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Congratulations again to everyone who was awarded this year. Deepest thanks to those who facilitated, coordinated and made this ceremony possible. For those who didn't win an award, this wasn't a loss. There's an entire fleet of incredibly talented people that comprise this wonderful community. See it, as I do, as a challenge to yourselves to keep writing great stories. To keep leaning on each other for inspiration, guidance, or even, when the time comes, a shoulder or ear to listen to the reasons why your motivation is sapped or waning. We are Starbase 118. @FltAdml. Wolf Created and continues to keep this community thriving, the heart and soul, but each and every one of us are apart of this great community. This is perhaps my favorite time of year, because I get to recognize those I write alongside and see the recognition and praise from all across the fleet. I look forward to seeing more new names in the awards next year!

A grand and mighty huzzah and congratulations to all of you! @Wes Greaves As a person who has not one, but two Marine PNPCs on board Atlantis I will definitely be taking a look at your thoughts on simming for them with the fleet.

@R'Ariel You have a funny and gentle style that always give me much joy and satisfaction to read. Ensign R'Ariel: oO La La Lo Lo ::swish:: La La Lo Lo Oo <-- Original post

@Quentin Collins III- I remember when you were a newly posted ensign all full of energy and excitement on the Eagle and I am so proud of how much you have grown and developed as a writer! You have done a great job and I am so excited to see you recognized for this award! Keep up the great work! @Addison MacKenzie - You have been such a strong writer and helpful staff person this year going through a lot of changes and always managing to still write well. I love writing with you in the Academy and the Thor is so lucky to have you! I'm so happy to see your recognized this year - stay awesome my friend! @Wes Greavesand @Ben Garcia - I have seen how supportive and helpful you both are for your fellow crewmates and your ship's staff. I'm so glad to see you both recognized. Keep up the great work and keep on making the galaxy a bit more brilliant with your writing! Fly high, Vikings, fly high! And finally, @Romyana Casparian - you are an absolute delight to write with. I love your energy, I love the soft characterizations you place into Romyana. I was touched as she made fast friends with Ensign Steiger only to see him injured on the mission and transferred to Starfleet medical. I loved the little downtime conversation while we were playing out the clock on the bridge. I loved the effort you put into improving Lt. Bailey's braces. You connect with your fellow crew both in sim and on Discord and you deserve this recognition. Thank you for being awesome and I look forward to so many future missions together! To all the duty post winners: CONGRATULATIONS! You inspire the fellow writers on your ships and across the fleet. Stay brilliant, stay creative, stay awesome. ❤️

Wow. I'm very humbled. Thanks to those who nominated me! Was not expecting a new comer such as myself to receive a duty-post award. Thanks so much. And congratulations all around. I've been blown away each day of the awards ceremony by just how awesome this community is. We have some stellar people here who are exceptionally dedicated to making this place great. Bravo Zulu!

In June 2020 the fleet saw a small decrease in the total sims posted – to 1665 sims total and an average per ship of 238. Not reflected in the data was the Fleet’s ‘soft launch’ of the USS Arrow at the command of Commander Randal Shayne in the final days of the month, but nonetheless managed 48 sims of its own. Of the ships with complete data for the month, Ops raced ahead with 372 sims, followed by the Consitution with 292, the Gorkon with 232, and the Juneau with 217. The Veritas was close behind with 197 posts, as was the Thor with 194 and the Atlantis with 161. Coming off the excitement of the Awards Ceremony and the launch of the Arrow we are sure to many exciting things over the next month! Check out some of the highlights of this past month’s simming through our Appreciations forum, where you and your fellow members can nominate sims, great quotes, and other memorable moments for the rest of the fleet to enjoy! The post June 2020 Post Counts appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Chief Vacation Specialist, USS Arrow this ABSOLUTELY KILLED ME @Maxwell Traenor. The whole sim itself was so charming, but this was just the icing on the cake. Original Post: "But"

Congratulations everyone!!

I would like to thank @FltAdml. Wolf for going above and beyond this awards ceremony. So much hard work was done behind the scene and if anyone deserves a drink and a vacation it's this guy right here! Thank you so much for your hard work! Thank you @Jo Marshall for all the hard work you did in getting this awards ceremony together as well as massive amount of back scenes management to get all those votes tallied and all those nominations sorted. You did a great job, thank you! Thank you to every player in this game. Remember simming is collaboration, and we gain more by writing with others and letting others help us write. Keep dreaming, keep writing beautiful stories and keep supporting one another! Oh and... @Randal Shayne - thank you for the wonderful and heartfelt thanks ❤️ However we have written together - for quite some time - on the Eagle. I have two characters, remember? I look forward to seeing everyone back for Awards 2021!!

I am humbled by the presentation and by those who chose to nominate me for the award. A hearty congrats to all the other winners - they are all much deserved!!

