USS Rosenante Compile 29 January - 30 January 2008 Compile Index: Mission: A Fine and Private Place Day: 1 Stardate: 2408.01.15 (USS Rosenante - Observation Lounge - FO - Lt. Cmdr. Ahmed Ibn Salid - 0949) (USS Rosenante - Observation Lounge - Crewman Shadow to Sretalles - 0950) (USS Rosenante - Trade Winds - CO Captain Susan Rivers - 2143) Day 2 Stardate: 2408.01.16 (USS Rosenante - Bridge - Lt. Cmdr. Ahmed Ibn Salid - 0900) (USS Rosenante - Ready Room - Sciences - Ensign Alba Tuk - 1010) (USS Rosenante - Ready Room - CO, Captain Susan Rivers - 1017) (USS Rosenante - Ready Room - CO - Captain Susan Rivers - 1242) (USS Rosenante - Ready Room - ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras - 1243) (USS Rosenante - Nooras Quarters - ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras - 1425) (USS Rosenante - Counselling Department - ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras - 1429) (USS Rosenante – Deck 10 – Counselling – Acting 3O/COUNS – Lt Olen Rhinehart – 1642) (USS Rosenante - Counselling Department - ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras - 1647) (USS Rosenante – Deck 10 – Counselling – 3O/COUNS – Lt Olen Rhinehart – 1648) (USS Rosenante – Counselling Department – ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras – 1649) Day: 3 Stardate: 2408.01.17 (USS Rosenante - CSO's Office - CSO Lieutenant (jg) Megan Tallos -1030) (USS Rosenante - Holodeck 3 - Holo-marine Rameriz and Toral Loren - 1434) Day 4 Stardate: 2408.01.18 (USS Rosenante - Deck 4 - Multi-Purpose Science Lab - CSO Lieutenant (jg) Megan Tallos - 1300) Compile begins: Mission: A Fine and Private Place Day: 1 Stardate: 2408.01.15 (USS Rosenante - Observation Lounge - FO - Lt. Cmdr. Ahmed Ibn Salid - 0949) Shadow's whiskers twitched in surprise, her ears rotating as is to absorb the words and verify their origin as well as sincerity. She nodded, human style, "Thank you, Commander." Her tail suddenly looped her amusement, "Some would say I don't talk to any often." "What does that matter if your happy with that, really?" he asked. "You always have the option to talk to any number of people if you'd like, there's no rush. And besides, not everyone is verbose, some people say very little, but what they say is just as valuable if not more so." He smiled again, " You know I understand that you were taking some self-defense training from the holographic Marine program?" he asked. "How's that working for you? Is it something that you enjoy?" (reply Shadow) Ahmed nodded, reflecting on what she said. The door opened and a few of the other officers stepped into the room. "We can continue this conversation anytime you'd like, just catch me when you have a spare moment he said, not wishing to force her to speak in front of anyone that she may not feel comfortable speaking to. He gave her another warm smile, then went back to his reports. === (USS Rosenante - Trade Winds - CO Captain Susan Rivers - 2143) "You feel I earned my tuna sandwich then?" Shadow asked Shun in her normal low tones. He nodded enthusiastically and passed her the plate he had been guarding for her. Shadow's tail pulled over a spare chair and she sat, suddenly turning her head to sneeze. "Mrrrf. Alcohol." She said with some disgust before turning back to the table, "I am but half-trained, but I try my best." Susan smiled at her yeoman. "If you are only half-trained, I would love to hear a fully-trained bard from your people," she said. "I enjoyed your performance immensly, Shadow. I had no idea you were so talented." (reply Shadow) "I'd like to hear more stories," Susan said. "Shun and Loren tell me you have many of them. Would you consider doing another performance? Please?" === (USS Rosenante - Observation Lounge - Crewman Shadow to Sretalles - 0950) He smiled again, "You know I understand that you were taking some self-defence training from the holographic Marine program?" he asked. "How's that working for you? Is it something that you enjoy?" "I do not dislike it," she offered, caging her honesty. "I am not a warrior by choice, but I am skilled.. and Captain Susan seems more willing to have me follow her about than the security detail she should have. So I suppose, I am the logical choice.. and I should learn to protect her and her wards to the best of my ability." The First Officer seemed to be reflecting what she said as the officers started to arrive for the meeting. He gave her another of his smiles, then went back to his reports. She thought she had 'being genuinely friendly' identified as scent and tagged it in her mind. She went back to setting up for the meeting and double checked her stool was out of the Captain's reach and hopefully out of her sense of humour's reach as well. === Day 2 Stardate: 2408.01.16 (USS Rosenante - Bridge - Lt. Cmdr. Ahmed Ibn Salid - 0900) [First Officers Log, Stardate 2408.01.16] [It is exciting to finally be able to explore rather than to fight. Despite my position as first officer and my rank of Lieutenant Commander, I am almost as excited now as I was when I stepped aboard my very first training ship during my Academy Days.] [I find it exhilarating, and judging by the smiles on the faces of the crew, they do as well. The ability to return to our roots of exploration, rather than worry over the possibility that we might die in a battle during the civil war, has rejuvenated the explorer in each of us.] [I have noticed several of the senior officer reporting slightly early for their shifts in anticipation of seeing something new for the very first time. I can not say that I blame them, since I myself was almost a half an hour early this morning as well.] [The possibility of traveling into the unknown is a tempting lure, that I dare say many of us have no power to overcome. It is the hope of seeing what orbits the next star, or what strange new civilizations we may encounter that drove each of us to