Science Labs

To Sydney's surprise, the first place Petty Officer Blake led her was to a staircase. "I thought we'd start above and then finish down here in case you had questions for Lieutenant Brennan after we were through."

"Good thinking," Sydney said as she followed him up the stairs. "Tell me, Anthony," she said, wanting to keep an easy flow of conversation going, "The other day, Lt Brennan mentioned to us that a number of projects had to be restarted because of damage to their controlled environments. Is yours one of them?"

Blake nodded, "Yes ma'am I was working on a project with what are called extremophiles.  They are organisms that thrive in extreme conditions.  The ones I was studying from Njord are called, Radioresisophiles they float around in the upper atmosphere almost to the point of space.  My little unicellular guys are all dead now since the containment was cracked.  Oh and don't worry they're harmless to humans."

"Well, *that's* good to hear," she quipped. "What happens next?" Sydney asked. "Are you assigned to a different project or do you wait for more... what did you call them? Radioresistors?"

Blake tried not to laugh at the Commanders mispronunciation. "They're called Radioresistophiles, and I will be getting for more of them. There's a sister project being done down on Njord with a similar extremophile that lives lower in the atmosphere.  But till I get them I have my hands full with repairs in the labs.  We in science learn to do a lot of our own repairs that is unless the Engineers are bored."

"I understand that the hull repairs are completed. Maybe Saunders will reassign some of those engineers to the science labs now." Sydney didn't elaborate because they had apparently reached their first destination. "So, what do we have here?" Sydney asked.

Blake pushed the panel to open the door, "This is our microbiology lab. It was damage quite severely. All the workstations were fried but as you can see," Blake sweep a hand around the room, indicating the several science members working. "We've managed to do some extensive repairs and gotten most of the equipment up and running again."

Sydney was curious as to why the Science Department was doing their own repair work. Neither Engineering nor Operations implied that they were short handed when they gave their respective status reports in the staff meeting. "Exactly what repairs have you done in here?"

Blake sighed, "I'm sorry ma'am; extensive may not have been the right word to use. Most the repairs were simple in nature. Many consisted of putting things back together or replacing a piece that no longer functioned.  When it came to the workstations we swapped out circuit boards that were fried.  What I had meant by extensive was that there had been a lot of then." Blake shifted his feet, "We know that Fleet Captain Hawke put a bit of a time limit on the repairs for the Engineering Team, so we done a lot of the simple ones. It would be nice that once that major repairs are done to get a couple of engineers in here.  There are a couple of things that we can't fix on our own."

"I'll see what can be done," Sydney promised. "I'm sure it must have been overwhelming at first." They stepped into the adjoining lab. "What's next?"

Blake nodded, "Yes, at first it was. But like every good scientist you learn to think outside the box to solve the equation." As they entered the next lab Blake said, "This is the Experimental Center; it's where I work. As you can see we currently have no one working on any of the projects in here. We've got cracked containments, smashed pieces, fried circuit, you name it…it's got a problem. This is the one lab we haven't worked on and were we need the engineers the most." Blake pointed to two sections in the large room that were closed of by clear walls. "Those areas over there are our heavy gravity and weightless centers.  The special grav plating has a few problems."

Sydney walked over and peered into both rooms. She had never spent much time in experimental science labs and she was fascinated. She looked back at Anthony, who had been very patient with her so far. "What do you put in there? And why? And what do you hope to discover?"

Blake just watched the Commander with interest. She truly seemed generally interested in what they did here. He was pleases that he was able to answer her questions. "Well ma'am, think back to the astronauts of the 20th and 21st century and the international space station Alpha.  They did experiments in the weightlessness of space to see how and if gravity had an effect on the outcome.  That is why we too have areas that we can change the amount of gravity.  We use it to try and find medical applications, to test new building materials, study gravity waves, study how gravity affects different subatomic particles, and many others." Blake stood there and just watched as the Commander walked around the room. After giving her a few minutes to investigate he said, "Ma'am if you'd like to follow me I'll show you to what we like to call the planet. It's on deck ten."

Sydney turned to her guide, "The planet? It sounds interesting." Sydney was really enjoying this. It was a nice respite from all her other duties clamoring for her attention, immediate if not sooner. And Anthony Blake was being very gracious, even if she *was* pulling him away from his own work. "I always assumed that the labs would be divided by the three sciences: life, physical, and earth. But it's not that way at all, is it?" she asked as they traveled down to the next deck.