Congratulations to each and everyone here who want their duty post award! This is a great achievement to be recognized for. I know just from the descriptions how awesome you all are and how hard you worked throughout the year that got you nominated in the first place. Great job and you keep rocking!

Thank you all, and congratulations to the winners. All well deserved. 🙂

Well done to everyone! I'm really proud of Matt, Wes, and Jacob especially because I know how talented you guys are firsthand ... but honestly, the duty post awards are my favorite category every year because it shows off how talented folks around the fleet are at bringing their specialties to life. Congratulations to you all!

Valued members of our community, I hope you've enjoyed reading through this year's awards ceremony. I know it's a lot of text, a lot of recognition, just a lot to read overall! But, in particular, I hope what you take away from this ceremony is the full feeling of gratitude and appreciation that pours out from what we're doing. I'd imagine it's hard to understand, before you reach the command levels of our community, just how much work is going on behind the scenes to pull off everything we do. But let me pull back the curtain and point out just how much this exercise is choreographed: Our process begins in April by reviewing the past year's ceremony, the suggestions we got from the community, and the list of awards to decide if we need to retire or add any. The Captains Council discusses these things at length – considering what's working and what's not – before we have to refresh the nominations form, check all of our award pages, begin preparing our news posts and fleetwide emails, and then launch the process. From there it's a sprint to the end of the nominations process, pushing everyone in the fleet to participate – uncovering memories from weeks and months ago of ways that people impressed us, reviewing each of our peers and trying to understand the impact they've made on our community. All the while, our staff is ensuring that every angle is covered in nominations and that each person who has earned an award gets nominated. Things really get hectic once nominations close as our Awards Facilitator – Jo Marshall, this year – picks an Awards Committee and starts collating the nominations. There are at least 100 tasks that must be done in a line before we actually get to the ceremony, involving every member of the command staff, with some folks being buried in the work, like Kirk opening an overhead compartment to reveal thousands of tribbles. At the end of the day, we are all exhausted, but filled with gratitude for the opportunity to make entirely clear how much we appreciate everyone's contributions. Although we go to great lengths throughout the year to try and help each of you understand how much we value the time and effort you expend to write the perfect sims, we also know the magic of coming together for this recognition – to write down in the annals of our history that "this person was amazing, and we want to thank them for that." It's no trivial effort – as much as we want you to think that it is! – and I hope that those of you who earned awards can take some time to look back over the history of the award you won, maybe read some of the presentation from those past ceremonies, and know that someday someone else will be doing the same with your name. Welcome to the Hall of Honor, you've earned it. Before we close, I'd like to mention some commendations and "credits" where they're due: First and foremost, to Jo Marshall, who stage managed this process – collating, coordinating, logisticating, pontificating, and memeing every step. She brought a whole new character to the role and upped the ante for all those who come after her. I have deep empathy for the person in this position, and even deeper thanks for all of the hard work put in to make sure that every detail is perfect and correct. Thank you, Jo Marshall, for everything you've done to make this "show" go off without a hitch! To our Awards Committee, that read through 22 awards worth of nominations and carefully voted to award the Duty Post and Special awards. You've done a great service puting in this time and consideration, and helping our community come to the best decision. To our Deputy Awards Facilitators, who helped Jo Marshall with the incredible lift of bringing this ceremony to fruition, making sure that all the nominations were properly collated and checked against our rules, and that everything was where it needed to be! To our Commanding Officers, who have been tireless and extremely gracious throughout the whole thing. Your efforts are priceless in how much care and time you've put in. Thank you for everything you've done here, and everything you do to maintain this thing we've all built. This is an amazing thing we have and I hope you know how rare and precious it is to have a "round table" like we're experiencing right now. To our First Officers, who judged the Staff Awards and every other day of the year help make what we do possible. Thank you for being our cheerleaders, our assistants, our defenses, our collators, and our partners in this. I look forward to the day when you sit in the captain's chair and look in gratitude at the person in your seat. And finally, my last thanks is to you, dear members! You make it all worthwhile. The joy you bring, and the joy you experience fuels every moment of this. I look forward to many more years in service to this community. Until next year… 🖖 - Jordan, FltAdml. Tristan Wolf

