Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Alternate Timeline

Posted by Lieutenant Aurra Talisse (Chief Medical Officer) in Alternate Timeline

Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Alternate Timeline
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
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How much should she explain? She had a feeling Bordeaux understood more about the science of medicine than her last CO. She also knew her ‘pet project’ might not be to everyone’s liking. Looking across the desk at her commanding officer, Aurra chewed her bottom lip for a moment before responding. “I’m working with viruses and nanites. I want to combine the two so when we meet large populations infected with an illness or disability, we can physically treat them all even if we only have access to a few of them in several areas. Depending on the action the nanites are programmed for, you might not want everyone to receive the benefits at the same time. Using this method, where we allow the virus to carry and spread the cure in a more natural arc, the eventual ‘healing’ will appear more organic. We could even treat certain things with no one the wiser.”

—CMO Talisse

“Why would we care if the healing looks organic in nature? It is not like we would try to hide helping people,” Kelly shrugged. Talisse’s goal as a doctor was admirable and worthy of her field. Her comment about treating someone so that they didn’t know piqued Kelly’s attention but it could easily have been an odd way to say something innocuous.

“In case we need to treat a population that isn’t ready for an encounter with us. We could basically inoculate a people and encourage their biology to produce a natural resistance to the disease.”

“That might get tricky with the Prime Directive,” Kelly admitted.

“I find your goal admirable and I am not in the dark ages of the twentieth-century medicine but you might be in an uphill battle with the nanites from some groups. They don’t see the difference between the benefits and the irrational concept it will turn one into a Borg ten years in the future.” Kelly chuckled and took a sip of her coffee. She played it off as a joke but the backward thinking of many after the Borg invasion made a lot of things take a step back out of fear. What people didn’t know scared them, creating all sorts of barriers that required patience and education to remove.

“The only complication I see is nanites tend to have a learning curve. Viruses are unpredictable by nature. A virus’s only job is to replicate and find a way to infect without killing enough of a host that they have nothing else to infect. I know nanites are used in medical now but I can’t believe Starfleet Medical approved of essentially weaponizing nanites.”

Kelly Bordeaux

Aurra looked disappointed at the Captain’s words. “How did we get from my pet project to weaponizing nanites?” Besides, from what she’d read in reports and journals, it had already been done by several species who had nothing to do with her and her research. “I’m a doctor, I’m not trying to hurt anyone.”

—CMO Talisse

“I don’t doubt your intentions,” Kelly said sincerely, “but biology is like the wild west, and DNA is an evolutionary mad scientist. Things happen biologists never expect. I learned that by hanging out with Lexi Robbins. Besides,” she smiled, “if it works you could be out of a job.” The idea of nanites was solid science. Whoever discovered it and used it would change the face of medicine forever.

Kelly Bordeaux CO

Well, the Captain was entitled to her opinion. Aurra had no ill intentions with her experiments and research. She understood for any good idea that made life better for individuals, there were some who would bastardize the same idea to make something dark, like weapons or disease. She’d had to come to terms with that a long time ago. The only person she could control absolutely, was herself, and she would continue her research when time allowed.

“I understand what you’re saying, Captain, but I’m trying to do something good here.”

—CMO Talisse

“If I did not believe that you would not have been requested to join my crew,” Kelly said sincerely. Drumming her hands on the table she picked up her coffee and took a long drink. “So now that we knew what your career passion is, what do you do for fun? My passion is sailing,” she nodded to the back wall with an image of a sailboat. “Ian brought this onboard the Atlantis for me a few years back. When life permits we pull it out from the buffer and put it in some ocean somewhere. Ever been sailing?”

Kelly Bordeaux CO

“Actually, no I haven’t. Re’marians don’t really care for water other than to wash themselves or their things. But I took a group holiday on Risa once where we stayed on a beach. On that vacation I discovered how much I enjoyed the movement of the ocean against my body. One of the others in the group, Toby something, taught me how to swim and I’ve taken it up as part of my workout regime.”

