"Nuts and Bolts"
Printed From: USS Vanguard
Category: In Character
Forum Name: In Character Posts
Forum Discription: Posts in Progress here
URL: http:/www.aerth.org/Vanguard/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=401
Printed Date: September/22/2026 at 6:45am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.65 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: "Nuts and Bolts"
Posted By: raikon achaea
Subject: "Nuts and Bolts"
Date Posted: August/01/2026 at 4:45pm
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"Nuts and Bolts"
Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
Stardate: 58807.11, 12h15
Location: Deck 2 - Mess hall, USS Vanguard
Raikon was in the mess hall enjoying his lunch, a simple soup and sandwich arrangement he never cared for fancy food. He spent the first half of his shift on the bridge. Interacting with helm before leaving for lunch. He chuckled to himself about the Captain's enthusiasm about the the collaboration. He decided he was going to spend the rest of the shift down in engineering. While cruising he felt there wasn't a need for him to be on the bridge....
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Replies:
Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/06/2026 at 10:18am
Tzyur carried a plate with food that looked like the content of a xenobiology lab. Other crewmembers gave it a wide berth. He spotted the lone chief engineer and approached.
“Ah, Lt. Cmdr. Achaea. May I?”
Without waiting for an answer he eased himself into the opposite seat.
"I've been trying to find you. Not socially, although that is an acceptable secondary objective." He smiled faintly. "According to my records, you have somehow managed to avoid your initial medical examination."
He speared one of the wriggling morsels with surprising precision.
"I'm curious how an engineer who insists every plasma conduit be inspected has been content to leave his own physiology unexamined."
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/06/2026 at 4:49pm
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"Wow...." Raikon thought as he was midway putting a spoonful of soup in his mouth. "This guy just word vomited a lot on a first meet.".
But the Doctor did have a point as he put the spoon back into the bowl. He was avoiding the examinations. For a seconds he was watching the doctor unalive his......lunch before finally answering.
"You are correct....My apologies....." Raikon said shifting himself a bit in his seat. speaking softly "its just.....i'm not human and when people find out what i am they have a certain expectation of me, like i have sage knowledge or know answers to their questions."
Looking down a bit he finished "To be honest i know very little about what i am or where i'm from....". Raikon surprised himself a little being so open to someone he'd just met.
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/07/2026 at 4:28am
Tyzur lifted his cybernetic arm.
“I know a thing or two about other people’s expectations. You’re a fellow El-Aurian according to your medical records, right?”
His gaze shifted downward.
“I was only a child when the Borg invaded. I don’t remember much of that time. But I’ve reconnected with some of our people since. I can certainly share some knowledge if you're interested.”
He put on a smile and continued stabbing his live Ktarian sand eels marinated in citrus.
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/07/2026 at 6:28am
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Raikon recoiled a bit when he finally noticed the Doctors borg cybernetic arm. The movement was a involuntary and totally caught him off guard. Flashes of anger and grief washed over him as he stared at it.
Composing himself quickly he finally took the whole man in entirely. The arm, the face....ex-borg....
His demeanor softened. "It seems we both suffered a the hands of the borg one way or the other......I was born on the way to the alpha quadrant. I lost my parents along the way no idea what happened to them but anything you can share with me would be appreciated".
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/07/2026 at 7:17am
Showing off his arm might not have been the best idea. A lot of Starfleet officers have Borg-related trauma.
“Apologies for the jumpscare, commander. You’re right, the Borg have taken a lot from both of us.”
Tyzur shifted gears.
“El-Aurains are medically quite fascinating. We have this hormone called chronitin. It accumulates chrontion particles and... You’re probably not that interested in the medical details. The point is it allows us to feel the effects of nearby temporal events, like humans that can feel the weather in their bones. It also affects the rate at which we’re ageing. This is why the Borg invaded our homeworld, they wanted drones with transtemporal awareness.”
He looked thoughtful into the distance.
“Our people also have a reputation for being good listeners. People tend to open up very easily. It can be quite handy when diagnosing patients. I’ve never figured out why that is.”
Tyzur smiled to himself.
"Identity is a strange thing. We spend centuries trying to understand where we came from, only to discover the more interesting question is who we've become."
His eyes returned to Raikon.
“So... would you be willing to let me schedule that examination? We can talk about El-Aurian history while I confirm you're as healthy as you seem to think you are. I promise not to keep you away from engineering any longer than necessary."
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/07/2026 at 8:04am
“So... would you be willing to let me schedule that examination? We can talk about El-Aurian history while I confirm you're as healthy as you seem to think you are. I promise not to keep you away from engineering any longer than necessary."
Raikon was regretting now the huge amount of coffee he had and long days he worked while retrofitting the Vanguard.