((Starbase 118, Marine Training Holodeck 3)) Training was a mainstay for a Marine, and even with the hangover from the excursion into Little Risa, Anthony could not let himself rest. After selecting some equipment from the armory, he made his way to the training holodecks exclusive to the shipboard Marines. He selected a training program and entered when the doors opened. He found himself on a rocky hilltop overlooking a grassy meadow approximately 80 meters below. There were targets set at random distances, some clearly visible to the naked eye, some not so easy to see because of their distance from him. The targets were approximately one meter tall by one-half meter wide and rectangular in shape. All were black in color, silhouetting nicely contrasted by the bright green grass. Anthony unrolled his pad and took a prone position on it. He placed the Type 32A Operational Support Rifle in front of him, extending the bi-pod for a rest. His wind meter told him there was a slight left to right breeze at his position and the ambient temperature was a comfortable 19 degrees C. The humidity was right at 23 percent, making the air dry by relative comparison. The sun in the simulation was behind him, which tactically was not the best situation, but it made it far easier to see his targets, not having to look against the glare. All things considered, the conditions were perfect. Taking a position behind the rifle, he set his PADD next to his left forearm on the ground in front of him. Anthony tapped a tab on the PADD, opening his notes. He had never used the Type 32A OSR before, so he would be starting with fresh DOPE. DOPE, or Data Of Previous Engagement, for lack of a better term, is the data recorded from rounds fired at a range. It is used as a reference for the sniper to estimate what elevation and windage adjustments must be made to ensure a first round hit on the target. The optics on the Type 32A OSR were enhanced using active scanning technology, but the weapon still relied upon the user to deliver the projectile accurately onto the target. Anthony placed his cheek against the side of the weapon’s stock and allowed his right eye to focus through the scope. He kept his left eye open to avoid losing his situational awareness. It was a comfortable position and he allowed himself to relax against the ground and the gun. From his position he, he had a complete view of the field of fire. Anthony focused on one of the targets and the range finder in the optic indicated the black rectangle was 800 meters from his position. Taking in a deep breath, he held it for about four seconds before letting it out through pursed lips. When he had expelled the air, he slipped his finger onto the trigger and began to press. He could feel the slack leave the trigger and the pressure against the weapon’s sear. Only a few ounces more pressure and the weapon bucked lightly against his shoulder. Through the viewfinder, Anthony watched the projectile strike the center of the target, about 10 cm lower than the reticle indicated the point of impact should have been. He entered the information into his PADD for the first shot, and without making any changes to the equipment, repeated the ritual for a second shot. The second round impacted in nearly the same place, touching the impact of the first. After entering this information into his PADD, he repeated again and fired a third. The results were the same, and the three round group told him all he needed to know about the adjustment on the optic. After entering the DOPE into the PADD, he adjusted the elevation on the scope and settled in for another three rounds. This time, the point of aim and point of impact were consistent. Checking his wrist chronometer, he realized he had been lying in the same position for over an hour. Oh, how time flies… 2Lt. Anthony Meeks Marine Officer 292nd TMR Starbase 118 Ops/USS Narindra R238801IG0

Since this covers a few sims: Imagine a beach scene, the start of the conversation between Tali Namura (written by @Jo Marshall) and Arlo Thornton (written by @Theo Whittaker) A few sims later, the end of the scene: 😂

Keep your descriptions fresh and infuse them with the lexicon of coffee! The Coffee Tasters’ Wheel is a tool to help professionals and hobbyists articulate the complex flavours and aromas of coffee. There are several variations of the wheel, with World Coffee Research contributing to the latest re-designs. Have a google and pick your favourite one! For most wheels, tasters start in the middle of the wheel and work towards the outer edge, distinguishing the tones and hues of the blend as they proceed. For the enthusiasts among the fleet, the Speciality Coffee Association describe the methodology in a step-by-step guide – all you need is a cup of your favourite roast! For writers, the coffee wheel is an incredible word bank, meticulously researched and readily sorted into categories and near synonyms, which makes finding the right word fun and simple. While the words won’t always suit the situation you’re describing (not everything can smell as good as freshly roasted coffee), the wheel is a useful tool for helping you to think about the senses and how to describe them – a great way to get your creative juices brewing! Let’s give it a try and take this description of a chemical leak as our example. (( A funny taste in the Science Lab, U.S.S. Caffeine. )) With the staff rotas finalised, Shannon logged them into the system. Signing off the terminal, Shannon coughed. Her eyes squinted at the bad taste stuck at the back of her throat. Shannon: Ensign, did your coffee … ::Shannon struggled for the words.:: … taste off? Tim: ::Apologetically.:: Didn’t have any Ma’am. The Ensign paused a beat. Tim: Now you mention it … there is a funny ::Tim swallowed.:: … taste in the air. Shannon’s expression stiffened as she nodded. Here’s how you might use the coffee wheel to craft a sensory driven description. This example uses WCR’s 2017 lexicon. (( A funny taste in the Science Lab, U.S.S. Caffeine. )) With the staff rotas finalised, Shannon logged them into the system. Signing off the terminal, Shannon coughed. Her eyes squinted at the dry, acrid taste that scratched at the back of her throat. Shannon: Ensign, did your coffee … ::Shannon struggled for the words.:: … taste … sharp? Tim: ::Apologetically.:: Didn’t have any Ma’am. The Ensign paused a beat. Tim: Now you mention it … there is a funny ::Tim swallowed.:: … acerbic cut to the air. Shannon’s expression stiffened as she nodded. Using the coffee wheel added a visceral dimension to the description – you can almost taste the toxic fumes! It also provides the other writers in the scene with information about the properties and characteristics of the mystery substance, allowing them to build upon the scene and the mystery. The post Writer’s Workshop: Coffee fuelled sensory description appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Congrats, Mr. @Quentin Collins III 🤣 Congratulations to every winner and the nominees as well. Hard award to win as well.

