Ensign Sival - Be Proactive
James Scott Schumann
(( Turbolift Decks 7-24, USS Juneau ))
Sival: =/\= Auxiliary Cargo Bay 2 =/\=
Sival had hurried on the turbolift for his second trip to the Auxiliary Cargo Bay on the same day. Sival was not rushing because he wanted to board a shuttle and be part of the race himself - although a first-hand experience and seeing crew reactions up close would add some valuable context. No, he was content monitoring the data feeds from the cargo bay. He was moving quickly because he was thinking about possibilities. And thinking about possibilities can be a dangerous occupation for Sival.
By all measures, Sival was a disciplined person. He almost always worked meticulously, priding himself on his analytical skills and attention to detail. Yes, these traits could be attributed to his Vulcan nature, but Sival preferred to believe that he had inherited from his Human father, who was also a doctor, and who was, frankly, one of Sival’s biggest role models. His father frequently told him to resist jumping to conclusions and always, always, ALWAYS to stick to the data. Sival never forgot those words, and he would often hear his father saying them throughout his career as he cultivated his own demeanor as a scientist.
But there was something else inside of Sival - a passion, a fire - for seeking out new possibilities. He would often become so excited by what ‘could be’ that the fire would light brightly inside of him. Flames of curiosity would consume him to the point where he would become lost in thought and, sometimes, detached from the reality of the world around him. This fire, per say, was less an emotional one (that was under control) and more of one of the imagination. In this state, Sival would jump to conclusions - multiple potential conclusions - before the data absolutely confirmed them without a doubt. He would be driven by intuition instead of facts. It was in this mindset that if he was right, the results could be phenomenal and groundbreaking. But if he were wrong, the outcomes could be tragic, all because he ignored the implications of a detail or didn’t ‘stick to the facts’.
Sival was beginning to move in this direction, to this state of mind, while standing in the turbolift. He heard his father’s words.
oO Always, always, ALWAYS stick to the facts. Oo
And Sival was sure he would. It was not as if he were in a moment of crisis. The Juneau was not at a state of alert and its survival relying on his judgement. No, all that had happened was that he was inspired by the opportunity to engage in some research, his first research opportunity while a member of Starfleet on a starship. Yet he still knew that what he was experiencing now may presage events to come, so he would be sure to take steps to keep his ambition and imagination in check.
At any rate, ‘research’ was too strong of a word. That implied a method, consent, a hypothesis, and all the like. This was more like an initial exploration of a concept. And that’s what was really getting Sival going. Exploring.
(( Auxiliary Cargo Bay, Deck 24, USS Juneau ))
When the lift doors whished opened, the scene before Sival was different than it had been in the morning. The sense of busyness had disappeared, along with most of the people and two spacecraft.
Sival approached a crewman working one of the sonsoles along the wall adjacent to him.
Sival: Excuse me, crewman. Where is the craft that was here earlier this morning?
Crewman: Captain Oddas and her team just launched it along with a runabout almost ten minutes ago, Sir.
Sival was prepared for the fact that he might miss the departure, but he had still hoped against hope that he would make it in time to at least introduce himself to Captain Oddas. Then he considered that hope to be most illogical as even if he had arrived early enough, the Captain would probably have been occupied with her preflight operation anyway.
Oddas: =/\= Captain Oddas aboard Test Platform NX-99801/X with new designation Allahayer to Lightside Flight control and Runabout Coho, we are away and ready to begin pre-flight checks. =/\=
The message echoed through the cargo bay. The Captain’s progress must be being monitored from the ship.
Sival slightly cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at something he heard in the Captain’s announcement.
Sival: Allahayer?
Crewman: I’m running the name now. Apparently it means ‘Fast Madness’.
Excellent! Sival was satisfied to learn that opportunities were taken to increase the excitement or stress level, even if it were just through the craft’s name.
Lightside Control: =/\= This is Lightside Control, proceed when ready. =/\=
Sival: Crewman, do you mind if I stay and observe?
Crewman: Not at all, Ensign. In fact, there is a medical feed established, and we could use your assistance monitoring.
Sival: Thank you.
Stelek: =/\= We are proceeding to checkpoint, Captain, proceed when ready. =/\=
The crewman motioned to an adjacent station. On the display were the biosigns of both Captain Oddas and Lt Cmdr Qiin, who was also aboard the craft. Sival noted that apart from some understandably elevated heart rates, both crew members’ vital signs appeared normal.
oO So far, so good. Let’s see how they change! Oo
Deveaux: =/\= Receiving data feeds from the engines, Captain. I will be monitoring the outputs and all of the data will be recorded for evaluation after the test flight. =/\=
Sival noticed an opportunity to introduce himself to the Captain and to show his initiative. He would get on the com channel and make a similar statement. It was a risk, and perhaps Sival normally wouldn’t have taken it. But today he was thinking about possibilities and outcomes, not repercussions and details. So he decided to go with it.
