AN: So I remembered why I made those chapters short… maybe something has to do plot maybe it does not. Also I checked the ship does exist! I did a quick edit at 4am sooooooo any errors are my own.
"Space vampires… I'm afraid I do not understand the term." Rumbled from the back of the group.
The team of four had beamed down to the surface of Zunravid that had this loose soil sand texture; which obviously had been tracked into the science post they all were currently in. The science post was empty of any and all living life, which was noticed by the group.
Riker took a look around the post while answering the Lieutenant while theCaptain and Doctor were doing some scans. "It's an old Earth myth Worf." With no luck on finding anybody he resorted to asking the air. "Computer, where is lieutenant commander Rose?"
"Lieutenant commander Rose is at field site two. Point eight one kilometers south west from current location."
"Thank you."
"Shall we?" The Captain was already at the exit waiting for his team.
"How was the walk capitan?" Rose was looking at a layer of strata, away from the group; which was also ten feet below. "I hope you guys don't mind walking. I lost track of time, I thought I found something but I seemed to have been wrong. The top soil of this sand falls too often, this bed rock would have been the last layer to see life walk on it. But I can't seem to find anything, no footprints, no bones from the species or their food source. Not at any field site." She sighed knowing she was rambing to herself while climbing up a ladder to the top level. "Maybe it was a mass extinction… that would be rather disappointing if so. It's like everything turned to dust." She didn't know if something was said, but she zoned in a question directed at her. "Hmm?"
"Lieutenant Commander, your last posting was on a starship, how did you end up here?"
Rose took one last look at the area, scanning in hopes to find something. "A- the Nightwing was assigned to set up the post when the discovery was made." She took a bit of a step to her right thinking she saw something in the dig site. With finding nothing she continued to look around "There was a combative issue in the system over and the original commander for the post, commander Damri, was lost. And I became the next qualified personnel. I was originally suppose to be here, on Zunravid to help set up the post and start the digs, for three months than to be picked up when the nightwing rounded back. I didn't expect to be here for a year, much less given the post. While it gave some intriguing insight to a new species, trust me when I say I'm glad to be gone from this place." Rose was as satisfied as she could be that she wouldn't find anything else at the dig site. And she started to walk. She mumbled to only herself while the others got the idea she was leaving the area.. "I didn't want command."
"Why stay?" Commander Riker was the first one to catch Rose so he voiced the question.
"Orders are orders and anybody to replace me would have taken just as long as the close out date for the site." She shrugged, "It seemed like the nightwing wanted me gone. Why go back to a post that you are not wanted at."
"To prove yourself."
Rose looked back to the Lieutenant that claimed the statement, she smiled at the Klingon. She wasn't surprised it was him to say that. "Normally I would agree but if you're set up for failure, you're gonna fail…" She was hoping to change the topic as quickly as it had been placed on her. "Lieutenant, I hope my team did not create a hassle for you."
With a short and simple answer of, "They did not."
"Good."
"A discovery like this could have gotten you any science post you would have wanted." It seemed to Rose that Riker was just curious but she understood, a commanding officer would need to get a read on a new crew member, especially when everything seemed peculiar.
"Yeah," By accident Rose scoffed, "if it all wasn't substantial and dependent on an evolution that does not seem to exist. Anyways, I accepted the post on the Nightwing as a command officer. Spending a year here still has not changed my mind. I haven't officially been a science officer since before my place on the Nightwing. And if I'm honest, my field had bored me even before that."
"That's a pitty." This voice Rose had yet to hear, but it was easy to assume the Doctor finally spoke to her.
"Then why go into the field?" That was the question which Rose wanted to believe she knew the answer to and so when she heard it she didn't know who asked.
She shook her head. "It once fascinated me, I was good at it and it was easy; it wasn't a challenge sir. I know starfleet in itself is a challenge but my field was no longer to me."
"I mean no offence to this, but you were nobody until this report made it to us." Was it a bad thing that commander Riker was striking a nerve?
Rose laughed, which quickly turned into a sigh because she knew he wasn't wrong. "The science fields are competitive, especially in some broad aspects in a quadrant that is only so big. Any credit of finds go to the CO or they simply take it." the science post was nearing, "When I was an ensign, I was on the Thov five team. I found the missing link and analyzed it, even did the report. I got a promotion to junior grade while the CO got the credit. While I know that is my accomplishment no one else but that report does. I don't think the promotion was worth the trade not when it comes to something you spent your life learning. The same situation happened once more and that was when I knew if I wanted my name known, even if it was only to superior officers, I knew I would need to switch divisions. Plus space exploration is more intriguing." They all came to the door of the post and before the door opened she added. "Besides I hate sand."
