[sb118-columbia] PNPC Savok - Musings of a Vulcan Scientist (Columbia) Parts 1-3

[Piweh]

(Brilliant characterization. Easily the best thing I've read in my time on Columbia. You really brought these characters to life, @Anath G'Renn.)

((G’Renn and Savok’s Quarters - Deck 5, USS Columbia))

((Time Index: The day after the arrival of G’Renn’s family))

 

::After greeting those family members who could make it for the wedding and having a somewhat chaotic lunch, he and his sister were finally able to sit down and have a conversation together. T’Pril listened as he explained the latest events happening on the Columbia before sharing the latest news of her orientation tour of the Aldebaran Music Academy and a new piece of Vulcan lute music that she was composing. Before returning to the guest quarters that she had been assigned, T’Pril had given him a family photo album she had made for him. Savok had looked forward to examining the album later. Given that holophotography was one of T’Pril’s hobbies, she would have no shortage of pictures to choose from.::

 

::Anath was gone, attempting to organize her family together for a tour of the ship that they were taking. Savok had stayed in their quarters for a moment, meaning to look closer at the photo album that T’Pril had given him. Across the cover, in golden Vulcan calligraphy, was the word memory. He opened the album and examined the pages. Each page contained a few photographs, all neatly aligned with each other and each one carefully labeled with the time, date, and location. T’Pril had been very thorough, not leaving a single picture unlabeled or out of place. Having noticed that the pictures appeared to be in roughly chronological order, Savok started with the first page.::

 

::One of the first images was a portrait of his class at the Syrran Learning Center. The Vulcan children were neatly lined up in their student uniforms. However, there were two students who did not fit in standing next to him in the class picture. They were smiling and waving to the camera as opposed to the two rows of disciplined Vulcan children. The Human and Klingon/Vulcan children in question had two of the largest disciplinary records in the history of the Syrran Learning Center. Alexa Kennedy and Anath G’Renn had also become two close friends after he met them for the first time at the learning center. It was an encounter that he would not easily forget.::

 

 

((Flashback - Syrran Learning Center - T’Paal City, Vulcan - 237408.29))

 

::There was a heightened sense of security and tension everywhere. Savok had lived in T’Paal City for a year and had started to notice changes. Recently more security officers seemed to be stationed at major government buildings. He knew what was going on. The Federation News Service had been discussing something called the Dominion War. It was a concerning thought, that Vulcan could be perceived as being under threat. Savok could not help but notice these things as he and his mother walked through the streets of T’Paal City and approached the large building in the center of the city that housed the Syrran Learning Center. Savok was dressed in a newly replicated uniform in line with the dress code of the learning center and was carrying the necessary supplies that would not be supplied. His mother had also said that she was going to introduce him to one of his classmates, the daughter of one of her work colleagues.::

 

::Savok followed his mother through the doors of the Syrran Learning Center and into the building lobby. Teachers, faculty members, students, and their parents were standing in the lobby or moving through the lobby to various classrooms or offices in the building. V’Len was moving in the direction of a Vulcan woman in a dark maroon set of Vulcan robes kneeling down and having a conversation with a young girl wearing the same student uniform that Savok and all of the other students were wearing. As they approached he could hear the end of the conversation.::

 

Lyras: Will you attempt to behave appropriately on your first day?

 

::As the girl looked around the hallway, Savok saw something unusual. Not only was she not Vulcan, but she had the strange forehead ridges that he knew meant that she was a Klingon. Klingons were a much rarer sight on Vulcan than all of the different species that were part of the Federation.::

 

G’Renn: Yes, mommy.

 

Lyras: Thank you Anath.

 

::V’Len led him closer to the Vulcan woman and the Klingon child. His mother and the other Vulcan silently greeted one another with a Vulcan salute before she looked down to him and introduced him to the two.::

 

V’Len: Savok, this is Lyras from the Neurology Department of the Vulcan Biology Institute. This is her daughter, Anath.

