Here's Chapter 4 finally. Sorry it took so long, exam week is really kicking my butt.
Special thanks again to my beta TheWindowView, and of course thanks to those who have reviewed. I really appreciate it.
Nia stretched up to grab the small bottle of solution stored at the back of the shelf. The top shelf to be more specific. The other xenobiologist on board had a few samples he was letting her examine, and so of course the solution she needed was the only one stored on the top shelf.
Crewman Michaels walked in behind her. Nia only knew this because of the sharp gasp to be heard before Michaels started chastising Nia.
"Dr. Sargent, what are you doing?" She near yelled. "There's a step ladder! There's no reason to be doing that!" She was clearly struggling to control herself.
The 'that' Michaels was referring to was the fact Nia had climbed the shelving to reach the top shelf.
After taking a breath, Michaels continued ranting. "Dr. Sargent, you need to get down from there, right now! Do you have any idea what you are doing? What if you break something?"
From an outsiders perspective, Nia was precariously perched on the edge of two shelves with the toes of her shoes barely maintaining a grip. The fingers of her left hand gripped the edge of the top shelf and held her body close while she grabbed for the supplies she needed with her right. To an outsider, the whole thing could cave in at any moment, and she could slip and fall the few feet to the floor.
While Michaels was still panicking and ranting, Nia just rolled her eyes, and then proceeded to delicately lower herself to the floor.
Warrior woman she may not be, but climbing? Climbing was in her genes. Climbing was her people's evolved way of survival, and even the relatively recent technological advancements couldn't change that fact. Paladians were born to reach for the skies.
The irony of a Paladian on a starship flying higher than said skies did not escape Nia.
"Ma'am, if you needed help you should have called for me, you should-"
Michaels was still ranting, and now that Nia was back on the floor, the crewman was hovering. She was behaving like a mother hen who had just discovered her chick decided to go swimming.
Little did Michaels know, this chick was actually a duckling.
"Calm down, Michaels." Nia tried, knowing it was probably the wrong thing to say, but knowing she needed to say something. The other woman looked like she was going to give herself a heart attack.
In response the crewman turned and stormed out of the lab, leaving a rather perplexed Ensign Jenkins in her wake.
"Wow." Jenkins said to Nia. "I don't think I've ever seen any one get her that worked up. Nice job Sargent." The ensign walked over to stand next to the woman she was coming to respect. "Whatever it was, she left in such a huff she didn't even see me."
Nia rolled her eyes again. Crewman Michaels and the doctor did not get along well. There were certain things that Nia only did her way, and apparently the Crewman felt the same way.
"I was only trying to get a solution from the top shelf." She said, defensively.
Jenkins looked up at said shelf, then around the lab. "How?" She asked, incredulous. "By climbing on the walls?"
"No, the shelves." Nia had the grace to blush at the look Jenkins sent her way. "Don't look at me like that. I'm Paladian. I just didn't think about getting a stepladder."
"Because you are Paladian?" Jenkins was confused.
"You know the temperate rainforests you have on Earth?" Nia asked, smiling slightly as she thought about the few Terran places that had reminded her distinctly of home.
"I do. I've been to Seattle a time or two." Jenkins wasn't quite following her, but was willing to see where the doctor was taking it.
"Imagine the trees… only bigger. That's Palad."
Jenkins nodded in understanding. "So is that why your fingers are so long? I'd only noticed the other day because of the way you held you stylus."
Nia chuckled. "That is exactly right." She flexed her left hand as if to prove the ensign's point. Nia's fingers were a great asset when climbing.
"So," Jenkins asked. "I just came over to see if you needed any help?"
"Oh no," Nia told her. "Thank you, but I'm just going to look at some rotifers under high magnification."
"Alive?" Jenkins asked, surprised.
Nia nodded. "Yep. What do you think I was climbing to the top shelf for?" She waved her bottle at the other woman as if it were some sort of prize.
"Methyl cellulose." Jenkins observed appraisingly. "You sure that's a good idea?"
Shrugging, Nia told her. "These appear to be Terran based forms, so the solution should only serve to slow them down with no other adverse side effects."
Jenkins just nodded and stood by Nia as she began to set up the necessary equipment. She looked around the lab for a moment longer before finally saying "Well, it looks like you have everything under control." She turned to walk out of the lab.
Turning her head to glance over her shoulder. "If you are feeling bored or lonely, you are welcome to hang out here whenever you like. I might or might not put you to work."
Ensign Jenkins warmed considerably at the suggestion. "Thank you, Sargent. I just might take you up on that offer." She looked out the door, then back again. "Not today though. My work won't wait for me to cure my boredom. I've just been stalling 'til the last possible minute."
"I understand that." Nia said. And Nia really did understand. It used to be she would wander into Henry's lab in order to find an excuse from monotony of her own work. More often than not, she was put to work. It had been worth it though, those little moments before a task kept her sane.
After Jenkins left, Nia continued working. The rotifers were really nothing special, and were very similar to those found on Earth. It allowed her to familiarize herself with a new species though, and narrow down yet another area of approach. One species down… She ended the train of thought there. She didn't want to know how many more pointless slides and species of plant, animal and everything in between that she would have to go through. As much as I have to, I just don't want to know much that 'much' actually is.
Despite the rotifers being a dead end, Nia took detailed notes on them anyways. Sometimes the smallest piece of information could make the difference. It could be the one pro or con that tipped the scales and irrevocably altered the outcome. Could be, but not necessarily would be.
