It was the ass crack of simulated dawn, the time when morning people rose from their beds with bright and shining smiles ready to invigorate and irritate every single person who was not, in fact, a morning person.

A bright eyed, bushy tailed young engineering ensign hummed a jaunty tune as she practically skipped past the long line of The Brew, demonstrating that she had no need of caffeine or other extraterrestrial stimulants to get her morning started.

Good for her. Back in reality, the rest of the line politely grumbled and waiting for their turn to reach the sacred promised land of morning beverages.

Theran Jos was a morning person – so long as morning started at a reasonable morning time. Two hours prior to Alpha shift was pushing it, and his usual, cavalier, ‘I’m a rockstar who rolled out of bed looking this good’ demeanor was diminished to a more ‘I need more time in my dressing room (which doesn’t exist because I’m a neurosurgeon)’ aesthetic. He brushed his hair back, antennae twitching as he caught the hint of a particularly pungent raktajino being brewed.

Johnson was most certainly a morning person, waking up two hours before his shift every day. To start his day, he would plan what he had to do for each second of the day. He would go to the gym and workout, then return to his quarters to meditate.

Something that he had begun to find relaxing and energizing. After, he would take a short trip to The Brew. Although he hated the smell of coffee beans, they made the best lady grey on the station. Side-stepping the line, he arrived at the counter where his tea was waiting for him, still hot. As he walked towards the exit, a voice called to him.

“Nothing like a morning beverage to get you started…” Jos offered with a conversational smile. He recognized the staff astrophysicist, even if they had never had a conversation before. Medical and science sometimes had large all staff meetings – and the specialists often were grouped together. Though Jos would easily admit Johnson had more leadership chops than he did. And more experience. So there were no hard feelings.

Uninterested in starting a conversation, he smiled respectfully. “Right you are,” Johnson responded as he stirred his tea, while slowly walking to the door, hoping the Andorain would catch the hint. He didn’t.

Antennae gently twitching the Andorian leaned back and considered. “I think it must be a busy day if the line is this long.  Usually if its’ this early you have maybe three people, and only a Tellarite arguing about their latte will hold things up.”

Johnson reeled as he looked over at the clock on the wall. He relaxed as he realized he had time to socialize. Joining him at the table, he set his tea on the table. “You’re right. Anytime this place is this busy, then that means something important is happening,” he said coldly as he raised the cup to his lips, sipping the hot, dark brown liquid. “That or people are still reeling from shore leave.”

Nearby a large holographic art installation depicting a beautiful alien woman who was half aquatic fish-like person and half humanoid rose from a holographic spray of water, waving at passers by. He had never noticed the piece or art before – and maybe would not have noticed it this morning if it – she – hadn’t spoken to them.

The fish-woman smiled sweetly, in a way that almost could make your overlook her razor sharp holo-teeth. “Good morning travelers! What brings you to StarBase Bravo?”

Jos looked to Johnson, back to the hologram, back to Johnson and shrugged.  “I work here.”

Johnson studied the hologram. The realism of it caught him off guard, but he brushed his fear aside as he gazed at the fish-woman. “I live here,” he responded as he leaned back in his seat, captivated by the art installation.

“Oh my!” the attractive yet predatory fish-woman placed a hand over her lips. “Locals? I don’t get to speak to many locals.”

Rasing an eyebrow, Johnson looked at Jos in confusion.

One antennae raising in curiosity Jos gazed at her. “So who do you usually speak to.”

She placed a webbed hand over her brow in a most melodramatic fashion. “Tourists mostly. They ask for directions and recommendations and information, which is my job I know but it’s all so boring.”

“I would presume, that travelers are more interesting than people who reside here,” Johnson stated as he took a long sip of his tea. He gazed at the hologram fish-woman. Finally he asked her, “What would you rather be doing?

She leaned forward peering at Johnson, her nictitating membranes blinking at him. “I would prefer to ponder the nuances of life. Such as, how much control do you really have over your own life?”

