A Profitable Day

Posted on Sat Dec 2nd, 2017 @ 3:27am by Captain Rueben Gregnol

Mission: Mission 5 - Liberation
Location: Deck 3 - Mess Hall
Timeline: MD -22 07:10
1187 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Reuben was tired, he had decided that it would be fun to do an overnight shift to see how people worked and to surprise a few people that he had noticed hadn't been working as well as they could have. Things had started to finally settle down into a routine that allowed people to relax again and he sure as hell wasn't going to let standards slip civilian or not. He looked around the mess hall looking for somewhere to sit and saw a likely candidate who was sat all by himself with people avoiding him. He shook his head and sat down without asking permission and started on his breakfast.

"Good Morning Paul." He said as brightly as he could muster having been up for twenty-four hours.

Paul stood quickly, "Ah Captain...I apologize if I've taken your table...explains why no one else sits here.."

Rueben shook his head quickly and looked around at the looks and sighed a little. "I think it is you, my friend," Rueben admitted looking back at the young man. He wasn't the type of man or Officer to hold things back from someone.

Paul looked around before grinning to himself, "Oh good. I was hoping it was something normal." He sat back down, "Now that I have fully embarrassed myself good morning sir."

"Good?" Reuben wondered softly looking at the man. He sighed softly and shook his head if the man was the issue itself it needed to be fixed quickly. Rueben wasn't having something like this on his ship. They were all outcasts, after all, no one on here was above anyone else.

Paul laughed, "Yes sir. I get to work with plants. Which gives me plenty of time to get my mental landscape straightened out. It has been profitable."

"That Fergangi is still in there I see." Reuben had seen the man's medical report. It was easy for him to get medical reports for former or current Starfleet Personnel, Intelligence was happy to try and bring him back into the fold.

Paul chuckled, "Nuxon was a clever but undisciplined mind. He ran roughshod over my neural patterns. The Grand Nagus realized I knew all their codes and most of the data that was lost when the facility partially imploded. Legally on Ferignar I am a Ferengi now. And once you give it a chance Tongo is very profitable with a partial probability matrix in your head."

Reuben chuckled himself loudly making a few people around them laugh. "I know who to send when we are low on funds to the Tongo table." He said grinning still. "So how are you finding having those notions in your mind?" It was an interesting concept that he faced having someone else's thoughts suddenly impeaching on his own.

"Well at first I have to admit...it was painful without pain. I already have problems with third person personal pronouns due to the Borg, and then there are two people in here as well," he chuckled. "And then, of course, Paul Cullars was a rather simply farm boy before the borg...and Nuxan was a Ferengi that had a clever streak and a nose for sympathetic tech."

"Say what?" Reuben stopped eating mid putting the spoon with cereal to his mouth as the man let on something that he hadn't before. "You aren't Paul Cullars?" He questioned quickly trying to put the dots together.

He smiled, "Technically speaking I am. I was born as Paul Cullars. Even after being removed from the collective since I was only partially assimilated I retained full memories of my normal life albeit with PTSD symptoms. But what Nuxon did to Paul was as foolish as it was clever." He took a bite of his food, "Long story short he used me as a relay. The collective thought he was Seven of Eight, Subordinate Monitor of Trimatrix 3061 that had been reactivated on a Ferengi and was ready to assimilate his lab. Crazy bugger was scamming the Borg Collective of their tech using a half-functional trans-warp portal he'd scavenged in his lab. Draia and another crewmate busted in just in time to stop the initial tests of the portal which destabilized it and thankfully destroyed it."

The Captain sighed loudly as he tried to work it all out. It was a puzzle to stay the least. "And how are you dealing with the PTSD now from this new situation?" The captain wondered. The man in front of him was a good biologist and he would hate to lose him.

He shrugged, "Well for one I came here. I can get used to being considered dangerous for being visibly assimilated. But there has been more than one doctor wanting to use folks like as spies in the collective. It might have been just a passing idea but stuff like that never turns out good for the patsy. " He smiled, "And I'm trying to reconcile whom I'm becoming by exploring sides. But active healing I'm trying to not isolate myself."

The Captain nodded. It was easy to see how one could become isolated from everything that had happened to him, he was glad that the man saw the signs of not isolating themselves. "I am glad that you chose us. What plans do you have in your department?" It was pleasent to actually have a conversation over breakfest.

He shrugged again, "Not really sure. Lots of ways it could go. I used to want to prove my dad's theory that with the right plants and animals you could terraform planets without the need for technology. But now I can't help but think of profitable plants that are rare or a delicacy for some races. And can't help but want to get some that would make strong stuff not that synthhol mess."

"Have you discussed this with MacCloud?" He hinted with a smile. It was a profitable idea.

Paul shook his head, "Not as of yet. But I've been really just feeling out the space as it were before I would propose any significant changes. The different chain of command structure is taking a little longer to get used to than expected. Not a bad thing as I wasn't sure if I would be lead by someone who would assume I was a danger or not." He smiled, "But I will."

"Good," Reuben said with a nod. He was glad in a way he has sat down with Paul. The man was going through obviously as tough of a time as everyone else on the ship. Everyone had a story, everyone had a past and it was his job to make sure everyone was able to perform their duties. "You have any issues come talk to me okay." The Captain added as he rose from his chair.

He smiled, "I'll try to remember. Have a profitable day." He stood as well despite not being done with his food. He waited till the captain left before moving back down to sit and finish.

OFF::

Rueben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose

Paul Cullars
Hydroponics Operator
S.S. Mary Rose