 

::Savok greeted the two with a Vulcan salute, as he had been taught was the proper thing to do.::

 

Savok: It is agreeable to meet you both.

 

::The Klingon, Anath, seemed very excited to meet him. Rather than use the Vulcan salute that he and the adults were using she enthusiastically waved and had a large smile on her face. When she spoke, her tone was also significantly more energetic than the tone of everyone else’s voices.::

 

G’Renn: Hello! Nice to meet you!

 

::Savok raised an eyebrow and took a moment to consider what to say in response. He eventually settled on the most logical question to ask his classmate on the first day of the academic year.::

 

Savok: Are you looking forward to starting your education at the learning center?

 

G’Renn: I hope that it’s going to be fun. My sister Jolash says that this place is boring and that the teachers are no fun.

 

::Savok considered what he had learned so far about the learning center. Given that Anath was worried that the Syrran Learning Center was boring perhaps he could provide an interesting fact in response. His parents had told him about the history and background of the school.::

 

Savok: This is a very old building with an interesting history. It used to be the office for a cultural exchange program and an art museum.

 

G’Renn: My friend Alexa found a mural on the second floor.

 

::That was unsurprising. During a previous orientation at the learning center Savok had found that the building housed a large collection of artwork. Several walls on the administrative level were decorated with murals. There were also tapestries and sculptures in the hallways from various eras of history. The dedication plaques next to them identified many of them as being made by artists local to T’Paal City.::

 

Savok: That sounds very interesting.

 

G’Renn: It is. Come on, I’ll show you where it is!

 

::Suddenly, Anath had grabbed his hand and was leading him down the front hall and up the stairs. No doubt they were off to see the aforementioned mural. He was very surprised by the sudden movement as Anath guided him up the stairs, no doubt to go see the mural. While being dragged along, he looked back to his mother who was discussing something with Lyras.::

 

::His new Klingon acquaintance led him by the hand up the stairs leading to the administrative level above. Down the hall there was a short Human girl with freckles and brown hair standing in front of a mural. Like Anath, she was also wearing the student uniform of the learning center. Savok followed behind as Anath greeted the other student. The mural they had found depicted some kind of battle near a mountain. There was an odd cloud shaped vaguely like a mushroom in the distance. Savok examined the dedication plaque, which called the work The Battle for Mount Seleya.::

 

G’Renn: Alexa! This is Savok and he’s going to be in our class. He wanted to see the mural too.

 

Kennedy: ::Waving:: Hi Savok.

 

::Savok waved back uncertainty.::

 

Savok: ::Quietly:: Hello.

 

::The behavior of his new classmates was unexpected to say the least:: 

 

((End Flashback))

 

 

Savok

Civilian Researcher

USS Columbia

 

===as simmed by===

 

Lieutenant Commander Anath G'Renn

Chief Medical Officer/Second Officer, USS Columbia

A239402AG0

 

((G’Renn and Savok’s Quarters - Deck 5, USS Columbia))

((Time Index: The day after the arrival of G’Renn’s family))

 

::There were also holophotos of the landscapes of the Raal Province. T’Pril had included panoramic photographs of T’Paal City and the nearby Fire Plains. One particular location stood out. The Kar Sand Dunes were just on the edge of the city and was where he had spent several hours of his free time exploring or going for hikes through the desert with his father. It was also a favorite spot for Alexa, Anath, and her siblings given the close proximity of the Kennedy home to the dunes. On one occasion, Anath had convinced him to partake in “sand sledding”.::

 

 

((Flashback - Kar Sand Dunes - Raal Province, Vulcan - 238004.03))

 

::Between examining the replicated sled that he had been given and the slope of the large sand dune that he, Alexa, Avarak, and Anath were standing on top of, Savok was uncertain as to the wisdom of attempting to sled down the sand dunes. Meanwhile, the other three seemed much less concerned. Apparently this was not the first time they had tried this.::

 

Savok: Are you sure that this is a good idea?

 

::Anath’s younger brother Avarak spoke up, already sitting on his sled.::

 

Avarak: It’s really fun!

 

Kennedy: We use these sleds all the time here. You’ll love it once you try it.

 

::Their testimony did not entirely convince him. As he looked down the sand dunes, Savok could easily envision all of the potential ways that sledding down the sand dune could go wrong and cause injury. The sleds themselves seemed stable, but he was still unsure if it was a good idea to sled down the dunes.::

 

G’Renn: Together?

 

Savok: ::Pausing to consider the idea.:: Very well.

 

::Savok lined up his sled next to Anath’s. She smiled and started to count down from three. On one, she pushed forward and the sled flew down the sand dune. Savok followed suit and held onto the handles of the sled so he would not fall off.:: 

 

Savok: oO Something feels wrong. Oo

 

::The movement of the sled started to become erratic. His sled was slowing down and began to veer to the left. The edge of the sled knocked in to Anath’s sled and they both flew out of control. Anath slipped off the sled and was left lying in the desert sand. Savok managed to keep his hold on the sled after the collision. However, that might not have been a logical course of action. The sled continued to slow down before stopping suddenly and sending him flying forward and landing on the slope.::

 

::Savok sat up and checked to make sure he was uninjured. Anath also appeared to be on her feet and walked down the sand dunes to check on him, along with Avarak. She held out a hand and helped him to his feet. Savok brushed the sand out of his hair and looked around to see his overturned sled lying a few feet away.::

 

G’Renn: They usually don’t get caught or wipe out like that. But it was still an exciting rush, right?

 

::He examined the replicated sled and considered how the design could be improved to avoid a similar outcome should he ever be convinced to make a second attempt. It seemed as if sand had built up in front of the sled and prevented it from sliding on top of the surface of the dune smoothly.::

 

Savok: I suppose that you could characterize events that way. ::Beat:: Perhaps a wax coating to reduce drag could be added to the bottom of the sled?

 

::Anath smiled and turned to Alexa for her opinion.::

 

G’Renn: That’s the spirit! What do you think, Alexa?

 

Kennedy: My dad could probably replicate something like that we could add to the sleds. Let’s go back up to the house and ask!

 

::The other three children turned around and started walking back up the sand dune with sleds in tow. He followed them up the dunes to the nearby neoclassical Golic house overlooking the Kar Sand Dunes on the edge of town. His mind raced with ideas of how to use science to determine the optimal design for a sand sled.::

 

((End Flashback))

 

::Alexa and the G’Renn children had all been his friend. He found speaking with them interesting and he even gained a tolerance for the more frivolous or dangerous activities that the group would partake in. Whether it be touring an art museum or hiking through the desert and avoiding sehlats, they had always been close. But then they moved on. Jolash had briefly lived on Qo’noS where she met her future spouse. Alexa applied to Starfleet Academy to be an engineer, not a surprise given her family’s history with Starfleet. What was more surprising was Anath’s decision to join Starfleet as well. There were many medical schools on Vulcan and she had the skill to earn admission to them. And then it was only him left on Vulcan.::

 

::Savok had elected to attend the Vulcan Science Academy rather than apply to Starfleet Academy. His education had provided opportunities to learn not only about science but Vulcan culture and history as well. The ancient fortress that was now host to the Vulcan Science Academy sat in the middle of historic ShirKahr. When he was not busy with his studies he would learn of great painters and their techniques browsing the stores in the Artisan Quarter. Visiting the Outskirts Area would allow him to meet travelers visiting Vulcan from every corner of the Federation. Touring the Old Quarter gave him new insights into Vulcan history. His years as a student were very rewarding, but they had to end as he entered a new chapter in his life.::

 

 

((Flashback - South Courtyard - Vulcan Science Academy, ShirKahr, Vulcan - 239006.02))

 

::The South Courtyard was more crowded than usual. It was the final day of the term and there were several visitors on campus in addition to the usual public lecture attendees. Savok was being presented with his degree by Doctor Dyroc, a senior professor in the biology department. His parents and sister were standing nearby, observing the proceedings.::

 

Dyroc: You are hereby awarded a Master of Science degree with a major in botany. Congratulations, Savok.

 

::Savok took the diploma that Doctor Dyroc had offered to him and bowed respectfully.::

 

Savok: Thank you Doctor Dyroc.

 

Dyroc: I also need to discuss another matter with you. May we speak now?

 

::Intrigued, Savok nodded and followed Doctor Dyroc as he walked down one of the pathways lining the South Courtyard. He noticed that they were moving away from the visitor entrance and administrative building and in the direction of the primary Research Center. He waited to hear what it was that Dyroc had to say.::

 

Dyroc: Your work in Advanced Mycology and Introduction to Biomedical Research exceeded all expectations. Your skill set makes you an ideal candidate to be a botanical researcher.

 

::Savok raised an eyebrow, considering what point Doctor Dyroc was trying to make. He had set out to become a botanical researcher and had guided his academic career to forward that goal. It was good to hear that his instructor felt that he was qualified to achieve his goal to be a researcher.::

 

Savok: That is my primary career goal. Is my coursework related to the other matter that you wished to discuss with me?

 

Dyroc: The botanist on the Life Sciences Research Team retired unexpectedly. The team director and I would prefer that you take the position. Would you be interested in the position?

 

::He had not been aware that Strenvek had retired. For more than a decade, Strenvek had been a senior member of the Life Sciences Research Team at the Vulcan Science Academy. He would occasionally give guest lectures in the more advanced courses in botany. A position like his would be an ideal assignment. But Savok did not expect to be offered the position that Strenvek had occupied a few months earlier. Given his goals, there was only one logical response that he could give.::

 

Savok: I would be very interested, doctor.

 

((End Flashback))

 

::His tenure as a full-time researcher in the labs of the Vulcan Science Academy had been very rewarding. Savok had received his education in science, better understood the methods of scientific research, and gained an insight into different cultures through transfer and exchange programs. He would become involved in one such program a few years into his career as a researcher.::

 

 

Savok

Civilian Researcher

USS Columbia

 

===as simmed by===

 

Lieutenant Commander Anath G'Renn

Chief Medical Officer/Second Officer, USS Columbia

A239402AG0

 

 

((G’Renn and Savok’s Quarters - Deck 5, USS Columbia))

((Time Index: The day after the arrival of G’Renn’s family))

 

::Savok immediately recognized one of the holophotos on one of the next pages. He had taken it himself. One of the major projects that the Life Sciences Research Team had been working on was an inventory of the flora and fauna of Bajor. When a new planet joined the Federation and scientific cooperation with the new member became more regular, the Vulcan Science Academy would conduct a survey and add information about the new member world to the VSA database. When the academy sent a team of researchers to Bajor to assist in a survey of the poorly-explored Jaitza Mountains he had been assigned to the team. T’Pril had insisted that he take holophotos while he was there. He had taken that particular image from the balcony of the expedition’s base camp facing the mountain range to the east.::

 

 

((Flashback - Expedition Base Camp - Janitza Mountains, Bajor - 239302.11))

 

::It was the final day of the University of Bajor’s collaboration with the Vulcan Science Academy in surveying the Janitza Mountains. Tomorrow they were going to return to Vulcan with the data gathered during their survey. Over the course of three months they had created detailed scans of the mountains, collected samples of rare plant specimens native to the mountain range, and observed the behavior of a pack of hara cats for almost a month. To celebrate the end of a successful expedition their Bajoran hosts had served Klavaatu and springwine at dinner::

 

::Savok had excused himself from the festivities and had found solace in meditating on the balcony of the base camp’s upper floor. While the rest of the team continued to enjoy the meal or discuss the data they had gathered or future projects, he had allowed himself to become focused entirely on the light mountain breeze. He had banished all other thoughts and sensory experiences from his mind so that he could organize his thoughts.::

 

::When he was done meditating, Savok remembered his promise to T’Pril. He unpacked the holographic imager and adjusted the settings to capture images of the Janitza Mountains. The shutter snapped a few times, recording images of the Bajoran landscape around him. He did not notice the arrival of Ule Varr on the balcony as well. Savok finished taking holophotos and noticed the senior Bajoran researcher standing beside him.::

 

Ule: Good job today with placing the tags on those carnivorous rastipods. Especially given that you’re used to dealing with plants and not animals. I suppose plants don’t bite as much, do they?

 

::Savok looked down at his forearm where he had been bitten earlier that day. On their way back down the mountain, the team had encountered a small herd of carnivorous rastipods. The zoologists in their group wanted to tag the members of the herd for future studies on their population. When Savok volunteered to help, he had underestimated how strong the creatures could be.::

 

Savok: They do not typically bite.

 

Ule: Luckily that rastipod looked healthy. Did you get the test back yet?

 

::After getting back to the base camp he had reported to the first aid center to have his bite treated and to be tested for any infections.::

 

Savok: The bite did not infect me.

 

Ule: I sure do hope that being bitten isn’t going to change your perception of field studies. You will find that being out here in the unknown is where the real fun and discoveries are. If you want to find out the truth you have to come to the source. We’ve still only started to explore these mountain ranges. You’re quite handy to have on a scientific expedition. Have you ever considered transferring out of the lab and onto a science ship?

 

Savok: I have not. Do you think that I should?

 

::Savok looked over at Ule curiously.::

 

Ule: Absolutely! Haven’t these three months been so educational and informative?

 

::Over the course of the expedition he had learned how to apply a tracking tag, assemble a tent, drill for rock samples, and climb and survey a mountain. When the Vulcan contingent of the expedition returned to the Vulcan Science Academy, they would have no shortage of data to study from the field study.::

 

Savok: Both approaches appear to have their own costs and benefits.

 

Ule: Well, do a cost-benefit analysis and see if the Vulcan Science Academy has any openings for research out on the frontier where all of the excitement is. ::He poured two glasses of springwine and offered one to Savok.:: To discovering new things?

 

::He accepted the glass of springwine and raised it in toast, imitating Ule.::

 

Savok: To discovering new things.

 

((End Flashback))

 

::He had not taken Ule’s advice right away. Soon after returning to the Vulcan Science Academy he had received an invitation to become an instructor in the biology department. After discussing the job offer with his father, himself a former teacher, Savok had decided to take the position. The next image in the album was a picture taken by T’Pril during his first lecture in his classroom.::

 

 

((Flashback - Classroom E-24 - Vulcan Science Academy, ShirKahr, Vulcan - 239309.10))

 

Iria: This is the classroom that you have been assigned. ::She held out a PADD:: This contains the access codes for the laboratories on the second floor and the schedule for internal department meetings.

 

::Savok took the PADD in the professor’s outstretched and scrolled through its contents. He quickly committed the access codes for the laboratories to memory. Once he had set up his classroom those were his next destination. He could examine the schedule after his meeting.::

 

Savok: Thank you, professor.

 

Iria: My office is located at the end of the hallway. If you need any assistance please schedule a meeting. Welcome to the Biology Department. Do you have any questions for me at this point?

 

Savok: Not at this time, professor.

 

Iria: I will leave you to your work. Live long and prosper, Instructor Savok.

 

Savok: Peace and long life, Professor Iria.

