Chapter Eight: Shakedown

 Chapter Eight: Shakedown

Captain's Log

Stardate  87592.5

 

We are about to begin the first shift in our second day out from the confides of the Starbase. The crew has taken time since the launch to compile results from our initial flight and have been making system modifications and adjustments to compensate for imbalances and reported errors.  There are a series of tests scheduled to run throughout all shifts over the foreseeable future.  Therefore, I have scheduled a brief meeting in the Ready Room at zero-seven hundred hours to discuss this with the department leads.

On a side note, the assignment of a yeoman as my personal assistant is a questionable decision at best.   Her competence in compiling  data is without question, yet her subject thus far being a fixation on my sustenance and REM cycles brings into question her actual usefulness aboard this vessel. 

 

 

Concluding his log entry, Syntron showered and changed into a newly replicated uniform. It was the first time in many days in which he actually rested and he could already notice his thoughts were now keenly focused as his exquisite Vulcan senses became more acutely aware once again. In fact, he could hear a feint sound emanating outside of his quarter's door just before the chime signaled.

As he finished attaching his pips, he stated firmly "Enter."

From the corridor came a bright, smiling face holding a tray with several covered dishes.

"Good morning Captain" Yeoman Jessica Albera beamed. "It is so nice to see you well-rested and freshly dressed."

Looking with bewilderment at the tray, Syntron  inquired "Yeoman Albera... what are you doing here... and at this hour of the morn...?"

"Well, Sir... from what I could determine... you are a bit of a creature of habit. I anticipated that you would have completed your personal morning obligations by this time... except for one."

As if to punctuate her message, she laid down the tray and opened the first covered dish with a smile.

"It's plomeek soup Captain! I made it myself."

With a raise eyebrow Syntron tried to protest. "Yeoman, this is highly irregular, and..."

Lifting the other tray she proclaimed "And here we have a collection of various Vulcan vegetables that I gathered from the arboretum and specially prepared them just for you."

With a wink she whispered "A little bird told me that you had made arrangements for these vegetable to be grown there... and that you had a collection of plants on your previous ship as well. So... I borrowed a few samples of what was ready to be picked there... and worked my magic!"

Gesturing for the commanding officer to sit before the tray, she proclaimed "Come now Captain, I know that you must have worked up a healthy appetite after all of these days without food... and this nutritious meal has been delivered right to your cabin," she added smiling like the Cheshire cat.

"A little bird?" he began to question before she started pulling out his chair and signaled with her eyes to sit down.

"Oh Captain... it's just an old expression. It is my job now to know these little details" she stated as she unfolded a napkin and placed it gingerly on his lap just as he sat down. "Just as I am aware that your next meeting won't occur for another forty-seven minutes."

Slightly agitated, although the reaction was well-concealed, the captain protested "Yeoman, your presence here is becoming rather... awkward. I do not believe that you duties entail..."

Releasing a sweet and sincere laugh, she interrupted him once again.

"Oh Captain, don't worry... you will get used to me in no time. Before you know it... you'll hardly know how to tie your own shoes without me."

Looking down, Syntron stated "My shoes do even not even have laces Yeo..."

With a smirk she added "Sir, it is just another expression. You'll have to get used to not taking everything I say so literally. What I mean to convey is that you will find that I am very efficient and diligent when it comes to my profession and my job. I leave no stone unturned, and my attention to detail is unrivaled; except perhaps by a very unique Vulcan" she noted with a wink.

With somewhat of a sigh, Syntron responded "Then perhaps Yeoman, you will do me the courtesy of allowing me to indulge in this meal you have prepared without interruption."

"Why certainly Sir, as soon as I replicate a beverage of your choice. Will it be Vulcan Spiced tea, Captain? she inquired as she moved immediately besides his replicator.

Resigned,  he countered "Ordinary green tea will suffice Yeoman."

Within a few moments, Yeoman Jessica Albera was placing the hot tea on the tray in front of the captain.

After a few seconds passed she asked with almost a plea "Well Captain, aren't you going to at least try the soup or the vegetables?"

The captain was oblivious to her curiosity and wanting his acceptance in conjunction with her unawareness of his complete indifference to any significance attached to this meal which she painstakingly prepared for him.

He looked up and informed her "Indeed I will Yeoman... the moment after you have left my quarters.  

He might as well have just come out and insulted her or kicked her pet if she had one here, the result was just the same; she was rather devastated.  But she did not let it show as she held her head high and stated in her most profession tone that she could muster at the moment: "Yes Sir, I hope that you find the meal... satisfactory."

With that now stated, she turned and marched out of the Captain's quarters with much less of a graceful air than which she had entered.

Syntron looked down and after a moment of resistance, sampled the food. An eyebrow was elevated as he realized that this was actually the most satisfactory meal that he had tasted in a long while.

 *             *             *

Several hours earlier

Stephanie sat bolt-upright in her bed staring into the vastness of space and the field of stars outside her new quarters on deck 6. She had considered replicating some form of window-covering the day before when she had been moved to these new quarters with a window view, and regretted not having done so already. The constant reminder that she was only feet from the freezing vacuum of radiation-filled space was about as unwelcome as it could get. “Computer, Time.” She said quietly as she wiped the cold-sweat from her forehead.

“The time is 0340 hours. Stardate 87592.2” The almost musical voice of the computer replied into the darkness of her room.

“Lights.” She said as she tossed the blanked to the side. It was obvious to her that trying to sleep right now would be a waste. The intensity of illumination in the quarters rose by quite a few lumens, giving her enough light to flow through her morning routine.

Fifteen minutes later she was already out of the sonic shower and standing dwarfed in her own senior officer’s quarters, staring at the closet wondering what she was going to do with the next two and a half hours. “Computer, locate Ensign T’mur.”

“Ensign T’mur in her quarters on deck nineteen, section twenty-one.” The computer responded again, she groaned, and asked the next question as if she was afraid to hear the answer, “Medical scan, is she asleep?”

