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Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Cm 1 Nara Nueva | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy| Attn: @UltimaImperatrixia

Nara's second duty shift on the Theurgy had begun oddly. A request for a lab tech to visit the xenobiology lab. While Nara hadn't groaned at her assignment today, it had been a very near thing. It wasn't her specialty, and she had no idea why she'd been assigned to the task, even when taking a second look at the precise wording of her tasking. Nara must've been too aggressive with her opening move yesterday. Being stuck with something so obviously outlandish was a bit of a slap across her face, but she'd do it. It was proper work in her department, not logistics and admin work.

And so it was that Nara strides into the xenobiology lab five minutes before her shift. Her skirt uniform was neat and tidy on her athletic frame, The woman's auburn hair done up in a loose French braid. Whatever she thought of her duties today, she'd be professional with her mannerisms and efficient in her work. While it wasn't optimal, this was one more move on the chessboard of her career. Do the tasks she was assigned before she could make use of her talents on her own again. When the doors to the lab open, she begins looking around, moving from the Cybernetics section to xeno-biology. While Nara knew next to nothing about Ensign Cir'Cie, from looking her up, she knew that she was a Vulcan botanist, and that was enough to go on. Finding the slender woman, Nara walks up next to the woman and presents her PADD to the Ensign.

"I'm Crewman Nueva. I've been assigned to assist you today in cataloging the findings of the dilithium-producing flora that you discovered. From what I understand of my duties today, you need assistance in classifying the parts of the EM spectrum that the plant responds to." Her tone of voice is polite and even though her clipped vowels and hissed S's rearing their heads in her speech pattern. The Vega-born Human was doing her best to be professional even ifs he did believe that the tasking she'd been assigned was someone's idea of a prank. Her rich brown eyes glance over the slightly shorter woman's frame. While Nara's physique was more muscular in appearance and had a few centimeters on her, Nara seemed to have a lighter build. She wasn't sure if the Vulcan was the type to engage in athletic pursuits, but she found the Vulcan attractive enough.

However, those weren't thoughts to engage in right now. For now, it was a matter of establishing a working relationship than anything else, and Nara gave a polite smile to the Ensign before speaking again.

"My specialty happens to be Higher energy physics, so I believe that I can aid you in determining what wavelengths of light the plant responds to under normal circumstances. If we're not doing any practical work today and are filtering through data, then I can be just as effective in performing these tasks. I won't disappoint you, Ensign." She gave a short nod then and stepped back, taking a relaxed pose waiting for some kind of orders from the officer. She wasn't keen on it, but she could easily play the part of taking orders. If Cir'Cie needed time to speak with her, then she was ready for that. If anything else, Nara strove to be prepared for that as well.

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #1 –
[ Ensign Cir'Cie | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy| ]

Cir'Cie had been going over her notes on the plant in question. It was currently contained within a dark container that was bathing the plant in UV to keep it alive, four small basin like units on either side of the square shaped container that were collecting very tiny pieces of Dilithium that would fall from the dark container at a steady rate. Despite how this plant remained largely an enigma and nothing short of a miracle in regards to how it came to be, her mind wasn't really on her work. As usual she was rummaging around in her mind and having conversations with herself in silence, the truth the matter was; she was becoming dissatisfied with being stuck on the Theurgy...stuck, that was the appropriate word for her work as well. All efforts to make the plant useful as a source of potential fuel for the Theurgy had turned out null and void - it produced Dilithium alright, just not in the quality that was required for the pristine vessel.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the doors to the Xenobiology Lab open and once more her thoughts were made to go astray upon seeing the rather beautiful and alluringly toned female Human that had just strolled up to her. Processing the information, she remembered now - she had requested someone from Physics or Engineering to come and help her crack the riddles of the plant, which still had yet to be classified or named.

Taking the P.A.D.D. from the Crewman, she looked over the notes upon it with several quick skims of her sharp and piercing jade green eyes before glancing back at the woman before her. Cir'Cie was indeed as thin as a rake, but a combination of routine exercise, Suus Mahna training along with a vegetarian and efficiently planned diet meant that what mass she had was mostly muscle. Taut and very svelte, her outfit didn't do much to hide her figure - though this seemed to be one of the perks or peeves of wearing the 2380 uniforms given out on the Theurgy.

"Formality will not be necessary. You may simply refer to me as Cir'Cie" she would state, turning to the put the P.A.D.D down upon a nearby desk before looking back at Nara. Originally she had been extremely picky about titles and regulations, and she would often use the correct terms of addressing with her superior officers, however in this case - she saw little reason too.

