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Science Lab - [C]hecking [B]oxes (Tag SCI)

Posted Dec. 19, 2021, 2:29 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander William B. Grey (Chief Science Officer / 2nd Officer) (Hjortur Ingi)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in Science Lab - [C]hecking [B]oxes (Tag SCI)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander William B. Grey (Chief Science Officer / 2nd Officer) in Science Lab - [C]hecking [B]oxes (Tag SCI)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in Science Lab - [C]hecking [B]oxes (Tag SCI)
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(Snip!)

William frowned slightly “I don’t…” he trailed off considering “If you mean the loss of Lieutenant’s Kane and Mwezi” He looked away for a few moments, his frown still present. When he looked back at T’Aria his face was smooth, calm and emotionless “I am alright. Emotionally it was a shock true, they were some of the most capable people I’ve known but I was close with neither”

CSO, 2O

An elusive frown warped her stolid features, but she tempered it before William lifted his gaze. ‘Alright’ struck her odd. It tasted bitter, laced with unspoken truths, and left a hollow feeling in her gut. But she refused to pry. T’Aria trusted Grey would seek support if and when needed, and she wouldn’t get involved unless it affected his crew, his health or his duty. “I see,” she mused. “And your staff? How are they?” She extended the question to encompass science officers’ general wellbeing, opening the conversation to whatever Grey felt pertinent to mention.

— T’Aria, XO

There was a slight twitch as William instinctively looked beyond the door towards his small team before stopping himself “I believe some of them have some unexpressed guilt, there was no short amount of animosity between Lieutenant Kane and my staff. I currently do not possess a psychological degree but I’m assuming it’s a form of survivors guilt” He froze, it was barely for a moment but it was visible. His lips thinned and he made a vexed Tsk sound. There was a visible loosening of tension in his shoulders and his facial features softened. He put a hand through his hair, slightly disheveling it and sighing “I’m afraid that may be some form of projection” Now he spoke in a soft Texan drawl. This sudden change was a common occurrence, most of the crew recognized this and simply considered it a part of the oddness that was William Grey, Almost an entire personality shift, going from cold calculating to warm and friendly in an instance.

T’Aria tensed, half-expecting his irked tsk to erupt in bitter rage or dissolve into jaded resignation. But she was wrong. He reacted instead with a friendliness that chipped at the tension between them. And when he spoke, his voice wasn’t laced with stoicism but a calmer and—Is that Southern?—drawl. Pleasantly surprised, T’Aria relaxed and lifted her gaze to him. “How so?” She asked with a hint of genuine concern.

“Although I do consider myself fine, Kane and Mwezi. Well, I’ve known… I knew them for the entirety of my career. Losing both at the same time was a shock. I have the smallest staff on board and they are a tight-knit group. Most of them have been on the Chernov since Captain Stovik took command and when he was made to stand down they didn’t take it well. We’ve lost people before but when two leaders are taken out in an instance it creates a shockwave” He paused for a moment “I think they haven’t had a break and if my staff is feeling it then I guarantee that the others are as well, I can’t imagine what the morale drop for the Security department has been.” He rubbed the back of his neck and gave a slightly apologetic smile “Pardon me Commander, I have a moderately underdeveloped hypothalamus” It wasn’t clear if he was joking or not “Genius level intellect does not often generate healthy emotional lives in humans.”

CSO, 2O

“Then I suppose it’s my duty to trouble you until you release some of your stress,” T’Aria quipped in what could’ve been a joke. “In reality, you’re entitled to whatever coping strategy works for you.” She glanced at the door, considering the team of steadfast, blue-shirted scientists chipping away at the day’s tasks. “We cannot expect tired and demoralised officers to perform as they would in good health,” she added. Although T’Aria found rest and time with friends or loved ones to be the best medicine, she recognised their circumstances didn’t allow for time off. “Our counsellor, Doctor Dran, specialised in grief counselling. She could be a valuable ally for those interested or those you feel need her services.” T’Aria let the words fizzle before adding an open, “what can I do to make this time easier for you and your team?”

– T’Aria, XO

William followed her gaze to his team and studied them with a discerning eye. When T’Aria finished he frowned for a moment “Get the Captain to give the crew some R&R, we’ve been running full steam for nearly a year straight. Our visit to Galdor was such a great disaster I’m surprised that we’ve still go the ship. If we don’t tap some of the building pressure we’re just inviting the inevitable explosion.”

CSO, 2O

T’Aria averted her gaze with pensively furrowed eyebrows, “my sentiments precisely.” Grey’s concerns extended beyond the Science Department. Evident in every officer and crew member was exhaustion neither sleep nor caffeine could touch. They needed rest. Quality, uninterrupted rest. But their tendency to leap from disaster to disaster made little room for vacation. That had to change. “I will speak with Captain Taggart,” T’Aria assured. “Until we’re cleared for leave, what can we do to relieve pressure on your team? Are there any tasks we can delegate to other departments or bring in crew to assist?”

— T’Aria, XO

William shook his head “It’s not a workload issue, I think working might be what’s keeping most of the crew together, losing oneself in your work is a decent stopgap. But I think I’ll update the duty roster, give them more leeway. Time to relax but keep them busy enough as not to lose focus, the work isn’t as intensive here when we’re not working on a specific mission.”

CSO, 2O


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