As the computer responded, “Negative,” Stephanie let out a sign of relief. She tapped her comm badge and spoke in just above a whisper, hoping not to wake the bunk-mate of her closest friend. T’mur of course, being an Ensign was doubled-up in quarters. “Decatur to T’mur.”

It was almost fourty seconds before the response came in, though it wasn’t in a whisper: “T’mur here, Lieutenant.”

Stephanie got the message that whispering was needless given T’mur’s own volume. “I can’t sleep.” She said plainly, not really complaining, but hoping that the Vulcan would have a remedy.

T’mur was in the hallway outside her room, heading to the turbolift already. In her arms she was carrying her uniform for the day. She was dressed in attire that fit her form perfectly, the material was designed to wick moisture away from her body and allow for the most intense freedom of movement possible. Anyone seeing her would know instantly she was headed for a morning work-out. “Nor can I, Lieutenant. Perhaps you would join me on deck seven, I was hoping to find someone to practice Suus Mahna with”

Stephanie had practiced the forms of the exotic Vulcan martial art on several occasions, but had never heard her want a partner to spar with. She smiled to herself as she fumbled through her closet to get dressed in an outfit similar to T’mur’s. “Of course.”

Ten minutes later the women met just outside the gymnasium on deck seven and entered together, Stephanie breaking the silence, “Trade you quarters.” She joked.

“That would be most improper.” T’mur replied with what seemed like a sign, “Though I would favor a change in living arrangements.”

“Oh?” Stephanie said as the two of them made their way through the gym past several of the crew working out on the endurance and strength-training equipment. “Who did they pair you up with?” she asked curiously.

“Ensign Kimberly Meyers.” T’mur said stoically as they entered one of the sectioned off sparring rings and set their uniforms down on one of the built-in benches beside it. “A human.” She added as an afterthought as they both got into a position side by side. And T’mur set the first pose for the first form they would work through.

Stephanie followed her lead, matching her movements quite well, but not perfect. “Isn’t she one of the counselors?”

“Indeed.”

“Alright, I take it back.”

“Take what back?” T’mur asked breaking her focused concentration on her form for just an instant.

“I don’t want your quarters anymore.” Stephanie said with a grin. The two women worked for almost an hour limbering up and preparing themselves for a sparring match. They talked about the new assignment, the science department, the nanite project…and their mutual insomnia. As it turned out, T’mur, being a typical Vulcan valued her privacy; especially when it concerned non-vulcans. And Dr. Meyers had a typical counselors need to know and understand people. It wasn’t intentional, but the two somehow just did not meld.

“Why have you not simply erected curtains?” T’mur asked Stephanie in regards to her own problem.

“I thought you wanted to spar?” Stephanie asked with a bit of a blush knowing that would be her suggestion. It wasn’t that Stephanie hadn’t thought about it, but when she finally got to her quarters the night before she was too tired to think about it and was now paying for her failure to push herself harder.

“Indeed, if you are prepared.” T’mur said turning to face her friend and department head. She assumed a flexible stance and waited for Stephanie to get into position.

On her part Stephanie assumed a traditionally defensive stance, alerting her opponent that she would not be the first to attack. It was logical given the size difference between the two. The weaker opponent rarely went on the offensive first.

T’mur lunged deftly and feinted right before attacking with a kick from the left. Stephanie was barely able to block it in time and rolled back out of range. For some strange reason, the sparring match made her remember the uncomfortable feeling she experienced on the bridge as they left spacedock. “Did you feel any odd fluctuations in gravity yesterday?” she asked.

“I do not believe so.” T’mur asked as she made another attack, this one Stephanie was unable to block properly and was hit in the side as she attempted another roll. She was quickly back on her feet and shook off the pain. She was obviously not as adept at the Vulcan art as T’mur was, despite having Dezerol’s memories of endless hours of practice. The computer, as it had been programmed, was tallying a score on a screen on the wall since the sensors recognized a sparring match. One to zero.

Stephanie shook her head and focused herself to the task. The next attack came as an attempted grapple and Stephanie made the conscious decision to break tradition and form. She had gotten very adept at Aikido at the Academy, and coupled with Dezerol’s experience, she reacted without thought. Her half-spin and deflection caught T’mur off guard and as the Vulcan stumbled to where Stephanie had been she was able to lightly kick at the much larger woman’s thigh. It was a solid point. One to One.

“I did not recognize that maneuver.” T’mur said with a raised eyebrow as she readied herself again.

Stephanie just chuckled, “It’s an old trick I learned about sixty years ago.” The vulcan’s eyebrow rose even more as she timed her next attack to attempt to catch Stephanie off guard. The two would spend the next hour attacking and evading each other. Before long they had earned some attention from others in the gym. They were both too focused to notice that the score had not moved, meaning the computer had not recognized a single scoring blow from either party. The few people in the gym were watching the two as they burned off the stress of their new assignment and it’s difficulties.

Master Chief Eddington had just finished his own morning work-out routine when he went over to see what everyone was watching. He picked up the towel off the rack beside the equipment he was using and dabbed his forehead to dry it. When he got to the sectioned off ring he recognized the new CSO deftly evading several perfectly timed assaults from the larger Vulcan junior officer. He glanced at the score and smirked, “How long have they been at this?” He asked one of the other crewmen there. “I don’t know…I’ve been watching for almost half an hour, chief.” Was the reply he received.

He checked his chronometer and shook his head. He stepped into the ring and broke the concentration of Stephanie, who turned at just the wrong time and took a blow a little too hard in her stomach. She collapsed to the padded deck and gasped for air. The Chief stopped his movement and watched as the Vulcan knelt beside her friend to ensure she was alright. Nodding that she was ok, Stephanie forced herself to her feet and looked at the Chief, “Yes Master Chief?” She asked, clearly a bit annoyed at the timing of the interruption.

