STF

Check-in with the CSO

Posted March 19, 2023, 7:26 p.m. by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Scientist) (Matt Evans)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Dr. Solomon Kane (Chief Science Officer/Research & Development) in Check-in with the CSO

Posted by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Scientist) in Check-in with the CSO

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Dr. Solomon Kane (Chief Science Officer/Research & Development) in Check-in with the CSO
Posted by… suppressed (23) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Achilleas found himself back in his old workplace. Where he had spent so many hours running experiments, analyzing data, or brewing uncounted cups of tea, It was incredibly daunting to be back in this place that was so familiar and yet seemed so alien to him. Had it only been a year or so and not actually several decades? He began to slowly walk to the CSO office while nodding to various crewmates, both those new and familiar. He ran his hand along a countertop and the sensation helped anchor him to this reality. This is both the main lab for the sciences but it was also where his hallucinations pulled him into a place of insanity. He was fine though or Starfleet Medical wouldn’t have let him come back. They would have kept him in the room that was always just a little too bright and far too clean. This place was real and he needed to be here even if being back reminded him of that horrible time.

His slow pace led him to eventually arrive at the office door. He could do this. He just had to reach up and press the chime. Preferably with his hand and not his forehead like with the Captain. This office was as familiar to him as the back of his hand and thus shouldn’t be inducing any anxiety. It did though as it represented a different part of his life. He would say a better part. He looked to the ceiling in an attempt to gain courage, a sign from above, or perhaps merely a distraction to procrastinate but in the end he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out as his hit the chime at last.

Sci Petrakos

The door slid open to a scene that could only be described as chaos. PaDDs were scattered everywhere, some in stacks and some in piles. Bits of… stuff… wires, tools, actual papers… lay strewn about as if a storm had been isolated in the room and wreaked havoc. In the center of the storm sat a figure. Human male with wild hair that fell over one side of his bearded face. He wore the tunic part of the standard Star Fleet Science uniform, but also blue jeans and black combat boots. All under a white lab coat that sat on his shoulders as he reclined in his seat with his feet kicked up on one of the few uncovered parts of his desk. He was eating… well… something… and reading.yet another PaDD when the door opened and he said “Yeah? What is it?” without looking up.

Kane, CSO / R&D

Achilleas looked around the office curiously. It definitely could use a good cleaning and organizing but it actually eased his anxiety a bit. This in no way looked like his office and that felt refreshing. Despite the previous dread in which he felt at this meeting he couldn’t help but start to chuckle. It was first a quiet thing that grew into him having to support himself against the door frame gasping for breath. He didn’t know exactly why it happened but perhaps the removal of the tension he was under coupled with how ridiculous everything looked did it for him.

Sci Petrakos

The heavily tattooed man at the desk looked at him with a glare that could melt deuterium. “Something funny? Or are you having an episode? Lotta doctors on this ship. Maybe go see one and then come back.” he said, his voice a low growl that made it hard to tell if he was serious or not. Bur coupled with the look? Probably serious.

Kane, CSO /R&D

Achilleas held up a hand in response as he worked to get the laughter under control. “Sorry sorry.” He said when he could finally speak. He moved further into the office while being careful to not step on anything important. “I just was amused at how different everything looks now that this isn’t my office anymore. Ah but I should introduce myself. Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos reporting for duty. I want to say we’ve met once or twice at a senior staff meeting before.”

Sci Petrakos

Kane looked at him for a moment and then said “Ok. So if you’ve been on board… and touched been going to meetings… and I’m assuming medical cleared you for duty on board as that is the rule before you do anything… mind telling why you are just now deciding to grace me with your presence? Or is the fact that this used to be your office give you a sense that the rules are somehow not applicable to you?”

Kane, CSO / R&D

Achilleas cocked his head slightly to the side as a playful look came and went on his face. “Not that they don’t apply to me somehow, no. My last experience in the lab was particularly traumatic, so I had a fair amount of trepidation to coming back in here. That was what delayed my gracing you with my presence. Well that and my best friend had a bit of a medical emergency while visiting me. Kind of got wrapped up in all of that.”

Sci Petrakos

“Uh-huh.” Kane replied. “Well, sorry that the job got in the way, but I’m glad you feel good enough to walk in. Baby steps, right? So… what do you intend to do here? What do you bring to the department… other than delayed arrivals, that is.” he asked. His tone wasn’t mocking, nor was it hateful. No… it was more acerbic and sarcastic… but he certainly did not seem to have any empathy to Achilleas’ situation.

