Posted by Civilian T’Pris (Scientist) in Department Check In:TAG CSO

Posted by Lieutenant Darklis Castle (Chief Science Officer) in Department Check In:TAG CSO

Posted by Civilian T’Pris (Scientist) in Department Check In:TAG CSO
Posted by… suppressed (13) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<<Big Snippety Snip>>
T’Pris took a deep breath and quickly shoved aside her almost instinctive umbrage at the casual address. She was not Starfleet , not a Medical doctor anymore, she had returned to the Sciences…the Civilian Sciences.
“I would prefer T’Pris actually.” She managed to get in during the CSO’s rant but just barely as the woman rambled on.

DC looked around, mentally gauging where everyone was when she came in and pointed to a spot, a small sectioned off corner area that had a third wall partition making it relatively private. “Lets chat over there.” That looked okay. Tall lab chairs looking more like bar stools sat around an oval island in the midst of this area. A counter was along one wall, lab equipment along another and the third had a large computer display. That was evidently the shiftable panel. The ship looked new. Was everyone new to the ship? Or at least was the ship new to everyone?
- Darklis Castle, CSO

“Oh now?” T’Pris felt thrown off her stride as she had thought the CSO meant later…tomorrow. T’Pris waited for the other woman to lead them.

~Dr. T’Pris

Darklis moved to the far side of the lab and only thought as she reached it that she should have done something about a ‘as you were’ or something with the rest of the group, but that was lost and, as she glanced back she saw them shifting back to what they were doing, even if Cash was watching her while still touching his ear and David seemingly assessing her ? She didn’t know but mused that anyway. T’Pris moved smooth and elegant; DC felt awkward by comparison as she pulled out a chair. It was like she was the farmgirl and T’Pris the city bred debutante. Tugging a stool up she sat on it and waited for T’Pris. Scanning the rest of the lab. Already it felt smaller than when she first came in minutes ago.

T’Pris moved up across from Darklis and pulled out a stool and slid onto it. She then looked over at the CSO, curious about her. She was a pretty human, dark haired and grey eyed. She wasn’t an expert on human beauty but she found the woman aesthetically pleasing to look at. Otherwise she had not learned enough yet to form an opinion.

How did done do these introductions, officially anyway? “I guess we’re both new here. Suppose I could tell you a little about myself. Grew up on Wolf 359. Utterly shocked my family in wanting to pursue this kind of spacefaring life.” She paused, recalling her aunt talking to her about this and saying, ‘Why do you want to go out into space and do who knows what? Why not run around with the boys and be part of a normal scandal? Why do you have to go so far?’ And she had had really no answer to that, but what good was a gypsy who had a gift for computers in a commune which strove to have one foot in the modern era but the other in a time centuries past? Even still it had been a struggle, pulling that one foot out of the past not unlike trying to free a boot stuck in the mud, but she knew that that mud was still on her boot. Pulling herself back to the now, she said, “I’ve not moved about much. I did a lot of Academy time in the Daystrom Institute in Japan then some time on a small science explorer.” She supposed that sounded better than storm chaser. T’Pris would likely think that was .. illogical. It probably was.

T’Pris nodded to indicate she was listening and mused over what she knew of Wolf 359. A planet in the Wolf 359 system, 8 light years from Earth. She believed it had been one of the first Earth colonies, after humans began leaving their planet. It sounded like Darklis may have come from a large family there. Not surprising being a colony world. She did recall any other details about Wolf 359 in regards to exports or anything else notable.

“Did you get to choose the ship you wanted to be on, being a civilian status? Is it because of the impending mission?” DC knew how things worked. Ish. Which, of course was a thinly veiled ‘why are you here?’ without saying why are you here? She had no issue one way or the other. Sure there likely would not be a lot of ‘girl talk’ with T’Pris. She seemed on first impression the reserved individual common to Vulcans. The only time she’d managed to hold long conversations with the Vulcans at the DI was shop talk. “What specialties do you hold?” she asked, hoping it would be one that she could at least speak into intelligently.
- Darklis, CSO

“I was not actually chosen to accompany you in regards to my specialties, which are a bit varied. I was originally trained in stellarcartography and astrometrics, then returned and trained at Starfleet Medical in Counselling and Psychobiology. I have spent the last 9 years researching as a Civilian, the ontogeny and phylogeny of various high psi species including the Romulans. My understanding is that the Admiral wished me to accompany you in regards to my away team experience while serving on the USS Valkyrie. We had an undercover mission in regards to the Romulans that I was rather instrumental in, being Vulcan and the easier to disguise. So I underwent an extensive crash course in Romulan culture, language, government, ships, technology and military. Perhaps my recent research was a factor as well, now that I consider it. I have studied the Romulans rather extensively.” T’Pris frowned a bit as she took a moment to consider that. “Other then that, that is all I know. I was not told any particulars, the Admiral said that I would learn what I needed to know here.” She looked back toward Darklis.
“Are you able to brief me?”

~Dr. T’Pris

Darklis considered this and put on her problem solving hat. That was what she was supposed to do, right? Stellar cartography. Astrometrics. Those were good. And Counseling and psychobiology. High Psi? And Romulan specialization. That was daunting, at least to Darklis. Considered ‘brilliant’ by some, she didn’t hold a candle to the experience T’Pris had. Better start learning, girl, she thought to herself!

“I’ve never heard of psychobiology. What is that? Is that related to Psi ratings? And, in that context, do Romulans have that? I’ve only read a very little but it seemed that that aspect of the Romulan Vulcan natures were night and day, that the Romulans didn’t possess it. Or, perhaps, are they latent, unnoticed and hence unused?”>>>

“Psychobiology is the study of the biological basis of behaviour and mental phenomena. Yes, the Romulans do have a psi quotient to some extent. They still carry the same DNA as Vulcans though it has been radically evolved due to so many generations being on Romulus. In the majority of Romulans the psi skills are now latent through multi generational disuse.”T’Pris paused a moment then added, “It has been theorized that gene manipulation may have been involved as well though there is no proof of that.”