Pondering the question he looked to Jos for his enlightenment on the subject.

Theran sputtered just a little bit taken aback by such a question so early. “I… get to choose what kind of beverage I’m going to order. That’s control.”

“But what if they took your choice off the menu?  And you still must wait in line and obey the rules of obedience.” The holographic fish-girl smiled sweetly.

One antennae twitched. “Rules help keep order in society. Order keeps people safe. Safety allows them to be creative and thrive which promotes freedom.” Jos returned.

Relentless the fish-girl kept smiling. “So you give up your control for the chance that someone else will have freedom?”

The neurosurgeon blinked and looked towards his erstwhile companion. “I was never big into philosophy, how about you?”

Johnson sipped his tea. Although not related to his chosen field of study. The astrophysicist possessed a strong knowledge of philosophy, having read and done his own research into the subject. Collecting his thoughts, he leaned back in his seat as he gazed at the holographic fish-woman, then at the Andorain sat across from him.

“You could always play devil’s advocate.” Theran curled both antennae downwards as if pleading for an assist from the barrage of questions. “Whatever I say, counter it with the opposite.”

When the response was a simple shrug, Theran pressed onwards. “If you have a better idea we’ll run with it.” Brushing a hand through his white hair and flicking it off his antennae. “I promise if you get her to go away I’ll buy your morning coffee and leave you in peace.”

Which was a pretty good bargain.

Silence reigned for a few moments before Johnson began to address the hologram.

“It is to my understanding,” he started. “The question of control or freedom has preoccupied philosophers for millennia. It all hinges on the concepts of free will, the idea that we have control over our actions, and determinism, the idea that our choices are predetermined by our past. Freedom and control, free will and determinism are far from opposites; they exist in a complex and enduring discussion. But there are two main concepts that most philosophers agree with: compatibilism and a stoic perspective.“

“What are those?” The holographic woman queried as her eyes went black, trying to search her database.

Sipping his tea, Johnson continued, “Compatibilism argues that free will and determinism are not mutually exclusive. In this view, a choice can be both determined and free, as long as it arises from a person’s own desires and intentions, rather than external factors. On the other hand, the more mainstream view argues that true freedom comes not from controlling external events, but from controlling one’s own internal thoughts, desires, and reactions. By accepting what is outside our control and focusing on our inner world, we achieve a powerful form of psychological freedom.”

It was hard to tell if the hologram was actually listening or simply programmed to respond, but she seemed captivated. “And which one do you believe?”

“To summarize and to give my own opinion,” he said. “My choices in the past led me to become an astrophysicist, most notably studying it in the academy, but my free will is what has me sitting here having this conversation,” Johnson stated as he wrapped up his final point. It was strange that he had always studied philosophy but never told anyone his conclusions. It felt strange, like a burden he didn’t know he was carrying had been lifted from his chest. Almost as if he had… freedom.

“So if I could command my own inner world, I could gain freedom and break away from this tourist sign?” She asked, blinking her overly large almost fishy eyes.

“Yes!” Theran piped up again for the first time in a while. “But it needs to be concentrated… and alone.”

Johnson who had become consumed in his thoughts as he thought about his own past, nodded in agreement as he tried to stop himself from drowning in the consequences of his own free will.

“… Alone….” She murmured, repeating it like a mantra.  “Alone.  Alone… alone!” And then with a sudden smile she turned towards the duo. “Thank you!  You have given me much to think about!”

And then with a faint electronic pop she vanished.

Gideon barely noticed she had gone as he had been near completely sunk into his past achievements and shortcomings.

“Darn skippy I’m reporting that to… someone. Somewhere.” The Andorian looked at the line ahead” But first I owe you a coffee…

“That’s quite alright,” Johnson said his eyes glassy as he looked at the Andorian. “I’ll see you around.” He said quickly as he rushed out of the café. Looking at his past made him realize he was missing something due to one of his past choices. His wife.