Weekly Science Department Meeting

Posted on 24 Aug 2012 @ 3:13pm by Lieutenant Kiri Cho & Tarishiana Barel & Chief Petty Officer Lucalin Mrina Ph.D. & Ansen Pawlak & Ensign Karen Taylor & Ensign Rhett Brubwick

2,839 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4 Science Conference Room
Timeline: M10 1400

[ON]

This was Kiri's first proper meeting on the ship, it was one she was extremely worried about. Between being on the bridge and putting what she knew to practical knowledge against the Klingon threat, trying to repair the computer core and her own, personality problems, there wasn't much time for research. It was a science ship after all and so far, she hadn't come up with anything useful in that regard. While it was hardly time wasted it didn't feel as if she was actually doing her job as science officer. So this science staff meeting didn't feel like it would serve her well, what would everyone else think if she had nothing to discuss? So for the past hour she had been pouring with complete unrelenting focus on her sensor scans from several days prior in Klingon space. The Class 11 Nebula 7654-Delta and the asteroid Object R45983 and debris Object R45984. Though even those were passing projects rather than something major. There were little things as well though, ones that could be made more formal. Slight changes to the sensor network as well as a buffer in the powerlinkup to the warp core to further prevent surges. Designing an updated sensor array for the Waverider Shuttle Vincenzo, so it could take better readings insider nebulas. Working down to the line she had several pads scattered on the table in the conference room, blind to the world around her.

She was seated one space from the head of the table, black hair in a ponytail that brushed up against the back of her collar. The blue and grey science uniform made her look quite small right now, back straight with feet firmly on the ground. Studying as if she had an exam that she hadn't revised for in a few minutes.

The doors to the conference room slid open and Karen ran inside stopping just before ramming into the conference table. She took in a deep breath as she placed her hands on the top of her head to calm her rapidly beating heart. "I-I thought I was running late!" She panted as she pulled out the chair next to Kiri to sit down on. "I'm sorry." she said as she calmed down, "I'm Ensign Taylor, Astrometics." She greeted.

Lucalin's ear twitched as the alarm from his PADD buzzed in the acoustic confines of the lab. Withdrawing his hand from the flex monitor, he disengaged the alarm, tucked the PADD under his arm, and replaced the tube flowing from the replicator with the nutrient packet slung across his shoulders. All that completed, he proceed in an orderly, unhurried pace to the turbolift and up to the conference room. Flim Flam scurried along beside him, excited to be out of the lab again. It was one of her least favorite places, where all she could do was lay in the corner or play with the ball he provided her. He'd taught her long before not to play with the equipment. He heard the harried apology of the woman in front of him, and crossed around her clicking idly to locate a seat at the table. Flim Flam clamored up onto the seat beside him, resting her paws on the table, her purr rumbling like thunder as she stared curiously at the two females. Lucalin gathered the scene from the echoes of her sound and waved generally. "Hello," he placed his hands flat on the tabletop. He knew that the other female was not Tarishiana Barel. She did not smell like a Betazoid. She did not smell like anything he had encountered before, actually. Intriguing.

Kiri had lost track of time entirely, so it was with rather a startled look she glanced up at the woman that almost ran into the table. All the noise she was making left her rather stunned at to what to say as she approached. While she had made it a point of fact to read the profiles of the science department personnel, she hadn't actually spent any time with any of them bar Petty Officer Ashir, even that was just a few polite orders and questions. So it did seem that introductions were in order, both to Ensign Taylor whose lab she had sometimes usurped after hours and Chief Petty Officer Mrina who she had only a rough idea of what he did. Still, that would mean actually talking to them, easier said than done.

Placing her pad on the table and her hands in her lap she bowed her head to both of them before replying. First trying to allay panic, "There are a few minutes before we are due to start yet." Taking a breath she went on in a balanced and formal manner, making each word clear and soft, "I am Ensign Cho, I'm a Science Officer specialising in Computer Science, Physics, Interstellar Phenomenon and Mathematics as well as being the ships Sensor Analyst. It is nice to meet you both," She bowed her head again not really knowing what to say next. Small talk was still something she was only starting to learn. She looked uncomfortably towards each of them before settling her eyes on the cat like creature. While it was unlikely, she couldn't count out the fact that the cat wasn't also a crew member she had missed, or at the very least understood her. Not that she was very keen on cats, the ones on earth didn't like her, something about her aura, maybe the fact her hands were cold to the touch.

