Science meets science

Posted on 07/31/2020 @ 2:04pm by Lieutenant JG Siobhan Richards PhD

Mission: S2E1: The Skunil Incident
Location: Science Lab, USS Crazy Horse
Timeline: Day 38 at 1700

Siobhan entered the science lab after she checked for the last time that her uniform was fitting her perfectly. This was where the computer located the XO. Still on her first day, Siobhan decided that aside from the captain it would be nice to meet the XO as well. So here she was. She had enough time to eat something at the mess hall and then change her uniform, briefly visiting her quarters.

She walked in with her usual confident, model-like stride looking around curiously. Siobhan was curious of how well equipped the Crazy Horse was and while she wasn’t particularly familiar with most of the things she saw, it looked impressive. Her eyes quickly locked onto a Trill. She recognized him from the dossier.
“Lieutenant Jodon Joral.” She said approaching him and introduced herself. “Lieutenant Siobhan Richards, the new counselor.”

"Lieutenant Jodon Joral," replied the First Officer as he greeted the woman after turning the high stool he was sitting in around, hunched over a piece of scientific equipment. "I'm not the Chief Science Officer, I promise" he added almost teasingly. "I am just heavily invested in my work" he explained his presence in the science lab.

He extended his hand. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant" added J.J. "I look forward to working with you" stated the First Officer.

Siobhan shook the hand, not often seen gesture but as a person who loved socializing, she appreciated it.

"Likewise, Lieutenant, likewise." She replied with a friendly smile. "So what are you working on that has you so invested?" She stood next to the XO, leaning against the desk instead of taking a stool next to her. Lieutenant as the XO wasn't a common thing. She was curious of the story behind it.

"How up to speed have you been brought on the planet Skunil?" he asked. He proceeded nonetheless. "I am looking at a few soil samples collected where some bodies were discovered in a sort of burial mound decomposing" he explained. He then realized that was probably not ideal conversation starter. "I'm sorry. I hope you didn't recently eat."

Siobhan laughed and shook her head.
"I actually did. A nice banana muffin." She said calming herself though her eyes remained amused for a moment longer. "But don't worry. I am not easily disgusted." She inhaled deeply calming herself and falling into a more matter-of-fact pose. "Honestly I was not briefed at all. I know only bits and pieces I heard around, so, please, if you could fill me in."

He nodded "Right," he replied. He could have found a PaDD of information, but he had no issue providing the information. "A Bajoran and Human colony world of several hundred colonist. It was heavily agricultural, but they went silent. We arrived to investigate the planet's surface as there were no life signs. There was nobody down there...complete ghost colony. Though we did find a few bodies in a burial mound."

"Yes, that is something that I managed to figure out so far on my own." Siobhan confirmed. "So, did you find anything more?" She gently indicated with her head toward what the XO was working on when she came in. "What is the working theory at the moment?" She added.

"The scientist in me loves theories, but I am too disciplined to reveal any of that" J.J. immediately responded. "Until we know more, it would be unwise to speculate. The primary water source; however, contained detectable amounts of a toxin found in a variety of plants from Earth. How it got into the water source is yet to be known whether that be accidental or deliberately done" he noted. "We are still pending autopsy results from the exhumed bodies recovered from the planet. Ideally, we will know more soon. The soil samples that Ensign Krause and I collected do not show anything out of the ordinary. If anything, excellent for growing a good amount of crops, but to be expected from such an agriculturally driven colony."

Siobhan thought for a moment and her eyes drifted on the equipment around. It looked that there was so little information that even a working theory couldn't be formulated.

"Do we know when died the people bodies we recovered? Do we have any indication how long time ago there was the last activity at the colony, based on computer activity, amount of scavengers, rotting of supplies, plants overgrowing etc.? Did we scan the space around the planet to see if there are still any remnants of warp signatures or impulse drive particles?"

Well damn he thought as he shook his head at the exuberance of the woman. She was scattering her questioning about to various points and directions that J.J. did not even know which order to address them all. "Lieutenant, with all due respect, when we have answers, we will have answers. I just got to the starship not all that long ago. The bodies were brought back a while before my return, and science as beautiful and wonderous as it is is not magic as much as we want to wave our hands and make it so" replied Lieutenant Joral.

He smiled trying not to come across as dismissive. "Everything looked somewhat in place. It was as if people were going about their everyday life up until recently and then things stopped, people went missing. We only recovered six bodies so far out of several hundred. Where are the rest? Are there more bodies down there somewhere? All of that is still lingering in the air. The bodies my away team and I discovered were rather freshly put there. I have an Entomologist looking at some maggots of sort we uncovered from the bodies and the soil. They might be able to give us an indication of how long the bodies were buried."

The reaction told Siobhan a lot. She could be disappointed with the XO reaction to her questions, but she did ask them less interested in answers and more interested in gauging his approach to the problem. Joral seemed to focus on a single aspect of things and dig into it, rather than what she would expect from a commanding officer to focus on the bigger picture and directing others to deal with specifics. Was it a bad approach? Or was she even right? She would have to wait and see.

"I am sorry, for being so forthcoming." Siobhan said with an apologetic smile. "I am sure you have more experience than I do and know the best course of action as the XO."

He sighed "Nothing prepares you properly for it," he replied. "It is a never-ending procceess of learning" he added. J.J. did not have endless amounts of experience.

"How do you find your new post?" She decided to change the subject. "It is your first mission as the XO, right? And already such a mystery."

Jodon nodded. "Yes, this is essentially my first assignment as Executive Officer. My symbiont's previous host was Captain of a starship. She had years of command experience. I suppose some of it has rubbed off a bit in me, but I am still learning. This is quite the mystery to sink my teeth into."

Siobhan smiled understanding.
"What is more on your mind, the mystery or the new assignment?"

"The mystery," replied J.J. "Definitely the mystery. Over seven hundred people are either missing or deceased, that is practically double the amount of people currently serving aboard this starship, Lieutenant" stated the First Officer. "I owe it to their families and loved ones left behind on some other planet to bring some resemblance of peace of mind to them. They deserve answers whether that means finding these people alive and well or recovering remains for a proper burial and the building of a memorial."

"Sense of duty." Siobhan nodded. "I can respect that. I guess then I should get out of your hair and let you focus on that. Unless there is anything you wish to tell the newbie on the ship, that is under your command. Sir." Her eyes twinkled with a bit of humor.

"I appreciate having a Counselor aboard," he replied with a smile. "You may be outside of the chain of command, but I value your position and any insight that you may have when it comes to the mental well-being of the crew" he added. "I do not have anything else to really add. I think you find your footing and way around here pretty easily. Some of the crew will certainly keep you busy."

"But not you, Lieutenant?" Siobhan asked tilting her head playfully. The young XO seemed to be very much by the book.

He shrugged. "It's possible I may stop by every so often. It was recommended I see a counselor by the Chief Medical Officer because of stress and potential anxiety that has come with being joined and thrust into an XO position," he replied. "Though I can assure you that I will be the least of your problems."

"I welcome them all equally with open mind and desire to help." She commented and bounced off the table. "Then I guess I leave you to your mystery, Lieutenant."

And I leave you to enjoy Lieutenant Cash thought J.J. but it was not his place to say anything like that. He was First Officer and there was a certain decorum that had to be followed. "Thank you, lieutenant" he replied with a smile. "I will keep you updated if we make any breakthroughs" he added.

A Post by:

Lieutenant JG Siobhan Richards
Ship's Counselor
USS Crazy Horse

and

Lieutenant Jodon Joral
Executive Officer
USS Crazy Horse