Welcome to Science Class

Posted on Thu Oct 13th, 2022 @ 8:16am by Commander Kyle Reece & Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Cadet Junior Grade Triston Montgomery [Lalor]

Mission: Season 5: Time Warp
Location: Elysium Academy
Timeline: 31/07/2397 / 1400 hrs
1933 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Arrianna entered the lecture hall and approached the podium wearing a very formal and professional Starfleet uniform with the skirt option. She set her slim briefcase down and spoke. "Good morning Cadets." She smiled and folded her arms and used the podium to balance. "Welcome to Science Class. Now..." Arri smirked. "I know what you're thinking. You have gone into Starfleet because you want to 'explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and civilizations?'" Arri grinned wickedly. "If you wanted it easy cadets, you should have gone into the counseling department. Here you have ventured into the dangerous part of Starfleet. We are often the first on scene to explore every fungus, anomaly, and poisonous barb shooting flower in the galaxy. And yes, that happened once. I am going to drive you to the breaking point because that's what my instructor did to me. You're going to learn a lot more than Science here. Who knows. Maybe for extra credit ill come up with some 'cat-tastrophe' for you guys to deal with."

Sitting at the rear of the class, Kyle smiled softly yo himself as he listened to one of his oldest friends, and former lovers, give her opening speech to the class. As Arri spoke, he mused silently as to what their former commander, Captain Doryan, would think of the two of them now.

Gary sat at the rear of the class with Kyle and the others. He was pleased with Arri's presentation and her composure. Thus was a step in her journey of recovery., It would take time and hard work, but Arri could do this. He and the others would do all they could to help her in her journey.

Arrianna continued. "Now... amongst your studies.. You will be fully trained in combat, strategies, and tactics. You will have to learn how to weaponize science, but not in the way you think." Arrianna noted. "The reason the United Federation of Planets has not been consumed by the Borg, or even the Dominion. Is through our skill with Science and Technology. In the case of the borg, when we realized that fighting them was not effective. The Federation fought the borg using their weaknesses." Arrianna mentioned. "You see a single collective mind, devoid of all emotion, and incapable of original thought... shows weaknesses. "But when a society of free thinkers exchanges ideas. We are capable of exploring possibilities a more limited mind like the Borg cannot comprehend. This is one of the fundemental essences of science. The ability for multiple minds to propose a hypothesis, test said hypothesis, publish results, for the process to be reviewed by others when the Scientific Methos is repeated. Every time a scientist repeats this iteration. New findings and facts can be learned through repeated research and experimentation. The Borg do not do this very well. They adapt and assimilate. They do not repeat the process of repeated learning unless a circumstance forces them to adapt." Arrianna mentioned as she continued the lecture. "But we as individuals. We are constantly learning and adapting. We not require assimilation to better ourselves. In fact, I dare say this is why the Borg are a dead end.. Effective... Yes... Deadly and formidable... Certainly... But infalliable... Never." Arri noted. "You will learn how to create solutions. For many Starfleet Captains, that you will serve with, you will be the first they go to for solutions to things they don't understand..." Arrianna noted. "Heavy burden, isn't it students." She grinned. "And you thought science was safe. Well down the rabbit hole we go, Cadets. and usually we don't have a single thought in our minds how we're going to get back out. Science is not for the feint of heart, Cadets."

As Arri continued to speak to her class, Kyle leaned over and whispered to Gary, "I'm not sure whom to feel more pity for, these cadets, or the enemies they will face in the future." He smirked slightly as he finished speaking. He knew first hand just how determined Arrianna could be, especially when she felt challenged.

Gary nodded. "I agree but I think this is a good outlet for Arri. She can instruct and show, impart her wisdom and experience to the cadets just what is involved in being a science officer for the Federation especially aboard a starship."

"Now, before we begin our many classes and courses you will have to take to learn this stuff, We need to understand the limits of Science." Arrianna noted. "There are things in this universe that science cannot be applied to. Moreover, cannot explain. With science, we explain what is logical, but the universe is not a logical thing. An example of this would be the Q Entity. It has demonstrated the capability of altering even physics at its whims. Yes, The Laws of Science is absolute.. But laws can be broken and circumvented." Arrianna noted. "About four centuries ago, human scientists 'knew' that faster than light propulsion would never be a possibility; they were wrong. Two centuries ago, the Vulcan Science Academy 'knew' that Time Travel could never happen; they were wrong. Imagine what misconceptions we may be believing today, Cadets." Arrianna noted. "Also.. Know this.. Never yield to the temptation to say the words 'science says.'" Arri noted. "We are in the profession of the study of the known universe and all of its knowledge. We are not theologians and philosophers. We reveal the truth about the universe around us, and it is up to the person to believe it. Let me warn you now. If you use science to manipulate people to control the end result in your favor, or to manipulate your experiment to prove a hypothesis, that is a truly unethical slight against everything we are trying to teach you and I will take everything to the commandant. Do we understand each other Cadets?"

