S12 - M12: When the Bough Breaks

[Nathan Ryder]

[Bridge]

Kali was mildly perplexed finding her answer. "I don't know. Arbor Day isn't really my favorite holiday. Maybe a palm tree? The ones that make coconuts! Those are on beaches, right?" Coconut trees were like a splash of green in an endless sea and coconuts are so refreshing after a long day gargling salt water.

She took a seat at the Ops panel nearby as her crewman worked and gazed dreamily at the viewscreen. "Great, now I'm craving coconut milk. Or a pina colada - uh, non-alcoholic of course," she added, grinning at him.

[Bridge]

"haha Sounds like you do know. I think that makes sense, the whole tropical vibe." Nathan gave Kali a grin as she sat down. "I think we could make pina coladas happen if we try hard enough," he said; a hint of mischief slipping into his grin. There had to be something similar to pineapples and coconuts on some planet around here, and replicator juice would not do.

Then the guy at flight spoke up and Nathan got confused. Figuring it must just be some tree he was not familiar with; perhaps one from any planet other than earth? In any case, he simply gave Kali a glance with an arched brow, and a small shrug.

"In any case... Any other questions you need answered, Chief?"

[Kali Reyes]

[Bridge]

"haha Sounds like you do know. I think that makes sense, the whole tropical vibe." Nathan gave Kali a grin as she sat down. "I think we could make pina coladas happen if we try hard enough," he said; a hint of mischief slipping into his grin. There had to be something similar to pineapples and coconuts on some planet around here, and replicator juice would not do.

Then the guy at flight spoke up and Nathan got confused. Figuring it must just be some tree he was not familiar with; perhaps one from any planet other than earth? In any case, he simply gave Kali a glance with an arched brow, and a small shrug.

"In any case... Any other questions you need answered, Chief?"

[Bridge]

"I'm a sucker for the trops if I can't get comfy in a jefferies tube," Kali agreed. "And Risan Mai-Tais too? They're the best."

Small talk started to grow on the bridge, but really, nothing killed the mood like a survey mission anyways. While Addams offered his own answer on trees, Kali played with her PADD a bit to get a new questionnaire ready and tapped at it for Nathan's attention.

"Fill this out for me?" she asked. "You're new. Your opinion matters the most." It was actually true. Veterans often just throw out tens just so they don't have to be bothered with the status quo. New officers didn't have an established loyalty yet and made for great unbiased information.

[Ian Galloway]

[bridge]

Don saw a door for humor. Time to take it run. "Oh I like Oak tree," he replied. He try to sound like Kali. "oh maybe that Tree of Life were Cerub protected. The tree of love,"

"What about you, Sir?" It was to funny so he giggled at his own joke.

[Bridge]

Ian arched an eyebrow as he pondered how to answer the question, before replying with a smirk.

"I honestly have never considered bein' any kind of tree. Too many interestin' things ta do as a human ta worry about experiencin' existence as plant life Ensign. I'm sure some boffin somewhere believes gatherin' data like this has value, but I'm goin' ta remain skeptical of the practicality of such bloody nonsense."

[P'Larr Santiago]

« USS Discovery ┼ Sickbay »

As her tour of the Discovery concluded in the same place it began, P'Larr stood with her arms crossed against her chest as she continued to tune out the cheery Denobulan medical technician who was recruited to give her a tour before the start of her duty shift. The newly appointed counselor of the Discovery had to admit that the Prometheus -class vessel built for combat and deep space exploration was much more impressive than the Nova-class Potomac in which she arrived to assist the final efforts in the evacuation during her new posting's last assignment on Zacrim V. Nodding her head to feign engagement, her eyes then passed over the pristine medical wing once more.

With the shortage of counselors available to the fleet, P'Larr's hurried education in a pilot alternate route program at the Technical Services Academy on Mars had not quite prepared her for mental exhaustion that came with constantly taking on the emotions of others while easing them into a level of comfort despite their home planet being utterly annihilated before their very eyes.  Lifting a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, the newly appointed counselor responded with a very detached, "Right, right," in order to fill the space while her thoughts continued to drift.

