her face. She was wearing the Imperial uniform of a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, and blue undershirt indicating she was in the science field of psychiatry. A single blue square rank on her chest indicated she was a cadet. She ventured into the university and found her dorm room which was already occupied by a younger woman, Karen Fisher. Upon seeing Kelly, Karen gave her an odd look.
"So...how can I help you?" she asked confused.
"I'm your new roommate," Kelly explained. "I'm moving in."
"I don't want to sound like a bitch, but aren't you a little old for psychiatry school?" Karen asked rudely.
"Never too old to learn a new trick," Kelly replied politely. "Hi, Kelly Olsen."
"Karen Fisher, Georgetown University, Barney Dox Scientific Achievement Award," Karen introduced herself in an arrogant tone while pointing to framed certificates.
"US Army Sergeant, a doctorate in psychiatry at Metropolis University specializing in trauma, a consultant at Obsidian North, and a social worker in my spare time," Kelly listed off. "We done measuring clit sizes?"
Karen merely stared at her. "Then, why are you here?"
"I was told I needed to recertify myself since all of my certifications are a thousand years out of date," Kelly rolled her eyes.
"That makes even less sense," Karen said dumbfounded.
"I'm going to go over there if you don't mind," Kelly said as she went to her side of the room.
On the first day of class, Brainiac 5 was up front with a number of identical Brainiac 5 drones in a corner representing all the different departments. He was before all the new cadets in a lecture hall. "Do no harm. What is implied in this? An awesome power, a power to do harm," Brainiac 5 said obviously. "Who gives you this power?" he asked rhetorically.
"The patient," he answered. "A patient will come to you at his moment of greatest dread. Why? Because he trusts you. He trusts you the way a child trusts. He trusts you to do no harm."
The students applauded this declaration. "However, the sad fact is...human beings are not worthy of trust. It is human nature to lie, take shortcuts, lose your nerve, get tired, and make mistakes. No rational patient would put his trust in a human being and I'm not going to let him," Brainiac 5 said, silencing them.
The students gave him an odd look feeling a roller coaster of emotions. "My mission here is to rigorously and ruthlessly train the humanity out of you and make you something better. I'm going to make you like me," Brainiac 5 told them.
The students gave him polite applause as he left the lecture. Kelly stared, blinked, and then stared in WTF.
After class, Kelly met up with Karen, her roommate. "I figured we'd be seeing patients a little earlier, didn't you?" Karen ignored her. "You've just experienced a verbal greeting expressing welcome and friendship."
"Do I look like a homosexual to you? I'm here only to study," Karen spat and then walked off.
"Thank you for your honesty," Kelly winced.
"I thought only I could repel women with such raw efficiency," Alex smiled as she greeted her. Alex was in casual clothes, not making her rank or connection to the Supreme Leader obvious.
"Well, you just met your match," Kelly smiled. The two were careful not to kiss in public but gave each other loving glances. Alex was pregnant but not showing at this point.
"Will you go out with me?" Alex asked.
The two entered a burger joint and were largely ignored by the staff. "Barney is running this class like a Drill Sergeant. Like, we're all human scum. He seems to have missed the point about helping and connecting with people when they're at their most vulnerable. It's about counseling and giving people hope."
"Yeah, well, I used to be spontaneous and exciting until I became conditioned by the DEO," Alex said resentfully.
"Well, that's true, but sometimes you can change the programming by altering the responses, altering the parameters," Kelly said.
"Like, when I found out I was gay?" Alex rolled her eyes.
"How about when you found you were pregnant?" Kelly countered.
Alex couldn't help but agree with that. Since she found out, she had been eating right and abstaining from alcohol. She couldn't even use drugs to keep her alcoholism at bay. This was pure willpower at work. "Let me show you," Kelly said after they had finished their meal.
On the sidewalks, Kelly and Alex walked side-by-side with other people. Every so often, Kelly would target someone lost in their own world. "Hey, we're homosexual," Kelly said to a random old woman.
"Wait...what?" the old woman wondered, suddenly distracted.
Kelly did the same to a young man. "We have sex with each other," she said to him.
The young man smiled and nodded. "Nice."
Alex looked around apprehensively as Kelly kept it up eliciting amusement and surprise from various people that knocked them out of their existing thought processes. "Last night, I called twelve random people. One named Dale gave me amazing stories of life in the 31st century and how everything has changed since Kara's arrival."
"Yeah, but so what?" Alex asked.
"I want to be a psychiatrist in this century to help people. We have to dive into these people, penetrate their consciousness," Kelly said passionately.
"Yeah, maybe you can reach these people," Alex said as she got a message from Kara. Kelly eyed the message on her smartphone.
"Really?" she asked incredulously.
That evening, Kara addressed the meat industry and invited Alex and Kelly as her guests. Kelly was instantly triggered, a practicing vegan. Alex was also triggered by virtually everyone having a beer in their hands.
