Check in, Check up

Posted on Thu Feb 6th, 2025 @ 2:48am by Lieutenant Sara'draphia T'eseri & Lieutenant Pharos Ventari

1,236 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Impending Midnight
Location: USS Missouri
Timeline: Current

While packing hadn't taken as long as Pharos would have expected, it did take longer to try and get everything else squared away for his departure from the starbase; handing off a couple outstanding projects, completing some personnel reviews, and making sure the duty roster was updated to reflect his absence. With things sorted out, and his non-essential belongings put temporarily into storage, the engineer guided a grav-sled with everything he wanted to take with him, directing it up the boarding ramp to the security checkpoint at the end. With a nod of greeting, he presented his transfer orders to the officer on duty. "Lieutenant Pharos Ventari, reporting as ordered."

The security officer, giving Pharos a once over, glanced over the orders as he verified the data on his terminal. "Lieutenant Ventari. Assigned to engineering?"

"Correct. Just... filling in for now." Pharos wasn't sure how widely known the abduction of the CEO was, and didn't want to let slip privileged information, so tried to keep his response sufficiently vague. Still, even knowing it was probably a temporary assignment, the excitement of a new ship was still there.

"Right. Everything looks to be in order." The officer handed the padd back. "There's an addendum to your file saying to check in with medical once onboard."

Pharos bobbed his head once. "Yeah. I'll dump my stuff in my quarters, and make that my next stop."

"Sounds good lieutenant. And welcome aboard."

---

Half an hour later, and Pharos had located his room assignment on deck three, parked his belongings in the middle of the floor, then rode the turbolift down two decks to sickbay. His antennae were perked and attentive as he stepped inside, lower hands clasped behind his back as he took it in, before spotting who appeared to be in charge. "Hello!" he greeted, offering his hand. "Lieutenant Pharos, I'm required to check in with sickbay once onboard."

Turning around to face the new arrival, Sara’s face lit up with a mix of surprises and fascination. She’d never seen an insectoid species before and now one had walked, or flown, into her sickbay. “Oh, hello, welcome to sickbay. Please take a seat on one of the available biobeds.” She asked before moving over to retrieve a nearby medical tricorder along with a PADD for recording notes.

"Thank you." The nearest bed seemed as good as any other as Pharos walked over, and with a few wingbeats for lift, hopped up onto it, then turned around to sit cross-legged, his abdomen hanging off the other side. "I hope this isn't a bad time? I would have made an appointment, but my orders said to check in right away once I was onboard."

"Oh no, it's never a bad time for a check-up. Though, I will have to admit you're the first member of your species that I've come across. So, this should be quite educational" Sara said as she stepped over to stand beside Pharos and started her scans, "Is there anything I should know about? Any species-specific allergies?"

"I've had a couple minor reactions to medications in the past, which should all be in my medical records." He raised the PADD in one hand for a moment. "If they haven't been forwarded from the starbase yet, I've got a copy here. There should also be notes from my last doctor, who started treating me for Levodian flu right before I received the transfer order." Turning, he studied the blue skinned doctor curiously, trying to keep the twitching of his antennae to a minimum. "I'll be honest doc, I think you're the first of your species that I've ever met, too."

"That's not surprising, I am the only member of my species in Federation Space" Sara responded with a smile, "and thank you for offering your medical records, please hold onto them for now. I'm sure Starfleet will send them over before too long. I prefer a more hands-on method of medical care and as such I prefer to ask people questions directly rather than read from a computer or a PADD. I hope you understand."

"Of course. You're the doc, Doc," Pharos replied agreeably, shifting position so he could sit cross-legged on the biobed. "So what brought you to Starfleet, if I may ask? Broadening horizons? Or Starfleet could offer you something you couldn't get back home?"

"Broadening Horizons. hmm, I've never heard that expression before, but it does fit. I came to Starfleet out of curiosity. I wanted to know what was beyond the space of my people, and joining Starfleet seemed like the best opportunity"

Pharos nodded. "Yeah, if there's one thing Starfleet is good at, it's providing an opportunity to get out and see the galaxy. I mean, just ask the crew of Voyager, right?" Pharos chuckled to himself for a moment. "Starfleet is also known for its missions of mercy, rescue and humanitarian work. That's probably closer to how I ended up in Starfleet."

Sara gave Pharos a curious look, "you joined Starfleet for it's humanitarian work?" she asked, a little confused that someone would join an organization known for exploration and military conflict in search of work as a humanitarian.

"Ah, not exactly," he confessed. "I actually got rescued by a Vulcan vessel from a derelict ship, was permitted to remain aboard since I really didn't have anywhere else to go, and since Vulcan is part of the Federation, joining Starfleet seemed like a good way of 'giving back', as it were. Maybe someday I can pay it forward and help rescue somebody else who needs it."

“That does sound reasonable” Sara commented as she finished up her scans and began to enter them into the ships database, “so does that mean you don’t know where your homeworld is? Or have you returned to your homeworld after joining Starfleet?”

"Oh no, I know where it is, but it wasn't worth the effort to deliver me back there. I believe my Sovereign said that I could just be euthanized for convenience, and there would be no hard feelings politically between the Federation and the Ventari Dynasty." His antennae perked as he shrugged. "The advantage of having 5000 brood siblings; there's plenty more where I came from! Anyway, the captain of the ship that found me opted against having me put down, and kept me around until I was old enough to apply to Starfleet."

Hearing this sad story, Sara placed a hand onto Pharos' shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile, "well I'm glad you are onboard. Otherwise I probably would never have met someone from your species. So thank you"

"Oh, well, I'm glad I could be of service doc," Pharos replied, nodding. In truth, the feeling was mutual, as he'd also gotten the opportunity to meet someone of a race new to him. "So how are things looking? Will I live?"

Sara gave him a warm smile, “well, in no Entomologist, but yes I believe you will live your normal life span. If there are any species-specific conditions or illnesses that you think I should be aware of, please send them to me so I may read up on them”

"Besides a molt, there's nothing I'm aware of," Pharos assured. "And if something else comes up, we'll just have to figure it out together."

Posting By:

Lieutenant Pharos Ventari
Chief Engineering Officer

Lieutenant Sara'draphia T'eseri
Chief Medical Officer

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