Questions Hard as Candy

Posted on 18 Nov 2014 @ 2:30am by Lieutenant JG Kalos Jang Ph.D. & Commander Andreus Kohl
Edited on on 18 Nov 2014 @ 2:30am

2,805 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: Starbase 84 - Deck 592, Promenade
Timeline: MD 03 - 1430 hours

[ON]

There was a cacophony of activity bustling along the starbase's promenade, but Lieutenant Kohl hardly noticed any of it. Standing five bodies back among an orderly a queue of Starfleet personnel, Andreus Kohl passed the time with his eyes turned down on a PADD. The wait to reach the front of the queue flew by, as he read over the transcript of a science log he'd just dictated. Kohl rubbed his bearded chin as he narrowed his eyes on the written characters. Reading each character, each phrase, he mentally questioning his choice of words.

Kohl had frequently offered to let Lieutenant Stace -not only offered, but insisted- pile on the administrative responsibilities. Given his insecurities as a science generalist, he wanted to give Stace every opportunity to conduct her own research, and he hoped to facilitate that by taking on more of her department admin duties. Kohl really and truly could not have predicted the massive volume of reports to be written, and reviewed, in the wake of of Galileo's last mission. He certainly hadn't had to write this many reports in Sickbay. Kohl was almost starting to regret his offer, his insistence. Almost.

Kal was sitting at an ice cream kiosk, on his second dish of chocolate coconut ice cream. He'd received a message earlier in the day to meet a Lieutenant Kohl from the Galileo here, and it didn't seem out of bounds to show up fashionably early and enjoy himself. What else was there to do while he was waiting to get on board and report for duty? Kal had taken a stool at the small kiosk, facing the crowd and eating his ice cream when a somewhat harried-looking officer in science teal came walking up, reading a PADD.

Said harried-looking officer came to stand beside Kal, right beside Kal, without taking any notice of him. Now that the kiosk was before him, Kohl needed to order his cinnamon ice cream with cheesecake-flavoured topping, and a streusel crumble for good measure. And then waited for the confection in breathless anticipation and he had to savour his first bite, before his eyes could acknowledge there were things in this universe other than ice cream. When Kohl's eyes did land on Kalos Jang, it took a long moment before his eyes made their way to Kal's face. "Lieutenant Jang, hullo," said Kohl excitedly, through a mouthful of ice cream. "We meet at last."

"Lieutenant Kohl?" Kal nodded, a little surprised by Kohl's choice of venue, but comforted by the man's altogether healthy enthusiasm for ice cream. "It's good to meet you. First time I ever got a note to meet a new colleague over ice cream."

"The last time we had a glut of new transfers to our science department," Kohl said, "I met them all on the beach. The starbase doesn't have its own beach, so..." Kohl's words trailed off, and he shrugged apologetically. Before he could say any more, he scooped up another bite of his ice cream. Kohl rounded the kiosk, and perched himself on a stool beside Kal. "I'm pleased to meet you, Lieutenant Jang."

"You can call me Kal unless this is a formal type thing," Kal replied, working on his ice cream. "I'm looking forward to getting on board and getting to work. I've been waiting here about two weeks. I can only spitball projects so long."

Nodding again at Kal's words with a knowing smile, Kohl affirmed, "Yes, Kal it is. I'm Andreus." He took his hand off his spoon long enough to press a flat palm against his own chest. And then he tucked into his ice cream again. "What sorts of projects are you working on?"

It was a question that made Kal smile. His PADD containing all of his notes and ideas, scribbled thoughts and bits of research was never far from hand. "How much time do you have?" He asked. "I've spent a long time waiting for the chance to pursue my own research. I have ideas applicable in just about every department you can name. I believe nanotechnology is the future, Andreus, and I want to be right at the front of it."

That passion fuelling Kal's words was evident to Kohl. It certainly motivated Kohl put down his spoon and pay attention. "My only hands-on experience with nanotech has been with surgical nanites," said Kohl, offering up a context for his own level of understanding. He raised an eyebrow and he probed into Kal's ideas by asking, "How will we be using nanites in fifty years from now?"

"If I had my way? In everything. There's a lot of nonsense floating around about nanotechnology. Misinformation, alarmist crap. They're not going to destroy the universe, and they're not going to save it, but they can be damn amazing. Imagine being able to access the ship's computer with just your mind, even on away missions. We can heal severe nerve or neurological damage. Slow the few degenerative diseases we haven't found the cure for yet. Speed up repairs on starships without ever having to put in at a Starbase. That's the tip of the iceberg. I'm not saying that all of this is feasible, but I do believe all of it is possible." As he spoke, Kal ate with almost as much gusto as he talked, until his dish was empty and he set it aside. "Nanotechnology represents the next step in man's evolution with technology. It can literally become a part of us, not just a tool at our disposal."

