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Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

[ William Robert O’Connell | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ]  Atten: @Jm Von Cat

It was a bit of an understatement to say that the Devoted were becoming a nuisance.  Belay that, they were becoming a threat.  To say they were an unstable element while the officers of the Theurgy were trying to integrate the new faces from the Harbinger, Black Opal, and the Resolve into the crew was an understatement.  That was why Wenn Cinn and the security department had devoted their time to discovering where the cult worshipping Sarresh Morali held their meetings.  

It came as no surprise when it was revealed that the Temporal Observatory Lab on Deck Nine was the preferred temple for their prayer meetings.  Master Chief Petty Officer William “Billy Bob” O’Connell could just imagine the folks in security kicking themselves for not looking there first.  As a private meeting place, it was almost perfect.  If one could get past the locked door, privacy was assured.  Internal sensors and holoprojectors were disabled, belay that, they were disconnected, scavenged for parts to replace components that had been damaged when the officers of the Harbinger had made their play for control of the Theurgy.  Since the Temporal Observatory Lab wasn’t a crucial part of the ship (mainly since Sarresh Morali seldom went to work, preferring to mope in his quarters about the life he had lost) restoring internal sensors to the TO lab wasn’t a priority, until now.

When the job was assigned to the engineering department, acting Chief Engineer William O’Connell appointed himself to the task, since his paranoia got in the way of trusting anyone else to do it without installing something that would bite everyone on the ass further down the line.  Between folks getting possessed by aliens, affected by extraterrestrial pollen, becoming extremist fanatics, or just being too new to trust no one could really blame him.  Besides, replacing standard components didn’t take any brainpower; it was just grunt work.  Even a crewman could do it, if you showed him how and explained it slowly.  But after being thrust into the role of department head of a full-fledged dreadnought, Billy Bob needed something to allow himself to turn his tired brain off for a spell.

Assisting him was Petty Officer First Class Varder Ridun from the security department.  It was stupid to have a department head work alone while tampering with a site sacred to the religious fanatics who had caused so many casualties in less than three days, so Petty Officer Ridun had drawn the short straw. Wenn and O’Connell had chosen him for a number of reasons, and the main one was that he was considered trustworthy enough to get past the healthy suspicions that both Cinn and Billy Bob were experiencing these days.  Varder Ridun had been in cryosleep ever since the first attack of the Calamity, and hadn’t been exposed to the doctrine of the Devoted, and probably wouldn’t have been a convert if he had.  The twentysomething from Bajor placed his faith in people, rather than Prophets, whether they lived in the Bajoran Wormhole or claimed to be castaways from the future.  In addition, his heroic actions against the Devoted during their attempt to take over the Theurgy yesterday had put him on their smeg list.  Odds were that Varder needed a bodyguard even more than Billy Bob did.

It was wasteful to have an able body stand around when every department was shorthanded, so rather than merely be on guard duty Varder Ridun was assisting in the installation of the internal sensors.  Although enlisted men tended to be specialists, the need to fill open positions meant that cross-training was the rule aboard the Theurgy rather than the exception.  Even so, Ridun often found himself standing around and handing things to O’Connell who was standing on an antigravity disk, allowing him to install the necessary components in the ceiling. 

The master chief’s reputation for loquaciousness was justified.  Ever since Varder entered the TO lab he had been subjected to Billy Bob’s nonstop patter that droned on like a rhythmic chant for almost twenty minutes.  Now the master chief was strangely quiet.  Perhaps the older man had run out of energy.  As if to confirm that analysis, O’Connell lowered the antigrav disk he was standing on down to less than a half meter above the deck before sitting on it like a barstool. 

“Petty Officer,” he asked in a tired voice.  “You ever hanker to turn back th’ clock?”   

