Star Trek: Starbase 777 - ndn-science-labs

Vara'l entered the science labs on the heels of the other members of the lab group as they presumably headed toward the lab areas. As they headed in that direction Vara'l continued to carry out the duties that would have been mandated in a actual wellness check that had followed on the heels of a distress call. Once at the intended location, Vara'l looked around as he attempted to identify anything that seemed particularly amiss with his surroundings. While he looked around and attempted to discern this, Vara'l also looked for someone any staff and attempted to gauge how they took the arrival of members of Starfleet. (edited)

Lisa was quick to enter behind Vara’l. She was also doing normal wellness check stuff, but she was also looking for any evidence of something bad that had happened. Like some sort of tampering with anything, or sabotage. Lisa was more used to the ‘holy shit all our vital systems are going haywire and we’re gonna die’ type of distress call and not the ‘we’re gonna lie to you now’ type of distress call. Lisa didn’t like this type of distress call, especially coming from Tewari- a Captain that she had a great respect for from their days on the Rapture.

A tall Jem'Hadar looked up at the away team from where he'd been looking into a microscope, his eyes widening when he very clearly realised he didn't recognise any of the people who just walked in. "Oh, uhm... welcome?" he said, sounding confused. "Can I help you with anything?" He took off the gloves he was wearing and threw them aside in favour of walking up to the group of new people, ready to find out why they were here.

Vara'l noted with interest the fact that the Jem'Hadar when they happened to spot the newcomers had acted in a manner that seemed.. surprisingly human in some ways. While he happened to have little to no experience with Jem'Hadar previously, what experiences he had happened to have had suggested that one might have expected a more.. significant response to the sudden arrival of allied officers to somewhere they weren't expected. Not that this was something he'd have commented on. "Hello, I'm Lieutenant Commander tr'Hara, I'm from the USS Eventide,I and my colleagues are here to conduct a wellness check following a distress call." The Romulan explained with a carefully crafted smile. "If you've no objections to it, we'd be grateful for a quick chat, we'll try not to keep you for longer than we have to considering protocol following a incident like the initiation of a distress call."

Another look of confusion crossed over the Jem'Hadar's face, his eyes flitting between the members of the away team before narrowing as if he was thinking really hard about something. "Yes, yes, of course, we must all follow protocol," the man said, though he sounded a little distracted. He finally looked back at Vara'l. "I must admit, things have been going so smoothly for me here that I can't remember anything about a distress call," he said honestly. "But I will answer any questions you may have. I am Third Vakud'zul, the Chief Science Officer aboard this ship." He rushed to introduce himself at the end, as if just now remembering that that was probably important information for the people in front of him to have.

[D] T'she was standing in the back of the group, eyes watching over the rest of the group with a pointed glance towards the chief science officer, almost as if they were judging him and his reactions in a way. They needed to be careful after all, with such a strange situation.

"Indeed we must." Vara'l agreed then as he watched the other with storm grey eyes and kept a careful eye open as he scrutinised everything he could about the other as he attempted to identify anything odd about how they moved. The Romulan careful to maintain that calm tone as they talked. Careful do so as he idly hoped that the others had started to utilize what he somewhat hoped to provide them with his part in this conversation, that being..a distraction. "And well, I'm glad to hear that things are going so well for you here." He continued with a honest smile that persisted as the other proceeded to indicate that they'd answer any questions they had. "Thank you very much for your understanding, Chief Science Officer Third Vakud'zul sir.. and its good to make your acquaintance." The Romulan added before he then launched into his first question. "The first question is one you've already answered in part, according to protocol I'm directed to ask how things have been in and around the labs here recently to the best of your knowledge, has everything been alright?" He asked carefully before he then added. "I hope you don't mind the question, Chief Science Officer sir, but considering the nature of the thing that triggered this wellness check, I'm afraid I'm directed to ask it or a question like it."