The Denobulan tech threw up her arms to the side before her lips spread into a warm smile that extended from ear to ear, "... and that concludes our tour, ensign. Do you have any questions?" The tech inquired, quirking her neck to the side as she folded her hands and let them rest against her abdomen. Ensign Santiago was immediately yanked from her mind and thrust into the present, the ridges in her forehead crinkling while glancing around.

Scratching her nose, P'Larr's lowered her head a bit before refolding her arms, "Yes, actually. I was curious as to where my office is located," she responded pleasantly, the corner of her mouth raising in an amiable smile while she waited for an answer. The counselor was surprised to find a perplexed look emerging on the Denobulans face before the tech let one hand lift to fiddle with the back of her crown. Her arms slowly unfurled as the deafening silence began to settle in, "I do have an office, right? Where am I supposed to conduct the counseling sessions?" She asked, attempting her best to keep her tone even despite the hints of concern lacing her words.

"Oh! Your office for private sessions! I'm sorry, must have slipped my mind. Right this way," The tech responded affably as she gestured for the human-Klingon hybrid to follow her across the Sickbay floors. P'Larr glanced at the empty bio-beds, listening to the ambient noise of the humming machinery. Her lips puckered for a moment while trailing behind the technician before they approached the end of the Sickbay where the CMO's office was tucked in a corner. Across the way, was another door. Biting her lip with anticipation, she attempted to peer behind the Denobulan's shoulder as the office was opened.

"This looks like a closet," P'Larr said with immense dissatisfaction as she peered into the space, a nook jutting from the wall with two chairs opposite each other. Her eyes widened and she let her hand rub her clavicle in a nervous gesture.

"Well, that's because it was. It was a medical supply closet that became a supplemental office." The Denobulan turned back to face her, the tech's frame blocking from her entering the office in the threshold. Exchanging a pitiful smirk, the Denobulan's nose twitched as the tech raised her shoulders as if to indicate there was nothing that could be done. "It's a great space. The nurses use it for meetings, the techs take blood work here during physicals if the bio-beds are occupied. We'd be more than happy to rotate the office out," the Denobulan responded with a jovial nod of the head.

With a sharp turn at the heel, P'Larr's lithe body shifted and she made her way across Sickbay once more. "It's not that bad!" The Denobulan called out to her just as the doors of the vessel's hospital wing slid open with a hiss and her frame disappeared when the doors closed shut.

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

The last thing that P'Larr wished to do was earn a bad reputation for being difficult on her first day and although there was a great deal of hesitation that plagued her, she reasoned that her silence would only cause her to grow bitter over time. With a steady exhale, she attempted to relieve herself of the nerves fluttering in her gut as the turbolift began slowing down to a halt. "Be direct, be firm, be reasonable," she coached herself while swatting her bang and lifting her chin once the lift's doors opened. Clearing her throat, she gave the bottom of her uniform's tunic one final tug before stepping out on the bridge.

Glancing around for a moment, P'Larr took in the quiet bridge and peered at the officers off on their own private conversations. After taking in the counselor's chair flanking the executive officer's own in the center triangle, her gaze moved towards the Ready Room doors. There was a bit of a tangible lull, the mundanity of their newest assignment in comparison to the great efforts on Zacrim V sinking in. "Excuse me, can anyone tell me if the captain is available?" She inquired, a twinge of exasperation rearing its ugly head at the end of her question.

[Ian Galloway]

« USS Discovery ┼ Sickbay »

As her tour of the Discovery concluded in the same place it began, P'Larr stood with her arms crossed against her chest as she continued to tune out the cheery Denobulan medical technician who was recruited to give her a tour before the start of her duty shift. The newly appointed counselor of the Discovery had to admit that the Prometheus -class vessel built for combat and deep space exploration was much more impressive than the Nova-class Potomac in which she arrived to assist the final efforts in the evacuation during her new posting's last assignment on Zacrim V. Nodding her head to feign engagement, her eyes then passed over the pristine medical wing once more.

