Science Updates

Posted on 01 Jun 2013 @ 5:09am by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sergei Petrov & Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton & Lieutenant Kiri Cho
Edited on on 01 Jun 2013 @ 5:00pm

3,115 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 4, Maenad's Office
Timeline: MD08: 1800 hours

[ON]

Maenad was sitting in her office at the corner of her sofa. A cup of tea steamed on the side-table, in front of a floor plant. She was playing a game of tetris on her PADD as she waited for Cho, Pendleton, and Petrov to arrive for the meeting she'd scheduled, wanting an update on the department's status. When the chime sounded, it was about 17:50. "Come in," she called, glancing up between levels.

"Good evening, sir," said Petrov. He saluted from the doorway. A PADD in his free hand.

Maenad sighed and paused the game. "At ease," she said impatiently. "How many times do you need to be told not to do that?"

"You don't make the protocols," he chuckled as he made his way toward her. "May I sit, sir?" Petrov noted her glare. "May I sit, miss?"

"Please do. I don't expect you to stand the whole time," she told him, shaking her head to herself. Petrov loved to annoy her; Maenad didn't know if he thought he was funny or what, but the annoyance never failed. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you," he replied, sitting back in the chair. He wove his fingers together behind his head and stared out the window. His PADD found its way into his lap, and Maenad resumed her game, ignoring him. He smiled, finding her absolutely hilarious. The faces she made, the way he bothered her and didn't care - he loved it.

Jacob soon arrived; his usual upbeat aura was apparent even more, probably do to all the good scientific finds that were being discovered. He smiled at Maenad and gave a respectful nod to her, "Dr. Panne. Good to see you as always." He gave her a moment of salute as due per protocol and respect due to her and her office then moved to find a seat that would fit him best. He saw Sergei already seated and looking comfortable yet somehow in not the most... interesting way, "Officer Petrov, good to see you." He said in his usual polite and respectful tone.

Petrov straightened and saluted Lieutenant Pendleton. "Good evening, sir," he said.

Maenad had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at Petrov. "Hello, Mister Pendleton," she welcomed him. "How are you? Can I get you something to drink?"

Jacob smiled warmly at them both, "At ease Officer Petrov, you don't have to be so formal with me. I am a scientist first and foremost, the rank is just that, a rank." He turned to Maenad, "Thank you so much Dr. Panne for asking, I am well, and as for a drink, orange creme soda, thirty three degrees fahrenheit please."

Kiri arrived at what she thought was promptly but everyone else was already here. Peeking in at the door for a moment she took a breath, something about this made her uneasy. Was it the number of people in the room, the fact they were already here or something else? Knees hurting a little bit from kneeing for an hour she was able to force a smile, "Good evening sir, Lieutenant Pendleton, Mister Petrov," Hovering near the door she watched them for a moment, trying to work out the situation.

"Miss Cho," Maenad greeted. She returned to her seat after passing Pendleton his drink. "Come and sit down. Help yourself to a drink, if you'd like," she sat down, and crossed her legs.

Cautiously Kiri did as she was told, first approaching the replicator and ordering herself a cup of extremely thick lime and honey tea. It didn't even really seem much like water with the amount of citrus honey she had. Taking a seat a distance from everyone she settled the cup in her lap, "Thank you," Still not really sure what was going on.

"Great to see you Lieutenant Cho. I hope your side of the research data has been as awesome as the stuff coming over my PADD and on the missions. Pretty exciting stuff to be sure." Jacob was literally beaming as he talked about the research going on.

Kiri's research data had too much death and peril for her to be excited about. Looking slightly disgruntled for a moment before hiding it she answered sombrely, "It is progressing better than I would expect." She wanted everyone else to feel the same way as she did, not be happy about things.

Seeing Kiri's facial expression and her body language, Jacob decided to best let any further response be to change the subject or not say anything further and wait for the meeting to begin; so he chose the the latter, getting his PADD ready for his diligent note-taking.

Maenad watched Kiri sulk into place and decided it best not to ask, for everyone's sake. Maenad sipped from her tea and replaced it on the side table"All right," she said, glancing down at her PADD, "what's going on? Jacob, tell us about what you've found on your away missions and what you're working on."

"The team has discovered many a flora and fauna, many a new type of animals and plants that will take years, perhaps decades, to categorize and document Dr. Panne. We have seen crytalline formations the size of islands, a planetoid filled with enough material deposits of precious metals and gemstones and other resources that the Federation may enter into a mining a manufacturing new era! That same planetoid was also being literally ripped apart by multiple gravitational wells.... The team may not be able to document even ten percent of all that exists in this system at this rate!" Jacob was almost giddy with all the information he and the team had already collected.

"Let's hope not," Maenad said in reference to the mining. It irritated her that Pendleton seemed so keen on it. "You're right that we don't have the manpower to do all that's needed. Why the Venture hasn't taken a more active role, I don't know," she told them. Maenad inhaled and looked at Kiri. "What about you, Miss Cho?"

