A Necessary Study

Posted on Tue Dec 20th, 2022 @ 9:35pm by Lieutenant K’lar & Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Coleman & Lieutenant JG Vashir
Edited on on Tue Dec 20th, 2022 @ 9:43pm

2,160 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 114 - A Time and Place for Everything
Location: Level 999 - Biosphere
Timeline: MD 1 - Morning After ‘A Warrior’s Meal’

<0830 Hours>

K'lar, the Klingon scientist, would never feel comfortable telling himself he went to the biosphere for relaxation. There was plenty of work to be done here, after all. He had to admit that the air did wonders in rejuvenating his warrior spirit.

The teal shouldered officer made his way down a dusty path of grass and dry soil. In his hand was a Mark IX science tricorder. 'This is necessary work', K'lar told himself. 'I've got to see how the Firebloom are adapting to this environment.'

His pace was quick, anxious. The Klingon looked over his shoulder every few minutes as he sped up. He'd arrived early in the day in the hopes of not being spotted.

K'lar was all too aware of the taboos surrounding a Klingon science officer. Even now he felt embarrassed to not be in pursuit of battle. Here he was preparing to study microorganisms while other Klingons put their lives on the line for the Empire.

In the KDF, much science is battle focused. Science stations on most Klingon bridges examine enemy ships for weaknesses and give tactical data to ranking officers using advanced sensor readouts.

K'lar studied other aspects of science underground through the guidance of scientific activists ins family. After trying for many years to balance his underground life of science with the tasks of a warrior, a transfer and then full exchange to Starfleet made life more simple.

He spotted the Klingon Firebloom plants from a few yards away. Their bright colors of reds and golds shone out brightly against the ferns and bushes surrounding them. K'lar was interested in how the microorganisms of different species were interacting to keep the soil fertile.

There was such a delicate balance here on the station's artificial environment. It could be the answer to life on more desolate environments. K'lar could think of at least one Klingon colony-world where flora had a hard time growing. The Klingon hadn't even had the chance to study a proper biosphere before. He'd tended to a small arboretum at his last post.

The biosphere and arboretum aboard Starbase 400 were completely different experiences than those on a starship.

Lights flashed alongside the small screen of the Type IX Tricorder. It listed the microorganisms present in the patch of soil scanned. As expected, there were a great deal of Klingon microorganisms nearby. A few predatory organisms fed off Klingon algae and spores released from the fireblossom plants. There were also a very small amount of Andorian microorganisms.

K'lar planned to take readings of the microscopic ecosphere at dozens of points this morning. He would build a picture of the soil's population over time.

He kept his hunter's instinct at bay by thinking of future away missions. He felt as if he was more than just a scientist. His day would come... Until then, he would continue his work in this new arena.

Vashir had never been on a starbase that was even remotely close to the size of SB 400, and she was in awe of the different ways that the starbase incorporated nature, in the middle of space. The biosphere made her last ship's arboretum look like a child's garden. She stepped into the biosphere just to see what it was like.

K'lar spotted movement in the distance and to the far side of the path. A door had opened from what looked like a patch of rocks and brush. He recognized the Orion science officer he'd met not long ago.

It took K'lar some time to cross from his trail to her path. He waved in the distance as he approached her. The pair made nonverbal signals, such as waves and smiles as they drew nearer.

As they finally met up he said, "Lieutenant Vashir, nice to see you again." The JG was implied in her title. "Are you here for work or for relaxation?"

"Oh, hi," Vashir responded once K'lar was close enough that she didn't have to shout. "A little of both, I guess. Nothing formal, I just wanted to see what this place was like."

Vashir took a few steps away from the door, and spun in a slow circle with a smile on her face and breathed in the fresh air. K'lar reached up and snapped off a fresh leaf. It was refreshing that the only scanning done on this fresh, live specimen was with his own eyes.

She stopped to look back at K'lar. "It's pretty amazing isn't it? I've served on ships with arboretums and such, but nothing like this. My family owns some farmland in the Orion system, so when I was little, if I wanted to be outside, I just went outside." Vashir deliberately downplayed the vast agricultural empire her family ran. When people learned how large the operation really was, they automatically thought of the Syndicate, which tended to make people uncomfortable.

He dropped his leaf and let it slowly float towards the ground. "My aunt worked with colonies on Pheben III, the Empire's agricultural planet. My scientific training began with her, quite early in life." With a rumble of belly laughter he added, "It was dreadful for a Klingon child."

Moving alongside her K'lar said, "the outdoors also left a mark on me. I spent many teen years living on the Central Plains of Qo'nos. We had to hunt to feed the settlement. It was rewarding. One felt so alive out in those grasslands." He knelt to run his hand through the grasses and plants and across the soil.

"Klingons and Orions aren't terribly different are they? I guess Orions just care less about honor. But take that out of the equation what's left?"

"Our peoples have had a long history.. Historic rivals.. Now an age where more cooperation and building is developing. It starts with individual Houses and Clans. You are right. We are all more similar than we realize."

Shifting his weight to his opposite side K'lar said, "When I heard there were Klingon plants here, I had to see them." He pointed to the firebloom. Bright petals cascaded from the long stemmed flowers in thick bushes. "They arrived with Klingon bacteria. I've been studying how they interact with other microorganisms."

