The Science of Socializing (Part 3)

Posted on 05 Nov 2018 @ 7:06pm by Commander Marisa Wyatt & Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri & Lieutenant JG Sofie Ullswater & Petty Officer 1st Class Heinu Reteif & Petty Officer 1st Class T'Lin & Petty Officer 3rd Class Raine Ni-ya & Cadet Senior Grade Jemima de la Coeur & Petra Varelli Ph.D. & Viola Avalon PhD
Edited on on 22 Nov 2018 @ 3:05am

1,759 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 4, Science Office
Timeline: MD -175, 2022 hours

Previously...

Turning his attention to Viola, "Then we have you and your team to thank for the amazing variety of food! This is so good and the potential and promise do help people grow their own sustainable food supply is an incredible gift. I'm curious, how would you like to see the aquaponics bay used? What are your next steps?" he asked.

And Now...

[ON]

"Thanks, but it's not me. It was Marisa's idea. I just came aboard a few days ago," Viola replied quickly. "I'll be helping to maintain and augment aquaponics." She glanced at Marisa before continuing. "We're going to work with what we have for now until we're sure of what works best. Then we'll start switching out plants and fish for adaptability. Suggestions are always welcome."

Plumeri nodded, "Sounds like a good plan. And a perfect opportunity for an extended test of shipboard aquaponics systems."

Petra decided it was probably her turn. "I'm a Forensic Anthropologist. I mainly work with dead things," she added, smiling at the others.

"You know I rather have a thing for dead things too." Sofie grinned while considering the Scientist in front of her. Dr Varelli might well be the first person she'd met on the ship who wasn't taller than her, though this was hard to tell for sure while they were all seated. "Though mostly things which have been dead for long enough to be classified as dirt or perhaps a rock."

Petra gave Sofie a genuine smile. "The older the better."

Matt added, "The people may have died, the ecosystem, the organics for lack of a better word. But the ideas; they go on."

Heinu waved one hand. "I'm Heinu Retief, the resident botanist." His light accent came through as he spoke. "I've always got at least a couple of projects going at any time. Which only makes sense, right. Plants need time to grow. I'm already set up in the botany lab, and I'm hoping to start a rather extensive garden, if we can get some space set aside for a hydroponics bay. No promises, but it might mean fresh food a little more often than planned."

"I'm all for more fresh food," Marisa said. "I'll see if the Captain will free up more space for you." She was pleased to see Matt take charge of getting everyone to introduce themselves. She was also pleased at the way everyone felt comfortable enough to talk. It was a good start.

When there was a good pause Matthew added, "Well, I won't bore you. I'm Matt Plumeri and my real passion is history. My CV says, 'Ancient and Alien Civilizations' and that's what I love to study. It was good that studying the stars also helped. I have skills in Astrometrics and gravitational wave theory. But I love the stars and the story of the stars. I'm Fontalan, my mother is Fontalan and my father is Human. If you've never heard of Fontalis then...you need to get out more." Here he smiled and chuckled. "I am proud of both of my heritages. Both rich cultures in History and Art that keep me busy. Let's see...I'm a fan of opera, I play the trumpet and the keyboard - my mom insisted. And I am pretty good at Parressis Squares. Academy Team Captain and we won the title three times; not that anybody's counting. I suppose that's about it. I'm very happy to be here with you, exploring and discovering whatever it is that is out there. Over the next three years I know that we will make some amazing findings together. Thanks for having me as part of your team."

After everyone had eaten, Marisa cleaned off the table and brought out a tray of fruit and dessert. "I hope you all had time to read over the information I sent out about the Galileo-A. I decided that sending it to you with 3D illustrations would be more efficient. Most of it is to familiarize you with the new ship and its capabilities. We're currently part of a convoy headed to Regula I, which will be our new base of operations."

The Chief Science Officer paused for a moment, then continued. "For those I haven't informed yet, I am a firm believer in individual and group research projects. Although we are Starfleet and our primary focus is scientific exploration, there will be a lot of down time. So, I encourage all of you to start or help with a research project you can work on when things are slow. If you don't have one of your own, you can assist someone else, or use your time to study. Outside of Starfleet, doing research and publishing papers is how you establish yourself and how you advance in your chosen field. I see no reason why we can't show the scientific community that Starfleet personnel are a valuable part of that."