“I just wanted to remind the Lieutenant of the senior officers briefing in about fourty minutes, Ma’am.” He said respectfully. Stephanie looked at the chronometer above the score screen and nodded, blushing a little that time had completely gotten away from her.

“Thank you Chief.” Stephanie said as she looked sheepishly at T’mur who merely raised an eyebrow in response. Stephanie for the first time noticed their audience and her eyes widened slightly, the blush intensified, and seemed to spread down her neck, contrasting the dark blue spots that denoted her species. She muttered something that sounded like “Carry on” before she hastily moved to exit the ring. As she neared the edge she heard Eddington’s voice repeat her order: “You heard her, Carry on….the match is over.” She silently thanked him not only for stopping the match which felt like it could have gone on for hours, but also for having her back when it came to trying to save her dignity. She’d have to buy him a drink later, she mused remembering a new officer doing the same for Dezerol in the past.

 *             *             *

After consuming his meticulously prepared meal, the captain secured his command PADD in his hand and travelled the few steps from his Ready Room to their upcoming conference in the main briefing room occupying the entire aft section of deck one. It was an elongated area with a table designed to match its unique shape and purpose. With a total of ten chairs; four per side and one at each end, the room would serve as the location for the majority of meetings that would occur involving the senior staff of the USS Phoenix. The huge set of bay windows on the aft side were complemented by large computer and holigraphic displays arranged on the wall opposite side. There was also a holographic setup allowing for three-dimensional images, diagrams, maps, blueprints, videos, and such to be projected and manipulated down onto the stretched out table around which they would all sit.

Syntron was the first to arrive and sat down at the head of the table, which was a tradition for many captains. He engaged his PADD to prepare for the upcoming meeting as he awaited his senior officers to arrive.

The briefing room door opened and Commander Riker walked through the ready room door followed by Master Chief Eddington.  As they were finishing a conversation about the crew roster, the first officer noted "Thank you Master Chief that will be all."

"Aye Sir."

As Master Chief Eddington left the room Commander Riker walked over to the table and pulled out the chair to the Captain's right and sat down.

"All systems are operating at full efficiency Captain. Things seem to be going well so far."

"Acknowledged Number One. Let us see if this trend continues as we proceed."

*             *             *

After a shower and changing into her uniform, Stephanie Decatur arrived in the main briefing room on deck one with fifteen minutes to spare. Her report on the science department and systems she was responsible for was on the PADD she had carried with her to the room.

She noted instantly the Captain sitting at the far end of the room, at the head of the banana table. To his right, at the first chair with its back to the massive bay windows, was seated Commander Riker. She felt as much as saw both sets of eyes settle on her and swallowed, trying to fight back the blush she knew was coming onto her cheeks. “Good Morning, Sirs.” She said in a barely audible whisper as she made her way to the seat on the left side of the Captain, leaving an empty chair for the Chief Engineer. She was glad that the Master Chief had given her warning of the time in his own way. She would have been last to arrive late, she was sure, if he hadn’t. She was nervous about handling her position well….especially since her Vulcan captain had been the Chief Science Officer on his last assignment. She felt like she had massive shoes to fill…and knew she had tiny feet.

"Good morning Lieutenant" the captain acknowledged as the diminutive trill quietly enter the briefing room and offer a reticent greeting to him and his first officer.

"Are you finding your new quarters satisfactory Lieutenant Decatur?" he then inquired to his new CSO more out of courtesy than posed as an official question.  

She hesitated as the Captain directed the question to her. “Y..yes Sir. Everything is fine.” She lied, she paused for just a few seconds and tried to recover “I just need a bit more time to get used to them.” At least that much was true. She decided not to admit her issue with her quarters…embarrassing as it was for a Starfleet officer to be afraid of deep space, it would be worse still to have the whole ship know about it.

The captain could easily sense the discomfort of this young officer. The responsibility that she had taken on as the new chief science officer was monumental; especially with her propensity toward timidity.

Not wanting to put her on the spot, the captain merely noted to her "Just let us know of any way that we can make your adjustment here in your new position more accommodating Lieutenant Decatur."   

Stephanie nodded at the two most senior officers on board, “Thank you, Captain. I will.” He turned her focus directly to him, almost ignoring the First officer, “And Captain, I will endeavor to prove you right in your decision, sir.” She knew she didn’t have to elaborate. She had been the department head for under twenty-four hours, and this, like the last time she was in this room, was a test to her. She had to make sure for herself that his faith in her was justified. 

*             *             *

"You should be going."

Nodding to the intensive care chief Odoni Isharo-Senn,  Chief medical officer Elliago Nasaro-Myth took his uniform from the hands of fellow Doctor Sheelya Osaro-Lyth that Sayla Nedaro-Lenn, their surgeon colleague, had brought from the communal replicator. As on all Starfleet ships were they were assigned, all Deltans lived together in one large communal quarter regardless of rank and position. Not only was this easier on the lesser sexually evolved species around them, but it was vital for their psychological balance; Deltans could die of isolation, as Elliago himself had once being very near of experiencing, alone for a month on a shuttle with only a Tellarite for company during the maiden flight of his former ship, the USS Artemis. It had taken months of care back on Delta IV to get him well enough to come back in time for Operation Horizon... and since then, he made a point to have his Deltan colleagues transfer with him on the Phoenix when his new assignment came; something they understandably also were quite favorable to.

To further ensure their well being and that of the crew, these quarters were also shared with the Andorians aboard the ship. Being Ghelnoids with a distinctive, totally alien sexual drive and structure, they were both immune to Deltan sexual pheromones and charms as well almost as much communal in their behavior as Deltans; and they neither had any nudity taboo. Indeed, Elliago had seen much blue skin since his coming aboard and they in turn didn't even glance once at the nude Deltans among them. Of course, there was an antechamber to these quarters that not only allowed them all to disrobe before entering, but preserved the dignity of lesser tolerant species coming to visit them by allowing time for everyone to clothe themselves again before welcoming the visitor. After all, they might have a Vulcan captain which would be very stoic and indifferent about this, but Humans were by far the most numerous species aboard any starship and  they in particular were very sensitive in those regards.