Wow, y’all I am just....completely floored. Thank you so, so much for opportunity to write here.

I wanted to say so much throughout this, but I kept getting behind with all the other festivities. Now that it’s ended, I can put out what I wanted to say since the beginning. @Kali Nicholotti: You are wonderful. You have been a cornerstone of this fleet for longer than I’ve been a member, and I have enjoyed the privilege of watching you, and learning from the best. Earning TOSMA has been a long time coming, and your abilities when it comes to writing the tricky post of Intelligence is something we can all appreciate. You rock, and I am so glad you are here with us. @Artinus Serinus: Joseph, you are a fighter. I’ve come to respect and appreciate you and your determination, your spirit and your writing acumen. The Genesis Award, in this case especially, and the Laudian Commendation, reflect your admirable rise, and it is just a harbinger of what I know you’re capable of. Congratulations to you on these well-earned designations. @Noa T'Nessa Levinson: This community thrives on the life and excitement of its members, and you have added to that excitement tenfold. We are fortunate to have you, and the Juneau is fortunate to call you one of their own. You have impressed me with both your writing skill and your dedication to your shipmates. I see great things for you in this fleet, and I am most proud of you. Keep being excellent. @Jo Marshall: I could point to any one of your remarkable acts of service to this fleet, and call it a fine basis on which to thank you, but that just doesn’t do it justice. It seems you have a hand in everything in this fleet, from your ship to these awards ceremonies, and I am so thankful for your selfless dedication and kind spirit that benefits the experience of every person in this fine fleet of ours. I am honored to know you. @Quentin Collins III: Justin, what can I say? You’ve been essential to the Juneau, and I don’t know where I’d be without you on the Arrow. You have my first week in command joyful, just as you’ve brought esprit de corps to every endeavor you’ve embarked upon. Your enthusiasm breathes life into difficult tasks or unpleasant moments, and reminds me why what we have here is special. I am beyond pleased to have you as my XO, and I know that, so long as I find a sim in my inbox from you, the day is worth waking up for. @Melody Delri'ise: You have brought to life your character with a subtlety and grace that are remarkable to behold. I will miss the IC spats we had, and I will look on with great anticipation to see what you achieve in these coming months. You are an exceptional writer, and I would jump at the chance to sim with you again. Take care, and congratulations on your well-earned awards! @Chloe Waters Jesse, you beat the odds every day, and you are an inspiration for myself and others. Your drive has overcome challenges that would likely conquer me, and your nuanced sims, are more often than not, fascinating dives into exceptional studies of character. I look forward to writing with you more on the Arrow. Well done indeed. @Anath G'Renn: I remember our joint posts, written long ago, that engaged me like little else at those distracting times. I am grateful to you for your tenacity and your writing expertise, and I am delighted to see you recognized for your skills and your capabilities as a simmer. Well earned! @Jalana: Massive congratulations on your promotion to commodore, and most sincere thanks for your long history of dedication to your ship and fleet. I am grateful for your advice, your guidance, and your openness. I know I can count on you in moments of doubt or hesitation, and we are lucky to count you among us. @Quinn Reynolds: It is to my sincere regret that we have never simmed together, but despite this, your council has helped me to improve my own simming and leadership skills. Their true test is upcoming, but I feel better prepared than before, and supported to a point I could not have dared to hope for. Thank you for your devotion, and congratulations on being the first recipient of the Elinor of Kanist! @Geoffrey Teller: In times of fear or change, you have proven yourself to be an officer that any commander would be fortunate to have. In times of peace and stability, you are an officer that excels beyond the sum of what you are given, and reaches new heights. Your writing is top-notch, your rise is meteoric, and your spirit is indomitable. You are a leader in every sense of the word, and you are a credit to the uniform and the fleet. Congratulations! Oh, and next time, I am going to crush you 1V1. 😜 @Roshanara Rahman: Whether it be with the FNS, or with bumbling, neurotic first officers making their way to the captaincy, I have come to know you as a wealth of fine advice, and dedicated spirit. Thank you for your support. Congratulations on receiving the Honor of the Admiralty! @Oddas Aria: Thank you for all the good times. Thank you for your support. Thank you for helping me get off to a fine start on my own ship. The list of what I owe you thanks for is longer than my arm, but know that your guidance and fine tutelage are appreciated and counted on each day. Congratulations on earning the Staff Member of the Year award and the Christopher Pike Pendant- they are well-deserved. @Sal Taybrim. I don’t believe we’ve written together once, but you have made me a better officer through your example. I look forward to working with you in whatever form that may take, and congratulations on your Sarek Star! @Jarred Thoran: The fact is this, my friend; you have rewritten the rules on what it means to be a commanding officer and a leader. The simple truth is that I would not be the man I am without your friendship, advice, council and support. You have guided me through rough times, accepted me at my worst and encouraged me at my best. I know I am not alone in that. You have more than earned your place among the fleet’s all time greats, and each commanding officer, in the future, right now, and dare I say the past, would be wise to follow your wisdom and example. I cannot tell the future, but I can say this: thank you. Thank you for your unremitting service, your dedication, and your friendship. I am better because of you, I am strengthened because of you. Whatever comes, you are amazing, and I appreciate you more than words can express. Congratulations on earning the James T. Kirk Cross handily- you are an inspiration. Congratulations to all the recipients of this year's awards, and here's to another phenomenal year of simming.

