JP: NPC Ensign Saava - A Whisper of a Threat
Cobalt Penumbra
((OOC: This takes place after Ensign Saava returns to her Starfleet assignment, the USS White Pine, after the events of the JP “The Scandalous & The Mandatory” where she was betrothed to Lt Zenno.))
Also created wiki pages for Saava and the USS White Pine. END OOC))
((Saava’s Cabin, Junior Officer’s Quarters, USS White Pine, Beta Quadrant))
It had been a period of reflection, after returning from her trip home. So much had happened. Had she not been a Vulcan, calculating the odds of such an outcome would have been impossible. But she was pleased with how things had unfolded. But now she was on the White Pine and not dealing with her family or her intended. She was dealing with her shipmates. And that was an entirely different situation.
After her long day in the Sickbay, she had changed into a simple shift, as she wanted to be comfortable for all the reading she had planned. She had wanted to commence her personal study project immediately, but she was still thinking back on days long past.
She reflected on the day close to the end of the Academy when all the cadets had filled out their Dream Sheets. She knew how it worked. You could request anything… a location, a class of ship or a base, a specific role, a specific ship. The detailers at Fleet Personnel Command just went down the lists in order of class rank. If the top-ranked Nursing cadet wanted something and it was an open billet, they got it. Then they went to the next Nursing cadet in the ranking and so on.
Her error was that she had not requested the best option. She wanted a ship on deployment. Nothing in the shipyard or new construction. She got exactly what she had requested. But what she should have done was to add another request: a large ship. There was nothing exactly wrong with the White Pine. But it was a small ship. There were so few beings; the crew was less than 100. The mess hall and recreation deck were deserted most of the time. Her efforts at starting some fitness and nutrition classes had not generated sufficient interest. There was no one to talk to. No one wanted to play the Squares here. There was a book club and a few other things, but very little on this ship outside of work aligned with her interests. She never had this problem in the Academy. There were always people around and many things happening at the same time. Her social circle was always willing to engage in whatever plans she had created. Now, there was too much silence, and it was unwelcome.
But with her betrothal, a large new task presented itself and her unfortunate isolation on the White Pine might be advantageous.
She had had considerable time to ponder her situation with Zenno and as was appropriate for any serious Vulcan, she set her mind to learning all she could about him and his culture. She knew that he often read and wrote in a paper notebook. She had never enquired about the contents. But she wanted to experience the tactile sensations of a paper book. Why did he do this? What was the logic in it? She was going to find out.
Accordingly, she had replicated all of the following as actual paper books:
- So, You Want to Marry a Bolian? Bolian Cultural Committee
- Bolian Physiology, Doctor Lemott, Bolian Science Commission
- Bolian Courtship and Mating Practices: An Analysis, by Anihid Martossian PhD, University of Luna
- Bolian Family Formation: A Cultural Comparison, by the Federation Cultural Directorate
She had marked all the pages and consumed all the content in a matter of hours. The analysis would take longer. She was just finishing the last few pages in So, You Want to Marry a Bolian? The most traditional structure was three husbands and three wives with multiple children from any given pairing. And the mating practices? Well, that would not be appreciated by any Vulcan as far as Saava was concerned. All of this was new to her, as she knew that Zenno had a more simple family arrangement of just two parents. This was the first time she had done research into the topic.
Finishing the last page, she closed the book with a satisfying thump, put it down on the desk and said to herself…
Saava: Well, we certainly aren’t going to be doing any of that.
She would have to talk to Zenno about all of this, of course. She didn’t think he seemed like the type to be so… ambitious in his relationship goals. But it was best to set parameters early.
Her ruminations were interrupted by the klaxon and flashing red lights.
Computer: Red Alert.
Ship’s Announcement Circuit: All Hands, Red Alert. This is the XO, get to your stations at once!
Saava dropped her marking pen, threw on her medical gear and ran out of her cabin to get to Sickbay.
NT/END