"Our new captain surely loves to chat, doesn't he?" commented Sheelya then as Elliago finished donning his blue shirt.

"He is certainly not like our former commanding officer," added Sayla with a smirk.

The CSO proceeded to put on his black pants on as he answered both women.

"Captain Kheren might be a Kolinarh disciple and very thoughtful, controlled and disciplined, but he still is Andorian; passionate, energetic and decisive. And he relies a lot on Starfleet wisdom to implement decisions, only consulting officers if specific data unknown to him is required or several equally valid options appear. In short, he is a take-charge commander, not a committee commander. Captain Syntron on the other hand is a scientist and very Vulcan; he wants all the data, he wants it thoroughly analyzed, studied, reflected upon then discussed before requiring several recommendations that should be again reflected on, discussed, tested and categorized before he makes a final decision. He demands several equally valid options to be made available to him and that everyone takes part in that decision process."

"Not much time to do that when an unknown hostile vessel comes in and fires at you, " said Odoni, the other male Deltan present in the room at this moment. "You think Captain Syntron will be able to face such a sudden crisis adequately?"

Elliago was starting to put on his boots when he heard the question and lifted a frown towards his compatriot.

"That is why he has been given command of a science vessel, not a deep space explorer like the Horizon or a patrol warship like the Alsea, the Spectre or the McKenzie... And that is why starships have XOs nowadays. Commander Riker is what Humans like to call a man-of-action. Not all that much of a philosopher maybe, but certainly a decisive, pro-active and nevertheless keen individual. Starfleet assigns XOs to complement starship commanders, support their strengths and counterbalance their weaknesses so that a starship has the best chances of success out there. That's why the logical, analytical Commander Spock and not the fiery, dynamic Gary Mitchell had been assigned as second in command to James Kirk, back in the days of the Fleet of Twelve and the illustrious USS Enterprise. "

As he buttoned his grey and black vest, he finished:

"And in this present instance, it is up to each department to come up with thoroughly analyzed proposals as fast as possible to have our captain ready to decide as fast as possible. And this includes cross-working with all other departments; in our case especially Science."

"Which might prove difficult, " Sheelya then said with a frown of her own." Our new CSO is clearly a racist... and with a lot of Deltans in medical and a few even in her own department..."

"She must have had a few bad experiences with some of our kind and she yet haven't got the maturity to go past appearances and broad generalizations," offered Odoni then. "Which is curious considering that she is a Joined Trill with several generations lived already..."

"The host gives much into the psychological make-up of a Joined Trill," explained Elliago then." Obviously, this latest one has a lot of psychological issues and unresolved fears, including being very self-conscious about her physical size. "

"I thought hosts were psychologically screened for such problems?" asked Sheelya then.

"There is a lot we still don't know about the process," answered the CMO finishing dressing up." Sometimes a host is selected following an emergency and only from the physiological rejection factor so as not to lose the symbiot. But whatever the reasons for the heavy prejudices of this one, she is still a colleague and a department chief; it is up to us to show her how wrong she is by respecting her feelings, however primitive and anachronistic they may be. After all, she is of a sensually immature species and it will take her time to sort out those feelings properly.  But, as a scientist, she should eventually accept evidences before her... or else she will have a very short career in Starfleet."

"Speaking of short time..."

Elliago nodded to Sayla and exited their communal quarters to go at a brisk pace toward the nearest turbolift. After a quick ride up and forward, the doors whooshed open and he went straight for the main meeting room where already was waiting the captain and the very being he had been discussing about moments before.

"Captain... Commander... Lieutenant..." he simply said upon entering, nodding to each with a soft smile and a frank stare.

Stephanie was still afraid to talk to the Deltan, she knew he must think her strange, stupid, or worse, racist toward him. She really didn’t want to dislike anyone for their species…but having experienced his pheromones without consent, she couldn’t help but feel awkward around him still. She simply nodded in response to his greeting and sat quietly, waiting for others to arrive.

As CMO, Elliago was not part of the formal chain of command; his advice was however almost as important as that of the captain when the safety and health of the crew was concerned; and which was the primary concern of any starship commander worthy of the name. And so, he seated himself completely at the other end of the long table, facing Captain Syntron. At the same time, it put him far enough of the uncomfortable Trill science officer but still partly in her field of vision, so that she would not be able to completely ignore his presence either.

Nevertheless, the Deltan disliked this "banana table" and it's seating arrangement, being strictly hierarchical and barely communal, emphasizing rank and authority over sharing and participating. This was somewhat askance with what he knew of his commanding officer's attitude, but he also understood that, as a Vulcan, Syntron was rather a conformist; and as a new starship commander, he would feel more at ease with formal arrangements than the more even, close-sharing formulae their former and more seasoned captain had preferred by using an old style triangular meeting table.

Indeed, Syntron looked rested, relaxed, at ease despite his new responsibilities. Obviously, he had rested and eaten recently.

"Well Captain Sir; I'm glad to see that our new Yeoman is taking good care of you. For once Starfleet had implemented a most wise decision and efficient policy. I heard they did the same thing on the Horizon. Good thing I will not have any more to relieve a commanding officer off duty for neglecting his health; especially for no reason."

He had to make the point. He had been aware of Syntron eschewing sleep and meals during launch preparation, which was a rather illogical behavior when you thought about it. Unless there was an immediate crisis to answer, launching a starship on schedule was not all that critical an issue, not one at least that warranted compromising one's health needlessly like this... or compromising the entire ship and crew if such a crisis suddenly appeared right after launch, with a captain already weakened and fatigued... But between him, the medical monitoring and the new yeoman, at least such risks could be averted, even with a stubborn, careless, overdriven commanding officer... like a Vulcan one.