"In New Zealand, I found a new use for sheep. It's called wool!" Kara said to Alex and Kelly. They merely gave her a blank look. "Is that supposed to be a sex joke, or did you really restart the wool industry there?" Alex asked finally.
"Yes," Kara nodded.
"What's this all about? Why are we here?" Alex asked annoyed.
"I wanted to show you how things are run in the meat industry these days," Kara said wide-eyed. "It's no longer just about making profits. Since everything is run by the state and we have an overabundance of resources and land, we can have cows, pigs, and chickens living their lives in much higher levels of comfort. I have increased their quality of life and their butchering is painless."
"It's still the mass slaughtering of animals," Kelly pointed out.
"Before I came to this time, these animals were relatively rare. Now, they're flourishing, evolving," Kara argued.
"And what of the greenhouse gasses that warm the planet?" Alex asked.
"We have factories that are able to pull the greenhouse gasses out of the air. And if it gets too warm, I can always freeze the polar ice caps again with my frost breath," Kara said dismissively.
"Why didn't you do any of this in the 21st century?" Alex asked accusingly.
"I wasn't in charge. I'm not going to do shit unless I'm in charge," Kara said obviously.
"I still prefer the vegan way," Kelly said politely.
"Well, you have to eat meat. The baby needs it," Kara said seriously to Alex.
"I can handle my own pregnancy, thank you," Alex told her off.
"I have to make a speech. Make sure you stay for the hotdog eating contest," Kara told them. Kara then went on stage to address the mostly enlisted men who worked at the meat plant. "Pork packers, rump wrappers, bull shippers, lend me your steers! You know, packers have been taking a bad rap for years because people associate you with cheese or fudge. But I'm proud of all of you, meat packers. Whip it, zip it, and send it out! My philosophy is to give the people what they want," Kara declared.
"Fuck, yeah!" the crowd shouted.
"Have it your way!" Kara shouted.
"Fuck, yeah!" the crowd agreed.
"This enthusiasm...I'm loving it!" Kara smiled.
The next day, Kelly was with a group of cadets led around by Brainiac 5 in the psychiatric hospital. A patient was on a medical bed waiting to be seen. Brainiac 5 and the cadets surrounded the female patient. "Juvenile patient suffering from hallucinations, believes something is crawling under her skin, walls are closing in, experiences non-existent wounds that won't heal, confused as to what is real," Brainiac 5 listed off.
"Privileged upper-class background in the suburbs?" a cadet asked.
"Yes," Brainiac 5 confirmed.
"Treatment?" a cadet asked.
"Overexposure to the negative influence while supervised, creating a whiplash effect and then a gradual increase in conformity," Brainiac 5 replied.
The girl eyed Brainiac 5 and the cadets with a degree of apprehension as they discussed her case in front of her. "What's her name?" Kelly asked brightly.
"Marjorie," Brainiac 5 replied without emotion.
"Hi, Marjorie," Kelly smiled at her.
"Hi," she said awkwardly.
"Yes, well, thank you. Let's move on," Brainiac 5 said abruptly.
After the class, Kelly hung out at the hospital and talked with the nurses, all enlisted women. "Look at this one, Judy, another future boss," a sassy nurse said to her.
"I wouldn't look at it like that," Kelly said awkwardly.
"In five years, you'll be so full of yourself, you'll shit out your mouth," the sassy nurse predicted.
"Wow," Kelly mouthed.
"Joletta, you can't be talking shit like that," Judy scolded.
"Why not? This is going to be the only time I outrank her so I might as well," Joletta replied.
"Who's in that room?" Kelly asked curiously as she heard ranting and raving.
"That's Davis. He has anger management issues," Joletta replied. "I would steer clear of him."
"Well, okay then," Kelly said and went on her merry way.
Kelly entered a room filled with young children sleeping or resting in their beds. "Hi," Kelly said to one of the kids. "What's your name?"
"Jaime," he replied.
"My name's Kelly," Kelly said brightly. "What are you here for?"
"I think I'm a girl," he said wide-eyed.
Kelly gave him an odd look. "And you're not?"
"My parents and the doctors don't think I am," he shrugged. "So, I'm here to get better."
"Ah, I see," Kelly said shocked and appalled. She went around the room and discovered that every kid was either gay, trans or somewhere in between. "Children, being yourself is never the wrong thing," she said to them.
For that little remark which had been recorded by cameras all over the hospital, Kelly was hauled into Brainiac 5's office which was poorly lit to indicate his sinister dark nature. "Kelly Olsen, you have a brilliant mind and like many brilliant people, you don't think the rules apply to you," Brainiac 5 scolded.
"Not all rules, Barney, but the Golden Rule applies to everyone," Kelly replied.
"You have a real passion to be a doctor, a psychiatrist, in this millennium. The truth of the matter is that passion doesn't make doctors. I make doctors," Brainiac 5 clarified. "Understood?"
"Understood," Kelly smiled with false sincerity.
"As a rule, cadets don't interact with patients until their third month. Our way of doing things is the product of centuries of experience in eugenics, psycho-manipulation, bioengineering, and cybernetics. What I do is always for a reason," Brainiac 5 told her.
"And that includes gay and trans conversion therapy?" Kelly asked incredulously.
"It's my hospital. Actually, all hospitals are mine. I know everything that goes inside it at all times," Brainiac 5 reminded her.
"With all due respect, you can't change sexual orientation, gender identity, personal appearance, disability, mental illness, or race. These are things that people are born with. As a psychiatrist, I navigate the things a person can change and accept what they can't," Kelly said.
"Ah, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. I assure you, there's nothing I can't change and nothing I have to accept. You must understand you're from the Dark Ages, so to speak. Now, I can manipulate the brain however I want with nano-machines, telepathy, dream substitutions, and cybernetics," Brainiac 5 told her off.
"You don't even believe in God, a soul, morality, or free will. So, why do it?" Kelly asked confused.
"I seek to preserve the species which, on many occasions, has dropped below replacement in fertility and has suffered several near-extinction events," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"I think Alex and I are proof that people like us can reproduce," Kelly said proudly.
"Oh, really? The two of you will need to produce, at least, 4 children just to keep up with replacement. I seriously doubt that is going to happen," Brainiac 5 shut her down.
"If you wanted to, you could build thousands, millions, of human pods if that was your goal," Kelly said.
"I could and I could raise them all with my billions of drones, but the empress forbids it for moral/religious reasons," Brainiac 5 replied. "And it's more than just population control. People, such as yourself, create disharmony in the system."
"We're all sinners," Kelly discounted.
"Yes, but very few are so open, so unrepentant, so unashamed as your case. A person with your lifestyle would typically be exiled to an island with similar individuals. I must balance the harmony of the royal family's affection for you with the disharmony of the masses that will despise royal favoritism," Brainiac 5 told her.
"Well, okay then," Kelly shook her head dismayed.
In the library, Kelly and Alex went over her study materials. Instead of books, everything was digital on their smartphones, laptops, or tablets. The desk they were at had a hologram tablet installed. "No malpractice lawyers because a patient cannot sue the government," Kelly frowned.
"It's the same thing at the DEO. You can't sue the government unless they allow you to which is never," Alex shrugged.
"Right, same with the US Army," Kelly nodded. "I worked with people at the VA that were fucked up and never got due compensation. It was a broken system with no accountability."
"That system has a name: Barney," Alex reminded her.
"I feel there's a conflict of interest with Barney being the planetary administrator over every department, the Pope, and Kara's personal secretary," Kelly said passionately.
"Well...no shit," Alex agreed.
"Sorry, I'm late," Karen said as she joined them.
"I invited my roommate, Karen Fisher, to join us," Kelly explained to Alex. "So, Karen, why do you want to be a psychiatrist?"
"I have a lot of work to do," Karen rebuffed Kelly's innocent casual question. "What section are you on?"
"I just feel it would be better if I was with the patients," Kelly said to Alex, ignoring Karen's question.
"That's why we're here, to study, so we can be with the patients," Karen reminded her.
"Okay, let's tone it down," Alex suggested.
"I see right through you, two. You're non-conformists, seeking a need to confront any authority in your path. Smart people flunk out here all the time for deviating against orthodox behavior and lifestyles," Karen said bluntly.
"Where is the compassion in that?" Kelly asked.
"It's not about being mean, it's about preserving social harmony. Look, I don't have time for this crap. I've assessed the situation and I'm leaving," Karen said and walked off in a huff.
Kelly glanced at Alex as if to get her permission and then went after Karen as she left the library. "Look, I'm sorry if I interfered with your studying," Kelly said sincerely.
"I don't care about your social justice bullshit. All I care about is passing my exams," Karen replied.
"Maybe, I can help you. I read all the texts," Kelly offered.
"You read all of it?" Karen asked surprised.
"Why? You haven't?" Kelly chided.
"Look, in a class of 163 students, there are only eight that are women including us. I've had to work really hard to get here, and I'm going to have to work really hard to stay here. And I'm not about to blow it by entertaining your queer theories. I'm here to learn about psychiatry, period," Karen said seriously.
As Karen took off on her bicycle, Kelly noticed something odd about her roommate, like she was running away from something about herself.
Kelly continued to visit the children at the sexuality/gender conversion clinic while also passing all of her exams. At this point, she was second in the class. Karen, on the other hand, was barely passing despite her efforts. "Looks like you didn't need my help, after all," Kelly said brightly.
"What the fuck?" Karen shook her head dismayed and then walked out of the building. Kelly followed after her realizing she was in distress.
"What's wrong?" Kelly asked her.
"This shatters my preconceived notions of thinking you were an idiot," Karen admitted. "I study all night and I'm barely holding on by the tips of my fingernails."
"Well...I am a licensed psychiatrist with a doctorate degree. I should be high on the list," Kelly reminded her.
That night, Kelly visited a patient being treated for homosexual tendencies. "You a doctor?" he asked as she came in.
"No, I'm a student," Kelly clarified. "But if there's anything I can do, let me know."
"If you want to help me, you'll make me straight," he said frustrated.
"Why do you want that?" Kelly asked curiously.
"I have a wife and two kids. It's what everyone told me was the right thing to do: the church, my family, the government," Davis said.
"Did you not marry for love?" Kelly asked sympathetically.
"I do love my wife...as a person. Just, sometimes, I don't feel attracted to her. Sometimes, my eyes wander to men. I can't trust myself around friends and colleagues anymore. I feel miserable and guilty," Davis said.
"You shouldn't have to feel miserable and guilty for thoughts you don't act upon," Kelly said gently.
"But what if I do act on them...in a moment of weakness? Then, my marriage, my job, my life is fucked," Davis said distressed.
"This therapy you're undergoing shouldn't be forced upon you," Kelly said.
"It's what I want," Davis confirmed.
"Well, okay then," Kelly said softly and let him be.
The next day, Brainiac 5 caught Kelly talking with a boy and his father about sexuality-related issues. "Walk with me," Brainiac 5 ordered her out of the room. The two then had a chat in the hallway. "You're of the impression your connections to the royal family make you immune to disciplinary measures."
"Just visiting friends," Kelly said defensively.
"Patients don't need your type of ideology. They need religion, law, and psychological discipline. In your time, drag queens dressed as clowns ran psychiatric wards. Now, things are different," Brainiac 5 told her.
"I have every right to visit patients who want to see me, on my own time, during visiting hours," Kelly argued.
"About your own time...perhaps, I should be suspicious of the level of your grades," Brainiac 5 threatened.
"You trying to say I'm cheating... without evidence? What the fuck, Barney?" Kelly asked outraged.
"Your scores are the highest in the class and yet, you don't seem to study," Brainiac 5 pointed out.
"Because I'm already a licensed psychiatrist with a doctorate degree. Taking one of your classes is like being back in high school again," Kelly rolled her eyes.
"Your roommate snitched on you to me," Brainiac 5 informed her.
"I see how it is. You're creating artificial dissension between us. That's bullshit," Kelly shook her head.
"I control this world now. Stay out of my hospitals," Brainiac 5 warned.
Kelly stormed into her dorm room and found Karen studying at her desk. "Did you tell Barney I cheated?" she asked accusingly.
"You mean, Lord Dox?" Karen corrected.
"I know you did it. Just tell me why," Kelly demanded.
"Cut the crap, Olsen. I know how much you study or rather don't study, and you do better than me. I know you're in a homosexual relationship with that woman at the library. Give me a break," Karen said dismissively.
"You're being a bitch. You know that, right?" Kelly asked her. "What's your motivation? Is it because your mother was a psychiatrist, and her mother was a psychiatrist, some kind of genetic thing?"
"Yes, I was genetically designed for this profession. I grew up around it. I have what it takes to tell people with serious issues that they're fucked up and they need to turn their lives around. I know what it takes. You don't have it," Karen said passionately.
"If you don't like me, just say it," Kelly said condescendingly.
"I don't like you!" Karen shouted.
"Why don't you like me? You're a bitch, and I like you," Kelly asked curiously.
"Because you make my struggle a joke. I have to live every day with these unwanted feelings toward my own sex. I have resisted the temptation. I have remained celibate. I have been open to dating men...as hard as that is. I have kept the faith and all of its decrees. And then there is you flaunting your same-sex relationship as a badge of honor, challenging the system, and rising to the top without any repercussions. This isn't playtime! This is serious business! I have it in me to be a great doctor and attain my salvation but, in order to do that, I have to make sacrifices if I want to be better," Karen ranted.
"Better? Better than me?" Kelly questioned.
"What the fuck does it matter if you make someone smile if they're damned to hell anyway. I will save souls that would otherwise be lost. But you treat sin and damnation like some kind of joke. I prefer to learn so I can have the right answer at the crucial moment to save a soul, to save a life. You call me a bitch? Maybe, I am. But if you ask the average person whether they want a bitch that will save their child's soul or a kindergarten teacher who's going to kiss their ass, they're going to want that bitch," Karen continued.
"Church and medicine are supposed to be separate," Kelly said irritably.
"Nothing is separate from the Church. There isn't a profession on this planet that isn't connected with the Church and there's certainly no profession that is separate from God. You come from a time when only one percent were getting into heaven. In your time, people didn't get to church, committed all sorts of mortal sins, and believed in the wrong things. Now, that's all changed, and you better get with the times if you hope to survive," Karen told her.
Kelly felt like fighting with her so more but saw the pain on her face. "I understand now that who I am and who you are is making things more difficult for you. I'll see what I can do about that."
Karen gave her a flustered look at Kelly's kindness. Kelly then left the room leaving Karen to her troubled thoughts.
Kelly visited Davis in his room. He was disgruntled as usual so Kelly tried to get him to laugh about his situation. "Gay, a homosexual, a backgammon player, a backshot artist, a bear, a bone smuggler, a bugger, a crafty butcher, a...," Kelly listed off.
Davis pointed his finger at her, somewhat pissed off but then continued with her. "Fairy," he added.
"Flamer," Kelly smiled.
"Flower," Davis said.
"Fruit," Kelly replied.
"Fudge packer," Davis smiled. The two had a good laugh and, for a moment, Davis wasn't so depressed with his circumstances.
At the end of a lecture, Brainiac 5 addressed the class on another matter. "Next Monday, the university is hosting the Holy Father and his escort for a seminar retreat. It is important that they be received in a manner suitable to their status and position. I have traditionally selected an outstanding student to head the welcoming committee. The time demands are great, and I wouldn't want to jeopardize the academic performance of a weaker student. This year I have chosen...Kelly Olsen."
"Oh, well, thank you," Kelly said awkwardly.
"Detailed instructions will be emailed to you," Brainiac 5 said and then abruptly left the lecture hall.
Soon thereafter, Pope Barney with an escort of cardinals, bishops, and priestly aides arrived at the hospital. Upon arriving at the main building, they found rainbow flags on the windows and across the entrance. Kelly then went out to greet the group. "It's an honor to meet with those who have touched the lives of so many young people and children."
Pope Barney merely stared at Kelly, knowing full well what she was up to. "Follow me," he said to his escort as they entered the building.
Immediately, Kelly was summoned to Brainiac 5's office to be chewed out. "You wanted to see me?" she asked innocently.
"You're dismissed," Brainiac 5 said seriously.
"Roger, that," Kelly said, giving him a mock salute, and went towards the door.
"From this school," Brainiac 5 clarified. "Kindly remove your things and vacate the premises immediately."
"What for? I thought rainbows were totally Biblical. Remember Noah's flood?" Kelly asked incredulously.
"Someone, as smart as you are, knows that morality is more than just the act but the intent," Brainiac 5 said obviously.
"Why am I such a threat to you?" Kelly asked.
"Because what you want is a world without scientific objective sociological morality. You want us to be at the same level as 21st-century barbarian shrinks that acted more like a buddy than a real doctor. You're not here to work out your sexuality and spread it to everyone here. You have made a mockery of the Holy Father and the institution he represents. You have blatantly disregarded my bylaws. You won't be able to work in psychiatry again. I'm sending you back to the enlisted ranks," Brainiac 5 told her.
Kelly naturally appealed Brainiac 5's decision to Kara at her office in the palace. "Blatant disregard for school code and procedure. Defying direct orders from a dean. And I am aware of your provocative efforts...to make sure the Holy Father feels right at home. Now...how I can help you?" Kara asked.
"I want to graduate," Kelly said obviously. "Barney thinks otherwise but my grades are way above par. I want to finish school so I can become a doctor...again."
"Well, I'm gonna give this to you real straight, pun intended. I have a galaxy to run. I have to trust the people in my employ, namely Barney, otherwise the galaxy's quality of life will turn to shit. Their life turns to shit, my life turns to shit. Do you follow?" Kara asked.
"Yes," Kelly nodded.
"Good, now, Barney is a pain in my ass, but I depend on him to keep me up to speed on what's going on around here. Not going to lie, I'm completely dependent on that robot bastard, and I would never take the word of any student over his for this reason. However, I also have a source that informs me that I will never see my sister and my future niece again in this time if anything administratively negatively happened to you," Kara said vaguely.
"I didn't ask her to...," Kelly said awkwardly.
"Whatever," Kara cut her off. "So, from now on, you will not enter that hospital unless under the supervision of a drone, as part of the curriculum."
"So, I'm still in school?" Kelly asked hopefully.
"You've placed me in an awkward position. Don't fuck this up," Kara confirmed.
That night, Kelly and Alex went on an old-fashion lesbian date. "You didn't have to go to all the trouble to threaten Kara with emotional blackmail to reinstate me," Kelly said awkwardly.
"I'm your wife. I'm going to stand up for you," Alex said obviously.
"You know, I once went to a gay conversion clinic for a short time," Kelly revealed.
"Was that helpful?" Alex winced.
"The doctors weren't, the patients were, though. They helped me realize that by helping them I could forget about my own problems. And I did. I really helped some of them. It was an incredible feeling, Alex. For the first time in my life, I forgot about my own problems. It was an incredible high," Kelly recalled.
"Well, after dealing with all the bullshit from my father and Kara, you've really helped me to accept myself," Alex said sincerely. "Let's not just make this a good night. Let's make it a great night."
"Making love in my dorm?" Kelly suggested.
"What if your roommate interrupts us?" Alex asked slightly concerned.
"I don't care," Kelly said as she gave Alex a public kiss.
The next day, Kelly went to visit Davis. He was surrounded by his wife and two kids. Kelly stood off to the side to give them some space. "I've decided not to go through with the procedure," Davis said finally.
"But why?" his wife asked distressed.
"Because, of all the women in the world, I only want to love you," he replied.
"Oh, that's so romantic," his wife gushed.
Kelly smiled at the scene of the family embracing their gay father.
Afterward, an enthusiastic Kelly met up with Alex on a park bench at the university. "Imagine a building, an LGBT center for youth," Kelly said brightly.
"Okay," Alex allowed.
"It'll have, like, slides and secret passageways, and game rooms," Kelly continued. "We'll use tolerance, acceptance, and pride to heal pain and suffering. Doctors and patients will work side-by-side as peers with no ranks. There'll be no titles, no bosses. People will come from all over the world to fulfill their dream of being openly queer. They'll be a community where being gay is a way of life, where learning is the highest aim, where love is the ultimate goal," Kelly said ambitiously.
"Kelly, that's crazy," Alex rebuffed.
"That's why you have to help me," Kelly said seriously.
"What? No," Alex shook her head.
"I know it's not going to be easy, but you've said anything worth doing is difficult," Kelly recalled.
"How are we going to fund this without money, with a society where money doesn't exist?" Alex asked. "Look, Kelly, I'm not like you with your head in the clouds. I think in budget numbers, equipment requests, personnel payroll, and security. The system here is going to kick our asses. Don't you want to actually be a ranked psychiatrist?"
"Of course, I want the recognition, the rank, the respect, but there's more to life than that," Kelly said. "I know you're scared. I'm scared, too."
"I'm not scared for myself. Kara would never let anything happen to me. I'm scared for everyone we're supposedly trying to help because that's how the enemy fucks you," Alex said seriously. "This all sounds very romantic until all of our patients end up in jail, exiled, or sent to an asylum. People will get hurt."
"People are getting hurt right now every day. And who's doing it?" Kelly asked rhetorically.
Midvale
Alex relented and converted her family house into an LGBT center. Surprisingly, a number of people showed up either because they were experiencing same-sex attraction, or they were straight and wanted to...for various reasons. Some were teenagers just confused about themselves. Without rank, a license, or government sanction, Kelly and Alex talked to and educated anyone that showed up. Immediately, the clinic was detected on Brainiac 5's radar but he didn't make a move against them, initially.
One day, a man named Larry showed up. "So...how can I help you?" Alex asked him.
"I don't know. I heard about this place. I'm not entirely mentally stable," Larry admitted.
"Yeah, join the club," Alex nodded. "Hey, Kelly."
"Sup?" Kelly asked brightly as she walked up.
"This is...fuck, I didn't get your name," Alex said embarrassed.
"Larry," Larry said awkwardly.
"Hello, Larry. How are you? What's your passion? What excites you, what turns you on?" Kelly asked.
"Literature...romantic gay literature," he said.
"Well, we got plenty of that here," Kelly said. "Let me show you our collection." Afterward, Alex confronted Kelly about Larry.
"He's strange," Alex said concernedly.
"We're all strange here, Alex," Kelly said obviously.
"No, like murder-suicide strange," Alex said gravely.
That night, Alex and Kelly lit Tiki torches outside. "Everyone asleep?" Alex asked.
"Yep," Kelly nodded.
"God, Kelly, it's amazing," Alex said impressed. "Just what you've done with this place, you know."
"You, too," Kelly complimented.
"These people that we're helping, they would have had nowhere to go," Alex said reflectively.
"What happens now? Are we going to pretend to be two good friends in public, kiss in private?" Kelly asked.
"Kelly, ever since I was a teen, I hated women so much. I wanted nothing to do with them. Then, the spell Kara put on my brain went away and I met you. I love you and I want to embarrass the fuck out of Kara and her robot bastard pet," Alex said angrily.
"I love you," Kelly said giving her a kiss.
"I love you, too," Alex replied.
One night while Kelly was asleep from exhaustion, Alex got a voicemail on her phone. "Uhmm...this is Larry. Could someone come over? I'm not doing too well. I'm actually kind of fucked up. It would help if I could talk to someone."
Alex proceeded to go to Larry's house which was actually a mansion. He was playing on his piano when Alex arrived. "You play beautifully," Alex complimented. "Nice house. Is it yours?"
