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Thread: Daybreak

  1. #1
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    Complete Daybreak

    After a couple of weeks on Jovan Station, Agatha knew her way around for the most part, especially the sections where she spent most of her time. To say she knew the medical wing by heart would only be a slight overstatement. Being used to live in many different places and get accustomed to numerous cultures had helped the doctor to settle in wherever life took her.

    When her alarm rang, it woke her up. She muttered because she missed living on an actual planet, with normal sunlight and day cycles. Getting used to artificiality aboard frigates and stations was the one thing that challenged her in terms of lifestyle. Sighing, she chuckled as her Jaxes jumped on the bed to come snuggling. Kronos curled up against her side and Poky pounced her like there was no tomorrow, as per usual.

    It was tempting to spend more time than she should enjoying her pets' company, but she had decided to work out every morning now, because she missed her runs outdoors. Doing that in the hallways of the space station wouldn't be the same but it'd be better than sticking to the gym.

    Within ten minutes, she was dressed in sport clothing, her hair up in a tight ponytail. She made sure to do her stretching before leaving her apartment. Now she was on her way.

    While it was still early morning per the local time, the station never really slept, for something was always going on. Still, she liked how slightly quieter it was as she starting her run.
    Last edited by Lorna DeLaTour; Jul 11th, 2019 at 02:09:38 PM.


  2. #2
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    T'yeellaa Meorrrei was not a runner.

    T'yeellaa Meorrrei was not a morning person.

    These were, in the K'ohta'rrou's mind, curses of being Cizeri. Humans seemed to operate on six-to-eight hours of sleep without trouble, but the Cizerack ideal was closer to 8-10 hours. Distance running was again something that a determined Cizerack had to struggle against her own biology to achieve. Short sprints, sure? An entire five kilometers as had been her reluctant habit on the station? Grueling.

    Still, T'yeellaa Meorrrei was stubborn, and she was used to being hardest on herself. She wasn't letting an unexpected shift change get in the way of her constitutional. For once, her alarm had chimed before Samus's, and she crawled out of bed with a stiff upper lip. A steaming cup of kri'achee tea and a trip to the refresher later, and T'yeellaa pulled on her PT gear. She spent a moment stone-faced in front of the mirror to psych herself up a notch, then she left her snoozing gai'tou behind.

    As T'yeellaa left her quarters, she began the ritual of stretching and limbering on the way to the concourse. The sounds of people and activity never left Jovan's beating heart, but in a place where galactic standard time was observed, it was noticeably less busy than at any sane hour.

    Pumping her legs up and down in place, T'yeellaa windmilled her arms on an empty stretch of concourse before daintily easing down to press the palms of her hands behind her heels. At least there was no Cizeri handicap when it came to being limber.

    A sight caught her attention as T'yeellaa held a ten count. Upside down and between her ankles, she could see the approaching figure of another runner.

  3. #3
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    Two years of Ithor didn't feel as a long enough break between her long mission aboard a medical frigate in Wild Space and her new position on Jovan Station. Agatha knew she was the only one to "blame", but she missed outdoors. Her greatest motivation in her career was finding a place where she could be useful and learn to become a more experienced doctor and a better person. It was why she had applied to join the medical crew of this station, and she admired what it stood for.

    She still wished she was doing her morning run surrounded by nature and not by metallic walls, regardless of the potted plants scattered around.

    At least, running so early allowed her to be rather free of movement. She had skipped her morning run once in the short while she had been living there, and trying to do it later in the day wasn't an option. She liked the quiet, thank you very much.

    Her footsteps and breathing steady as she fell into a job, she caught sight of another morning runner. Thankfully, she was far enough not to bump into the upside down stretching Cizeri. She recognized the species, although she hadn't met many until moving to Jovan Station. Knowing there was a fair number of them aboard, she had made sure to read as much as she could, so she could bring herself up to speed as to be efficient as a doctor.

    "Good morning," she politely said as she slowed her pace, until she jogged without progressing forward. She was warming up and never knew whether people would be willing to run with an unexpected partner or do their own thing. She tended to keep to herself but she wasn't asocial either.

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    "Ja irra." T'yeellaa returned a salutation with an exerted sigh, raising up straight as she finished her stretch with an arched back and rigid tail. T'yeellaa, for her part, wasn't exactly as chipper as the humanoid was, but she was here, which was the important part.

    This new woman wasn't a member of the unofficial run club, or if she was, T'yeellaa had never seen her on the circuit when she usually made her rounds - typically in the afternoon. However, she did look familiar, and K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei's face froze in a moment of scrutiny until at last she had it.

    "Doctorr DeLaTourr?"

    A face on a dossier, really. T'yeellaa hadn't met Jovan station's newest sawbones. Yet another alien, but at least this one was a woman. Doctor Vek seemed capable, but he was a bit terse and dry. And though it was a bit of a bigoted way of thinking, T'yeellaa probably would prefer a female doctor if her life was on the line.