With a raised eyebrow, Syntron looked up at the Deltan doctor sitting on the sole chair directly across from him. He noted that the CMO seemed to have a bit of a mischievous glimmer in his eye as he spoke those words.

"If you are referring to this new Yeoman's assertiveness... that has been clearly evident to me since she first presented herself; and every subsequent time since. As to the overall benefit of such an acquisition, that is yet to be determined; by me at least. Nevertheless, I would venture that Captain Kheren's judgment on acquiring a similar Yeoman at this point in time would be in close proximity that that of my own."

Then looking briefly at the quiet trill sitting there at the moment before bringing his attention back to the CMO, the captain added "Yeoman Albera for some reason however, was rather impressed with you, Doctor."

"Hmmm, well, I have yet to see our former commander ever react like you of all people, Captain Sir... or like anyone else for that matter. And do not forget that he is married now; maybe a yeoman is to him a much appreciated... alternative  from having to deal with the same issues but with his two wives. Having an Aenar Counselor for one and a two point twenty-five meters tall security officer for the other, he might actually enjoy having to deal with only one person, non-Andorian and with no emotional attachment to him. "

Then looking briefly at the quiet trill sitting there at the moment before bringing his attention back to the CMO, the captain added "Yeoman Albera for some reason however, was rather impressed with you, Doctor."

"Because she is a charming, caring person and she knows that I am one too, " said Elliago with a wink. Then more seriously he added. " Or it might just be the usual Human reaction to Deltan presence. Even with no pheromones, my species is exceedingly alluring to other humanoid species; hence why everyone of my kind in Starfleet goes bald and sign up an oath of celibacy. Yeoman Albera is a  rational, intelligent and mature individual despite her youth;  she will get used to me and my brethren after a while and with regular contact with us. After all, we do not wish to abuse anyone from a sensually and sexually immature species. And if we, even inadvertently, do so, we are morally and dutifully bound to stop and correct any such behavior for the sake of those around us. As a fellow Starfleet officer, she is of course as well aware of this as you are."

As the CMO spoke, Stephanie looked up from her PADD and listened, taking in his words and she couldn’t help but feel that they were directed at her rather than the Captain, despite who the Deltan was addressing.

Then, his expression became light again.

"Not to mention that we are a lot more easier to deal with than Andorians, Klingons or Tellarites... or annoyed Vulcan captains. If she can't cope with it, she will soon find her uniform very uncomfortable. "

As he said all this, he did not look at Lieutenant Decatur, already aware of her discomfort with him. But he wanted to make the point clearly accross and have her realize that he was not about to ever repeat his earlier mistake with her... or with anyone else... ever. But then, that she also had to do her own part... for her own sake.

As he finished Stephanie realized she was staring and immediately looked back down at her PADD. “That opinion changes with the individuals I believe, Doctor.” She said in almost a whisper. Her barely audible voice carried the first words she had spoken to the Doctor since the first meeting where she presented the plan for the Nanite system. She looked up, first to the Captain and Riker, and then turned to the Doctor, her voice shaking a little as she spoke, “I don’t doubt that most Deltans are noble, and caring individuals; Just as most Klingons are brutish and coarse; but as with all species there are some who are less so.” She said alluding to her many bad experiences at the Academy. She wasn’t sure if the small group of Deltans who enjoyed tormenting her and other students had even graduated, they were a year under her in her studies. She had hoped that Starfleet would have removed them from service given their apparent disregard for their own oath, but she hadn’t bothered to check up on it.

And as if he had read her mind, Elliago confirmed her hopes.

"You might be referring to that group of my compatriots who are now serving time in a penal colony under psychological monitoring for transgression of both Starfleet regulations and Deltan laws after being found guilty of assault on several citizens of the Federation, notably Academy students, and harassment and bribery attempt towards several instructors there as well, " he then reported. " Yes, I know about them because it is exceedingly rare to have some psychopatic behavior in members of my species; and such are promptly and expertly taken care of. "

He then turned squarely his luminous, purple eyes towards her, a genuinely sheepish smile on his handsome face and much warmth and contrition in his musical voice.

"If you were ever one of their victims, lieutenant, then on behalf of my people, let me offer you my most sincere apologies... and also for the discomfort I personally caused you earlier when I erred myself in a lesser but similarly deplorable manner."

Stephanie looked squarely at the Doctor as he gave her the news of what had happened to those that had tormented her and it was hard not to find joy in their misfortunes. Her face was, however, rather stoic up until his last words.

‘Deer in the headlights’ didn’t quite fit her reaction as he called himself out, and confirmed her fears that word had gotten back to him as far as who had initiated the complaint of his use of pheromones without seeking consent. She sat there for a moment, the by now familiar blush spreading up her neck to her cheeks. “I…” She started trying to say but the words got caught in her throat. She was genuinely regretful that it had gone to the Captain, and was glad he hadn’t seen formal charges. Still, she was glad he had not attempted to confront her before, but at the same time was regretful that such had happened here and now, with the Captain and First Officer looking on. She simply looked down at her PADD and spoke in just over a whisper, “I’m sorry.” She finally got out, “I had told Dr. Grey to keep it between us.” She genuinely felt like she had betrayed him by allowing the EMH to report his previous, and now it seemed unintentional behavior to the captain. It wasn’t that she disliked the Deltan, she just didn’t want to be toyed with by anyone, least of all Deltans…especially against her will.

Elliago leaned closer to her and took the same soft, discreet tone as hers.

"You have nothing to apologize for, my dear. And let me put your mind at ease; Doctor Grey told me nothing about you personally or even just specifically. Fact is, he didn't had to. He only pointed to me his sensor readouts while i was doing it in sickbay and discussed the matter with me until I understood. What I did to you I routinely had done with everyone around me for all my  years in Starfleet and even way before officially joining, thinking I was helping people to cope with undue stress. About time someone pointed out to me all that was wrong about it. And so, despite having no formal complaint recorded about the matter, I was the one to report myself to the captain for disciplinary action. All I got for it this time was a little slap on the wrist and told not to do it again. "

He now looked squarely at her with a very serious expression on his soft features.

