Chief Petty Officer Annamae Barberra - Jurassic Peace Park
Wil Ukinix
((Main Entrance Area, Level 9, SRC))
Why were the core science team asking Annamae about gemstones, and not giving her that performance review?
Varati: Okay, I'm going to get myself a latte and some chocolate cookies. Anyone else want something? ::looks around:: Maybe we should ask Annamae what she would do. I think we're just overthinking things and missing the obvious... After all, we can't exactly ask Cyris' mother directly?
Her eyes opened wide for a second, betraying to anyone watching that a wicked idea entered her head. She looked around for an object, something sharp and small. Near the entrance was a small trophy of some sort, it didn’t matter to her what it was for, but it had small gold stars suspended from wires protruding from its base. She placed her PADD on the floor...
Then headed over to the trophy, picked it up, then deliberately pricked her little finger on her left hand on a sharp star, before walking over to D’Cyra.
Barberra: Hold your palm out, ma’am.
The Orion instinctively complied. Annamae held her little finger between the thumb and forefinger of her little hand, and let a single drop of blood fall.
Varati: Wait… What?! ::perplexed:: What's this going to be?
Barberra: Now we are blood sisters. Our future enemies will perish.
The Science Specialist’s wicked smile grew just a little when D’Cyra looked back at her in shock.
Varati: …
Galanis: That is… quite unhygienic. You just held your hand out like that…?
And grew just a little more... oO Slaying future enemies is more important than hygiene. OO
Varati: I don't even know what to say... Yes, may our future enemies perish.
The Chief Petty Officer simply gave Lieutenant Varati a single nod. oO Correct answer. Oo
Varati: Something weird would certainly be the best alternative, I agree with you there… But we can't spend forever sifting through the databases.
The Orion rolled her eyes and twisted her mouth. They were still arguing? After all that? oO Excellent. Oo
Her wicked smirk grew a little again. She offered her opinion on the delivery mechanism of the gift of a drop of blood.
Barberra: I’m telling you, no vessel! One single drop of blood, ::chin drops, eyes widen:: and then swear to eliminate enemies of each other, using any means necessary. Best gift ever. ::quickly lifting chin:: Legally, of course, within the Federation’s laws ::awkwardly clears throat::
oO Too much for an impending performance review? Oo
Galanis: Legal or not, I believe you’re both going to need to wash your hands.
oO Probably... meh. Oo
Taelon: Well, I can’t, um, be there in person, so - it’d need to be an, um, object…you know, a gem.
That made Annamae cross her arms, and put a (non-bleeding!) finger over her mouth to ponder for a moment, before lifting it from her face and holding it up.
Barberra: Or maybe you can fashion the gem so it’s sharp, AND injects the drop of blood into the recipient. That’s next level blood oath, high tech and just as deadly long term with the accompanying oath.
Taelon: Well, I suppose that’s not…out of the question…
Varati: Okay, that would certainly be an extraordinary gift. But is something like that really appropriate for your own daughter? And I couldn't do something like that with my blood, for example, because it oxidizes immediately when exposed to oxygen and changes colour...
Galanis: Well, technically a daughter already has a father’s blood. But is that really relevant right now…?
She went back to pick up her PADD, instinctively gave her cut little finger a quick suck to try and heal it, and then returned to the three officers.
Barberra: Can I have my performance review now?
She held out her PADD, that had her answers to the standard questionnaire on it.
Taelon seemed to blush. First his ears, then his freckles somehow seemed to individually blush themselves, before his cheeks went beetroot red. She wasn’t sure why... but she was somehow proud of it, hoping that it was her doing.
Taelon: Oh, um, yes, of course. S-sorry to - we were –
She furrowed her brow a little, when Taelon looked to the others for help.
Varati: We'll get to that in a moment. First, let's solve this one problem, then we can move on to the next topic. Don't you think so, Niev?
She simply raised her eyebrows and mouthed a silent “oh”.
Galanis: I don’t see why we can’t keep discussing it while Commander Taelon prepares himself.
Barberra: Hey, performance reviews are boring anyway, we all know it, right? Nothing like a little healthy procrastination. I’m down.
Taelon: Let me go get the PADD. It’s…somewhere around here.
Varati: Now everything has been thrown into disarray by the blood oath incident...
Annamae simply shrugged. Not so much an incident as a pledge in her book.
Galanis: You’ll likely want to clean yourself up, before you get any blood on that PADD.
She lifted her finger, then wiped the cut on the leg of her uniform, before sucking it into her mouth again.
Barberra: ::sucking on finger:: Ut’ll boo foone, U’ll gew tww mooducuul lootur.
