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EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

EPILOGUE: SUPPLEMENTAL [ DAY 06 | 1700 HRS. ] PATCH JOB

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Top Hat  , @Auctor Lucan  , @Nolan  , @The Ostrich  , @FollowTomorrow  , @Doc M.  , @Argyros 
[Show/Hide]

For a moment, Natalie stared at the replicator in the Conference Lounge and pondered if she wanted a cup of coffee. For the past three days, while aboard the Stallion she had lived on the drink. Her eyes darted to the chronograph on the far wall noting the time. Nine and a half hours until we make Aldea. Nine hours before I need to be back on the bridge. She let out a long sigh.

"One cup of decaffeinated Japanese Green Tea. Mint. Honey. Hot." She said, watching as the replicator lit up and the drink appeared in a small, earthenware mug with a divot for her thumb, instead of a handle. She took the cup in hand and brought it to her lips, inhaling the strong scent and letting her eyes shut for a moment in reflection.

The hours had been ticking by. She'd met with the Captain. With Thea. With Nator. With her department. She'd been down in Main Engineering, reviewing repair schedules and getting MCPO O'Connell whatever extra hands she could provide him. He and his staff were doing everything they could to keep this ship together long enough to make the system ahead. It was Natalie's job to twist arms and see to it that anyone that could reasonably help with repairs, and not just be a body in the way, while not harming the ship in some other fashion by their absence, was tasked to assist.

She had managed to get herself a late lunch after the meeting with her new Assistant Chief of Operations, dumping a portion of her workload, related to Operations at least, on hir shoulders. She assumed that Nator 159 was still grousing away. Well s/he is so damned sure that s/he is tip top shape and good to go that s/he can bloody well prove it. She snorted a bit, turning to look out the viewport as the local space slid by. I'm glad s/he managed not to get hirself killed, Natalie quietly admitted.

Turning back to the long conference table, the young woman walked toward the seat at the head. She let her finger tips trail over the backs of the chairs, pausing at a seat three down from the head, facing away from the window. For the last few months, ever since Hendricks' death, this had been her seat. For the next few days, the chair that sat at the right hand of the Captain would be hers. Until they got this in order.

"And that is what you're here to do Natalie. Get this in order. At least in the short term," she said to the empty conference room. Knowing that someone would be here soon, she moved to take the seat at the head of the table, setting her PADD down before it  and standing behind the chair, sipping her tea. She cradled it in both hands. What she would establish in the next half hour or so would be temporary, she knew. Captain Ives was well aware of this fact. They had pointed out that at least one member of the late USS Bellerophon had agreed to join up with the Theurgy's cause. Given their rank and position on the prior ship, Ives had confessed that in all likely hood, they would end up taking over the counseling department. They simply had far more experience than any of the other counselors available to the Theurgy.

It's only logical, after all Natalie thought with a trace of irony. I shall have to meet with this Lt. Cmdr. Hathev at some point soon. But the Vulcan counselor would not be joining the meeting this evening. This was to establish an immediate chain of command, at a department level, as well as get a status of where each department stood, personnel wise. Those gaps would likely be filled, over the coming weeks, be it internal promotions, or the integration of officers and crew from the Bellerophon, Dauntless, Endeavour, and Cayuga. Not to mention a proper, top down reorganization of all the Departments.

That's to come later. Tonight, we patch the holes and get some semblance of order in place for the crew. Integration will have to happen swiftly, but it needs some time all the same. There were going to be lots of interviews ahead, for both herself, and Captain Ives. It was her responsibility to deal with as much of this as she could, so that the Captain could focus their attention elsewhere.

Such as securing us a port of call and getting us everything we need to repair this ship. And her crew. Before all else, this had to be their number one priority. The first steps had already been taken along that course, but Natalie was not naive enough - or perhaps, Captain Zeigler might say she were too jaded - to assume that there would not be more negotiations to take place. That more information was not needed, on all sides: Klingon, Aldean, and Federation.

To the Acting First Officer, the whole thing seemed like a powder keg, waiting to explode under their feet. She hoped however, that things were taking a turn for the better, after everything they had just been through. After everyone we've just lost....Sten....Simon....Cinn. She'd finally taken the time to look over the full casualty list. The names that stood out the most left a hollow feeling inside, one that would take time to heal. All I can do right now is go forward. Take care of this ship. And take care of her crew. And yes, take care of me. She could almost hear Sten admonishing her to do just that.

Sighing, Natalie shook aside the darker feelings, the nasty thoughts about why everyone who would be here had to be here, and those that would not be here. Instead, she took another slow sip of the mint laced tea, pausing only to look up as the doors opened, and the first of the attendees arrive.

OOC: I do not have a set posting order just yet. The following officers and crew are expected in attendance, as they see fit to arrive. Summons would have been communicated prior 😉 In no particular order:

  • Tactical: Lt. T'Less
  • Security: Deputy zh"Wann
  • Medical: Dr. Rez
  • Science: Lt.Cmdr Martin
  • Counselling: Lt. (jg) Ejek
  • TacCon: Lt. Cmdr Ravon
  • Ops: Lt. Cmdr Stark
  • Flight Ops: CPO Herrold
  • Engineering: MCPO O'Connell
  • Helm: Lt. (jg) Veradin

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #1 –
[ CPO Liam Herrold | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]
In all honesty, Chief Liam Herrold had no idea why he were to come to Deck 01, thinking that he and the others in the Fighter Bay had their work cut out for them as it were. Leaving he others behind felt so completely against his nature that it chafed at him to have to attend some kind of meeting. He supposed it came with Sten Covington's duties, whereas he was used to having his duties strictly allocated to either the bay itself, or simulations on the holodecks - testing certain things on the holo-fighters to see if unconventional repairs or weapon calibrations might work.

So, when he stepped off the turbolift, wearing his golden jumpsuit open and being greasy with warp fighter innards, Liam Herrold felt completely misplaced. He carried with him the PADD that held the agenda for the meeting and what he was supposed to contribute to it, but he was only reading it for the first time when he stepped through the corridor. He had nicked one of his knuckles before he left Ji and the others to the chaos that was the Fighter Bay, and he had only pulled up the top half of his jumpsuit when he'd been in the turbolift - having ditched his undershirt at some point during the past five hours. By the time he entered the Conference Lounge - which he'd never been in before - he saw the list of attending officers.

"What the..?" he mouthed as he arrived inside the lounge, seeing that he was - aside from O'Connell - the only NCO in attendance, and undoubtedly the lowest in rank. He recognised Derik Veradin's name (naturally), Counselor Ejek's and Vivian Martin's, them being from the Resolve, and he'd met Commander Ravon several times over the past six days, but it was only when he raised his eyes to see Commander Stark in the lounge that he pieced together the agenda with the attendees. He was representing Fighter Bay Ops like Covingtion would have done, the sub-department being a specialised unit on a carrier such as the Theurgy. It was, however, the first meeting he'd had with Stark. His new superior officer. That was, until they replaced him with someone else as they saw fit.

"Commander Stark," he said, clearing his throat, knowing very well that she was the Acting First Officer after that incident with Trent. "My apologies, I come directly from the bay. I could not spare the time to make myself presentable."

Quickly enough, he closed up the front of his jumpsuit, and began to look for some kind of seating chart. Finding none, he just took a seat in one of the corners. Not sure if there would be any time to talk to Stark personally. Not even sure if he had to, actually? Others were due to arrive any minute, early as he might have been. It had either been the meeting or starting up work on another fighter, and evidently this was something important.

Chain-of-command establishment? Integration of crew? I don't even know if I am to keep doing Sten's duties, so what am I to do here? He raked his hand through his hair, wondering how long this would take, and tried not to look Stark in the eye after his embarrassing entrance.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #2 –
[ Dr Rez | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]

With a brisk pace set the acting CMO of the Theurgy made her way over to the conference lounge. She had left Main Sickbay with standing order to deal with the backlog of less critical patients after having dealt with the enormous casualties during the Borg encounter. Amelya had found the time to quickly frshen up in a sonic shower and to get a new uniform that was more likely to be less stained with blood , vomit or any other bodily fluids from the survivors she had treated in Sickbay.

She held a PADD close against her chest as she was technically still on call if need be. Comms were working, but with the grave state the ship apparently seemed to be in, she choose to have a back up along either way. When she reached the door of the Conference Lounge she waited a minute before entering. A brief moment to think of the kind of talks that were had in the room, both by her as her former hosts.