"And you can be absolutely sure of this, Lieutenant; I will never do it like this ever again. My conduct has been unbecoming of a Sarfleet officer and even more as a member of a species which boasts to be emotionally more enlightened than all others. About time I for one live up to that boast and start behaving properly.  And be sure that I will. "

He smiled again, signifying that, for him, the matter was closed.

She nodded to him quietly, unsure at the moment how to respond. She knew she needed time to process their exchange. But she definitely felt better having everything in the open. She was grateful when door slid open to reveal Commander Rodgers entered the room, as it gave the excuse to stop the conversation…at least for now.

*             *             *

It was 0600 hours on the second day of the assignment, and B'Zinga Decatur already had a roommate mediation to deal with. Apparently, two enlisted crewmembers were so dissatisfied with their living arrangements that they just had to find and outside party to help them with their conflicts. B'Zinga couldn't think of why such a rooming situation has deteriorated so quickly, but hey - with all the things that were going on right now, she knew to expect surprises.

The first person to arrive at the mediation was Petty Officer 1st Class Rival, a Risian who has had a few tours of duty under her belt. While transporter duty wasn't exactly the most glorious job on the starship, someone had to do it - and Rival didn't mind it at all. In fact, she rather enjoyed it. She loved the opportunity to be one of the first people to meet visitors to the ship face-to-face.

After greeting B'Zinga, Rival took a seat next to B'Zinga at a table meant for four. She crossed her legs and looked down at her PADD.

B'Zinga took a deep breath. She knew she had to discuss something quick before her roommate entered, and B'Zinga didn't like bearing bad news. But still - B'Zinga knew that she had to say it.

"So Rival," said B'Zinga, "I did ask about finding a different mediator. Unfortunately, much of the staff is very busy right now. I hope that you're okay with being the mediator."

Rival sighed. "At least it's better than nothing. I just hope that you'll be fair, especially since my roommate is your cousin."

"Honestly," replied B'Zinga, "I don't even know her that well. She is a distant cousin on my husband's side of the family. I didn't even know what she looked like until I met her at our first staff meeting. I will do my best to be a fair person. Even so - if you would rather postpone this and have the mediation session at another time and with another mediator, please let me know."

"It's fine," said Rival. "I just really want this to be dealt with. No offense to your husband's family, but I can't stand my roommate."

*             *             *

Having consumed much of his time in main engineering, after he had gotten a short sleep, double checking the systems throughout the ship, Rogers replicated a fourth cup of hot black coffee and made his way to the briefing room aft of the bridge on deck one. As the doors admitted him, he saw that he was only fourth to arrive, and with a greeting to the three prior occupants of the room, David made his way to a seat half way down the curved table inward and took a the open seat between the young Trill lieutenant and the Captain.

“Morning Captain... Commander... Lieutenant... Doctor.”

It was momentarily apparent that there was a hint of tension in the air, and David glanced around at the three quickly, but saw no outward signs of distress upon any of their features. Not that he expected to on captain Syntron’s normally stoic Vulcan features. Shrugging it off, he noticed something different about Lieutenant Decatur, but couldn’t quite place a feeling upon it.

Stephanie gave the engineer a shy smile as if to assure him that everything was fine.

Glancing out the large bay windows, David casually watched the view aft of the ship as she cruised purposefully along her course. While the warped star field slipped past the Phoenix and receded into obscurity, David slipped his work PADD onto the desk in front of him and activated it prior to tying in to the holographic projectors, should this briefing require it. Once done, David glanced around again and noticed that no one present had a beverage of any sort, and he quietly picked up his own coffee cup and singularly drained its remaining contents.

Entering the room Lieutenant Argyle glanced around at all the other officers.  To them it was probably barely noticeable but entering a room full of peopl Argyle listened to  the mechanical sounds of his implants and they were deafening.  Still feeling a bit of an uneasy presence around the room Argyle mustered his courage and nodded to the room full of officers.  While quickly busying himself with the PADD he was carrying Lieutenant Argyle pulled out a chair and sat down.  Looking up only momentarily he noticed there was a two seat gap from where he was sitting and the Doctor.  Not wanting to appear unfriendly Argyle smiled and moved closer.  Using the PADD he connected the interface to the display projectors for his security brief.   As he leaned back in his chair slightly Argyle tried to ease the awkwardness and continue with his preparations.

Stephanie returned the nod the cybernetic officer had made, though he seemed intent on his course and destination, so she refrained from speaking to him. She found him fascinating, and she wanted so desperately to learn more about him, and the implants he had.

Noting that the time was past their appointed starting time, the captain addressed his first officer.

"Commander Riker, ascertain what is delaying the arrival of our chief operations officer."

Syntron understood that the Klingon woman arrived late to her post on the ship through no fault of her own. However, she was present when this meeting was announced and it does not offer a good impression to the senior staff to not be present for your first senior officer's meeting.

Just on cue, B'Zinga rushed into the room. The roommate mediation took a lot longer than she thought it would.

Looking at her rather seriously as the COO scurried in, the captain noted her late arrival with but a few words. 

"I see that you found you way to our meeting Lieutenant. In the future, be cognizant of the starting time."

B'Zinga quickly apologized to Captain Syntron and everyone else at the table and took her seat.

The captain then briefly glanced around at each of the officers present before he began the meeting.

"We have arrived without incident to our initial destination and are ready to begin conducting the next phase of our testing of the ship and its components. But before we go any further with this meeting, I would like first to officially present our new chief science officer... Lieutenant JG Stephanie Decatur and our new chief operations officer... Lieutenant JG B'Zinga Decatur."

After greetings from their fellow senior staff were completed, the captain continued.