"You do need to worry about disappointing myself either, though a pleasant surprise would certainly bring a welcomed distraction to this tedious project. The plant makes use of an intensive thermal process to handle its metabolic functions, but I believe it is not efficient enough for the results we desire. I was hoping your expertise might hold the key in solving this puzzle."

Cir'Cie would briefly glance over how Nara's own outfit exemplified the allure of her own figure before turning to walk over to the desk, looking for the notes she had from the research that had been conducted with Lieutenant Frank Arnold some time prior.

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #2 –
Cm 1 Nara Nueva | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy| Attn: @UltimaImperatrixia

A gentle smile graced Nara's features, drawing her lips into something closer to a smirk than a smile. She hadn't expected to be checking out a Vulcan, especially after how frosty V'Qol had been to her, but Cir'Cie seemed to return the favor, and that amused her to no end. However, she could save the flirtations for another time. But still, it was no reason to be impolite by any means.

"A pleasure then, Cir'Cie, and you may call me Nara. and I won't worry about disappointing you. We're both here working together, and such an exciting topic is bound to keep the two of us from becoming bored by any stretch of the imagination. and I hope that my expertise may assist you in this." She seemed honest but kept her statements brief, preferring instead to get to the work. Nara caught the movement of Cir'Cie's bright emerald eyes but chose to ignore it for now, though a bit of a blush did come to her cheeks. This particular Vulcan was already loads more intriguing than her former roommate had been. To borrow a phrase, Nara found the attention she was garnering fascinating.

Her first step was to examine the containment chamber that the plant was in, and she frowned. Something didn't sit right with her. She squints as she checks the labels and then the settings. It was with a polite voice when she spoke, though she was intensely curious about the questions she needed Cir'Cie to answer. Nara did her best to stay polite, even if her speech had quickened with a hint of excitement. "The light source you're using is a generic UV emitter. You're not trying to replicate the spectra of the parent star for whatever body you found this plant? Can you bring up information on the exact star that the world this grows on orbits, please?"

Nara didn't wait for that, and she got to work reviewing the notes from the previous observations Frank and Cir'ce had made about the plant. "Most fascinating, a natural bioplastic for the cell walls, extreme UV tolerance. I have no idea what kind of planet this was on, but I can only imagine the kinds of radiation the star gave off. You don't see these sorts of adaptations except as a protective measure. If I had to guess, I'd say that the parent star or another star very close by would be a source of exotic particles. Did the other life on the origin world have any similar adaptations?"

She'd seen the part about it growing near dilithium deposits, but still, that might be a correlation and not causation. Her brow furrowed as she puzzled that out, but for now, she'd need to.... Her rich brown eyes latch onto the container with the plant inside of it. "Can we slice a leaf off and expose it to various light spectra and exotic particles. Nothing dangerous, of course..." Nara trails off then, and she grimaces slightly, not knowing much about dilithium or the conditions it formed under.

"Are dilithium deposits exposed to any particular types of particles or radiation? I noticed yous aid you found this plant near dilithium deposits, so I'm curious." She seemed rather curious and was relatively straightforward when it came to her work. A lot of this was hypothesizing at the moment. Her brow knit in concentration then, glancing over to the svelte Vulcan, so far Nara hoped that she wasn't too off base with anything.

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #3 –
[ Ensign Cir'Cie | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy]

Cir'Cie would stop in her movements for a moment and turning to face Nara fully and she would simply wait. She had forgotten how some Humans were prone to exhausting all of their questions at once and then attaching a lot of speculation to said questions. If she were any other Vulcan; she might find it irritating. But if she could handle working with Lieutenant Commander Fisher and his incessant babbling about Baseball - she could definitely handle this eager Scientist who was more than ready to prove her worth.

Once Nara had finally taken a moment to settle and her gaze was back upon the incredibly lithe Vulcan, Cir'Cie would take a moment to stretch and limber up, implying she had been in the lab for a few hours now - the result being her curves would brush and press at her tight Starfleet uniform. Once this was done, Cir'Cie proceeded on over to the unit which contained the plant and began with: "The star was a Class FV2 and had an output of UV Radiation about 3.6 times more than what planet Earth typically receives, as an example. I have not been able to successfully replicate the exact spectra of the UV that the plant is used to receiving, but this machine is keeping it alive. Ideally I would need to replicate the settings in one of the Holodecks - but until this project receives some more interest, I am doubtful that this will happen."

