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Pre-Sim - Reporting to the CO

Posted Jan. 20, 2019, 12:31 p.m. by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Lieutenant Riali Deandres (Chief Science Officer) in Pre-Sim - Reporting to the CO

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Pre-Sim - Reporting to the CO

Posted by Lieutenant Riali Deandres (Chief Science Officer) in Pre-Sim - Reporting to the CO
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Let’s see.. Riali thought to herself, tapping a stylus against her lip in thought. She sat at the foot of her bed, her kit laying on a small table halfway across the room, seemingly forgotten for the time being. Studying the PaDD in her lap, she glanced over the checklist of what needed to be completed, before the evening claimed another day. How about this.. She scribbled down the items in a list of importance, making for the most effective way to tackle the rest of her day.

Pulling herself to her feet, she took one last glance at the PaDD, tossing it onto the bed as it landed with a soft clap. At the top of her list, in scribbled cursive, read: ‘Check in with the boss,’ her first intended stop of the day.

Tugging her uniform, she made certain it was straight enough to be somewhat presentable, even if the scientist was harldy known for being conscientious about what she wore, she headed out of the quarters, prepared to deal with its contents later. Navigating her way back to the turbolift, she held her tongue during the entire ride up, despite a young NE standing beside her. Stepping off, with a genial nod of acknowledgement to the Ensign, she headed for the Captain’s ready room, pressing her finger against the chime.

Now, she waited.

Lt. Deandres
CSO

“Come in.” came a voice from the other side of the door and the doors slid open.

The office was obviously recently moved into, as there were still a few small boxes stacked in a corner of the room and two bookcases on one wall stood with empty shelves behind their glass doors. Pictures had been mounted around the room, and various odds and ends graced places here and there. Displayed prominently, however, on a shelf by itself high up on the wall directly behind the desk that sat opposite the door, was a lone figure of a gold Ox. Lighting had been directed so that it drew the eye of anyone who came through the door almost immediately.

Seated behind the desk was a human male in the red uniform of Command officers. He looked up as the doors opened. His hair was black, making the bright blue eyes beneath the well-groomed hair even more intense. He had a youthful appearance, somewhat more so than the Captain’s pips at his collar would seem to indicate. He smiled warmly as the Lieutenant entered and stood up. He was tall, but not overly so, and had a lithe, athletic build.

“Ah, Lieutenant Deandres. So nice to meet you.” and he extended his hand towards her. His voice was pleasant, with a very slight British accent. “Captain Alexander Cochrane. I trust your trip to the station was uneventful?”

Cochrane, CO

As though a shrine intended to steal the attention of every waygoing tourist, the Ox caught her diverse gaze, hogging it for several seconds. She pondered the significance behind it, wondering if it were some kind of memoriam for a deceased family member or valued crewman. Although, she had not the heart to ask the Captain if he had lost someone.

Tugging her attention from the Ox, the sound of a lightly accented voice directing her eyes towards a tall, lithe man, whose obisidan hair emphasized the azure of his profound gaze. His youth puzzled her, an appearance hardly withstanding the rank indicated by his collar. Although, she suspected the Captain held a level of prestige that age could not measure, a nature she had become accustomed to seeing.

“Captain Cochrane.. please, the pleasure is all mine,” A charming smile, friendly rather than flirtatious, bore a certain prominence about her features. “Oh, you could say something like that. My first trip was with a genial group of scienists, ranging seven different species. After living in the same bunker for six months, you can probably imagine the conversations,” She laughed. “How has your day been, sir?”

Lt. Deandres
CSO

Cochrane chuckled slightly and said “My head feels like it’s been in a bunker for six months.” and he gestured to one of the chairs sitting in front of the desk. “Last minute change of command, getting those we need on and those we have to say farewell to off… it’s definitely challenging, I can say that.” and he walked over to the replicator. “Care for anything to drink, Lieutenant?” he asked politely.

Cochrane, CO

“And I thought closing an expedition was hard. But you, sir, you seem to have more on your plate than any of us,” She smiled, “Combined.” Riali allowed her hands to fall to her sides, quietly. “Last minute? Congratulations on your new command,” She added, shortly after processing his words. “Green tea would be amazing, thank you.”