 

::Professor Iria walked out of the classroom. Savok surveyed the room. The room had rows of desks on one end facing the front of the room. The front of the classroom was dominated by a large display screen for lectures. And off to one side was his desk. He walked over to the desk and opened the box of his possessions that had already been delivered. He removed his collection of books, a stack of PADDs, and a potted plant from the box. It was a night-blooming throgni that his friend Anath had brought back for him from her last family trip to Qo’noS. Savok set the plant down on his desk and admired the rare Klingon flower.:: 

 

::Perhaps he should write a letter to her. She would be in her final semester of medical school at Starfleet Medical Academy. He opened his desk monitor for a moment and considered whether or not to begin writing. In the end he closed the lid of the desk monitor and returned to sorting the contents of his desk. After all, there was a public lecture on cybernetics starting in half an hour he hoped to attend.::

 

((End Flashback))

 

::The last photo in the book was from the Starfleet database. It was the image of a Starfleet ship, circling a familiar alien space station. Right away he recognized it as the USS Blackwell. What an improbable occurrence, for the Vulcan Science Academy to have assigned him to the same ship that Anath had been assigned to.::

 

 

((Flashback - Botany Lab 3 - Vulcan Science Academy, ShirKahr, Vulcan - 239501.25))

 

::Savok had been asked to assist the Assistant Chair of the Biology Department with an experiment in Botany Lab 3. The researchers had collected the data and left to have a meeting. He had volunteered to remain behind and clean the lab. As he dematerialized used petri dishes and replicated new labware, he noticed something on a display screen on the wall of the lab. There was a new faculty-wide announcement. Savok picked up a PADD and accessed the announcement to read the entire text. What he read was very interesting.::

 

::The announcement was for a researcher exchange program with Starfleet. There were three positions open on Starfleet exploratory ships. Staff members of the Vulcan Science Academy could apply for these positions. While it seemed logical that the program would be focused on the full-time researchers at the academy, there did not appear to be any limitations on who could apply. Even he, as a junior instructor without significant research obligations, could send in an application.::

 

Savok: oO This could be an excellent opportunity. I am much better suited to research than I am to teaching Introduction to Botany. Oo

 

::Once he returned to his classroom, Savok began to fill out the application. Below the fields to fill in his information he noticed a list of the ships involved in the program. The USS Mantis, the USS T’Klass, and the USS Blackwell. If he could choose, he would select to be placed on the USS T’Klass. It was a Starfleet ship he had heard of before that was crewed entirely by Vulcans. It would be the ideal ship to be assigned to. No doubt that he could be able to make connections with the crew of an entirely Vulcan ship easily.::

 

((End Flashback))

 

::Beyond the last image of the USS Blackwell, there were dozens of empty pages in the book for additional images. He and Anath could continue adding photographs to the photo album if they so wished. She had actually mentioned starting a similar project before, but they had never started. Savok’s reflection on past events was interrupted by a familiar voice, although one he did not expect to come from his combadge.::

 

Rol’Q: =/\= ::With a raised voice, almost shouting.:: Rol’Q to Uncle Savok! =/\=

 

Savok: oO Did someone actually give him a combadge? Oo

 

::It did not seem logical that anyone had given a child so young direct access to the ship’s communications system. Clearly he did not understand how to moderate the volume of his voice.::

 

Savok: =/\= This is Savok. Go ahead. You do not need to speak at such a loud volume to be heard. =/\=

 

Rol’Q: =/\= Mommy and Aunt Ana say that we’re about to start the tour. =/\=

 

::Savok closed the photo album before responding.::

 

Savok: =/\= I will be there shortly, Rol’Q. =/\=

 

::He stood up and placed the photo album on the glass coffee table sitting in the middle of their quarters’ living area. It was a very interesting experience to see a photographic record of his life. Clearly T’Pril had put significant effort into creating the photo album. Savok was surprised that she was able to locate some of the photographs at all. He would have to dedicate more time to reading it after the tour.:: 

 

 

Savok

Civilian Researcher

USS Columbia

 

===as simmed by===

 

Lieutenant Commander Anath G'Renn

Chief Medical Officer/Second Officer, USS Columbia

A239402AG0