She stepped inside after the doors opened and was surprised to see only two people in the room. Stark whom she had only briefly seen during previous staff meetings and... The deck hand whom she had dosed painkillers in order to help him with his leg injury. Rez nodded to both silently as she took her place in the middle of the table on the left hand side. It was her usual spot as she claimed it by placing the PADD in front of the seat. She walked over to the replicator and asked "Am I early or?"


[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Waking up from his slumber, Ravon looked at the alert going off somewhere in his living quarters. "Thea, why is the alarm going off? Are we at our destination already?" he asked with a groan as he stretched himself and shut his eyes once more. "Negative lieutenant commander. A senior staff meeting has been planned requesting your attendance. This meeting started five minutes ago." Ravon sighed and nodded before the realization hit in from the message.

Like an arrow being released from its bow, Ravon jumped out of bed with curses, scowls and various threats to nobody in particular. He hoisted himself in a uniform, neglecting any underwear or the sorts before he grabbed his PADD and started to run for the Turbolift. Once on deck one he sprinted for the conference lounge and stopped at the door. He took a breather before evening his uniform and walking in.

"Apologies for the tardiness." he announced before nodding to Stark and the other attendees. He made his way to the only seat available before sitting down and trying to pitch in where they were exactly. It took him a few minutes to catch his breath and cool down a little as he could swear every single set of eyes were trained on him when he arrived too late. He leaned back slightly in his chair before he noticed the red blip on his PADD. The notification of new messages on his account. As the staff meeting progressed, he slowly opened up the screen and noticed the latest correspondence of Zephyr. 

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #3 –
[ Zelosa Ejek | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Compartmentalization was a type of defense mechanism frequently used by Stafleet officers exposed to combat. As Starfleet was both scientific and a military organization, officers were expected to fill both roles sometimes. This would mean that a single officer could go from watching their closest squad members die to perfectly peaceful bureaucracy, oftentimes with little time to process and grieve as necessary. This sort of functioning was expected in order to keep the organization of Starfleet functioning, and Ejek’s role as a counselor was to mitigate the consequences of such poorly-thought-out planning. Unfortunately, today, Ejek found herself lost. Physician, heal thyself.

Six hours earlier she had been confronted with the death of her protege, and as she felt the pain in her heart, she realized she thought of her as a friend as well. It was a life cut before it’s time. Things were left unsaid, wounds unhealed. Regrets to stew over. As the vectors reunited, death reports came in, she found the pain beginning to pile on. She didn’t have time to attend to that pain, though. She was being called to a staff meeting, where surely there would be many important changes, considering the new crew composition. So, she compartmentalized. Folded all that pain down into a nice, neat shape, and store that shape away somewhere else.

She was very good at it too. As she approached the conference room, she was impeccable as always. She had changed uniforms after the battle. Her hair was perfect, no strand out of place. No blood, no tears of terror, nothing that hinted that she had been holding herself in her quarters not four hours earlier, shaking and reliving each and every moment.

She entered the conference room and saw only Doctor Rez, Natalie Stark, and a deckhand. She was either early, or right on time and everyone else was late. It was just as well, she had to schedule trauma check-in’s for the entire ship. She could attend to her PADD while waiting.
“Good afternoon.” She greeted the occupants of the room, took her seat, and did just that. Work had to be done, after all.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #4 –
[ Lt T'Less | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy | Full House ]

The Vulcan strode into the meeting room, PADD in one hand scrolling through the various after-action reports still coming in from her department. As usual, the paperwork was the least interesting part of a job. Her other held a steaming mug of spice tea; she hadn't taken the time to eat nor drink for most of the day, and her thirst was becoming distracting. Glancing about the room and seeing about half of the expected crowd present, she took a seat facing the door after nodding a greeting at Commander Stark.

The sight of one of the flight deck crew - alas, Sten Covington had been claimed by the latest battle - reminded her that she had yet again failed to rise to the challenge of her station. Regrettably, no amount of effort towards some vacuous promise of 'doing better' was going to make much headway against the brutally simple mathematics of attrition. Sankolov would already be replenishing his losses and searching for their trail anew. Meanwhile, the Theurgy limped towards a neutral port and the hope that they wouldn't be sold out on arrival.

At any rate, this meeting should be instructional. It was the first she was able to attend since leaving the Azure nebula, and she was looking forward to hearing what the senior staff had planned now that the Captain and their (surviving) missing crew had been returned. T'Less had been moderately distressed to learn that Ida zh'Wann was one of the abductees, but had yet to find the time to go and see her. She wasn't even sure if the Andorian knew she'd been brought out of stasis, that event having happened after the enactment of the Continuance Protocol.

Everyone looked tired. She probably did, too. As ever, the greater task yet lay ahead of them.

She waited for the rest.
Nator 159: "I accept no responsibility for the ensign's manifest stupidity. Sir." [Show/Hide]
Ranaan Ducote: "A ship is a home; its crew a family." [Show/Hide]
T'Less: "Your odds of prevailing against us are... slim." [Show/Hide]
Valkra: "Come! We will shake the gates of Sto'Vo'Kor!" [Show/Hide]

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #5 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]  Attn: @Argyros, @Auctor Lucan, @Brutus ,  @FollowTomorrow,  @Nolan, @The Ostrich , @Top Hat

As Master Chief William Robert “Billy Bob” O’Connell entered the room he coughed in his fist and spoke to Natalie before taking his seat across from Chief Petty Officer Liam Herrold.  ”Commander Stark, you’ll be glad tuh know, Ah say you’ll be glad tuh know thet repairs tuh th' dorsal nacelles are progressin’ with no complications.  Things are goin’ so smoothly thet Ah’m able tuh actually make it tuh this here meetin’ on time, Ah’m able tuh attend, that is.  If you’ll be needin’ more details Ah’ll give ‘em to yuh after th’ meetin’ Ma’am,” he clarified as he absently waved a PADD he had brought in with him.  ”Now if you won’t be needin’ anything, Ah’ll jest git outta yore way an’ let yew begin,”  He gave his report for the others' benefit.  He had already informed Lieutenant Commander Stark that he would likely be delayed but he wanted to cover his six because he couldn’t trust the other officers to nitpick at his tardiness even if it was by only a minute or two.

When the master chief followed Lieutenant T'Less into the conference room on Deck One he was a mite subdued, compared to his usual bluff and bull-headed demeanor.  Being an acting department head meant that he had early access to the causality list.  They had lost so many… and so recently.  Wenn Cinn’s absence was particularly unsettling.  Having the burly Bajoran come back to life after being blown into space during a hull breech was a ray of sunshine the Theurgy sorely needed, but now he had made the ultimate sacrifice.  And the loss of Sten Covington, O’Connell’s mentor and hero was a wound that would take a long time to heal.  If Chief Petty Officer Herrold was going to fill Sten’s shoes, the twenty something year old would find being a father figure to so many aboard the Theurgy a task he simply wasn’t up for. 

The new faces filling the positions of his fellow department heads hammered the loss home.  Thankfully there were a few exceptions.  It was good to see that T'Less was ambulatory again, although if truth be told, Billy Bob never really saw or spoke to her much before the Calamity did its best to ensure the blue eyed Vulcan would be manning the phaser banks of Heaven.  It didn’t matter.  She was one of the plank owners of the Theurgy, one of the original department heads who had sailed her since she was commissioned almost three years ago.  Natalie Stark was another face who had served with the Theurgy since before they had fled Federation space last year.  O’Connell hadn’t had much confidence in her when she had taken over for the late Lieutenant Commander Christian Hendricks, but never had the master chief been so happy to have been proven wrong.  Stark had handled the Operations Department like a pro, at least from where O’Connell was sitting.  He found himself having curiously mixed feelings about Lieutenant ThanIda “Ida” zh'Wann.  On one hand he was disappointed that Wenn Cinn was no longer with them but on the other hand, although he was hesitant to admit it out loud, now that he had stepped in to head a position he was ill suited for, he found himself actually respecting the Andorian.  It was a strange feeling to harbor for someone who had been the bane of his existence for nearly two months in a row.  Perhaps becoming an acting department head had granted the old master chief some belated but much needed maturity. 

Then there were the new faces, the truly new faces.  Doctor Duv… check that, Doctor Amelya Rez, former chief medical officer of the USS Harbinger was filling in for Doctor Nicander, who rumors claimed was either dead, sick, one of the Devoted, or infected with the parasites that had taken over Starfleet.  Lieutenant Commander Vivian Martin, Junior Lieutenant Derik Veradin, and Junior Lieutenant Zelosa Ejek, like Herrold had come from the Resolve and hadn’t been aboard two weeks.  All four of them looked awfully green on the ship, but hopefully that meant they could adapt quickly.

Speaking of adapting quickly, Lieutenant Commander Thomas Ravon had been made the SCO when his predecessor Miles Renard had gone MIA the same way that Ravon himself had.  Scuttlebutt had it that Renard had returned but Ravon’s presence at this meeting indicated otherwise.  Even so, Thomas Ravon had been aboard the Theurgy since before they became outlaws and had somehow survived everything the galaxy had thrown at him, including the Borg and a ship from the future.  Ravon was a good egg, one of the rare commissioned officers who gave non-commissioned officers respect.  If he was in charge of the Lone Wolves, it was time to consider the glass half-full.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #6 –
[ LtCmdr Vivian Martin | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]

[Show/Hide]

Having received a message of a staff meeting, Vivian made her way to the conference lounge. She didn’t pay attention to who was in the room when she arrived, instead she made a direct beeline for the replicator. ”Coffee” She yawned ”Black, hot, and large.” With the usual whine and shimmer of light, a steaming mug of dark liquid appeared before her. Carefully she wrapped her hands around it and gently blew on the top as she found an empty seat at the table.

She took a sip of the glorious liquid, and felt the warmth spread through her body. She sighed happily and finally took a moment to survey the other faces at the table. It was difficult to gauge the overall mood of the meeting at this point, they had lost people, friends and colleagues. They had fought the Borg, the Klingons, the Savi, and their own people in Starfleet. They were tired, surviving on too much coffee and not enough sleep. Vivian was no longer sure when she had last had a proper, deep sleep.

Shaking her musings from her head, Vivian took another sip of her coffee. She would need it to stay awake, and possibly a second mug at some point, depending on how long the meeting ran for.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #7 –
[ Lt. JG Derik Veradin | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]
Derik’s mind was…. elsewhere, on autopilot, just as the ship had been place after they had escaped. He didn’t remember walking to his quarters, nor starting the shower, nor even how long he’d been standing under the falling water.

A soft chime from behind him [Mr. Veradin, The time is 1640. You have a department head meeting at 1700.]

“Thank you, Thea.” The response came as if he was watching himself, like an author looking over his character’s shoulder.

The trill stepped out of the shower drying himself off and getting dressed, albeit forgetting a key item or two. He grabbed his PADD, replicated a cup of Raktajino in a travel mug, and made it halfway to the conference room when he realized he had forgotten his under…everything. The fog peeled back, duty worming its way back into his conscious mind. Derik cursed his wandering mind. He reached up to his neck, checking his pips, which happened to be in the wrong order. How had he messed that up? There were only two of them! The turbolift was gratefully empty and as it carried him to the bridge, he checked the rest of his uniform, correcting everything he could. Least he wouldn’t look too bad for this meeting. As acting department head, he felt a little awkward being of a lower rank. Perhaps it was the unsurety of his position, or his young age but it gave him butterflies.

He’d just piloted them through a major battle against the Borg and this was giving him butterflies? What was wrong with him?

It’s everything that you’ve gone though as of late. A voice whispered in the back of his mind. Nicander and Kobol . The loss of CInn. The stress. The restless nights. It’s a lot for anyone to go through. You aren’t the only one. Take a deep breath and move forward, as always.

When the doors opened onto the bridge, Derik was in better sorts. He made his way quickly to the conference room, stepping inside. “Commander,” He acknowledged the first officer, as was custom. A few faces he recognized as his eyes passed over all others in attendance, one of which caught most of his attention: CPO Liam Herrold.

“Liam.” He greeted, not too loudly but loudly enough for the man to hear him. The man looked good if a bit dirty. He had grease and other fluids on his suit, which was curiously zipped up all the way. Flashes of memory sprung forth from his still slightly foggy mind. He quelled them as best he could, despite imaging the tattoos hidden just beneath that gold…..no no no. NO.NO! Not now. This is a department head meeting. Get your head in the game.  He gave the man a smile as he took his seat and sipped of his drink, attempting to seem as if nothing was wrong.

Veradin’s eyes drifted down to his PADD, an attempt to not only figure out what was on the agenda but also to distract himself.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #8 –
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Observation Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]Attn @Top Hat , @Auctor Lucan , @Nolan , @The Ostrich , @FollowTomorrow , @Doc M. , @Argyros :
[Show/Hide]


And so it begins, Natalie thought to herself as the first man through the door was still putting himself together. The young ops chief was able to make out a hint of tattooing on the man's skin, his hair swept back and his cheeks stained in grease. Some officers would have scoffed, but Natalie resisted the urge. Sure enough, the younger man apologized and explained exactly what Natalie had expected.

"At ease, Chief," she said softly, with a smile she hope reassured the man. Easy on the eyes and good with his hands, she thought to herself with a little mental sigh. He was so different from Sten, and so alike all at the same time. Just so young, she thought, which was unfair of her. Natalie knew the man was a year younger than her at best. It was just that, compared to the decades that Covington had under his belt, it was impossible not to see CPO Herrold as young.

"It's fine. I promise," she continued quickly. She had much to speak to the young man about, including his future. She took a step around the chair toward him, saying softly, "You've got a whole fighter bay to take care of. I'm not going to ding you for having a bit of grease on your cheeks. Besides," she allowed herself a bittersweet smile, and did her best to keep her voice steady, "Sten would have shown up the same way, and then dared any of us to give him grief."

She didn't get a chance to further elaborate, however, as the doors opened again, and she'd not discuss the more personal notes she had for the man and his future in Operations. There would be time for that later, one on one, which would probably put the young Chief at ease. [i}At least until I tell him my plans.[/i]

Both heads turned to see Dr. Amelia Duv - no, Rez - enter the room. Natalie forced another smile on her face, and hoped that this one didn't seem false. She had nothing against the Doctor from the Harbinger, but at the same time, she had her concerns about the symbiote currently residing in the woman's gut. And while Captain Ives had been rather explicit regarding their concerns, Natalie at least was tempered by genuine worry that the woman had entirely too much to deal with already, let alone a rabid new personality that might try to assert itself to the detriment of everyone on this ship.

"I'd say about a minute or two early, Doctor Rez," Natalie said, gesturing for the Trill to take a seat. "Thank you for sparing me this hour of your time." She'd leave it at that. Rez, unlike Herrold, would not have her position shift from Acting to full time. Nor would the next person that came through the door, and a part of Natalie though that was a pity.

"Good afternoon, Zelosa" Natalie said with some genuine warmth again, using the woman's first name, as she stepped back, and away from Liam, once more toward the head of the table. They were coming faster now, and on the heels of the Cardassian walked a Vulcan carrying a tea whose aroma caught Natalie's nose, clear across the conference room. Remind me to get the name of whatever it is she's drinking. That would be, she checked her PADD and gave a nod to herself, confirming the name. "Lt. T'Less. I think you're going to be the last one actually on time. Welcome."

A familiar drawl caused the acting executive officer to turn now and stood by as Billy Bob O'Connell gave his report. The same smile she'd had for Lt. Ejek returned for Billy Bob. It was impossible for her not to smile in the presence of the down to earth, aw-shucks mentality of the Master Chief. "That is excellent news, Master Chief. I'll do my best not to keep you from your engines and your nacelles for too long however, I promise."

She wouldn't usually take her time like this, responding to everyone with some statement beyond a simple nod, but they had just been through what could politely be called a meat grinder. Many of the people in this room were here because the superiors that should have been here were dead, too wounded to attend, or, in at least one case, infected with an alien parasite and no longer able to be trusted. But she wouldn't allow herself to think about that man.

No, she had to focus on her people. And they were truly hers. For the time being, she was their conduit to the Captain, and she was her representative to the crew. She was about to speak to them all when Vivian Martian breezed into the room, making a bee line for the replicator. Natalie repressed a chuckle. She didn't know the former chief of sciences from the Resolve very well, just that she had taken over the department from Simon Tovarek, and thinking of Simon made her chest ache. Another friend lost, she bitterly thought, and tried not to let this unduly color her reaction to the only other person in the room thus far that was her equal in rank.