"With the addition of these two Starfleet officers, we are now ready to proceed onward."

The captain then called up on video display lists of Starfleet General Orders and Regulations.

"I display these policies here for a moment as a reminder to  each of us to remember that at all times we are obligated to abide by these laws and regulations; whether we are on a specific mission or are merely off-duty in any location. There is no rational for disregarding these regulations; regardless of circumstance or perceived justification."

The captain looked carefully at each officer as he spoke.

"Each of you sitting here are the key representatives of your department and of this ship. You need to lead by example to all of those that serve with you, and equally to those that are under your supervision. Errors will occur, but consider carefully how you will address and resolve those committed by you or others. If you are ever in doubt about a situation or decision, seek counsel from those available to best advise you."

The captain then disengaged the display of the regulations as he proceeded.

"The main reason we are gathered here at this time is to discuss our current status and plans for our next phase of tests and experiments. As we have seen, there have already been numerous changes and upgrades throughout this vessel in various departments since this ship arrived to the starbase. We have had an opportunity to monitor the effectiveness of these modifications from our time in spacedock, through the launch sequence, and up to our current position. Our intention now is to proceed around the table to allow each department head to present their department's status and then explain what their next priority will be. Some of these plans may be self-contained while others may include cross-department collaboration. After each presentation concludes, an opportunity will be available for any of you to ask questions or perhaps request clarification regarding anything that was presented or omitted."

Looking around the Vulcan captain noted "If there are no questions at this time, then please proceed."

The Chief medical officer was the first to comply.

"Well... I got sickbay ready. With medical facilities only surpassed by the flagship and less mobile starbases and Doctor Grey available as a full back up at every moment for our three shifts all manned by fully certified doctors, we are  able  to cope with the worst emergencies. I also gave our esteemed Chief Engineer my recommendations for crossing our medical computer, transporter systems and inboard shipwide sensor grid to constantly monitor the heath status of every living being aboard. With our shipwide hologrid, the EMH can instantly respond to any broken nail everywhere aboard... and eschew the standard regulation medical examination most of you Starfleet gents are so fearful of."

Smiling, he winked at Arguyle near him. Of all people aboard, he was the one most justified to feel ill at ease or annoyed with being confined into a lab with curious doctors buzzing over his archaic mix of artificial and biological parts. Then he finished his report.

"I would like also to have all combadges aboard modified with a simplified tricorder scanner to transmit the wearer's biometrics along with his location. This is not a new idea, mind you; they had that feature on the belt buckle of late 23rd century uniforms... that's right, the pastel pajama ones of the legendary refitted USS Enterprise two hundred years ago. Those uniforms did not last long in Starfleet, but the medical monitor integrated to it was a brilliant idea that should be revisited. It would extend our proposed ship monitoring over to away teams and thus, offer better safety, prevention and support in dangerous areas."

Captain Syntron acknowledged.

"Those are prudent recommendations Doctor. Permission is granted for crossing our medical computer, transporter systems and inboard ship-wide sensor grid as you indicated to monitor the heath of the crew. Have your medical team coordinate with our engineering department to bring this into fruition, and afterward, to work toward modifying or creating these new combadges to your specifications straightaway following this meeting."

Stephanie listened responded quickly as soon as the Captain and CMO were finished. She tapped her PADD to send the formalized written report to all the officers in the room, including the captain. Their PADDs beeped to acknowledge a new message.

“Captain, the science department reports ready. As I’ve only been a department head for—well, less than twenty-four hours—I’ve had a chance to meet with Lieutenant JG Danglars who has been filling in until I was assigned. He brought me up to speed on the personnel and department readiness. As you know, the ships science capabilities have been upgraded and are second to none among mobile platforms. The Phoenix is easily the most advanced science ship in the fleet now.”

“Sensor response time from when you need a detailed analysis to when we can report are down by twenty three percent, and the ODN and BNDN speeds are up twenty six point six percent” She paused for only an instant, “I know I can get it better than that, and my nanotechnologists and I will be working on that as we progress, sir.” She then continued on with her briefing, not even having to look down at the PADD. “Given my time constraints I’ve only had a chance to meet with Lieutenants Danglars and Thatcher; and Ensigns Morcef, Hernandez, and Forrest. However I have scheduled a department meeting of all senior specialists tomorrow at this same time. I’ve also had a chance to inspect the Stellar Cartography and Astrometrics Labs on Deck 3 and can report they are fit for duty. The general labs on deck 17 have also been fully inspected and are ready to receive orders. I intend to complete the inspections of the labs on decks 19, 20, and 24 today.” 

Looking from his command PADD directly into the eyes of the young trill, Syntron noted "It would appear that you have adapted to your new role most admirably Lieutenant Decatur."

Syntron recognized that the trill CSO was new to her position and that she was adapting to many challenging factors in this position; both professionally and personally, with diligence.

"Continue with your plans and meetings as stated Lieutenant Decatur. However, I have a task for you and your department to begin to prepare for and eventually implement that you will need to discuss with members of your department leaders immediately following this meeting" the captain notified his new CSO. "Consider this your first official assignment as chief science officer."

Without delay, the captain began to describe what he had in mind as he engaged a holographic image of their current location in space within an enormous amount of distance surrounding them displayed with key representational avatars in place as he spoke.

"I will need you to set up several teams to prepare a series of long-range sensor probes with particle and field detectors and imaging systems enhanced by your nanite technology to take localized readings from the immediate surroundings of a preselected volume of space far from our current location."

The captain then indicated these locations symbolized by a series of probe-like avatars within the three-dimensional regions in the holographs far from the ship's location, but in relative proximity on an outward scale.  

"Plan to send enough of these reconnaissance-like probes throughout this given radius shown to gather a spectrum of results and then measure the overlapping areas in relation to their scanning positions and relative distance. Also, have your team prepare a series of comm relay probes enabled to capture and transmit the data back to us at our given location; once we reduce our velocity. Your team will need to decide where best to place these relay probes as well for maximum efficiency."