join Starfleet in the first place.] [We have been maintaining a high warp, in an attempt to accurately judge the ship's endurance on our way to the Optima System. I must say I am impressed both with the ship's performance as well as Lieutenant Bird's ability to run a solid engineering department. We've used the Spiral Drive for two relatively short jaunts so that those components could be tested as well. Lieutenant Matrix seems pleased with their performance, although he mentioned that he'd like to 'tweak some things a bit more' before we use it for any substantial length of time.] [At our current speed we are expected to drop out of warp in the Optima system in a little under 52 hours. The system is well beyond the edge of Federation space, and was only briefly surveyed by a Federation team a little over three years ago. The class M Planet, the seventh in the system, appears to be very suitable as a potential colony world. We have scheduled a series of geological and meteorological surveys to help us gather additional information for Doctor Schell to review.] [Even if this planet does turn out to be to her liking, I suspect that she may like to survey a few more to give her something for comparison. That suits me perfectly fine, since it gives myself and the crew the opportunity to do even more exploration.] [end log] Ahmed smiled as he finally finished his log entry. This was the first that he had written where he had actually detailed some of his feelings rather than the usual bland technical reports. It was a different sort of log entry; one that he felt really allowed him to express his pleasure at the mission that they've been given. He took a long look around the bridge. The captain was reviewing some of the morning reports in her ready room, so he could appreciate the perfect view of every station on the bridge. Every piece of machinery worked in harmony with the officers manning the stations. Olen was now on Gamma watch and Janeway on the Beta shift. Although Janeway insisted in being on the bridge from time to time during the Alpha shift, just as Ahmed sometimes relieved the Second officer on the Beta shift. A good solid crew with good solid officers would take the Rosenante very far indeed. And Ahmed was very happy to be second in command of such a fine vessel. === (USS Rosenante - Ready Room - Sciences - Ensign Alba Tuk - 1010) Alba shuffled thru a variety of different reports that she'd found for the area of space they were headed into. Nothing remarkable had popped out at her thus far, but she kept looking. It was mostly standard classification data. Undoubtedly the best information wouldn't come from these reports, but from the sensor data once they got into range. =/\=Rivers to Ensign Tuk. Please come to my Ready Room immediately. Rivers out. =/\= There were a couple of thoughts that came to mind, but none of them seemed like they would be the reason the Captain would be calling her to the Ready Room. The only thing that truly seemed possible was that it had something to do with their current mission. Alba quickly sorted the reports into the order she wanted to review them in and saved the listing. There would be time enough to finish them when she returned. She smiled at people she passed in route to the Ready Room and was pleased to see a couple of the smiles returned. There were so many people still on the ship that she hadn't met yet. Alba made a mental note to inquire if any social groups had been started yet for the ship so that she could find some to join. When she reached the door to the Ready Room, she activated the chime and the door slid open. "Sit down, Alba," The Captain said with an indication to a chair that Alba quickly seated herself in. "How are you settling in here?" "Oh, very well, Captain. I'm very glad to have been assigned to this duty." Alba said with a large smile. Not that she'd had many duty stations to her credit to compare it with. The nod from the Captain put her more at ease as a slight thought crossed her mind that maybe they had decided to reassign her someplace else. "As you know, we have a large Science Department. Lt Tallos has made it clear that she prefers research to administration, and Lt Fiacie, whilst an able officer, cannot do all that's required by herself. So I need to find another ACSO to share the workload. I have been reading the assessments given me by Dr Tallos, and I think you would be the one for the job. You are an able scientist and, just as importantly, you get on well with just about everyone in your department. There's really only one thing standing in the way of you becoming ACSO. Your rank. I cannot have an assistant head of department who only holds the rank of Ensign (jg)." Alba frowned slightly and her eyes drifted to her knees, uncertain what to say in response. Certainly she would be willing to work harder so that she could merit a promotion and be of more use to her department. She wasn't entirely sure what would be necessary, but that wasn't really much of a barrier. Alba looked up to the Captain to indicate such and noted her smile. "Fortunately, there is a remedy. And one that I think is long overdue." Alba took the small box the Captain offered her, mostly out of reflex. Her attention was focused entirely upon what was being said to her. "I hereby promote you to Ensign (sg), and the position of Assistant Chief Science Officer. Assuming you want it, of course." Alba could feel her eyes get big and her smile creep up on her face. ~A promotion! And ACSO! ~ It was really much better news then she could have hoped for. "Wow!" She said almost startling herself, "Um.. What I mean is that I would be happy to take the position and I am exceptionally happy to be promoted." She'd continued slowly attempting to contain herself. "Thank you very much, Captain for considering me for this position and promotion. I will endeavor to do a better job