The turbolift doors slid open with a soft chime.

Lieutenant Dr. Mark Callous stepped onto the Executive Officer’s deck of the USS ArkAngel (NCC-98729), carrying the same steady presence he had brought aboard the ship minutes earlier. The corridor here was quieter, more controlled—closer to command than medical. He noticed the difference immediately.

He adjusted his grip on the medical case, then stopped just short of the XO office threshold. A Marine guard outside the door straightened slightly as he approached, but Callous did not acknowledge the reaction.

The door opened.

He entered.

Lieutenant Commander Dr. Charlotte Kelley was present, standing at her desk with a PADD in hand, already oriented toward him. Callous halted at a respectful distance—precise, deliberate, no wasted motion.

His eyes moved once across the office: exits, layout, personnel position, ambient conditions. A habit, not a concern.

Then he spoke.

“Lieutenant Dr. Mark Callous reporting as ordered.”

A brief pause followed. He shifted the medical case slightly from one hand to the other, then continued, voice even and controlled.

“I’ve been assigned as Medical Officer aboard the ArkAngel. I understand you’ll be overseeing departmental integration.”

He held his posture steady, gaze level.

“If there are operational priorities I should be aware of beyond Sickbay readiness, I’ll need them immediately. I don’t work well after the fact.”

Another measured beat.

Then, without softening his tone or posture, he added:

“Requesting full casualty protocol access, current shipboard trauma load reports, and any standing security-medical integration procedures already in effect.”

He stopped speaking and waited, still and composed, as if the room itself was part of a triage assessment already underway.

Lieutenant Dr. Mark Callous
Medical Officer
USS Ark Angel NCC- 98729