Science Tour

Posted on Mon Mar 13th, 2023 @ 8:47pm by Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag & Commander Lucy Heartfilia & Lieutenant Mariya Karashka Ph.D. & Ensign Dora

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 3: The Peace Ship
Location: Science Labs, USS Midway
Timeline: M3 MD02 - 08:30

The Constitution Class Starships had fourteen science labs separated across two decks. The ship also has medical labs which also worked with the ship's science department. Commander Lucy Heartfilia, the ship's Chief Science and Executive Officer was responsible for the running of these labs and accompanying facilities and systems.

She was touring the ship's science facilities, now that the ship had been fully stocked they could bring them all online. Her first stop was one of four general science labs, these could be adapted for almost any experiment.

"Good morning," she greeted the crew who all wore science blue.

Toby jumped to his feet, "Ah, Commander... Welcome..." He said in a startled voice, "Ah, what brings you down here ma'am?" He asked. The young man's wide eyes were filled with shock.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Last time I checked I was Chief Science Officer Ensign," she replied simply. "Is there something going on that shouldn't be?"

"Oh, ah, no Commander, just you haven't been down here yet," Toby responded, "I was wondering if there was a problem."

"Not at all," Lucy smiled. "I am just touring our labs. They should have been fully restocked and brought online at Starbase Ten. As head of Ship Sciences, I wanted to familiarise myself with our current science abilities," she explained to the Ensign.

Dora had risen too, but seemed a little less jumpy than his bench-mate, no doubt due to his different metabolism.

"We are just analysing some of the rogue signals that this ship and others in the Quadrant have been receiving from the rogue trader Xon, Maaaaaaaam" the three legged, three armed Edosian creaked.

He figured as a scientist, the Lieutenant Commander might be interested in their analytical methodology, and as First Officer of the Midway, she might be interested in the possibility that they had found a possible flaw in all of the craft's security measures.

"Signals?" Lucy asked curiously. "What type of signals?" She asked as she moved over towards Dora.

"Advertising jingles, 'cold calls', most ships have been taking measures to block them, but we have just received data tapes from the Franklin, they have been recording them and even encouraging them to gather information. After analysing the Franklin data, we are 90% sure that they are using a form of interphase signaling to get around our usual 'white noise' filters."

"Ensign Dienstag's calculations made it possible to understand what was happening" he added truthfully, credit where credit was due, that was one of Dora's mottos.

"I see," Lucy replied. "Show me your data, maybe I can assist."

Dora and Deinstag were always happy to talk science, especially their own work, but one person who didn’t like chatter in the lab was their bullying superior, Lieutenant Karashka. The door to her office now swished open.

“What is all this silly noise?!” She bellowed as she strode out. She had assumed that it was that annoying Koppelman child whom she had recently had to discipline quite harshly: making her do push-ups in the gym in an ill fitting leotard and otherwise publicly humiliating her, perhaps crossing a bit of a line.

It wasn’t the first time the bad tempered Bulgarian woman had taken her frustrations out on a younger woman, as a Senior cadet at the Academy, she had been particularly cruel to one of the freshmen, a few years younger than herself. Some called it ‘harmless hazing’ others might call it out and out bullying. 10 years later, That freshman stood before her, Lucy Heartfilia, her new commanding officer.

Mariya knew this moment would come, but hadn’t expected it right this second. She made a sharp intake of breath and managed to stutter a “Heartfeli.... I mean, Commander, I trust you find everything in order?”

She looked the pretty blonde woman up and down, she looked so slim and svelte in her teal Commander’s uniform, it made the older woman feel over-bulky and busty, despite the tight and uncomfortable corset she had to wear beneath her uniform to even get into it.

Despite an overwhelming desire to drag her old victim, and new superior, to the toilets and give her a ‘swirly’ like in the good old days at the Academy, she decided to try the friendly approach: let bygones be bygones. “I’ve been so looking forward to seeing you again, it’s been too long!” She gave a false, disingenuous smile.

Lucy nodded with a brief smile. "Indeed. I was aware of your posting here, I just haven't had time to get down here" she replied.

"Ensigns Deinstag and Dora are doing wonderful work on the interphasal energy signatures" Karashka suddenly gushed, much to the Edosian's amazement. It seemed that much as she gave them a hard time in the lab, especially after Toby's bizarre attempt to set 'Car-crash' up with a date with the essentially straight Lieutenant Thraxina, it seemed that she would defend them to the hilt with outsiders. it was like having some kind of odd Showbiz Mom.