Re: Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Reply #1 –
[ PO1 Varder Ridun | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ]

Two days, that is roughly how long Petty Officer Ridun had been awake. Within those two days he had found himself getting very tired with one particular word "Devoted", a rather common side effect when a name is affiliated with a group trying to kill you, rather like Cardasians, or Empire. At present Varder was attempting to do something about it, or assist someone else in doing something about it as the given situation he found himself in was not one in which he held any proficiency. Maintenance or engineering, the name sometimes changed depending on what exactly was being done, not that any of that mattered to Riduns overall understanding of exactly what was needed where.

At least before he had gone on this particular little assignment he had been forewarned of Chief Petty Officer O'Connell's somewhat eccentric nature, not that the constant chatter particularly bothered him. Indeed it offered two distinct things that were probably not the chiefs intention. Firstly a steady sound that would gain his attention if it suddenly stopped for whatever reason, even if that event was unlikely. Secondly the meandering conversation was something to place his thoughts rather than letting them wander.

It made some logical sense that Ridun would end up with this little post on the duty roster, after all the only devoted he had ever met had tried to kill him. Or at least the only devoted he knew about, but that was not the only detail. He was only supposed to perform light duties, standing around was for the most part fairly light. The idea of only pulling light duty at a time like this was however a rather bitter pill to swallow, although the young Bajoran tried to rationalize that the crew had done perfectly fine while he was in stasis.

Then came a slightly different set of words from this chief, "You ever hanker to turn back th' clock?" A question that was rather unexpected, one that Ridun offered a few seconds pause to before providing some kind of answer. "I can not say I have, if ever I did decide to think on such a thing where exactly would I turn the clock back to? Yesterday, The day I was injured? Back to Bajor?" He offered a small shrug, not that he expected Billy Bob to see it, as he assumed that Billy Bob was at that moment busied in his work rather than paying attention to him, indeed that was exactly how it was for Varder as his attention was more keenly directed towards the door.

Re: Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Reply #2 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ]

Ridun’s answer struck Billy Bob as peculiar, but then again the master chief’s question had been a mite peculiar too.

“Why back afore all o’ this happened o’ course,” Billy Bob clarified.  “Back when the enemy wore a different uniform than you did.  Back when being part of Starfleet meant being an explorer, a pioneer that is, always lookin’ fer th’ next new world or the next discovery.  Back before everyone became as crazy as a run over Romulan.”  Looking at the temporal monitoring equipment that to Billy’s eyes was just high tech crystal balls, tarot cards, and I ching sticks the master chief couldn’t help but get philosophical.  “Ah really hate t’ admit it, but a part o’ me unner stands where them idjits who call themselves th’ Devoted are commin’ from.  It would shore be nice if some time traveler could show up an find out where it went wrong so he could go back an nip this in the bud so’s it doesn’t have ta happen in the first place.  That way Starfleet would still have its soul, none of those folks wouldn’t had t’ die, and th’ Theurgy's mission would be to seek out new life an’ new civilizations, an’ do all thet other stuff Zephram Cochrane yammered on about.”

Re: Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Reply #3 –
[ PO1 Varder Ridun | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ]

Varder paused for a second, chewing briefly on his lower lip as he heard the master chief's words. He even turned for a brief moment to see what, if anything he could pick up from the mans demeanor. All the while he kept the rather semi stoic expression he tended to adopt.

Then he spoke, having listened to the master chiefs thoughts.
"In that case.. no, who the hell would listen even if we could? I mean, what does this entire thing sound like to you? Nothing I can imagine anyone from before this started believing." Having said that small bit, Varder returned his attention towards the door before continuing. "Even then, say we convinced people.. there is so much else that could go wrong, I know that I would not want two of these journeys on my mind. Time travel or not." The younger man shifted his stance slightly, his right hand brought up behind his neck and providing a firm rub in what overall looked like a stretch. "That is not to say I would not have liked for none of this to have ever happened, I just feel like those are two entirely different things..." He stopped there, trailing off into a quiet that surely the master chief would soon fill.

