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Interregnum 02-03 S2 / Day 02 [0030 hrs] The Ready Room Catch up
Last post by Dumedion -After the relatively successful vole hunt (which had taken up much of the day, followed by a thorough inventory of all the lower science labs), Vanya had briefly met with Dr. Frost, which had consisted of the freshly thawed CSO informing her of the impending diplomatic mission to Romulus, as well as adding to the list of other objectives he wished her to accomplish. This news was taken neutrally, of course; while she certainly had no love of the idea of returning to Romulus, there were few remaining on board that spoke the languages needed to facilitate the mission – in that logic, she couldn’t help but agree with Frost’s judgement.
Still, risks remained; not only for herself, but for everyone else sent along.
Vanya kept that line of thought running along in a dedicated sub-routine as she continued to inventory the labs; post battle, with the ship repairs underway (as much as they could be, given the current quasi-political situation), and with her memory still shredded with annoying gaps – she hoped that by thoroughly refamiliarizing herself with her surroundings, a piece of what had been lost might be restored...
...Thus far, to no positive effect.
Ever the optimist, Vanya refused to abandon the experiment; there had been several radiation-variance scanners rediscovered, along with a deltoidal icositetrahedron phased lens misplaced in the wrong drawer – both of which earned a genuine smile of surprised delight.
Who knows what else could be waiting for me?
Vanya suddenly stopped mid-stride as if struck by an electrical overload; she blinked once, then twice, as her mind whirred through several emotional states in rapid succession. Not something...someone had been waiting since the Triangle, and likely didn’t even know that she still functioned; someone that meant more to her than words could accurately describe – someone that was now impossibly occupied with the burdens of command, and likely unreachable. Green eyes, the shade of impossibly dark forests, darted to the chrono as she spun to the door, lab coat snatched from the back of a chair with haste. Well, we'll just see about that wont we?
“Computer, be a dear and please locate Commander Stark,” Vanya inquired as she pulled the coat on over her duty uniform; a thing she had grown to tolerate, but never enjoy – not even the skirt variant – which she chose to wear more than the atrocious trousers. Bare feet padded over the scratched (but meticulously clean) lab tiles, pausing only briefly to scoop up a pair of knee-high boots, which her feet were subsequently shoved into without ceremony.
“Captain Stark is in the Ready Room,” the computer announced.
"Thank you darling." Manners cost nothing but time, and were never wasted.
Vanya hesitated at the new rank; her brow creased with an unusual emotion – then vanished as the feeling was isolated and removed from her active cognitive processes, redirected to join the dozens of other running sub-routines in her synthetic cortex.
Regardless of what has occurred…the changes, the added roles…she’s still Nat, and I am still me, Vanya reminded herself as she left the lab, bound for the nearest turbolift.
[…Moments later | Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy]
The turbolift door opened to reveal a (thankfully) minimally crewed bridge. Vanya nodded to the security officer on duty - noted the way he side-eyed her - but made no comment; he wasn’t the first to react to her physical appearance and wouldn’t be the last. There was little to be done on the issue other than simply accept it for what it was; the scientist in her wished to understand the fundamental principle that encoded such reactions in variant species across the galaxy – the more sensitive aspect in her wished she could change it.
…And there went another unusual thought-line; sent down into non-priority limbo – just as Vanya rounded the corner of Mission Ops and the door to the CO’s ready room presented itself.
A brief pause followed; nothing so foolish as a ‘steadying breath’ of course…that would be silly.
It’s Nat – it’s just Nat. A deep breath followed, even if Vanya didn’t technically need to breathe at all.
Her finger pressed the call key.
A moment passed, then a murmured voice issued from the other side; one that made Vanya’s lips curl completely of their own accord – an uncontrollable reaction in the presence of one very specific individual. As the door opened, Vanya held her hands behind her and remained beyond the threshold; she let her eyes take in the scene, as they sought the person they wanted instinctually – and quickly found.
“Hello Natalie,” Vanya whispered, eyes wide and full of Natalie’s; a powerful motive force had suddenly manifested between them, as inescapable as a Magnetar – invisible yet undeniably real. A brief struggle ensued against it anyway, as she fought to keep herself from running into Nat's arms. “Got some time to kill for an old friend?” the question was asked playfully, almost teasing; Vanya's head tilted, smile beaming – just as she always had when she wanted to get under a certain someone's skin - in a good way, of course.