K'lar took his time and hissed his way through longer words. There were times when his voice accidentally even sounded aggressive. It was just his manner of speaking and Klingon mannerisms.

"What areas of science are your focus? I am curious to your scientific thoughts on this biosphere", added the Klingon.

"Depends on if you want a full tour or if you just want the historical understanding of the biosphere?" Coleman said, hearing the two younger officers speaking before interjecting. Coleman had just gotten a notice that he was wanted for a meeting with two new science officers onboard, one of whom would be his Assistant Chief Science Officer and another who would work on various biological and genetic prospects for the Federation onboard Starbase 400.

Coleman walked from the vantage point he had taken on the ridge of the biosphere and said, "Welcome to Starbase 400. I'm Commander Coleman, Chief Science Officer of the Starbase. I heard that I had two new faces onboard and I was excited to make their acquittances. You two must be Lieutenants Vashir and K'lar? I've heard a lot about both of you!"

K'lar was caught somewhat off guard, though he noticed Commander Coleman a few moments before he spoke. "It is an honor to meet you Commander", K'lar replied while moving to look up. "This station has quite the facilities."

Starbase 400 would be a prime location for K'lar to continue refining his scientific skills. He had learned so much throughout his nearly six years in Starfleet.

Vashir snapped to attention at the sight of her commanding officer. "Hello sir. Pleasure to meet you, sir. I can't express to you how excited I am to be here."

As Coleman walked over to the pair, he smiled and said, "Please come out of attention. I promise I don't make the people under me come to attention unless there's admiralty coming onboard or something. It's an honor to meet the pair of you guys."

"Sorry sir. It's a habit," Vashir responded. She tried to relax, but couldn't shake the need to seem formal around the Commander. "I haven't seen the duty roster yet, but I can assure you, I am ready to work hard and am very flexible with shifts, tasks, whatever you need." Vashir tried to keep a straight face, but it was hard to keep from smiling, as she was so genuinely enthusiastic about her new posting and learning what it would entail.

K'lar was more relaxed but had been standing a little straighter since the Commander's arrival. "I too am excited for the prospect of working here", said the Klingon warmly. "I hope to really expand upon my knowledge at this post." He turned to face Lt. Cmdr. Coleman and stand alongside Lt. JG Vashir.

"Tell me about this biosphere, Commander. Were all the live plants and animals brought in at different times? This ecosystem must have been so delicate at first." K'lar's voice was much more harsh and scratchy in tone than written words alone could express.

There were so many experiments K'lar had to run. He needed to practice deflector operations and theoretics. His research on the genetics and biology of flora and fauna from across the Klingon homeworld needed much more work. K'lar even planned to raise targ with the hope of establishing a new sub-breed.

"Don't worry about it, Vashir. You should have seen me when I first came onboard. I had to live in my brother's shadow and I was so nervous that I would mess something up. But, to answer you question K'lar, I'm not entirely sure. I want to say that each section came in at different times because of the types of plants and animals that we have onboard. We didn't want to mess anything up, so we wanted to make sure everything worked without overpowering one another. Are both of you biology specalists? Or are you guys working in other areas of science?" Coleman asked, slowly beginning a little tour of the area around where the three of them met.

K'lar moved his hands outward as he spoke. "Biology.. Genetics. The Empire employs science to study vessels for weakness... I am quite capable with sensor operations and deflector dish manipulation."

Vashir nodded in interest as K'lar mentioned his interests. "I'm more into astrophysics and temporal mechanics, myself," She turned to look at the Chief Science Officer. "I suppose it's good to have a science department with a wide range of specialties." Vashir said that, then wondered if it was a stupidly obvious thing to say. 'Oh well, too late now,' she thought, and tried to look confident.

"Well, didn't the Klingon Empire have some issues with genetics back in the 22nd century? I think I read something about that back at the Academy...when I actually went to the Academy," Coleman said, blushing slightly, as it had been quite some time since he had gone through the Academy. But, he didn't remember hearing about something like that and that was part of the reason why the Klingons had variations of looks.

K'lar's eyes widened as if frozen in panic. The Chief Science Officer was indeed very wise. Lieutenant Commander Coleman must have easily figured out that K'lar's methods of study have a similar path. K'lar hoped to keep his own family's ties to the Klingon Augment Virus hidden.

The Klingon cleared his throat, nodding yes as if to subconsciously admit to everything... To admit to dancing along lines which could cause similar consequences in the case of one wrong step. K'lar said, "Err... Ye-Yes! This is why genetic research is so important to the Empire.." He paused to gather his emotions to one of warmth and the shared bond between officers.

"I hope to learn from both of you", K'lar said while looking between the eyes of Coleman and Vashir. "Please reach out to me.. With any concerns." K'lar seemed to sometimes speak slower and pause in the middle of his sentences. He seemed to do this more often when feeling calm.

"Not many people say they hope to learn from me when I mention one of my specialties is temporal mechanics," Vashir said laughing, hoping to lighten the mood with her joke.

K'lar met her laughter with a low rumble from his belly. "All we have is time", he said through a wide eyed smile. "And there is much for me to understand in that field..." He knew grasping such complex paradoxes would not be easy for him. Her guidance could help him gain an understanding in the field.

The group continued to speak, sharing information about themselves and planning for the future. Both junior officers had a chance to share their concerns with the CSO and ask questions.

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