Although Kohl had started off with every intention of listening intently, the examples Kal provided struck a nerve with Kohl -- quite literally and figuratively. The Argelian was continuing to recover from nerve damage to his spine, nerve damage inflicted during Galileo's last encounter with the Federation's nanotechnology boogeyman: the Borg. And so Kohl did as Kal did, he continued to stuff his face with ice cream. All the same, Kal's enthusiasm was infectious in its own way. "Okay, that's the vision. I can see it," Kohl said with some enthusiasm of his own. "Now, which one of those innovations will be called 'the Kal' by future generations?"

Kal shook his head. He looked serious, debating whether to talk about it for a moment. When he did speak, he was quiet. "I've been working on something since my first year at Daystrom. It's a variation of an energy dissipation system that I've been exploring. The first prototype is for use in body armor and Starfleet uniforms. Simple stuff to prove the concept quickly. But the final goal is to make machines integrated with people, designed to absorb or dissipate harmful energy. Phaser or disruptor energy, maybe even concussion shock absorption. In conjunction with an onboard suite of medical programming, the nanites could be capable of resuscitating or stabilizing wounded or dying patients as soon as the injury happens. It could save lives otherwise lost to violent trauma." He thought for an instant of his sister, dying alone in an alley, and pushed it aside. "The tech is years, maybe decades away. But before I retire, I want it out there."

"Now, that's something I'd like to see. That will be an admirable achievement," affirmed Kohl. When Kal had described his protective nanites, he managed to draw Kohl in again. Kohl had forgotten about his ice cream altogether. He looked down at his bowl again, and scooped up the last dregs to savour them as well. Kohl placed his bowl aside on the kiosk, and returned his full attention to Kal. With a curious smile, Kohl then asked, "Kal, why would you say you work in nanotech?"

"I've always been a mechanic. Besides nanotechnology, I work in robotics. My mother was an engineer, and I guess I picked it up from her. I went to Daystrom and planned on focusing on robotics, but then I started learning about nanotechnology. It appealed to my imagination; it felt like the future to me."

Kohl folded his arms over his abdomen and leaned in. "Has the future always appealed to you?" asked Kohl.

Kal nodded, leaning an arm on the table between them. "It's where we're all headed. The past is the past. History's good to remember, but I prefer to look ahead, see what's over the next hill. Sometimes, I even want to be there first. What about you?"

"Huh," muttered Kohl. His sapphire eyes widened gradually, as if it hadn't occurred to him that Kal might turn the question back upon him. Kohl shifted his perch, and then he started to say, "I suppose I live in the present more than in any other time. There's such an abundance of sensor input in this very moment, I can't fathom broadening my perspective much beyond that. Not for any protracted period of time."

Kal took a minute to mull that over, watching the people in the promenade stroll by. "I guess I never thought of it that way. I always looked at what was coming next. It was always what excited me the most. You spend a lot of time in the lab that way, though."

"Spending too much time in a lab is as good as anyplace else. Places can hold as little or as much meaning as we put into them," Kohl supposed, with a one-sided shrug. He followed Kal's eyes out to promenade people-watching. "What would make for more of a comfortable lab environment for you?"

"Ah." Kal winced. "I'm gonna sound like a dick if I tell you what the most comfortable lab environment for me is."

Kohl grinned. "Then sound like a dick."

"All right. You asked. I know it's not feasible, especially on a ship, but I like to be left alone. I work best on my own. Sharing ideas back and forth is fine, but I don't like people over my shoulder. I listen to music; if it's loud, if it's fast, if it's grimy, it helps me work. I need sweets." Reaching into his pockets, Kal came out with a bag of hard candy he'd brought from Earth and half a chocolate bar he'd bought on the Promenade and set them on the table between them. "I snack when I work. And I just need to think on my own when I design my machines."

"Office space is hard to come by, as you know," remarked Kohl. His tone was ponderous, though; he wasn't about to dismiss the notion outright. Kohl helped himself to one of the candies on the table. As he worked on unwrapping it, he said, "Norvi and I share an office. That's certainly one way to encourage team-building between us..." Kohl's voice trailed off and his eyes glassed over, as his mind went on a tour of Galileo and its science facilities. Kohl popped the candy in his mouth, and he sucked on the candy, and then he crunched on it.

