Look to the Stars

Posted on 28 May 2020 @ 9:16pm by Ensign Cydwenn Sov & Lieutenant Sovok

1,517 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Changing Faces
Location: Crew Mess

=/= Begin Log =/=

Cydwenn was on her last break of her shift which she desperately needed. That saying that doctors make the worst patients oddly enough it was similar with scientists. She wasn't hungry she just needed her tea and sometime to think. These impromptu interviews was like pulling teeth. Again scientists did not like letting others know what they were working on fear of their discovery being stolen or something like that. She never understood that especially being an officer in Starfleet.

Saucer and tea in hand and her PaDD in the other she looked around the oddly busy mess. Letting out a sigh when she spotted only a few open spots. "Excuse me may I?" Cydwenn asked nodding to the empty chair.

Sovok was seated by himself in a corner. This was his normal routine. He would sometimes have company, often naught. If he were human, one might think it was a lonely existence, but Vulcans are renowned for their ability to cope, and with his solitude, he did just fine.

Sharp blue eyes met Cydwenn as she approached Sovok. He was in the middle of reading a PaDD as well, and likewise, drinking a beverage, but odly for a Vulcan, it was not tea. Whatever it was, it fizzed lightly in its plain steel cup.

"Of course." Sovok said as he gestured to the chair in front of him. The Lieutenant did not rise, but for a Vulcan greeting, it was downright warm. "I always welcome learned company." He continued in a pleasant but even tone.

"Ensign Cydwenn Sov, scienctist," she said as she awkwardly held out her hand almost spilling her tea and dropping her PaDD. {Slow down Cydwenn,} she thought as she slightly stood back up to place her tea and PaDD down first, "...let's try this again and this time I won't spill my tea all over you." Cydwenn said with a small chuckle holding her hand out again.

"Do you prefer Ensign or Doctor?" He asked as he stood. Standing at his full height with his gray and red uniform now clinging to his muscular physique, the physical condition of the Chief Helmsman was apparent. He stretched out his hand and greeted her with that unmistakable human greeting of a hand shake; the vulcan had long since purged himself of displeasure at the act.

"Lieutenant Sovok, Chief Helmsman." He said in his normal tone.

Finishing the handshake she finally took her seat and took a much needed sip of her Relen tea. Before picking up her PaDD she took a quick glance at a few things before realizing how rude she was being. "Sorry again....didn't quite realize how buzy my day was gonna be." She said setting her PaDD down but was unable to stop her mind from concentrating on her next task.

Sovok placed his hand back down at his side and returned to his seat. She had not answered his question so he would have to be very careful in his responses. The sensibilities of non vulcans were a hard thing to predict, after all. Navigating the sea of emotions was always tricky.

"No apologies needed. On this ship we all find ourselves accompanied by our duties. It is how we survive. The focus is logical but only to a certain point." He said neutrally. He eyed her for a moment as she read. Trained senses scanned her posture, her grooming, her attire, and her body language. He could not help his studying of others. It was in his nature to be inquisitive.

It also donned on her that he had asked a question, "silly me, you asked me something and I didn't answer it. Um....ensign please I haven't even thought about getting my doctors all I have is my general sciences from the academy." Cydwenn said taking several more sips of her tea.

Sovok nodded once in acknowledgement, but within he was grateful for the clarification. On the surface, however, he remained cool and composed. He reached for a sip of his bubbly drink. A hum of approval escaped him as he tasted his drink of choice. Setting it back down, he turned towards the Ensign with perfect posture.

"There is always time for more if you desire that path. What do you study, Ensign?"

"Just general sciences kinda dabbling in everything." Cydwenn said notcing his fizzy drink as she made a mental note to maybe try whatever that was next time. "....I tend to just kinda float through the department helping out where I can."

"It is good to want to help the various departments, but logic would dictate that an expertise would be of more use to the crew as a whole, don't you think? If I had stayed a generalist after my basic schooling days and did not focus my studies, would the crew have use of my skills at the helm, and if they did, would I be anywhere as apt as I am now?" Sovok asked in a even, non judgmental manner. He was genuinely curious about her view on it.

Cydwenn jsut shrugged not exactly thrilled with how was phrased or stated. But she had to quickly remind herself that logical thinking; which yes was a important of the scientific method, "....see that's just it I don't know what I want to specialize in. I love and truly enjoy the world of science but to force myself to just concentrate on just one thing at this time in my life doesn't make sense. So that's why floating around the science department learning what each sub-grouping in science is well help me pick what I want to focus on."

Sovok relented the point with a nod of his head. "I know what that is like. After graduation from the Vulcsn Science Acedemy, I was left with three different paths in which to pursue my Starfleet career; Command, Security, and The Helm. For a while I studied all three but found more opportunities in piloting. I still enjoy bettering myself in the other two departments. Nothing says you must give up your love of the sciences, Ensign. In fact, it is beneficial to have dabbled...to a certain extent."

"I think I may have said something that confused you," Cydwenn said qiving him a quizzical look. "I am jsut floating around the science department. Helping different sub-classifciations of science in their experiments. My apologizies if it suonded like I was floating from department to department."

"There was no confusion." Sovok said evenly. "Your desire to know all the schools of science was not unlike my desire to know all three branches. I have an interest in piloting and the sciences associated within, security and the tactical knowledge required, and Command and the boundless complexities and problem solving skills required. Even though I am the Chief Helmsman of this vessel, those other two schools of thought will always interest me and I pursue them in my own time. Knowledge of their fields help in my duties at the helm. The point I am trying to infer is that specialization does not mean the death of other interests, and in fact, those other interests aid your specialization."

It took a second for Cydwenn to grasp that concept, "now with you putting it that my I do enjoy astrophysics along with stellar cartography. Mostly how you can get yourself no longer lost just by looking at the stars."

"It is a fascinating and essential field of study. My line of work is all but useless without it." Sovok said plainly. "Piloting is not much use if I do not know where to go."

Cydwenn smiled, "...my planet Ba'Ku we don't get many visitors but the merchants that did visit knew my family well and always gave me a new constellation to learn along with star maps everytime they visited. They were a big part of me wanting to leave Ba'Ku and join Starfleet so I could discover new stars."

"Curiosity of the unknown, of what is around the next corner, of what lies in the dark; these are the hallmarks of an inquisitive mind. That kind of mind is needed for our line of work. Starfleet was created to bring people together, but also to explore both things outside and within. I think you chose wisely, Ensign." Sovok said with just a hint of fondness in his voice. Whether this was real or a mimic of the tone was unknown.

Finishing her tea and noticing the time, "crap! I am late. Apoloizes again didn't realize the time. It was a pleasure speaking with you and hearing your wisdom it was very much needed." And with that the young ensign dashed to the replicator recycled her saucer and cup before dashing out of the crews mess.

"Fascinating." Is all Sovok said as he watched the Ensign leave in a hurry. He returned to his drink and his own work, but for the rest of that day, when his mind would drift away from his duty and to other studies, he would think of her.

=/= End Log =/=

 

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