Posted by Commander Riley O’Nell (Executive Officer/Number One) in Time with the new XO

Posted by Commander Riley O’Nell (Executive Officer/Number One) in Time with the new XO

Posted by Ensign Wyatt Blackford (Security Officer) in Time with the new XO
Posted by… suppressed (11) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Riley was is the mess hall he was helping one of the ensigns (NPC) with his home sickness and helped him calm down

he stays in the mess hall waiting to see if any of the other crew need anything

Commander Riley O’Nell (XO)

After the longest time of doing business down on the planet surface, Becket would come back on board the Ark Angel. He would walk to the mess hall and noticed his first officer there. There, he would get a drink from the bar. Becket would grab it and sat down looking out the window.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Wyatt sat alone at the replicator, shoulders slightly hunched, a data pad balanced in one hand while the other moved with quick, practiced precision across the controls. Lines of text and calculations scrolled across the screen as he paused, adjusted something, then reached out to the replicator interface. He entered a sequence, hesitated for just a second like he was second-guessing himself, then confirmed it.

The replicator hummed to life.

A small orange packet materialized. it was small fitting in the palm of your hand, with no labeling on it. Wyatt picked it up carefully, turning it slightly in his hand as if inspecting it for flaws, his sharp eyes narrowing. After a moment, he set it down and grabbed the cup of water sitting beside him, He tore the packet open and poured the substance into the water. He stirred slowly, watching the way it dissolved, his focus narrowing to that single point as if the rest of the room didn’t exist.

He lifted the cup and took a cautious sip.

His face twisted almost immediately into a look of clear dissatisfaction. Not terrible—but not right either.

Wyatt let out a quiet breath through his nose, already reaching for the data pad again. His fingers moved faster this time, making adjustments, refining whatever formula or pattern he was working through. He barely blinked, completely absorbed, like the process itself mattered more than the result.

Around him, the rest of the crew moved in and out of the mess hall, their conversations low and casual, but more than a few glances drifted his way. Some curious, some amused, others uncertain. It wasn’t every day someone treated the replicator like a science experiment instead of a convenience.

Wyatt didn’t notice.

Or maybe he did—and simply didn’t care.

He had always kept to himself. Even among the crew, where camaraderie was practically expected, he remained on the edges, present but never truly part of it. He did his job—and did it well. Better than most, if anyone was being honest. He was sharp, observant, and capable in ways that didn’t always show unless you were looking closely.

But socially… Wyatt was a different story.

Conversations with him were short, clipped. Invitations were usually declined with a simple shake of his head or a muttered excuse. It wasn’t that he disliked people—at least, not exactly. It was more like he didn’t quite know what to do with them.

Or didn’t want to.

There was something guarded about him, something tightly held beneath the surface. The kind of thing people noticed without being able to name. A past, maybe. Something that explained the distance, the way he kept everyone at arm’s length.

No one on board knew the story.

And if Wyatt had anything to say about it, they never would.

Ensign Wyatt Blackford

Security Junior Officer

U.S.S. Ark Angel

I walked over to the Ensign and spoke “ everything OK Ensign” he asked seeing the powder like Kool-Aid powder. “ if you want, I can give you a few cases of Kool-Aid. I have in my quarters. It’s the real powder that the synthetic stuff they still have a factory that makes them back on earth.” He said with a smile

Commander Riley O’Nell (XO)

Wyatt hadn’t even heard him approach, so absorbed in the delicate adjustments he was making on the PADD that the rest of the room seemed to fade away. Lines of data scrolled across the screen as he tweaked ratios and recalculated values, his brow furrowed in concentration. It wasn’t until the voice broke through his focus that he startled slightly, looking up.

“Oh—sorry, sir,” he said quickly, straightening a bit. A faint, sheepish smile tugged at his lips as he set the PADD down. “You kind of caught me in the middle of something.”

He hesitated for a second, then gestured to the small collection of cups, packets, and instruments laid out in front of him. “It’s… uh, a project me and my sister started back when we were kids. It’s not Kool-Aid,” he added with a quiet huff of amusement, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well—okay, it kind of looks like it.”

His expression shifted, growing a little more thoughtful as he continued. “We heard this story once, about a crew stranded on a planet. Transporter was down, shuttle couldn’t land safely… they were stuck out there for days without supplies. That stuck with us.” He glanced down at the packets, picking one up between his fingers. “So we started thinking—what if you could carry something small, lightweight… something you could just add to water, and it would give you everything you needed to get through the day? Nutrients, calories, hydration—all of it.”

Wyatt moved with a bit more confidence now, slipping into the rhythm of explaining something he clearly cared about. He grabbed a fresh cup of water and tore open one of the packets, pouring the fine powder in. The liquid shifted almost instantly, blooming into a soft, golden-orange hue as he stirred it.

“It’s not perfect,” he admitted, glancing back up. “Still working on balancing the nutrient density without messing with the taste or texture. And stability’s been… a challenge.” He gave a small, self-aware shrug. “But it’s coming along.”

He stepped forward, holding the cup out. A light, sweet scent drifted up—mangoes and peaches, bright and almost summery against the sterile backdrop of the room.

“It should make you feel like you just ate a full meal,” he said, a hint of cautious hope in his voice. “And give you most of the nutrients you’d need for the day… or at least that’s the goal.” His fingers loosened slightly as he offered it fully. “The packets are small on purpose—easy to carry, easy to store. Figured if you’re ever stuck somewhere, the last thing you want is bulky supplies weighing you down.”

