Minisode 2: Columbus Stories: Missing Treasures

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

Station Log - Stardate 153124.2

After the events on Xa'zii Prime Starfleet has ordered us back to the Columbus for rest and relaxation. I am not one for vacations, but the crew is another story. Many of them, myself included, suffered physical and mental hardships on our prior mission. We are all still on duty, but unofficially on leave besides essential services.

With very little else to do, I have decided to schedule an informal hunting trip for myself and my executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Michael J. Tritter. As a surprise. Hopefully he will accept. I know that he is a family man first and foremost, but perhaps he will enjoy a bit of sport in the midst of his leave.

By the saving grace and eternal loving spirit of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

End log.

[Passageways]

The captain was huntin' wabbits.

To be more precise, deer. His first thought when planning this trip was to recreate his native Nigeria, but Tritter would have been woefully out of touch for such an adventure. Instead. Adeyemi had researched and found that red deer were hunted to this day in Germany. Well, hunted was the wrong term. They were stalked, tracked, and tagged, but none of them were killed. Such things still happened on some parts of earth, but not in Europe.

As the tall man stalked the p-ways, he was grateful that this get up mostly disguised him. The captain wore cold weather hunting gear that concealed most of his face and body. Adeymei had only been recognized a handful of times since he'd left his quarters. He wasn't the only one dressed for a good time. All around him off duty officers were wearing casual clothing, or something fancier to head to the symphony or the nightclubs or to the fights. He even spotted a handful of men and women in karate outfits.The captain wasn't a big one for martial arts: he knew Starfleet Combatives inside and out, but the notion of putting on a bathrobe and meditating was a bit strange to him. Still, he'd been to worship that morning with the Vulcan Friar, the closest thing to a Christian minister on the Station, and some might call that strange. Adeyemi smiled.

He stopped in front of Tritter's quarters and held his thumb against the call button until it chimed.

[Ramona Pilgrim]

Ramona was still getting used to the size of the station. She had quite an adventurous first meeting with her new crewmates. The Xa'zii, as she found out their name, proved to be rather peaceful once their leader was suspended in mind air.

She was glad that Dr. Lunn was able to get to Spots in time. She was still recovering from her infection, but was on her way to a full recovery.

Ramona made her way to a turbolift to pay her new friend a visit. She decided to wait a little bit before visiting to allow some kind of respite.

She walked into the sickbay and headed to Spots' biobed.

"Hey, Spots, how are you doing?" she asked with a tinge if concern.

[Auzual Knox]

[Sickbay]

Knox was still under protective isolation with various blue, amber and purple lights shining around her. Though fully awake and mentally alert, her immune system had been too compromised by the Xa'zii bacteria and she was very weak. Fortunately, her symbiont was fine, but it had taken everything out of her to make sure of it. And, she missed them. Having never experienced the Rite of Emergence before, she had no idea how emotionally charged it was to have conversations with her past hosts, for them to become real. Speaking of real, she had not even seen Blue! This made her even more depressed.

Sitting up and wondering how to debate once more with Dr. Naira to allow her to return to her quarters. Or at least be able to wear something that covered a little more of her skin. Though she respected the Doctor and her team a great deal, the biobed, the light therapy and the isolation were beginning to get too much for her.

She wanted to return to her duties. There was also another matter to settle. The Ferengi friends she made during the Collector crise (the ones she reminded of the 48th rule of acquisition when they attempted to flirt/ harass her about her smile) had put a wager on the outcome of Xa'zii prime, and Knox wanted to collect her winnings before they attempted to leave the Station...

"Hey, Spots, how are you doing?" she asked with a tinge if concern.

Knox heard her voice first, and turned to see Blue. The petite officer with beautiful blue hair that all of her hosts had liked. She smiled.

"Blue!"

She looked down to her arm. It seemed fully recovered. Though Knox wanted to check as well as make sure that Blue was not finding the Station too lonely.

"Are you ok? Are you finding your way around the Station ok?"

Knox was relieved to finally speak to someone who was not going to measure her vitals or poke and prod her... She tried to sit up to look less like a person in a biobed barely covered with strange lights emitted on her and more casual as she spoke.

"Spots?! I guess I could get used to it... I am fine, I should be returning to my duties very soon. I am going crazy in here! If you have the time, I would love to hear more about you and your story. I would never live it down the next time Nazar Emerges!"

[Ramona Pilgrim]

[Sickbay]

Knox was still under protective isolation with various blue, amber and purple lights shining around her. Though fully awake and mentally alert, her immune system had been too compromised by the Xa'zii bacteria and she was very weak. Fortunately, her symbiont was fine, but it had taken everything out of her to make sure of it. And, she missed them. Having never experienced the Rite of Emergence before, she had no idea how emotionally charged it was to have conversations with her past hosts, for them to become real. Speaking of real, she had not even seen Blue! This made her even more depressed.

