Why did the Vulcan cross the road?

Posted on 27 Oct 2023 @ 1:00pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor

2,536 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 7, Gym
Timeline: MD 19, 0530 hrs

[ON]

Running was like meditation in motion. Sera listened to the rhythmic sound of her feet contacting the surface of the treadmill. It was a measured beat of a metronome, allowing her mind to wander.

The first few days on board Galileo had passed in a blur of activity which culminated in a most unusual, yet intriguing interaction with a new science officer. Her retreat had been unfortunate. She would have much enjoyed--

Sera huffed out an exhale in rebuke. Focus. She concentrated on a point above her reflection's eyes and increased her pace.

It was early in the ship's day - but Sera had been at her run for 59 of the 60 minutes that had been designated for her run. A grueling pace was kept, but it had nothing to do with Vulcan speed or stamina. She was just trying to outrun her thoughts. Results were mixed. More research needed to be performed.

The entrance to Galileo's small gym room swished open, almost completely muffled by the sound of rapid footsteps working against one of the treadmills. The door hissed shut behind the captain down in the bowels of the ship while she walked to the bench and began to strip her Starfleet uniform vest from her torso to reveal a tight, black athletic bra which contrasted sharply against her pale skin. She placed her small workout bag beneath the bench then changed into a set of light gray running shoes and black Starfleet PT shorts. Pinning her commbadge to her chest, she started to stretch while taking notice of the other woman in the room she'd not previously met. She appeared tall - almost as tall as Tarin - and her ears...

The treadmill chimed at the 60 minute mark, and it began the cool-down mode, and Sera's pace slowed to a casual jog. The change in pace jarred out of her quasi-meditative state and she became aware of another person in the room. Looking into the mirror in front of her, Sera saw what appeared to be a human female, tall...5' 10"...no wait, incorrect. 5'11". If human, tall for a female of her species.

Sera reached out and swiped her hand over the holographic 'stop,' and grabbed the bar in front of her with one hand when the treadmill slowed to a halt. She walked a few steps and bent down to obtain a small bottle of water.

"I will leave presently, so that you may have the gym in privacy."

Tarin obtained her first view of the woman's face and swiftly matched her unique features with one of the newest officer profiles she'd perused on her PADD earlier during the previous day. The blue eyes and high eyebrow arches conformed with those of a Vulcan engineer who'd been recently assigned to her starship, and was also one of the last new commissioned officers she'd yet to meet in-person. "No need, I'm not shy," Morgan replied, her own hazel eyes trained on the other woman. "Ensign M'Lyr...'Zan, yes?"

"No." Sera responded. A brief uncomfortable pause and then Sera realized this crew member was awaiting more clarification than a simple yes or no answer.

"S'Ers-a Maat Lyr'Zor...however, for ease of communication, you may call me Sera." It was the nom de guerre she took when entering the academy - it had grown tedious to correct everyone who attempted to pronounce her name.

"It would appear that I am now at a disadvantage. I have no name or rank to call you by."

"'Sera'," repeated the senior Command officer while she procured a hair tie then pulled her dark, loosely-curled locks back from her cheeks and behind her head into a tight ponytail. "Commander Morgan Tarin," she introduced herself. "You can call me 'captain'. I read your file yesterday, - you're our new deputy engineer." Morgan's dry vocal tonality was more of a statement than a question.

Sera dipped her head in acknowledgement as she studied the CO. Initial assessment - the female presented a carefully controlled demeanor. It was not often that Sera encountered such a personality.

"Greetings, Captain Tarin. You are correct. I come to serve."

A tiny sideways smirk tugged at the corners of the captain's thin lips. "Don't we all?" she rhetorically remarked to herself before slipping to the floor and pulling her legs into a butterfly stretch. "Where are you coming from, Mister Sera? Earth? Vulcan? We're a long way from your homeworld."

"Vulcan. Yes, you are correct. This is the farthest I have ever been from...there." Sera refrained from saying 'home,' and homeworld was not appropriate word to use in her statement. However, why she added that particular statement, Sera was uncertain.