Re: Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Reply #4 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ]

Distracted by his own thoughts, Billy Bob seemed to have a difficult time processing Varder's response, but who could blame anyone on this ship for being distracted?  “Yuh lost, Ah say, yuh lost me there son,” the master chief drawled.   “Yew calculatin’ that their ain’t no point goin’ back t’ warn folks is that it?  Hell boy, that notion is too dumb tuh teach a hen tuh cluck, it’s ridiculous that is.  The only way time travel’s gonna fix it would either be tuh expose th’ first fellers what got themselves possessed or find out where these creatures come from inna first place an’ hit th’ planet from orbit.  Ah figure thet when Mister Morelli finds out where these fellas come from he’ll notify his buddies in th’ future an’ they’ll use one of their timeships tuh go back and general order seven  the whole mess of ‘em.  It would be more loco than a Palked doin’ long division tuh go back an’ try to use a ship o’ th’ time tuh change things!  Too many things could go wrong.  One, lahk yuh say, they wouldn’t believe yuh, leastways not in time, an’ two, whut if yuh don’t go back far enough an’ don’t got time tuh travel tuh where yuh need tuh be?”  With those words, O’Connell blinked as if he had experienced an epiphany.  “Hey I jest realized… time… travel…  Ah made a funny boy!” he laughed obnoxiously as he stood up and slapped the younger man on the back.  "That's a joke, son!  Don’t y’ get it?  I keep throwin’ ‘em but yew ain’t catchin’!”  He chortled loudly once more before he sobered and dropped his voice to a soft volume.  “It shore is, Ah say it shore is hard getting’ a word in edgewise with you flappin’ yer gums alla time lahk that son.”


OOC:  Forgive me.

Re: Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Reply #5 –
[ PO1 Varder Ridun | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Doc M.

Varder furrowed his brow for a moment, although any reply he might have had an idea to put forth was very quickly put to the sidelines as 'Billy Bob' began another of his signature rambling talks. Although, this ramble bothered him about as much as his previous ones. That is to say not at all, although this time at least he was paying that little bit more attention. The fact the chief said he was lost was a confusing one, although not a point Varder had any time with which to think on this as the elder man threw word after word at him in his rather difficult to comprehend earthen dialect. He made the mildly amusing, albeit slightly grim connection that the chief was a little like a combat situation, you can be told what to expect but nothing ever prepares you for the real thing. 

That was not to say that the chief was not making sense, going over essentially every reason why Varder viewed all of this Devoted nonsense as a bad idea. Because, after all, was this Morali man not here with the crew because he fucked up his time ship? Varder threw a rather nonchalant shrug and took a few short steps away from the chief following the back slap, his head turning as he gave the room another visual sweep. Nothing had changed, nothing was good. Then the chief made his comment about flapping gums, to which the younger man turned his head towards the elder with a raised eyebrow with a mildly incredulous expression on his face. "I suppose I should lock it up then chief, lest I let some cultist know we are here with my great volume of speech".

Re: Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Reply #6 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ]

“Now hold on there, son,” the master chief drawled to let the petty officer know that Billy Bob was aware he was being smart with him.  “It’s your, Ah say, your turn t’ git on this here A-grav platform and install th’ sensors,” he added in order to change the subject, since Varder had followed Starfleet protocol when he spelled ‘sir’ with a ‘c’ and a ‘u’.  Moving the floating disk two meters horizontally, he continued giving instructions that by now the young Bajoran had heard many times before.  “Now jest remember what Ah told yuh , remove the overhead covering and slide it to th’ side there,” he continued as he offered the petty officer a steadying hand up.  Although someone as young and limber as Varder Ridun didn’t need a hand up, Billy Bob always offered one since climbing up on that contraption multiple times meant that someone was going to have a spill eventually. 

Once Varder had the section of the ceiling plating open Billy Bob handed him an ODN recoupler before handing him the uninstalled sensor node itself.  Thankfully the components had been designed for easy swap outs; that was one of the reasons why they had been removed in the first place.  Each sensor/communication node was a contained in a molded polykeiyurium disk measuring eleven and a half centimeters in diameter and two centimeters thick.  There was no technical skill needed to install or uninstall them, but since they were hidden in the overhead, that’s what civilians call the ceiling, installing them was a mite awkward.