Kiri had been on the mission that had discovered the moon that was being pulled apart. The same one where they had discovered the moon crammed with underground resources. The latter had a rather huge problem to overcome. Softly she spoke up, "Rojar II Object Twelve, the one with the numerous resources has life underground. While sensors are unable to scan that deep due to interference in the rock, it was, substantial." With a shivering breath she bit on her lip for a second, "It doesn't appear to have reached a level that is sentient but it is, well several are, hostile towards, everything," It was almost a little bit of a relief to say it. "Any team that was to consider extracting those resources would need a substantial survey of the life before progressing."

Jacob nodded in agreement as Kiri spoke but did not add anything else as he wanted to hear everything from everyone's perspective.

Maenad breathed out through her nose as she made notes on her PADD. She looked up at Petrov, who was sitting a little too rigidly for her liking. How he changed astounded her. In private, he was a rambunctious child; in groups, he was like a primitive robot that only did as he was told. "Mister Petrov?"

"Sir, the enlisted personnel are performing exemplarily. I have been privileged to have taken part on a few away missions so far. One with both you of, sirs," Petrov nodded to Cho and Pendleton, "and I must say that I have been impressed by everything. The department is running smoothly, and I haven't heard any complaints."

"Uh huh," Maenad nodded. She looked at Cho again, her face blank. She was like an interviewer, really. "How are the SCAP probes performing?"

"There is a still a lot of work for them to do but they are progressing well," It would take far longer to sort through all the data than there was possible for their team to do alone, "They are providing a detailed catalogue for further review." She had barely had time to think about the probes really, with so much going on.

"And what of the staff? Where do you have people?" she followed up. "Are there any research projects you've prioritised?"

Kiri felt slightly accused, "It has all been in my reports. Doctor Zimm has been working with Warrant Officer Kruger and Crewman Marnee on cataloguing the life we found on the planets with occasional help from other personnel. Doctors Dale, Basile and Petty Officer Sandywyne have been investigating proteins and chemical compounds with in that life and may have discovered a planet that toxic to all known forms of biological life. The priorities though have been Petty Officer Adlar and Mr Petrov's reviews of resource scans of Rojar Two Object Twelve for viability and accuracy." Taking a breath she looked slightly confused at her superior, "My current main project is the ship that we recovered from Rojar Three. I have been trying to plot possible courses that it could have originated from."

Maenad didn't understand Kiri's expressions or her hesitant, almost fluctuating voice, but she decided that it was probably related to something outside her work, and that she had neither the time nor the inclination to deal with it here and now. She got what she needed, and that was enough. She raised her eyes from her PADD and looked at Pendleton. "And what about, you, Mister Pendleton? Any particular research projects you're working on?"

"Just the intriquing question we all have I believe Dr. Panne. So much of what we've seen, witnessed, recorded and taken samples of is so new.. so exotic.. whenever we sadly have to part this system, the volumes of data will fill libraries and research laboratories for the next seven to eight generations at least I'd say. In other words, I am trying to cover a multitude of data, research tangents, new finds that keep popping up almost every moment. Its thrilling and exhausting to say the least."

Maenad watched all of them, wondering if anyone had the newfound shame that she had. They weren't scientists at all, but had become pawns in a game of intergalactic greed. The mineral deposits they found, the chemicals, the plants; they would all be raped and pillaged by selfish capitalist enterprise. The Federation had all the resources it needed, the Rojar system was inconsequential. But she couldn't complain to them. She thought none of them would understand, anyway, and if they could, a chief didn't complain downwards. "Thrilling indeed," Maenad agreed.

Sighing as she switched her crossed legs, she asked: "And, personally, everyone is doing well?" She tapped her PADD against her thigh as she sat back in her seat.

Jacob nodded, "Absolutely Dr. Panne. We have a great team here, bar none."

Personally, Kiri was getting better. The last few days had been extremely hard for her with everything going on. Stone, having her away teams life in her hands, dangers all around that threatened to kill her and those around her. Somehow it seemed that this latest series of missions were extremely dangerous, that might just be because they were fresh though. Her dreams were getting better, she was developing a close friend in Dawn, Kohl, Theron and maybe Maenad. Since they had dinner she'd not had any chance to talk and since her party Kiri didn't really know where they stood again. All of this was far more complicated and unknown than she wanted and the dangers and death had left a sour taste with regards to anything they gained from it. Even if their efforts could well be helping billions of people in dire need. It wouldn't effect her work, "Yes, everything is fine," Nodding her head slightly Kiri lied. Speaking softly she looked at Maenad with sad eyes, "How is your work progressing?"