Kane, CSO / R&D

Achilleas looked confused for a moment. It was an interesting question if a bit broad in scope. “Isn’t my purpose here really for you to figure out or assign? I’m sure you could read my CV easily enough and see where my specialties lie.” He ran a hand through his hair to get the bangs out of his eyes before he looked more closely at Kane. “Afterall, it’s what I would have done as Chief of the Science department.”

Sci Petrakos

Kane snorted derisively and said “Maybe thats why I’m here and your no longer in the office.” He slid his feet off the desk and leaned forward. “My job as CSO is to make sure I have the best people doing their best work. And that means them doing things that they are invested in. Everyone in this department can do literally any of the support work that has to be done for the patients. So what do we do when all that is done? Sot here with our thumbs up our a$$es? No.. We experiment. We design. We hypothesize. And if someone is being shoved in a box and told ‘You just do pregnancy tests.’ when they really want to be studying the effects of degrading neutrinos on necrotic tissue… they are gonna do s#!++y pregnancy tests. So, since this my department and not yours, I will ask you again… what do you bring to the table. And how do you intend to make yourself valuable?”

Kane, CSO / R&D

Achilleas stepped closer and put his hands on the desk in front of him. He looked unmoved by Kane’s speech. Especially considering pregnancy tests were part of medical and not science. Sure he could do it but that particular example was ridiculous. He smiled at Kane though and responded in a quieter voice. “No, I left because I was affected by the same fungal infection that most of the crew had at the starbase while waiting for the new ship to get out of testing. Unlike the rest of the crew however I had a severe relapse and it was necessary to go to Starfleet Medical for recovery.” He shrugged before he stood straight and removed his hands from the desk. “I do think your speech wasn’t bad but the example could’ve used some work. Perhaps having to calculate by hand stellar telemetry from a probe the ship dispatched or something. But since you insist on knowing where my specialties lie I will elucidate you. I’ve studied on the premise of dark matter and it’s interaction with various gravity systems and the interactable interference when influenced by stars going nova. So I’m well versed in stellar mechanics, astrophysics, gravitational systems and manipulation, as well as the processes and possible amelioration of stars in the process of going nova. I’m not well versed in the process of pregnancy testing, so I’m sorry to say you’ll need to find someone else for that.”

Sci Petrakos

Kane looked at him for a minute in silence and then said “And I’ve studied the anatomical proportionality of Debra Hans in my eighth grade science class, and I’m well versed in finding the best street tacos or equivalent on any planet I’ve been to… and all that means jack and s#!t when it comes to what I do here. Now unstickify your rectum and answer my damn question. What. Do. You. Bring. To. The. Table?”

Kane, CSO / R&D

“There are street taco equivalents on every planet?” Achilleas asked as the idea of food was making him hungry. He didn’t care about the proportionality of anyone’s body however. He shook his head to clear the thought away, though now he had an idea of what to do for lunch. “I wouldn’t say I had a stick anywhere nor do I know specifically what you’re looking for. You mentioned patient support but none of my specialty lies in the medical field. I can find contagions and give a full protein and rna analysis but so could medical’s equipment. I’m more suited for supporting ship operations and discovering or avoiding natural hazards while traversing space. So if you mean just in the scope of helping medical then I don’t bring much to the table.”

Sci Petrakos

Kane shook his head, send hair cascading all over his face. “Stop. Pull your head out. And think about what I’m asking you.” He muttered under his breath something about ‘science-types’ and ‘oblivious’. “Again… not asking you to recite your resume. You are telling me what you can and can’t do. Fine. But what do you want to be doing? Or should I take a page from your play book and just assign you something? Think before you answer. ‘Cause if you pick option two I can guarantee you’ll hate every last minute of it.”

Kane

Achilleas took a moment to restrain an overwhelming desire to huff in frustration. Pull his head out of what exactly? Where the stick was located presumably. “No, you very clearly asked me what I bring to the table. You did mention people wanting to run pregnancy tests or not but like I said that analogy was pretty horrible. For the record I didn’t just assign tasks willy nilly, like Steve the DNA sequence specialist had to run and get everyone coffee. That’s a ridiculous misuse of their skills. Ultimately I’m telling you my skillset because I want to use them.” He thought for a moment before he continued. “I’m pretty flexible in what tasks I want to do. Whether it’s being on the bridge manning the science station, running experiment in the lab, or analyzing something for medical if need be. If you really don’t have the desire or skill to use me effectively then I’ll find myself tasks to do.”