Congratulations to all the winners. So proud to see so many familiar faces both oocly, and people that Artinus has had the pleasure of simming with. Not everyday you see your first in character friend on the same list as your first rival (From a totally different ship) Cheers to you all!

Hoorah! Counselling sessions for all!! Wouldn't you like a delightful brain massage??? 😁

@Romyana Casparian Congratulations on your award. I am truly inspired by your enthusiasm each and every day. You make a great engineer who is not only focused on fixing a ship but in all sorts of other fun projects that could be had. Congratulations once again. ❤️

The geeky pride I have right now is off the charts. It's only outmatched by my gratitude to the folks that took the time out to put a nomination in Congrats to all the other winners and to my fellow Vikings bringing the shiny trophies home to the Thor! P.s - a huge thank you to @Tony (Kells) for kind words in the presentation too!

Bloody well done @Samira Neathler, @Corliss, @Jona ch'Ranni and @Jo Marshall! Really well deserved wins by fabulous simmers!

This year we had two sets of special commendations we wanted to give out alongside our awards: Written by Fleet Captain Sal Taybrim: Jalana Rajel - for incredible dedication year after year to The (Image) Collective. She's consistently helpful with graphics of all kinds: New awards, character portraits, and more! And, she's consistently a friendly and helpful staff member for StarBase 118. German Galven and Nijil from StarBase 118 Ops: Who took the lead in cheerleading the awards and nominations process, and assisted in writing up the shipwide awards ceremony for Ops. Alex Blair from the USS Constitution: Who assisted Jalana in cheerleading the awards and nomination process on the USS Constitution and also assisted her in writing up the Constitution's shipwide awards. Also, German Galven for his work on the News Team: He has been an integral part of meeting our goals every month and uplifting others through an unending series of interviews! Written by Commander Randal Shayne, new CO of the USS Arrow: LtCmdr. Quentin Collins: Justin has been nothing short of an exemplary first officer from the beginning. He has had a hand in everything from award cheer leading to mentoring to discussing command decisions and making suggestions for our new region. And, on top of it, he stepped up without hesitation when the launch of the Arrow was moved up. All around fantastic. LtCmdr. Kim Chin-sun: James has been similarly helpful in the launch process. Specifically, his input and work in terms of mentoring cannot be overstated. Because of him, we can help guide newer officers effectively from the beginning. On a more personal note, I'd like to extend my personal gratitude to Marissa (Cmdr. Ash MacKenna) who has been spiritually supportive to me, and, from what I understand, functionally essential to the Juneau.

Well done everyone, and I'm so very impressed by those folks who have won length of service awards. A year of simming and continuous membership in this community is no small thing, to say nothing of those folks who have simmed for even longer periods, and you should all be immensely proud of your accomplishments!