She looked down at the captain, unsure of what to say next. This wasn't an official meeting - there was no logical purpose to it...so she let Tarin dictate the terms of their interaction. If she had more questions, Sera would answer them. If not, she would return to her quarters and prepare for her duty shift.

"The furthest most of us have ever been," Tarin agreed. She spread her legs out then began to bend and work her hamstrings, one at a time. "So? What are your first impressions of the Pleiades Cluster?" It was a vague query and one which didn't necessarily contain a right answer. In her experience, Vulcans possessed a habit of cutting through verbal obfuscations and presenting their viewpoints quite clearly. Such clarity was what the new captain was hoping to hear.

"I...have not seen enough to make an accurate assessment. I can only speak of what I have observed since coming aboard Galileo. It is a small ship, in comparison to my last duty station. Nonetheless, I believe my knowledge and skill-set will be better served aboard a vessel such as this, captain."

Sera looked away from Captain Tarin's gaze, suddenly unsure. Concern flared through her; was her answer inadequate? "You may, of course, ask me again at a later juncture - I shall endeavor to have a more comprehensive response."

Something within the Vulcan's answer sparked a curiosity within Tarin. "Why?" she plainly asked before slightly elaborating. "Your knowledge and skills, I mean. What do you feel is so special - or unique - about a Nova-class?" She dipped her head back down then switched her stretches to the opposite leg, her torso bent fully over her waist demonstrating her flexibility.

"The size does not allow for a focus so narrow as to have the luxury of ignorance in regards to areas outside of one's specialty. I want to know this ship. It is of a size and configuration where that is within the realm of possibility, captain. I do not have aspirations to serve on the biggest or the newest of ships. I have already had that particular experience and found it to be...unsatisfactory."

This was a rather peculiar conversation, but Sera was not about to voice that particular opinion to the commanding officer. So instead, she stood there, holding her water bottle and watched Tarin perform her stretches. Well, if nothing else, it was efficient.

The captain sat up straight from her position then pulled one of her calves back and to the side before glancing back up to the engineer. "I can relate and you'll certainly get the chance," she mused out-loud. Galileo was the smallest starship Tarin had ever served aboard and it'd taken her a grand total of two weeks to become intimately familiar with its layout and operations. "She's a good ship, but slightly underpowered. The standard F-Type warp core was designed for even smaller Starfleet vessels and its power output isn't as high as the larger B-Class or RamJet cores. It's an economic design, but be sure to keep an eye on output levels when we're running our systems to maximum capacity."

Sera raised a brow, but inwardly she experienced mild amusement. The captain no doubt was attempting to make...what was it again, 'tiny talk?' Sera understood how under powered Galileo's engines were - however the harmonics were...almost perfect. It was something she could work with. It was an opportunity to pull a 'Trip Tucker," and the very thought was an energizing one. She had met some of the enlisted, and first impressions were...they could do it. Well...only if the captain permitted. Times and places and this with neither the time nor the place.

"Your advice had been duly noted, Captain Tarin." She pulled her arms behind her back, hands clasping opposite elbows, the water bottle dangling from a finger. "Would you care to continue in our discourse, or am I keeping you from your physical activity?"

A soft chuckle escaped Tarin's lips and she lightly shook her head in the negative. "I don't mind the company, ensign. Unless you have somewhere to be? I assume you've already reported to Commander Blake and stowed your belongings?"

"Affirmative on both counts, Captain. I have also met with the Chief Medical Officer. And I do not have any required tasks until my duty shift begins in 2 hours and 17 minutes."

The mention of the doctor's visit piqued Tarin's interested. "Ah, Commander Warraquim. First time meeting an Akkadian?" she asked with some levity in her dry voice. "I admit, the first time I saw her in person I was...well, let's just say very interested. It's not every day we're afforded the chance to meet new races serving aboard Starfleet vessels. A personal 'first contact' scenario, in a sense."

Sera blinked. What a fascinating way in which to view that encounter.

"I have had many such moments since leaving Vulcan to join Starfleet, Captain. The first time seeing an Human was just as exotic as meeting Commander Warraquim. However, I must admit that the Commander has an unusual way of oversharing personal information."