Sitting up and wondering how to debate once more with Dr. Naira to allow her to return to her quarters. Or at least be able to wear something that covered a little more of her skin. Though she respected the Doctor and her team a great deal, the biobed, the light therapy and the isolation were beginning to get too much for her.

She wanted to return to her duties. There was also another matter to settle. The Ferengi friends she made during the Collector crise (the ones she reminded of the 48th rule of acquisition when they attempted to flirt/ harass her about her smile) had put a wager on the outcome of Xa'zii prime, and Knox wanted to collect her winnings before they attempted to leave the Station...

Knox heard her voice first, and turned to see Blue. The petite officer with beautiful blue hair that all of her hosts had liked. She smiled.

"Blue!"

She looked down to her arm. It seemed fully recovered. Though Knox wanted to check as well as make sure that Blue was not finding the Station too lonely.

"Are you ok? Are you finding your way around the Station ok?"

Knox was relieved to finally speak to someone who was not going to measure her vitals or poke and prod her... She tried to sit up to look less like a person in a biobed barely covered with strange lights emitted on her and more casual as she spoke.

"Spots?! I guess I could get used to it... I am fine, I should be returning to my duties very soon. I am going crazy in here! If you have the time, I would love to hear more about you and your story. I would never live it down the next time Nazar Emerges!"

"Well, while I do like my nickname," Ramona began, my name is Ramona. I was born and raised on Earth. As you can tell,
I am a bit of a rebel. That's why I don't have a shiny pip on my collar. I had a run-in with a shady Ferengi."

She rolled her eyes at the mention of that shyster. If she saw that scoundrel ever again, it'd be too soon.

"Anyways, back to the first question. So far I've only gotten lost once. Unfortunately it was my first shift back. I would have came here sooner, but I figured you need a few days of uninterrupted recovery. So,
now that I've said some things about myself, tell me about yourself, Spots."

She pulled up a chair to get more comfortable.

[Jenna McKinson]

[Deck 68- Docking tower]

Jenna McKinson sighed a bit. As she got up from her seat on the small fleet transport she was on, the butterflies she felt in her stomach were more than alive, they were having an all out dance party. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a few deep breaths. It wasn't that she was stopping herself from moving, but it wasn't her turn to get in line to exit. She grabbed her bags that contained what little belongings she had. She then proceeded to leave, but seeing as she was the last one off, at least for then, she stopped to look at the driver of the small transport vehicle. "Take care Jerod,"She said placing a hand on Jerod's shoulder. "You give that kiddo of yours a kiss and hug for me ok? And tell the hubby I said hello. Tell him his cooking is still some of the best I have ever had." Jerod chuckled.

"You will always be welcome back. Be on the lookout on your birthday," He said. Jenna thanked him before slinging her bags onto her shoulder and bidding her friend goodbye. Jerod was in his late thirties with a ponytail. Though not much of a gruff man, Jenna advised him to grow out his beard. It perfectly matched his olive skin and hair. There were very few men Jenna was ever attracted to and Jerod made the list. She always joked that had he not been married and was attracted to females, she would his girlfriend.

When she disembarked the transport, she immediately got in a line to head through security and customs. Though she came in with other members of StarFleet on a StarFleet vessel, she immediately understood concerns. With a base as big as Columbus, she knew this was standards that needed to be kept. "Relax Jenna. There is nothing contraband on you. Remember this is a new start. The slate was wiped clean, she thought. It didn't make the nerves any less alive than they were. It was all in her head and she knew it. Though a bit irritated at some ahead of her, she knew packing light would be beneficial, which she was thankful for. There seemed to be an err of uneasiness among her fellow fleet officers. As she got closer and closer, she soon would understand why.

[Deck 68 -> Customs Station]

When it was Jenna's turn to be inspected, she immediately handed her bags over to be inspected.  An elder woman whose silver hair was neatly in a bun and whose eyes looked like they could suck out a soul, looked over at Jenna. Her attitude aired on the side of irritation and the lines on her face showed just how seasoned she was. On her nose rested a single pair of red glasses that Jenna couldn't be certain if they were decorative or if they were needed.

"Anything to claim? Any illegal contraband you wish to tell me you have now before we find it on you? Place any non-clothing objects into the bins to be scanned please, sans shoes." The customs officer named "Roz" stated coldly. Normally Jenna would be offended at the woman's cigarette hoarse and tone, but she felt an odd charm to the woman and kept smiling. The others around her looked baffled at this as it seemed the air was far too cold and menacing for their liking. Jenna was no stranger to tense people and this woman was one of the harmless ones in her opinion.

"As per contraband no. I barely have anything to my name to be honest.  I have created an itemized list of all my personal belongings," Jenna began. Her tone was professional, but that shade of happy to throw everyone off in the room.

