What Is he??

Posted on Wed May 6th, 2020 @ 8:20am by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Lieutenant Darru & Ensign Michael Sloan & Lieutenant Sovar

Mission: Mission 2 - Fallout
Location: Deck E - Sickbay
Timeline: Day 8, Month 1, Year 0 11:30
2057 words - 4.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Darru did not like the summons he had received to go to sickbay at all. It was never something straight forward in the six months he had been on board, it had been everything from a unique form of flu to some plant that was meant to have medical properties had created a bacterium. It was certainly all unique but it made other Vulcan’s more and more sure that Humans were not ready to be out in the universe. He stopped as he noticed his fellow Vulcan approaching from the opposite direction.

“Sovar? You were summoned as well must mean they are in desperate need of something to do with Sloan.” The younger man surmised.

"Unsurprising, given his condition. I believe that-"

Beth heard the soft words outside the sickbay came out quickly to see if it was the two men that she had summoned. "You hurried I see." The woman said with a small sigh. She hated having to go to the pair but she needed advice, they were scientists and had a lot more experience out in the universe than her. She needed to start seeing that even the Vulcans on the ship were stuck in the same boat quite literally as everyone else.

Sovar gave a neutral glance to Darru - as far as he was concerned they had simply arrived, not hurried - and then turned to the commanding officer.

"What can we assist you with, commander?"

"I want to know what this is," Beth said indicating the screen where Micheal Sloon's genetic coding was displayed. Darru did not like how abrupt Beth sounded as he moved over to the screen. She was never like that towards them, and she normally took the time to greet in Vulcan or least in his experience she did. "I want to know what species are similar to Vulcans," Beth demanded. Something was amiss here and she suspected that the two men stood there had an idea.

Sovar resisted the urge to look at Darru; as the senior of the two, he hoped the other man would simply follow his lead. "Though Lieutenant Darru and I have a breadth of scientific knowledge, you may wish to consult with Dr. Seong regarding matters of genetics. She is far better suited to the task than we."

"I know Lieutenant Darru is a genetics specialist at heart. I know he is here under the guise of a biologist but it is easy to see his interest is elsewhere. And I know he knows at the very least." Beth said levelling them both with a look. "I hope I am wrong and that you trying to deceive me as your Commanding Officer is a situation where we have no support and no other back up."

"I would not characterize the behavior as deception," Sovar said with the sort of detachment that made him seem like he wasn't at the heart of the matter. "At times, there will be cultural, scientific, and technological matters that we will be reluctant to discuss. It will improve the working relationship between the command staff and its Vulcan crewmembers if you would be mindful of the differences in our people. And that at no time should our reluctance be interpreted as malicious. That would not be logical behavior, nor would it be consistent with our cooperation thus far."

Beth would discuss what she classified as deception and this was certainly a way to go around it. "We will discuss your cooperation in our situation another time Lieutenant," Beth assured quietly as Darru already stepped closer to look at what information was being given.

Sovar stepped beside Darru to examine the genetic data on the display. He turned the helices to examine the DNA and reviewed data related to gene expression. He brought up a few separate databases to compare information and then finally stepped back. He looked at Darru and without saying a word the two nodded to one another. Sovar, the senior between them, turned to address the commanding officer.

"I should stress that our information is likely incomplete. The Vulcan Science Academy has postulated that there may be other Vulcanoid species in the galaxy, though their actual findings remain extremely limited. However," he inhaled deeply and turned slightly to look at Commander Sloan, "there are historical records of groups leaving Vulcan space on independent colonial endeavors." ('Independent colonial endeavors' seemed to be his sanitized way of saying there was a 'difference of opinion.')

"So this difference of opinion that you seem to have with species doesn't back even in your own genetic pool." Beth noticed with a dryness that was becoming hard to shift from her voice as she looked at Sloan.

"Yes," Darru commented before falling silent again.

"There are indications in Commander Sloan's genetic composition that suggest he originated from a Vulcanoid population that has undergone allopatric speciation as a result of geographic separation," Sovar said. He further explained, "The vicariance - the separation between the primary Vulcan population and these colonists, and their subsequent isolation - imposed an extrinsic barrier to the exchange of genes. So, as a result of being separated from our society, Commander Sloan's progenitors have evolved into a species different from Lieutenant Darru and myself."

"How does he look like this if he has vulcanoid DNA?" Beth wondered clearly trying to make sense of this situation that she found herself in with her armoury officer. It was a huge security risk. "Have you seen this species before or seen anything like this ever?" Beth could not help but ask. Whoever they were they had put a lot of work into making sure the man looked the part. How had he gotten through all the medical and screening they had to do before doing the ship.

"Information on these matters is considered privileged by Vulcan High Command. However," Sovar said, sparing a glance at Sloan, "given the higher level of genetic variance and assuming the historical records are true, we can surmise that Commander Sloan may be a descendant of some of the first splinter groups to leave Vulcan space."