As he leaned back in his seat once again, the captain simplified his purpose.

"Our intent is to establish an effectiveness at scanning and gathering data at long-range distances and then determining the means by which to compensate for any degradation or interference that may occur when receiving their transmissions."

The captain regarded the youthful CSO with full confidence.

"Your area of expertise in these matters seem most suited to this task Lieutenant, and you are welcome to coordinate your efforts with our chief engineer along with our chief operations officer for any additional resources or personnel that you and your team require. Afterward, we will select a few of these scanned areas, and then warp within closer proximity of these regions to verify the accuracy of the data acquired, while also providing you with an expansive opportunity to truly push the limits of your nanotechnology enhancements."    

Stephanie listened to the captain, letting him completely finish before speaking.

“Aye, sir. I think we can accomplish that by modifying some Type VIII and IX warp probes.” She tapped her PADD, making notes, and continued without looking up. “I’ll have a report on options to you by 1100, sir.” She said as she continued to work on the problem she was just handed.

"Acknowledged Lieutenant." the captain responded as he updated information into his command PADD.

As the next officer was about to speak, Stephanie looked up and spoke.

“Commander Rodgers, can I speak with you after the meeting?” she asked. She hadn’t technically interrupted because the next officer to speak had only just opened their mouth and sound hadn’t quite been formulated when they had been cut off, but it was still rude…though Stephanie was looking at a problem…and didn’t realize what she had just done.

Entering notes in his PADD, Rogers merely listened to his cohort’s reports and noted pertinent information pertaining to engineering. When Lieutenant Decatur requested talking after the meeting was over, David glanced over at her and nodded in understanding, but allowed the table talk to go on.

He was ostentatiously calculating warp probe speeds and subspace signal degradation distances in order to figure out how recon probes in a yet un-defined radius at a yet un-defined distance could be linked reliably back to the Phoenix, and yet not lose the data it carried. In explored Federation space, subspace communications relays were stationed every twenty light years because signal loss occurred at twenty two point six five light years. As many as five hundred such relays were deployed by the federation yearly as exploration expanded exponentially from the core worlds.

Class nine probes had a maximum range of seven hundred and twenty light years, but would require retrieval at that range. Class eight probes, at a range of one hundred and twenty light years, would also require retrieval at that range. Halving these distances would allow the probes to return, but would three hundred and eighty light years suffice for the captain’s proposal? It was a thought provoking problem, and he realized that the chief science officer was already thinking about these same obstacles, thus her request of moments before.

Standing up then, Rogers carried his PADD around the table behind the captain and took a position off his right side near the large bay window.  His first words would, of course, address the current status of the ship.

“Captain. Engineering is in great shape. Our current cruise velocity should get us to the projected destination in twenty six days, so I have enabled the bussard collector to augment our fuel supply while en-route. Structural integrity and inertial dampening fields are performing well under the current nanotech installation, although there is some jumping occurring as we cross peak transitional thresholds. I am working with Chief Decatur to pin down the problem. It has shown no significant signs of affecting the ship or crew.”

David then noticed Lieutenant B’Zinga looking at him quizzically, and he then realized his faux-pas.

“Sorry Lieutenant, I mean the chief science officer”

With a slight moment of discomfort, David continued.

“If I may address the good doctor’s request pertaining to the computer tie in idea, I believe it is already in place. As you know, communications badges already monitor bioelectrical field and temperature through the dermal sensor controllers. This is mainly a security function preventing un-authorized use of the badge by anyone other than the owner without proper protocols. As the main computer already tracks this data, the medical computer has it as well. Also, the ship’s internal sensors can immediately find anyone via these badges. Again, by tapping into the dermal sensor readings of the units. Constant monitoring of the badge location will pose no problem to the computer’s.”

Taking a slight pause, David got on with the crux of the matter that concerned him.

“As for cross tying the medical computers to the transporters, I have concerns against that at this time captain. The site-to-site function of the transport shunts the matter stream from the target destination, through to the transport chamber. But, then the matter stream is shunted to a second pattern buffer and then to a second emitter array: In this case, the medical bay.”

Having defined the particulars of a site-to-site transport, David continued.

“I can say that during normal conditions, this type of transport poses no difficulties whatsoever, but I am deeply concerned at the pattern degradation if such a transport occurred during a red alert. The twice normal power requirements of this transport may run afoul of the ship’s power requirements during a crisis.”

Looking directly at Doctor Nasaro-Myth then, David considered his next words carefully before continuing.

“I understand your reasoning doctor, but you must concur that site-to-site transport can be dangerous under high power usage throughout the ship during a crisis. If, say, multiple casualties were to be sent to medical under those conditions, I dare say you could lose patients, as the transport effectively halves the system capacity under large personnel transports.”

Looking back at captain Syntron again, Rogers concluded with a codicil. Partly to assuage the doctor, and mostly to put the ball back into the captain’s court, so to speak.

“Captain, I suggest that if this site-to-site procedure is implemented that only key medical personnel be given the required protocols to enable it during a high alert scenario.”

Finishing, David returned to his chair and placed himself in a position facing across the table from the Deltan doctor. He knew that some sort of rebuttal would be forth coming, and he probably needed it, considering his past recalcitrance concerning medical matters on board. However, he also knew that mishandling a transporter under those conditions he had mentioned could cost lives. It was not the people using them, it was the possible circumstances surrounding the use that had him concerned.

With a slightly raised brow, the captain switched his gaze between his chief engineer and his medical chief.

"Thank you for your thorough engineering report along with a rather prudent analysis of the medical request, Commander Rogers. Perhaps You and Doctor Nasaro-Myth can discuss this to a greater degree and reach an agreeable solution." Syntron noted, seeing that the ChEng had sat down directly across from the CMO.

 

(( Post continued in Part II))