"Dilithium is often scanned using a method Ultra Violet Absorption techniques as the mineral itself is unusually efficient at absorbing that particular type of radiation. That is how we found several of these plants. It appeared they were creating traces of Dilithium near themselves to draw more light to their proximity. In regards to your mentioning of exotic particles; the Delta Volanis Cluster is extremely rich in Radiogenic Particles...and those can be used to power starships if managed correctly. But I had not considered if this plant was using them as part of its diet or not... more tests will be needed in this regard." So that was one point Nara had earned, Cir'Cie seemed genuinely appreciative, even if it was hard to tell with her stoic exterior. Human resourcefulness had always surpassed the straight forward logic of the Vulcan mind and now she had one in her presence who was highly trained in energy physics - she felt confident they would soon crack the mystery of this plant.

Running a brief scan over the planet with her Mark IX Tricorder, she turned and walked back over to Nara while looking over the readings. "I believe the plant is stable enough to be able to tolerate having a surgical sample removed from it. But will require temporarily shutting the UV Lights off and opening the containing unit. It should be able to withstand the shock for a moment.

Cir'Cie would brush past Nara, her slim hip ever so slightly grazing against Nara's more so toned and powerful one as she ventured over to her desk to set the Tricorder down, while also looking for appropriate equipment needed to obtain a sample from the plant.

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #4 –
Cm 1 Nara Nueva | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy| Attn: @UltimaImperatrixia

Nara was grateful to have received the knowledge of the star's spectral classification. The increased UV output made sense for some of the adaptations. Nothing that didn't get that level of UV didn't need even half of what she was seeing, though Nara wasn't a botanist and was basing her assumptions on mostly secondhand knowledge. But if Cir'Cie hadn't been able to replicate the exact environment properly, that was worth noting. And that's precisely what she did, take notes. Taking up a PADD, Nara begins making notations on the plant, based on everything she learned. She'd collate the information later, though. Writing things down and observation were her duties right now. Her brown eyes locked on the PADD for the time being. Nara didn't appear to notice Cir'Cie stretching and limbering up. At the very least, the stretch received no reaction from Nara. She'd been used to V'Qol, a Vulcan that had nearly gone out of her way to 'ignore' Nara while making it clear that V'Qol despised her.

While Nara knew some things about Dilithium, she was unaware of the method used to scan it, but that made sense if Cir'Cie had been looking for Dilithium and found this, that made sense. More notes on that and the  Delta Volanis Cluster. An eyebrow rose slightly, and she nodded. 

"That cluster has been of interest to me in the past. It's nice to know that some of the indigenous flora, indeed indigenous, experiences aberrant development. That raises many more questions, however. Hopefully, the samples reveal something." Nara's tone of voice was polite and to the point, even as she continued to make notes.  She didn't look up until Cir'Cie brushed past her. Looking up with a start, Nara checked her surroundings. She wasn't blocking any access or generally in the way. So maybe Cir'Cie had done that on purpose? That was something else that she'd need to figure out. The bump hadn't been rude or aggressive. Cir'Cie seemed to be genuinely valuing her opinion and had apparently explicitly requested her presence here today. Was she being flirted with by a Vulcan?  For now she'd observe. She was keeping one eye on the PADD as she took notes and proofread her shorthand. She'd observe Cir'Cie tracking her movements and actions across the lab with the other. Nara had no clue where any sampling equipment would be located in this particular lab. So she'd content herself with taking physical notes on the plant and mental notes on the Vulcan.

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #5 –
[ Ensign Cir'Cie | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy]

Realizing she had allowed herself to assume that Nara knew where the lab's tools for analysis and sampling were stored, she would stop in her work and turn to face the toned woman before her. "Yes...I hope we're able to go back to Delta Volanis someday. A sentiment I didn't really think I'd ever express... I apologize Nara. I should have shown you where the items needed for our research are kept." she would reach down to the desk before her she had just approached and pull out a storage unit that held a number of glass and metal containers, each having a set of specialist tools which were essentially tweezers. But they had a number of settings that allowed for precision or excess force. They were also highly resistant to acids and alkaline and had the capability of rendering most toxins inert, should the need be required. She would take one of the containment units out and stride over to Nara, putting sway into her svelte hips as she did so before offering the set of tweezers to her new team member, letting her bronzed and very warm touch brush briefly over Nara's own as she did so. "These should be sufficient. You'll need a Mark XI Tricorder as well. The Mark X's work just fine, but for this instance we'll need more concise results."

In all of this, Cir'Cie kept her gaze stoic yet intently locked onto Nara, like an Owl assessing whether or not something it had discovered was predator or prey and yet remaining unyielding and firm in its own position. "If the samples do reveal something, I may be able to finally convince the Captain that using one of the Holodecks as a Dilithium farm of sorts might aid in our journeys. And besides; given how much the crew seems interested in exploring recreation with each other rather than in the Holodecks, I believe we can afford to spare one... though - some species do seem to evoke a tendency to complain once they lose something they wish they had used more often." it was hard to tell if this was a subtle jab at Humans or just a generalization. But it was true more or less all the same.

