Madison Wisconsin

Madison Wisconsin, Counselor

The crew and passengers of the Petunia are so lucky to have you aboard. They really, really need you. Everyone on board has some deep-seated issues that need to be worked on. As the ship's Counselor, you like to remind them that "We're in this together". You conduct daily therapy sessions with everyone on board and run group therapy sessions whenever something stressful has occurred. It is very important that everyone has a chance to talk about their feelings and get everything out in the open. Physical affection--hugs, hand squeezes, pats on the back--are something that everyone needs. Group hugs are some of the best medicine around. They remind everyone that they're part of a team and that everyone here cares about them.

Your assignment on the Petunia is the first opportunity you've had to pursue your life-long career objective: personal and group counseling. While you've studied psychology all of your life, Walton Worlds had always needed more people with your skills in marketing than in dealing directly with people. That you had a talent few others possessed only made you more indispensable. You understood that you were part of a team at Walton Worlds and set your personal objectives aside for a good many years.

During those years, you worked your way up the Corporate Ladder until you were Head of Marketing for an entire solar system. During that time, you oversaw a project that is both your largest accomplishment and your deepest shame. Walton Worlds had for years been working on reaching a number of small, but growing audiences. One of these audiences was the malcontents, who were displeased with the wonders of the Intergalactic Association. You oversaw the group that came up with the now infamous "Join US!" (US being the Utopian Society) product line. At first, there was great excitement as the product line was universally adopted by the malcontents. Profits rolled in. Ultimately, the product line was too successfull though and the malcontents began actually working together, joined under this one banner.

While the Utopian Society has yet to actually be a threat, many important people were very concerned. The blame was placed on you, because you claimed the early credit when the product line was successful. You lost your place as head of marketing. Thankfully, you were at least able to avoid being identified with the product line and you certainly don't plan on mentioning it to anyone. People might think you actually supported the malcontents if word got out!

Everything seems to have worked out alright in the end. After all, if you hadn't lost that job, you would never have been able to pursue your life-long dream as you are today. While you aren't devising product lines or advertisements that will reach an entire solar system anymore, you're doing something even more important: helping real people directly with their lives. What could be more important?

While you were working in marketing, you had to learn a bit about the legal side of things. Since no one else aboard the ship has any clue about legal stuff, you also serve double-duty as legal counselor. You're sure you remember enough to patch together and answer any questions that might come up. If you're wrong, you'll at least be close enough and a trained professional can just further refine matters. Your advice is certainly good enough while people are on board the Petunia. Because you're certain that you've got a good enough grasp, there is no need to worry anyone about the fact that you may not always be 100% accurate. Making them feel confident about the information you provide is sure to solve most of their problems anyway.

An old friend of yours in marketing asked you for a favor just before this trip. They have a new product, Fizzy Drink (TM), that needed a test audience. They've asked you to make sure that everyone on board gets a few and to mention Fizzy Drink (TM) to as many people as possible. You agreed, because they were an old friend and you're sure they would have done the same for you. You plan on handing everyone a Fizzy Drink (TM) during each daily counseling session, just to make sure that everyone gets one.

Corporate Allegiance: Walton Worlds
Stock Owned: 13% of Walton Worlds

Who You Know

Anish Patel, Engineer
Anish... Anish has anger-management problems. Anish doesn't know how to really express feelings. Anish doesn't like hugs or group therapy sessions. Anish almost always leaves therapy sessions as soon as possible claiming that "there is work to do." Anish can be very snippy at times and often shows signs of frustration or anger. What Anish doesn't understand is that the most important work is inter- and intra-personal. Not machines. Perhaps it is because Anish is an alien. You hope to be able to really make a breakthrough with Anish some time. You want to help Anish realize the importance of being part of a team on board the Petunia, just the same as everyone else.

Avi Levinstein, Doctor
Avi is a very nice person. You're worried that Avi doesn't feel included in enough things. Avi is clearly very concerned about advancing age. Avi is also terrified of new technology and remains intractable about learning anything knew. Avi is also very lonely. The doctor would do very well to be paired up with someone, though no one is near Avi's age.

Dominique Buckley, Passenger
OMG, OMG, OMG! You can't believe that Dominique Buckley is on board the Petunia! Dominique is just the most amazing person you've ever seen. You've watched Dominiqque's career in Crystal Network since you were a teen. You've always had such a fascination with Dominique. Along with the fascination is the most massive crush you've ever had. There is no way you can turn down this once in a lifetime opportunity to talk to Dominiqque and express all your feelings.