"They are my locket, my walkman, my knife to which I have written permission that I am allowed to have and said permission letter is in my information packet,"" Jenna began as she gave the packet to Roz.

"I also have my small photo album in my bag,my Walkman, the five tapes for my walkman, my belt clip for the walkman, my two sets of earbuds, my hand made engraved tool set which I use for engineering work, my prized set of old earth band tee shirts, and my ukulele named Clarence who I also have written permission to have," she said. As she said each item, it was placed into the specified bucket sans her bag and Clarence's cloth case. Roz gave her an almost dirty look as she read through the packet. After a few moments, Roz smiled widely a wide toothy grin and it sent shivers down some of the customs workers' spines.

"Finally! Someone who filed their paperwork early and right! As much as I love paperless, there's nothing like some good old fashioned papers. I will get a copy sent down for our records. Enjoy your stay here sweetie," Roz said with a chuckle that could easily kill a dove within hearing radius.

Jenna thanked her as she grabbed her effects. She placed the walkman on her hip, her necklace on her neck, and stashed her knife in it's hiding place. She had a swagger to her step that caused all the others around her to look at in awe. When Jenna was just barely out of earshot, she heard Roz's tone shift. "Anything to claim? Any illegal contraband you wish to tell me you have now before we find it on you? Place any non-clothing objects into the bins to be scanned please, sans shoes. Don't think I will go easy on you just cuz princess before you had her things straight, if anything I'm going to be stricter" Roz said loudly in a tone only Jenna knew to be joking. She covered her mouth from laughing too hard. There was a physical groan that could be heard as Jenna moved away.

[Deck 68 ->Turbolifts ]

Jenna then came to a bank of Turbolifts. She looked them all over and then back down at her papers. She then looked at what deck she would be staying in and which room. She was glad to get a lift all to herself. From the impression she got walking in, this seemed to be a blessing in disguise. It seemed to be all going well, but she felt a presence. This made time slow down in this moment once the doors closed and the lift began to move.

"I know you probably don't want to hear me, but all I wanted to do was wish you good luck," a familiar voice said filling the cabin with cold air and echoing. Jenna refused to move as her blood boiled and her heart raced. She needed to keep her cool. Maybe if she ignored it the voice it would go away. It needed to go away for her plans to work. If this was a fresh start, then all previous connections had to be severed even her blood family. This was needed if she was to move on with her life.

The odd bit of silence was welcoming, but she still felt the presence there. Her open hand began to turn into a fist and shook. Looking over her shoulder wouldn't help the situation. She knew he wasn't really there. He was long gone from her life after she decided to stop looking for him. She had to keep telling herself that he wasn't there and that he wasn't real.

The voice tried once again to speak, after trying a few too many times."JUST GO AWAY! I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM ANYMORE," Jenna almost screamed before she turned around to find no one there and the lift stopping at her destination.She had hoped no one had heard the yelling.

[Deck 235-> Landing]

Jenna's heart began to pound for a different reason, but she was thankful to see the emptiness before her and just as she stepped out, she then saw a crowd head toward the lifts. She straightened her bags and began to walk toward her destination. Jenna shook her head as she tried to shake off the ill feelings she had in the lift. She kept telling herself that it was a new start and this time things were different. She had hoped her new roommate had gotten the memo that she was coming so it wouldn't be awkward. As she got closer to her new quarters, she saw a brown haired woman fumbling with the access code to the quarters.

Cursing under her breath, Jenna moved closer and turned on her friendliest smile.  As she moved closer, she could make out the details of the woman. She was a little younger than she was, but athletic like her. The woman adjusted her glasses a bit and she could tell that she had the worn hands of a grease monkey like herself. Maybe this wasn't going to be too bad. She would almost want to kill herself if she was stuck with some snooty self proclaimed Á¢â,¬Ëœknow it all'.

"These bastards always seem to mess up when they are needed. You're Molly right?," Jenna asked as she tried to help with the code. Molly nodded. "Yes and you're Jenna? It's not going to work! Trust me I've tried it for..," Molly said as she was cut off by the door to their quarters opening. Molly looked seriously impressed. "This model's got a lag to it. It's a damn shame though some of the best tech went into this. Maybe a firmware update might help. You were here first you get to choose the bunk you want," Jenna said.

[Deck 235-> Jenna and Molly's Quarters]

A short time later Jenna and Molly were laughing at a shared table. "So your last name is Baker! I'll bet you were razzed quite a bit,"Jenna said jokingly. Molly nodded and added that she wanted to be a cook once, but failed miserably and that's when the jokes started. It seemed like the two had quite a bit in common trying to start off on a blank slate.

Jenna then looked at her watch. She seemed flabbergasted as just how much time had gone by."As much as I would love to sit here and get to know you more, we will have plenty of time for that later. We have an appointment with the captain," Jenna said leading the way out of their quarters and showing Molly how to lock things up. When they looked at the place they were to meet the captain they both scratched their heads. It seemed way too informal for newbies like themselves. They just decided to roll with it.