Cir'Cie would step past Nara, once again, softly brushing against one of those powerful and toned hips and as she did, Cir'Cie couldn't help but feel a soft tinge of green come to her cheeks. She ought to know better, but it just felt so...fun. To misbehave when she should be following her work properly.

Approaching the unit with the plant contained within and then waited for Nara to approach as well. "I will disengage the UV lights once we are ready to proceed."

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #6 –
Cm 1 Nara Nueva | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy| Attn: @UltimaImperatrixia

Now that Nara knew where things were, she'd get to work taking samples with the assistance of Cir'Cie, and through the course of the work, she'd noticed the constant excuses for small and brief contact. It wasn't much each incident taken on their own but added up this had to be Cir'Cie's way of flirting with her. Her rich brown eyes locked on the Vulcan with something approaching curiosity after the most recent jostles. There wasn't a hint of a blush on her cheeks, and Nara's expression was unreadable, though the barest hints of a smile tugged at the edges of her lips. That would be something she could deal with later, however. There were tests to run and reports to write in the meantime. And that would be the focus of the next five hours or so.

5 hours later ((Because science takes time))

After five hours of testing and note-taking, Nara finally had some answers. Wavelengths of the EM spectrum that the plant responded to positively and negatively, what particles were emitted by the plant. They'd even managed to glean hints of the exact chemical processes that the plant underwent to produce dilithium as solid waste. It was all complicated, and both Nara and Cir'Cie could probably write papers on it for decades to come, but for now, the more immediate conclusions were what mattered.

Putting the final touches on one of the many various reports about how the chlorophyll equivalent responded to bombardment from yet another particular type of particle, Nara had a smile on her face as she glanced over to Cir'Cie. The suggestion to use the Mark XI tricorders had been the right one; between those and more specialized equipment, they'd garnered some actual results. So the woman was thankful that Cir'Cie had pointed her in the right direction for getting started.

"So, after all of the testing and more modeling than I care to believe we've done in five hours, it looks like we've got some initial results Cir'Cie. I'm not sure if the Captain will approve cultivation on a large scale because individually, it appears that the dilithium yield might be on the order of one picogram a month? We'll have to observe the whole lifecycle from seed to reproduction to be sure. But at least we know the best conditions that we can replicate artificially. At the absolute minimum, I believe that what we've discovered certainly justifies further detailed examination over an extended period." Sure, it wasn't the slam dunk that the Ensign might have been hoping for, but it really was interesting, and if they could find a way to cultivate dilithium in usable amounts from a plant, it would probably mean a Zee-Magnees prize for them. Now came the stickier issue, and Nara's excited expression turned a bit more thoughtful, her brown eyes locked on Cir'Cie's green ones. She was silent for a brief moment before finally speaking.

"You've been flirting with me since I walked in here just about. and I've noticed. I'm not quite sure how to process that. So can I ask that you stop that here in the lab? And now that we're finished with what we can do today that you take me out on a date since you so clearly want to?"  It wasn't like they could do anymore that would push their work forward today. Nara and Cir'Cie had filled out reports, tests were performed and shut down, and the scientists could write a proposal for further research later, and putting together a full summary would take an entire shift with as much as they'd learned. Also, at this point, Nara wanted to see what Cir'Cie would do when confronted with her flirtations. So Cir'Cie had intrigued Nara. The mixture of behaviors she'd seen from her had been intriguing, and she'd hoped that Cir'Cie wouldn't take offense.

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #7 –
[ Ensign Cir'Cie | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy]

One Picogram a month. It was certainly not the result Cir'Cie had been hoping for, and although her stoic expression would suggest otherwise, she was quite frustrated inside. Slowly Cir'Cie closed her Tricorder as she listened to Nara's thoughts and analysis over the work they had conducted over the last five hours, a distinct exhale coming through her nostrils as she did her best to temper the fury and disappointment inside of herself.

However; these thoughts of frustrations were quelled when Nara chose to actively confront Cir'Cie's flirtatious behaviour. Turning to look over at the Human, eyes briefly tracing over the muscular and toned outline of Nara's frame before the piercing Jade orbs found the young Human's own. She watched her intently, saying nothing and not attempting to defend her self or interject. It is only when Nara finishes her statement by requesting? It did seem like a request...but why did Cir'Cie feel like it sounded more like a challenge? Regardless; the proposition for a 'date' had been put forth.