Sovar looked to Darru again, then turned to squarely face Beth. He seemed as uncomfortable as a Vulcan could ever seem.

"Again, I would caution against interpreting my reluctance as deception. The lack of verifiable data and the inability to access most Vulcan databases makes it difficult to say anything definitively, and we are not accustomed to... speculation."

If it had been any other time or place Beth would have felt a sense of achievement in making a Vulcan uncomfortable but it was not the place. The officer in charge just wanted to understand what had happened to her crew member. "I thank you for speculating on behalf." The woman mused as she looked at Slaon trying to work out what to do for the bed.

"My mother is what you would consider a religious historian. She specializes in the study of the teachings brought by Surak and their reformation of Vulcan society. She has related some oral history from the time - a notoriously unreliable source of information - regarding a group who departed because they did not agree with those reforms," Sovar said. He turned his attention from Beth to Sloan, but continued to speak with an ominous tone. "They rejected Surak's teachings of control, peace, and reconciliation. They preferred to embrace the violence of our past and the quest for supremacy by any means possible."

Darru patiently stayed quiet. He would have time to work later on, and to look at the work that had been done on Sloan, for now, he needed to let his colleague speak logically so there were no misunderstandings going forward about this. Those words sent a shiver down her spine as she thought on a warlike race that had no qualms above war and winning. It almost would be ironic for her armoury officer to be from that species. "He might be violent then." Beth rubbed her forehead. What was she going to do with him now? It sounded like she would have to chuck him into the brig after all.

Slowly, Michael began to regain consciousness. The time he had been sedated mixed with the treatments had allowed his body to heal somewhat. With a heavy breath, his eyes opened. The first person he saw was Beth, to whom he asked, "What's the status of the ship and crew?"

"They are fine," Beth said surprised to find him awake and coherent. She had been told by Min that he would be out until the woman could come in and fix him up a little more. "Unlike you." She added stepping a little closer to look at him. "How are you doing Michael?"

"Better," Michael replied, "my head only feels like a dull ache." His eyes found the two Vulcans. His voice dropped a bit with a little more suspicion than he normally would have had, "What are they doing here?"

"Commander Leroux asked us to consult with her regarding your species," Sovar said flatly. "I believe she is investigating the scientific nature of your deception."

"Pure logic," Sloan began, his face scowling. His usual South African accent gave way to a much darker, pure sounding English akin to how a Vulcan would talk if they possessed emotion. "Surak was to be the undoing of our people. For too long you have shunned emotion and what it means to be truly alive. You mocked us as those who marched under the raptor's wings, but look at you now," he mocked. "You keep these Humans as your pets and were held back by the Andorians for too long."

Beth froze as she saw almost a shadow come over her Executive Officer's face and his usual accent and tone changed enough to send shivers down her back. She suddenly felt uneasy about this man being there. "I am no one's pet," Beth said simply. The Vulcan's did not humour her in the slightest.

Sovar lifted an eyebrow. The commander seemed to have them at a disadvantage; he knew far more about them than they knew about he. "'Those who march under the raptor's wings...' Curious."

"How you forget your own history," Michael, or at least the man who appeared to be Commander Sloan, started. Shaking his head, "Your great Surak's arrogance drove many from Vulcan." He reached for something on a side tray to help illustrate his point, but the move appeared more a calculated move to grab the surgical tool.

"Stop Sloan!" Beth said as she tried to grab the tool but missed knocking the tray to the floor and Michael successfully got the tool. Beth took a step back knowing this had now turned into a tense situation. "Put it down Michael." She suggested softly.

Wordlessly, while Sloan was focused on the commander, Sovar reached out with precision and pinched the nerve center at his neck. Given his unique and newly revealed physiology, the Vulcan used significantly more force than was necessary just to make sure he was thoroughly incapacitated.

Beth looked at the man unconscious at her feet and then looked at the science officer and said nothing. She had heard rumours but had never seen it in action. It was... effective to say the least and had incapacitated the man without a need for weapons or any type of injury. "Merci Lieutenant." The woman responded pushing the man back onto the bio bed with Darru's assistance.

"Je vous en prie," Sovar replied, unsurprisingly choosing the most formal way to reply as he watched the pair wrestled Sloan back on to the bio bed.

Once Sloan was settled, Sovar approached and looked down at him with something like a frown. The commander had turned out to be a traitor after all, a threat to the established order of things aboard the ship, a threat to Commander Leroux, and a threat to the Vulcan way of life. He felt an odd sense of gratification and disappointment about being right, both of which he immediately suppressed.

OFF::

Commander Bethsabee Leroux
Officer In Charge/Chief Communications Officer
NX Atlantis

Lt. Commander Michael Sloan
Acting First Officer/Chief Armory Officer
NX Atlantis

Lieutenant Sovar
Chief Science Officer
NX Atlantis

 

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