[Deck 235-> Landing]

Jenna and Molly waited for a turbolift to take them to where they would be meeting the captain. They chatted for a bit whilst waiting for the lift. Though they went at different time to academy, they began to hit it off as they chatted about certain aspects of Academy. Jenna was very thankful. Having a roommate to get along with was the first step in making her new life better. Now if the meeting with the captain was just as good as this, she would be all set. She was ready to get to work. The lift finally came and the took it to the deck where they would meet the captain.

Jenna and Molly got a small taste of just how big Starbase Columbus was on the way to their quarters. However, it was in the turbolift, that they truly felt the scope of it all. Parts of the tube were clear and showed many parts of the base they had yet to truly take in and see. This would take a lifetime to even scratch the surface. This made Jenna's eyes light up. Being from a small town, this was such a change of pace for her even in this new clean slate.

[Passageways]

Jenna and Molly were precisely on time. Jenna was thankful for that because she wanted to make a good impression the first day. When they were within ear shot they stood formally and saluted their captain briefly. "Captain," Jenna began. "Ensign Jenna Mckinson reporting for duty." Molly introduced herself in the same fashion.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

Jenna and Molly were precisely on time. Jenna was thankful for that because she wanted to make a good impression the first day. When they were within ear shot they stood formally and saluted their captain briefly. "Captain," Jenna began. "Ensign Jenna Mckinson reporting for duty." Molly introduced herself in the same fashion.

[P-Ways]

Adeyemi swiveled and took in the two young female officers and raised an eyebrow. His reputation must have proceeded him, because he wasn't even in uniform.

The captain tilted the wool cap back on his head. It was checkered black and red flannel and had ear flaps. Had Adeyemi been a bit more versed with American Golden Age of animation post-war art he'd have been reminded of Elmer Fudd.

"Ensigns." The captain told them. "Welcome to the Starbase Columbus. I am Captain Malcolm Adeyemi."

As always his speech came out in a mixture of the King's, Nigerian English and pidgin. The accent was strong even through the UT, which always took a handful of milliseconds longer to translate his words, due to his mix of languages.

"You two must be my FNGs." Adeyemi went on. "Go get yourself checked in with your department head and draw what you need for duty from the mess officer. You ladies are hungry we have the Hindu festival of colors being celebrated today on the Promenade. Holi. Lots of bhang and dumplings."

The captain sure looked like he enjoyed his food. Even under his hunting outfit his body looked big and brawny, with the slightly big belly of a man satisfied with his life and confident in his position in it. Adeyemi sure looked like he enjoyed some alcoholic bhang and dumplings.

"Any questions, ensigns?" He asked.

[Michael J. Tritter]

Station Log - Stardate 153124.2

After the events on Xa'zii Prime Starfleet has ordered us back to the Columbus for rest and relaxation. I am not one for vacations, but the crew is another story. Many of them, myself included, suffered physical and mental hardships on our prior mission. We are all still on duty, but unofficially on leave besides essential services.

With very little else to do, I have decided to schedule an informal hunting trip for myself and my executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Michael J. Tritter. As a surprise. Hopefully he will accept. I know that he is a family man first and foremost, but perhaps he will enjoy a bit of sport in the midst of his leave.

By the saving grace and eternal loving spirit of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

End log.

[Passageways]

The captain was huntin' wabbits.

To be more precise, deer. His first thought when planning this trip was to recreate his native Nigeria, but Tritter would have been woefully out of touch for such an adventure. Instead. Adeyemi had researched and found that red deer were hunted to this day in Germany. Well, hunted was the wrong term. They were stalked, tracked, and tagged, but none of them were killed. Such things still happened on some parts of earth, but not in Europe.

As the tall man stalked the p-ways, he was grateful that this get up mostly disguised him. The captain wore cold weather hunting gear that concealed most of his face and body. Adeymei had only been recognized a handful of times since he'd left his quarters. He wasn't the only one dressed for a good time. All around him off duty officers were wearing casual clothing, or something fancier to head to the symphony or the nightclubs or to the fights. He even spotted a handful of men and women in karate outfits.The captain wasn't a big one for martial arts: he knew Starfleet Combatives inside and out, but the notion of putting on a bathrobe and meditating was a bit strange to him. Still, he'd been to worship that morning with the Vulcan Friar, the closest thing to a Christian minister on the Station, and some might call that strange. Adeyemi smiled.

He stopped in front of Tritter's quarters and held his thumb against the call button until it chimed.