((OOC:- Following the Tal Shiar's failed attack on Admiral Turner's yacht, several of the crew's wounded arrive at sickbay before the senior staff briefing. Originally posted as separate sims, I really like how the characters weave together, organically interacting. This is a retrospective JP with several sims stitched together, so the character perspective shifts from one to the other. Massive salute of respect to @Alieth @Quen Deena @Geoffrey Teller)) ((IC:- Embassy Sickbay, immediately post extraction from Talsion Forest shuttle crash site.)) Deena pushed her upper and lower molars against each other. She couldn’t see the tricorder screen as the nurse adjusted the placement of the clunky, blinking machine attached to her right ankle. He paused for a moment and looked over at her, clearly annoyed to no end. It was a hairline fracture, all right - he’d told her as much before giving her a dose of terakine and starting to set the bone. Rumbolt: Ya need to stay off it, Doc. Osteoregeneration’s gonna take- Quen: -one hour, I know. Deena sat up to fiddle with the controls for the protective forcefield the osteoregenerator created. If she could get it set high enough, she could actually use her right foot to walk. That was, until Rumbolt swatted her hand away. Rumbolt: oO The worst patients - every time! Oo Hey - cut it out. Quen: Ethan - I’ve been hopping around a forest working with a broken ankle for the past, oh I don’t know… two hours, say? I’ll be just fine using the mobility settings. There was, perhaps, a bit more snark than necessary in that remark. He gave up with a tired look and made a small note on the PADD with her chart. Rumbolt: Don’t fight me, Doc. I’m not in the mood. Deena waited until he moved away, then immediately adjusted the field to allow her to walk on her damaged leg. She slid off the biobed and gingerly tested her handiwork. The height difference was awkward, but workable. This would be far easier wearing boots. Trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible, Deena strolled across the room to the replicator. Quen: oO One boot - no way I’m getting anything but a sock over this thing. Eh - might as well just get in uniform while I’m at it. Oo Bundle of replicated clothing in hand, she ducked behind a screen to change as another argument unfolded nearby. Alieth: If you persist in moving disorderly, the treatment will take longer than expected. Ben looked at the doctor and forced a smile as he nodded. The Vulcan's voice was conveniently neutral, though the admonition was clear in her utterance. Puss wept through the epidermis and trickled down the side of Ben’s shin. Flecks of burnt skin dropped to the floor as new cells wove together, expunging the old under the pulsing beam of the dermal-regenerator. Ben gripped the bio-bed’s side-rail. The new skin shone a raw, irritable red. Ben exhaled through gritted teeth. A beading of sweat mottled Ben’s hairline. Garcia: :: Through gritted teeth. :: Itches like they’re still on fire. Ben’s torso seized and tensed as he strained not to scratch at the healing skin; Ben’s knuckles tightened white as he held his grip on the bed’s side rail. Alieth: That means you are healing adequately. You should cherish that sensation, Lieutenant. :: The Vulcan kept working on Garcia's upper left thigh. Overall, the skin looked normal and healthy, quite different from the burnt and oozing mess that the human had initially arrived at sickbay with. :: The skin will be tender for a few days, I recommend that you avoid any strenuous activity until the internal tissues have fully healed. Garcia: :: Ben fought hard to keep a tone of warmth in his voice. :: Got it Doc. :: Ben inhaled a hissed breath. :: There’ll be plenty of bed rest once we’ve got the CMO back from the Romulans. Alieth pursed her lips minutely by way of answer, but she refrained from arguing more with the senior officer, instead she turned to the adjacent trolley to resume the treatment. On the trolley, a grey tub was packed with a silky white cream. Poking out the top was a spatula. Alieth: I will apply a layer of dermaline gel. I think you will find its effects comforting, sir. Garcia: Ready. :: Nodding heavily. :: Go for it. The cream enveloped the regenerated skin in a cool calming balm. Ben’s hands relaxed and held on loosely to the side rails. Groggy and disoriented, Geoff Teller awoke to the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling. Consciousness and memory returned slowly as he tried, and failed, to lift his head. Somewhere nearby, voices caught his attention but he couldn't make them out. Garcia: :: Laughing in relief. :: Could’ve smeared the cream on first Doc. Alieth: :: Raising an eyebrow. :: But in that case the treatment would have been inefficient. Ben looked at the Doctor with a confused smile. With Ben’s treatment nearly complete, Alieth opened one of the trolley's drawers and pulled out a small tray she had replicated minutes earlier. Over it were placed the caricatured figures of a powerful terran predator from the Ursidae family dyed in five bright colours. Alieth: :: Offering the gummy bears to Garcia. :: I have been informed that humans found the consumption of sucrose after a medical treatment to be highly comforting. I recommend the red one, it is the most commonly chosen. :: Tilting the head to one side. :: It is also the one I find most palatable. Garcia: :: Ben pursed his lips with a smile and then spoke. :: High praise. :: Ben shrugged. :: Red it is, Doc. Ben raised an eyebrow at the doc: Alieth’s bedside manner was … distinct. Ben sat up and pulled his legs to his chest. The cream had extinguished the itching. Now, apart from the red raw patches, and the singed hairs, the skin was fully restored. Ben collapsed back onto the bed, his muscles relaxing for the first time since the attack on his shuttle in which the helm conduit blew, charring his legs in the ensuing fire. Having seen that Ben was well attended to, Deena looked over at Teller. She hadn’t seen Teller since he’d gone in for surgery. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully for now, though a glance over the PADD slotted at the end of his bed told her that it was more likely a combination of strong analgesics and residual anesthetic. Lights on the osteoregenerators immobilizing his arm and ribs indicated that the bones were around fifty percent healed. A good, strong start to be certain, but still a ways to go. Not wanting to step on the new doctor’s toes, Deena waited until Alieth had moved off to approach and check in on her friend, Ben. She leaned casually against the neighboring biobed as she watched him visibly relax for the first time since he’d come across her in the forest. Ben opened his eyes to find a familiar face obstructing the glare of the ceiling lamps. Quen: :: Playfully. :: So - is red the best flavor? Garcia: Hmmm. :: Ben pointed with his chin. :: Need to distract the Doc and test the others … :: Ben’s eyes narrowed. :: Make an informed judgement. Quen: How you feeling? Ben stretched his legs out. The red raw skin shone under the strip lighting. Garcia: :: Playfully. :: Like a … :: Ben smiled. :: smooth lobster … ? Quen: :: Smiling back. :: I wanted to say thank you. For helping me out back there- Before Ben could reply, a faint voice bled through the conversation. It was Teller, and his call tugged on Deena and Alieth’s Hippocratic strings; the two doctors made straight for the recuperating First Officer. Looking down, Teller could see his uniform had been removed and much of his shoulder and arm was covered in dermaplast trauma pads, and his arm itself was immobilized, small blinking devices sitting every few centimeters. oO At least it's still there. Oo Geoff took a deep breath and found his ribs equally restrained, but at least the pain was gone. He could feel his faculties returning more quickly as he looked around and one thing more than any other was forcing its way to the front of his mind. He was absolutely furious. He'd been shot out of the sky, had half a shuttle land on him, and then to top it all off his good friend had been taken right in front of him, and he'd been unable to do anything about it. With gritted teeth, Teller began forcing himself to sit up. He had to get back on duty. Teller: Doctor...little help please… Sickbay’s most severe patient was struggling to sit up, contravening all medical recommendations, not the greatest move for someone who had suffered a concussion as severe as he had. By now Deena was at Teller’s bed side. Quen: Easy - take it slow…. Give yourself time to adjust. Alieth returned to the conversation with a coolly neutral tone, but highly irritated words. Alieth: Desist from your attempts to incorporate, sir, your condition is still concerning. Ben called over the humdrum. Garcia: :: Conspiratorially. :: Don’t let them keep a good man down, sir. Teller nodded to the man. Teller: Good flying, Mr. Garcia. Top three crash landing for me, easily. And Doctor, I appreciate your concerns but if I'm in no immediate danger, the rest of my injuries can mend themselves on the go. Garcia: :: Laughing. :: Imagine if I’d taken the auto-pilot off. Ben wasn’t helping things for Deena and Alieth, but he jested out of relief - relief he hadn’t killed the First Officer. Quen: You’re not in immediate danger, no - but your body needs time to heal. If you don’t give it that time, you’ll likely wind up back here with an infection or worse. And, you’re still coming off anesthesia. Alieth: This is not how medicine works, sir. We have just performed a major operation on you, sir, you should at least rest for... Turner: =/\= ATTENTIONS ALL SENIOR STAFF MEMBERS. PLEASE MEET ME IN CONFERENCE ROOM 1 AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE AT THE EMBASSY FOR A BRIEFING. TURNER OUT. =/\= Deena all but rolled her eyes. Impeccable timing, as usual. But on the one hand, a briefing couldn’t be that strenuous of an activity. That was usually reserved for the results of briefings. Teller looked to the ceiling with a raised eyebrow, then began sliding off the biobed onto unsteady legs, supporting himself with his good arm. Alieth lunged forward to grip him around the waist before he had a chance to stumble. Teller was about to start heading to the briefing room when he realized several significant flaws in his plan. The first was that he had no idea where Briefing Room 1 was. The second was that he had no pants. The latter seemed more urgent. Teller: Uh, Doc, you got a replicator around here somewhere? Seems I'm out of uniform. Quen: I’ll grab you one. Speaking of- :: With a nod to Garcia’s now mostly-healed legs. :: Let me wrap those, and you can swap for an uncooked one. Ben froze. His face paled as he held another of Doctor Alieth’s gummy bears millimeters from his mouth. Ben bit his lip, arched an eyebrow at Deena and flicked the gummy bear into his mouth. Ben held a finger against his grinning lips. Deena started applying a fresh set of dressings to Ben’s legs as Alieth and Teller started a new argument. With her back to Ben and Deena, Alieth continued to berate the First Officer, speaking firmly as her eyebrows descended gently on her features, which gave her an even more severe aspect than