"Oh, but you know," Kohl excitedly said, "many of the multi-purpose labs have been configured with holographic tanks. They're big enough for a person or two and a desk. Our usage reports from Operations would suggest they aren't utilized regularly by our staff, certainly not on beta shift." --Kohl waved a hand in Kal's direction-- "So long as one's not in need for experimentation, you could create a private office inside one of the holo-tanks."

"That's a good idea," Kal replied. He liked the way that sounded. Not that he minded people, but he always worked best when his ideas flowed unimpeded. There was always a need for teamwork in any field of the sciences, but for Kal, that teamwork was best utilized when he was prepared for it. When he was stuck or when he wanted to put something up for approval and he had to run it through peer review. "I'll probably take you up on that. Can I ask...what opportunities are there for science officers on the Galileo to get out in the field? I mean boots on alien worlds, seeing new things, all that. I want in on that."

"I think you'll find, Kal, that fortune favours your boldness," replied Kohl, and he was obviously pleased to do so. "The Galileo is a science and research ship. A scout. Our missions frequently require an entire compliment of science staff to flesh out away teams. In my experience, the command staff won't limit you to your stated specialty." --Kohl flattened one palm on his chest-- "My experience has been almost exclusively in the life sciences, but the Captain trusted me with the Assistant Chief position of the Science department."

Kal said, "I'm glad to hear that." He shifted at the table to look at Kohl. "So you're the assistant chief, then? I guess it's a good thing I haven't stuck my foot in my mouth in front of one of the bosses. Yet. It'll happen eventually."

"Something to look forward to," remarked Kohl, in a way that made it unclear if he was teasing or entirely serious. "I find misspoken words endearing. I wouldn't say I can trust people who are perfectly eloquent."

"Me, neither. But I was never exactly going to win awards. I've been told I don't work so well in team settings. Not that I don't get along with people, I do. I like people. But, when it comes to making my machines, I kinda get territorial."

"Well, now. Not to put on my Lieutenant pips too suddenly," Kohl remarked in good humour, "But that right there could be a prime development opportunity for yourself. Something to challenge yourself with, to become a more well-rounded science officer."

Kal smiled at that. Kohl seemed like a good guy, even for a superior officer. Not the type of guy to breathe down his neck about things, at least, but he made his point clear. "I'll take it under advisement," he said. "As long as it doesn't mean a lot more hours doing target practice. Is it all right if I ask you something now?"

With an intrigued gleam behind his eyes, Kohl flashed a beaming smile at Kal. "You can ask me literally anything at literally any time," Kohl said. "You can't scare me with words."

"Bold statement," Kal replied. "But, okay. You said you're in the life sciences, but you don't strike me as a biologist or anything like that. You're more of a people person. So I'm guessing medical, maybe? And if I'm right, what made you move into the science department? I never met any medical doctors that decided to move into the science department." It was a choice Kal found odd. He couldn't imagine doing all of the work he'd done to shift into another discipline. Kal expected to die a science officer, making his machines until he dropped dead and got shot out into the vacuum of space.

"I'm a nurse practitioner, yeah, but I'm an officer before all that," Kohl replied. There was a hesitancy to his reply. He toyed with the candy bag between them, and he struggled with his words, until he fell into a well-trodden path. "Intellectually, I know I carry more responsibility in a leadership position of a Science department rather than a Medical department. We're mission-critical on a science ship, certainly. That has made the change worthwhile." --Kohl's gaze dropped to the countertop diffidently-- "That wasn't the motivation, though. What started it all was... I was paralyzed some time ago. I didn't want to stop serving Starfleet just because I couldn't practice medicine. The transfer was meant to be temporary... but, I suppose they never let me leave."

Kal looked at Kohl carefully for a second as he weighed what he was going to say next. It was an admission he hadn't really anticipated. He took a piece of candy from the bag on the table between them and popped it in his mouth. "I didn't realize," he replied. "But I guess if they weren't willing to let you go, that makes you a good guy to have towards the top. Must mean you're good at what you do. When I was younger, I never would've thought about Starfleet. Once I finally decided to get in it, though, it'd take a hell of a lot to pull me out. You happy you decided to stick around, even in Science?"

"Honestly," Kohl said with widening eyes, "I can't even imagine what else I would be doing if I weren't in Starfleet."

"I can," Kal said, smiling. "I'd probably be dead or in jail by now."


[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Kalos Jang
Nanoengineer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Andreus Kohl
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

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