"It's all right," replied Maenad, nodding. "Rojar One indeed suffered a collision with its moon. Most of the planet's crust was torn off from the force of the impact, which has left its mass a tenth of what it used to be, and accounts for all the debris in orbit. The arboretum is being retrofitted for alien plant specimens, and it appears that this system is as resource-rich as the Venture's preliminary scans suggested. Doctor Kohl and I plan to incorporate more of laboratory space to his medical staff for medical research; no plans are definitive at the moment, but over the coming weeks and months we'll see an increase in medical staff using our labs." Those were the major tasks that had occupied her time recently. She didn't want to talk about the resources at all.

Petrov meanwhile just sat and took notes, watching the others attentively. His right ankle rested on his left knee and he rested his right hand on his chin, listening. Cho seemed as removed as always, something was bothering Lieutenant Panne, and Pendleton seemed as enthusiastic as always, which made him slightly uncomfortable. At least, he mused to himself, he couldn't say anything was out of the ordinary.

The idea of working with Kohl more was something she liked. Adding plants to the arboretum was good in theory but she hoped they they would be running full lab growth cycles before they planted out. It wouldn't be good to have the whole place overrun with high gravity plants that were no longer under the constrains of high gravity to slow them down. The few samples she had the opportunity to recover didn't need light, at least conventional light so could be kept in storage containers. When Maenad finished Kiri looked down for a moment. What she meant to affirm her ideas, obviously Maenad thought they were right, the silence that hug even for a few seconds weighted a lot. Finally in a small voice Kiri answered, "Thank you."

Maenad nodded once. "Does anyone have any questions before I let you go?"

When no one answered her, Maenad sighed. She was disappointed, but had neither the will nor inclination to make a fuss about it right now. With so much going on, she thought her two senior-most officers would have had more to say. Instead she felt like she were pulling her own teeth. "Dismissed, then," she breathed.

Jacob had been so absorbed in looking at the streaming data that he missed Maenad's query; he looked up suddenly as he realized this, "Wait, wait..." he blurted out, "...Dr. Panne, there are so many planetoids and other phenomenon around this mega planet that our documentation is not even scratching that proverbial surface. I recommend that either we focus on the planetoids we have initially surveyed so that we can do deep, extensive research, or we spread out and start surveying more of this area.. I for one hope that we do some more extensive research on what we have found so far since I feel that a new bunch of survey areas could really stretch our resources to the limit."

"If we limit ourselves to the existing discoveries then we might miss something vital. We aren't on a long term mission, the survey teams that take over from us would be better equipped for more extensive research." It wasn't that they couldn't do it to her eyes, more than it wasn't the most efficient path. While some of their discoveries were extremely important, the next one could be even bigger. Kiri took a large sip from her drink and looked at the two of them, not really sure if they agreed. Then there was also the way that Maenad had been acting lately. Other than this meeting she hadn't said two words to Kiri, it almost felt like she was avoiding here. Did she think something had happened when they had dinner? Had Kiri done something wrong?

Jacob looked at Kiri and then back at Maenad, "Well then, if a broad spectrum, widespread survey is our best and most efficient use of our resources then I would defer to your wisdom Dr. Panne." Jacob nodded as he said this as if to "seal the deal".

Maenad squinted. She looked at Petrov, who seemed to be lost in thought, before she looked at Pendleton and then her assistant. "I agree with Miss Cho," she said steadily. "Unfortunately, the nature of our mission has been more about dilithium and mineral deposits than any real research," her words might have been bitter. "We haven't been able to devote as much time as I would have liked to each individual moon, Jacob," she said quietly, sounding sympathetic. "As a science ship, I would have thought that we would have but," she shrugged, "we have been sent here to determine this system's economic worth, not its scientific worth. I suggest that you pick one or two topics of research," she said to him, "and do as much work on them as you can. Whatever you think is most important. She sighed, "That way, at least, you will be able to pull out something academically worthwhile from this." Maenad pressed her lips for a moment, preventing herself from speaking anymore of her mind. The scientific community wasn't interested in dilithium or latinum deposits, they were interested in new discoveries, unique phenomena, things never seen before. That was what the three of them wanted to do, but instead they were the admiralty's corporate survey team. "What do you think of that?" she asked them, trying to sound more uplifting.

"Agreed Dr. Panne. Let me go back to the lab and do some data sorting and I will find at least two or three topics from what we've observed so far. Also, I will be heading on another mission soon so if something comes up there, I will put it on my priorities list. Thank you Dr. Panne. Great ideas as always." Jacob smiled at Maenad and made some notes on his PADD.

Maenad watched him, then looked at Cho and Petrov. "Okay," she said, "if there's nothing else?" she hoped to end the meeting.

"Thank you for your time," Kiri finished the last of her cup and moved to place it back in the replicator. Looking to Petrov and then to Maenad she tried to smile, "If you need anything, please let me know."

OFF:

Lieutenant (JG) Maenad Panne
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

Lt. (JG) Jacob Pendleton
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (JG) Kiri Cho
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

SWO Sergei Petrov
Science Officer/Geologist
USS Galileo
(NPC Panne)

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