at both then expected." She could hardly wait to send out messages to her family and let them know her good news. === (USS Rosenante - Ready Room - CO, Captain Susan Rivers - 1017) "Wow!" Alba said almost startling herself, "Um.. What I mean is that I would be happy to take the position and I am exceptionally happy to be promoted." She continued slightly slower, "Thank you very much, Captain for considering me for this position and promotion. I will endeavour to do a better job at both than expected." Susan smiled. "Ensign, if I didn't think you were up to the job, I wouldn't have promoted you. But you should also thank Lt Tallos; it was her assessment that helped me make up my mind." The newly-promoted ACSO looked as though she was almost bursting to leave and tell someone her good news, so Susan took pity on her. "If you have no other questions, Ensign, you may leave. I'm sure you'd like to relay the good news to your friends and family." (reply Alba iyw) Once the excited ensign had left, Susan smiled to herself. ~I think that's the happiest person I've seen in a long time~ she thought as she pressed the comm button. "Rivers to Lt Tallos. Megan, based on your assessments I have promoted Ensign Tuk to Assistant Chief Science Officer. Although I suspect once she returns to the Science Department you'll be able to tell by the smile on her face." === (USS Rosenante - Ready Room - CO - Captain Susan Rivers - 1242) "Well at least I don't have much to pack. I can at least be grateful for that...Now tell me. What is this Captain Sevant like, do you know him personally?" Dorga asked. Susan sipped her coffee thoughtfully before answering. "I knew him very well," she said finally, "before the war. He was my TAC/ASC and then TAC/SC aboard the Boudicca for a while, and later he served as my TAC/SC and then FO on the Nimitz. He went from the Nimitz to become the CO of the Boudicca, and after some service in another part of the fleet, I went there a year or so ago to do an undercover investigation as a lieutenant and became his security officer and eventually FO." She took another drink from her mug before continuing. "We've been through a lot, Dorga. All of us. The war changed a lot of people in a lot of ways. And so I'm not sure how well I know him now. He's been through things I haven't; things that would change anyone. And its a long time since I've seen him, since just before the final battles of the war." She paused again, and added, "One thing I can say. I would trust him with my life or my children's lives. We've fought battles together, side by side. And he's a good man to have at your side in a fight. The rest, you need to find out for yourself." === (USS Rosenante - Ready Room - ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras - 1243) Dorga listened, just eating her sandwiches and washing them down with ratkajino as Susan told her what she knew about the man who was to be the counselor's new Captain. "I knew him very well," she said finally, "before the war. He was my TAC/ASC and then TAC/SC aboard the Boudicca for a while, and later he served as my TAC/SC and then FO on the Nimitz. He went from the Nimitz to become the CO of the Boudicca, and after some service in another part of the fleet, I went there a year or so ago to do an undercover investigation as a lieutenant and became his security officer and eventually FO." ~Turn and turn about.~ Dorga thought, nodding to Susan in understanding. Susan took another drink from her mug before continuing. "We've been through a lot, Dorga. All of us. The war changed a lot of people in a lot of ways. And so I'm not sure how well I know him now. He's been through things I haven't; things that would change anyone. And its a long time since I've seen him, since just before the final battles of the war." ~That, unfortunately, is so very true.~ Again Dorga nodded and lifted a second sandwich from the stack while Susan paused again and took a hearty bite out of it. "One thing I can say. I would trust him with my life or my children's lives. We've fought battles together, side by side. And he's a good man to have at your side in a fight. The rest, you need to find out for yourself." Dorga swallowed, swigged her coffee and smiled. "I guess I will find out for myself, but I *do* know this from what you have just told me." She said, placing her empty cup on the table. "He has won your respect, and that is something hard won! I also know that some things have never changed with him, which are, that he is a great ally and a hard enemy. I cannot ask for much more, because anyone you respect I know that I will also respect, and that is something I desire to have towards a superior officer. Thank you for your frankness." They lingered together a while longer, Dorga polished off the sandwiches and had another cup of ratkajino, talking to Susan about their families and raising children, and then reluctantly said goodbye, giving Susan a massive hug. "Our paths are sure to meet again, you haven't seen the last of me." Dorga told her friend and Captain. "Be sure to keep in touch with me, and I will certainly send you updates." === (USS Rosenante - Nooras Quarters - ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras - 1425) Having less than 24 hours before she was scheduled to leave the USS Rosante, Dorga had returned to her quarters after lunching with Susan. First of all, she had immediately contacted the private transport that was bringing her children out to rendezvous with the Rosante, and told them to return to Geneva and await further instructions as she didn't know where the USS Boudicca was. Then she had started packing her few belongings. It hadn't taken long to finish that task, leaving only a clean uniform, undies and her toiletries out for the morrow as the place was pretty stark compared to what she was used to as (most un-Klingon like), Dorga appreciated the comforts