usual. Alieth: I refuse to allow you to perform such an unreasonable deed, sir. Teller: Look Doctor, I'm going to that briefing with or without your help. Personally, I'd prefer, and I think the rest of the crew would agree, that I show up in uniform and under proper medical supervision. He met eyes with their young Vulcan Doctor and did not blink. He had felt useless when the Romulans had snatched Addison, and he felt useless lying on his back on a comfortable biobed as the crew was called to action. On some level, Teller was entirely aware that he was nearly dead on his feet, but a potent mix of modern medical science and raw anger had given him a second wind. He intended to make the most of it while it lasted. The Doctors expression did not change from the level impassive slate her people were famous for, but Teller saw a small shift around the edge of her eyes. The Vulcan held Teller's gaze for a few long seconds. Technically speaking, the situation unfolding was decidedly Not Funny Not Funny At All. Maybe it was the pain meds kicking in, but Deena found the argument between a completely logical Vulcan doctor and a human man hell-bent on getting out of here one way or another undeniably hilarious. Alieth: :: Gently but firmly leading the commander to the nearest replicator. :: Agreed, but I will keep you under close supervision, sir. Deena looked to Ben with a raise of her eyebrows. Watching the battle of wills play out was far, far more interesting than playing mediator. Ben tilted his head at Deena. A smile crept across Ben’s face as Alieth continued to chastise the First Officer. Alieth: I am going to abstain from supplying you with a sugary treat, sir. You are clearly a troublemaker. Teller pursed his lips for a moment, genuinely chastened. He'd been irritating Doctors since the earliest days of his career but he'd never been admonished for it in quite the same way. After a moment, he barked out a genuine laugh. Geoff could already tell the young woman had the makings of a fine officer - fierce but compassionate. Stern but flexible. Dry sense of humor. When Doctor MacKenzie returned, Teller was confident she'd find a very capable addition to her staff. Ben caught a laugh from escaping and looked at Deena, mouthing “troublemaker” with a cheeky smile. Deena gnawed the inside of her cheek and shook her head as she finished with the dressings and bit back another laugh. The Vulcan deposited a uniform on the stretcher next to the commander with more force than necessary, which resulted in a muffled tuff sound. Almost under the lintel, Alieth stopped, forcing the commander to halt with her. Alieth: Instructions on how to reach Conference Room One would be appreciated. This time, Deena couldn’t hide how humorous she found the image, and let out a laugh. Quen: Hang on, we’re coming with you! Teller: The more the merrier, Doctor Quen. :: He winced as he pulled on his new uniform, draping the tunic over his upper body with his working arm. :: Besides, no one can accuse me of being irresponsible with my health when I've got both of you with me. Speaking of...just how far is this walk? And are the suns still beating down out there? Quen: It’s a bit of a hike - across the grounds in the main building. Are you sure? Teller: No, but if I can't do this then I'm no good to anybody right now and I'll crawl back into that biobed voluntarily. :: He took a deep breath and steeled himself. :: I have to do this, Doctor. Ben caught Alieth’s eye. The Vulcan glanced him back, her features unfazed and stately, yet the young Vulcan radiated a sense of exasperation in all directions. With a pleadinging shrug, Ben spoke: Garcia: Better we get him there under supervision, eh Doc? :: Ben stood and patted down his fresh dressings. :: I’ll help. Deena grabbed a hypospray pre-loaded with a variety of analgesics and pocketed it. Quen: Just in case. If anyone needs it, say something. Teller: Thank you Doctor, but for the moment I'll pass. Garcia: :: Ben’s brows creased. He looked over his shoulder at the silver tray of gummy bears.. :: Sure, I’ll bring the rest of these. Alieth tilted her head slightly to draw the pilot's attention to the dangers of too many sweets in the diet, but she didn't have time to compose the sentence, as she was too busy trying to prevent that the commander's endeavours might aggravate his state. Ben turned a half step and pocketed the remaining gummy bears as he filed into line with the patient convoy. With gritted teeth, Teller slipped his frozen arm through his uniform sleeve. It was an awkward effort and the various bandages and devices connected to him didn't sit comfortably, but for now it would have to do. His comm badge, pitted and scuffed, sat on the table opposite his biobed. Comm badges were tough to break, and the casing was meant to survive extreme conditions without suffering cosmetic damage, but his looked like it had been through hell. At the moment, that seemed entirely appropriate to Teller, and he slapped it back onto his uniform with a grim scowl. Teller: Alright, become I come to my senses - lets go. Don't want to keep the Admiral waiting. End. =============================== Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Teller Executive Officer Duronis II Embassy & Support Flotilla Rear Admiral Turner, T. Commanding V239509GT0 & Lieutenant Ben Garcia Second Officer/HCO Embassy Duronis II - USS Thor NCC-82607 Author ID number: G239102MR0 & Lieutenant Quen Deena Medical Officer Duronis II Embassy/USS Thor E239602QD0 & Ensign Alieth Medical Officer Embassy Duronis II - USS Thor NCC-82607 Author ID number: E239702A10