With the shortage of counselors available to the fleet, P'Larr's hurried education in a pilot alternate route program at the Technical Services Academy on Mars had not quite prepared her for mental exhaustion that came with constantly taking on the emotions of others while easing them into a level of comfort despite their home planet being utterly annihilated before their very eyes.  Lifting a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, the newly appointed counselor responded with a very detached, "Right, right," in order to fill the space while her thoughts continued to drift.

The Denobulan tech threw up her arms to the side before her lips spread into a warm smile that extended from ear to ear, "... and that concludes our tour, ensign. Do you have any questions?" The tech inquired, quirking her neck to the side as she folded her hands and let them rest against her abdomen. Ensign Santiago was immediately yanked from her mind and thrust into the present, the ridges in her forehead crinkling while glancing around.

Scratching her nose, P'Larr's lowered her head a bit before refolding her arms, "Yes, actually. I was curious as to where my office is located," she responded pleasantly, the corner of her mouth raising in an amiable smile while she awaited from an answer. The counselor was surprised to find a perplexed look emerging on the Denobulans face before the tech let one hand lift to fiddle with the back of her crown. Her arms slowly unfurled as the deafening silence began to settle in, "I do have an office, right? Where am I supposed to conduct the counseling sessions?" She asked, attempting her best to keep her tone even despite the hints of concern lacing her words.

"Oh! Your office for private sessions! I'm sorry, must have slipped my mind. Right this way," The tech responded affably as she gestured for the human-Klingon hybrid to follow her across the Sickbay floors. P'Larr glanced at the empty bio-beds, listening to the ambient noise of the humming machinery. Her lips puckered for a moment while trailing behind the technician before they approached the end of the Sickbay where the CMO's office was tucked in a corner. Across the way, was another door. Biting her lip with anticipation, she attempted to peer behind the Denobulan's shoulder as the office was opened.

"This looks like a closet," P'Larr said with immense dissatisfaction as she peered into the space, a nook jutting from the wall with two chairs opposite each other. Her eyes widened and she let her hand rub her clavicle in a nervous gesture.

"Well, that's because it was. It was a medical supply closet that became a supplemental office." The Denobulan turned back to face her, the tech's frame blocking from her entering the office in the threshold. Exchanging a pitiful smirk, the Denobulan's nose twitched as the tech raised her shoulders as if to indicate there was nothing that could be done. "It's a great space. The nurses use it for meetings, the techs take blood work here during physicals if the bio-beds are occupied. We'd be more than happy to rotate the office out," the Denobulan responded with a jovial nod of the head.

With a sharp turn at the heel, P'Larr's lithe body shifted and she made her way across Sickbay once more. "It's not that bad!" The Denobulan called out to her just as the doors of the vessel's hospital wing slid open with a hiss and her frame disappeared when the doors closed shut.

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

The last thing that P'Larr wished to do was earn a bad reputation for being difficult on her first day and although there was a great deal of hesitation that plagued her, she reasoned that her silence would only cause her to grow bitter over time. With a steady exhale, she attempted to relieve herself of the nerves fluttering in her gut as the turbolift began slowing down to a halt. "Be direct, be firm, be reasonable," she coached herself while swatting her bang and lifting her chin once the lift's doors opened. Clearing her throat, she gave the bottom of her uniform's tunic one final tug before stepping out on the bridge.

Glancing around for a moment, P'Larr took in the quiet bridge and peered at the officers off on their own private conversations. After taking in the counselor's chair flanking the executive officer's own in the center triangle, her gaze moved towards the Ready Room doors. There was a bit of a tangible lull, the mundanity of their newest assignment in comparison to the great efforts on Zacrim V sinking in. "Excuse me, can anyone tell me if the captain is available?" She inquired, a twinge of exasperation rearing its ugly head at the end of her question.