Sometime between her examining the rotifers and imputing the data, Crewman Michaels had come back into the lab. She didn't say anything more to Nia, though, and only spoke when spoken to. The new found docile manner was surprising, but a little refreshing for Nia. Even though Nia was a civilian, she was still the authority in this part of the lab. It had worried her that she might have to put the crewman in her place, or worse, had someone else do it.
It wasn't for at least a couple of hours that Michaels spoke up on her own. "Excuse me, but aren't you supposed to be at lunch?"
Nia frowned. "No." She turned to face the crewman. "Why? What time is it? Computer, time."
"12:00 hours."
Nia felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. She'd begun working around eight, right after breakfast with Christine.
"Wow." She said. "The time really flew. I guess it is time for lunch. Well I don't need you to stay while I'm not in the lab today, so just make sure to be back in an hour." She left her lab coat hanging of the back of her chair.
Michaels nodded, and then followed Nia out of the lab. The two parted in the hallway.
By the time Nia got to the mess hall, her usual companion had already started eating. She got her food, something safe and relatively crunchless ever since the carrot incident, and settled down across from him.
As per her usual, Nia had a book with her. Lady Knight, a novel with yet another childish illustration on the front. Only this one seemed to depict an older girl in armor, Spock noticed. Once he completed his meal, he waited for her to complete hers.
She noticed his stillness first. Out of the corner of her eye, she'd seen the folded hands sitting on the table in front of him, clearly waiting for something. It was as she was putting her book down and cleaning up the remainders of her lunch. She hadn't realized before that he didn't have his PADD with him that day.
"Sir?" She finally asked.
"I wish to address an issue that came to my attention today." He said.
Nia winced. So that's where Michaels went when she stormed out. "I realize I should have used the ladder. I will do so in the future."
He raised an eyebrow. "While it is strongly advised that you do so, that is not the issue I am speaking of."
She looked at him, surprised. If that wasn't the issue, then what was? She hadn't done anything else, not that she knew of.
"Crewman Michaels has requested a transfer of assignments."
It took her a moment to process what she was told in that unchanging tone of voice. When it clicked, she sat back surprised. While Crewman Michaels was not Nia's favorite person, Nia had thought the problems could be worked through.
"That's… disappointing." Nia said.
The eyebrow was raised again. "I was made to understand there are problems between the crewman and yourself."
Nia shrugged. "Yeah, Michaels and I are not on the best of terms. To put it in a human phrase, we rub each other the wrong way and both have very… individual ways of doing things." She slumped slightly in her seat. "I had thought we could work it out."
Spock had suspected as much. Michaels had been on the edge of disrespectful when she had made her request earlier and the commander had been forced to remind her that the doctor was in fact her authority, and was to be treated as such, per Starfleet regulations.
Nia spoke again. "Well, if she truly feels it to be a problem to work with me, then I see no reason to not grant her request. Except… Would it be alright if I spoke with her? Or have you already responded to her request?"
"I have not. Does this mean you wish to confront her?" He told her.
If he were human, Nia imagined she would be hearing wariness in his voice. Or caution. Or really anything a male in command might feel towards a problem between two females in his command.
"If by confront, you mean speak with her on the matter, then yes. Commander, she's been working with me for just over two days. Crewman Michaels is young, and has a dominant female personality. Prior to being assigned to work with me, she was working on the project of her choice." She said, struggling (again) with how exactly to get her point across to the Commander. For some reason, fear of saying the wrong thing had come to grip her low in her chest and heat had begun to rise along the side of her neck.
"You are suggesting that Crewman Michaels is merely reacting to the change in her position?" Spock inquired.
"She might be, yes."
"And speaking with her would help you determine that?"
"It should."
He nodded. "I will hold my decision then, based on the outcome of your discussion with Crewman Michaels."
"Thank you."
"Gratitude is unnecessary, Doctor."
"Not to me, Commander."
He merely nodded as he stood and left the mess hall.
As soon as he disappeared out the door, Nia groaned and thunked her head on the table in front of her. Now, she had to talk to Crewman Michaels. This was going to be fun.
When Nia finally went back to the lab, Michaels was already there, setting up the next experiment to be run. Not sure how to start what was going to be an awkward conversation, Nia decided to just get to work with Michaels and let it come to her.
Letting it come to her wasn't working after twenty minutes, and Michaels was very tense.
"Alright, dang it." Nia finally snapped. "I spoke with the Commander today. He told me of your request."
Michaels looked up, and caught Nia's eyes. Even after a several seconds, the crewman didn't look away.
Nia decided to continue. "You have a problem with me." Michaels opened her mouth. "Ah! I don't care what it is, or why. I only care if we can work it out." Nia paused, then said "You choose."
"Ma'am?" Michaels asked, clearly confused.
Nia sighed. "You get to choose to stick it out or leave."
Finally, Michaels looked away. When she finally looked back, most of the tension was gone. "Where do you need these samples?"
Nia grinned. "Good choice. Over there actually." As she helped the crewman shift samples around, Nia told her "Oh, and you get to inform the Commander of your decision."
Something akin to a whimper was heard behind her.
"Don't give me that. You and I both know how trouble with a superior this early on in your career was going to look, and I already did my part to prevent that from happening. Now you get to do yours."
Michaels sighed. "I did run to him in a hissy fit, didn't I?"
"You did." Nia confirmed. "Don't worry, I won't hold it against you." She waited a moment then amended her statement. "Much."