"You are far too nervous for a Tactical officer, Commander," Vakud'zul said, pointedly but not unkindly. "Just 'sir' is more than formal enough. It's good to meet you too, all of you." He looked relaxed, his reactions genuine. If anything, he seemed to be a little surprised by Vara'l being so on edge. "I'm afraid I wasn't aware a distress call had been made, although I may have received a message about it I missed. As far as I know, everything here has been fine. My cultures are not growing the way I want them to, but that's probably my own fault. Other than that, the lab has been quiet. Hard not to be, on such a big ship with so few people." Vakud'zul sounded almost sad talking about both his cultures and the relative lack of people around him. He looked calm though, and completely unbothered by this whole interaction.

Vara'l, honestly surprised that the other had pegged him at nervous when he happened to well..not be experiencing nerves, just about managed to conceal that reaction as the words hit home. "..I will keep that in mind, sir." He responded simply then as he continued watch the other carefully. As he then listened to the others question, noting that the other hadn't even been aware that a distress call had been made, Vara'l idly wondered why a member of senior staff happened to be unaware of an issue as serious as what it'd been claimed to have been. Or well for that matter, any other matter that would have warranted a distress call, surely the Chief Science Officer would have been on the list of people who would have happened to have been aware. "I see, thank you for telling me that sir." He responded simply. "I'd rather not keep you longer than I have to sir so if its agreeable, I'll move directly onto question two."

Vakud'zul chuckled. "Of course that's alright, I already told you I'd answer your questions, Commander." What Vara'l perhaps did not experience as nerves, reminded the Chief Science Officer of an Ensign going on their first assignment and wanting to make a good first impression on their commanding officer. Founders know he had seen quite a few of those.

Unaware of what happened to be partly an accurate impression considering this happened to be his first duty as ACTO and also happened to partly what he wanted to convey somewhat, Vara'l smiled appreciatively at the others response. "Thank you sir, I just thought I might check again, considering the reaction of one of the other members of crew to our questions." He responded calmly. "We've been directed to exercise a tad more care to ensure we're not causing further offense." Vara'l then lied as he watched them carefully to see how they might react. "Question two, to your knowledge has anything occurred at a crew or senior staff level indicative of any issue, issues or other reason that might have led to the distress call's activation in error or deliberately?" Vara'l then asked calmly as he watched the other and idly wondered what the others from the party that had accompanied them were currently doing. Were they presently utilizing this conversation as enough of a distraction to take a look around? Vara'l reckoned he couldn't risk the glance that would have informed him of that for sure. At least not without running more of a risk than he'd happened to just have run with that comment he'd made.

Vakud'zul looked taken aback by the idea that people on the crew would have treated the officers coming to check on everyone poorly. "I'm sorry to have to hear that, Commander. I find it hard to imagine anyone would take offence to you doing your jobs, who did you run into?" He looked about ready to chastise someone heavily for interfering with protocol. "Well, I can't see I see too much of the senior staff myself. Even less so in the past few months, since senior staff meetings keep getting cancelled. I don't mind too much, personally. The less I'm away from my work the less I can be distracted. Although-" Vakud'zul interrupted himself, taking an extra moment to think about what he was going to say. "Keaatt- our Chief Engineer, that is- keeps complaining to anyone who will listen about being treated unfairly. She and Reini used to be on pretty good terms, they work together frequently, y'know? Chief Engineer, Chief of Operations, all of that. But they had a fight? Maybe? And now he keeps hanging around with Sogh Ahex. Keaatt insists that nothing big happened and Reini is just being weird, or unlike himself? 'Like he's a different person,' I think she described him as." It was clear that most of this was secondhand information, as if Vakud'zul wasn't that close with any of the other staff, although he looked genuinely slightly pained as he described Keaatt's complaining. He failed to convey properly how enthusiastic Keaatt could get when she spoke, almost wincing at the memory of her slamming the tables and yelling about Reini in his quarters. He didn't blame her, but he did wish she would express herself more calmly.

T'she listened intently, catching on to some of the things that were being said. Perhaps they would need to speak with other members of the senior staff -- or those in the eventide group who had. Really, what caught them was that senior staff meetings kept being canceled, though... they were not sure why at the moment.