Heinu nodded. He already had plans. Plans that wouldn't technically require more space, but that would benefit from it. He didn't care so much about the research, except as it related to his personal enjoyment, but if he wrote a paper or two as a byproduct of his interests, all the better.

Plumeri offered, "It takes a bit of time to get your work into the scientific community, however, I know a few people over at the Daystrom Technical Institute and I'd be happy to introduce you to the editors of the Journal. If you are just starting out then aim for one of the smaller publications. And, I have found, that recording your logs twice; one for the ship log and the other for you to send to a science journal often helps get credibility quickly. Don't just rely on the fact that you wear a uniform to get you in the door. There are plenty of civilians that work just as hard as we do and they have a lot more time to work with."

T'Lin listened into the conversation. "If I may though you will have to get the paper signed off by the at least the ship's captain. It needs to be reviewed to make sure that no sensitive information or implications are in there."

Raine listened but remained silent, taking in what was being said, making mental notes. As the Scientist's Mate, she did not have her own projects, but she was making sure to remember who was doing what in case she had to clean up any failed ones.

"What works for me is that I keep written notes on my computer, along with data for the article. That keeps it separate from my logs and lets me keep just the information I will need. When the project is over, I organize the notes, find any additional data to support my work and write it up. Then I double check my citations before submitting it for publication." Marisa shrugged. "Everyone has their own method. Find what works best for you."

Sofie kept unusually quiet and began to notice herself awkwardly playing with a strand of hair. Her feelings towards the academic world were mixed to say the least - failing to find success there was partially what had led her to Starfleet and her initially excitement at the Chief's policy had been slowly tempered with resentment. She tucked the hair behind an ear and filled her mouth with another forkful of kale to excuse herself from joining in with any words.

Jemima felt overwhelmed. Papers? Was she supposed to write papers, or was that for the others, who actually had something to write about? The thought of actually having to do something like that was terrifying.

"You don't have to publish anything, either. It's all up to you. There's plenty to do around here without adding publication to the mix," Petra added. Marisa should have been more clear about that. A couple of the juniors were looking positively green.

"One more thing," Marisa said. "Since we have a mixture of civilians, enlisted, and officers in this department, I would like us to be less formal while we're in the science areas. On the rest of the ship I expect the proper protocols, but while in the science areas, just call me Marisa."

"Finally, I would like each of you to consider cross-training with one of the other departments. It will give you some first-hand experience and may come in handy if we're ever in an emergency situation. If you're interested, let me know and I'll set something up with the other department." The Chief Science Officer looked around the table. "That's all I have. If you have no questions or concerns, you're free to leave. Thank you all for coming."

Petra stood and straightened her skirt. "Thanks." She turned to Matthew. "We should get together some time and talk. I'll buy you a drink."

Standing as well and happy, "I'd like that. I know a little place upstairs. The view is great and it's close to where I live. I'd like that very much." He said smoothly. "It's a date. I never say no to dates."

"Perfect," Petra smiled. "Let me know when you're free."

Matt said to everyone, "Marisa, everyone and especially the aquaponics folk, my compliments to the chef for all the great food here tonight. It is a pleasure to finally meet all of you and I look forward to getting to know you all better as we work together. Thank you."

"Thank you, Matthew," Marisa replied.

Jemima stood. "Thank you, ma'am...Marisa. The food was great. Just like home." She waved to the others and hurried out the door.

"Thanks Marisa," Heinu said, resisting the urge to grip her shoulder in friendly fashion. No matter how long he'd been in the fleet, he still had to resist the instinct for small physical contact as part of a hello or goodbye.

Marisa smiled at Heinu. His cheerfulness was contagious. She hoped he spread it throughout the department.

[OFF]

--

PO2 T'Lin
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Warraquim]

Cadet Senior Grade Jemima de la Cour
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Sandoval]

Petra Varelli
Forensic Anthropologist
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Sandoval]

LTJG Matthew Plumeri
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

PO1 Heinu Reteif
Botanist
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Ghoc]

Crewman Raine Ni-ya
Scientist's Mate
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vansen]

Lieutenant Marisa Sandoval
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

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