Sci Petrakos

Kane closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. “Ya know, its taking every ounce of self-control I have not to chuck you out an airlock right now.” He stood up and said “Come with me. You are obviouslybto dense to figure this out on your own.” He walked out of the office and into the labs.

Kane e looked around and saw several of rhe Science staff working. “Ja’kin! Get over here.” The Risian male stood and came over,a look of slight trepidation on his face. “Yes, Commander?” he asked. Kane looked at him and said “Tell the Lieutenant what you are doing.” Ja’kin nodded and looked at Achilleas. “I am conducting an experiment to determine if certain botanicals we have collected have antibiotic properties.” Kane nodded and said “And why are you doing that?” Ja’kin looked confused for a moment and said “Um… because the indigenous population of rhe planet chewed the plant and had a statistically significant and low incident of infection?” Kane glared at him for a second and then said “No… tell him the core reason you are doing that.” Ja’kin looked at Kane for a moment and then realization hit. “Oh!” and he looked at Achilleas. “Because I was interested in it. I wanted to see if my hypothesis was right.” Kane nodded and sent him back to work. He called over three others, and rhe conversation went the same way: “Why are you doing what you do?” followed by “Because I though it was interesting and I wanted to.” Some of the experiments had little to no bearing on the ship. Or the patients. Or the overall mission. Kane didn’t seem to care. He walked back in his office and flopped back down in his chair.

‘So you said your ‘flexible’ in what you want to do, and then went on to describe what every single generic scince officer in the entire Fleet does. Man the science station on the bridge. Analyzing data. Running experiments. But not once have you told me what you want to do. Had the same problem with those chuckle heads out there. We spend all these resources trying people to be ‘scientists’-” and he used his fingers to put quotation marks in the air around the word, “- and for some reason it beats all the damn curiosity outta people. It took me months to get those twits to open their minds to the possibility that they should be curious… they should want to do things. Not sit around like computers waiting to be given a task.” He looked Achilleas with a glare and said “Now I’m gonna ask you again… what do you bring to the table? And by that, I don’t mean ‘I studied blah-blah-blah and I wanna play officer on the bridge.’ I mean tell me what you are good at. What makes you feel like you are really digging into something. What drives you to be a scientist? And if you can’t answer that right now, well…” and he shrugged.

“You can get the hell outta my office, my labs, and this ship until you figure it out.”

Kane, CSO / R&D

Achilleas played along with the whole pony show and dance with a smile on his face. He gave Ja’kin a big thumbs up and was tempted to high-five him. What a good guy doing what he wants. At the end of all of the song and dance though the question was still posed. What a circular conversation this ended up being. “Can I not enjoy and be passionate about the things I’ve put effort into studying? I’m ultimately confused by the fact that you can’t comprehend that I enjoy doing what I’m good at. I can sit for hours studying the probe readings of a neutron star just to glean some further insight into how it works. Binary stars where one consumes the other before going nova are fascinating to me. I’ve long since figured out what drives me to be a scientist, long before joining Starfleet, but you don’t really ask the right questions. If you’re still unsatisfied with even this then perhaps it would be best that I go.”

Sci Petrakos

Kane looked at him and shrugged. “Okay. Go ahead. I really don’t care. But you might want to look back on our conversation and ask yourself when, before this very moment, you actually said ‘I want to do this. ‘Cause you didn’t. Oh, you said you studied it. But that doesn’t mean that’s what you want to do. Hell, Ja’kin out there? He’s not a botanist. He’s a freakin’ high energy field physics specialist. ‘Why then is he studying plants?’ you ask. Good question. Because he’s sick of physics. Studied it because his old man is physicist. He wanted to be a botanist. So when he got here, he did the bare minimum and hated his job. So, as this is my department, I looked for a botanist who wanted to learn physics. Found one after a bit. Now Ensign Grossly, a botanist, learns physics from Ja’kin. And Ja’kin learns botany from Grossly. And sunofab!+ch if both of them aren’t a hell of a lot happier and doing much higher quality work.” He shrugged. “Thats why I asked. The fact that you were too blind to see what I was asking is on you.” and he picked up a PaDD, began reading, and wiggled his fingers at Petrakos. “See ya. Oh, and you aren’t allowed back in the labs, on the bridge, or in any critical space until you clear yourself with psych. Again… one of those pesky mandatory check ins that any former DH worth a damn should know how to do.”