"We encountered two officers in the crew quarters, part way through questioning the situation grew tense and actions were undertaken by the two officers indicative of impending hostilities should further hostilities be forthcoming." He informed the other simply. "These two officers identified themselves as KDF personnel and did not identified themselves further" The Romulan informed the other before he then launched into a brief description of both of the others. "It was reckoned by myself and another officer that they intended to follow through on the threat they made should we have persisted in our line of questioning, as a result of that we were directed to take further care to not cause offense." He explained, the lie continued with. When the other then proceeded to say all about that, saying that they happened to not have seen too much of the senior staff themselves and meetings had been getting cancelled, Vara'l's feelings that something was up magnified tenfold. "I see." Vara'l initially responded when the other answered the question in the way they did, his tone now allowed to colour slightly with an edge of concern, this calculated with care to see how the other might react to even a hint that the Starfleet officers might feel something was..off. "Thank you for your answer sir." He added then. "Given the nature of what you've said and the nature of what triggered this wellness check, if you'll forgive me for doing so, protocol directs that I ask before I move onto question three, when that relationship deteriorated and if in your opinion this might have however loosely caused the contributed to what has occurred?" Vara'l was careful to look apologetic as he asked this question, conscious that this might be something that touched on a sensitive area.

Vakud'zul listened intently to the description of the two officers that threatened the away team, his expression souring as he recognised who Vara'l was talking about. "It only makes sense for that to have been Sogh Reini and Sogh Ahex G'gintesh, but they've always been proud of their work in the Allied Fleet. The men I know wouldn't accost people who are trying to help," he stated with absolute certainty. Then he listened to Vara'l's question, and furrowed his brows again, but this time in confusion. "Might this have loosely-" he repeated quietly, trying to get through the sentence. "Wait, oh, no, got it. You'll have to forgive me, I'm made for mathematics, not words. I don't think the souring of that relationship specifically would have caused issues on a wider scale. That's what you're asking, right? No, both of them are too professional for that. I only thought that, with regards to weird things going on in the senior staff, you'd want to know something like that. Although I suppose you could add the two Chiefs' hostilities towards you to that list as well," Vakud'zul added, his tone shifting from (muted) triumphant cheer to genuine disappointment when he considered his colleagues' conduct. Was this what Keaatt had been talking about?

"You have the sworn word of myself and several other Starfleet officers that they did so and also placed a hands on side arms in implied threat of their being drawn sir, it's believed that they did so due to some form of offence caused sir, the order came as a result of that." The Romulan informed them simply as he watched the others reactions very carefully. The Romulans tone still calculated to show a edge of concern as he watched for a reaction and stood there, his posture one of carefully curated calm. "That is indeed what I'm asking." He confirmed calmly as he continued to listen to what they had to say. "And you were correct, that is something we'd want to know, thank you for bringing it to our attention sir." The Romulan added with a slight and appreciative smile that dropped a tad at the mention of the two chiefs hostilities. Another move calculated to provide a tad more of a hint to the other of a now only partially manufactured concern, another attempt to see how he reacted to a hint that the Starfleet officers reckoned that something happened to be off. "If you'll permit a query further to that, as this still falls within the remit of the check, prior to the last few months, were wider relations amongst the senior staff reasonable.. and further to that were senior staff meetings regularly conducted?" Vara'l inquired, conscious that there was an opening for the query he'd just made if one considered the fact that a deterioration in the relations between senior staff could have fostered a situation that led to accidents as they ceased to be a unified and smoothly running and efficient team. (edited)

Vakud'zul looked lost as to what the lieutenant commander was talking about, trying to follow along but not getting it. The confusion was, once more, readily visible on his face. This man could not hide his feelings if he tried. Instead of responding, he settled for nodding along, absolutely not processing any of Vara'l's words. "I mean, as far as I know, a few months ago things were normal. I don't know anyone well, not really, but I try to keep up friendly relations with everyone. It seemed normal, until a few months ago, when I suddenly hadn't seen anyone in weeks beyond passing one another in the corridors. Before that, yes, senior staff meetings were frequent, sometimes twice a week depending on our ongoing assignments." Vakud'zul seemed embarrassed to admit that he hadn't noticed sooner. He wanted to be more helpful than he was currently being, and he looked apologetic about his lack of useful information.