But two more people entered in rapid order, and thus it was left to Natalie to greet all three. First, Lt. Derik Veradin, whom had been sitting at her side since Starbase 84 as the Chief Flight Control Officer. Barely had he muttered his greeting to her than one more officer entered the room, sweeping in silently, her face locked down and stoic. Lt. Ida zh'Wann, representing Security, in the wake of yet another lost CSec. And just recently returned from captivity at the hands of the Savi. To the best of her knowledge, no one else here at the table had been in the alien species 'care' for the past few days.

Natalie had served hand in hand with Lt. zh'Wann when she had commanded the Allegiant on a search and rescue mission in the wake of the destruction of the Harbinger. Ida had done a damn good job of keeping her alive. Natalie wouldn't go as far as to say they were friends, but she respected the woman, and held her in high regard. Her heart ached at the thought of what she might have undergone, but she'd had little time to meet with the survivors of the Savi abduction.

That Ida said nothing at all as she took her seat did not bother Natalie. She wanted to give the woman space, and did not press. She simply said, . "Commander. Lieutenants. Thank you all for making it here. I think we're going to begin now," there was an empty seat at the table still, but Natalie was done waiting for others to come in. They had a bit to cover. She pulled her own seat out and sat down in it,  at the head of the table. Smoothing her skirt, just out of view, she then placed her hands, one atop the other, and tried to extrude an image of a woman who was in control, pretending that the thread of nervousness wasn't running around in her stomach.

"I know that we are all quite busy at the moment, and as such I will do my best to keep this short. All of you are - " The doors opened again and a voice called out in apology. Natalie's words cut off, and she looked up to see Thomas Ravon, the current SCO for the Theurgy's motley crew of fighters, the Lone Wolves, stride in. Natalie gave im her most stoic look she could manage, trying to channel her inner Jien Ives, likely with mixed results. The man was clearly catching his breath, and Natalie could think of a few reasons as to why he might be tardy.

"Thank you for joining us, Commander," Natalie said, perhaps a bit colder than she had greeted the others. She didn't reprimand him further, however. Instead she took a sip of her own drink, savoring the mint flavor and using it to center herself, before she resumed. "As I was saying, I'll try to make sure we don't run over. We've all got a lot to do over the next few days. The ship is in need of much repair, and plenty of our fellow crew members are in need of continued medical care. Our departments all took many blows, both to equipment and personnel." Here the young first officer paused, and let her gaze sweep across everyone at the table.

'Many of you are here because, unfortunately, you are the highest ranking officer left in your department. And while I grieve with you for your losses - our losses - I need you, and Captain Ives needs you, to step into the roles you've found yourselves in." It was the cold hard truth, and she wasn't happy about laying it out like that. "I can't promise that these positions will remain yours in the days that come. We have surviving crew from multiple starships that we need to fold into our own, just as we did with the members of the Resolve and the Harbinger before her. All of you here will be responsible for helping with that, in regards to your individual departments. Some of you will simply be dealing with new subordinates, many of whom hold the same position you do now. Some of you will be assisting new heads of department, whom you will be expected to server under with the same dedication you have shown your previous superiors."

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Reply #9 –
[ CPO Liam Herrold | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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Sitting there in his chair, Liam had tried to not look too long at Derik Veradin, knowing he was likely thinking about their shared past on the Resolve. Instead, Liam just gave the man a smile and cleared his throat, feeling a bit self-conscious in the meeting for more reasons than his disheveled appearance. He didn't catch any glances from Counselor Ejek of Commander Martin, not even sure if the former recognised him. Either way, he wasn't there to speak of their shared voyage through the outskirts of the Beta Quadrant, but to listen to his Department Head and current First Officer.

So he did, paying attention while trying to ignore his own cuts and scraped, the soreness in his forearms and the ache in his knee. He knew he should go back to sickbay to have it checked, but there was no time for it. Sitting still, it hurt all the worse, and he knew he'd be limping out of the room whenever the meeting was concluded.

So far, Stark had only told him what he'd expected. Still, he knew what was expected of him, and it was a confirmation that he was - for the time being - going to keep Covington's position. It was with mixed feelings as he scratched the back of his head and raked his fingers through his hair, the amount of hours taken from his ordinary duties piling up in his mind. He could ask Ji for help to manage, sure, but that would mean she'd be split between roles as well, and if the Fighter Bay hadn't been in the state it was, it might have worked. No, he had to speak up. He didn't even realise he was first to speak until he'd begun.

"In that case, I'm sorry, but I need to pick someone for my old position. Things are... hectic down there, ma'am, and if I am to do this properly, I wish that someone takes care of my deck crew," he said, and looked towards Stark, only then realising that he - with the most diminutive rank in the room - had broken the lingering silence in the conference lounge. He cleared his throat, and felt he had to add. "I have a candidate in mind... I just need to know if I have to clear the selection with you first, Commander, or if I am at liberty to handle things the way I want? I am unfamiliar with how much latitude I have on this ship."

This wasn't the Resolve, for certain. He knew what Erik Randall had been doing without the officers looking over his shoulder, but he suspected it depended on the manner of Chief of Operations that Stark was, or her second in command in the department.

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Reply #10 –
[ Dr Rez & Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Rez looked at the present people and simply scoffed silently as Ravon entered late. She had listened to Stark and had made some notes, though she had very little to ask to the acting Commander. Her department had an increase in doctors with the Endeavour and Resolve crew. She had a well supplied amount of nurses and doctors to deal with the problems in sickbay, thus she saw no further need to elaborate.

Ravon shot Liam Herrold a look as he opened up one of his concerns and he looked at Stark. Only noticing that Derik Veradin was here as well. A man whom he had shared a single fling with before. The face of the wolf didn't change though as he moved his eyes over the other crew members. There weren't that many faces that truly stuck with him.

"A replacement for Tac CONN maintenance would be most helpful. Not that I don't believe in mister Herrolds capacities, I just think we need the structure down there to ensure swift repairs." he aided to Liam's point. He didn't care of the man was given Sten's position or not, he just wanted his birds in tip top shape. He continued as he looked at Stark "Fighters have taken quite some damage, though remarkably, most of the wolves made it out of the battle. In addition, we have Miles Renard back in our midst. I'll be continuing the lead for now though, new squadron lists have been sent to you." he reported before letting anyone else pick in.

His eyes went back to his PADD now that he had done his say and he opened up the message to read it. In this environment he had to keep his cool and once reading the message over he decided to close it down before replying or showing any emotion to those near him.

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Reply #11 –
[ Lt T'Less | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy | Full House ] attn: @Nolan @Brutus

The Vulcan wondered how many of these meetings had been necessary so far, given her unfortunate spell in stasis. Folding in new crew members to a ship with such infamy as the Theurgy currently enjoyed was never going to be an easy task, especially with the turnover they were experiencing. Every new battle meant holes in the manifest. T'Less tried not to see it as a personal failure.

She was taking notes as people spoke, to ensure that her own disseminated reports went to the right people for the time being, especially with regards to the (latest) new TacCONN roster from the Commander seated next to her. The corps' introduction to the Fleet had puzzled her at first; the risk inherent to life with piloted small combat craft seemed obvious to her. Weapons and engines technology made up for the deficit, however - even fighter-scale guns and torpedoes could do significant damage in a short time, and quantity had a quality all its own.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Ravon skim a message from someone whose name T'Less could not place. The name wasn't part of the headcount from the Bellerophon nor the Endeavour, and she already knew the Theurgy's (dwindling) roster by rote. She leaned in to whisper so that only the pilot could hear. "Commander, there is a communications blackout."

Or; 'I'm sure I don't need to remind you that escaping Archeron only works if we don't let them know where we are while you write your penpal.'

Sitting straight once more, she addressed Stark directly. "Have all of our inductees been vetted as far as possible for infestation? I'm sure none of us desire a repeat of Doctor Nicander's subterfuge."

For her own part, she had no issue deferring to a new Tactical head nor working with new subordinates if she were to remain ACTO. Their mission demanded it. She was 'only' a lieutenant, despite her long service and having started at the bottom of the ladder, and the department chief for a vessel the size of Thea would usually mandate an officer with an extra pip. 'Usually' being the operative word there, of course.
Nator 159: "I accept no responsibility for the ensign's manifest stupidity. Sir." [Show/Hide]
Ranaan Ducote: "A ship is a home; its crew a family." [Show/Hide]
T'Less: "Your odds of prevailing against us are... slim." [Show/Hide]
Valkra: "Come! We will shake the gates of Sto'Vo'Kor!" [Show/Hide]

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Reply #12 –
[ Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Conference Room | USS Theurgy]

Slowly and surely, the meeting began. Some individuals were late, some were not, and she did not care in the slightest. She expected professionalism, but the failure to meet her expectations had become an expectation in and of itself. She put her PADD up on the desk in front of her and listened.

