USS Galileo :: Episode 20 - Reconstruction - Pebble to the Pond
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Pebble to the Pond

Posted on 01 Dec 2024 @ 12:23am by Commander Morgan Tarin & Yukime Frost

1,871 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: Regula I - Level 16, Administrative Module
Timeline: MD 05, 2330 hrs

[ON]

The door chime within Administrator Frost's office suddenly chirped to represent a waiting visitor within the small reception area outside. Science station Regula I's interior was currently quiet and relatively unoccupied, and with the Klingon 'delegation' now gone and en route away from the sector, a semblance of normalcy had returned to the starbase. Commander Morgan Tarin presently stood outside the civilian station commander's door with a PADD clasped in her hand and tucked behind her back, along with an unorthodox yet semi-urgent request for the silver-haired woman.

Silk got a message from her clerk that Commander Tarin requested an urgent appointment. "Interesting. Well after the last reports, I wonder what it could be?" She mused out loud a moment. She got up and pressed the open on the door simultaneously. Coming around the desk she held out a hand. "Commander, please come in."

"Frost," acknowledged Tarin with a respectful nod; or 'Silk', as she preferred to be called in part due to her striking platinum blond hair. "Catch you at a good time?" A slow mosey ensued while she entered the starbase commander's private ready room located within one of the compact-sized circular tree hub modules.

"Never a good time Captain Tarin. However, I don't like keeping ship's captains waiting either. What can I help you with?"

Straight to the point. There was a reason Tarin had privately enjoyed working with the civilian administrator during the year leading up to her reassignment to Galileo. They were both women of business. "I take it by now you've read the Priority One communique from Starfleet Command and my after action report for Galileo. This temporal shift...we might be responsible for it. In all likelihood, we are." It was a heavy burden for Tarin to shoulder and she was still attempting to process the reality of their supposed actions in a different timeline and future.

"I've scanned it. There is a lot of pages and details but, yes the nugget of the matter. I must say that it gives one pause. Have a seat. Easier than standing on our feet and tell me what you need of me." Silk indicated some of the chairs and couches along one wall.

In a rare acceptance, Tarin complied with the offer and walked over to the sofa where she sat and leaned back before crossing a long leg over the other. "I need a second opinion. You're a scientist...but a civilian member of the Federation and not a Starfleet officer. That puts you in a unique position and gives you a valuable perspective for what the rest of the fleet does out here; how we operate."

"I still operate under Fleet rules and regulations. However, captain, go ahead. I have quite a bit of intelligence background which somehow I have feeling that this entails." She smiled briefly. "The downsides of being a telepath. You are almost shouting in trying to conceal your thoughts and emotions."

"Intelligence? Not exactly." Tarin considered the best phraseology in which to frame her query. "More so regarding our convictions and sense of duty - guiding principles, if you will," she casually gestured with a hand before asking a rather personal question. "Do you believe in fate? Predestination?"

"An interesting question, captain. The answer is no. I think we have our own ability to make decisions and what follows is a result of those decisions. If we are doomed to follow a certain path then why bother to have laws or anything else. Predetermined, then a person committing murder had no choice. I cannot accept that. Predestination is only a step further."

Quietly Tarin listened while agreeing with Frost. The very nature of Starfleet emphasized the importance of decision-making both through logical and philosophical lenses. "Agency and free will are two of our most fundamental traits. Not only as Humans but as inhabitants of this universe. I agree with everything you said." A slight pause was followed by, "But from a temporal causality perspective: do you believe the same action would be repeatedly performed over and over again if no outside intervention occurred? If you threw a pebble into a pond a thousand times in the exact same location...would the ripples always form the same pattern?"

"From a metaphysical standpoint, I am afraid I can't answer that. However, from known physics, the answer is no. Something always causes a slight change no matter how carefully one tries to control the experiment. The underlying quantum matrix is never the same. The ripples will never be exactly the same in your analogy."

Tarin bit her bottom lip in thought as she often did out of habit when complex mental faculties were involved. "Would it be accurate to say, then, that Galileo's return the present from the future would produce a different future regardless of any change in my crew's actions or behaviors?" Was this the negotiating phase the captain was entering? To convince herself that she wasn't ultimately responsible for what might come to the Federation?