[Location: Tritter Family Headquarters]

Tritter had made it off Xa'zii prime alive and in one piece, for that, he was thankful. He had a couple days with the family to relax and unwind, and it was much needed for his sanity. Tritter had been helping his oldest with some home work when he heard the chime go off. Tritter and Ryan exchanged gazes for a moment, before Tritter went to get the door. Tritter was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a button down polo type t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. Something that matched his physique and appearance fairly closely. Tritter than studied the Captain closely, he looked him over from head to toe, he found their choice of dress curious - a slightly raised eyebrow was indicative of the large man's curiosity with the Captain's dress.

Tritter took a moment to finish looking over the Captain, he would than take a breath, followed by a momentary pause before he addressed the Captain with the following, "Sir, what brings you to these neck of the woods?" If one could not tell by now, Tritter preferred the quiet and secluded areas typically associated with country living, but by no means, was he a red neck. He also knew how the Captain preferred such formality and he would address him accordingly.

[Jenna McKinson]

[P-Ways]

Adeyemi swiveled and took in the two young female officers and raised an eyebrow. His reputation must have proceeded him, because he wasn't even in uniform.

The captain tilted the wool cap back on his head. It was checkered black and red flannel and had ear flaps. Had Adeyemi been a bit more versed with American Golden Age of animation post-war art he'd have been reminded of Elmer Fudd.

"Ensigns." The captain told them. "Welcome to the Starbase Columbus. I am Captain Malcolm Adeyemi."

As always his speech came out in a mixture of the King's, Nigerian English and pidgin. The accent was strong even through the UT, which always took a handful of milliseconds longer to translate his words, due to his mix of languages.

"You two must be my FNGs." Adeyemi went on. "Go get yourself checked in with your department head and draw what you need for duty from the mess officer. You ladies are hungry we have the Hindu festival of colors being celebrated today on the Promenade. Holi. Lots of bhang and dumplings."

The captain sure looked like he enjoyed his food. Even under his hunting outfit his body looked big and brawny, with the slightly big belly of a man satisfied with his life and confident in his position in it. Adeyemi sure looked like he enjoyed some alcoholic bhang and dumplings.

"Any questions, ensigns?" He asked.

[ Passageways ]

Jenna's nerves were calmed the minute her new captain spoke. She often drew energy from people she met and the one she got from  Captain Adeyemi was one of balance, but also the good energy that kept her going. She smiled when she heard the man speak. Though she had a rather noticeable Australian accent herself, she was always a fan of hearing new ones.

"No Captain other than if you have seen our department head or where he can be found normally. I think it's about that time for shifts to swap over,"Jenna began looking at Molly to see if she had any questions. "We have literally just put our things away and came to report to you. Though we have studied the layout of this base, we haven't absorbed it all yet,"Molly said.

Just then, a rather loud stomach grumbling could be heard. Jenna nervously laughed and covered her stomach. "Guess I was hungrier than I thought I was," She said laughing which cause Molly to laugh about the situation.  "I really like that hat. Remind me to tell you about this wonderful hat maker I know of. I'll bet I can get you a discount," Jenna said.

[Naira]

[Sickbay]

Relaxation and time off were words that didn't exist in Naira's vocabulary.

While the rest of the crew had spent the last five days, since returning from Xa'zii Prime, taking the time to relax and take part in leisurely activities, Naira had continued to worked. There were many injuries as a result of their last mission and she wanted to see that each and every one of them were seen to with the highest level of care.

For the past several hours, Naira had been sitting in her office going over patient files and periodically checking on Ensign Knox to monitor the rate of her recovery. None of the other medical staff were on duty at the time. Leesill had been in earlier to remind her that she too needed to take it easy while she recovered. So as a promise, and to keep the other woman from nagging her, Naira promised to remain off her leg as much as she could. However, that did not stop her from working.

It wasn't until this time that she grew to appreciate whoever it was that decided to place a rolling chair in her office. With a little navigation and a firm push off from her good leg, she could roll her way around sickbay without ever having to stand up. She pushed herself in the general direction of Knox's biobed with a medkit and a padd balanced on her lap and she went to check the monitors again.

She greeted both the ensign and her friend with a smile before recording the latest results in her patient file.
"I don't mean to disturb your conversation, I just want to get one more reading and ask how you are feeling before I agree to leave you alone for a while." 

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[P-Ways]

Adeyemi's eyebrows rose even further at the other ensign's familiar tone and words. He had heard that the former commanding officer had been very relaxed in terms of bearing and discipline. He would have resolved that here and now, but he was not on duty or in uniform.

"I will keep that in mind, ensign." The captain said to Molly, his tone indicating that she had spoken out of turn. "Now, if you will both excuse me. Welcome aboard."

[Tritter Family HQ]

Adeyemi would have expected a pack of young children to be unruly while at home, but to his surprise the little Tritters were very well behaved. The captain wasn't one for children, had none in his life. He had a great deal of nieces and nephews, but his Starfleet career kept him away from home most of the time. The notion of having children someday himself wasn't unappealing, but where would he find the time?