She allowed the subtlest twitch of her eyebrow ridges at the use of her first name. The people who called her ‘Zelosa’ were few and far between. Natalie had not yet earned that right. Granted, hardly anyone had earned it. She would speak to Natalie later about it, as it was purely a personal matter.

First order of business, she watched O’Connell say his piece. Then, Liam Harrold spoke. She kept her eyes away. He looked so...strange. So different. Then again, in some ways, everyone did. Or maybe it was her that was seeing them different.

She let them go, one by one, preferring not to speak up...at least, not until T'Less did.

“Lieutenant, as of now, there are no tests that prove the existence of an Infection. Any one of us in this room could be Infected, and we would not know until the Infected in question chooses to reveal itself.

That said, I would request more time interviewing doctor Nicander, if at all possible. I would like to work on developing a psychological profile of the Infested, and possibly run a few neurological tests of my own, in the interest of developing a better understanding of the Infested. That said, my department has suffered….heavy losses. It would not be possible for me to run this project without further support.”

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Reply #13 –
[ LtCmdr Vivian Martin | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]

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Vivian listened quietly at first, sipping her steaming coffee from time to time. Her colleagues all raised excellent points and seemed to have their departments and goals more or less in line. Somehow she felt like the odd officer out. She had a mountain of PADDs waiting for her down in her office. Deep down however, she was sure she wasn’t the only one in that situation.

When Ejek spoke of Nicander and the infested Vivian paid close attention. ”If I may Lieutenant Ejek, I would like to be present for these tests you intend to run on Nicander, or at the very least I would like to be privy to the results of your tests. The science department has been trying to come up with some way to screen for the infested, but as of yet, we’ve had no luck.”

”Other than that, Science is running well I believe. I’ve already spoken to some of those who came aboard from the Bellerophon and Versant. I’ve got hundreds of reports to read, and a ton of other PADD work to get through. Appointing Assistant Chiefs to help with that would cut down on my workload tremendously. By your leave, I believe I already know who fits the position best.”

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Reply #14 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]  Attn: @Argyros, @Auctor Lucan, @Brutus ,  @FollowTomorrow,  @Nolan, @The Ostrich , @Top Hat

Billy Bob raised his eyebrows in surprise when Ravon confirmed that Miles Renard really had returned from out of the blue… literally in the case of the Azure Nebula.  He was surprised that Commander Renard wasn’t at this meeting, and then he was surprised at his own surprise.  Of course Renard wasn’t at this meeting.  He was no doubt undergoing medical and psychological evaluation to make sure he wasn’t turned and was fit to serve aboard the Theurgy, let alone command a squadron that flew nothing but suicide missions.  It was the height of naiveté to even make the assumption that Renard should be here really. 

That got Billy Bob to thinking about his own place in the in the Theurgy’s hierarchy and where the new officers and crew they had picked up from the Endeavour, the Resolve, the Cayuga, the Bellerophon, and who knows from where else would make a good fit in his department.  His thoughts were interrupted when the conversation turned to Doctor Nicander.  The Cardassian counselor…what was her name… Zosa Ejek?  Zelosa Ejek?  Whatever.  …and Commander Martin whose Earth name was a mite easier for him to remember referred to Doc Nicander as Infested, with a capital ‘I’!  The chief medical officer was one of the Infested?  Seriously?  How many of those parasite thingies did the doc implant in the rest of the crew then?  How many of his shipmates were now secretly working for the other side?  Doc Nicander must have infected more of the crew.  Billy Bob couldn't imagine one of the Enemy's puppets passing up the opportunity to infect the rest of the crew.  Why else would they infest the chief medical officer? 

Billy Bob was about to ask Commander Stark which of the new officers he should be training for the chief engineering officer position, but instead he let his mouth hang open like he was a fish while he broke out in a cold sweat.

Finally he found his voice and managed to raise an unsteady hand and croak out ”Oh uh, ‘scuse me, beggin’ yer pardon ma’ams, but do we know if Doctor Nicander managed tuh infect anyone else?  Plant his eggs in any uh th’ rest of us that is…”  He was so rattled that he had somehow forgotten that Counselor Ejek had just informed them that there was currently no test that could confirm if a victim was Infested or not.

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Reply #15 –
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Observation Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Argyros @The Ostrich @FollowTomorrow @Doc M. @Top Hat @Nolan @Auctor Lucan
[Show/Hide]

Liam cut straight to the heart of the matter, and Natalie leaned back into her seat, letting her hands fold around the cup of tea before her. She looked at the noncom and held his gaze for a moment as she gave his question honest thought. She all but ignore Thomas Ravon as he added his own thoughts on how the fighter bay should be run. Ops - and thus TacConn Fighter Ops - were her domain, not Ravon's, nor ultimately were they Herrolds.

But Christian Hendricks had given her a sound piece of advice when she had joined the Theurgy as his chief Assistant. The Dreadnaught-class of ship had been something utterly new to her, and she'd had zero experience with a vessel that housed a fighter squadron. "Keep an eye on the deck monkeys Nat, but unless they're doing something spectacularly stupid, let them handle their own." True enough, that had been under the command of Sten Covington, but the advice she felt was still good.

"I trust your instincts, Chief. And unlike many of the other departments I'm not sure we'll be getting very many fighter ops specialists flooding in that we'll need to sort through.  I look forward to seeing your selection, and if you need advice or input I'm more than happy to provide an ear to listen. As I'm sure commander Ravon is," she shot the pilot a glance, quietly acknowledging his earlier input, "But ultimately, this is at your discretion.". Nat was going to have to start trusting the young man, especially if she were going to have an active hand in guiding his career going forward.

Turning her gaze again to Ravon, she tapped her PADD, set to the side of her mug of tea and gave a second nod to him. "The Captain and I will review the lists, but I'm glad to see a lost wolf found its way back home." She glanced back down at her notes, briefly, before looking up again as the Vulcan woman on the other side of Lt. Cmdr. Ravon asked a question that had Nat's eyebrows shooting up high onto her forehead.

Ejek, acting as counselor for the ship, fielded the question before Natalie could, and this allowed the Ops Chief to sit back - as she had seen Jien Ives do on more than one occasion - and allow her officers to hash out a problem amongst themselves. She had to fight to keep a smile off of her face, because despite the grim nature of the particular point being addressed....this right here, it felt good. Good enough that (at least at first, in any case) Natalie didn't cringe when Zelosa brought up the ghost of Lucan Nicander.

Looking from the Cardassian to the human Lt. Commander in Science Teal, Natalie gave a slow nod. "Permission granted, to both of you," she said softly, drumming her fingers against the table. "There is a lot we do not yet understand about how the infested work. We know that they are heavily resistant to physical damage. They can shrug off a stun beam that would drop most species. Unfortunately," a weary smile crossed her face at this point, "We can't simply stun everyone that came over from the other ships. So yes, Commander, Lieutenant, consider yourselves to have full access to Doctor Nicander. Anyone else from your departments need your express permission." She tactfully did not even bring up the possibility of personnel from Medical. That would not be Dr. Rez's call to make.

Though that brought another thought to the surface. "Lieutenant," she called out to the Cardassian, "Over the next few days I'd like you to review your plan for interviewing Dr. Nicander with Lt. Commander Hathev, of the Bellerophon". A silence hung over the room for a moment, even as she could see Billy Bob staring off, chewing through some new thought, worry on his face. With an apologetic smile Natalie added, "She and Captain Ives have been discussing the transition and incorporation of the officers from her ship and that of the Dauntless, and they have asked her to join the counseling department here on the Theurgy." Left unsaid, but understood, was that this would be the first Department Head assignment that she had warned of at the start of their meeting.

Natalie made another note to inform Counselor Hathev herself of Lt. Ejek's newly approved assignment. "That said, unless there is some pressing reason to the contrary, I expect you and Commander Martin to be the ones spearheading this effort. This was your suggestion, Lieutenant. Run with it."That, Natalie hoped, would take care of that. And just in time for MCPO O'Connell to jerk the floor out from under her.