Silk waited. She could feel the emotions pouring off, and she felt for the captain of the Galileo. What she had imparted had consequences and the struggle to understand and make a decision. Silk knew right then and there she would support or help any way she could. She took a deep breath. "I would say yes to your question. A different future will be the result. We cannot know what it might be for certain, for in doing so, we change those ripples already. Thus, I would say captain, something will change, but we can only hope that it produces something better." Silk shrugged. "This is where I get metaphysical. I believe in intent, and if our intent is for peace and success, then it will be so."

"Intent. An interesting perspective," contemplated the red-collared captain. She uncrossed one of her long legs from the other then reversed the position. "Maintaining the righteous path in a sense? In other words, if the Federation upholds its core values and stays true to its belief system, our influence throughout the quadrants will reflect that and affect the correct change?"

"I would like to think so. As I said, it is veering into the metaphysical. I have no proof, mind you, but I've also seen too many things that makes me wonder. I can't help but think with what you have said that while the ripples are trending out that we can't 'steer' them a little. Look, even someone as logical as the Vulcans still have some philosophy of guiding the future."

Steer the future. Tarin smirked at the mention of Humanity's oldest allies. "Vulcans have and will die by their unwavering commitment to logic...but I'd assume in a scenario such as this, the most 'logical' action would be to play this new hand we've been dealt to the best of our ability and with the added foresight of the cards to come."

"I can't see any better course. And I have the feeling, captain, that you are a pretty sharp player." Silk winked.

The Regula I administrator's discreet endorsement softened Tarin's tight emotions. She'd been reluctant to seek additional points of view or confer with those surrounding her following Galileo's return to this original timeline and its subsequent contentious debriefing. But was their timeline original anymore? Frost seemed to understand her in a way her officer corps aboard the ship couldn't. Perhaps due to 17 months of intimate duty together working hand-in-hand each day, but also because...well, she was Frost - a uniquely experienced and capable person who matched Tarin's own mental fortitude. "I'll do my best," was all she could say to provide assurance. "But in the meantime, my crew's...struggling to process this turn of events. Emotions are running high and I want to get as many of them off the ship as I can while we have some downtime. A shore leave."

"Of course. We have the station here and then there is a planet nearby that is available or both. The planet is still unspoiled and has minimal infrastructure. I am guessing that some of the crew would prefer bright lights and such. I am presuming that your ship probably should have a going over while here. I can arrange shuttles or similar if that is required," Silk replied.

"Your offer's accepted," said Tarin with a grateful nod. "I'm going to schedule six consecutive days and if new orders haven't come in from Command by then, I'll extend their leave another week. Regula I's a small station but it's different than Galileo and changing the crew's environment will do them all some good." She paused for a short moment to retrieve the PADD clipped to her belt and retrieve the Nova-class' recent operational reports. "The systems test was successful but there's still some fine-tuning to perform, especially on the warp field coils. Several of them fused during our warp run-up and might need replacing. Any workbees you can spare would be appreciated."

And then there was the final offer of Remidia, a youthful young world ripe for study and perhaps offering more than any space facility could. "Have your expedition teams discovered anything new or interesting since my last review of the world before I was assigned to Galileo?" Tarin was familiar enough with the purple planet but lacked knowledge of its scientific intricacies.

"Nothing too new. It appears to be a biologically developing world, nothing sentient there, so I can make it available. Not everything has been classified or tested so no eating things that have not been put on the list. I can make that available. Is there anything else Captain Tarin?"

A light shake of the commander's head caused her loosely-curled dark brown hair to bob lightly across the tops of her shoulders. There was much on Tarin's mind but those elements with which Frost could assist were limited and already approached. "For now, no. I'm sure Command and I'll be having a lengthy correspondence over the coming days. If anything pertinent crops up, I'll bring you into the loop. In the meantime, send me your updated topography maps for Remidia and any recommendations your teams have for nice camping spots. And maybe a beach or two."

"Will do captain." Silk eyed the captain. "While I know there are things that you need to talk to command about, let me say that make sure you give yourself some needed time also. Is there anything else?"

A small smirk tugged the corners of Tarin's lips. "I'm learning the lifestyle of a CO doesn't provide a lot of down time. But I'll do my best. And no, that's all I have right now." She took a deep breath then exhaled before standing and stretching her arms in front of Regula I's commander. "Thank you for your counsel, Frost, as always."

"As always and anything said here is strictly confidential. Have a good day, Captain Tarin." Frost came to her feet.

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

Administrator Yukime "Silk" Frost
Administrator
Regula I
[PNPC Warraquim]

 

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