The stoic expression was broken, a small yet wry smile snaking across Cir'Cie's lips much like how a Niga's vine would slip over a victim's thigh. She didn't take offense, rather she seemed quite happy at the apparent reciprocation Nara was offering; be it out of curiosity or genuine want. It would take the young Vulcan a moment to re-compose herself before answering her, her sentence beginning with her clearing her throat so that she might maintain the monotone styled voice Vulcans were known for.

"I will acquiesce to your request...and cease my flirtations within the laboratory. You're most correct, it was...inappropriate for me to do so. That being said...you're fiercely intelligent and very sexually attractive. It isn't often I find myself so...enamored by an individual." she takes a moment to exhale, realizing she is talking rather cold - normal for Vulcan, not so much for a Human.

"What I am trying to say is...if your offer is real. Then I would...very much like to take you on a date."
Placing her hands behind her back, she assumes a confident stance that allows what little curves she does have, to neatly push and form outlines within her Starfleet Uniform. Her gaze remaining affixed upon Nara.

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #8 –
Cm 1 Nara Nueva | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy| Attn: @UltimaImperatrixia

Nara stood there with her arms crossed, not wholly receptive and a bit challenging. If Nara could read minds, she'd have known that Cir'Cie's suspicions were correct, Nara was challenging Cir'Cie to take that small step. And first came the apology with the caveat, a small smile tugging ever so slightly at the edge of her lips. Honestly, Nara hadn't ever been complimented in quite such a way by a Vulcan before. She didn't know how to feel about that, so she did settle on complimented.

Nara tapped the elbow of her left arm with her right index and middle fingers mulling it over, which would be tricky. Nara's career had been in a precarious position for several years now, and the Theurgy was a second chance for her. This wasn't something that she could back out f now, and she'd misplayed and had been caught in a gambit. Nara didn't know Cir'Cie well, but she did know all too well about the dangers of fraternization. She'd had to deal with people that wound up in unprofessional settings before. And as flirtatious as Cir'Cie had been already, there were all sorts of red flags, so this would be dangerous. Deciding her course of action then, Nara gave a polite nod to Cir'Cie.

"Sunday, the 26th, we can have dinner that day if you'd like. But I would like you to know that's as far as I'd like it to go, Ensign. You seem like a nice woman, and thank you for the compliments, truly, but you're an officer, and I'm Enlisted. Yes, we're on a renegade ship, and we're a renegade crew, but I'm hoping that we'll vindicate ourselves eventually, and I do need to rebuild my career. and Interdepartmental relationships can be messy."

 When in doubt, fall back on logic with solid logical arguments. While it might fall on deaf ears, Nara was quite aware of how Cir'Cie was posing and showing off her figure. Nara hoped that the Vulcan would see the logic in that. That and giving herself nearly a whole week to integrate with the crew would be better than going on a dinner date, even a casual one after the first time working with someone. And she hoped that Cir'Cie would catch Nara using their respective rank differences, it wasn't something meek or mild, but making a point of the fact. Even if Nara were still a Lieutenant, they'd be in the same department, and that carried risks.

OOC note: Sunday the 26th is Interregnum day 08.
 

Re: Day 03 [0700 hrs.] Blossoming wavelengths

Reply #9 –
[ Ensign Cir'Cie | Xenobiology lab |  Deck 17 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy]

Cir'Cie raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. She noted Nara using the classic Human behaviour of...what was the expression? 'Letting one down softly'. First offering a chance at a dinner date - but then immediately following up with choice words to convey a lack of interest, veiling them in professionalism. Something that the young Vulcan internally would scoff at, waves of disappointment and slight anger coursing through her.

"You've made your position quite clear, I understand Crew Member Nueva. From this point onward you will address me as Ensign and we will continue our studies in a more controlled manner at a later date."

She did not care for Nara's concerns about fraternization or risks, but she wasn't one to push herself onto someone who clearly didn't want to have such issues or levels of worry contending with their focus in their line of work; so Cir'Cie opted to waste neither her own time nor Nara's.

"You're free to spend the rest of the evening as you see fit. I am going to conduct a number of computer simulations in regards to this planet's growth cycle and how to increase the potential yields of Dilithium. You're dismissed Crew Member."

With that, Cir'Cie would give a simple yet customary nod of respect before moving back to her workstation so she may compile and look over the results both she and Nara had gathered over the last five hours - and in the process of which; she was sure to give Nara a wide berth lest they brush against each other again. She wasn't sure why she had attempted to 'test the waters' as it were, another Human expression that she didn't really need in her mind right now, part of her knew Nara was correct; but that didn't exactly sooth the sensation of cold anger or loneliness she experienced with each passing day she lingered upon this vessel.

- FIN
 
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