Natalie's hand immediately flew to her stomach, pressed in just below the table edge and out of view. The color drained from her face, and only belatedly did she realize that Billy Bob did not mean to imply anything about a certain Jefferies tube liaison that had occured. You idiot, Natalie thought, though she made a mental note to replicate a certain testing tool as soon as she had a private moment, just to be sure. Swallowing, she shook her head.

"No, Master Chief, we do not know." Thoughts of eggs, of taking seed, of being twisted and corrupted turned her stomach still and added a faint heat to her cheeks as she desperately fought for some of that professionalism, and even the satisfaction she had been feeling minutes before. "We have no indication one way or the other as to how someone becomes infected.Though we do know that there is a parasite of some form. Their...reproductive vector is as unknown at this time as the testing method we are desperately in need of."And thank you for raising that spectare to the rest of us, Chief. It's just what I was looking for, a brand new nightmare to make my skin crawl.

She forced a smile onto her face all the same, and turning to Ejek and Martin, said quietly, "I suppose it goes without saying that we now need to ask Dr. Nicander about that particular issue as well? Though I truthfully have no idea if we'll get an honest answer from him." She shook her head a bit and then focused back solely on Vivian.

"Commander Martin, you said that you had some ideas on who you wished to promote into Assistant roles?" She had to tread a bit carefully here as she continued. "In addition to those recovered from the Versant and Bellerophon, have you had time to review the officers that the Sword rescued from the Endeavour?" She knew that there were a few prospective Department heads there, and that Captain Ives had been planning on folding in Commander Ducote at some point, into the role that she currently held. Natalie was under no illusion that her position as Executive Officer was a well and truly temporary posting. She just had to do as well as she could to prove to the Captain she was worthy of the trust, and the responsibility.

And then...there was the personal matter of her friend. "As well as the officers from the Cayuga?"

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Reply #16 –
[ CPO Liam Herrold | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]
Hearing Stark's reply on how much latitude he had in choosing a replacement for himself as Head of Weapon Systems and Armament - a new WSA Chief - Liam Herrold smiled tiredly and nodded to the woman, glancing at Ravon when it was suggested that they were both available for advise. "Thank you," was all he said for the time being, though he wondered what they might say if he'd voice his choice already. His mind was set on promoting Petty Officer Sithick for the role since he had never encountered someone with such aptitude for reverse-engineering of weapon systems, and the Gorn already knew the deck crew well enough - his experience long and the additional muscle power having proven indispensable. Furthermore, the Gorn had repelled Asurian, Savi and Klingon boarders in the Fighter Bay, and if the mission was to continue in any way like it had so far, having the Gorn in the bay was a life insurance for the deck crew as well.

The conversation turned to topics that Liam was not well-versed in, ranging from the Infested to how they could be detected. The notion of the Chief Medical Officer having used his position to make more like him was horrible, and Liam found himself looking around the table for reactions. Derik - whom he knew well - did not seem comfortable, but Liam doubted anyone would notice the Helmsman's reaction. Had he seen Doctor Nicander when he came aboard? No, perhaps it was just Liam's imagination. He hoped his friend from the Resolve wasn't in any trouble.

"The only detection method we have," said Deputy zh'Wann from the other side of the table, speaking up at last after having been silent until then. Her tone was quiet but firm, her antennae angled forth. She looked a bit weary, just like Liam felt. "Is the very one you just mentioned, Commander Stark, and that I implemented. The times when we've had due cause to suspect a crewmember, like when Commanders Trent and Wenn Cinn came aboard, we have used a maximal stun setting and shot them. Then, we scanned their vital signs afterwards. As of now, it's the only means we have, but as it has been suggested..."

She shifted her eyes and antennae to T'Less, whom she gave a small smile. Did they know each other? "It is hardly ideal to preform this test on all the new crew from the Bellerophon, just because they hail from Sankolov's fleet. For all we know, it's just the Admiral that's an Infested. The road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is quite short. In any case... it's good to see you back on your feet, Lieutenant."

Liam wasn't sure, but it was clear the Andorian wished to say a lot more to the Vulcan in Tactical. Perhaps it was the company in the room that made the Deputy do naught else than smile in that weary way she did to T'Less? Liam refrained from commenting altogether, just hoping he was wrong about Derik.

"I will be picking Lieutenant Adam Kingston as my new Master-at-Arrns since Ensign Sel was killed in action," added the Andorian and looked back at Stark. "I will let you know about a new Deputy, unless someone takes on Wenn Cinn's responsibilities in my stead, in which case I'll remain the Deputy. As for Doctor Nicander, all visits will have to happen with armed guards present, but visiting hours will be handled to accommodate this research about his nature." She frowned a little then in thought, glancing towards the Acting CMO. "Preferably... Doctor Rez, a treatment against the infestation remains a priority, correct? The Medical Department should not be excluded, since from what I understand... the Infested are still just hosts, and might be saved from what has happened to them? If we find a way to treat Doctor Nicander, we might treat those in Starfleet Command... and they might even look more kindly upon what this crew has done."

Why was the Andorian looking at the Trill as if she was trying to see someone else behind those yes? Was it Liam's imagination, or was zh'Wann peering at Rez as if wondering who it was she was really talking to?

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Reply #17 –
[ Lt. JG Derik Veradin | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]

Derik had been keeping quiet throughout the meeting, his usual outgoing nature tempered by recent events and the gravity of this recent conversation. He admitted to himself that small tidbits slipped through his mind at random thoughts, like smoke slipping through one’s fingers. Yet the mention of familiar names brought his mind hurtling back, refocusing on everything that was being said.

They discussed their former chief medical officer and the new protocols surrounding contact with him. Derik’s teeth pressed together hard like he was locking his jaw shut. The more they talked about him, the more he felt uncomfortable, which he did his absolute best to hide. He kept his eyes focused on whoever was talking at the time, trying to ignore the massive pit full of slithering serpents in his stomach. His left hand rose to his lower lip, playing absentmindedly with his short stubble as if contemplating on everything that was being said. His right balled into a tight fist, nails digging into the palm like tiny razors. The pain helped him to focus on the details and pushed the feelings of worry back down. If Nicander had been infected, especially for a long time, how many others could he have infected? How many others were walking around not knowing the threat they posed to their fellow crewmates yet? What happens when they wake up one day and they are not themselves? Truly their situation was grave if they had to suspect every person brought aboard, or indeed their own people.

“The road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is quite short.” Ice water filled Veradin’s veins as Zh’Wann spoke. She was right of course. Letting one’s mind jump ahead of the facts is how people get hurt, or worse.

The Trill took a slow, inconspicuous deep breath as the conversation moved forward, his heartbeat ever, albeit painfully, slowing back to its more normal rhythm. He crossed his ankles to keep his legs from moving too much. Fighting only drew attention and Derik did not like the spotlight.

Surely if he had intended to take over the Theurgy he would have done it by now. He’s had the time; he’s had the freedom of movement. There’s no evidence to suggest he’s infected anyone else yet. His balled fist relaxed, the groves where his nails had been were aching. He rolled his hand over, checking to make sure he wasn’t dripping blood all over the chair, and gratefully the skin was red, but unbroken. You’re beating yourself up over unknowns. They’ll figure out a better way to check if someone is infected eventually. Everybody will get checked out then, and anybody who might be infected will receive help right? Derik swallowed a little harder than he perhaps should have.

He did his best to quell any further thoughts of who might be infected or not. He let his eyes make a quick pass over the other heads of house. A familiar set of blue eyes stared back at him. Liam. So much for that mostly cold shoulder when Derik first arrived huh? Was that…concern? Derik was unsure for he gave a slight smile and forced his eyes to return to the conversation at hand. He hoped the small display would dissuade any later questions, even though a part of him doubted he'd avoid a conversation later. He was under a lot of stress and without a doubt it was showing on his tired face. 

Speaking of eyes, as his own returned to the conversation at hand, Zh'Wann was looking rather intently at Dr. Rez....perhaps too intently. Almost accusingly? Something was clearly worrying the Andorian.

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Reply #18 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]  Attn: @Argyros, @Auctor Lucan, @Brutus ,  @FollowTomorrow,  @Nolan, @The Ostrich , @Top Hat

"The road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is quite short."

Too late, Billy Bob O’Connell realized that his paranoia was contagious.  Apparently it was unwise to spread suspicion and helpless dread around the room, particularly when almost half the folks sitting around this here table were newcomers.  O’Connell couldn’t have impeded teamwork and unit integrity more if he tried.  Talk about your ‘oops’ moments!