of life. Now it looked as it had when she'd first walked in the door. Actually, she was quite pleased that she hadn't decorated her new quarters or made them homely, it had meant less work packing everything, and less regrets at all the time she'd have wasted turning it into a home for her small family. With a sigh she figured she could no longer put off the inevitable... it was time to get back to work, she still had clients to see this afternoon and then she would have to take her leave of her boss and co-workers, people she thought she would be spending much more time with, and had anticipated years more in their company. She would miss Susan most of all, having been so pleased to be serving under her command after many years of not seeing each other. Susan was godmother to the twins and Dorga had hoped Parami and Rivers would get to know her better. Apparently it was not to be. Some times life just had a way of rearing up and biting you in the arse when you least expected it. This was one of those times. ~Well, you'd best get it over with, and besides there are a few things at your desk that you need to pack as well.~ She told herself as she walked into the corridor and headed towards the turbo lift. === (USS Rosenante - Counselling Department - ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras - 1429) Striding into the new Counselling office, Dorga was struck again with the newness smell of the place. New rug, new furniture, she would have loved to put her own touches on her small part of the department, perhaps she would get the opportunity to do so on her new ship. She nodded to the holographic receptionist and walked straight to her office, with its adjoining therapy room, sighing softly again at the thought of leaving these wonderful surroundings, custom made to each counselor's specifications. Would she ever have that again? She could only hope to have the chance, on the Boudicca. Digging into a drawer, she brought out a small folding box and reconstructed it before putting her personal effects into it. The 3D holo-pics of her parents and children, some personal padds, and placed it in the knee well of her desk on the floor just as her first client walked in. She stood up smiling and extended her hand to shake his in the terran fashion. "Welcome, Mr. Turnbull, please take a seat won't you?" As he sat, so did she and prepared to give him the assistance and counseling he required. === (USS Rosenante – Deck 10 – Counselling – Acting 3O/COUNS – Lt Olen Rhinehart – 1642) It was with mixed feelings that Rhinehart had made his panicked run around the as-yet unfamiliar vessel in search of something appropriate, leaping into action almost as soon as he'd heard the news. He hadn't come to know his assistant even half as well as he would have liked in the months they had worked together, but he had come to admire and respect her a great deal. He had greeted the news that she was to leave his department with a blend of regret and pride. Now he stood outside the entrance of counselling awkwardly clutching the package and mulling over what he might say. Eventually, gathering himself together, he stepped forward into the main counselling vestibule. It was a much better organised space than the office aboard the Champlain had been. Where once they had sub-divided a large office into separate working cubicles for himself, cha'Nooras and Trent, they now had a suite of individual offices, as well as a spacious and comfortable conference area, and even a dedicated miniature holo-suite for use with patients who might prefer to work in environs less redolent of a starship. “Good eftahnoon, Counsellah Rhinehawt,” said Janine, the department's holographic receptionist. Not for the first time, he wondered who had programmed her to speak with a thick Bronx accent. “Good afternoon, Janine,” he said in reply. Her AP software got huffy if one wasn't civil, he had found. “Is Dor... I mean, uh... Counsellor cha'Nooras with a client?” “Counsellah cha'Nooras is unawccupied at present,” replied Janine, with a helpful smile and a nod. She adjusted the glasses she inexplicably wore and turned back to the terminal, continuing her transcription work. He stood watching her for a moment, wondering briefly whether she came with any... configuration files... that he might experiment with – volume control, for one. Then, shaking his head, he turned to Dorga's office door, pressing the chime. === (USS Rosenante - Counselling Department - ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras - 1647) Over two hours and two clients later, Dorga was busy updating their records, when the annunciating chime of her door was activated. Her door was closed to show she was not available right now, but she looked up and called for the door to open. Perhaps it was an emergency counseling session that was required. With a smile of welcome, she stood up as Olen Rhinehart walked in. "Hello Boss." She greeted him. "I'm glad you are here. I expect you've heard about my having to leave. I must admit it came as quite a shock to me and I'm sorry to be leaving, and I have to tell you that I really enjoyed my time working with you. It was good to get back in the saddle again after those few years of retirement." === (USS Rosenante – Deck 10 – Counselling – 3O/COUNS – Lt Olen Rhinehart – 1648) "Hello Boss." She greeted him, disarmingly. He smiled at that, despite the small kernel of sadness that was welling within him. "I'm glad you are here. I expect you've heard about my having to leave. I must admit it came as quite a shock to me and I'm sorry to be leaving, and I have to tell you that I really enjoyed my time working with you. It was good to get back in the saddle again after those few years of retirement." The smile widened as the indecision of a few moments ago over how to open his speech melted away before her characteristic forthrightness. “I'm