"Yes. I've just been looking over their work. I am curious about these signals and if they pose a risk to security of the ship," Lucy replied. "I would appreciate a second opinion on the matter."

"Yes, well: there is a potential security risk. Dienstag had been doing some work with..." She was about to say 'Doctor Matthews' but did want her and her team tainted with a stroke from that brush "... with Lieutenant Vox in Communications around the Orion attack and their ability to transport so deftly aboard the ship. They nailed down the possibility of the use of some previously unknown Interphase technology enabling the pirate to not so much beam into our ship, but to interphase in at the right time and place."

"That line of enquiry was terminated when..." again, she couldn't say 'when Dr Dave was carted off to the funny farm' so she had to merely say "... when we reached Star Base 10."

"It was the brainchild of our former ship's psychiatrist, so the work has stalled," Toby commented, "And I seem to be a slave to the new holographic rec deck. It's being heavily used and things are breaking left and right."

Lucy pondered on what they had told her for a moment. "I want you to focus on this. If its poses a potential security risk its best to tackle this now." She looked at them both. "Use whoever you need, work with engineering as well. They may have some insight," the Science Officer suggested.

Mariya bristled: this was not how Karashka wanted to use her team's lab time at the moment. "But..." she started to object, but then had to bite her tongue, the over-promoted younger woman was in command of her now, she managed a brittle "Yes... Ma'am."

"I will contact ... Lieutenant Nova... immediately." croaked Dora in his slow groany voice. Karashka shot daggers at him, the three-armed little creep!

"Keep me updated on your progress. I'll be on the bridge," Lucy told them in a kind tone. She gave them all a smile and a 'Be nice' look over at Karashka. With a turn of her heel and swish of her mini-skirted uniform Lucy left the science lab. She was still going to briefly pop into the other science facilities before writing up her weekly department report for the Captain.

Lieutenant Karashka watched the Lieutenant Commander leave with a peculiar look on her face, her chest was heaving and she seemed to be almost in a dream.

"Your orders lieutenant?" Toby asked, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible while waiting for what was bound to be an earful in the characteristic car crash manner... Loud And abusive.

"Wha..." she snapped out of it and focussed her eyes on Dienstag.

"We must do as we are commanded by our 'betters'" she murmured: rather than shouting at the two junior officers, she seemed to treat them as fellow sufferers at Heartfilia's hands. They could not understand the feelings that were torturing her soul: a bizarre combination of hatred, jealousy, resentment, guilt and attraction toward the shorter, younger, blonder but more senior officer.

"I shall be in my office, gentlemen, I do not wish to be disturbed" she warned them. She needed a little private time.

"Is it just me or as car crash gotten... Weirder since our time on Starbase 10," Toby commented, "Although I'm sure the failed triple date had something to do with it... Although it wasn't exactly my fault."

Dora turned his enormous eyes toward the door that closed behind their boss's well upholstered form and reached out one of his strange knobbly twiggy hands almost like a priest bestowing a benediction and croaked out in his creaking old tree voice: "Soooo... lonely..."

"I guess... And before you suggest anything, I'm already taken," Toby responded, "Besides... She would probably eat me... Snakes do that you know."

"He he he" Dora did his funny little mischievous chuckle. "Tobeeee, when she is happy... weee are happy." the Edosian pointed out. "How did her date with Thraxeeeena go?"

"It was a disaster," Toby responded, "At least the dinner part... Thraxina didn't realize we were setting her up with a woman, so..." He shuddered.

"Oooohhh... I seee" Dora said, but he didn't; all this sex and romance business was a bit beyond him. "How did you meet Miiiike?" he asked. Maybe that would give him a clue as to what they could do about getting Karashka paired off.

"Well, we were both at the academy, has a few mutual friends," Toby responded, "We flirted a few times and then he asked me out... Took awhile, believe it or not." There was certainly more to the story but he wasn't going to get into it.

'Flirting' eh? Dora had heard the word once or twice but never really understood what it really was. He swivelled his enormous eyes on Toby "Explain to me how to flirt..." he requested.

Toby opened his mouth but all that came out was, "Ah..." He said... Truth be told he wasn't great at it, "Maybe you should ask the Captain," he said, "He's the expert at flirting... I've seen him flirt with almost every female officer on the ship."

"Ohh Kaaaaaay" nodded Dora. If Toby said this was good idea, the Edosian would be willing to try it...

"Well, maybe just watch him," Toby amended his suggestion.

 

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