"It's my father's, he's a sergeant major. I live with my parents," he said.
Alex eyed the thirty-something-year-old man with a skeptical look. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine," Larry said as his eyes screamed that he wasn't. "Come in."
Alex welcomed herself to the large living room. "I can't really stay for long. I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"You're right, we don't want to be late," Larry agreed as he opened a closet. Alex eyed Larry as he casually took out a plasma rifle that belonged to his father. Within a fraction of a second, Alex drew her pistol and shot him in the head. Larry fell to the floor with his head blasted out, blood and brains all over the closet and on the floor.
"Well...shit," Alex sighed at the mess.
Metropolis
Within minutes, Imperial security drones swarmed the Midvale LGBT center and the mansion. Alex was immediately cleared with a self-defense claim and the incident was covered up. Kelly was hauled into Kara's office in Metropolis.
"Kelly, what the actual fuck?!" Kara raged once she came in.
"I'm also processing it," Kelly said defensively.
"Are you?" Kara glared. "Do you know why my schools, hospitals, and universities are the safest they've ever been? Do you know why murder rates are incredibly low compared to your century? Do you know why school shooters are dead a football field away before they even get to the entrance?"
"Because you run a surveillance police state," Kelly rolled her eyes. "Whatever happened to the fourth amendment?"
"That amendment just prevents me from using evidence I collect for trial. It doesn't prevent me from beating someone's ass on my own time," Kara countered. "It just so happens that there's a little bit of a blind spot in rural Maine but no longer. Your LGBT center will be shut down and you will conform to Barney's system."
"It's our house," Kelly told her off.
"Every house and structure on this planet are mine," Kara clarified. "The Danvers' house disintegrated centuries ago. What you live in now is a replica from my memory."
"You can't stop us," Kelly told her bluntly.
Kara stared Kelly down. "Should something happen to Alex, something permanent, you're fucked."
Midvale
Despite her bravado against Kara, Kelly was seriously shaken. She went back to the LGBT center demoralized. "You're disbanding it? Why?" Alex demanded.
"The patients will manage," Kelly said glumly.
"I refuse to quit," Alex told her.
"Good," Kelly said passive-aggressively.
"This may have been your vision, but it belongs to all of us," Alex pointed out. "How can you walk away from that? Let it die? This is a pure and a good purpose. Quitting isn't going to help anyone. You've always told me...,"
"Told you what? That people are good? Trust people? You know, Alex, only human beings are the only animals that kill their own species," Kelly said upset.
"That's not even remotely true," Alex corrected.
"I should have seen something off about Larry," Kelly blamed herself.
"Why are you being like this? I'm here, alive, not dead," Alex said with her arms wide open.
"I taught you the medicine that almost got you killed, almost got the baby killed, too," Kelly said tearfully.
"For fuck's sake," Alex said exasperatedly.
Kelly went past Alex and headed out back to Metropolis to formerly quit her studies.
Metropolis
As Kelly packed up her stuff in her dorm room, Karen simply stared. "You can't leave," she said finally.
"Looks like I'm defying the rule of nature...as I always do," Kelly said bitterly. Karen stood in her way, blocking her from exiting the room. "What are you doing? Oh, I can't leave until you beat me? Is that it?"
"I have a patient that won't eat. I've visited her every day for the last three weeks. I can't get her to eat. Now, I know every theory in psychiatry on how to deal with this...but she won't eat. You have a gift. You have a way with people. They like you. If you leave, she dies," Karen said to her.
Kelly ignored Karen and went on her way.
Maine Wilderness
In the hills of Maine, Kelly was having an existential crisis. "So, what now, huh? What do You want from me? Answer me, please. Tell me what You're doing. Am I damned? Have You forsaken me?"
God gave no indication of an answer. "Okay, let's look at the logic. You create man. Man suffers enormous amounts of pain and then he dies. Maybe, you should have had just a few more brainstorming sessions prior to Creation. You rested on the seventh day. Maybe, you should have spent that day on compassion. You know what? You're not worth it."
A butterfly then rested on her finger, flexed its wings, and then took off. Kelly gave the bug an odd look wondering if this was a sign. The butterfly then flew off out of sight. "Well, okay then," Kelly sighed.
Metropolis
Kelly went back to Metropolis and met up with Karen. "You still need my help?"
"Oh, she died," Karen replied.
"Well...shit," Kelly said stunned.
"No, I'm just fucking with you. She's in room 112," Karen pointed out.
Kelly went to see the anorexic teen girl, dragged her out of bed, placed her in a wheelchair, and rolled her out into the quad. There, they tossed her in a swimming pool of noodles. "You sure this is going to work?" Karen asked skeptically.
"It couldn't hurt," Kelly shrugged.
As it happened, the girl became overwhelmed by the efforts of the hospital staff and the smell of the cooked noodles. She started eating again and several years later returned to Kelly for her obesity problem.
