Posted by Ensign Paige Kidman (Science Officer) in Reporting to Duty

Posted by Lieutenant Nala Shai’Mori t’Liriena (Chief Science Officer) in Reporting to Duty

Posted by Ensign Paige Kidman (Science Officer) in Reporting to Duty
Paige stepped through the open office doors and approached the desk.

Coming to attention, she offered a respectful nod.

“Lieutenant Sha’Mori’ t’Liriena, Science Officer Paige Kidman reporting aboard the USS Ark Angel for duty, ma’am.”

She handed over her orders.

“I’ve completed check-in procedures and have been directed to report to you upon arrival. I’m looking forward to serving in the Science Department and contributing wherever I’m needed.”

Paige clasped her hands behind her back.

“Awaiting your instructions, ma’am.”

Ensign Paige Kidman
Science Department USS ARK ANGEL

Nala looked up from the sensor reports spread across her desk as the new arrival entered.

For a moment she simply blinked.

The formal posture.

The perfectly delivered report.

The ma’am.

It still felt strange being on the receiving end of that.

Just a few weeks ago she’d been the one standing at attention in front of senior officers.

Her ears twitched once before settling forward.

“At ease, Ensign,” she said quickly, rising from her chair and accepting the orders. Her eyes skimmed over them with practiced speed before setting the padd aside.

“And please—Lieutenant Shai’Mori t’Liriena is a lot of syllables.”

A hint of amusement touched her expression.

“You can call me Nala.”

Her tail flicked lightly behind her.

“I promise I won’t be offended.”

She stepped around the desk rather than remaining behind it, preferring the conversation to feel less formal.

“Actually, I’m still getting used to being the person people report to.”

The admission escaped before she could filter it.

Her ears flattened briefly.

“That probably sounded more professional in my head.”

Recovering quickly, she offered a small, genuine smile.

“It’s good to meet you, Ensign. Welcome to the Ark Angel and welcome to Science.”

Nala tilted her head slightly.

“Do you prefer Paige, Ensign Kidman, or something else? I’d rather call people what they’re comfortable with.”

She clasped her hands behind her back, unconsciously mirroring the younger officer’s stance for a moment.

“And while you’re answering that, tell me a little about yourself. Scientific interests, specialties, what you enjoy studying. Starfleet tends to put labels on people, but I’ve found those don’t always tell me what I actually need to know.”

The excitement that always appeared when discussing science crept into her voice despite herself.

“What kind of scientist are you?” she asked, genuinely curious.

LT. GJ Nala

Paige relaxed slightly at the invitation, though her posture remained straight out of habit. A faint smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.
“Thank you, Lieutenant… Nala.”
The name still felt unusual on her tongue, but considerably easier than the full title.
“And honestly, Paige is fine. Ensign Kidman usually means I’m either in trouble or someone wants me to fill out paperwork.”
A hint of dry humor accompanied the statement.
She clasped her hands behind her back, mirroring the Caitian officer’s stance without realizing it.
“As for me… I’m from New Zealand, graduated near the top of my class at the Academy. My specialization is astrophysics, though I’ve always had a broader interest in stellar phenomena and deep-space survey work.”
Her eyes brightened slightly as she spoke about the subject.
“I enjoy studying things we don’t fully understand yet. Variable stars, subspace anomalies, unusual energy signatures, things that make sensor analysts argue with each other for three days because nobody can agree on what they’re looking at.”
The enthusiasm in her voice became more apparent.
“I spent a great deal of time working in the Academy’s stellar cartography labs. Most cadets thought it was boring.”
She shrugged lightly.
“I thought it was fascinating. Every unexplored system is a question nobody has answered yet.”
Her gaze briefly drifted toward the science stations beyond the office.
“If I’m being completely honest, I joined Starfleet because I wanted to see what was out there. The research papers are wonderful, but eventually you want to be standing next to the sensor array when something impossible shows up on the screen.”
Paige looked back at Nala.
“The Academy records probably label me as an astrophysicist and sensor specialist.”
A small smile returned.
“But if you’re asking what kind of scientist I am…”
She considered the question for a moment.
“I’m the kind who gets excited when something doesn’t make sense.”
The answer seemed to satisfy her.
“And from what I’ve heard about the Ark Angel, that may prove useful.”
Lieutenant Jr. Grade
Dr. Dr. Charlotte M. Kelley- Medical
USS ARK ANGEL

Nala’s ears had gradually lifted higher and higher throughout Paige’s explanation, and by the time the younger officer reached the part about arguments over sensor readings lasting three days, the Caitian’s tail was swaying openly behind her.

By the end, she was smiling.

Not the polite smile of a department head welcoming a new arrival.

The smile of a scientist who had just discovered another scientist.

“Oh, you’re going to fit in here beautifully,” Nala said, perhaps a touch too quickly.

Her ears flicked forward with enthusiasm.

“And yes, that will absolutely prove useful. I think impossible things are in the Ark Angel’s mission statement somewhere. If they aren’t, they should be.”

She found herself leaning against the edge of her desk instead of standing rigidly behind it.

“And variable stars are fascinating,” she added immediately. “They’re essentially stellar mood swings, except with thermonuclear fusion involved, which admittedly makes them more exciting.”

She paused.

“Actually, that’s probably not technically accurate.”

Her tail flicked once in amusement.

“But I like the analogy.”

There was an odd sense of relief settling over her. She hadn’t realized until now how lonely it had felt being the youngest department head aboard and one of the newest officers. And here stood someone who looked at a mystery and became excited instead of intimidated.

Nala understood that.

Entirely.

“I know exactly what you mean,” she admitted. “Research papers are wonderful, but there is something profoundly satisfying about being the first person to look at a sensor display and realize the universe has just done something nobody expected.”

Her ears flattened slightly in self-consciousness.

“I may have stayed awake for thirty-two hours once because a protein sequence didn’t make sense.”

Then they perked again.

“It made sense eventually.”

A beat.

“It was deeply satisfying.”

Looking back at Paige, she smiled warmly.

“And I like your answer.”

I’m the kind who gets excited when something doesn’t make sense.

“That’s the right kind of scientist.”

Her expression softened.

“And Paige… just between us… I was promoted to Chief Science Officer much sooner than anyone expected, including me.”

Her tail curled loosely around one leg.

“So if you ever feel overwhelmed, or uncertain, or like everyone else somehow received an instruction manual that you missed—”

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“You’re not alone.”

Then, with a slight tilt of her head and a spark returning to her amber eyes, she added:

“Now, tell me—hypothetically—if a sensor return showed a signature that violated three accepted models of stellar behavior simultaneously, would your first response be excitement or terror?”

Her ears angled forward expectantly.

“Because one of those answers means you’ll fit into Science. The other means you’re psychologically healthy.”

LT. JG Nala