Dinner Date (Part II)

Posted on 11/10/2020 @ 5:35pm by Lieutenant Commander Kiernan Gallagher VII & Lieutenant Oskar Ruseka MD
Edited on on 03/02/2021 @ 6:25pm

Mission: Sum of our Experiences
Location: Gallagher/Ruseka Quarters
Timeline: Day 0 at 1930

After a few beats of silence, Kiernan cleared his throat and managed to compose himself. He twisted the fork in the pasta to get it twined on his fork before he slipped the utensil between his lips. After he chewed, he continued. “It was not as fully explored, but it didn’t need to be for the reason we were there. Vallaria Two was as old as Earth, but its geomorphology didn’t indicate that. It indicated a much younger planet formation. At first, I thought it was a mistake from the previous geologist, but I took over four hundred samples, and they were all similar.”

He shook his head as he thought back to all those samples and all the testing he had done. He had put thousands of hours into the research and had barely made any headway. “My best hypothesis is that somehow the surface terraformed billions of years after its formation.”

Oskar chuckled. He was not sure how close he had been to striking gold or if his fantastical mind was alluding to more than was actually there. Nevertheless, he treated the information Kiernan provided for what it was: a scientist feeling out. "Quite the hypothesis, my dear boy," the elder man commented with a chuckle.

"That would certainly be a remarkable find, something that would truly get a geologist's rocks off," Oskar added, landing what the 21st century would have regarded as a 'dad joke' laced with innuendo. "Has it been proven yet?" inquired Oskar.

Kiernan groaned at the attempt at ‘dad humor’ and rolled his blue eyes. “Nice, classy even,” he finally replied. He then started to laugh, how could he not? Oskar had always made him laugh, Oskar could also brighten his day when it felt alone and scared. The older man brought so much happiness and he now couldn’t imagine his life without the big ole oaf.

After his laughter died down a bit, he continued. “My hypothesis has not been proven, but I haven’t stopped trying either. There hasn’t been a science team on the surface for quite some time, there was a large seismic event that made the surface unstable for the time being.” Before Oskar could comment on that, Kiernan said, “One of the things I have thought about was large seismic events that took place in Vallaria Two’s early formation.”

"I bet you are itching for an opportunity to get back to Vallaria Two, and undoubtedly try to prove your hypothesis correct?" inquired Oskar. He was fairly certain that was something Kiernan would have loved. "A hypothesis is only good if proven or disproven at some point," added Oskar. It was a bit of an alternative way to say that he encouraged Kiernan's continued dedication to his hypothesis.

Kiernan sat with that for a moment. As a scientist, he hated having a hypothesis just hanging over him like that, but as a Starfleet officer, he had to go where he was needed. Nevertheless, Starfleet made the decision for him, where he was going to be and where he was needed the most. That was one of Starfleet’s greatest strengths and its greatest weakness when it came to science officers and their usage.

“If I’m going, to be honest with myself, yes, I’d like to continue to pursue it. I suppose if a team is ever put back together, I’d sign up,” Kiernan replied. “Heck, at this point, I may even be tapped to lead that team.”

"Maybe it would be a good vacation spot?" Oskar replied somewhat in jest yet not entirely. "Certainly would be off the grid. Is it a class M world?" He continued questioningly. Kiernan had said it was not inhabited, but that did not rule it out as being Class M or not.

Way off the grid, Kiernan mused to himself. To Oskar's question, he nodded. "Yes, it is Class-M, it has four seasons just like most M worlds. But with no weather grid controlling some of the larger weather events, well... some of the storms I had gone through were brutal."

"You roughed it and weathered through some of the worst I imagine," replied Oskar. "Sometimes, I forget how much a weather grid does. You get so used to having them on Federation and some non-Federation worlds. The few times that I've set foot on a world without one, I did not have to experience too much, but it was definitely monsoon season on one world. I even managed to acquire an acute bronchial infection."

"Weather grids are certainly helpful," Kiernan replied and then nodded. "But I have to say, as a geologist, as a scientist, natural weather elements are fascinating. They shape the land differently than a planet controlled by a weather system. I mean, think about it, the weather grid for Earth will only keep seeing improvements, in a thousand years, the landscape will hardly change. Even continental drift has been stabilized." He smiled a bit of a sad smile. "I doubt in a thousand years they will even need geologists."

Oskar scoffed playfully dismissive. "No need for geologists?!" countered the elder man shaking his head. "Science is science. Technology does not advance without the minds of scientists and the hands of engineers. We are explorers, dear boy. Haven't we always been? Our curiosities and wiles will take us to planets beyond our fantasies. There will be rock formations and geothermal abnormalities that will leave most of us dumbfounded. Geologists such as yourself will be crucial."

"Well, in a thousand years I'll be long dead so I suppose it doesn't matter," Kiernan replied. "Who knows where or even what we will be then." He had hopes that the Federation, and by extension Starfleet, would still be around a thousand years from now. But, like with all great civilizations, they eventually fall. "You are right though, science will always be around, without it, we wouldn't be here."

Oskar smiled. "Dinner has been absolutely delicious, Kiernan," commented the elder of the two men. "You know..." Oskar began with a wink flashed at the Chief Science Officer. "You are due for a post away mission physical. I'm here, you are here. I could take care of that tonight. We can log it as a house call."

Kiernan bit his lower lip in the seductive way that Oskar liked and nodded. "Definitely should take care of that," he agreed. He got up from his chair and held out his hand for the older man to take. "Shall we?"

Doctor Ruseka smirked and nodded. "The Doctor will see you now," replied Oskar, taking the Chief Science Officer's hand. "Right this way my boy, I have a bed all ready for you" added the elder man politely.

A post by:

Lieutenant Kiernan M. Gallager VII, PhD
Chief Science Officer
USS Crazy Horse

and

Dr. Oskar Ruseka, MD
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Crazy Horse