Meeting the Chief

Posted on Sat Jan 1st, 2022 @ 12:34am by Lieutenant Commander Mel Torma & Ensign Emma Walken (Walken)

Mission: Calm Before the Storm
1577 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Emma paces around the lab, she was a bit nervous. She hated first introductions because she normally messes them up somehow. She barely had time to unpack before she was on an away mission so she had no time to introduce herself to the Chief Science Officer. Double-checking to make sure her workstation was fully in order. None of her tools and instruments was out of place. She awaited her Senior Officer now.

It was about then that the first head of the science chief poked around the corner. First head, that is, followed shortly by the second. A pair of twins, identical down to how they chose to style their hair this morning. "Hello. I'm Mel Torma, Science Director, or chief science officer I guess. I keep getting my title mixed up, sorry. Anyhow, always happy to meet a new face, it's good to..." and she stopped talking. Conversation, over.

Her twin, however, picked up the conversation instantly. "... meet new people. You know, strange new worlds and all that in the creed. Anyhow, sorry, off to a good ole ramble. Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you...or meet you both? Sorry I don't mean to offend I honestly don't know much of your species to use the correct mannerisms. Sorry for my ignorance, I am Emma Walken, not showing my biologist background well by not knowing much of you." She laughed nervously at her attempt at humor.

"Oh shush, you're doing fine. You're asking questions, testing theories, sounds perfect to me." they both had a smile, even though only one of them was talking. "Okay, so here's the quick primer on my people." she giggled, an oddly melodic sound that seemed to start at one of the forms, and end at the other.

"So, Dalacari are binary instance lifeforms. A complete Dalacari will appear, to the outside observer, as a pair." she motioned between her two forms. "And, logistically, I am a pair. I need two..." and the conversation flowed like a river back from one to the other, seamlessly.

"... of everything important. Two sets of clothes, two seats in a shuttle, two rations, twice as much life support." she paused, "Now, I can KINDA do two things at once but..."

"... that's about as easy as asking you to write two papers just because you have two hands. I can focus, but there's going to be a dominant body. I have one mind, though." and one of them tapped her noggin.

"It's a bit weird, I know. Imagine how weird it was to find out that life in the cosmos was mostly single instance." she giggled again. "But, as for how to refer to me, I'm one complete being so..."

"... just call me like that. I'm one Dalacari. Name's Mel Torma." she paused to let that sink in. "Now, as for my people, we prize one thing above all else: Safety. See, if I get hurt, I..."

"... feel it across my entire form. If I stub one of my toes, the other body's ... Dia that sounds so weird to say but, I mean... my other body's toe will also hurt. So, I like a smooth..."

"... and safe lab. If you mess up, fess up, and then go see a doctor if you have to. I promise, Dia's graces, I will not get mad at anything I'm told about."

Emma lets out a sigh of relief, "No need to worry about any of that Lieutenant Commander, I grew up in a family of Marines and soon-to-be marines. Owning up to mistakes is like rule number 2." Now relaxed a bit more from the talk The young woman looks to her boss. "You mentioned Dia a few times if it's alright to ask is Dia part of Dalacari religion?" The biologist in her was was curious to know more but knew it wasn't best to pry too much on the first meeting.

"Please please, just Mel. At least, when the upper ranks aren't around." She motioned, then gave a nod, "And yes, Dia is the last of the religious icons from Dalacari history, and something..."

"... of the symbol of the Republic. We're not as religious as we used to be, back before we didn't know how the universe worked. Religion was there to offer answers to..."

"... questions, but as science offered actual answers, religion took less and less a role. We didn't need to pray for guidance. But Dia, they're the idea of harmony and togetherness." she explained.

"And we'd always need them. So they got to stay."

"I guess I should ask if you have any current projects you want me to focus on?"

"At the moment our schedule is pretty clear. I have a few pet projects running in low calculation, and working on a requisition to upgrade twenty percent of the..."

"... Federation replicators on the ship with Dalacari fabricator units. No offense, but I prefer the units from home. Far more versatile. Also, Dalacari units come with..."

"... Dalacari databases, which means proper food from the home sectors. Oh, you call it the Delta Quadrant, we call it home. Because we live there." she giggled.

"So, are there any projects you'd like to run? Side jobs, pet projects?"

Emma was silently nodding along, this was her bread and butter. Although her Chief wasn't an undiscovered species learning about her now made her smile. "Yes, a few I managed to set up just before all the mess went down when I first got here. I suppose I should have asked beforehand. I set up some Earth trees that tend to bear fruit in the botany lab. Not really a pet project but I have found humans tend to work better with fresh fruit in their systems."

Mel gave a giggle, "You know, you and the Ts'usugi have the *same* exact thought. Okay, so they put a piece of art, or a piece of the land from their home moons on each of their ships..."

"... before they're christened for service. A sculpture, or a garden or something, anything. As long as it's a piece of home. It's to help stave off homesickness on the long..."

"... tours, but it serves another purpose. When the ship is attacked, the crew rallies. The crew fights back twice as hard, twice as fervently. Because the enemy isn't just..."

"... attacking the ship. They're attacking Ts'usu." she paused, "With that piece of home there, deep in the ship, it rallies their hearts and minds. It's amazing to read the..."

"... psych research supporting it, it *actually* works. Even if they KNOW that's why it's there." she offered with a pair of smiles, "So, I absolutely love your project, and I cannot wait..."

"... to see your project bear fruit. Oh, oh Dia that.... I swear that wasn't intentional!" Oh she looked so embarrassed. What a terrible play on words.

Emma erupts into laughter, "You walked yourself into that door Mel. I did manage to bring a few with me from the Botany lab of the Hawaii before the transfer over. But if you have any fruit trees or flowers from back home that you want to be planted, I would love to see how the flora of your homeworld grows over time." Emma began to get sidetracked now. "Think of the possibilities, what if on some genetic level some of the flora from both of our world could cross-pollinate. Would work better if we got our hands on some bees, would bees find flowers from your homeworld suitable? So many possibilities."

Mel joined in the laughter. Listening to a Dalacari laugh was a melodic experience, even if she was just a fraction of a second out of sync, the melody was there. After she recovered, she shook her heads, "No, I didn't bring any with me. Maybe next time we're local to a market or even a holding of the Republic. We're careful about letting flora spread, though." she paused, her twin taking over after a moment, "There's a ... we'll call it a 'plant', that's growing out of control in a small, small pocket of the Delta. It's called Fera, and it's dangerous. Deadly even."

"All it does is grow. Consume, spread, consume, spread, grow." she shook her head, "I'll get you some primers on it, I think you'd find it fascinating. As for plants from..."

"... home, I can show you simulations, but in the end that's all for now." a pause, "Bees, those are the buzzy little fuzzy insects that make honey, right? Oh I love those..."

"... little guys, especially the Bumblebees. They're so adorable." she offered with a smile. "I don't know if they'd find Dalacar's trees and pollen delectable. I guess..."

... that's a question for another time. Oooo, I love questions."

"Wonderful questions, sure the answers may not be what we want but they are still good questions that should get their answers." Emma beamed as she brushes her bangs aside. "You are really fun to talk with Mel."

Mel gave her a pair of smiles, "That's such a sweet thing to say. I really enjoy talking with you as well. Now you've got me looking forward to every conversation." she confessed.

"A healthy Dalacari curiosity is such a wonderful thing to find in another soul. I'm going to enjoy working with you."

"I could say the same thin of a human's curiosity inside you as well, I think this is going to be a wonderful partnership." Emma smiles.