Kane, CSO / R&D

Achilleas began to laugh again as Kane went on about cross training members of different departments. What a waste of time and energy. If Ja’kin didn’t want to be a physicist then all he had to do was ask to change specialties and be given the necessary training courses for botany. This was one backwards way of rearranging the department. “You’re awfully hung up on the fact that this department was mine before it was yours. I’m not here to take it back or anything, so you can keep your departmental cross-training going and the cluttered mess of an office. I’m not in any way interested in taking that role again. As for your ‘asking me what I bring to the table’ though, I think that any DH worth a damn would be clear and concise with exactly what it is they’re asking. If it took months for you to get people open to the idea that they can do something that they like beyond their ‘jobs’ then either you’re an incompetent leader or they all shouldn’t be doing science. And since I’ve worked with a good amount of them, I’m pretty sure I know the answer.” He turned and began walking toward the exit while only pausing for a moment to say one last thing. “And no, I’m not going to psych. I was cleared before I left Starfleet Medical and that will be good enough. If not, well don’t use me on anything.”

Sci Petrakos

Kane didn’t look up but said “It wasn’t a suggestion. It was an order. Don’t follow it, don’t come back. And I’m pretty sure you know what the outcome will be if you wanna take this to the XO… but be my guest.” and he slid the door closed with a press of an icon on his desk.

Kane, CSO / R&D

Achilleas felt a pang of pettiness and didn’t want to just leave it at that. So he turned around and hit the intercom button. “Orders or not I’m not going to the psych wing. I’ve built a rapport with my current counselor and am not at all interested in breaking in someone new. Besides, I haven’t heard the best regarding the CNS and that makes me all the more resistant to go. Screw that and screw you if you try to force the issue.”

Sci Petrakos

The door slid open, but Kane was in the same position. “The CNS is an arrogant, self-centered twit… so you are right to not want to go.” and he looked up from the PaDD. “Sit.” and he pointed to a chair stacked high with bits of wiring and chip relays.

Achilleas walked back in and let the door slide closed behind him. He looked at the chair pointed at and wondered how he was supposed to sit. It was so covered in detritus that even if he moved the bulk of the crap he would likely end up sitting on something uncomfortable. So instead he moved next to the chair and remained standing beside it.

“But even with her being a complete nuisance and black eye to all practitioners of mental health… yeah, I said it and I’d say it to her face, too… there is more than just her to talk to. And you not wanting to go doesn’t mean you don’t have to. Trust me… I get it. And you just have to go the one time. I gotta go every month. ‘Attitude’ or some s#!t. But you have to go or I literally can’t let you in the labs. The computer won’t let it happen until Counseling signs off on your assignment here. So go, get it done, and then take a day and come up with six experiments you wanna run. Full protocols, hypothesis, applications both on board and broader… the whole thing. Bring ‘em to me and we’ll review and you’ll get to work. Got it?”

Kane, CSO / R&D

After this whole particularly unpleasant interaction with Kane and their unendingly circular conversation, Achilleas finally felt as if he was given an understandable set of tasks. He still didn’t want to go for his psych eval but he recognized that desires aside he would have to get it done. As for the list of experiments to write up, that he could get done quickly and with aplomb. It was something that was far easier to write out than say why he wanted to be here and do a thing. So he nodded at Kane in agreement. “Yeah, I got it. Who would you recommend I ask for after heading to the psych wing?”

Sci Petrakos

“NOT the CNS. Anyone but her.” Kane said emphatically. “And yes,before you ask, that’s a personal opinion. And it is entirely mutual, I’m sure.” Kane said.

Kane, CSO

Achilleas shrugged lightly. “I wasn’t actually going to ask. You made your opinion of her clear when I came back in. Well then, by your leave I will get the various tasks done.”

Sci Petrakos

“Get on it. Bring me your experiment submissions after your done with the shrink.” Kane leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on the desk. “Oh yeah… welcome and all that whatever.” and he waved slightly dismissively, but at least it seemed directed at the words.

Kane, CSO / R&D

Achilleas smiled back in response then gave a brief wave as he turned and left again. This time he didn’t pause or come back to make another point but kept going until he exited the lab.

Sci Petrakos


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