Good Morning Number One, Part 1
Posted on Wed Mar 31st, 2021 @ 9:55pm by Captain Steven Bond & Lieutenant Commander T'Sal
Edited on on Wed Mar 31st, 2021 @ 10:05pm
Mission:
S1, E0: We need each other.
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD002 0800 hrs
1769 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure
"Good morning Number One, how did you sleep last night?" Steven asked. He felt bad for what he said in his log, but that was the whole point. To work out his feelings, and grow as a person. He had a big smile on his face. He did not want T'Sal to see his insecurities.
“It was acceptable,” T’Sal replied. She often wondered what humans meant by the term how? “Did you rest well, Captain?”
"Well enough. Getting use to my new quarters, will take a little bit of time." Steven said. Adjusting to new quarters, always took a little bit of time for him. Part of his restless night was on his son being late, and how he felt about his first officer's friendly demeanor.
“I would think your family’s arrival would have made your quarters more suitable, Sir.” She said with no emotion. T’Sal understood that humans were unhappy without their families present with them as much as possible.
"The quarters are suitable, its me that needs to become more suitable to the quarters." Steven suggested to his first officer, realizing that probably made no sense at all.
T’Sal raised an eyebrow and reminded herself that often humans did not make sense. “What is different with these quarters from where you served last, Captain?”
"I'll have to get back to you on that, Number One." Steven said, with a big grin on his face. There was some of the logical vulcan he come to expect from Vulcans. He was being honest, he was not sure what was different, but he would soon enough. Time will tell, as the old saying goes.
T’Sal looked at him for a moment. “It would be suitable to know as starship quarters are generic from ship to ship within a classification.” She waited for his reply.
"What do you mean?" Steven asked, a little confused by her response. He had no idea, what she was referring too.
“Quarters are standard across each classification,” T’Sal explained patiently. “It isn’t logical that this one would feel any different, Captain.”
"Not completely accurate, our quarters are different than the senior staff, or the junior officers and the crew quarters." Steven pointed out to her.
“They are standard to quarters for command staff on other starships of this class,” T’Sal looked at him with no expression. “Is this your first assignment as captain on this type of ship, Sir.”
"First assignment as Captain period." Steven told his first officer. Was it that obvious to her and to the others?
T’Sal never changed expression just simply replied. “Yes, Captain. That would be a logical reason for your discomfort.” She was disturbed that she had forgotten this was his first command but she would not let it show.
"Yes Number One, I believe you are correct." Steven said with a big grin on his face. He was trying to hide his insecurities. "I have more one on one get to know your staff meetings scheduled for today. So this morning, I will be indisposed. Have you scheduled your one on one's?" Steven asked, as he looked over to T'Sal.
“I have not,” T’Sal replied. “I will schedule them around yours so that I may meet the crew.” She found no use in this getting to know people but she was endeavoring to learn more about humans so she would follow orders.
Steven had a big grin on his face. Maybe it was just last night, today he felt more comfortable around his first officer. "I am already meeting them, sounds like you have some catching up to do, Number One." He said, with a big cheesy smile on his face.
“It was suitable to observe the ship itself yesterday,” T’Sal explained. “I have engaged the Medical chief when I had my required physical, I will complete the task by the end of the day, Captain.”
"Ambitious of you, I will not be done till tomorrow." Steven suggested to her. That was going to be a lot of one on one meetings. He had a feeling that she would be able to do that.
“I believe my meetings will be more generic than yours, Captain.” T’Sal said calmly. “I will concentrate on work ethics and expectations.”
"I think you should get to know them, we are more than our worth ethics and habits." Steven suggested to her in a positive and critique style voice.
T’Sal looked at the captain for a moment. “I am agreeable to your suggestion, Captain. It will help aid my study of human nature.”
"In return, we will study Vulcan nature." He said, with a warm smile on his face. If she was willing to reach out, so was he.
“You want to study about Vulcans.” T’Sal said with no emotion. He had surprised her but she was schooled in not showing any. “That would be acceptable.
"I am glad you approve. If you are going to study my race, its only logical that I should study your race." Steven pointed out to her.
“It will be most enlightening for both of us,” T’Sal returned. “We will learn and accept each other’s cultures more.”