[Bridge]

Ian turned to face the newcomer and frowned as he didn't recognize the ensign.

"The captain is in a meetin'. I'm the Exec, Lieutenant Commander Galloway, may I help you ensign?"

Ian waited for a response as he searched his memory and figured the ensign had to have recently transferred aboard after they dropped off the colonists from Zacrim V.

[Jebediah Schrock]

[Bridge]
Clearly, Ardy was very stressed about this whole shenanigan. Jebby could see no other explanation for her unusual silence. He found it to be a bit of a downer, but not too much so, as he went to the bridge, saw the Ops console already manned, and went down a hallway out of the bridge, to the maintenance closet where three carpet-cleaning robots were neatly stored. It was required that these be cleaned, so he put on some latex gloves and did just that. Jeb methodically brushed the various bits of stray matter out of each of them, collected the gunk into a baggy to throw into matter recycling, and fulfilled the weekly task of affixing new serial number decals to each. It wasn't time-consuming, or complicated, but it was important.
As he was about to pack up his tools and leave, Jeb remembered the story from the Tempest. He took a spare knife that was, for whatever reason in the closet, and affixed it to one of the robots using some standard-issue adhesive.
"Make me proud, Stabby," Jeb wanted to say, christening the thing "Stabby" in his mind. However, he did not say that. Instead, he silently collected his equipment, peeled off the gloves, tossed the various waste into matter recycling, and assumed the auxiliary ops station on the bridge.
There, they were discussing trees.
"I, myself, would like to be a fir tree, tall and elegant," Jebby said, not entirely aware of the whole context.

[P'Larr Santiago]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

An officer in command red began his approach from the Operations console at the sound of her voice. P'Larr took a few steps forward on the shallow upper dai of the bridge before taking a step down to get a better look at the pips at his collar. The frown on his face caused her to take pause for a moment before she recognized his rank of Lieutenant Commander. What she was about to say was displeasing and the thought of creating a poor first impression to air a grievance so early in her tenure on the ship made her exchange a hesitant smile with the executive officer.

After offering a brief salute for the sake of formality, the counselor dropped her arms. Taking in the Scottish brogue and gruffness of his tone, the counselor opted for a softer approach. "Hello, commander. I'm P'Larr Santiago, ship's counselor. Counselor or P'Larr works for me," P'Larr hoped that extending the allowance to address her by her first name would allow the executive officer to put a name with a face and soften the blow of a premature complain, "I arrived with the Potomac during your last assignment before I made my way over permanently." She lifted her hand up a bit, unsure whether to offer a handshake as well and so she discreetly balled up her hand and brushed it against the side of her tunic.

Her eyes settled upon his dark features for a moment while considering the thick, Scottish brogue. In person, the harshness combined with the lilt of his dialect reminded her slightly of Klingon. There was a gruffness about him and what she interpreted as a heaviness. From her understanding, the executive officer had only recently been promoted to his position. As she opened her mouth to speak, a voice at the auxiliary Operations console caught her attention with the announcement of raven-haired crewman desire to become a fir tree, tall and elegant. Turning her head over to the crewman, P'larr recoiled her head for a moment as she gave a bit of a double take as if to make sure her ears were not deceiving her.

Running a hand through her wavy chestnut hair, she couldn't help but smile while shaking her head while she attempted to dismiss the comical outburst. "I don't mean to break up the intellectual discourse here, Commander. I'm sure you'd make a fabulous wych elm," P'Larr attempted to contain her wince as the words sort of flew out of her mouth. Levity for the sake of favor never worked out the way one hoped. Sighing, she lifted up both hands with palms out, "I don't wish to be difficult, commander, but I was hoping to speak to the captain regarding the counselor's office."

P'Larr lowered her voice a bit as to not draw too much attention to the pair while she vented a bit about the lack of space that had plagued her thoughts ever since she finished her tour of the Discovery. "It's a closet. Literally. A literal closet converted into an office that's divvied up between the nurses and techs. It's not even my own office. I have to share it," The counselor said, her shoulders lifting with mild exasperation, "It's not a conducive space for private counseling sessions or for anything really other than being a closet. I need a space that can accommodate those who wish to discuss whatever matters they choose. I can't possibly counsel in Sickbay, it's much too noisy."