Tarishiana wasn't not really in the mood for this meeting, but it was necessary. It was more then necessary. It kept the science department feeling like a team. It allowed for the sharing of ideas as well as it gave the members of the team a chance to ask for help.

Entering the conference room, Tarishiana took a seat next to Ensign Cho. She could tell from the women's posture that she was uncomfortable with the meeting. Almost as if she had something to prove. A few other of the scientists had also gathered in the conference room. With a smile Tarishiana greeted them, "Thank you for being so prompt. I think we just have a few stragglers and then we can get started. Please feel free to get yourselves something to eat or drink in the mean time."

Lucalin immediately rose and went to the replicator, requesting a bowl full of hardboiled eggs and bringing the deep-bowl back to the table with him. He ate them, one by one, shells and all, in glorious relief.

Deciding against getting something to eat or drink, Karen adjusted herself on the seat and pulled up closer to the table. She placed her hands together on the table and waited patiently for the meeting to begin.

Kiri was not willing to even attempted to eat in front of people again in her free time let alone duty time. Plus she was swinging between her completely controlled diet and selected meals already, not something she wanted to make more complicated. Though she had to marvel somewhat at the male opposite eating eggs in such a way. After a few seconds though she felt extremely sick, revolted somewhat. Casting her eyes back to her pads she took a breath, should she say something? Do something? Once the meeting started she knew what to do, this limbo was painful for her.

Rhett entered the room somewhat belatedly. He took a seat across from Cho and smiled warmly. "Hi, Rhett Brubwick. I'm temping with Science as a research officer."

Having not watched the man enter Kiri looked up at him with a start when he spoke, collecting her pads into a neat pile before placing her hands back in her lap. Bowing her head slight she gave a small smile in return, at least this gave her something to occupy herself with, "I am Ensign Cho, it is nice to meet you." Her green eyes took note of the purple under shirt, it was odd to see someone wearing that outside of a starbase.

Rhett returned the smile with as much charm as he could muster, which was quite a bit. "Nice to meet you as well."

Ansen slipped onto the conference room behind everyone else, still drying his hands off on the apron around his waist. "Sorry. Kitchen snafu. What did I miss?" he asked, collapsing into a chair.

"Something is wrong with the kitchen?" Lucalin asked, aghast at the prospect of the food being in peril. He shoved another egg into his mouth as though protecting it from whatever might have happened elsewhere in the ship.

"It's sorted," Ansen waved a hand negligently. "Just had a little disagreement on temperatures with the range." He eyed the man eating the whole eggs, bit his lip with a grin, and turned to Barel. "I don't think we've met, ma'am. I'm Ansen Pawlak. Languages." He glanced at Kiri and Rhett across the table and gave a little wave.

Tarishiana smiled, "Nice to meet you Mister Pawlak. I have been meaning to make some time get acquainted. Xeno-linguistics is also my focus." She turned to the remainder of the room. "I don't see any reason to delay further, we can always just catch up anyone that might be missing."

Turning slightly in her chair Tarishiana retrieved a padd that contained some of the information that she wanted to go over. "First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for being willing to meet. Science is a discipline of group effort in my opinion and I hope to create a department that welcome collaboration." She cleared her throat. "Secondly, I would like to announce that I have appointed Ensign Kiri Cho as the assistant department head for the science department. If for any reason I am unavaliable, please feel free to contact her." She looked around the room for a moment, "Now, does anyone have anything they would like to discuss? ask for assistance? This is an open forum."

Kiri looked blank for several seconds as her brain stuck and stalled on the entire concept. Finally once it finally sunk in she placed both hands on the table, lurching forwards. Stuttering she struggled though her words, "Sss, Sir, how, but, is. Could you say that again?" She looked quite confused. While she was one of two commissioned officers in the department other than the Chief. Kiri was also only two weeks out of the academy, even if she fought to prove herself as useful as possible in that time. This wasn't something she was expecting.

Lucalin popped another egg into his mouth, pleased on behalf of the stuttering female at the other end of the table. Her heart was thumping at a faster pace than he was used to hearing from a Trill; nerves. Interesting. He wondered why a promotion would unnerve her.

Tarishiana smiled. "As you can tell I hadn't told Ensign Cho about this change in the chain of command, but I have no doubt that she will be able to handle the new position." she looked around the room making a quick read of the scientist in the room with her. "Any other questions?"