Still, he had to admit that when he looked around the executive officer's quarters, that it was a homey scene. Tritter's husband was there too. Adeyemi didn't agree with their lifestyle choices, but he wasn't about to say so. At the end of the day, they all had the Starfleet symbol on their uniforms and all had to work together.

"Commander Tritter, thank you for your hospitality." Adeyemi said. "I am off on a holodeck hunting trip. Have you ever hunted deer before, Commander? Perhaps you'd like to join me?"

[Auzual Knox]

[Sickbay]

For some reason, Knox felt very at ease with her new friend though also rather protective as she listened attentively and looked forward to sharing more about herself.

"Well, while I do like my nickname,my name is Ramona. I was born and raised on Earth. As you can tell, I am a bit of a rebel. That's why I don't have a shiny pip on my collar. I had a run-in with a shady Ferengi."

"Anyways, back to the first question. So far I've only gotten lost once. Unfortunately it was my first shift back. I would have came here sooner, but I figured you need a few days of uninterrupted recovery. So, now that I've said some things about myself, tell me about yourself, Spots."

"Hello Ramona, I would have preferred sooner! I am relieved to see you now, and I am glad to see that you are fully recovered."

Knox took a breath and calmed herself. It must have seemed crazy to be so overly concerned about someone she had only just met. But it had been her plan, and if something had happened to Blue following it through she would never have forgiven herself.

"When not going by Spots, I am Katharoz Knox. Prior to my joining I preferred Kate, now Knox. And, yes I did get the rebel vibe by the way you rock climbed!"

She paid attention to Blue's every move and idiosyncrasies. Knox had always focused on her work, making friendly colleagues and acquaintances but did not form close relationships, and following joining she found herself more aloof than ever.

"I found Earth to be a rather interesting planet. Though your history is somewhat darker than I would have imagined. And, getting lost once on the Station is impressive! If it were not for Darzem during my runs I would have got lost all the time!"

Knox was surprised by how she easily she found herself sharing about herself.

"When I share that I am a joined Trill it is often difficult to explain. But, as you have actually already met my previous hosts, it is like sharing old friends with you. I was an Ambassador, traveling to Vulcan and Earth prior to Trill joining the Federation. A General in the Trill Defense Ministry. An Engineer and a Scientist in the Trill Science Ministry. Another Ambassador who had a very different diplomatic style than previously(!) and now an Operations Officer. I have been married three times, my wives were such wonderful mothers as I was rarely at home to father my children, something I shall always regret. I joined StarFleet prior to being joined, and now face a few more internal conflicts since .... "

Knox heard Dr. Naira approaching on her chair and repositioned herself correctly on her biobed.

"I don't mean to disturb your conversation, I just want to get one more reading and ask how you are feeling before I agree to leave you alone for a while."

She respectfully greeted Dr. Naira. Since not only saving both her and her symbiont's lives, she had stayed continuously close by her biobed since Knox had become conscious (and very likely prior to that). There were many patients in multiple Sickbays with a wide range of medical issues and injuries, and yet our Second Officer and Chief Medical Officer handled it all with grace and ease. All in fact whilst being in recovery herself. Impressive does not come close to what Knox had observed form her.

"Doctor, how are you feeling since we last spoke? Thank you, I am feeling much stronger, particularly so in last 10 minutes. Perhaps today might be the day after all? I also hope you shall be able to see your girls again soon."

She smiled as she allowed the Doctor to perform her work. Becoming somewhat nervous, as ever with medical procedures, Knox began to speak a little faster.

"This is Blue, sorry, I mean Ramona. She is responsible for subduing Jalen the Tall. Considering she had only just joined the Station, a very courageous act, no? We were finally becoming acquainted as there was little time to do so before."

"Ramona, this is Dr. Naira. Our Second Officer and Chief Medical Officer, as well as my life saver."

Knox glanced at Blue's uniform. She realized that she had no idea which Department she was in on the Station!

[Daniel Howell]

Main Engineering
Relaxation really wasn't something Dan did, so he found himself in engineering, in his office catching up on on service reports and updating the records. Engineering was seriously short staffed following recent events, particularly due to the injuries many of his staff sustained.

Amazingly, it was very quiet, most of the remaining crews attention was focused on things like the holodecks which were under a lot more technical stress than usual. During his inspection of service reports, Dan discovered that one of the transistors for the shields were out of sync and so he decided to walk over to a nearby terminal and re-align them.

[Thomas Jett]

[Promenade]

After some time to recover from the last incident, Jett calmly walked the promenade.  He still felt some pain from the bruises from the combat but he figured that he would heal over time.  Few of the crew had seemed in the last couple of days as he wanted some time alone.

Jett was still upset at himself as he was not able to prevent everyone from getting hurt.  He was still upset at the Captain as the situation could have been avoided if the Captain would have only listened to him before landing the ship.  As crazy as his antics were, he was a graduate from Starfleet Academy command school and understood tactics better than most civilians.