  5. #5
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    Agatha was happy that the station was a cosmopolitan environment as she thrived best in such settings. It wasn't just because she was half-human herself, for her Lorrdian genes didn't really show up in her looks, but that she believed it made a society a better place when people from various species and background came together.

    When the Cizeri's expression changed for a moment after she got back in an upright position the blonde wondered what it was about. She smiled when asked for confirmation about her identity. "That would be me indeed." She was surprised that the other woman might know of who she was given how recently she had arrived.

    "Since I didn't see you at the medical wing yet, I take it you are a colleague I didn't meet yet or someone who saw my file," she pondered aloud, curious about who the Cizeri might be.

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    "jI'm T'yeellaa Meorrrei." she replied in affirmative, remembering a moment later the human custom of grasping hands at introduction, and extended hers to the doctor.

    "jI'm K'ohta'rrou of Jovan Sstatjion."

    The mentioning of that didn't elicit a look of understanding, and T'yeellaa haltingly explained, " - Commanderr Akjiena'ss executjive offjicerr."

    The Meorrrei response to a stranger's lack of familiarity was typically to write off that person immediately as an ignorant rube, but T'yeellaa was perfectly happy to fly under the radar. The less that her mother's shadow loomed, the better.

    "jI sshould have jintrroduced mjysself forrmalljy, but jI've been pulled jin too manjy djirrectjionss the passt two weekss. Have jyou handled the trranssjitjion well?"

  7. #7
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    Agatha accepted the handshake, not having extended one herself priorly, for she wasn't sure about customs among the Cizeri. She bowed her head to the woman's introduction. "Well met Officer Meorrrei," she replied with a smile. She appreciated the explaination to the first title offered. "Thank you, I admit I read more about your people' physiology than language and customs yet." She always did her very best to interact in the most courteous and easiest fashion with other species, but the move to Jovan Station had been a bit last minute style and she had given priority to medical files and research.

    "With how many people there are on the station, it's understandable. The transition has been going well. Still learning my way around, especially outside of the med center, but glad to be here."

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    "jI'm glad jyou prrjiorrjitjized accorrdjingljy" T'yeellaa deadpanned in response to Doctor DeLaTour's admitted learning preference among her people. "Cusstom and language don't prrevent people frrom bleedjing to death." Her ears pivoted in an even array, accentuating the dry comment.

    Exactly why Jovan station hadn't been appointed a Cizeri physician from the mother worlds was a bureaucratic mystery to the K'ohta'rrou. No doubt this was the kind of finesse situation that Commander Akiena and Admiral Tyree liberated from her concern. Fortunately, there were a cadre of a dozen Cizeri nurses that might help DeLaTour's learning curve flatten out a little.

    At least the doctor had enough sense to address her by something other than the familiar, even if it wasn't her given rank. The Alliance military was perpetually rutted in the adolescent growth spurts from the days of Rebellion, and everyone seemed to trip over themselves to get on a first name basis. It wasn't classist snobbery driving T'yeellaa's distaste for that cavalier attitude, it was professionalism. She was K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei until she decided it was appropriate to be T'yeellaa.

    "Jovan sstatjion majy not be the jidea of a prresstjige posstjing, but jyou'll fjind no sshorrtage of ejyess on jyou. jIt'ss not exactljy frront ljine dutjy, but therre sshould be enough excjitement forr jyou."

    The conversation was borderline dawdling, and T'yeellaa had enough obstacles to getting her exercise in. She took a moment to appraise the doctor's physique. Legs that were long and lithe like a kiinteel's. No doubt this wasn't the doctor's first time running. She knew human cubs were as immobile as Cizeri ones when born, but it wasn't a stretch to imagine that DeLaTour could have come out of her mother at a gallop.

    "What djisstance arre jyou rrunnjing?"

  9. #9
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    "Exactly. I've never had any one whose life I just saved complain about how I might have been rude or butchered their name by accident," Agatha nodded. Having served on medical frigates and also during several emergency crisis, she had always prioritized doing her everything to keep people alive. If she could also be respectful of their customs during normal consultations, it was great and she made efforts to adjust to the different species she had worked with over the years, but this was a bonus really.

    "I'm more interested in being of help than of adding badges of theoretical honor on my resume. I heard about the opening here and thought it'd be a learning experience for me too, so I applied." The blonde near-human explained. She found it admirable that some scientists and doctors focused on research, in secure labs, but it was the few she had met who just wanted to be recognized for what was their basic jobs as if it was extraordinary, that rubbed her the wrong way. Thankfully, they were a small fraction of the medical community, but she couldn't stand those.

    "I run three miles, more if I have time and energy. You?"