It was difficult to not fidget, to not betray the sincerity of her words with a nervous gesture. Pursing her lips to the side, she peered up at the executive officer once more. "It's my understanding that you recently stepped into your position. I apologize for dumping this on your lap so early into your run, Mr. Galloway," she said with a bit of a frown.

[Ian Galloway]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

An officer in command red began his approach from the Operations console at the sound of her voice. P'Larr took a few steps forward on the shallow upper dai of the bridge before taking a step down to get a better look at the pips at his collar. The frown on his face caused her to take pause for a moment before she recognized his rank of Lieutenant Commander. What she was about to say was displeasing and the thought of creating a poor first impression to air a grievance so early in her tenure on the ship made her exchange a hesitant smile with the executive officer.

After offering a brief salute for the sake of formality, the counselor dropped her arms. Taking in the Scottish brogue and gruffness of his tone, the counselor opted for a softer approach. "Hello, commander. I'm P'Larr Santiago, ship's counselor. Counselor or P'Larr works for me," P'Larr hoped that extending the allowance to address her by her first name would allow the executive officer to put a name with a face and soften the blow of a premature complain, "I arrived with the Potomac during your last assignment before I made my way over permanently." She lifted her hand up a bit, unsure whether to offer a handshake as well and so she discreetly balled up her hand and brushed it against the side of her tunic.

Her eyes settled upon his dark features for a moment while considering the thick, Scottish brogue. In person, the harshness combined with the lilt of his dialect reminded her slightly of Klingon. There was a gruffness about him and what she interpreted as a heaviness. From her understanding, the executive officer had only recently been promoted to his position. As she opened her mouth to speak, a voice at the auxiliary Operations console caught her attention with the announcement of raven-haired crewman desire to become a fir tree, tall and elegant. Turning her head over to the crewman, P'larr recoiled her head for a moment as she gave a bit of a double take as if to make sure her ears were not deceiving her.

Running a hand through her wavy chestnut hair, she couldn't help but smile while shaking her head while she attempted to dismiss the comical outburst. "I don't mean to break up the intellectual discourse here, Commander. I'm sure you'd make a fabulous wych elm," P'Larr attempted to contain her wince as the words sort of flew out of her mouth. Levity for the sake of favor never worked out the way one hoped. Sighing, she lifted up both hands with palms out, "I don't wish to be difficult, commander, but I was hoping to speak to the captain regarding the counselor's office."

P'Larr lowered her voice a bit as to not draw too much attention to the pair while she vented a bit about the lack of space that had plagued her thoughts ever since she finished her tour of the Discovery. "It's a closet. Literally. A literal closet converted into an office that's divvied up between the nurses and techs. It's not even my own office. I have to share it," The counselor said, her shoulders lifting with mild exasperation, "It's not a conducive space for private counseling sessions or for anything really other than being a closet. I need a space that can accommodate those who wish to discuss whatever matters they choose. I can't possibly counsel in Sickbay, it's much too noisy."

It was difficult to not fidget, to not betray the sincerity of her words with a nervous gesture. Pursing her lips to the side, she peered up at the executive officer once more. "It's my understanding that you recently stepped into your position. I apologize for dumping this on your lap so early into your run, Mr. Galloway," she said with a bit of a frown.

[Bridge]

Ian listened patiently, but kept his expression neutral while the ensign presented her issue and nodded absently, as she did have a point, to a degree.

"Well Lass, given what you do, privacy is an essential element of how it's done. However, despite Starfleet nae bein' so ready ta admit it, the Discovery is a warship. Space is the one commodity we do not have in abundance. We have a few conference rooms available fer private sessions, but a dedicated office fer a ship's counselor is unlikely ta happen. The captain may say otherwise, but as I mentioned, he's in a meeting and is nae ta be disturbed. You may wait fer him here, but that's the best I can do fer you right now Ensign."