sorry you're leaving too, Dorga,” he said. “But you deserve the promotion, and I know you'll do as outstanding a job for Captain Sevant as you have for Susan and I.” He paused again. “I only wish we'd gotten better acquainted... uh... personally.” The image of himself and Dorga standing at the imaginary lakeside discussing his father crowded into his thoughts, then, as it often did. “Ever since the mind-meld, Dorga, I've felt...” he coughed and looked at his boots for a moment before continuing. The lump in his throat was unexpected. “Well, anyway," he said, swallowing hard. "I just wanted to wish you well in your new role and tell you how much you'll be missed.” (Reply Dorga) “I... uh... got you this,” he said, holding out the package. “On behalf of myself and Sally. Something to remember us by, I hope.” (Reply Dorga) “It's Vulcan,” he said lamely, as she tore the wrapping away from the finely-tooled harp he had eventually managed to track down. “They said it might need tuning, but I know you play, so I assume you... uh... and, uh, look on the bottom there. I had it engraved.” === (USS Rosenante – Counselling Department – ACOUNS/LT Dorga 'cha Nooras – 1649) Olen returned Dorga's smile making her's brighter. “I'm sorry you're leaving too, Dorga,” he said. “But you deserve the promotion, and I know you'll do as outstanding a job for Captain Sevant as you have for Susan and I.” He paused again. “I only wish we'd gotten better acquainted... uh... personally....Ever since the mind-meld, Dorga, I've felt...” he coughed and looked at his boots as if at a loss for words. ~Or perhaps words he knows yet cannot speak.~ Dorga's smile waned slightly at his discomfort. She had felt closer to him since the mind-melding sessions, such sessions always brought her closer emotionally and spiritually. She felt that she knew him very well, almost like a life long friend and probably knew things about him that he had forgotten. Dorga was more than just a little fond of Olen. “Well, anyway," he said, swallowing hard. "I just wanted to wish you well in your new role and tell you how much you'll be missed.” Dorga gave her customary one nod. "Thank you, I will miss you too." “I... uh... got you this,” he said, holding out a package. “On behalf of myself and Sally. Something to remember us by, I hope.” "That is most thoughtful, thank you again!" Dorga took the package gently and gave him one of her bobby dazzler smiles. “It's Vulcan,” he said lamely, as she tore the wrapping away from a finely-tooled harp. “They said it might need tuning, but I know you play, so I assume you... uh... and, uh, look on the bottom there. I had it engraved.” "Why it is beautiful!" She exclaimed with delight. "I lost mine when the Champlain blew up, didn't have time to grab anything not even a spare set of underwear." Dorga laughed softly as she turned the fine harp this way and that, admiring it's workmanship. "Well made by an artisan, that is obvious." She stated as he eyes fell upon the small engraved cartouche and she smiled at the words. Immediately Dorga sat down and tuned the harp, eager to play after so many months without an instrument. It was just something she had never found the time to replace. Her skilled fingers remembered without her thought as she plucked out a Vulcan lullaby, one that she'd often sang to the twins to get them to sleep, and when she was done there were tears in her dark brown eyes. Tears for what had been and what could have been had fate and BUPERS not intervened. "Yes." She said softly, "I will miss you very much." === Day: 3 Stardate: 2408.01.17 (USS Rosenante - CSO's Office - CSO Lieutenant (jg) Megan Tallos - 1030) "Computer lock door, and record a personal log," Megan said falling into her chair, the computer chirped the beginning of the log. "What are we doing?" Megan began with a sigh, "why is a first of it's class, top of the line explorer with a fully equipped science staff, looking for a home for a bunch of wayward colonists? It's a job for a Nova class, or even a Steamrunner, Norway or Sabre class, but not us...not Me. And you know why we're out here, doing this? Because we're a symbol, a symbol of rebuilding. I'm tired of being a symbol, tried of someone else assigning the meaning to my actions, I want to define them for once. First we were a symbol of Freedom and resistance, then we were a symbol of liberation, then for a little while we were just a vague reminder of the pain Star Fleet had caused, but no more of that, we're back to being a symbol of Rebuilding, and I think maybe a little bit of rebellion thrown in there as well. So here we are, here I am, bored out of my mind, research done, cure in development back home where it can be tested, and me with nothing to do but paper work...Oh yea, and be a symbol of leadership to the department...that's a laugh." "The astrophysicists are off staring through their telescopes and telling the geologists that they're simply jocks who decided they wanted a well paying job. The Bio-Chemists and the molecular biologists are fighting over who's better, and they're both calling the cell biologists names. The Epidemiologists are feeling left out because the biologists are calling them Mathematicians and the Mathematicians are calling them biologists, and the Statisticians just say they're probably in denial, but then they don't say anything with 100% certainty. Someone replicated a couple of cubic yards of dirt and buried one of the archaeologist's desks as a joke, and so the archaeologist replaced another labs tools with hand chipped flint. I'm still waiting for the chemists to spike someone's drink, or the particle physics lab to start working on the ceiling just to confuse everyone. Sadly, this feels more like a university than the rest of the ship...and that just makes it worse." "I don't get to goof off and clown around, I have to be the boss. You know in the past decade