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    So she was an idealist, then. If there was room for that kind of person, better it be in the infirmary than in command. T'yeellaa's only reply to that point was a slight deferential nod of her head as she began raising and lowering her knees in place, preparing to put in the work.

    The Doctor's distance preference came with some ambivalence. T'yeellaa was grateful she didn't say a longer distance, so that the Cizerack might feel compelled to torture herself farther than her comfort zone dictated. However, running at the same distance meant that she couldn't expect any pacing handicap from DeLaTour, who might otherwise have kept her reserves for the long haul.

    "The ssame", T'yeellaa replied, dipping back down to once more fuss over the strappings on her running shoes to ensure they were tight.

    If this went like it usually did, T'yeellaa would burst ahead on the first kilometer, slowly give up ground on the second, get overtaken on the third, and fall off the map after that. Actually, that was giving herself too much credit. She might not even keep the lead for a kilometer against a woman like this.

  11. #11
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    Agatha nodded when the Cizeri said they ran the same distance. She wondered how she would hold against the unexpected running partner. Not only was the doctor always eager to better herself on both physical and intellectual levels but getting to mingle with people from different backgrounds and training provided worthy epxeriences.

    The medical part of her brain couldn't help wonder what she might pick about Cizeri, and especially the officer by her side, during this run. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy turning her brain off, but it was very hard for the blonde to do that, no matter the situation. She had a tendency to take in everything she could that might help her provide medical support with greater efficiency and stronger results.

    She started at a decent pace, but tended to build up speed after the first kilometer, before keeping it up until the last one, where she tended to slow a bit down. That was how most of her runs went.

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    Not willing to put off the ordeal any longer, T'yeellaa righted herself, squared her shoulders, gave the Doctor a nod, then took off. Immediately, she put distance on the Human/Lorrdian, pumping in a long stride that chewed up the distance. One of the first lessons that T'yeellaa had to understand in distance running was that Cizerack were naturally ill-suited to the task. Maintaining a consistent pace over a long stretch didn't give her the kind of reserves a human had. It just meant that she'd hit her wall and not take advantage of a burst. Cizerack were more than capable running in short distances. If this were a sprint, she likely wouldn't feel threatened here. It had taken several unimpressive runs for T'yeellaa to abandon imitation, and now she was in the process of adapting her natural talents to the objective.

    T'yeellaa surged ahead, her tail curled aloft in counterbalance as she leaned into her momentum, pumping fists and feet in a furious rhythm. She kept her breath cadenced - in through the nose, out through the mouth. Her pace was nearly at a sprint as she put nearly eighty meters on her racing partner. Shopkeeps in the early morning hours of the concourse made a lane at the sound of slapping soles against the decking. The K'ohta'rrou barely registered the potential obstacles, avoiding the ones who didn't get fully out of the way with an economy of movement that sacrificed as little of her precious speed as possible.

    Already, she could feel the tank draining. Her breath quickened, and the thud of rushing blood sounded like drums in her ears. Now, T'yeellaa had to decide when the best time to ease off the jets would come. Too early and she wouldn't pad her lead sufficiently. Too late and she might not recover in time for her next burst. Perspiration began to bead on her forehead as the Cizerack kept her eyes on the distant sign that indicated the D spire junction. If she could keep her pace to that point, she might be doing well.

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    There was no way Agatha could keep up with the Cizeri. She'd burn all her energy at once and wouldn't be able to complete the distance. When younger and starting to mingle with a lot more species, the doctor had tried to keep up and had quickly realized - including thanks to her studies - there was no point in doing so. Every species and individual had their own way and physiology, so finding the most efficient way for herself had been important. Of course, she made sure to keep pushing herself to improve and she had found herself a little sloppy upon arrival on the station, but in the past days, she had picked up again her usual speed and resilience.

    She kept going at the best of her pace without burning herself out, trying to keep track of her running mate, though the distance and the organization of the station didn't make it that easy at all time.

    Though catching up as long as the Cizeri would keep up that speed was about impossible, the blonde still picked up her pace to burst for a short while, trying to close some of the distance between them.

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    There were perks to being on the morning shift in Engineering on Jovan, not the least of which being Chief Engineer Anauri Rabeak's penchant for "surprising" his staff with boxes of fresh donuts. Sweet, sticky, unhealthy, and cavity-inducing, they were better known as "engineer fuel." It was with a smile that Anauri bore four boxes of warm, fresh donuts, their aroma being picked up by the recirculating air system to be spread all around, certain to draw the attention of any who were already awake.

    With the junction to Spire D coming up, the Nehantite shifted his grip slightly, careful not to let the upper boxes crush the lowest one, thereby plastering any frosting to the cardboard instead of on pastry where it belonged. A mental note was made to put Gradoona's bear claws on the bottom next time. The Herglic would wolf them down even if they were smashed flat, and not notice.

    As he rounded the corner, a familiar face seemed to be sprinting his way, and one graying, fuzzy eyebrow went up. Was that T'yeellaa running directly toward him? With some other blonde... human? hot on her heels? There wasn't another droid invasion he wasn't aware of, was there?

    "Morning?" his greeting came out half friendly, half curious as to just what was going on.

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    "Nng..."

    It was more of a grunt than a reply, but T'yeellaa was pushing herself and tertiary things like morning conversation weren't big on her mind. She could already feel the surge ebbing away, and the need to suck in more oxygen than she could was about to solve the problem for her. Her expression locked in a grimace. The felinoid blew an errant strand of hair out of her face as Chief Rabeak moved in her path, laden with boxes of forrda sweets. She needed to slow down, but not yet! She still had a little speed reserve, and she wasn't going to let it go unused. T'yeellaa angled slightly wide to sprint past the Chief, but apparently didn't see the MSE-6 droid skittering just to his right. By the time the mouse droid registered, she was already trying to plant a foot directly on it. The wheeled droid flung free with a SKREEEK, sending T'yeellaa careening off her feet. Her world turned into a blur of motion, and the K'ohta'rrou instinctively put her hands out to brace for the fall...

    "Aahh!"

    The white-hot shooting pain told her all she needed to know. T'yeellaa rolled on her back, cradling her left arm with her right as she sucked wind through gritted teeth.

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    Agatha smelled the delicious and sweet goods before she came in sight of the boxes or the alien near them. The Cizeri was still putting some distance between them, so she managed to slow down as not to toppled over either the mouse droid or her running partner. She had a hard time avoiding the zigzaging mouse droid and her side stepping likely looked hilarious to any bystander, but she stayed on her feet.

    She didn't mean to be rude to the male alien near the boxes, but she rushed to the officer's side, crouching near her. "Let me see." The way the Cizeri held her arm and the scream of pain was enough for her to know that medical attention was required. She had a mother-hen side but mostly, she had worked enough as a doctor to know when her assistance was required.

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    A simple grunted greeting, even if it wasn't an actual word, was about all Anauri expected in reply from any form of jogger, and he merely nodded before turning his head to the path before him. The panicked squeaking of a mouse droid and subsequent tumble and crash whipped his head right back around. In a heartbeat T'yeellaa had gone from a competent runner with excellent form and a properly-fit sports bra, to a heap on the ground. In engineering terms, it was something known as an " unexpected catastrophic failure."

    The donut boxes found the floor in a speedy, yet controlled manner, and he thumped over to his XO's side, with a human woman he didn't know already kneeling to help.

    "The hell just happened?" he asked. A good twenty feet away the mouse droid squealed in what had to be mouse droid curses as it lay on its side, wheels spinning, but Anauri paid it no heed for now. "Eesh, that's not looking good. I'll page the med bay," he said while reaching for his comm stick.

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    This wasn't T'yeellaa's first broken bone and it probably wouldn't be her last. Getting her A'ziir Traai'jaari proficiency rating as a cadet gave her plenty of experience with the sensation. Still, it was as frustrating as it was embarrassing. The K'ohta'rrou wasn't certain which was worse, not getting a chance to prove her mettle, or getting tended to by her competition who would have likely smoked her if she was lucky.

    "Jusst a brroken arrm forr brreakfasst, that'ss all." T'yeellaa answered the chief in a smart-alecky hiss as she softly beat her head against the floor a few times.

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    With habit of practice, Agatha could tell that the Cizeri had a broken bone. "I work at the medbay so we can go there, but thank you," she replied politely to the alien who had offered assistance, which she appreciated.

    She returned her attention to the officer and frowned. "Get up instead of trying to get a skull fracture." Maybe to some, it would have seemed heartless but she had the impression that the officer wasn't the kind to want being coddled so acknowledging the capabilities she had left despite the accidental fall might help.

    Agatha got back to her feet, ready to extend a hand if the Cizeri needed it, or just wait for her to get up so they could go to the medbay. There was no way she wasn't going to treat the officer now.

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    Just give me five good seconds to be angry at myself, T'yeellaa thought as she glared up at the Doc. Useless petulance, sure. By the time she'd gotten mad at DeLaTour calling her on it, the K'ohta'rrou had more or less gotten over the moment. At least she'd had the good sense to not offer a hand out. T'yeellaa grunted through the dull pain of moement, but she powered up to her own two feet by herself. By now, her arm was swelling and throbbing. When the endorphins fell off, it would really ache.

    "Thankss." she offered, tenderly brushing fingers against mid-forearm of her broken arm, feeling the heat of the swollen, taut skin. From experience, she didn't dare try and close her hand in a fist or make any substantial movements. She cradled her broken arm with the other, and put on a face of restrained annoyance at her folly.

    "Saa'lanai'au mousse drrojidss, who the hell everr thought thejy werre a good jidea."

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