Lt. Deandres
CSO

Cochrane chuckled and retrieved the green tea. For himself, black tea with lemon. Carrying the drinks back to his desk, he set the cups down and took a seat. “Thank you. And first command, actually.” and he took a sip. “I know a lot of CO’s would try to downplay that fact, but I think it’s best for everyone to know that I’m new to the center chair. It will make my inevitable mistakes a bit more palatable.” he said with a chuckle. Leaning back, he looked directly at Riali. “So. What questions do you have before I ask mine?” he said plainly.

Cochrane, CO

First command, eh? Don’t mess up,” Riali kept her voice light, an effort to make certain he knew her to only be teasing. “In all seriousness, if Starfleet Command thought you worthy of becoming a Captain, they were probably right. Of course, like you said, there is going to be your fair share of trials and tribulations, but I’m almost positive you’ll do fine, sir.” Receiving the tea, she bowed her head in appreciation, waiting for it to cool. “Questions? None that likely won’t be answered by the end of this meeting.” She assured.

Lt. Deandres
CSO

“Much appreciated. So, let’s get down to it, shall we?” and he tapped a few commands into the desk interface and brought up her file. “You have an solid educational background, and your experience in the field is quite impressive. I read a few of your articles, and they all are well thought out and sound with solid research behind them. So as far as your scientific capabilities go, I have no concerns at all. This is a good thing, as you will be a cornerstone of this ship’s operations. We are, after all, primarily a science vessel. In that capacity, I will expect you to be vocal in our mission briefings and to set the priorities our scientific endeavors. My background is not in the sciences. I am originally from the Security section, and I have experience with first-contact missions and diplomacy. So I will defer to you in more than a few instances. Are you all right with that?”

Cochrane, CO

“Thank you, sir.” Although, Riali did not find it nearly as impressive, specifically because of her age and the time she had been exposed to sciences both in the field and in her studies. With age came knowledge, that was her belief on the matter. Deandres was not a quiet woman, but she did not prefer to speak without a reason to. Thus, this comment begged her to consider, knowing the vessel would require the voice of science above other departments, at some points. Luckily, she knew she had a competent staff behind her, from what she had been able to read, thus there would be more than a single mind on each project and mission. “I am perfectly all right with that, sir. I am confident that my staff and I will be able to provide you with the information you need; they are studious, I hear.”

Lt. Deandres
CSO

Glad to hear it, Lieutenant.” Cochrane said with a smile. It was then a more somber expression tokk over his face and he looked at her for a moment as if weighing some kind of decision. Finally, he said “I do have a bit of concern. You are quite the nomad, Lieutenant. Your record is one of intense involvement and then you are up and out, onto the next thing. At least more so than the norm. I need to know that you plan on being here for the long haul. Now, I completely understand that we cannot predict the future and what it holds. Hell, Star Fleet may come to their senses and yank me back and but me back in the XO seat.” he said with a slight grin. “But I need to know that, as of now anyway, we have your full and uncompromising attention. That you intend to see this mission through. Can you give that assurance, Lieutenant?”

Cochrane, CO

Riali hesitated. For all of her life, since the day she could comprehend even an inkling of reality, she had been a nomad. She bounced from place to place, as if the universe were a set of stops and she planned on reaching them all. It was a life she was neither proud of, nor regretted, knowing how unreliable she was seen as a result of her inability to stay grounded for longer than a few months. Biting the inside of her lip, a look of heavy contemplation assumed her gaze. She did not wish to lie to the Captain, by saying she would remain here, her undivided attention given to the Manhattan and her people. Even if she wanted it to be true, and did everything in her power to make certain it would be, she didn’t know how long that would last. It was wrong of her to give him an answer of assurance, when she couldn’t even make herself believe it.