I don't think I've done anything for myself. Finding the cure...it was for Thomas, something to keep his memory alive, to finish something he started. Star Fleet was just a means to an end really. The last place I felt truly at ease with what I was doing was...well...when I was at Harvard during the R&R. There was something there, that I've been missing...and it isn't the practical jokes," Megan said then sat up as an idea hit her. "Perhaps I've just figured it out." Megan said, then stood. "Computer End personal log and save. Send message to all listed teachers on board that I would like to meet with them in their lounge once their classes have been dismissed for lunch," She said, then quickly headed out of their office to get some things together. === (USS Rosenante - Holodeck 3 - Holo-marine Rameriz and Toral Loren - 1434) Loren sat in the The Last Bite, the Vampire bar in the scenario she had selected. She was dressed in black from head to toe, and her face was covered in white make up, with the exception of her eyes which were heavily rimmed with black eye-liner. She sighed as she looked around. It was dark and gloomy, the only illumination being the lights behind the bar. ~Its not fair!~ she thought sulkily. "I vaaant to suck yer bloods.. raaah." Looking around, a strange-looking vampire stood next to her. Strange-looking because he seemed to be wearing some kind of uniform under the black cloak. Clearly the program was less than perfect if it created holographic vampires like that. Loren rolled her eyes and said, "Oh please... I've seen less ham in a sausage roll." "Sounds good - wheres do I find one??" "You're a hologram, you don't eat," Loren sighed. "And even if you weren't a hologram, you're a vampire, and they don't eat either. " ~Why am I talking to a hologram?~ "Now that does depends on what types of vampire. Some vampires can eats and drinks though it does them no good. And a hologram can eat holographic food.. so I guesses I should be drinking holographic blood." Rameriz made a face."Thinks I can order it to t taste like raspberry juice?" "You can taste?" Loren asked in astonishment. "Uh." Rameriz had to ponder this. "Wells, I know you're a very attractive chica who shouldn't sittin' alones in a bar.. that shows tastes, no?" Loren blushed scarlet under the white make-up. "Um. I guess... " Then she remembered. "Actually I came here to be alone," she said loftily, conveniently forgetting that Susan had told her to get out of her bedroom and stop moping around. "Kinda funny tryin' to be alone in a crowd. If you's wanted to be alone, wouldn'ts you have summoned a desert, not an open access program dat anyone can come visit?" Rameriz asked, taking the stool beside the teen without asking. Loren looked surprised. "They can? I didn't realise... I thought it meant anyone could use it. Besides, it's the bar from 'Vampires of the Seventh Seal' and I wanted to see what it was like. And it suits my mood" she added tragically. "Well, it's public access.. which means anyone can's use it.. and open access which means anyone's can just walks in. Or appear if he so chooses." Rameriz said. It was about then he wondered how the girl had known he was a hologram, or if she'd just assumed thinking it was a locked door. "Er, so why's the frownies?" Loren scowled. "It's not the frownies," she said loftily, unaware of the irony of saying that with a scowl on her face. "It's a lifestyle choice," she added, not quite sure what it meant but she'd heard it said somewhere and it sounded good. "I choose not to be distracted by the frivolity of everyday life but instead to contemplate on my Art and my Poetry." The capitals were obvious. "And they just don't understand!" she added, the perpetual wail of the misunderstood teen. "Shun keeps wanting me to play with him, Aunt Susan keeps saying I look pale and maybe she should take me to the doctor and Uncle Leonal says I should snap out of it!" "Yeah well, we marines ain't known for our sympathy or subtly" Rameriz confided the obvious. He found a bloody mary by his elbow and happily sat and enjoyed a sip. "So what yer sayings, is, basically, you wants your time to figure yourselfs out an' everyone keeps pokin' dere nose into yours business and not given you any time or space?" Loren nodded. "And its just not fair!" "No kiddings - dats one of da reasons I joined da marines. No one bugs you twice when you start juggling grenades and singin'." "You sing and juggle grenades?" Loren pondered this. She imagined Drizzt doing so and giggled suddenly. The image was a funny one. "Sure!" Rameriz grabbed the drink coasters and tossed them in the air one after another, "There wases a lady from Nantucket whose nose was so big she could.." He paused in mid-horribly-off-key-song, "Well, I don't tink you've got dog tags, so I can't finish dat one." He easily caught the coasters and stopped his juggling, "Its a matter of a lot of hours of not havin' much betters to do. Tho writin' poetry does sound more constructives. Probably keep the ghost chasers outta yer head." "Ghost chasers?" Loren asked, fascinated. "Y'know, da counsellors? Da peeps who tinks dat ebery hates der mother, wants to date der brudder and should wake up ebery night screamin'? As if dey should know what you should be thinkin!" He thumped his fist on the bar to emphasis his point. "Ohhh," Loren's eyes were round. "They think I..... euwww!" "Well, not all of 'dem. My friend Shelley is a realy nice counsellor, but den, she's not one of dose 'bare yer soul' types who tink dey know best. But den, she has a tail, and not many counsellors have tails." It seemed logical and related to the Spanish marine. Loren nodded, taking all this as gospel. After all, whoever this was seemed to know what he was talking about. "My friend Shadow has a tail," she said. "And she's nice, she doesn't bug me to tidy my room or cheer up or 'do something