He paused, watching for a reaction, then added a little quieter, “Still a work in progress… but I think we’re getting closer.”

Ensign Wyatt Blackford

Security Junior Officer

U.S.S. Ark Angel

Riley looked at the Ensign and smiled “ That is a really good idea. But what you need is her data to go with it. I can speak to the captain and maybe we can get these packets to some of the crew and see how they like it. But you also need to take your account that not everyone has taste buds But it is a great idea if you don’t mind, I can talk to captain about getting this into some survival packs” he said still smiling

Commander Riley O’Nell (XO)

Captain Becket would turn around as he heard his rank being said. He turned around and slightly nodded. “Commander. Ensign. Please have a seat. I do apologize I might’ve overheard.” He stated.

Wyatt nodded, a little more confident now. “I just picked mango peach because it’s my favorite flavor… but I think I could program it to make different ones, so people can choose what they like.”

A smile spread across his face—real and unguarded. It wasn’t the careful, practiced expression he used around others, but the kind that only ever showed when he talked about something that truly mattered… the same smile he used to share with his sister.

“Thank you, sir,” he added, his voice warmer now, touched with genuine excitement. “That would be amazing. It was always just a fun little project my sister and I worked on, but having it actually tested… that’s a real honor.”

Ensign Wyatt Blackford

Security Junior Officer

U.S.S. Ark Angel

He looked at them both again. “So what is this about Kool-Aid packets I’m hearing?” He asked.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Riley gives the Ensign a wink and turned to face the captain “Sir this genius Ensign made a survival drink” he said letting the Ensign explain it to the captain.
Commander Riley O’Nell (XO)

Wyatt took a steady breath before meeting the captain’s gaze. “Well… my sister and I have been working on this. She’s the Chief Medical Officer on the USS Chimera, so she’s been helping with the medical side—figuring out exactly what the body needs to survive.”

He stepped forward, offering one of the packets. “They’re lightweight and portable. You just mix them with water, and they provide all the essential nutrients a person would need, even without food.” He gave a small, almost shy smile. “I’m still refining a few things—like adding different flavors. This one’s just a test batch.”

Ensign Wyatt Blackford

Security Junior Officer

U.S.S. Ark Angel

Riley smiled “I will like to add the powder to some emergency packs as a test run during our next survival training” he said standing behind the young Ensign “he can see how his product works in the field first hand” he said

Commander Riley O’Nell (XO)

He smiled at that, a bright, genuine expression that reached his eyes. “That would be amazing, sir. Even if it doesn’t work, at least we’ll have some data—something to build on, figure out what needs fixing.”

His hands moved a little as he spoke, the ideas clearly forming faster than he could fully organize them. “I can start working on several different flavors too,” he added, a hint of excitement slipping into his voice. “That way people can pick what they want. Not everyone’s into peach mango.”

He let out a small, almost sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck for a moment before continuing.

It was in moments like this that his age showed—just a little. Most of the time, Wyatt carried himself with a quiet focus that made people forget he was only nineteen. He kept his head down, did his work, stayed out of the way. But when he talked about something he cared about—something that really mattered to him—that careful composure loosened.

“You could even adjust it for dietary needs, or preferences,” he went on, the words picking up speed now. “Maybe make it more customizable—like, people could tweak it depending on what they need or like. It started as just a small project me and my sister were messing around with, but…” He trailed off for a second, his smile softening into something more thoughtful.

“…it’d be really cool to turn it into something useful. Something people actually want to use.”

He looked back up, that spark still there in his eyes, hopeful but grounded—like he didn’t quite expect it to go anywhere, but really, really wanted it to.

Ensign Wyatt Blackford

Security Junior Officer

U.S.S. Ark Angel

“ so what type of improvements in survival rates do you see happening ?” He asked him

Commander Riley O’Nell (XO)

BUMP

Wyatt picked up his PADD, eyes scanning the data for what must have been the third or fourth time. His thumb hovered over the display, scrolling absentmindedly as if the answers might rearrange themselves into something more certain. He let out a quiet breath, then glanced up, gathering his thoughts before speaking.

“Well,” he began, his tone measured but thoughtful, “my hope is that after someone drinks it, we can run a full medical scan—something thorough enough to confirm they’re actually getting all the nutrition and hydration they need.” He tapped the screen lightly for emphasis, as if the numbers there backed him up. “Not just short-term markers, either. I mean electrolyte balance, caloric absorption, vitamin levels—the whole picture. I want to be sure it’s not just feeling effective, but actually sustaining them.”

He shifted his weight slightly, pacing a half step before stopping again, his focus sharpening as he continued.

“But in the field…” He paused, considering how best to phrase it. “In the field, we don’t have the luxury of full scans or controlled conditions. So I’d like to run practical tests—see if it’s actually filling after drinking it. Does it curb hunger? Does it hold someone over for a reasonable amount of time?” His brow furrowed slightly. “And just as important—how easy is it to use under pressure?”

Wyatt glanced back down at the PADD, then up again, more firmly now.

“Can someone handle it quickly? Open it, consume it, move on without breaking stride? If they’re injured, fatigued, or wearing gloves—does it still work for them?” He gave a small, almost apologetic shrug. “Because out there, even small complications can turn into big problems.”

He exhaled through his nose, the uncertainty still present but tempered by a growing sense of direction.

“I guess what I’m saying is… I don’t just want it to work in theory. I want to know it works when it matters.”

Ensign Wyatt Blackford

Security Junior Officer

U.S.S. Ark Angel