"She blinded me with Science"

Posted on Sat 22nd Feb, 2014 @ 9:24am by Lieutenant JG Lys Greystone & Colonel Marcus DeSalle

1,511 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/6
Location: Commander's Ready Room, Ops
Timeline: The afternoon after the welcome aboard party

ON

Marcus looked at his console. So many new people to meet. Well, might as well take care of it now, while there was time. He tapped his comm badge. "Science Officer Greystone, please report to the Commander's ready room, ASAP."

Lys jumped at the sound of the man's voice and she dropped the potted plant she had in her hands. It startled her in a way that she had not heard in a long time. It wasn't so rough, nor demanding it was the no nonsense tone to it an she stammered. "I'll be there shortly, Sir."

At the sound of the chime, Marcus opened the door, and stood. "Lieutenant Greystone, come in."

Lys stepped in she stood quietly."Sir, you asked to see me?"

"Have a seat," he said, amiably. "I invited you here because I make a habit of getting to know my officers as individuals. That welcome party was really nice, and it was a great start. I want to take it a step further and become more acquainted with all my staff, so that we can work as a more cohesive unit." He gestured to the replicator. "Can I get you anything? This is an informal meeting only." He went there himself, and ordered an old Earth soft drink called a "Mountain Dew".

"Unsweet tea please." Lys said as he returned with both drinks in hand and handed her the tea. Lys took it and sipped it. "So Colonel, ask away?" Lys said

He nodded his approval. "Good. No beating around the bush, just straightforward forthrightness. I like that. You shoot straight with me, and I'll do the same. So tell me about yourself.
What got you interested in science, instead of, say, medical?"

Lys laughed and then said in a soft voice "Let's just say I'd prefer to dissect a plant over a humanoid any day of the week."

Marcus chuckled. "Well, you've got a point, there. Plants don't usually complain if you make a mistake. So, a bit of a Green Thumb, are you?"

Lys blushed slightly "You might say that." She paused and took a sip of tea she debated what to say and what not to say. It had been a few months since she had arrived on the base and things were a bit better but she still had personal things she was dealing with but did the Colonel need to know all of that she wondered.

"I'm not good with plants at all," Marcus said. "The only thing I seem to be able to grow is hair." He grinned. "Maybe someone who's not vegetatively challenged like I am might be able to do something with my office to make it look more comfortable?"

Lys looked across the space between them and met his eyes and relaxed. "It all depends on how much green you would like. A few touches here and there, or a office filled?" She smiled lightly as she studied the space and nodded slightly to herself and continued to speak. "Then you have to take into consideration of. Do you want a system in place to handle all the watering, nutrients or would you prefer to do that yourself or have a member of the crew come in and handle that?"

"Well, I'm not talking about a forest," he smiled again. Maybe just enough to spruce the place up a little, and a system to take care of it. I don't want anybody taken from more important duties to become my gardener, and I'm pretty sure I'd forget to water them or something..." He shrugged. "Why don't you whip up a few different designs for me in your spare time, and I'll look them over and see which one I like best?" He took a sip of his soft drink.

"That will not be a problem, Sir." Lys said

"Excellent," he said. "So tell me, What was your opinion of the last commander, and what do you think could be done better on the station?"

Lieutenant jg Greystone paused in thought for a long moment before she answered. It might have been so she could chose her words wisely or maybe to simply articulate what she had to say in her quiet way. "Sir, I have no opinion of the last commander as I did not interact with him much. He gave orders, we listened and as department heads we then delegated to the appropriate personnel within our departments. Opinions did not matter." Lys took a small sip of her tea "As for the station who am I to determine what should be done better."

"That's a fair question," Marcus nodded sagely. "Most military organizations are run in precisely that top-down style. However, I happen to appreciate feedback from the officers under my command. I am a firm believer that if I don't know something's broken, I can't fix it. If there is a way that anyone's department can be improved, either via process, personnel change, or starting from scratch, I want to know about it. Do you think that there is anything within your department that could be done better, or that someone in another department might be able to communicate with you more efficiently?"

"Colonel there is always room for improvement with myself, with my staff. But I highly doubt that the removal of those that I work with, in or outside my department would help. Unless of course you simply wish to transfer me elsewhere. I leave that to your discretion." Lys paused for a moment and took another small sip of her tea, her slender fingers ran up and down the sides of the glass as she met the man's blue eyes as she continued. "But, if I may be so bold to say that if you find my work already so unsatisfactory and we've barely begun to mesh as a cohesive team on the base then perhaps it would be best."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. He had not expected such a reaction, and carefully went over in his mind what he had said in order to make sure that he had not given any indication of dissatisfaction with the work of a woman he hardly knew. "Perhaps I was unclear," he ventured. "I did not mean to imply any dissatisfaction with the way you are running your department, or with your work, or even your department's. My direct questions were simply meant to elicit feedback concerning what YOU think could be improved. As a Marine and a commanding officer, I believe in being direct in order to avoid, not cause, confusion. If you catch me being unclear, please ask me if your perception of what I said matches my meaning and intent. I will correct such notions if they are incorrect, and I will be as non-judgemental as possible. So, with that in mind, do you have any suggestions on improving either your department's processes and efficiency, or those of any department with which you interact?"

Lys visibly sighed and looked down her tone continued to be soft spoken "Sir, Perhaps I spoke out of line and made an assumption that I was to be dismissed for I do not know what the CO had written in my file. I always assumed that since he did not seem to want to interact with me or my department that perhaps he did not like me or science in general or the department in which I serve. As for the other departments" Lys looked up and flashed him a smile and then it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared as she continued to speak. " I have however dealt with the civilian sector a great deal and Engineering. We have worked quite a bit in creating the Gardens that exist on the base." Her eyes lit up once more and she smiled again and then it disappeared just as rapidly as if something tugged at her cheer. "You should take time to visit them, they are... breathtaking."

Marcus smiled in return. "Thank you, I think I'll take a look at them. I enjoy a job well-done, no matter what the job. Now, do you have any questions for me?"

Lys smiled slightly of course she had questions but none that were deemed that important to be of the kind that one would require asking at this point. Time would tell, what kind of man the Colonel really was. So she shook her head her voice still quiet. "No Colonel, but if I think of any I'll come knock at your door ok?"

"I'd appreciate it if you would," he said as he stood up. "I look forward to seeing your plans for sprucing up my ready-room. Dismissed."

Lys nodded and prepared to leave. She was polite enough to drop her tea glass on the replicator for recycling and then quietly left. Mental notes taking shape was to what plants might look good in the Colonel's office.

OFF

Colonel Marcus DeSalle
Commanding,
Star Base Protector

Lieutenant jg Lys Greystone
Chief Science Officer
Star Base Protector

 

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