Common Ground

Posted on Wed Jan 22nd, 2025 @ 12:12pm by Lieutenant Katya Davi & Commander Daynah Ral

1,857 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: The Foragers
Location: Ral's Office

ON

Outside of her department, the person she would work with the most was the first officer. And while she knew that a good working relationship was based on Katya's ability to do her job efficiently and effectively, she also knew that first impressions mattered. Especially after she looked over the commander's personnel file. Katya wasn't so sure what her first impression the night before had been, but she hoped that her second impression would make up for any problems she may have caused herself.

She dressed in a comfortable pair of coveralls with plenty of pockets for her tools, headed for the XO's office, and rang the chime.

Daynah had been sitting behind her desk massaging her temples. It seemed that the intense pain that she felt the night before subsided within minutes. She was still unsure what happened just that something happened and that perhaps she should go to Sick Bay. She decided to hold off on that until she could come up with some idea of what happened. Just as she bent her mind to the task her office door chime went off. "Come on in..." she said rather softly and then sipped the now tepid tea that sat on her desk.

Katya walked in and stopped in front of the desk. She wasn't sure exactly what she should say, since she met the woman the night before. But she also hadn't technically joined the ship then, either. "Hello again, commander. I'm officially reporting in."

"Yes Lieutenant, welcome aboard. Have a seat if you wish." Daynah tried to conceal the slight depression in her voice. She was not pleased about the current situation. But it was something that she had to live with. There was a lot for her to think about.

She nodded and sat down. The first officer looked a little pensive, but Katya wasn't going to comment as she didn't know the other woman. "Is there anything you want me to know about the ship?" It was, she hoped, a good way to start a conversation.

There was the rub as it was put. Daynah had no idea exactly what she could or should say. This is what happens when you start to deal in secrets, you start to believe everything is a secret. She smiled softly to cover up her thoughts. "We are just about the same as most of the other ships in the fleet. Save for the close quarters. The Defiant Class is a great ship, but she leaves little room for creature comforts. So, it is become friends and close with your colleagues or get used it." She laughed at her little joke.

"That's true on a ship this size. But I tend to focus more on the individuality. I've found that each ship has her own personality and preferences." Katya shrugged. "I like to listen to the sounds of the ship. If you know them, you can often hear when there's an issue before it becomes a problem. So, I like to learn a ships personality as soon as I can."

She's one of those people who think ships are sentient. Figures she is an operations officer. Daynah thought. She smiled softly and even laughed. "You know one of my previous hosts was a Starfleet Captain. The Engineer on his ship was a Bolian who would lay on the floor anywhere on the ship and ask the ship to tell him what was wrong. I can still remember him lying in the middle of the deck seven corridor. Ah, Zeleya... Sometimes I wonder what happened to that crazy girl."

Katya chuckled appreciatively. She knew people who talked to ships as if they would hear and respond. "I admit I may occasionally talk to the ship, but I don't expect it to answer. I listen. Each ship has its own particular noises. Once you get to know the sounds of the ship, you can tell when something is out of harmony." And now the first officer would think she was nuts.

Daynah smiled softly. She was of two minds about what the Engineer had just said. Dayanah thought that was a tad crazy, she was a scientist and followed facts, evidence and the like. However, Ral knew that knowing every sound and every bolt on your ship is what made you a great officer. "You know there is nothing wrong with seeking answers from what may be in front of your face. A lot of scientists would look at some date, or an organism or something like and ask it to reveal its secrets. That is basically the same thing." Daynah and Ral had just decided that Alaryc had the right of it.

"True. I have known a scientist or two who talk to plants. They believe it helps them grow. I don't grow plants myself, but I do know that their arboretums do very well." At least scientists had a better chance of talking to something that would probably listen than operations or engineering. Katya didn't count communications as that was primarily for talking with other people.

"I would argue that a starship is just shy of being sentient. It can hear, and respond, it can think, has a pulse, a lot of things that you and I have. In fact, stop me if I am wrong but with the advent of bio-mimetic gel starships are partially alive. So, one might say that you are the Valiant's doctor." Daynah smiled and punched Katya on the shoulder. "Congrats Doc."