[Don Damien Addams]

[Bridge]
Clearly, Ardy was very stressed about this whole shenanigan. Jebby could see no other explanation for her unusual silence. He found it to be a bit of a downer, but not too much so, as he went to the bridge, saw the Ops console already manned, and went down a hallway out of the bridge, to the maintenance closet where three carpet-cleaning robots were neatly stored. It was required that these be cleaned, so he put on some latex gloves and did just that. Jeb methodically brushed the various bits of stray matter out of each of them, collected the gunk into a baggy to throw into matter recycling, and fulfilled the weekly task of affixing new serial number decals to each. It wasn't time-consuming, or complicated, but it was important.
As he was about to pack up his tools and leave, Jeb remembered the story from the Tempest. He took a spare knife that was, for whatever reason in the closet, and affixed it to one of the robots using some standard-issue adhesive.
"Make me proud, Stabby," Jeb wanted to say, christening the thing "Stabby" in his mind. However, he did not say that. Instead, he silently collected his equipment, peeled off the gloves, tossed the various waste into matter recycling, and assumed the auxiliary ops station on the bridge.
There, they were discussing trees.
"I, myself, would like to be a fir tree, tall and elegant," Jebby said, not entirely aware of the whole context.

[bridge]

Don turned to see the Jeb the wobbly Ops person. Don turned back to his station wondering what mess that kid was in. Not sure it as stupidity or he was dramatize from the last mission and he had a few to many drinks. Heck. He even knew better not to drink before your shift. Well if the boy gonna drown in his mistakes. So be it.

[Bridge]

Ian turned to face the newcomer and frowned as he didn't recognize the ensign.

"The captain is in a meetin'. I'm the Exec, Lieutenant Commander Galloway, may I help you ensign?"

Ian waited for a response as he searched his memory and figured the ensign had to have recently transferred aboard after they dropped off the colonists from Zacrim V.

The flight officer spun around to see a new face. She was part of Klingon. Am Ensign in medical. No. That was not the right color of medical. It was close. Then he saw her seat in the third seat which was reserved for Counselor. Then he spun around to go back doing his duty.

Then there was some talking he could not hear. It was strange that the female was talking. He wondered was that backward. The counselor was the one who speaks less.

[Kali Reyes]

P'Larr lowered her voice a bit as to not draw too much attention to the pair while she vented a bit about the lack of space that had plagued her thoughts ever since she finished her tour of the Discovery. "It's a closet. Literally. A literal closet converted into an office that's divvied up between the nurses and techs. It's not even my own office. I have to share it," The counselor said, her shoulders lifting with mild exasperation, "It's not a conducive space for private counseling sessions or for anything really other than being a closet. I need a space that can accommodate those who wish to discuss whatever matters they choose. I can't possibly counsel in Sickbay, it's much too noisy."

It was difficult to not fidget, to not betray the sincerity of her words with a nervous gesture. Pursing her lips to the side, she peered up at the executive officer once more. "It's my understanding that you recently stepped into your position. I apologize for dumping this on your lap so early into your run, Mr. Galloway," she said with a bit of a frown.

[Bridge]

Kali could only sit back and grin amusingly at what was going on. "Starfleet's finally caved and got us a long overdued shrink, hm?" she greeted aloud. Despite her long and rather sordid history involving mental help professionals, she did give the poor woman a fine welcoming wiggle of fingers. "I think I can explain your work conditions, ma'am."

While Ryder worked on his survey, Kali climbed out of her seat and offered P'Larr a proper handshake. "Chief Kali Reyes. I'm in charge of the boat and crew operations." 

[Nathan Ryder]

[Bridge]

"I'm a sucker for the trops if I can't get comfy in a jefferies tube," Kali agreed. "And Risan Mai-Tais too? They're the best."