[D] After having been in the washroom for what felt like forever-- yeah it was the ice cream, Lama's gut health was in shambles, Lama turned up at the science labs. One thing the New Dawn had going for it was it's very accessible washrooms! Lama loved the little jingles the washroom played, he felt like he was back in his favourite holodeck programmed that simulated... Some place on earth where they had both fax machines and high tech toilets coexisting side by side. Like a true Romulan, Lama was nearly silent in his entrance, looking at his ACSO and ACTO-- and a Vulcan medical officer that he wasn't acquainted with yet. He decided to let the others speak to continue the conversation, but stood right next to the Vulcan. Wow, three Vulcanoids, one human.

"Thinking back to when senior staff meetings stopped, did anything out of the usual happen? Or was it much more gradual?" T'she finally piped up from where they were standing, wanting to ask a few questions of their own

"Thank you for your response, the information you've provided is useful sir. and I can see I've lost you a tad with part of what I've said something which I can only apologise for sir." He responded initially before as he continued to maintain that calm as he then continued. "What information you've provided does rather lead me on to question three if you'd find continuing with the questions agreeable sir?" The Romulan queried carefully then as he continued to watch them and idly noted their embarassment. It seemed like whatever had occurred, this officer seemed from how they acted to potentially not have been a part of it, if the changes in how people had acted were any indicator as to what happened to be up with the ship. That was something that in and of itself happened to raise further questions. If this person happened to be.. alright to potentially be normal, then what had happened to transform the behaviour of the other people they'd encountered who'd happened to be as hostile or otherwise as uncooperative as they'd happened to have been. *He moved to speak then but stopped when the Lieutenant proceeded to pipe up with a question of their own. Well, it seemed he had his answer as to what the other officers happened to be doing, he mused as he idly wondered if any of them happened to have taken a moment to check to see if stuff happened to be out of the ordinary in the room. No matter, what had been said happened to be impossible to unsay * "My colleague's question is also pertinent, with consideration to the wellness check and attendant protocols sir."

Vakud'zul looked around, finding the junior lieutenant who asked the question. "More gradual, I think. If it had been an abrupt change, I would have noticed. I'm not that oblivious," he said, though he said it with much less certainty than other statements he'd made so far. "Of course you can ask another question, Commander. Just ask them, please, you don't need to confirm every time." Vakud'zul was starting to get nervous. What had been going on that he'd been missing all this time? Did he even want to know? And why was this guy so formal? Was that the kind of vibe he was putting out into the world?

Vara'l noted their answer and mentally resolved to append something positive to his report regarding the question from the Lieutenant. Not only had it happened to be straight to the point in a manner that had happened to fit within the cover established but it also potentially helped to refine the list of what potentially had happened down a tad. "Understood sir.. question three is the following, within recent months has there been any abnormal incident you're aware of that's occurred during the ships transit?" He queried then carefully as he glanced to the Lieutenant and then glanced back to the Third. The Romulan considered as he asked that and waited then for his answer what had been provided by way of information by the CSO and what they'd already happened to have found out. Considered it all and found himself realizing as he mulled it over that the more worrying reasons for what had caused what had happened had started to look more and more likely than other explanations for the current state of affairs. Having also realized that he was fast running out of questions he himself had to ask that didn't betray their suspicions in a manner he didn't yet trust himself to try with this officer, Vara'l briefly looked to the Lieutenant again then. Something he hoped might indicate that should an opening come, a question from them might be..warranted.