Gary smirked as Arri talked. This new batch of cadets didn't know what they were in for with her as their instructor. She would push and drive them past their breaking point and push some more. However, they would learn and become the science officers everyone could be proud of. Especially the cadets themselves.

"Now... on your desks will be a tricorder. The Marines have their rifles.. We have our tricorders. Next to that is a standard Type II Hand Phaser. Exploring the galaxy is not easy. You may come across a nine foot beastie that would view you as a exceptionally scrumptious cadet." She smirked at Trison. "Especially you, Mister Montgomery. You look like the tastiest cadet here." She was hoping this cadet had wit.

"Aww thats sweet Commander but I am already taken." Triston quipped back at her.

Kyle watched the exchange between Arri and her student. He smiled again as he looked back to those days on the Ralleyrand, as he, Arri and their fellow cadets all worked very hard to both get noticed by Command, and survive their instructors to graduate. It had certainly been a simpler time back then. Since, Kyle had made and lost many friends, either to separate deployments and assignments to varying ships and commands....or, unfortunately, to death.

Theirs was not a safe profession, by any stretch of the imagination. Any who thought it was, were usually the first ones to die. He hoped that his cadets, each one of them, would not fall under that false assumption.

"Well, aren't you a cheeky fellow, Cadet." Arrianna noted. "I hope you know what you're in for. If you don't, go ahead and ask the Commandant." She noted. "Now then... If any of you didn't know.. Both me and the Commandant went to the Academy together. Our Commandant was a rather stern Pellar Zellan named Doryan Kox. It was hell trying to earn his approval. But I persevered. And when I and Commandant Reese graduated.. We earned an ever so slight nod from him. Your experience from this point forward will be no less daunting. Now then. This introduction is over. You're dismissed until tomorrow morning." Arri smiled. "Tomorrow, the real hell begins for you."

Kyle grinned slightly as he listened to his old friend and former lover. There were only a few of their class that he was in steady contact with. He was glad to see that she was getting g her legs back under her.

After the cadets had finished filing out of the classroom, he spoke up from the seat he was still in. "Can you believe we used to be in their place, Arri?" Kyle chuckled as he stood and moved to the front of the class to stand next to her.

Triston himself paused beside another cadet, offered her his arm and left with a blond on his arm.

Gary listened to the exchange between Triston and Arri. It was nice to see and hear Arri's wit resurface. it had been missing far too long.

"I need to find out what happened to the Old Man, Kyle." Arrianna noted. She then looked at Gary. "Commander I have a request one day."

"And that request is what Arri?" Gary asked .

"I'm going to need use of a number of the Elysium's escape pods one day." Arri noted. "For training purposes."

"Which leads to the next question, training for what purpose Arri?" Gary questioned.

"They're going to learn how to do a surprise evacuation, and learn how to survive... both physically and mentally... in escape pods for a couple of weeks." Arrianna mentioned.

Kyle interjected here. "Arri, I'm sorry, but I can't allow my students to be away from their other class for a couple weeks. Besides, each of them already went through and passed survival training during the second year." He paused then added. "Now, should you wish to add to their training in that arena, get me a detailed plan, on how you will use the holodeck in place of the escape pods, and if, if mind you, the other professors sign off on allowing their students to miss their class....I'll grant you one week, tops." He hoped she realized that this was the better deal to her idea. He would hate to force her to scrub the entire lesson.

Gary looked to Arri, " Would one week in the holodeck work for you Arri? You can blindfold the cadets, so they think they are in the actual escape pods and still carry out your exercise."

"That could work, They still won't know when they're being picked up, and that might help them build some character." Arri noted. "Just like the old man did it."

Kyle nodded. "Then it's settled. Arri, fill out your full lesson plan and have it on my desk by the end of today, inform the other professors that their cadets will not be attending their classes for a week, and I will arrange holodeck time with the XO and Ops. When the time comes for your lesson to begin, I will have the transporter rooms do a quick site to site transport of each cadet from their dorm rooms to the holodeck while they sleep. That way, you can start the lesson with as much shock and reality that Captain Kox threw at us."

He paused briefly before adding, "If you remember, I used a similar tactic on that Tal Shiar operative that tried to sneak aboard and kill the Captain."

Gary nodded, "Get the details to me and I will get with Ops to give the cadets a lesson they will never forget and hopefully will learn from."


~OFF~