“Captain,” She began, glancing down at her hands, a soft sigh escaping her. “I cannot promise you any given length of service; years, months.. whatever it might be. However, I can assure you, that so long as I remain on this ship, my full efforts will be given to the Manhattan and her crew. While I cannot offer you any specifics to settle your uneasiness about this, I can offer you the truth: I am a nomad, we never stay in one spot for too long. But as a scientist, regardless of the time spent here, you will never go without what you need from me or my department. Nomad or not, it doesn’t change my devotion to science, and whoever needs it.”

Lt. Deandres
CSO

Cochrane spent several moments in silence looking at her. His face held a look of conflicting emotions and thoughts. It was several long moments before he spoke.

“Lieutenant. I appreciate your candor. And your honesty.” and he leaned forward, clasping his hands together and resting them on his desk. “But that doesn’t work. We are a science vessel. I can’t spend my days wondering when the person in charge of the largest department on this ship is going to up and leave. Not to mention the fact that the logistics of getting a replacement for you here is not a simple task. That being said… I understand that it is in your nature to follow your wanderlust. And I am not in any position to tell anyone that they shouldn’t remain true to themselves.”

“I want you to think about something. Right now. I want you to take a moment and realize that we are in the Delta Quadrant. Few of our people have ever been here. And I know, even with your longevity, that you would be hard pressed to see and experience everything this part of the galaxy has to offer. Especially on your own. You, Lieutenant, are actually in an ideal position right now. You get to see things no Federation scientist will ever see. And you have the scientific capabilities of an entire Star Fleet Science vessel at your disposal. More experimental processing power and the entire Federation Science database at your fingertips. And you are in charge of all of that. You’ve always moved from study to study. On your own. You have an entire star ship supporting you. I want you to think about that for a minute, and then tell me how you feel.”

Cochrane

Riali could offer only a blank stare, the emotions passing through her mind far too complex to ever convey in a single expression. It was overwhelming, to say that least. At their disposal was a region of the galaxy undiscovered by majority of the Federation. It held wonders she could not begin to describe for the sheer fact that she did not yet know they existed. It was an abyss of scientific possibility, where anything they could conjure within their imagination might, somewhere, be true. Her gaze drifted to a nearby window, the thought too much to put into words. Seconds ticked by, and her eyes didn’t once stray from that window. It was mundane, the sight before her, but to a scientist, it was far more than that. It was opportunity.

Tearing her attention from the world beyond that duranium hull, she found herself, for a few seconds, incapable of meeting Cochrane’s gaze. She could not change her nomadic tendencies, nor her lust for knowledge. Although, she could control whether or not she went off of those impulses, those little voices in her ear, steering her away from the ship and into a planet, a chasm unknown. “Small,” Riali admitted, her voice softer than she had intended. “We are endeavouring to explore a section of the universe we barely understand. We hardly know what people rest beyond the next star, or what planets harbour in their cores. Captain, for all we know, something out here might be described as an impossibility back home. The thought of all of those unknowns makes me feel small, insignificant– just another piece of stardust with an expiration date.”

“At the same time,” She paused for a moment, able to fully meet his gaze. “That unknown is perhaps one of the greatest mysteries known to us. We will never, in your lifetime nor mine, have the opportunity, again, to explore its reaches. We both live finite lives, neither of which will grant us the longevity to discover more than a fraction of what this region has to offer.” A smile came across her features, “I have no plans of abandoning Manhattan until our portion of that unknown is finally made clear to us.”

“I know it’s hard to rely on a nomad, sir. Believe me, sometimes I find it hard to trust myself.” She sighed, “But if one thing is for certain, I’m not going to abandon your crew, unless I have one hell of a reason to do so. And you, sir, you’ll be the first to know.”

Lt. Deandres
CSO

Cochrane watched her intently, unsure of how she would respond. As she spoke, he remaind passive, trying not show any reaction so as not to sway her train of thought. When she finished, he looked at her for several moments and then said “Deal. I can’t ask you for more than that. Now that the hard discussion is out of the way, you get the floor. I know you’ve just arrived and probably haven’t had much chance to settle in, but I hope you have been reading up on the ship and your staff. Any glaring holes you want to address?”

Cochrane, CO


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