Lama nodded at Vara'l's question, giving him a little thumbs up in encouragement. He was feeling a lot better since visiting the washroom, but gut health aside, he was still feeling.... Not the best. With physical illness ruled out, he was sure there was something else going on here. Dark Betazoid eyes look at the Jem'Hadar for a couple seconds to try and focus his empathy to try and parse the man's emotions. He then looked at the others in their group, not wanting to make it too obvious what he was doing.

Vakud'zul shook his head at Vara'l's question, completely genuine. He watched as the lieutenant that joined them looked at him funny, but decided not to point it out. He hoped the questioning would be over soon, he needed to get back to work soon and if his hands got sweaty it'd be a nightmare to have gloves on later. "Nothing out of the ordinary in terms of missions, Commander. You'd be able to find records of that if you wanted, probably, and I'd be the first to tell you that they're completely accurate to the best of my knowledge." The complete truth, as far as Vakud'zul knew.

"He's telling the truth," Lama said to his posse. Although he was only half Betazoid, his empathy was well trained and well practiced. He was a detective after all, being able to pick out individuals in the soup of emotions he felt constantly was a big part of his job, not just in Starfleet, but in the Free State too. It was the one thing that kept him in the organisation, because obviously this man did not get a job because he was gifted in academics or physical strength. "Thanks so much for answer the questions!" If there was really something fishy happening, it wasn't this guy, most likely. Unless he knew how to fool Betazoid senses, but training their soldiers to repell telepaths/empaths seemed like something outside of the Dominion's realm. "Yeah team, there's nothing out of the ordinary here," He said, snapping his fingers and then rubbing his hands together. "Before we go, is there anything you would like to ask us? Like.... Any messages to relay or anything? By the way, loving the--" Lama squinted. "Scales and the horns. Real cool!"

"Thank you for your answers sir." Vara'l nodded slightly then when the Lieutenant said what they said. That lined up with what he suspected,this officer seemed to be..normal, quite unlike a number of their fellows. As the Lieutenant then proceeded to ask if they had any questions for the away team members present, Vara'l made no move that might have been construed as an objection,a tacit indication he happened to be in support of the offer made. He then briefly swept their surrounds as he idly considered what they'd gathered information wise now. Considered it and as he did so,grappled with how this might best be worded when they reported back to the Commander.

Vakud'zul appreciated that the end seemed to be in sight. "Of course my answers were truthful, that is what I promised," he chastised Lama, for calling that out loud instead of relaying that in private later. "I'm glad I could help, but I must return to my work now. Bacteria will not culture themselves- oh no, actually, that's just about the only thing they do, that doesn't work as a metaphor. You understand what I mean. Good luck with your checkups, everyone." And with those words he returned to his station, putting new gloves on and returning to his work.

"Of course, thank you for your time sir" Vara'l initially responded then when the Jem'Hadar informed them that he must get back to work. The additional comment that followed reply wise then accompanied by a slight and appreciative smile as he proceeded to add. "..we understand,good luck with your current work sir." Once the other had returned to their station,Vara'l turned to his fellow starfleet officers. "..I believe that conversation was..quite informative." He commented quietly "Do we want to do more here or should we head to the brig group and report?"

"Ohh bacteria culture, sounds like the next trend on SpaceTok," Lama laughed and winked at the scientist. Was it a flirty wink or just a friendly wink? The universe may never know. "Yep yep, appreciate ya-- uhhh I didn't catch your name. I'm Lama, by the way. Like the terran animal," Lama put both hands on his head to imitate llama ears and wiggled around. The funniest thing about this was he was standing behind Vara'l so he was partially obscured, it just looked like Vara'l had a dancing llama behind h im. "Yeah let's head back, team!" Lama said gesturing for them to head back to the #ndn-corridors

T'she nodded quietly and turned to leave for the corridors. There was much to think on after all. "Thank you, and I wish you all the best with your research" They added before they left.

Vara'l nodded slightly in agreement with his fellows and followed them out into the corridors. As he headed out into #ndn-corridors , Vara'l kept an eye open for anything else that seemed off.

The team had all headed back to the corridors to regroup and discuss with the other teams once more.