constructive' or -" she ran out of 'ors'. "She's fun, she tells good stories too. All about Tailchaser to Ennien and people like that." "Oh heys, I know Shadows. She's a fierce warrior." He blinked at Loren who looked rather dubious at that information, "Yeah, wells, okay, she tries, and her hearts in da right place. She's a kitty that's lost family, home and friends. It's good she has friends here." "You're her friend too?" Loren was impressed. The vampire-marine seemed to know everyone and everything. "Yes she's nice. A bit scared around grown-ups but nice. She's Aunt Susan's yeoman, and she looks after us sometimes. She came to Bajor with us, and to Andor. I'm glad she's here." "Hey, Rameriz makes friends wherever he goes." He finished off the blood mary, wondering if the computer would make him intoxicated if he had more. "I think she expects to be punished and have what is her's taken from her at every turn.." he made a strange waving motion with his hand, "But I'm no psych, I'm just a manic marine with a penchant for blowin' stuff up." Loren nodded. That sounded like a marine to her. Susan had explained what Leonal did, and 'blowing stuff up and enjoying it' seemed to figure largely to the girl. "But you're fun!" she said, unconsciously finishing her thoughts aloud. Rameriz laughed, "Yeah, well, I'm not an officer. I tink da first part of officer trainin' is getting something hard and long shoved up yer butt." He looked at the nachos on the other side of Loren, "You gonna eat those?" Loren wrinkled her nose and pushed the bowl towards Rameriz. "You have them. Auntie Susan says if you analyse a bowl of nibbles on a bar you'll find enough urine samples to create a database." "Boy yer auntie needs to relax a little. She must be an officer too." Rameriz grabbed the bowl and tried some of the greasy chips. "Anythin' that doesn't bite back is fair food. Besides, not like 'Fleet holodecks would let you be sick. Waste the time of the docs." Loren giggled again. "She's the captain. And you're right about the stick up the butt. Both she and Uncle Leonal are...... well let's just say on her first ship they nicknamed her Ramrod and it stuck." Rameriz nodded along like he hadn't known who Loren was talking about all along. "Captain of dis motley crew's gotta be a stress heavy job.. specially with no sleep and no fun time. Glad I'm not an officer or a commander!" He had a glass of sangria materialize by his elbow and decided to put a dent into it. Not for the first time, Loren wondered what Susan did for fun. Clearly she'd had at least some time off from being a boring officer because there was Luisa but.... "What's that?" she asked, pointing at his drink. It was a pretty red colour, with fruit in it, and looked nice. "Can I have one?" "This is the life blood of Spain!" Rameriz said with pride. He materialized a synthehol version for Loren. Hopefully fear of being found drunk by her guardians would dispel the alcoholic effects before she waltzed into her quarters. He held up his glass to toast her's, "To freedom, fun and forn.. uhm, more fun!" Loren clinked her glass against his. "To freedom, fun and fawns," she said, not sure what the earth legend had to do with freedom and fun but willing to assume he knew best. "My name's Loren," she added. "What's yours?" "I am the holo-replication of Lance Corporal Jose Rameriz." He said with a grin, "I answer to's 'Rameriz,' "Hey you' and "Right you bastard'. Well, also lover boy, sexy stud muffin and a bunch of udder stuff a classly chica like you wouldn't know." Loren filed the names away, and took a sip of her drink. She liked the taste so she took a longer drink and smiled. "I'm glad you talked to me," she said shyly. "I'm glad you's made such a nice party for me to show up!" Rameriz said back. Well, he'd drawn another teen out of their shell, and now he had no idea what to do with them. Michelle he'd dumped on Paul, and Shadow seemed to be making friends on her own, and hey, when did he turn into Uncie Rameriz anyway? ~I must be gettin' old, man..~ "Will you be here again?" Loren asked the question, hoping he'd say yes. She liked Rameriz, a LOT. "Sure! Anytimes I'm not off bein' all mariney, just holler!" Rameriz replied happily. And really, since the Colonel hadn't figured out what to do with him yet, he didn't spend much time being mariney. He was rather bored, in fact. "Great!" Loren exclaimed happily. "Shun would be *so* jealous if he knew I'd met a marine," she added. You couldn't count Uncle Leonal. He was just family. "Hey - dere's lots of marines on da ship. Some of us are even house broken!" Rameriz tried to look mock-offended, but mostly just looked like he had gas. "Oh I know but we don't meet them. Only Uncle Leonal and he's only an officer. He's not fun like you!" She attempted to sound as if she knew what she was talking about, with limited success. "Heys, I try!" Rameriz tried to look all proud of his fun-status. "If you likes, you could always join Shadow in her marine training class. You could show Uncle Leonal how da grunts fight!" "OH! Could I? I'd *love* to!" Loren exclaimed, forgetting that it was currently her mission in life to be tragic and misunderstood. "That would be so cool," she added naively. "Shows up to Holosuite 4 at 1600, I'll tries to have something extra interestin' up!" Rameriz wondered how he could have Shadow protecting Loren without Loren figuring out she was being protected as part of a scenerio "I'll be there!" Loren promised. "Thank you!" She hugged Rameriz, then blushed. "I suppose I should go now," she said. "I'll have to get changed and everything." Rameriz was startled to be hugged, but managed to hug back, "An' finish dat poetry. So you's can be a bard like Shadow?" Loren nodded. "She's cool too. But my poetry isn't anything like as good. But I'll work on it." "Practice makes perfect!" Rameriz said sagely like he'd invented the concept himself. Loren nodded again, as though this were the first time she'd heard the phrase. It wasn't, but it was possibly the first time she'd taken notice and not just thought ~whatever!