Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Sausage and Scuttlebutt

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Sausage and Scuttlebutt

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OOC: September 1st 2020

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Casela smiled slightly. “I think Cpt. that it is wonderful news. Her sister is known the quadrant over for her culinary magic. I think it will be good for the crew. A bright spot in an otherwise harsh reality of the mission of this ship.” She took a slow sip of her coffee, “But be careful Captain…” She let the warning linger a moment and then, “The crew will think you are having intimate relations with Fey AND her sister.” He heard, just briefly a small laugh escape from the counselor before she sipped her coffee again. “And who would this other person be?”
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

The captain enjoyed a deep, raucous belly-laugh at the notion of him being intimate with either of the Kastil sisters. Not that he hadn’t made far more effort than was usual, for a misanthrope like himself, with the Doctor. But alas it had proven a futile, although still confectionery-filled, endeavour.

Casela wouldn’t comment for the moment, but his efforts made far more impact than he realized. Romantic? She had no idea, but at least towards friendship, certainly. And that was a matter between Zachariah and Fey to figure out and none of her business.

At the mention of their other arrival, however, all traces of mirth abruptly vanished.
“Our new Research Consultant,” he began. “Kara Nakuto. If the name sounds familiar to you then I won’t be surprised. She’s the former captain of the USS Viking.”

The woes of the Viking were, by now, well-known throughout the quadrant, although whether what tormented them sprung from a supernatural, or merely secretive, source, remained open to intense discussion. Still, the latest flurry of rumours had spoken in depth of the fate of Kara Nakuto, the one-time captain of the Viking who found herself swallowed by a portal and then spat out the other side after months of torment, with trauma and obsession in equal measure sufficient to send her into the arms of the ARU.

Cobb fell into silence, allowing Synthi-er space to study her own repositories of knowledge and conjecture regarding the half-Klingon Nakuto. Then finally he shrugged and said, “Opinions? I hear she’s a far better engineer than she ever was a captain. Although who knows what trauma she still carries from the events. I fear we might have a powder-keg on our hands here, Counselor.”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

Casela thought quietly. She had heard of the Viking of course. Who hadn’t? And the Viking came under notice of the section on many occasions. They dealt in rumors and the strange and macabre. But that didn’t mean they actually investigated the Viking. “I think, first that everyone on this ship is a powder-keg. So that is nothing new.” She nodded at the computer console waiting for permission. Once obtaining it she pulled up Kara Nakuto’s service record and cross referenced it. “Well, Zachariah, it seems we have at least two crew members that she is connected to. John McHarrie, who is one of the most steadfast and trustworthy people I’ve ever met,” and that was extreme high praise from Casela, “And GLaDOS. So she has friends here, or at least crew mates. That’s good for her. And her record shows she’s an excellent engineer. On par with Hampton and Bog. And being half-Klingon maybe, just maybe, Bog can trade insults with her, and give her somewhere for both of them to safely let their aggressive frustrations out in a welcoming verbal manor?”

Zachariah smiled and shook his head. “Your ability to see the positives in any situation never ceases to amaze me, Cas,” he complimented his companion. “This ship needs more of your brand of optimism and less of my…well…” he cleared his throat. “Still, I have found both GLaDOS and McHarrie to be reasonable enough so far. I’d expected them to lord it over me more than anyone else on the ship. But so far I’d like to think we’ve achieved a delicate harmony.”

Casela shook her head over her coffee cup. “Not positives Zachariah. Options, possibilites, most importantly contingency plans. The potential to finish a mission despite the obsticles in the way. Nothing more.” Though if Nakuto had suffered and been tortured from where ever she had gone, Casela was more than capable of empathizing with the woman. They shared something in that, and she knew what it took to over come it and she could admire it in others, if not in herself.

As for the sudden mental image of Nakuto and Bog trading insults, the captain could not help but laugh once again. “Perhaps we should take bets on the pair of them,” he joked.

Casela really laughed at that. “I think perhaps that would not only provide quite the diversion, but it would also make new divisions among the crew, and it would be interesting to see where everyone would fall along that line. Maybe we should throw Crewman Jessie in there as well.” She chuckled and set down her coffee, looking around for breakfast.