Blake smiled as they stepped into the corridor on deck 10, "Originally it was. But Commander Conway and Lieutenant Brennan had this wild idea and started splitting things up, basing everything from a central point." Blake continued as they walked, "On this deck we have all of the basic disciplines for planetary study and everything that happens to be there. We've got zoology, botany, meteorology, geology, oceanography, and everything else to name a few of them.  So technically the entire deck is the planet but what I think you'll like is up here in the main lab."

Stopping in front of a door, Blake pushed the button and the door slid open. Before them was a large grayish globe. It was approximately 10 feet in diameter and stood on a platform surrounded by several workstations. Blake went and stood next to one of the terminals. "This is the Planet. Through the use of the computer and planetary survey data we can use this to show us an actual representation of the planet we are studying. It's much easier to study it this way then on a flat screen. Would you like to see?"

Sydney's eyes widened. "I would. Most definitely."

Blake proceeded to activate the globe and it turned a pale glowing white for a moment. Next the blue of the oceans came into view and land began to emerge from the water. Lastly the green of growing things appeared and the atmosphere filled with puffy white clouds. Before them was a miniaturized version of the Earth; though it was still quite large. As the Earth rotated before them and the clouds moved Blake said, "I could've just brought it up all at once, but I thought you might like it better if I brought it up slowly.  Oh and the globe isn't actually moving, the graphics are.  So what do you think?  I could bring up another planet if you would prefer we have many in the database; mayhaps Vulcan?"

Sydney stared in pure awe at the presentation. "That is soo coool!" Sydney exclaimed, forgetting for a moment who she was and why she was there. She felt her face flush in embarrassment at her outburst. "I'd love to see Vulcan, but I've got an appointment waiting for me when we're finished here. Can I get a rain check? And maybe bring Dr. Selek back with me?"

Blake chuckled at the Commander's excitement. "Sure thing ma'am, you're more then welcome to bring the doctor with you next time.  Just let me know when you want to come and I'll set everything up for you." He then turned off the globe and it returned to its grayish coloring. "Well Commander, I know you said you had an appointment to keep but if you have the time I have one last room I thought you might like to see.  Then we can return to the Lieutenant and if you have any further questions you can ask her."

Sydney glanced at her wrist chrono. "I think I have the time." The time she had spent here and away from her office, no, her officES, she mentally amended, had been worth it. She felt rejuvenated. "Let's go."

Leaving the planet behind Anthony and Sydney continued down the corridor. As they neared the end of the hall he stopped next a door. Pushing the panel the door opened and Blake allowed the Commander to enter first. "This is our aqueous environment center." In the room there was a long tank and several smaller ones. "We just managed to get it back up and running. Tyler Bixby hasn't had much to do since Commander Conway was sent back to Earth. But he's thrilled now that another marine biologist …um …Christine Ireland has now joined the team." Pointing at several of the tanks Blake said, "Not all liquid environments have to be water."

Sydney did in fact know about the specs for this lab. She and Lauren Conway had discussed it on their trip from JuStat out to the Galad System. Sydney was glad for her friend that the center had been realized, even though Lauren wasn't here to see it. "What will you use instead of water?"

"There are some organisms that live in acidic environments as well as some that live in a type of ooze. This really isn't my field of expertise but if you want to know more I'd ask Bixby or Ireland they could probably tell you stuff I couldn't even dream of."

"I'll keep that in mind. When do you suppose..." Sydney began when her wrist chrono beeped a pre-set alarm. She looked down at it and frowned. Had it already been an hour? It certainly didn't seem like it. She looked at Anthony. "Forgive me, Mr. Blake, but I'm expected down in the Counseling offices in a few moments. Would you please give Lt Brennan my apologies?"

Blake nodded, "Of course I will, ma'am. Just give me a buzz when you want to come back with the Doctor to show him the planet." He caught the Commander's nod and then watched her walk from the room. Blake knew the minute that he got back down to the tech lab; Brennan was going to interrogate him for every last detail. Well if she wanted info he'd get the rest of the day off.

Commander Sydney McWarren XO/Chief Counselor Forrest Outpost Starfleet: The First Era

Petty Officer Anthony Blake (NPC) Astrobiologist Forrest Outpost (apb- Lt(jg) Talia Brennan)