No good deed goes unpunished as Kelly was hauled into Brainiac 5's office for a chewing-out session. "Why are you dismissing me, again?" Kelly demanded of him.
"Kara is no longer protecting you," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"That's not an answer," Kelly said stubbornly.
"You don't fit in. There are standards and codes. You are not cut out to be a psychiatrist in this millennium. It is my responsibility...," Brainiac 5 said.
"What responsibility? You're accountable to no one. You see humanity as a social experiment. Well, why can't you find a place for me in your zoo?" Kelly asked derisively.
"You don't understand the stakes involved. Your actions jeopardize Alex, which in turn, jeopardizes Kara. The Galactic Federation's continued existence depends on Kara, Mon, and me working together in perfect harmony. There are alien threats, plagues, and natural disasters on a sector-size scale that can only be prevented by us. I would sacrifice the entire human race to ensure Kara's sanity and well-being," Brainiac 5 said bluntly.
"You're so full of shit. You're just a control freak who can't stand the idea of an LGBT center under your nose. This is about Mara, right? You turned her into a religious fanatic and now you have to obey her to gain her cooperation when she eventually becomes empress," Kelly speculated.
"An intriguing theory," Brainiac 5 said, giving nothing away.
"I want my file," Kelly demanded.
"Of course," Brainiac 5 shrugged.
Kelly then stormed out of his office defeated for the moment.
At Metropolis Cathedral, Mara met up with Brainiac 5. She wore her white uniform with a princess rank on her chest. "Have you sufficiently recovered?" Pope Barney asked her, referring to her adventure with Bro-Lee.
"Just the physical wounds," Mara said, slightly shaken by the incident.
"There's been a development with Kelly Olsen," Pope Barney reminded her.
"My first instinct is to expel her while my mother's wrath is still on her. However, it has occurred to me that she could be useful to us," Mara considered.
"Indeed," Pope Barney agreed.
"It's the classic Joker protocol. She'll lure the deviants out of hiding and then we can raid them," Mara said.
"In the past, this was considered too risky," Pope Barney recalled.
"That is because those leaders were insecure of their position and filled with fear of being overthrown. They irrationally lashed out with short-term gains for long-term losses. We, on the other hand, can turn this planet to molten glass on a whim and none of their weapons can harm us. We have absolute power and control. Therefore, we can afford to play these games," Mara reasoned.
"Eventually, Kelly will realize her efforts are merely aiding us," Pope Barney figured.
"You give her too much credit," Mara smirked. "But even if she does, it serves our purposes anyway. Whether they be hiding or out in the open, the enemy will not overcome us, overcome the Church, overcome God."
Kelly appealed to the planetary psychiatry medical board even though it would have been futile. The board was controlled by Brainiac 5 drones. However, the hearing would be public creating a stir. Instead, Brainiac 5 canceled the hearing and hauled Kelly back into his office after a change of heart. "With the full backing of the Crown, the law, and the psychiatric community, homosexuality and transsexuality behavior, acts, practices, relationships, and lifestyles are not protected. However, the psychiatric community is not meant to compel patients to the right path. It is there to advise patients of their options and to help patients discover for themselves their own solutions. With this in mind, you will be allowed to graduate and will be commissioned," Brainiac 5 said.
"Well, thanks, I guess," Kelly said bewildered.
"You are free to be as excessively gay as you wish," Brainiac 5 allowed.
At the commissioning ceremony, a large class of various fields were present. On the stage were Kara, Mon, Kon, Mara, and Alex in their white royal uniforms. The students present were all wearing black uniforms except for their undershirts which were various colors reflecting their fields. The vast majority of humans present were meant to be officers in the reserve component. These officers would be in charge of other humans in non-essential fields to give them something to do. Rarely, a human would be made an active component officer at the same level as a Brainiac 5 drone in the decision-making process. In the field of psychiatry, Brainiac 5 ceded significant ground to human officers as opposed to other fields like engineering, security, tactical, science, and medicine.
"Well, today you go from being students in a class to being members of a class, a very select class. You face the future with your heads held high because you are now officers," Kara declared.
"Stand for the oath," Mon ordered the class. Immediately, they all went to attention. "Repeat after me: I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Galactic Federation against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
The class repeated the oath with him. The class then went to the stage where each of them would have their names called out and would officially be promoted to O-1, an ensign, or lieutenant. Kelly finally came up to the stage and was congratulated by Kara, Mon, and Kon without incident. "Congratulations, Olsen," Mara said as she reached out with her hand.
Kelly hesitated for a second but shook her hand as they stared at each other as adversaries. Kelly then went to Alex. "Congratulations, Kelly," Alex said informally. She then placed the ensign rank on Kelly's chest, a blue and red square. It would be here that Kelly would continue to advocate her causes within the system, for the system.