As walked into the promenade and from the corner of his eye he observed a small child.  There was a vendor selling what he believed were some "sweets" or candy.  Sometimes they sell because they taste better than the ones in the replicator.   The child was a humanoid female with dark hair and dark eyes.  The former captain believed that she was around the age of 5-8 human years.  He was not sure of the species.

From the corner of his eyes, he observes the young girl snatch one of the pieces of candy and tried to run away.  The Vendor said "HEY!"

Jett walked into the vendor and smiled he said "Here is the piece of candy, she stole"

The Vendor responded, "I can't accept this from you a stranger, she needs to get arrested!"

Jett said "Look, she's my niece" he lied.  "Here is the money, let me deal with her discipline"

Jett paid the merchant and began running after the young girl.

Instead of running right after her, Jett took a shortcut.  Little did she know he knew how to evade the authorities in the Station. (Thanks to the previous Captain) He turned around a corner, where he expected her to turn and all of the sudden without looking she bumped into him.  Her face hit his stomach at it was clear she was not looking where she was running.

"Y'know, kid if you are going to steal, you can't suck at it" Jett responded

"Are you going to arrest me?"  The child asked

Jett placed his hand near his hips and shook his head "No, Kid...but you need to work on your sleight of hand"

The Kid looked confused and asked, "What's that?"

"It means when you steal, people don't see it.  Like this"  Jett took a second

He then looked at the girl and said "What's that behind your ear"

Jett then took a second reached out to the girl's ear and pulled out a piece of latinum.  "Why are you stealing when you had a piece of latimun stuck in your ear?"   Jett asked with a smile

The girl picked up the piece of latinum and looked at it.  He kept looking at it over and over.

Jett then kneel down so he could be eye level with the child "So where are your parents?"

The Child looked down and responded "Mommy said she was going to be right back, it was three days ago"

Jett took a second and asked, "So what's your mom's name?"

The child responded "Mommy"

Jett then decided another approach "So what's your name?"

The girl said "I'm not supposed to talk to stranger, too much"

Jett gave a chuckled and said "Good kid, my name is Tom, but people call me Jett too"

The girl then responded "My name is Natalia"

Jett then said "Alright Natalia, how about you hang around with me until we find your mommy, I'm sure I can find her or someone in the Station might...I was on my way to visit a friend"

The girl then asked, "Is she nice?"

Jett responded "Yes"

The girl kept asking "What's her name?"

Jett responded "T'Prina, she is Vulcan.  I need to stop by and get her some flowers"

The girl asked, "Why?"

Jett said "Because I said something trying to protect her, but it could have bothered her, so it's a way to say I'm sorry"

Jett then stopped by the Vendor and picked up some purple flowers.  He tried avoiding something with pink and red.  Jett knew nothing about flowers other than pink and red are romantic.  Yellow is friendship and that his purple flowers smelled good.

He picked up the flowers and the girl continued asking "So why flowers and not something else like toys or candy?"

Jett then answered "Because flowers tend to be a safe gift...I think most girls like flowers"

The girl asked, "Why?"

Jett shook his head and continued "I don't know it's one of those great mysteries of the universe.  Like how they like to go to the bathroom in groups"

The girl continued asking "Why do they go in groups?"

Jett looked down for a second and shook his head "I don't know, ask my friend she might know"

[Outside of T'Prina's Quarters]

Jett looked at Natalia and said, "How about this..."  Jett handed over the flowers to the girl and said: "How about you hand it over to my friend..."  Jett said.

Natalia asked, "After this will you teach me how to steal?"

Jett then closed his eyes and responded "Probably not a good idea to ask that out loud"

Jett then pressed the button to inform T'Prina there was someone outside.

[Naira]

[Sickbay]
Knox heard Dr. Naira approaching on her chair and repositioned herself correctly on her biobed.

She respectfully greeted Dr. Naira. Since not only saving both her and her symbiont's lives, she had stayed continuously close by her biobed since Knox had become conscious (and very likely prior to that). There were many patients in multiple Sickbays with a wide range of medical issues and injuries, and yet our Second Officer and Chief Medical Officer handled it all with grace and ease. All in fact whilst being in recovery herself. Impressive does not come close to what Knox had observed form her.

"Doctor, how are you feeling since we last spoke? Thank you, I am feeling much stronger, particularly so in last 10 minutes. Perhaps today might be the day after all? I also hope you shall be able to see your girls again soon."

She smiled as she allowed the Doctor to perform her work. Becoming somewhat nervous, as ever with medical procedures, Knox began to speak a little faster.

"This is Blue, sorry, I mean Ramona. She is responsible for subduing Jalen the Tall. Considering she had only just joined the Station, a very courageous act, no? We were finally becoming acquainted as there was little time to do so before."