"Preferably... Doctor Rez, a treatment against the infestation remains a priority, correct? The Medical Department should not be excluded, since from what I understand... the Infested are still just hosts, and might be saved from what has happened to them? If we find a way to treat Doctor Nicander, we might treat those in Starfleet Command... and they might even look more kindly upon what this crew has done."

There was an uncomfortable silence as Lieutenant zh'Wann finished her piece and gave Doctor Rez the stink-eye.  To the Andorian’s credit, it was a subtle stink-eye, not too obvious, but not too hidden either. 

And Master Chief O’Connell couldn’t blame her.  Who would Nicander plant his eggs in first, if not the rest of the medical department, and the assistant chief medical officer would no doubt be first in line.  As a matter of fact, scuttlebutt had it that is was Doc Nicander himself who transferred the symbiont and turned sweet little Doctor Duv into the new and improved Doctor Rez.  Could anybody with half a brain not make the connection and add two plus two and get four?  If Nicander had only infected one person aboard the Theurgy, the officer most likely to be infected was his replacement.

From the looks of things, Lieutenant zh’Wann was on the case.  Even so things were getting a mite tense in here so O’Connell decided to dial things down and break the ice.

“Ah’m shore, Ah say Ah’m shore thet findin’ uh way tuh identify an’ actually treat the infested will git a whole lot easier now thet Doc Nicander ain’t leadin’ th’ investigation,” O’Connell drawled with a confidence that wasn't very convincing.  “As uh matter uh fact, Ah hear we got some bran new doctors from at least two diff’rent starships tuh make sure thet we got fresh eyes on this subject, a different perspective that is…”

Billy Bob didn’t spell it out, but to his way of thinking the newest arrivals were the least likely to have been infected by Doctor Nicander.  With luck, one of the chief medical officers from the Cayuga or the Endeavour would become the chief medical officer of the Theurgy and give all of the other doctors and nurses a thorough screening, preferably with armed guards in the room.

Meanwhile, it was high time that Billy Bob shut his hole.  He had done enough damage and the situation didn't need any more salt rubbed into the wound.  He shut his big mouth and made sure that he didn't look directly at Lieutenants Rez or zh'Zann.

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Reply #19 –
[ Dr Rez & Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Argyros , @Auctor Lucan , @Brutus  ,  @FollowTomorrow ,  @Doc M. , @The Ostrich  , @Top Hat

Thomas gave a nod to Stark even though she looked somewhat stern. He waved it off and just continued to listen to the others in silence. As he was reading through the PADD with all the messages from Zephy Praise, the newest tactical officer, Lietuenant T'Less informed him keenly that the ship was still in a communications blackout. The color drained from the pilot's face for a second as he scolded himself for being so oblivious. He knew about this blackout yet he hadn't thought about it after the battle.

"Thank you lieutenant." he smiled to the Vulcan besides him and he pushed the PADD away as his mind wasn't fully at the staff meeting anymore. A million thoughts, questions and worry flooded him now. Was Zephyr aboard the Dauntless or the Bellerophon? Was she hurt? How did she end up here? Was she actually really here or was someone playing a game with him?

Rez had looked at Ravon as his complexions had turned paler for a second, yet he seemed quite sunken in thoughts himself as he regained his natural color. She idly listened in to the chatter about Nicander, Science wanting to work with Counseling to get more information out of her former boss. Yet the present member sliced in to more urgent matters, transmission and detection of said parasites.

Suddenly the eyes of the room were on the blonde Trill and Amelya remained in the same position, not at all uncomfortable by it. She looked at the gathered members and nodded "Treatment and detection are still priorities for Medical yes, though I suppose I do not need to inform all of you that the speed of which this research is rather slow." she paused as her eyes went to O'Connell "Not because we don't put our full effort into it, yet because of the staggering work we've been having over the past hours, days, weeks, months. Keep in mind that the ship complement of nearly a thousand crew members have been in sickbay at least once during that time." she straightened up "We're working with what we've got left and I'm glad to hear that we'll get some fresh eyes to look at the research that we have. Yet I don't want you all to get your hopes up too high. This is slow research and it will take time.We are still a long way from finding a cure to deal with this" she emphasized.

The eyes of Rez came to rest on the Andorian in the room. She could feel them protruding her very essence as if to figure out what she was thinking. A flash of realization hit her as she got a short flash of what said Deputy and one of her former hosts had shared. An intimate relationship of sorts.. Though another flash showed the same deputy threatening Edena at some point about betraying the Theurgy's crew. Amelya cast her eyes to the table for a second to process all the information before she looked back up to Stark "That said, Medical is still working on the injuries during our latest engagement. We couldn't help the loss of some crew, but we're working on saving as much as we can." she concluded before she looked back to Ida. They had met aboard the Harbinger in the brig. Under worse circumstances... Yet they hadn't kept in touch and she simply gave a short nod to Ida to check if they were alright.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #20 –
[ Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Conference Room | USS Theurgy]

She heard Vivian ask to be involved in the interviewing, and almost entertained the idea of allowing it. Almost. No, she’d much rather practice her interrogation skills on her own, without an audience.
“When I write my report, I will include you among the list of recipients.” She promised the woman, and continued paying attention to the meeting, leaving no more space for arguments.

However she wished she didn’t, because suddenly a bomb of epic proportions was dropped on her in quite possibly the most rude and ungraceful way she could think of. By the way Zelosa, you’re stepping down from Chief Counselor to assistant. Have fun with that.
”Commander,” She began, her tone carefully controlled. It’s not like she liked being Chief Counselor of a ship full of chaotically-aligned village idiots, but… “You’re not meaning to tell me that I’m losing my position?” And rather than being told, one on one, it was announced in front of everyone, just like that. As if it was meant to embarrass her.

Truthfully, this is not how she expected Stark to behave. Up until now, Ejek had thought the other woman to be quite an excellent leader. For the most part, she knew how to handle tough situations. So it came unexpected to her that Stark would have the political guile to humiliate her in front of her peers like that.

Then again, her position was provisional. She knew it was coming, but she had begun working on the assumption that she was the only one fit for the position. And she did not enjoy being the head of a department that was metaphorically running around with their heads on fire. At the same time, Chief Counselor Ejek had a nice ring to it…
“...I would appreciate it if I was informed of this privately.” She added, and then went silent once more to let the others talk.

She was a well-composed woman, but something about the ridges around her eyes hardened from that point onwards, as she struggled with her rage.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #21 –
[ Lt T'Less | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy | Full House ] @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan

The Vulcan remained quiet through the replies to her question. If the best extant test for infestation was a maximum stun beam, she could well understand the hesitation to use it. There was a certain wry amusement in the thought of taking it to the survivors of the Bellerophon, though. 'Hello. If you could all calmly line up to be shot; this will only take a minute.' It didn't take a genius to see that the plan was not the greatest.

It was somewhat frustrating that the realities of their situation meant that the research into detection/removal had to go slowly. There was a gun aimed at the galaxy's head, and there didn't seem to be a way to jam anything behind the trigger. The back of her neck itched.

Ida smiled at her.

A small smile, but on anyone else it would have been a metre-wide grin. The Deputy had a well and fairly earned reputation for being hard, and not a little cold. It was T'Less' opinion that she was mostly hard on herself, and everyone else merely caught the spillover. The Vulcan inclined her head to acknowledge Ida's greeting, tapping a fingernail on her PADD for a moment. This was not an appropriate forum for a catch-up, but she wanted to catch her before they parted ways again and disappeared into their duties for the next however-long. She typed a message to send to Ida's own screen.

[Are you available to talk after this meeting? -E. ]

T'Less forced her face to remain passive as Rez spoke of their casualties. Another few taps on her PADD, and she had the current death toll. The number burned accusingly from the screen... another chapter of her failure. She blanked the display before she could sink into a brooding mire. Lieutenant Ejek expressed her dissatisfaction with her new role.

"None of these position changes are snubs, Lieutenant," T'Less said. "We must integrate our new arrivals, and some of them hold the advantage in rank or experience. If nothing else, a less senior position means you may spend less time on administrative tasks and allow you to perform your specialised function; I am certain that none here think you anything less than a superlative counsellor."

