Posted by Cadet Louise Gordon (Scientist) in Chief Science Officer’s office - cadet Gordon check-in
Louise Gordon walked towards the office of the Chief Science Officer of the USS Challenger with an air of purpose mixed with frustration. She was somewhat excited - if excited was the right word - to finally be onboard the USS Challenger to pursue a different calling and help Starfleet in its mission to explore space and meet new species. However, she was frustrated because her father, once again, had tried to convince her to not pursue this path. “Louise, my darling”, he said earlier today, “Starfleet is a noble cause, for certain, but why abandon your quite successful career to be a mere cadet onboard a starship. There are a number of other careers you could pursue. It is not fitting for a woman of your background.” Despite her father’s attempts, she was even more convinced that she had made the right decision.

Outside the office of the Chief Science Officer, she glanced at her reflection on a deactivated screen. Her uniform was looking a bit dull, but otherwise she approved of her appearance. Regulations were quite clear on appearance. She pressed the chime at the same time as her lips curled into a pleasant smile, waiting for permission to enter the office. Once granted permission, she would enter the room with a stride of confidence, placing her hands in front of her.

Demil sat in his office, typing away at a pile of paperwork that had been building up. While the CSO would much rather be in a lab, working on one or another of his projects, he’d been informed a batch of new cadets, including a new arrival to his department - one Louise Gordon - would be arriving today. So here he sat, making a dent in the never-ending paperwork as he awaited the meeting.
Meetings were not exactly Demil’s favorite. There were far, far too many typical conventions one was supposed to follow in a meeting, including eye contact - a custom he had never really understood. The formality did, however, mean he could essentially follow a script, and those meetings typically meant a new mind to collaborate with. That was something he enjoyed, so he endured the meetings.
As the time in the corner of the console continued to inch on, he switched the information displayed to read up on the new cadet’s file. She was experienced, more so than he was, in fact, with a successful civilian career behind her. He made a mental note to ask about this fact and continued to scan the details. A few minutes into this, the tone of his door chime rang out in the otherwise dead-silent room. He adopted his typical soft, impassive expression and walked around to the front of the desk, folding his hands in front of his lower chest. “Enter.”

“Cadet Louise Gordon reporting for duty, sir.”

Cadet Louise Gordon

He nodded as the human woman stepped into his office. The room was fairly open, with the standard-issue desk tucked away in a corner with a shelf of personal belongings and a small silver conference table along the transparent outer wall. “Welcome aboard, Cadet,” he stated. “You are welcome to have a seat. Would you like any refreshments?”

After retrieving the requested items, Demil moved to sit opposite Louise, one foot tapping silently under the table. “I am Lieutenant Demil Lis, the Chief Science Officer. Welcome to the Challenger.” He looked towards her, though not directly at her face. “I noted you had a reasonably successful civilian career before you came aboard. What drew you to join Starfleet?”

Lieutenant Demil Lis
CSO