Steven just grinned, as he went on to say. "I agree it will be enlightening. Maybe after we are done, we can compare notes." Steven suggested to her.
“That would be suitable,” T’Sal said quietly. “I think we may both discover some things we never thought on before and they will be useful.”
"Anything is possible, as long as we both have an open mind." Steven suggested, hoping that message came out correctly. He was trying to say, they both needed to be open to the idea, and not set in their ways.
“I intend to leave all preconceptions behind,” T’Sal informed him. “I find humans fascinating and I find only a true study to be acceptable, Sir.”
"I find other cultures to be fascinating as well." Steven admitted to her. "Deep in my heart, I am an explorer. More than I am a diplomat." He suggested, with a big grin on his face.
“It looks like we kind of think alike, Captain.” T’Sal admitted. “When I was at the academy I made a lot of good friends that weren’t human.”
"That was a few years back, what have you done since the academy to continue on that goal?" Steven asked, with a big grin on his face.
“I have attempted to study humans but my assignments were not suitable,” T’Sal explained. “It is one of the reasons I found the Lexington suitable.”
"What is it about the Lexington, that you find suitable. That you did not find on previous assignments?" Steven asked, it was a logical progression question to ask.
“There were several factors,” T’Sal replied. “You grew up on Vulcan and I surmised you would not be offensed easily by Vulcan philosophy.” She continued on. “The ship is new and the crew is young and more probable to share.”
"This is a new crew, and it is true that the young mainly sign up for deep space assignments. But I think I was successful in getting a few of the long termers to sign up." Steven said, with a big grin on his face.
“You have a way of getting what you want,” T’Sal observed. “Also I have observed the crew wanting to do more than is acceptable. Why do you think that is, Sir?”
"Goals, Number One. I believe its because we all have goals to achieve." Steven said, with a warm smile. Hoping that answered her question.
“They wish to impress you so that they may advance,” T’Sal said matter of factory. “That is logical.”
"That is a good objective persepective. I would hope they would want to push their own limits, to better themselves." Steven told T'Sal. "We should all have the desire to better ourselves."
“I strive at all times to be acceptable,” T’Sal replied. “I do not wish to bring dishonor.”
"Dont you wish for more than acceptable?" Steven asked, curious to know her own personal motivations.
“Acceptable means my one hundred percent,” T’Sal explained. “If I cannot do the best I can I will resign.”
"I see, be fair to yourself. All I ask is that you do your best. I do not expect you to be perfect operating at 100% all the time. Just most of the time." Steven said, with a big grin on his face.
“You are different than every command officer I have served under,” T’Sal said quietly. “You say what you mean.”
"I would hope that would be true of all Captain's. Sorry that has not been your experience." Steven said, in an apologetic tone.
“It is not your fault to apologize for,” T’Sal replied. “Expectations were high and I have been trained to meet them.”
"Expectations aside, your still a person and should be treated accordingly. I think sometimes we forget that Vulcans do have feelings. All we see is the logical perspective of a Vulcan." Steven started to explain, hoping that made sense.
“It is true,” T’Sal was impressed by his insight. “We are not without emotions they are merely suppressed.”
"I can't imagine what it takes to do that, but its surely impressive." Steven said, with a humble smile on his face.
“Training and will power,” T’Sal. “It becomes a way of life.” She couldn’t imagine living by emotion.
"It's impressive from a human standpoint, no doubt its only logical and practical from your perspective?" Steven asked.
“That is correct,” T’Sal responded. “It is the acceptable way of Vulcan life. It is why I wish it gain understanding of human culture.”
"What do you hope to gain in your studies?" Steven asked, as his curiosity started to get the best of him.
“I do not wish to be a Vulcan who judges and finds humans weak because they have emotions,” T’Sal explained. “But to gain an understanding and acceptance, even understanding.”
"Couldn't you do that, without studying us?" Steven asked. It sounded liked basic civil rights, to what she was describing.
“There are Vulcans who blindly believe humans are weak,” T’Sal. “I believe in coming to my own conclusions. In order to understand and appreciate humans I must make my own study. To make a decision from someone else’s conclusions would be ...” she thought for a moment. “I believe the human term would be stupid.”
The End of Part 1