Small talk started to grow on the bridge, but really, nothing killed the mood like a survey mission anyways. While Addams offered his own answer on trees, Kali played with her PADD a bit to get a new questionnaire ready and tapped at it for Nathan's attention.

"Fill this out for me?" she asked. "You're new. Your opinion matters the most." It was actually true. Veterans often just throw out tens just so they don't have to be bothered with the status quo. New officers didn't have an established loyalty yet and made for great unbiased information.

[Bridge]

Nathan took note of the name of the drink Kali liked, and wondered if it could be recreated without alcohol. He decided he would just have to research it later since he had no idea what was actually in a Mai-Tai. With an amused smile, he watched as she tapped out something on her PADD. "Hm? Alright," he said as he accepted the device, momentarily pulling his attention away from his station. It was not like anything was likely to happen in the next few minutes anyways.

Question one: On a scale to 1 to 10, where 10 means fantastic and 1 means being shot out the airlock, how well do you believe you are faring in your department?

Well that was an easy question. Of course his answer would be ten. Nathan would say he could do this job in his sleep if having his eyes open was not one of the basic requirements of being a Security Officer.

Question two: Do you have any important questions or comments regarding the ship?

Another easy question with a simple answer; no. There were a variety of cheeky answers he could have put, but none of them were actually regarding the ship itself.

[Bridge]

While Ryder worked on his survey, Kali climbed out of her seat and offered P'Larr a proper handshake. "Chief Kali Reyes. I'm in charge of the boat and crew operations."

He had actually just finished as Kali stood, but he kept ahold of the PADD for a moment. After a quick look over his console to ensure he was not missing anything important, he looked back to the handheld device once more. With a few taps, Nathan brought up the note taking application and typed out a short message. When he was done, he pulled up the survey once more; hiding the note for Kali to find later. Then he set the device at the end of his station and went back to work not wanting to interrupt the introductions going on nearby.

[Ariste Stark]

[Ready room]
Ardy nodded. 'Yeah. Don't let this side project get in the way of our jobs, and be careful how much autonomy you give this project." She said, remembering the instructions he had given them. She could have sworn she had followed those instructions to the best of her ability, but instead, the perfect storm blew up in their faces. She grimaced. Well, that ended well.

She straightened herself. "We're not fully sure what happened, but earlier, I did set up a framework program for sentience, the same backbone as the STEVE program uses. We figured if the HAPPY System worked, the framework would already be in place to implement at a later date. I didn't add the sentience components yet, " She added, emphasizing the fact. Looking at Ari to back her up, she resumed. "We didn't quite compensate that this was an AI and not a hologram, so we're assuming that somewhere between the time Ari left and the first symptoms of the AI's sentience appeared, if not before, the AI figured out the sequences by itself, without any help from us. That's what happened, to the best of my knowledge" She said, finishing her report. Hopefully, her best friend could back her up, because she sure as %^#@ didn't want to be wrong.

[Captain's Ready Room]

When the subject of their two rules were brought up, Ariste mumbled a response in unison with Ardyn: "Don't let it interfere with ship duties, and be careful how much autonomy it is given." She tried not to sulk, but the pretty pout on her lips gave it away. At least it did until she straightened up, sucking it back into place and thanked the lords her eyes were covered.

Once Ardy had given her side of the story, Ariste nodded in agreement, gaze shifting over to her. And in that moment, she felt a bit of pity that Ardyn was in here with her. While her best friend was a comfort to have with her, she could feel the guilt descending, even more so. Mind made up, she turned back to Tekin."When I was notified about my shift, I rushed out of the lab. I didn't take basic precautions, the program was left unattended while uploading to the ship's computers. It had access to my already established AI, SERIF and could copy the artificial intelligence patterns from him - it." She stumbled over her words for a moment,tensing. She had been with Serif for so long using gendered pronouns seemed only natural. But she realized the discomfort it caused some, and didn't know where Tekin fell.