Oddas: =/\= Beginning Phase 1 of test, you should be receiving telemetry. =/\=
The channel was clear. Sival opened the com link.
oO Here we go. Oo
Sival: =/\= Captain Oddas, this is Ensign Sival, a doctor aboard Juneau. I will be monitoring your biosigns as well from aboard the ship. =/\=
Done. If all went well, his remark was appropriate and not annoying. Unfortunately, sometimes other species found his remarks to be annoying.
oO Hopefully this isn’t one of those times. Oo
(( OOC: Sorry, I’ll stop writing this like a Moose and Squirrel story… ))
Qinn: =/\= Captain, sensors are detecting an increase in neutrinos in your engine wash. You’re about 2% above what is normal for an engine of your thrust profile.=/\=
Oddas: =/\= I see it, adjusting the intermix to compensate. =/\=
No change in bio readings. Calm and cool. Impressive.
Qinn: =/\= Neutrino emissions back within standard range.=/\=
Any: =/\= Response =/\=
Oddas: =/\= Ready? =/\=
There was a slight jump in adrenaline, but nothing of note or concern to Sival.
Qinn: =/\= Sensors are good for next phase =/\=
Deveaux: =/\= Receiving data feeds. All inputs looking as expected, Captain. Showing a green board. =/\=
Oddas: :::chuckling:: =/\= Acknowledged Coho, remind me to add more padding to the seats for next time. =/\=
Sival was pleased to hear the Captain’s laughter. It seemed to him like her emotions were well-regulated during times of stress or excitement.
It was emotions that were at the core of Sival’s interest in the amygdala, as it is well-understood to play a key role in how they are experienced.
Stelek: =/\= I will make note of it, Captain. =/\=
Oddas: =/\= Be sure you do. Increasing throttle to 60% =/\=
Any: =/\= Response =/\=
Oddas: =/\= Distance to the Asteroid? =/\=
Qinn: =/\=Distance will be 7.5 AUs on my mark...3...2...1… Mark=/\=
Any: =/\= Response =/\=
Calm, and by the book. Sival’s father would have approved of the careful and systematic approach that the Captain’s crew was taking.
Qinn: =/\= We have company, I believe. I’m detecting what seems to be a small probe, running parallel to the Allahayer. It’s trying, and failing, to match the Allahayer’s acceleration.=/\=
Sival was most interested in the relationship between situation and internal biochemical changes. Such an interest manifested itself earlier during his examination of Ensign Tito in sickbay. Here, again, he was interested in the interplay between ‘the race’ and the participants’ amygdala responses, which would, in turn, affect emotional response.
Up until this point, the readouts of the captain’s androgen receptors, one indicator of healthy amygdala function, were steady and normal. However, at the news of the probe, areas of both crew members’ limbic systems, of which the amygdala is a part, lit up. This is typical of a hominid’s ‘fight-or-flight’ response. All of this occurs instinctually, but what happens next is a choice. That’s what counts, and that’s what Sival wanted to learn more about.
Any: =/\=Response=/\=
The probe, while of course, concerning, was a welcome element to the event as far as Sival was concerned. It was not known if it was a planned part of the race, and there was a small, yet real, possibility that the probe was dangerous. This was exactly the element of risk needed to get genuine responses.
Sival made sure that his station was archiving the date that was coming through - data that he found to be intriguing. Rather than seeing sing of increased stress production or neuron damage, the Captain’s androgen receptor readings continued to fall within normal range. What’s more, her glutamatergic neurons and D1 dopamine receptors increased production. These chemicals were not associated with the body’s fight-or-flight response; rather, they were associated with pleasure. The Captain, to go only on this one reading (which is in no way definitive) appeared to be enjoying herself.
oO If you cannot change your situation, change your attitude. Oo
A person may have a mindset which interacts with the chemicals in the amygdala in a given situation. Sival thought this might be occurring now… He heard his father’s voice again... That is, if he wasn’t jumping to conclusions and was indeed following the data... But it did not matter. it was just a hypothesis at this time, and it just might be a hypothesis worth researching. Even if everything were to stop here, just this observation made his trip to the cargo bay worth it.
Qinn: =/\= The top users of this kind of drone happen to be small, independent, mining concerns, and News Agencies. If it can catch you, you might be in the news, Captain.=/\=
Sival noticed signs of relief in the readings - relaxed muscle tensions and decreased blood pressure.
Any: =/\= Response=/\=
Qinn: =/\= The flight path of the probe is well clear of yours, Captain, they’re just looking, so far. Would you like me to wave them off?=/\=
Any: =/\=Response=/\=
Sival believed that he had witnessed two significant events. In one event, actors made a choice to affect how their bodies responded to external stimuli. In the other, they allowed external stimuli to dictate how their bodies responded (i.e. the relief they felt when they learned that the probe was harmless). One response was proactive. The other was just reactive.
Sival resolved to learn from this observation and be more proactive, both in his personal interactions and from this day forward in his new career in Starfleet.
Ensign Sival
Medical Officer
USS Juneau, NX-99801
J239808S11