Taelon finally rummaged around and found his own PADD.
Taelon: Oh, it’s this one, sorry…
With finger still in mouth, she nodded to Taelon to acknowledge that the performance review was about to begin.
Varati: Well, that's exactly what we were going to talk about... ::takes the PADD from Taelon:: There have been a lot of changes in the SRC leadership. Commander Kivik is leaving us unexpectedly at nir own request, and Lt. Taelon hasn't had the time or the opportunity yet to properly deal with personnel matters…
Barberra: Are we going to do my performance review in a room, or here in the lobby, with people walking past? Either way, I’m down. ::eyeing passing crewman:: The highlight of my year was being possessed by an unknown non-corporeal lifeform during the storm.
The Vulcan crewman simply raised an eyebrow, then continued walking.
Varati: Anyway... time is running out. Lt. Taelon is looking for a suitable gift for his daughter, and honestly... ::sighs:: that's why this whole thing has gotten so complicated – I'm also looking for a gemstone for my friend – but that has to remain a secret. He only has that awful Marine signet ring... :: rolls her eyes::
Niev seemed to flinch slightly. What did they know? Did D’Cyra say something wrong? Why was there such a focus on the gemstone?
Varati: He's actually a down-to-earth guy. But he also has this other side... ::looks knowingly at Annamae:: you know, something crazy... I don't know, well, maybe something like you! – Oh, it's so difficult. And with the blood... that might not be so fitting for a Marine. Something unusual, yes...
Annamae raised her eyebrow.
Galanis: I believe Lieutenant Commander Taelon said this was for his daughter’s mother. Not quite the same, though easily misheard.
She furrowed her eyebrow again. Now there was a question about who the gemstone was for?
Barberra: Is someone getting married or something? There’s a lot of focus on this gemstone for... whoever it’s for. Who exactly is it for, Commander?
The three of them were acting suspicious...
Taelon: Response
Varati: Well, hmmm, that's something to think about. It's really difficult... don't laugh. Niev, Annamae: what gemstone would you give your friends? Tell me, if it's so easy?!
Galanis: I suppose that depends entirely on the resilience of the friend in question.
Barberra: Hmm, respectfully Lieutenant Galanis, I say dictate the terms. Test their resilience, see if they are true friends or not. That’s what friends are for, right? Putting up with you annoying them.
Taelon: Response
Galanis: Crucially, whatever stone I’d choose would require no bodily fluids to acquire, that’s for certain.
Barberra: Oh. Well, you had me at ::showing up cut finger:: blood, but... hey, everyone’s different I guess.
Varati/Taelon: Response
Galanis: Officer Barberra, since you were so decisive about the blood oath... if you had to choose a stone without a biological component, which one would it be?
Barberra: ::Matter of factly:: Amber.
Her eyes looked up and left. She couldn’t help herself.
Barberra: But with a prehistoric mosquito stuck in it. With dinosaur blood in *that*, which *technically* is still blood, I know, but it’s hidden. Besides, if you get bored, you could extract the blood, and create a dinosaur clone using cells from say... ::lifting finger:: the koalas from Peace Park. Hellooooo Koaloraptor.
Varati/Taelon: Response
Galanis: It’d be prudent to consider there are psychological components to reviews. Commander Taelon could be taking notes on your answer already.
Barberra: Ah, ha! A test! I knew it. Besides, every review so far has had an asterisk of some sort next to my psychological notes. I’d be disappointed if it didn’t, so... ::shrug:: And Commander Taelon, for those notes, it’s spelt K-O-A-L-O-R-A-P-T-E-R. That middle “O” is very important. Makes it sound meaner. ::Pleased sigh, deadpan:: A pet koala-dinosaur cross would be the best.
Varati/Taelon/Galanis: Response
Annamae stood at relaxed attention, placing her hands by her sides.
Barberra: Being possessed by that life form *wasn’t* my highlight. ::Genuine smile forming:: Being promoted to Chief Petty Officer by Rivi Vataix was. ::Smiles bigger, eye down-left:: Probably my best moment in my career.
Her smile continued for a few more seconds, before it *vanished* quicker than you can say “deadpan”.
Barberra: ::Deadpan expression:: That’s as about as sentimental as I get.
Varati/Taelon/Galanis: Response
Barberra: ::Inspecting finger:: The bleeding’s stopped, we’re good. How am I doing on my test so far, Sirs?
Varati/Taelon/Galanis: Response
Tags/TBC
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Chief Petty Officer Annamae Barberra
Science Specialist
Amity Outpost
V239511WU0