For her own part, she would miss being the Acting Chief Tactical Officer - because an array like Thea's demanded respect - assuming the incoming officer was suitably up to the task. But the times required sacrifice.
Nator 159: "I accept no responsibility for the ensign's manifest stupidity. Sir." [Show/Hide]
Ranaan Ducote: "A ship is a home; its crew a family." [Show/Hide]
T'Less: "Your odds of prevailing against us are... slim." [Show/Hide]
Valkra: "Come! We will shake the gates of Sto'Vo'Kor!" [Show/Hide]

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #22 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]  Attn: @Argyros, @Auctor Lucan, @Brutus ,  @FollowTomorrow,  @Nolan, @The Ostrich , @Top Hat

There was another brief but uncomfortable silence after Lieutenant Ejek protested being pushed aside in order to accommodate some newcomer who possessed a higher rank but unproven loyalty.  Master Chief Petty Officer Billy Bob O’Connell could empathize.  Quite frankly it was hard to trust the new people.  Were they truly convinced that a conspiracy of intelligent subspace parasites had taken over Starfleet Command or were they just humoring Captain Ives and everybody else aboard the Theurgy?  Were any of them possessed by the alien parasites themselves?  And even if they were convinced of the unspeakable truth, would they remain Starfleet officers or would their sense of discipline collapse into a state of jungle law like what happened aboard the Harbinger?  Of course, it was quite possible that Ejek thought she had been singled out because of her species.  Anyone who had been serving in Starfleet for more than six years remembered the Dominion War and the decade long conflict with the Cardassians the decade before that.  Thankfully Lieutenant T'Less came to the rescue.  In a show of support, Master Chief O’Connell decided to chime in and jump on the bandwagon. 

”Speakin’, Ah say, speakin’ uh spendin’ less time on administrative tasks an’ allowin’ m’self tuh perform muh specialized function who do Ah train tuh take mah position as actin’ chief engineerin’ ossifer?” Billy Bob asked as he held up his right hand.  ”Ah heard tell thet we got more then one newcomer onboard who served ez chief engineerin’ ossifer back on their own ship, so Ah’m assumin’ thet Ah’ll be relieved of those administrative tasks sooner or later.  Ah reckon Ah should give each of ‘em th' guided tour uh th’ Theurgy but who should Ah make uh priority?  Which one should take precedence that is?”

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #23 –
[ LtCmdr Vivian Martin | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]

[Show/Hide]

Vivian waited a few moments after Stark’s questions toward her. Other officers in the room were speaking and lines of communication crossed the room at breakneck speeds, many directed back toward the acting XO.

”I have reviewed all the new arrivals in my department” Vivian nodded toward Stark as she spoke ”I believe my prospective candidates to be the best choices for the positions. All I need to do is speak with them, and hope that they accept these roles with the grace and skill their records indicate they have.”

She sipped her coffee and sat back in her seat. She was confident that they were the right choices, and having worked on the bridge with both of them during the Battle of the Apertures, she knew first hand just how capable they both were. If they both accepted, which she hoped they would, then the science department would be able to kick off a few projects which had been sitting on the back benches for far too long. Additionally, with more minds now on the task, research regarding the parasite threat may finally begin to make progress in the right direction.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1700] Patch Job

Reply #24 –
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Observation Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @The Ostrich @Argyros @Doc M. @Top Hat @FollowTomorrow @Nolan @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]

Well, shit, Natalie thought as she struggled to keep her features calm. While Liam had taken the news of his latitude with aplomb, and fallen into a contemplative silence, and she could see that Lieutenant Veridan had a bit of a nervous cast about him (understandable, given the circumstances) it was junior Lieutenant Ejek that drew the mental oath from Natalie. It seemed that her efforts at discretion had failed her in this case.

The Acting XO's face fell just a bit, despite her control. Cardassian's were hard to read for most humans, as a general rule. Natalie fell into that category. For all their humanoid mannerisms, they were still an Alien at heart. "My apologies, Lieutenant. I had just been informed prior to this meeting and had been under the impression you had, as well. I was trying for discretion in the matter. I seem to have failed that." And did you really expect to continue to be Chief with that rank? Tread carefully Nat, she thought, folding her hands over each other and trying to ignore the sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She did not like this at all. "As I stated at the start of the meeting many of us are here simply because we are acting in a role that we might not have tomorrow. Your's was such a case, Lieutenant, as mine likely is."

Into the silence that followed, Billy Bob - bless him - spoke up, and offered a way to help move things along. Natalie turned her gaze to him, and while she didn't smile outright, she hoped something in the look of her eyes conveyed a sense of thanks. "Nothing has been set in stone on that front, Master Chief, but if nothing else I would most certainly suggest you give a tour to Lt. Commander Tiran, formerly of the USS Endeavour. As I said, nothing has been confirmed at this time -" Technically true, as no one had told her that Ducote's fiancee would be taking over the position, "But she is the current highest ranking Engineering officer aboard. I'd be grateful. And once I know more...I'll let you know, Master Chief."

That was all she would say on the matter, and turned her attention to Ida zh'Wann, giving the Deputy a nod to proceed. It was clear the blue skinned woman had something to say, and Natalie had perceived correctly.

From that awkward moment - which had the effect of removing what little chance of a smile Natalie might have managed for the rest of the meeting and left her stomach in a sick knot - the acting Chief of Security outlined for the others the only viable method for detection that had to date been discovered. And illustrated quite succinctly the issue with employing that method wholesale upon the crews of the Bellerophon and Dauntless.

"It goes without saying that Captain Ives would not authorize such a test, in any event," was all that Natalie contributed on that point, as the question of shooting everyone was put to rest. "Mr. Kingston conducted himself rather well upon his removal from Stasis a few days prior. His conduct was exemplary in assisting the Cayuga and Stallion during our unfortunate dealings with escaped Asurian boarders. I'll forward my own recommendation along with yours, Deputy. As for the position of Chief of Security, I am not yet privy to any changes there." Truth. The updated list of "Transfers and Promotions" that she and Ives had discussed would be sent to her later. For the moment the only concrete decisions she knew of were that Lt. Commander Hathev of the Bellerophon would be replacing Lt. (jg) Ejek, as had been unfortunately handled in the meeting.

And that Captain Ives had no desire to put Dr. Rez into the permanent position of CMO. Unfortunately, Natalie wasn't going to be able to confirm a replacement yet as they had none lined up at the time of her meeting with the ships commanding officer. So for now, as Ida, Billy Bob and Dr. Rez herself began a more detailed discussion of Dr. Nicander, Natalie held her peace. The doctor raised good points, and she wasn't going to undercut Rez's authority on the subject just now.

While the trio went back and forth, Natalie got her answer from the ships current Chief of Sciences. Everything that Nat knew at this point led her to believe that Vivian would be keeping her position. True, there was another Lieutenant Commander ranked former Science Chief at their disposal, but Vivian Martin had just as much claim on the position and wasn't outranked by Mr. Kaeris. Unlike the situation with Lt. Cmdr. Hathev, and the far more junior Lt. jg Ejek, where the later was grossly outranked by the former, there would be no change of Department head for Sciences. Nor for the Lone Wolves Natalie reminded herself, letting her eyes dart to Thomas, briefly, before settling back on Vivian.

"Thank you Commander. I know we have a lot of officers from a lot of ships to try and balance out. I appreciate your taking the time to schedule interviews with all the available resources. For what it is worth I know a bit about some of the Cayuga crew and would be willing to forward insights, if needed. In any case." she tapped her PADD against the table, drawing the focus back to her and raising her voice slightly, to cut the cross conversation.

"Captain Ives would like a report from each of you, as I noted before, about department status. If anyone has recommendations along those lines beyond what we've already discussed, and would like to share with the group, now is the time to do so. As for the work to be done with Dr. Nicander," she failed to keep her expression from darkening, "I look forward to seeing any suggestions that you may come up with, Dr. Rez, as well as the insights that new staff to the medical department may bring to the table. As you and Master Chief O'Connell have pointed out, new perspectives in this front are much needed."

She leaned back in her chair and crossed one foot over the other, letting her gaze sweep across the room. She met everyone's eyes, even Ejek's, though that was but a brief glance. "Now. We've talked about what I need from you. We've got a lot to sort through, and we're hoping to have a safe harbor in the near future. Now is a chance for all of you to bring up any specific needs you have, in regards to your departments, the duties you'll be carrying out in the interim, or...for that matter, any personal issues that might need to be brought to my, or Captain Ives attention."

Natalie saw some flickers of surprise there, at that last note and allowed herself a small, tight smile. "We've just been through a hell of a week. You are, for now, the heads of staff for this ship. And it is my job to make sure your needs are voiced to the Captain, and are attended to. So....the floor is yours, ladies and gentlemen."

- FIN
 
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