Savros

[Savros 0]

He stared into the Guardian portal and pondered his options. With no living family and few close friends, he had no close ties to remain here. Although his current dissatisfaction with his career would pass, the prospect of seeing history unfold excited the Cultural Xenologist in him. This thought he focused on, allowed it to fester and grow, till finally illogic became logic. In this state of internal struggle, he did the human thing; he closed his eyes and stepped through.

 

//** This log begins at the end of last SIM **//

 

Savros stood packing up his things. He had been aboard the Columbia for a week waiting for his first assignment to arrive. This assignment would certainly be different than a star base. It would bring him new experiences of exploration. He might even find time to visit one of the ancient civilizations he had read about. To experience them up close and personal was a dream. Yes, when it came to archaeology Savros was internally passionate.

 

The COMM chirped. Savros thought suddenly about tapping the symbol on his left chest, then walked over to the desk and flipped the toggle switch. "Savros here."

 

"Ensign, Captain Saylek asked me to remind you that the Challenger is due any moment. You need to report to the shuttle bay within the hour."

 

"Inform Captain Saylek that I will make my appointment." He paused a moment to make certain the conversation had ended and concluded it, "Savros out." He then flipped the toggle switch back, and moved back to his bed to continue packing.

 

In spite of his mental discipline, he found that he still needed to get use to this new place. While he may have convinced the Vulcan Science Academy of his qualifications to serve on a starship, he needed to take advantage of all his opportunities. It would be a serious concern for him or others if he seemed somehow unfamiliar with a starship. Although they may tolerate him in the short term, he knew he would have to prove his capabilities if he were to justify not needing to go through the humans officer academy.

 

He finished packing his clothes and continued with the remainder of his belongings: a small bag of herbs, a hand written letter from one of his friends at the Vulcan Science Academy, a set of mediation candles, two datacards containing nearly a year of scientific journals and a coin from 19^th century earth. Now fully packed, he picked up his duffel bag and exited his guest quarters.

 

*** Twenty minutes later ***

 

"You have a go to launch." The shuttle bay doors opened slowly and the engines hummed. Savros took his seat and looked at the human pilot.

 

Ensign Navina jostled uncomfortably in her seat at the shuttle helm. Her hands moved about the shuttles navigation like a chef in a bakery. It was obvious that she was an excellent pilot. Equally obvious was the discomfort she felt around the Vulcan.

 

"Ensign Navina isn't it?"

 

She forced a smile. "Yep, that's me."

 

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" The shuttle jerked suddenly to avoid the rear port nacelle. Savros did his best not to note the change.

 

"Sorry about that. I must be a little distracted." She paused in an attempt to regain composure. After a minute of pressing navigational buttons, she turned to the Vulcan, flipped her hair and said "What did you want?"

 

Savros noticed a change of inflection in her voice and her body language. He knew humans were prone to emotions, but had not gained an appreciation for them. Curious, he continued with his inquiry. "I notice you wear the uniform of a security officer. May I ask how you were assigned as pilot of this shuttle?"

 

Navina angled her head. "Well, that's an interesting story. Originally, I wanted to be in engineering, so I studied hard, but I didn't really like engineering. But, I liked being a pilot…." She continued speaking till it the USS Challenger was within sight. "So, that's why I became a security officer who gets to be a pilot." Her hands once again glided across the navigational controls.

 

"USS Challenger this is Columbia Shuttle 1, requesting docking instructions."

 

"Columbia Shuttle 1, you are cleared to land in the aft shuttle bay."

 

The bay doors opened and the tiny shuttle landed gently in the bay. Savros looked at his young pilot, "Thank you for the trip. I enjoyed learning about your career. You will have to tell me more about your cat next time."

 

The young ensign smiled. "You're not like other Vulcans."

 

He knew what this meant. Many Vulcans considered idle conversation of little purpose. Savros, however, had discovered a purpose in such conversations. Establishing relationships of trust with humans is a complex and dynamic situation. If you start off by giving a good impression, a working relationship generally flowed better. Also, he had noticed that many human females were fond of a good listener, and a good listener was a good way to learn about their cultural norms and traditions.

 

Savros thought it insincere to force a smile. He nodded, grabbed his duffel bag and left the shuttle. As he approached the end of the shuttle bay, he turned and noticed Ensign Navina waving. He paused to wave back and stepped into the ship.