~ She finished her drink and slid off the stool, wobbling slightly. "Oops!" she giggled. "I'll meet you at 1600," she promised, as she headed for the exit. "Computer, arch!" she said, remembering what she had been told about exiting a holodeck. Unfortunately she forgot what she'd been told about ending the program when she left, so it continued to run as the doors closed behind her. === Day 4 Stardate: 2408.01.18 (USS Rosenante - Deck 4 - Multi-Purpose Science Lab - CSO Lieutenant (jg) Megan Tallos - 1300) Megan stood at the head of the lab. It was a large room, usable by the department as expansion space when needed. Currently it was empty of experiments, but it was ready to go, and Megan was taking advantage of that, suddenly she was feeling back in her element. Not long after 1300 hours rolled around the doors to the lab opened and people began arriving, a couple of teachers, but mostly children and teens, some looking confused, other like she had just stepped on their pet hamster. The last through the door was a teacher who smiled and nodded to her and so Megan began. "Welcome to the science department, I'm Lieutenant Megan Tallos" she said, her voice carrying through the room. "Most of you don't know why you're here, and none of you know me. Well each of you has been recommended by your teacher for some...more liberal science education. But First, let me just give you some background information. Students raised and taught on Star Fleet ships do, on average, ten to 15% better than their peers in on planet bound schools. Students who spend at least one full year in a ship bound classroom, are more likely to be happier with their jobs once they graduate, are more likely to reach higher levels within the organizations they work for, and are more likely to start their own businesses," Megan said. She left out some of the other facts that weren't crucial to her point, like that children raised and taught on Star Fleet ships were more likely to join Star Fleet, as most of these kids had just been through their own version of hell, and might not look kindly on a recruiting speech. "So what we're going to try here is my idea. Each of you has been placed in this class as an experiment. Each of you has shown to your teacher, or a teacher you had prior, either a proven desire to explore the sciences, or the type of mind that would grasp this opertunity and run with it. As of this moment, I'm throwing out grades and age groups. Everyone will be working with everyone else when you're in this room," Megan said as she looked around the room, children as young as 10 seated on stools along side teens up to 16. "By this point most of you are wondering what in the world I'm talking about, well here's the plan. This ship is an explorer, meaning the vast majority of it's crew is dedicated to learning and exploration, and I don't see why that should leave any of you out. Most adults would say that Children and teens simply can't grasp the level of science the crew is working on, but I disagree. Science is about learning how to think, and ask the right questions to get an answer. Most of the information that people say you can't learn is information you can look up in any book and is more memorization that anything else. We're going to do our best to prove them wrong. We're going to be on this ship for quite some time, maybe years, maybe less, and I say we work on some discoveries of our own right along side the rest of the crew. It's not going to be easy. There are basics we need to go over, foundations we need to get set, but once we have that in hand, Science is nothing more than knowing how to ask a question. Also, the first lesson you're going to learn, right now, is that there is no such thing as a Stupid Question. I know you've been told that before, but I want to make it perfectly clear. It's fear of looking like you don't know something that prevents you from asking the question that could change the world. Each and every one of you could become a great scientist, or something completely different, each of you has the ability to learn and grow, and, no matter what anyone else says, understand." Megan said. The more she talked the more she believed it herself. She'd seen children ask the most probing question, grasp the most esoteric concepts, she just wanted to see if maybe College and University wasn't all it was cracked up to be...maybe you could teach children more than anyone realized. "So we're going to be here, in the lab two times a week, maybe more. Every corner of science will be open," Megan said, but neglected to add, that they'd also be learning math and writing, and communication skills, something the other teachers saw as an interesting experiment as well. "First rule, I only want people here that Want to be here. If you don't want to, you are free to return to you regular classes. Second rule, in this room everyone acts like every piece of equipment is dangerous. Not every piece is going to be, but some are. I'm not going to tell you to act like adults, that would defeat the purpose of this class, but I do want you all to understand that you need to be responsible for your actions. Rule Three: The moment you step into this room, we are all equal, you will call me Megan, and you will treat each other with respect. We are here to learn, not figure out who we need to impress, if you have a question ask, and you'll get an answer," Megan pulled her lab coat on and looked around the room. "Now, Any questions?" Megan asked with a smile. === Authors: Lorna Appleby Hanspeter Bosshard Patrick Dennett Liz Geuken Daniel Greene Ruby Greene Sal Hammond __________ NOD32 2866 (20080211) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com