"This while thing was primarily my fault. Any punishment given to Jaeger should be directed at me instead, for disregarding protocol." Sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes, resisting the ever present urge to fidget. If nothing else, she hoped Ardy would be shielded from Starfleet's wrath, for Stark's mistakes.

[P'Larr Santiago]

« USS Discovery ┼ Bridge »

P'Larr considered how the Lieutenant Commander approached her conundrum as she shifted her weight from one side to another. At the very least, Galloway had chosen to cushion the blow by feigning care over the dilemma that was wracking her mind. He could've easily dismissed her complaints but as much as his tough demeanor suggested a steely disposition, there was a decent amount of consideration. Her chest deflated a bit with dejection, "A conference room, sir? That's so... impersonal. A conference room is meant for business, negotiations, it's a different sort of connection," she expanded with a sigh.

Counselor Santiago was beginning to understand what her instructors were alluding to when discussing the lack of counselors in the fleet. Although dedicated counselors felt strongly about their work and protecting the emotional well-being of their crew, most transferred due to the thankless feeling that came with their decision. "If there's room on board for a cryptology lab, I'm sure there's a space that can be designated as a counselor's office. The aft observation lounge is a lovely space, great view." Once again she exchanged an uncomfortable, thin smile before inquiring, "Can you please take this up to the captain on my behalf, Commander?"

A voice at the Operations console at the side of the bridge made her ears perk. Turning to face the voice's source, a tomboy-ish bronzed Operations crewman with dark hair, whose posture suggested a world-weariness colliding with joviality. Draping her right arm across her chest to allow her hand to grip the opposite shoulder in a bit of a sheepish gesture, P'Larr's nose scrunched a bit when she heard the crewman refer to her as the crew's shrink. "I'm not a shrink, actually. I'd be considered more of a specialist, I suppose," she said with a small shrug before allowing her arm to drop, "Although I do have a doctorate, just not in medicine. Long story."

"Hi, Kali. P'Larr Santiago," she said while taking the chief of the boat's hand into her own, giving as firm of a pump that she could muster before retracting her hand, "That's quite the grip you got there, chief." The counselor remarked, her eyebrows rising with tugging at the top corners of her lips in a playful simper.

[Kali Reyes]

[Bridge]

After shaking P'Larr's hand, Kali placed both hands on her hips and did it with a wry grin. "Iron hands," she agreed. "Not very elegant, but I do try to get a manicure every once in a while to ease the blow." She didn't think she had to infer anything about her small Vulcan ancestry. Counselors of P'Larr's station would most likely have already done their research on the crew.

"As for why there's no proper quarters for 'specialists', the last one transferred off almost six months ago. Have no clue why. We were starting to become fast friends." There was a hint of rough playfulness to her words. "The refit opened up a need for more tactical and science officers. Shrinking medical down a bit was needed for the uh... cryptology lab. Very important stuff. Maybe even therapeutic."

Mentioning the aft observation lounge actively brought hesitation to her next words. If the crew got mad that a relatively nice lounge got refitted to house a counselor, well, she could just blame the brass on this. No harm, no foul! "The aft observation lounge, hm? I suppose we can do something about that. It'll have to be signed off by the Captain before I can authorize that."

[Lennox Ainsley]

[Armoury - Range]

One sniper. Two sniper. Three sniper. Four. Lennox could probably say that he enjoyed the type 3 phased sniper rifle much more than the standard type 3 phaser rifle - not that he spent most of his days firing at the targets on the range. The Scotsman had busied himself with the safety checks and making sure that each weapon system was charged in case they needed all hands on deck.

Lennox had been doing the last of his rounds and checks, making sure that he had locked up and the area was clear of any such damages or dirt. He checked his watch, heading for the turbolift to head up to the bridge. There weren't any calls of crewmen fighting one another or needing anyone to be taken out of the brig.

[Turbolift > Bridge]

Lennox rubbed his eye with the back of his knuckle as he headed out of the lift and onto the bridge, noting a new personnel talking with Reyes before noting that there was someone else at the station. "Ye alrigh'?"