[sb118-artemis] Ensign Tho'Bi - infinite diversity in infinite combinations

[Tobi]

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((Deep Space 3 - 238504.22))

Little feet rattled along the decking of the upper level; as they sped by, they could see snapshots of her, through the station’s potholes; massive and space-beaten, strobed by their velocity; glimpses of nacelle and pylon, not refined and sculptured, like those of Starfleet, but hulking and wrought; she was from beyond, from out there, beyond the borders of The Federation; bearing passengers of unknown origin, species evolved on uncharted worlds;  which they, the children of Deep Space 3, were obligated, by curiosity, to see.

((USS Artemis-A - Deck 3, Quarters 1338 - Present Day))

Arriving slightly out of breath, he pressed the button for the door chime.  He could feel the rough lines of cracked screen against his thumb.  A voice sounded from behind the closed door. 

Syrex: enter!

He stepped forward.  Swoosh!  The door slid open.  The decking below his feet throbbed with the steady pulse of the warp reactor.  

Tho’Bi: H-Hey ::Hides broken Padd behind his back:: I’m ensign engineering.  I’m from the Tho’Bi deck ::smiles and nods:: (beat) ::stops smiling looks confused::

Lieutenant Alyndra Syrex of Trill, her five-foot five-inch frame stood tall, shoulders back, she smiled at him.

Syrex: Hey, I’m Lieutenant Medical, from the Starship Syrex

Feeling uncomfortable, the young ensign took a look at his Padd.  The screen was a mess of multi-colored pixels.  His eyes scanned it for a moment, trying to look professional. 

  

Gnai: Lieutenant Gnai… Science…?

Tho’Bi: ::puts Padd back behind his back:: I’m here to check your gravity and temperature are okay ::nods:: (beat) in your quarters (beat) that you (beat) live in.

So much had gone so wrong already, he needed this assignment to go right; so fixed was his attention on the task at hand, he had not yet really registered the third voice in the room.

Syrex: Ah, thank you! That’s very kind. Yes, I would rather live in here than slowly die. It is a little cold now that you mention it? I wouldn’t mind a hint more argon in the air and a little less Nitrogen. But I can do without those adjustments if they’re too difficult to.. well.. get going.

Tho’Bi:  Th-that’s no problem.

He turned on his heel and scanned across the door frame from left to right, until his gaze settled upon the control pad; its LCARS interface glowed softly, he crouched in front of it, set the Padd, broken display down on the deck, and snapped open the engineering kit; his long blue fingers popped the engineering tricorder, from out their foam snug, and aimed it upwards, towards the control pad; the user-friendly interface blipped into darkness, to be replaced by lines of code and data flow; his finger tips danced across the tricorder, he felt his heart-rate settle, inputs adjusted in real time; at least, in terms of technology, all was right with his world.

Tho’Bi: ::looking up at the control pad:: Ambient temperature up by 9 Kelvin ::glances down at tricorder:: nitrogen argon balance ::looks back up at control pad:: adjusted to nitrogen 77.98 percent ::glances down at tricorder:: aaaand ::looks back up at control panel:: argon 1.03 percent.

The young ensign turned to address the Trill lieutenant directly; but as he did so, his antennae twitched slightly, the shifting vibrations of air molecule, sound, and breath, felt interrupted; a break in the familiar variations of chaos, modulations suspended, graceful, they ebbed in harmony; his gaze reached Lieutenant JG Gnai.

Tho’Bi: Oh, wow! (beat) You’re Gal (beat) Galadoran!  (beat) ::looks down and to one side:: Oh ::looks back at Gnai:: That was rude (beat) sorry. (beat)(beat) ::starts speed-talking:: I grew up on Deep Space 3 and we saw some really cool people from outside The Federation, but they were all humanoid, and that gets a little blah, well you know ::gestures at Gnai:: (beat) well, maybe you don’t know? ::gestures at Gnai:: are humanoids more interesting for you? (beat)(beat)  ::looks down and to one side:: oh, I think that was rude again.  ::looks at Gnai:: Sorry.

Lieutenant Syrex smiled at the two of them; Gnai of Galador II, sat on her bed, encased in his light-cell technology travel device, and Tho’Bi of Deep Space 3, crouched by her door; the Trill seemed to take it all in her stride, as though, she had seen it all before; perhaps she had, wondered the ensign.

Syrex: Thanks again for agreeing to meet in here, I haven’t been on the ship long and I don’t know the vibe of the social spaces. I also have bones, which I’ve heard you find interesting.  

Since leaving Deep Space 3 to enroll in the Academy, the ensign had been made aware of his oddness; for all its commendable ideals, Starfleet remained a human-centric organization; but here, in deep space, there was no oddness, just infinite diversity in infinite combinations.

Gnai: Oh, this supposes it does, a bit…? It’s a bit alien to consider, at least for Galadorans, having bones. ::gesturing with its tendrils and filaments:: If that wasn’t readily apparent.

Tho’Bi:  ::nodded happily::

Syrex: Hmm, yes. I do get that. Honestly I do think Starfleet needs to be more inclusive to the needs of different species. Including humanoids and non-humanoids. I’m forever reading about some poor Elaysian that’s gotten stuck somewhere because of the gravity.

The andorian glanced at the engineering tricorder, still resting in his hand; the environmental adjustments had taken effect and were stable; he locked off the diagnostic screen; behind him, to one side of the door, the control pad blipped back into the colors and shapes of the user-friendly interface.

Gnai: Oh this understands that worry all too well… ::beat:: But on the Artemis, this has found the accommodations to be acceptable. Better than acceptable, in some ways.

Syrex: Actually, it’s why I’m glad you swung by Ensign. I’m glad you’re taking the needs of different species seriously.

Gnai: Yes, this agrees as well. It’s good to see.

The ensign nodded along and smiled. After a moment or two, it occurred to him, he had something else to say.  He gestured at the replicator, set into the wall; its shelf glowed, in absence of task, waiting to be filled.

Tho’Bi:  ::looking up at Syrex:: If (beat) ::his nerves returned:: erm (beat) special recipes or erm (beat) items you need replicating (beat) if you have the pattern codes on a padd ::gestures at his broken padd resting on the decking behind him:: I can upload that right now (beat) otherwise (beat) just let me know when you have them ::taps communicator badge:: and I’ll come and update them.

Ship’s Computer (from Tho’Bi’s comms badge):  Designation not recognized.  Please repeat.

A deep blue rushed across the ensign’s cheek and his antennae shuddered.

Tho’Bi: Disregard designation ::taps communicator badge off and smiles sheepishly::  Sorry (beat) It’s only my first real day ::looks around the room:: it’s been a bit (beat) ::tilts head to one side:: complicated.

Gnai: Oh, you’re new here as well? That makes sense… this hasn’t met you before.

Tho’Bi: ::smiles and nods::

Syrex: Response

Gnai: As the most… experienced Artemisian here, perhaps when this recalibration is completed… this can show you both to some of the social spaces on the ship?

The young ensign opted to wait and hear the Lieutenant’s response; he had not had time to explore the ship, and would appreciate the opportunity; but, at the same time, he did not want to impose.  Perhaps he had interrupted a date?  Do Trills date?  He couldn’t remember.  Do Galadorans date humanoids?  Could they date humanoids?  Perhaps by telepathic projection, he mused.  The ensign’s stream of thought was brought back into the room by the Lieutenant’s voice.

Syrex: Response

Gnai: Response

TAG/TBC

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11