The captain rose back to her feet then walked over to one of the vacant treadmills. "Personal information?" she curiously frowned to herself while stepping onto the exercise machine and tapping at its control interface to begin a warmup walk. "Explain."

It was not a question.

Sera followed her over to the treadmills and watched Tarin start her machine up. Was she going to stand here and watch the captain run? Well...apparently so.

"I do not know what the technique was called. She told me her entire name and then a number of personal details with the expectation of reciprocation. A Vulcan would not engage in such behavior...such details are considered private. However, for the sake of this...'first contact,' I responded in kind. Why is such dissemination of private information required during these types of interactions?"

Tarin slowed her walking pace then tapped the controls to her treadmill to bring it to a stop. She turned back while still standing on the machine to face the new engineer and provide her with her full attention. "I can't speak for Akkadians, but for most Humans, these social exchanges are considered dual-pleasantries." She pursed her lips to think of an analogy. "A way to get to know someone more intimately in a formal environment without direct questioning while also acknowledging they might not be part of your established social group. In my experience, your people can be very upfront with your social queries. Sometimes that produces the opposite result of your intent and makes us uncomfortable - less willing to divulge private information."

She tilted her head in a non-verbal demonstration of inevitable misunderstanding. "Clarity in question is Logical, Captain Tarin. I can think of no other way to put forth an inquiry other than how I was trained to."

It was not the first time she had made a statement similar to this. Sera did not desire others to become less of who they were and more Vulcan...she only desired to understand. Apparently her patterns of engagement were flawed. However, was the expectation of change only to fall upon her?

Not knowing what else to do, Sera added, "I apologize if my behavior or inquiries have caused discomfort, Captain." Ultimately her discomfort or lack there of was irrelevant. It was necessary to adapt to the whole. Apparently Sera had much to learn in this regard; it had never mattered before.

A subtle frown propagated discreet wrinkles on Tarin's forehead. "Don't apologize for your candor, ensign. You and I both know Humans aren't a logical species. But some of us - even myself - find the Vulcan method of communication..." she paused to think of the correct word, "..refreshing." In a small and confined starship where interpersonal relationships were critical to successful synergy, honesty and directness were paramount social traits. "It's your first day on board - take it slow and tend to your duties like you normally would. You'll get to know the rest of the crew's societal tendencies after a few weeks." She then lightly raised her eyebrows. "And maybe they can learn something from your approach to 'clarity'."

Sera blinked, unused to such a willingness to explain conversational nuances in the moment. Sera appreciated Tarin's approach.

"Aye sir." She said in response. "I will endeavor to attempt unhurried movements." It was a Vulcan version of 'a joke.'

Tarin struggled to interpret what the engineer meant and instead nodded with confirmation. "Good." A quick glance at the chonometer on her treadmill revealed she was running almost ten minutes behind schedule with a very busy day ahead of her. "Well, Mister Sera, I have a 5k to run before I start my shift and I don't want to keep you from socializing more. Unless you're up for another run?" she offered. "Vulcan physical endurance is supposedly legendary."

Five more kilometers. She could complete that and still have ample time to return to her quarters and prepare for her shift.

"Supposedly Legendary?" she stepped up onto the treadmill and entered in the desired distance and the flooring began to move propelling Sera forward and she quickly eased back into a measured run. "It is well documented that Vulcans are far stronger than humans by a ratio of approximately 4 to 1, Captain."

A sideways smirk tugged at the corner of Tarin's lips. "It's also well documented that Vulcans are vegetarians, but I once watched one eat four roasted tribbles at a diplomatic event aboard one of my previous postings. So...show me," she challenged the other tall woman, turning back to her own treadmill and activating it.

"That is barbaric." Sera replied regarding Tarin's 'Vulcan' tale. Tribbles? Disgusting.

She would rationalize accepting this challenge as only following a request made by a senior officer. Yes, that sounded far more Logical than I accepted a dare.

"Very Well, Captain." This was no hardship. Not at all, really.

Running was like meditation in motion. Sera listened to the rhythmic sound of her feet contacting the surface of the treadmill. It was a measured beat of a metronome, allowing her mind to wander.

[OFF]

--

Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Deputy Engineer
USS Galileo-A

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

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