"Ramona, this is Dr. Naira. Our Second Officer and Chief Medical Officer, as well as my life saver."

Knox glanced at Blue's uniform. She realized that she had no idea which Department she was in on the Station!

[Sickbay]

Naira updated Knox's medical records to show that she was indeed showing signs of further recovery. Her body continued to fight over the infection, but she was showing signs of recovering.

"I'm doing well," she answered the ensign. "Thank you for asking. I should be up and walking around here in the next few days. Now as for you," she addressed the woman, "I'm going to release you to rest and recover on your own terms, but I'm going to outfit you with a subdermal bioprobe so that I can continue to monitor your progress."

She recorded the monitor in her patient logs and then turned to greet the visitor. "It is nice to meet you Ramona and thank you for your work on Xa'zii Prime." 

[Ramona Pilgrim]

[Sickbay]

For some reason, Knox felt very at ease with her new friend though also rather protective as she listened attentively and looked forward to sharing more about herself.

"Hello Ramona, I would have preferred sooner! I am relieved to see you now, and I am glad to see that you are fully recovered."

Knox took a breath and calmed herself. It must have seemed crazy to be so overly concerned about someone she had only just met. But it had been her plan, and if something had happened to Blue following it through she would never have forgiven herself.

"When not going by Spots, I am Katharoz Knox. Prior to my joining I preferred Kate, now Knox. And, yes I did get the rebel vibe by the way you rock climbed!"

She paid attention to Blue's every move and idiosyncrasies. Knox had always focused on her work, making friendly colleagues and acquaintances but did not form close relationships, and following joining she found herself more aloof than ever.

"I found Earth to be a rather interesting planet. Though your history is somewhat darker than I would have imagined. And, getting lost once on the Station is impressive! If it were not for Darzem during my runs I would have got lost all the time!"

Knox was surprised by how she easily she found herself sharing about herself.

"When I share that I am a joined Trill it is often difficult to explain. But, as you have actually already met my previous hosts, it is like sharing old friends with you. I was an Ambassador, traveling to Vulcan and Earth prior to Trill joining the Federation. A General in the Trill Defense Ministry. An Engineer and a Scientist in the Trill Science Ministry. Another Ambassador who had a very different diplomatic style than previously(!) and now an Operations Officer. I have been married three times, my wives were such wonderful mothers as I was rarely at home to father my children, something I shall always regret. I joined StarFleet prior to being joined, and now face a few more internal conflicts since .... "

"It's nice to finally get to know you more, Ka.. er, Knox," Ramona replied. "I always thought Trills were an interesting species. I think it's the spots."

Thankfully the doctor arrived and made her stop before she could say something slightly embarrassing.

Knox heard Dr. Naira approaching on her chair and repositioned herself correctly on her biobed.

She respectfully greeted Dr. Naira. Since not only saving both her and her symbiont's lives, she had stayed continuously close by her biobed since Knox had become conscious (and very likely prior to that). There were many patients in multiple Sickbays with a wide range of medical issues and injuries, and yet our Second Officer and Chief Medical Officer handled it all with grace and ease. All in fact whilst being in recovery herself. Impressive does not come close to what Knox had observed form her.

"Doctor, how are you feeling since we last spoke? Thank you, I am feeling much stronger, particularly so in last 10 minutes. Perhaps today might be the day after all? I also hope you shall be able to see your girls again soon."

She smiled as she allowed the Doctor to perform her work. Becoming somewhat nervous, as ever with medical procedures, Knox began to speak a little faster.

"This is Blue, sorry, I mean Ramona. She is responsible for subduing Jalen the Tall. Considering she had only just joined the Station, a very courageous act, no? We were finally becoming acquainted as there was little time to do so before."

"Ramona, this is Dr. Naira. Our Second Officer and Chief Medical Officer, as well as my life saver."

Knox glanced at Blue's uniform. She realized that she had no idea which Department she was in on the Station!

[Sickbay]

Naira updated Knox's medical records to show that she was indeed showing signs of further recovery. Her body continued to fight over the infection, but she was showing signs of recovering.

"I'm doing well," she answered the ensign. "Thank you for asking. I should be up and walking around here in the next few days. Now as for you," she addressed the woman, "I'm going to release you to rest and recover on your own terms, but I'm going to outfit you with a subdermal bioprobe so that I can continue to monitor your progress."

She recorded the monitor in her patient logs and then turned to greet the visitor. "It is nice to meet you Ramona and thank you for your work on Xa'zii Prime."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Doc," Ramona replied in kind. "I was just doing what I could. It was fun to use those old fashioned weapons. I just don't want to repeat the incident."

She laughed a bit at that last part. She watched as the doctor administered the bioprobes into Spots' arm. Usually she was fine watching such things, but something made her wince a bit at the sight. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Her blue hair twirled a bit as she did.