<USS Avalon> Talea Makes Report on Blackstone - Skyler/Erridim

"Talea Makes Report on Blackstone"
by
Captain Skyler, XO, /USS Avalon/
Ensign Talea Erridim, Chief/Ops, /USS Avalon/
Talea looked up the data on Blackstone's species and blinked, muttering, "My word. No wonder he can catch me so easily!" 

The document she was reviewing is reproduced below for reference.
Regellian Greater Panther: A Datasheet

·       Life Expectancy:
·       (expected) 25 Regellian years (79 Terran)
·       (observed in wild) 17-20 years Regellian. (53-63 Terran)
· Can leap up to 30 feet, even while carrying its own weight in prey in Terran gravity · Speed: roughly 38-77 miles an hour (Earth gravity) for up to 200-300 yards. (Regellian gravity, divide by 1.916) · Generally tawny with black spots, there are also two genetically-induced "black" variants, one a pure black, the other a result of the spots overwhelming the background color, which still shows in certain spots, and an ultra-rare pure white that isn't albino in origin. · Weight: 127-295 pounds full-grown (Earth gravity) [For reference, Terran panthers are ~66-154 pounds] 
·       Food: 9-15 pounds (mainly protein) per day
·       Highly intelligent (average IQ of 110 Human scale)
· Telepathic, especially with a person that the animal has bonded with.
She placed this document in the report, then looked up Blackstone's latest test result (that from Starfleet Medical, although it cited the originating medical center's report at first) and appended those verbatim. "In this Greater Panther's case, his IQ is 125 (almost genius by Greater Panther standards) 
"Age at examination: 4 months (Regellian), ~1.28 years old, Terran scale
"Telepathy is well-formed and of approximately three kilometers range.
(this compares quite unfavorably with this panther's bond, who has a range of nearly 95 km) "Speed, size and ability are all observed to be roughly average. (The data below captured in Terran gravity) 
That is:
·       57.5 mph for up to 225 yards
·       20-25 foot leap, even encumbered by up to his own weight
· Weight: Currently approximately 106 pounds, will grow to approximately 211 pounds on full maturity at two Regellian years (roughly 6.3 Terran) "Originally semi-nocturnal, he has adjusted to his bond's sleep cycle, and is now comfortable in both daytime and at night, although he shows a preference for night activity. There is also a specialized form of the Second Sight, in that he can detect ill intent toward his bond or himself and steer her clear of the problem, usually before it becomes one. He is also a true-black, not a spotted-black. (see above; fourth point of first list)
"Follows orders at least as well as a normal humanoid, and often better; has risked his life numerous times to save those who were shipmates. Very loyal, he will not willingly disobey a reasonable order, but will balk at an order that clearly makes no sense. (i.e.: if given an order to rip the throat of an innocent, he would refuse, even if it meant his own death). Will not use claws during chase-down or knockdown unless forced to, so as to permit live capture of the perpetrator.
"Placed in hard stasis (essentially freezing time for subject) pending transport to Starfleet Academy." This was followed by the date of stasis, in both Regellian and Terran time, showing a date nearly six years back by Terran standards.
Appended was a note in a different font, apparently from the Federation's examination. "Examined by medical personnel on arrival at Starfleet Academy and found to be healthy and disease-free. Cadet elected not to revive, to not inconvenience cafeteria staff and other personnel at Academy."
Handwritten below that was "It is the opinion of the staff here that the panther's presence would help this young woman gain necessary balance in her interactions with people of the opposite gender; her reactions to even the slightest perceived (real or supposed) threat from male humanoids are, in a word, extreme, and indicate deep, persistent and serious trauma of a most profound sort. Cadet Erridim is nearly unfit for training due to this issue."
On a separate page of the message, she then wrote, "Admiral Ketchum, Captain Skyler, I had no intention of dishonoring myself as I apparently have by simply following my people's conventions by keeping Blackstone's stasis chamber in my possession. Nor was it my intent to illegally bring Blackstone aboard, and I had honestly forgotten his stasis chamber was in one of my cases until we discovered it during security clearance of my weapons collection. Had I realized it was in my cases, I would have removed it on arrival and left it aboard the /Baron l'Orange/, attached to power. I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate because of this action."
Sighing, she pushed the chair away from the comunit, her face showing her distress and strain over this entire mess. She thought, '/Walker, how could you have /forgotten /to give them the full inventory of my gear?/' Even as she thought this, she knew it was unjust, since a lot had happened since he'd examined her gear and approved it all. Under such circumstances, it was not unusual to forget to file something. With a feeling of trepidation, she addressed the report to Admiral Ketchum and Captain Skyler and pressed Send. It had been only thirty minutes Terran since she had promised the report in "at most three Terran hours", and it was a small bright spot that she had completed the task so quickly and accurately, even if the report itself cited two others, one of which contained a serious allegation against her, albeit one no longer valid due to what had happened thus far aboard /Avalon./ 
#
Sitting in her office, Skyler heard her comm unit go off. Looking up from what she was doing, she saw that it was the report from Ensign Erridim. '/That was fast!/' she thought to herself. Opening the document, she began to read about Blackstone. As she read, she found herself becoming more intrigued by this animal.
What intrigued her more was that Talea seemed to think that she deserved punishment for everything. Even things that were beyond her control. She wasn't yet sure how she was going to deal with that, or if she could. She was having enough problems of her own at the moment. If Moreya was correct, which she no doubt was, she was going to need her wits about her without distractions, as was the rest of the crew, including Talea.
Tapping the comm unit on her desk, Skyler send the following message, "Ensign Erridim, please report to my office. The sooner the better. I will be available for awhile." She pushed the send button and then resumed her work.
The first chime escaped Talea's notice, due to her misery over the possibility of Walker having betrayed her. The second time, she tapped the comm open and heard the Captain's request, flinched without even realizing it, and departed for the Captain's ready room again. Was the hammer about to fall? She had a terrible feeling of insecurity that was whispering that the hammer was already falling . . .

Other related posts: