[USS Charon] SD241102.07, Duty Log, Cmdr Savant and CSci Cmdr Arcos Darye

ON: Commander Arcos was cleaning up his desk when he happend to notice a performance review request by his administrative assistant Mr. Vorn.  After reading through it, he decided that his administrative assistant was mostly right about his resident botanist.  She had already been a technician for sometime and was now acting as the ships sole botanist.  Ms. Smith had already shown and proven herself in one of the departments disciplines.  She was specialized and had been for some time.  The promotion to specialist was fitting, and should she continue to serve with distinction the job of managing the botany lab would be hers. Arcos pondered, 'perhaps the young assistant was seeking to do away with his management duties of the botany lab...' it was true the team had been over worked and Arcos had temporarily tasked Vorn with management duties of the sub department, but Vorn had asked for the duties at the ships last docking.  'Why would he be looking to do away with it now?' Arcos tapped his comm badge.  "Commander Arcos to Commander Savant, I've got reason to believe my botanist is deserving of a review". The reply came after a brief moment, as no doubt Savant was running some sort of process over the personnel reports. Her voice came through the communication system, clear as a bell. "I concur, Sir; Ms. Smith has performed well and enough time has passed to make her applicable for promotion. Would you like me to assemble a dossier file for the task?" "Yes, Chris er Technician Smith should be noted to have gone so far as to remain aboard during last shore leave to care for the plant specimens." Arcos commented he said recalling the reading put together by his administrative assistant.  "She also could use a crewman to assist in plant care.  I'd like to bring in a new botany candidate to work with her in the lab at the next re-crew."  The botany lab had been a hand full for the team.  Chris performed exemplary, but as the ships collection grew more time and crew would need to be added. Savants' hologram appeared beside the Science Chief's desk, and she appeared thoughtful. "I'm unsure if we will be able to transfer anyone in the the department from another branch, and we aren't scheduled to have another crew docking for several months. You may be forced to work with what you have, sir." She looked up, and about her, a dozen floating hologram-viewscreens popped into view. They displayed scrolling lists of the crew manifest, schedules, and other tables vital to the Operations department. "There may be some crewmen in Engineering freeing up in several days, once the repairs have been finalized. I can talk to our Chief Engineer for you, or I can schedule for you to meet with him yourself, if you prefer." "We've always had a volunteer option for science personnel, but with the added assignments and second shifts for inner department heads, we just don't have the man power to keep up with harvesting foods for the chef from our specimens in the lab.  Additionally, the pollination of several species has required almost hour by hour pollen extraction.  As you may have known the erillian pear takes an incredibly specific cross pollination between it  and other pears of the same variety." Arcos paused.  "We did it once, but other plants of differing specifics to means of produce are quite difficult.   Would you know of any previous science personnel that may be in engineers ranks that would welcome the opportunity to volunteer for a second shift?" "I'm afraid that Charon hasn't such a crewman, sir," she admitted, "But there are obviously some who are very interested in the sciences. Charon is an exploration vessel, after all, so Starfleet does try to post those with an interest. From what I can see, there are five crewmen in Engineering who have records of previous education in biology or medicine, and may be of use you to." Arcos's terminal flicked to a list of the appropriate five Engineering crewman for his review. "They are all rather overworked at present, but that should be ending shortly. You will still have to ask Mr. Neyes' permission however, I imagine - even off duty, he would like to know whether his staff are putting their hours into a lab." She smiled a bit wider, "He's like that. Do you want to interview the potentials as well?" "Yes, but first I'd like to talk to Mr. Neyes.  For the time being those five are as you said -overworked." Arcos said as he reminded himself of the times previous he had an overworked department.  With ship repairs and improvements the Engineers would have been putting in all kinds of hours.  "It is not much benefit to have crew overworked to perform some of the more difficult operations of the botany lab.  Specialist Chris... I mean Specialist candidate Chris Smith would also probably like to run an introductory course onto the labs operations to any would be volunteers.  Another couple of months and I'll be asking you to make her a petty officer..." He sighed.  "I made a regulation that no crew below petty officer run a lab, yet here I am with one botanist doing an exemplary job two promotions shy... yet no other crew assigned to the lab." Arcos looked at the list of candidates.  Several had science engineering backgrounds as well as having took science courses at the academy.  "I'd like to interview the three in engineering science backgrounds first.  Can you get me their work and rest schedule?" the posted schedules showed up in his terminal as he requested. Savant seemed wholly unconcerned about how unconventional the situation was - best tool for the job, after all. "I'll set something up with them, though you will want to talk to Mr. Neyes as soon as you're able. He can be a little difficult to track down, so it would probably be best to put some time aside for it." It would also likely be a good idea for your Specialist to learn the basics of personnel management. There are several people aboard who are certified, if you're unwilling to do so yourself. "Yes I would imagine that would be the next step in her training." Arcos replied.  He had a good idea sparking of the suggestion.  He could put her in as a acting lab manager with promotion to petty officer pending her completion of a lab management course.  Such was the protocal he'd written a few weeks back when he was first confronted with the possibility that additional lab management personnel could be needed to run additional labs.  "I will have her sit in on a leadership meeting I am going to have with all the lab management personnel next week."  He pondered that she had already had the go through of other lab positions on her promotion to technician and probably would do well to guest as a co-management situation with one of the other sub department. "What are the opinions of the other members of your staff? I fear that some may see this as 'cutting in' on their territory. Organics such as yourselves do seem to have those difficulties at times," she pondered. The displays around her shifted to those of Arcos's seniormost staff, with spiderweb lines connecting them in a complex relational web. She was soon surrounded by a gossamer white chrysalis as her calculations continued. "Not a *major* concern, I think, but something to worry about." "I understand your reason for concern, but I am certain they will be glad to help Chris out.  Many of them have worked volunteer shifts with her, and some realize that she already has authority in botany matters.  This would just be a learning exercise for Chris to move on to the official title in the same role she already has." Arcos said after pondering the situation himself. "I would probably just have her watch the differing inner department leaders at work at first while assisting the lab situations.  I can do a course on the paperwork requirements for her.  Plus, I think we could probably schedule a few examiners posing as volunteers to give her a chance to command in her own area." Savant nodded, and her subsidiary holograms disappeared. "Very well, Sir. I will set up the appropriate appointments. I think that she'll do very well when given the chance. Is there anything else you need more to do on this assignment?" "Not at the moment," he paused. "Do you play chess?" Arcos said thinking about the previous assignment he had and the chess matches he had with his Vulcan Stellar Cartographer. Savant smiled at the request - out of left field, perhaps, but not to be unexpected from someone of Arcos's profile. "I do, though few people on board do, so I haven't worked on my chess models lately." Arcos pondered, "Would you be interested in a game... say at the beginning of my next off shift that you're not duty obligated?" "I'd be happy to, Sir," she nodded congenially, "Whenever you'd like." "Well then, thank you for your assistance.  I have to go check in on the botany lab and congratulate our newest manager in training." Arcos said farewell. and headed out to the lab where the young botanist was already working away at getting the plants their necessary nutrients, through root and soil based or otherwise. OFF Commander Arcos Darye Chief Science Officer USS Charon and Commander Savant Photon(in the form of Omicron) Particles (bouncing off forcefields) USS Charon