Posted by Ensign Matthew Riley (Science Officer) in Side-Sim: Sharing the Stars

Riley passed the door to the science labs again. He didn’t even pause this time; he knew it took three minutes to circuit the corridors around this section, and he’d still had nine minute to go when he passed last time. He know how long it took because he’d been pacing the hallway for more than half an hour. He hated that he knew both those things.

It’ll be fine, he told himself. It’s a good idea, and shows your interest in the ship and crew. That didn’t set his mind at ease.

It’s also a huge undertaking, he reminded himself. It’s more than what just one person could do - which is why you’re going to her.

He pulled at the collar of his uniform, allowing some air down his neck to cool him. He was in front of the doors again, and he stopped, squeezing the medallion in his pocket before he entered. Three minutes left.

“Oh, hey Riley,” he heard as he walked in. He spotted a civilian scientist approaching with a PADD. “Just who I was looking for. These readings of the Galimas cluster look weird, and I was hoping you could take a look at them.”

Riley paused, looking at the large windows to the chief’s office. She was seated at her desk, and he hoped he had sent the appointment request correctly. He’d gotten the confirmation, anyway. He looked back to the scientist, taking the PADD. He frowned at the data display, and swiped through a couple of screens.

“Yeah, that is strange.” He pointed. “Look at that pattern in the gamma range.” He swiped to another screen. “It’s not on cluster 12, just 13.” He paused, staring at the wall. “Aim sensor cluster 12 at the PSR J0102 pulsar and run a calibration diagnostic. I think that one has a frequent enough periodicity to get everything smoothed back out. Thanks, Dr. Jenkins.” He handed the PADD back to the man, and climbed the stairs up to the chief’s office.

One minute. He tugged his shirt, took a breath, and pressed the chime, then waved through the large windows.

• Ensign Riley, Science

Fayth had received his request and was waiting for Riley when he arrived. She waved him in through the glass, “Come in, Riley.” Her office was now much different than the mess it was their first meeting. The flower bed by the window had small seedlings beginning to show and the lab area to the right seemed to have the beginnings of a basic genetics experiment set up. As well as samples that she was running a DNA analysis of. She stood up waving him towards a chair. “Do you want anything from the replicator?”
Lt jg Fayth, CSO

Riley glanced around the office, taking in the various changes as he sat. “No, thank you,” he responded as he squinted at the genetics experiment from across the room. He couldn’t make out the readings though.

“Actually,” he said, looking back to her, “a glass of water would be great.”

Sharah moved over to the replicator and got two glasses of ice water. By now most everyone knew the only thing Sharah drank was water. She’d had tea one morning, after a very long night, and someone in the department had started calling her the energizer bunny after the caffeine got into her system from the tea. She brings the glasses over and hands one to Riley.

“Looks like you’re settling in well,” he said, scooting the chair closer to the desk and setting his PADD on it. He aligned the edge of the device with the edge of the desk as he waited, rubbing his thumb up and down the sides of both to ensure it was even.

She wondered if the lining up was a nervous habit or simply a personality quirk. “I’m trying to. It’s a bit of an adjustment. I’ve heard that you are making quite an impression down in astrometrics. The other officers, and the enlisted ones too, are quite impressed with your work. Are you settling on alright? Anything you need down there?”

“I know you’re busy,” he continued as he waited, “so I’ll try not to take up too much of your time.”

• Ensign Riley, Science

Sharah waved that away. “I am here to help you in anyway I can. You can’t take up too much time. As for busy, it’s just schedules. And those don’t change too much, so I have plenty of time.”
Lt. jg Fayth, CSO

Riley nodded as he accepted the water and took a sip, the coolness spreading through his chest and calming him some. Almost instantly he then felt flush with warmth at the compliment, and took a deep breath in the hopes it would keep the embarrassment from staining his cheeks. “They’ve been great, the officers, the civilians; everyone enjoys what they do and they excel at it. What more could I ask for?” He chuckled, still trying to push the nervous energy down. He took another sip of water and then set it on the desk.

“So, I had an idea a few nights ago, as I was looking for something to do after my shift. I’d like to develop an educational and recreational program that is targeted to the civilian population of the ship, something that can really help demonstrate the awe-inspiring magnitude of space, and the stars we’re lucky enough to travel; and something more targeted than a holodeck.” His voice was firming now.

“It’s what inspired me to delve into the sciences, and contributed to that same awe that I feel every time we aim a sensor array. I mean, we’re examining stars.” His smile and the sparkle in his eyes clearly showed the passion was feeling. “But no one can really see that. The labs are off-limits to most civilians, stellar cartography is beautiful, but designed for work. But what if we could bring the stars to them?”

He tapped the PADD and the display lit up with a map of the Ark Angel, and he zoomed in on the additional entertainment module the ship was equipped with. He tapped one of the unlabeled spaces.

“Lieutenant… can we build a planetarium?”

• Ensign Riley, Science

As he talked, Sharah listened intently. His mention of targeting the civilian crew was right in line with what she had been hoping to do with the arboretum. Allow the school children to help design a project and take ownership of it. They were the future officers of Star Fleet. And so much of the ship was off limits to them. Then he asked for the planetarium. She smiled as she sat back. “That’s quite the undertaking, Riley. You’ll need engineers to build it, and I’m assuming you would head up the programs offered in this Planetarium?”

She looked at the layout of the entertainment module. She was no engineer. “Alright, I have to approve this through the captain, BUT I want a full proposal. I want to know what kind of programs you intend to offer, how you are going to staff it. This will be your baby, so you will be in charge of scheduling, planning, and maintaining it. I want you to get with engineering and work up a proposal to build it and where it would work in the entertainment module. And a couple of different areas for it. Get me a preliminary in a couple of days, and you and I will take it to the captain.”
Lt jg Fayth, CSO