Donald Donson, Passenger
Don Donald Donson is a bad, bad man. He's forced Dorcas Peterson to be his fiancee and he's taking her to Galleria II to wed her. He's an Agribusiness Mafia Don and not someone to mess with. You're sure he has all kinds of deep-seated mental problems.

Dorcas Peterson, Navigation Officer
Dorcas, better known as Petunia, is General Butler's secret lover. How precious it is that he named the flagship after her! Petunia is a much better name anyway. Wow, but they are cute together. It is just so terrible than she's betrothed to Donald Donson. She's going to be wed shortly after the flagship arrives back at Galleria II. She's such a nice person, too. So sweet. So young. Oh, it just isn't fair. You've listened to her sobs far too often in counseling sessions. There has to be some way out of this! She's told you all about the law that as long as she is engaged, no one but she or her fiancé can buy her freedom. How terrible. You do your best to console her. If there is any way you can help this poor girl out, you'll do it.

Red Family, Ensigns
You do your best to console the various members of the Red Family when they lose a loved one. It is somewhat terrifying to you that they seem so inured to the deaths in the family. It just isn't right. You do your best to break through to at least some of them and get them to express their emotions.

Hai Lee, Gunner
Hai Lee is from the Agribusiness Mafia, but isn't like that nasty Donald Donson. Hai is a very impressionable young person with a great deal of potential. Hai is very excited about being a gunner and is always itching for excitement. Unfortunately, Hai Lee suffers from stress-induced narcolepsy. Every time something really exciting happens, Hai falls asleep. You're sure that there is some deep-seated, subconscious avoidance mechanism going on. It likely has to do with the fact that Hai Lee was orphaned as an infant and raised by an Aunt. Perhaps if the two of you can have enough real sessions and get to the root of Hai Lee's problem, you can solve it together. You can't help but notice that, while Hai Lee hasn't admitted to it, Hai is clearly fascinated with Avi Levinstein. While their ages are dramatically different, who cares aside from the two of them?

Jeff L. Picket, Captain
Captain Picket is a very warm-hearted man. He trusts your skills and keeps everything running smoothly aboard the ship. A truly admirable sort. Unfortunately, his private life is a mess. Jeff was married a number of years back and it was the worst mistake he made in his life. He's told you that the two of them were rather impetuous about it and made the strongest legal vows... that left them unable to be divorced except in extreme cases, such as abuse or infidelity. Within a year they couldn't stand each other. They are now separated, though divorce seems impossible.

What is worse, Captain Picket and First Officer Thn'ein have fallen madly in love with each other. The two met aboard a previous ship after the Captain had left his wife. Both Captain Picket and First Officer Th'nein are honorable and bound by their duties though. Their love has been unrequited because of Picket's marriage. Captain Picket is obviously deeply affected by this. While you can see the obvious legal problems, you are bound and determined to see the two of them together somehow.

Jesus Rodriguez, Bartender
Jesus is slippery. He doesn't want to talk about his past or his feelings. He just fills sessions with generalities. That can't be good for his psyche. He is entirely too quiet for his own good. You need to help Jesus break out of his shell and join in the team spirit of the Petunia.

Jip Barton, Passenger
Jip is a young genius at Banana. Jip has acquired quite a name developing all kinds of new technology and revolutionized an industry. Anyone so young and so accomplished hasn't had a chance at a real childhood. Maybe you can coax Jip into enjoying the trip and making it a vacation! People like that need to learn to relax and enjoy life more.

Sir Joseph Butler, General of the Starship Fleet
Poor Joseph. For such an amazingly influential individual, it is deeply disheartening to see him unable to wed the love of his life. If only you could help him and Petunia. She is virtually all he ever talks about in his sessions and you're worried that her upcoming marriage may push him over the edge. You need to be very careful with him because his psyche is fragile right now. Maybe a group therapy session with lots of hugs is in order.

RX-137, Communications Officer
You had never heard of an android with psychological issues before. How fascinating! As an android, RX-137 doesn't have regularly scheduled appointments with you. You'd like to see that change. Working through whatever is going on inside that synth-flesh cranium would be fascinating.

Wahad Th'nein, First Officer
Wahad Th'nein is understandably distraught about the fact that she and the Captain can not be together. You're sure that the stress of the situation has put too much pressure on Wahad. She is so uptight because of it! She needs to be able to be comfortable expressing her emotions more, so that they don't keep bottling up. You need to really confront her about this during your next counseling session.

Goals

• Maintain the mental health of the crew by holding frequent individual and group therapy sessions.

• Make sure everyone tries at least one Fizzy Drink (TM) and shares their feelings about it.

• Meet the great Dominique Buckley.