Casela was eager to meet Nakuto. Though as a civilian, on a normal ship, she wouldn’t have to report for a psych eval, but as a member of ARU she would. So she would have more information for Cobb sooner rather than later. She sipped her coffee, waiting for breakfast. “So what do you think about the crew captain? Do you think we’ll ever get them to blend together?”
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

“Oh, it’s far too early for such a loaded question, Cas,” he exhaled then ran hands across his face in an attempt to dislodge the dawn apathy. “But honestly? Yes, I do. Eventually.”

“If it’s too early then maybe we could start having breakfast 1 hour before shift start instead of two?”

Zachariah shook his head. “A good meal should never be rushed but always savoured,” he responded, before adding with a sigh, “although if we have to wait much longer for our food then I shall wish we had begun three hours earlier instead of two.”

He was only marginally serious. Even Zachariah Cobb understood the effort his Yeoman put into their daily breakfasts and a hurried concoction from the replicator it was not.

“I suppose a good meal is also always worth waiting for?” he suggested as an addition to his earlier claim.

If Zachariah made her come 3 hours early for shift start she’d collapse. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she’d noticed she was bruising easily, and that never happened. She was also tired all. the. time. and she couldn’t figure out why. She’d even taken to drinking coffee, which she never did. She’d never had a taste for it, and even now she hated it, but she was downing it like a man lost in the desert for 2 weeks, downed water. She’d noticed a couple days ago she had circles under her eyes. But makeup, something she only used for undercover work, covered that up. She always kept a very full and very active schedule, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. It started a few days after her experimental surgery with Doc Fey. She had a frightening theory that the good doctor had done something else to her.

He paused and gulped down sufficient coffee to sustain him for a few more sentences.
“It’s a unique situation we find ourselves in on this ship,” Cobb attempted to justify his unexpected optimism. “The balance of life and death being constantly held over our heads. It takes a toll all of its own - a toll that nobody outside of this environment could ever hope to understand. And it’s that toll that I believe will bring us all together. For where else will we find such receptive ears for talk of anomalies and world-ending catastrophes and becoming bedfellows with death himself?”

At least Death is a quiet companion and doesn’t change on you, she thought to herself. She’d traveled too long with the Reaper to be afraid of him any longer. There was a time she had longed for his embrace, but it had been denied. When it was her time, well that was a long way off, if Fey had her way.

A glance over to the observation window, the impassive void of space rushing by at almost incomprehensible speed.

“But if there are ways I could speed that co-operation along then I’d love to hear about them. I already tried a party and, well, we all know how that ended now,” he concluded, nervously.

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

“Well I’ve managed to convince Lt. Stone and Cpt Manhattan to do weekly training sessions together with their teams. They will alternate who leads the training. I’m hoping that it will create respect and good natured competition and improve both teams. Many RTF members have something other than security backgrounds. The intense tactical training is because they don’t have it and never thought to. Derrick Trainor is a tactical officer by training, not security. Never did security. Niven originally trained for intelligence and diplomacy. Irida, well she could give a Ferengi a run for his money, but she’s all security. Lieh, he has duel degrees in engineering and science. Many of them would welcome the opportunity to work with the departments they are trained for. Even if it’s only once a week. Except for 1st squad. They are elietest and giving Manhattan and the other squads problems. Manhattan has them under control though. But they are the team actually giving the most problems.” Casela thought about it some more, “Have you thought more about a thunderdome? Or maybe running simulations on the holodeck? But YOU choose the teams. Put random officers together?”

Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

“Aye, I like the sound of that idea,” he nodded around a mouthful of coffee. “I suspect you all tire of training, daily, in the same physical space though? Perhaps if we utilise the holodeck then we can come up with something truly engaging? A contest that not only pushes contestants to test their physical limits but activates their mental capacity as well? A battle for the body and for the mind?”

Casela shrugged, “I tire of the teaching. I’m used to the training. Tired and repititious it might be, it serves a purpose.” Though again she was more tired than usual and she was growing concerned about it. However, it would be over her head body before she set foot back in sickbay again.

Seemingly invigorated by this new and exciting concept, the captain tapped at his console and then, with a smug grin, declared, “I saw nothing of vital importance in your schedule this morning so I’ve cleared it along with my own. Holodeck 1 is ours to play around with all day. Once we have eaten, that is.”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

Casela shook her head and a wicked grin crossed her face, “Oh, Zachariah, you’re giving me the whole day to find ways to legally torture the rest of the crew? Is it my birthday?”

Lt. Synthi-er, CNS