That would help explain why she was so fit and trim. “I also dance.”

—CMO Tallise

“Water is a way of life living on the Chesapeake Bay,” Kelly laughed. “I got my boat license before my vehicular one. All watercraft is not equal though. There are the jet skiers which we tolerate or try to drown depending on their nuisance level. Then there are the motor boars which are the bougie boaters. The pinnacle of the watercraft pyramid are the sailboats. “. It was clear Kelly had a distinct opinion about water sports. “Ian,” she turned a picture to the CMO ,” is a convert. He has come to see the value in sailing but marriage is compromise. We have two jet skis.”

Kelly Bordeaux. CO

Aurra studied the picture. The man in it was smiling while standing on the deck of a nice looking boat. “Is this your mate? Husband?” She hadn’t been sailing per se, but through the years had become familiar with floatation devices and boards. Mostly, Aurra just enjoyed swimming—especially with a re-breather and goggles that allowed her to spend time beneath the surface of the water.

“I’ve never actually been sailing, but imagine I’d like it. If it involves water, I’m there.”

—CMO Talisse

“Yeah, Ian and I got married about five years ago when he was just my yeoman. He thought I was stressed out so we went to this spa called the Turquois Mountain Resort to unwind. Turns out that when I signed the checkout sheet it was not to close the bill. It was a couple’s marriage retreat and signing the check out was renewing your vows. Surprise,” Kelly waved her hands, “I left as Mrs. Ian Bordeaux. Our parents didn’t have a conniption fit that we were married but that we did it without them.” Kelly let out a laugh. “At some point, they are planning a reception when we get some time back on Earth. Ian and I joke we need to call it our ten-year anniversary.”

“Got any family back on your home world?”

Kelly Bordeaux CO

Did she just say that she and her husband were married on accident? Aurra looked at the Captain curiously. If that had really happened, why didn’t they have the bond absolved? Back to the question at hand. “Yes, I have two sisters. Vash teaches art appreciation at Sarna College in New York. She’s also had three showings of her own work at a gallery there. Treva is at Starfleet Academy studying astrophysics. She still has one more year to go before she graduates.”

“The only ones left on Re’mar are our parents.”

—CMO Talisse

“In September we have to Parents Weekend,” Kelly let out a chuckle. “I started it years ago. I have found that nothing bonds a crew tighter than running interference for their shipmates when mom breaks out the baby pics and dad gets drunk at the bar. Nothing is worse than getting culled from the herd on your own so I followed the example from the Academy. We plan a weekend of events to keep them all occupied so no one person has to do it all. I will send you the dates.”

Kelly Bordeaux CO

The new CMO laughed at the mental picture that came to mind for that particular weekend. She could imagine some of the parents that would show up even though she hadn’t really met any of the crew yet. Parents were pretty much alike across worlds. “Well, I’ll make sure to note when that will happen. I don’t want to miss it.”

“Are there other ship wide activities that happen on the Atlantis? Parties? Competitions? Etc?”

—CMO Talisse

“Do you have something in mind? We are always looking for a reason to drink?” The Atlantis was a social lot. It didn’t take much for them to find a reason to hang out in the lounge.

Kelly Bordeaux

“Oh no, not me. I try to be social, but I can’t say I’m very good at. One on one is fine, but when there are a lot of people I tend to stay on the edges to avoid being put on the spot.”

—CMO Talisse

“So tell me about your family?” You have sisters,” Kelly asked. She had only one brother and Ian was an only child so there wasn’t too much family togo around for her.

Kelly Baordeaux

“I pretty much told you already. One sister that’s an up and coming artist and one who is making her way through the Academy. Mother has never been employed. She married my father while she still lived with her family and since then has kept his home and raised their children. My father is a Master Distiller on Re’man. Our beverages aren’t the same as yours but his position is highly respected and he makes a good wage.”

Aurra tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “And you? What of your family?”

—CMO Talisse