“Gene manipulation to reduce psi ability?” she asked. “Why would they do that?” Her brain took another leap. “I understand the disuse. I mean, use it or lose it. There is a lot that can be forgotten from one generation to another, but really? Can something like that just be evolved in the span of so few generations compared to the typical evolutionary process? What would bring the latency to life?” She waved her hand. “Yeah, I just spit questions out. Feel free to cherry pick any of them to answer.” She was quite aware of the nature of loss - even taking such as simple thing as a recipe that is not passed down, much less valuable familial information or history. So much lost that way, but still, how does one glean what is important through a lifetime of accumulating memories and knowledge? Mentally Darklis tried to shrug that off. But so too how many secrets were knowingly passed on, that family black sheep, or forgotten or passed into family legend?

<<< She considered T’Pris’ experience with the Romulans. She would be quite valuable in what was coming. “When we get data on the mission and this rogue group, I’ll definitely be leaning on you and your experience.” Glancing over she saw the others but as yet didn’t know enough to say what they knew about anything. “All I know is that two people have been kidnapped by this rogue Romulan group. We’re to track them down and rescue them.” There were some small other details that she brought to mind. “They are part of what is knows as the Sabre Group. All that they had was a brief registering of a Romulan signature. I’m hoping there is more on a coming data pack. Your eyes would be good on that data too when it comes.”
- Darklis, CSO

T’Pris pondered this for a moment before she said, “Saber group… it is not uncommon for the Romulans to have splinter groups whether sanctioned or unsanctioned. I would be interested in studying what ever data we have about them.”

~Dr. T’Pris

“I’ll call you when the data comes in,” DC promised. “Are the Romulans that .. chaotic .. that they have all these groups? Are they based on ideal? Clan? Pursuit of power?”
- Darklis, CSO

T’Pris raised an eyebrow as she said sardonically, “All of the above?” Then she paused a moment before saying, “That was a bit specious perhaps but not entirely inaccurate. There is definitely quite a bit of pride of clan, family or race involved. And for those that don’t have those reasons, power plays a huge part. Our job here will be to find out which is the main motivator so we can out think and stop them.”

~Dr. T’Pris

Darklis frowned at the ‘all of the above’ and sighed. She knew that people were complex. Groups were generally not. “So as a general rule blood is thicker than water,” she said aloud but was thinking more aloud. “I wonder if we might know who the leaders are. Are they related?” It was evident that she was getting into the flow of it. What was not so evident was that underneath she had her opinions, that it was likely more blood related, but then how did they rule? “Generally regarding Romulan splinter groups, do they have a higher likelihood of clan or power aspirations to keep them together?”
- Darklis

“Depending if they are all of one clan. They can either be one or the other, or both. We need to find out more about the leaders behind this group.”

~Dr. T’Pris

Darklis just nodded at that. “Tell me about yourself,” she asked, leaning forward, elbows on the table. “Do you come from a large family? Do you have reunions? A barbeque? Um .. ” .. she thought there that most Vulcans were vegetarians, “Corn on a barbie is great. Uh, barbeque.” DC was from a quite extended family. Was T’Pris?
- Darklis

T’Pris blinked at the sudden question, her mind switching gears.
“No, I only have my mother and my son Adrian who is serving on the USS Asimov as an intern. Vulcans do not have ‘barbecues’ per se. Though we do share meals together with close family and friends. I take it you come from a large family?” She asked in turn as she wondered what it would be like to have experienced a large family. Her own father had passed away as had her mother’s second husband.

“That must be sooo quiet,” Darklis commented with widened eyes.

For the first time she pondered how this had affected her mother. Her mother was a typical Vulcan, strong in the practices of Surak but she had never made her daughter feel less for own mental difficulties. Perhaps surviving such loss as she had, her mother experienced compassion toward her? Her mother had also been nothing but accepting toward Adrian as well though he was half human. She just seemed to accept life as it was.

~Dr. T’Pris

Where did she begin? “My parents have seven siblings between them. I have 28 first cousins alone between both sides of the family. And we all live in the same region. In our house there are four generations usually hanging about, no less than a dozen at any day for an evening meal. Take in birthdays and occasions that always constitute a party of some sort well, there are a lot of people. And everyone likes to talk. Honestly it drives me crazy when I try to go to sleep and there’s not a hum of voices in the background. This ship has a crew of 55. That’s a small birthday party for me all in one yard and house and everyone doing their thing. It’s crazy. It’s chaotic. It’s loud. It’s food everywhere.” She shrugged and gestured the same with her hands. “But it’s family.”
- Darklis

T’Pris blinked as she tried to envision what Darklis was describing. “Chaotic yes, the ship must be so quiet for you in comparison.”

~Dr. T’Pris

“It is.” She brushed her hair back in a way that suggested it was an anxious thought. “I don’t do well in isolation. I admit that I like this layout of the science lab. All one big room. Everyone doing things and chatter and movement.” She gave a nervous quick smile. “I guess that kinda flies in the face of the way you operate. Me, I am either in my cabin with the doors open hoping someone might visit or I’m in the mess hall.” And I’m the black sheep of the family who left.
- Darklis

T’Pris gave Darklis a small smile, “I have become accustomed to serving aboard ship or among humans so it does not bother me now. At the beginning of my career it was… more of a challenge.” She finished dryly.

~Dr. T’Pris

Bump it back on the boards

~Dr. T’Pris