She chuckled at that. "You do have a point. A good part of my job is ensuring the health of the ship--and treating it when it's sick. I think that applies to some areas of science as well. And not just plants and animals. Don't some believe that there are signs of sentience on a quantum level?"

"Indeed, there are a number of theories pertaining to that. It is most likely merely a matter of time before we see absolute signs of quantum sentience. Hmmm I wonder if our starships would allow us to remain inside them once they are sentient. Well, I for one welcome our starship overlords." Daynah laughed again. She not only enjoyed this conversation but it cheered her up somewhat from the dark thoughts she had been having about the Valiant's upcoming missions.

Katya chuckled at that. "If the gel packs start talking to me, you'll be the second to know--after the captain, of course." Then she grinned. "Unless they talked to him first. They might, as he is the leader of the humanoids here."

"Well, if they are going to revolt, he would be the first person that they would have to rebel against." Daynah laughed heartily. She could feel not only herself becoming comfortable aboard this ship, but Ral was comfortable as well. He learned new experiences as Daynah bore him through life. "See you are not as crazy as you thought you were."

"True, but I'm not the one who thinks I'm crazy." Kat grinned. "A lot of us in operations and engineering agree, but sometimes we're the only ones." She shrugged. "It's because we spend more time crawling through access tubes and listening to power conduits. At least we'll be necessary when the ships become sentient." They'd spent enough time on the subject and she was curious to learn more about the first officer. "So, what do you do when you're not paying attention to the development of quantum particles?"

"Make sure the rest of you are all in line." Daynah said with her trademark crooked smile. "But for fun I like football, and sword play. I still play the piano and harp thanks to Rodan."

"Now, are you talking Terran football, and if so, which one?" Kat had watched both when she was on earth. "I play the flute and lute. Mostly folk music. The harp is a beautiful instrument." So was the piano, but she'd never learned to play.

"Terran football..." Daynah's voice trailed off as she thought about how to explain which one then snapped her fingers. "The one that originated in the United States. It was funny I never knew or had any interest in playing an instrument until the joining. Now I can't imagine my life without playing."

"I understand. I can't imagine my life without music, either." Although she sang more than she played, but it was rare that a day went by without some form of music in it. "Okay, I know that football. A little, anyway. Some of my friends in the academy watched it. And others watched the other football that's played internationally. I went to a few games of both, when I had the time."

"I dunno there's just something so primal about the game. You know? Two teams vying for a small plot of land and simply attempting to stop each other. Almost makes you wish all issues were settled in that matter." Daynah began. "Say, if you ever want to simply sing I know a number of madrigals on harp that have lyrics."

Katya sat up straighter. "You do? Wouldn't they be for multiple singers?" Either way, she was interested in seeing the music.

"Some are, yes. But for those we can always have the holodeck create people. There are others that are written for one singer. The lone bard was a very standard practice in Tudor England on Earth." Daynah replied. The Tudor and Elizabethan eras of Earth were a hobby of sorts for the Trill woman.

"Nice. I generally focus more on folk tales, ballads, and musicals. But those sound lovely." Even if Dayna didn't show her any, Kat was going to look them up on the computer.

"Right then. Once we get this mission crap underway we can get down to the fun stuff. It's a date then." Daynah smiled. She had not played in some time and it would be nice to get back to it. Especially with someone else.

Kat nodded. "Does anyone else on the ship sing or play? It would be fun to get a group together. The more the merrier."

"I am not sure. Never thought to look into it." Daynah replied and then continued. "But you are right it would be fun to get more people together."

Kat nodded. "We can set something up and see if anyone else would be interested. I'll be happy to ask around. It'll give me a chance to meet a few more people." Although she might just end up looking through the computer instead. She stood and smiled. "Thank you for the visit. I'll let you know what I find."

"Great! Don't be a stranger. Sometimes it gets a bit lonely in these offices. Always found it weird that an XO had an office. I spend most of my time on the bridge anyway. But that is for another time. Looking forward to our jam session." Daynah smiled softly as Katya left. It seemed that Daynah may have made her first real friend on this ship.

OFF

Commander Daynah Ral
Executive Officer & Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Katya Davi
Chief Operations Officer

 

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