Kiri was still reeling from it. She had wanted to be more useful to the ship, she had wanted to be recognised for it. But she couldn't let this effect her work. She'd been working to the last minute to get it ready, since the silence around the table had been going on long enough she nervously spoke up, "I have a proposal for a redistribution of the power grid settings for the main sensor array." She stalled for a few seconds, "I wondered, if any of you had any thoughts," Asking for help was hard, more so when she didn't feel she needed it. Her personal skills were something to develop though, even more so now.

Ansen bit the inside of his lip thoughtfully. Power grid settings? He was a linguist. He looked around the others, wondering if anyone else had something to add.

Tarishiana looked around the faces that surrounded that small table. "I would be interested in see what you have so far Ensign." She tapped her fingers on the table light as she continued, "What type of changes do you have in mind?"

Kiri looked down at her pad for a second, with a few button presses she transferred it to one of the larger screens. Trying to work out how best to present it she stood up and took up a position just to the side of the display. Working quickly on her pad she brought up a diagram of the ships sensor array. The power distribution nodes were highlighted in red, their routes through the ship also in red. Moving it from a written report to a presentation wasn't easy for her but she already had the images. "This is the current layout of the power distribution grid for the main sensor array. It is connected to the main grid in several locations but these are the dedicated nodes." She took a breath and changed the image to her suggestion, it was almost the same but had a few extra routes, "By placing capacitors in these locations where it draws power from the main grid, this would allow better control as well as better insulation from surges that we suffered from during the last battle." She had remained still while talking, giving her attention to the screen, now she scanned the room, starting to feel nervous again.

Tarishiana had spent the first part of her career working in Operations. This gave her a unique knowledge of what her second in command was talking about. Rising from her chair she moved to the other side of the display that Cho was using. "Interesting...do you think the capacitors would be enough. Have you thought about proposing the addition of active power relay regulators?"

Relaxing very slightly Kiri turned to answer, "I think they would be enough due to the ships resources, but it still would be good to increase stability further." There were lots of things Kiri wanted to do but the ship didn't have the time or resources to create, like a dedicated secondary computer core for their department.

"Well, I will be sure to run the idea past the Captain." Tarishiana said to the young Ensign before turning back towards the other officers in the room. "Anyone have anything else to add to Cho's idea...or perhaps something of your own that you would like to discuss." She couldn't help but feel like she had made a great choice in picking Cho to be her second.

Karen arched he brow as she studied the diagram. "This looks promising, do you know whether these modifications would effect the efficiency of other systems? Have you consult with an Engineer over this? Also wouldn't simply upgrading the dedicated nodes have the same effect as the addition of the capacitors?" She asked.

Kiri's eyes flashed down to her pad instinctively, her voice calmer now it seemed somewhat accepted as right. These new questions she could answer, "It would increase the startup time of a cold start of the sensor array by ten seconds, in an emergency they could be bypassed. In normal operations no other functions would be impaired, the same as any other change the system will need a calibration check." Pausing to look around the room again she went on, "I haven't yet passed on any requests to engineering because I didn't feel it had reached that stage," Looking to Barel, "Now it can." Finally for the last question, "As with the relay regulators it doesn't seem possible with current resources, while the capacitors can be added to the power network, upgrading the nodes will require a large overhaul of the sensor array and we already have some of the very best." She'd done her best to cover every angle while she worked on this. Kiri was glad people were interested, "You can review my entire submission if you wish, Ensign Taylor."

Most of the conversation had gone right over Rhett's head. Although he understood the general terms and the concepts involved, he had none of the in-depth knowledge of the rest of the people in the room.

Tarish looked to Kiri. "Ensign Cho, I want you to contact Miss Peers in Engineering, and let her know our plans, just in case she has others attempting to work on it already. Keep me abreast of the situation. Any further questions, or suggestions?"

Kiri nodded her head, "Yes sir," Glad that her main idea had been approved.

[OFF]

--

Lieutenant JG Tarishiana Barel
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

ENS Kiri Cho
Science Officer/Sensor Specialist
Assistant Chief Science Officer

Ensign Karen Taylor
Astrometrics
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Evelyn Coleman

Ansen Pawlak
Chef/Language Specialist
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Lilou Peers

Ensign Rhett Brubwick
Acting Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Lawrence Gibbs

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