It didn’t take long for Billy Bob to wax philosophical again.  Looking at the equipment for measuring changes in the time/space continuum seemed to get him thinking about history, personal or otherwise.  “Hey Varder, if you could go back in time, what would yuh change?” he asked the younger man.  “Ah don’t mean the Cardassian Occupation, that started afore you an’ I got here,” he clarified.  “Ah wuz cogitatin’ along th’ lines o’ somethin’ more personal, a path you didn’t take that is.  As fer me, there’s a lotta stuff Ah did as uh youngin’ back on Nimbus III that Ah regret, but Ah wuz too stupid t’ know dung from wild honey anyways.  Ah guess if Ah could change one thing, it’d be warnin’ mah ol’ CO, Cap’n Walker Keel that his ship was a gonna explode.  That man was lahk a father to me, the way a father wuz supposed t’ be, that is.”

He stopped to laugh at himself.  “Lissen t’ me, yammerin’ on like a Ferengi tryin’ t’ sell yuh somethin’,” he chuckled ruefully.  “Ah guess Ah gotta do somethin’ a bit more intellectually stimulatin’, somethin' more challengin', that is,” he admitted.  “So tell me son, if you could go back in time, what would yuh do different?”


OOC:  Time to give the other character in this thread a chance to get a word in edgewise and maybe tell us what he thinks this is all about.

Re: Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Reply #7 –
[ PO1 Varder Ridun | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Doc M.

Varders comment met with a rather expected form of reply, after all, the Chief was still an enlisted man as opposed to an academy commissioned. It was not at all unexpected for him to rather swiftly catch the younger mans drift. And getting him to do something? well, Varder had already been helping out here and there. The instructions offered alongside a steadying hand might have been repetitive, but were not unappreciated. Whilst he might have the outward appearance of being young and limber, Varder was injured and still somewhat uncertain of himself in light of that fact. And the instruction? Repetition makes right, that was a phrase his father had said and damn him if it was not sound, well applied advice.

Ceiling panel, ODN recoupler, sensor node.
Simple installation of the aforementioned node into the overhead.
Repeat.

It did not take long for the instructions to be replaced with a different line of conversation, which was once more philosophical in nature.
"Hey Varder, if you could go back in time, what would yuh change?"
Now there was a thought, although this question seemed to be rhetorical, or at least it was in this case as the older man followed it through with some of his own thoughts on the subject. Early life mistakes, the sort of thing every living being has. Then there was his choice, save, or at least try to save his father figure. Not an idea to far different from his own. Funny how different people could have such similar ideas.

Then came a laugh, followed by an invitation to speak, or at least that's what Varder assumed it was. Even so he gave a couple second pause as he summed up the thoughts hovering in his mind.
"If I could change one thing.. I would have tried to convince my parents to run, or join the resistance... something other than simply get carried away."
The young man paused for a moment, both movement and speech.
Only a few short moments.
"But I prefer not to think on that, we have the present to worry about. That's something we can have an effect on."
He offered a small shrug, there was little more Varder could think to add on the matter.

Re: Day 03 [0900 hrs.] Time to Reflect

Reply #8 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Temporal Observatory Lab | Deck 09 | USS Theurgy ]

Varder’s comment about his parents didn’t come as a surprise, or rather it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.  Thanks to the Cardassian Occupation and the Dominion War, Bajorans with happy childhoods were as scarce as Vulcans who cried at weddings.   On the other hand, the petty officer’s comment about the present struck O’Connell as surprisingly inspiring.  “Y’ know, you may have jest hit the nail on the head there Petty Officer,” the master chief murmured.  “We cain’t depend on some genie, or some god, or some time traveler tuh fix things fer us; we gotta take the initiative and hope they join in.  No, belay that,” he corrected himself.  “There ain’t no point in hopin’ that someone else is gonna fix this.  The only way to make sure is tuh do everythin’ in our power tuh do it ourselves.  We ain’t gonna fix th’ problem by hoping that someone else will do it for us.”

~ FIN
 
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