"I've got the time now till 16:00, there's nothing down in engineering that needs my immediate attention." he looked down at his food for a second before adding. "Sorry for my reaction to your arm....its not your fault and i should hold it against you...."
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/07/2026 at 8:50am
Tyzur gave a small, understanding nod.
"Apology accepted. You're hardly the first person to react that way, and I doubt you'll be the last."
He flexed the fingers of his cybernetic hand almost absent-mindedly.
"This arm is a reminder of what the Borg took from me. It's also a reminder that they didn't get to keep all of me."
He stood, collecting his tray.
"Since you're free until sixteen hundred, we might as well make good use of the opportunity. The examination won't take long."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"And if you decide halfway through that you'd rather hear about El-Aurian history than endure my lecture on chronitin levels, I can accommodate that."
He gestured toward the exit.
"Shall we?"
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/07/2026 at 9:34am
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raikon shoved in the last of his sandwich as he and Tyzur walked to the exit of the mess hall.
"i always wondered." he said. "That people sometimes annoyingly tell me everything, somehow they feel really comfortable around me to open up. Is this part of being a El-Aurian?. Is it something physical or something we emmit?."
Walking through the double doors of the mess hall Raikon seemed to get a bit more eager to learn from Tyzur.
in a bit more hushed tone of voice he looked at Tyzur. "How old do we age....?" it was something that worried him. He already outlived his adoptive parents he was really hesitant to start a relationship with his wife Mira....
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/07/2026 at 12:26pm
Tyzur matched Raikon's pace as they made their way through the corridor, his expression thoughtful.
"I've wondered the same thing."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"There are plenty of theories. Some of our physicians believe chronitin subtly influences the way other people perceive us. Others insist it's entirely cultural, that our people simply learn to listen before we learn to speak."
He gave a small shrug.
"Personally, I suspect it's a little of both. Whatever the cause, people often seem to feel... heard. Once that happens, they usually do the rest themselves."
Raikon's second question lingered between them for a moment before Tyzur answered.
"As for our lifespan..." His voice softened. "The honest answer is that no one really knows the upper limit. Our people have lost too many records, too many elders. We know we live for centuries under ordinary circumstances. Beyond that, certainty gives way to educated guesses."
He glanced sideways at the engineer.
"I find that when people ask about our lifespan, they're rarely asking about the number of years. They're usually wondering what those years will mean."
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/07/2026 at 2:07pm
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"People think only of the upside of it.....rarely do they think of what the down side of long life will bring" his face grew a bit darker. "I had to make some tough choices...."
In the meantime they'd arrived at the entrance of main medbay. Raikon snapped out of his gloominess "Any allergies or food I need to watch out for? I'm lactose intolerant but that's not uncommon" he gestured for Tyzur to go first.
He always wondered if El-Aurians had any, it was a strange curiousty of his.
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/08/2026 at 4:01am
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Tyzur regarded him for a moment, catching the shift in Raikon's expression. There was clearly a story behind those words, but he wasn't about to pry. Not here, and certainly not during a routine examination. He made a mental note to come back to it another time.
At the mention of allergies, however, Tyzur's expression lightened.
"There's nothing inherent to El-Aurian physiology that makes us universally susceptible or immune to particular foods. At least, nothing I'm aware of. I'd imagine individual tolerances vary just as much as they do among humans."
He let Raikon settle on the biobed.
"But don't worry, that's something we can establish for you. Let's find out what you do need to worry about, if anything."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"And if we discover an unexpected intolerance along the way, I'll consider it a successful first appointment."
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/08/2026 at 5:56pm
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Raikon chuckled as he laid down on the biobed. From the corner of his eye he saw Tyzur getting things ready for his examination.
"Have you met many other El-Aurians?" he asked while staring up at the ceiling. "I have met less then a handful and not all were willing to have a chat with me about.....us".
A puzzled look crossed his face.
"it always seemed they were too busy with something or going somewhere. Or when it comes to our own species we don't listen that well?" he shrugged.
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/09/2026 at 3:59am
Tyzur considered the question as he moved around the biobed, preparing the diagnostic equipment.
"My mentor on my first posting was El-Aurian. We’ve built up a close relationship. He taught me what I know about our people."
He gave a small shrug.
"Other El-Aurians I've encountered have been rather private about our shared history. Some seem to have decided that surviving the destruction of our homeworld means they have little patience for dwelling on it."
He glanced toward Raikon.
"And perhaps you're right. Being a good listener doesn't necessarily mean we're good at listening to each other."
Before he could elaborate, the doors to the main medical bay opened and Tyzur looked up.
"Nurse Guilder."
He stepped aside from the biobed, giving the nurse a clear view of their new patient.
"Could you take our Commander's initial vitals while I pull up his medical records? He's overdue for his examination, so I'd like to establish a baseline. I'll leave the routine measurements to you. Try not to frighten him. He's already discovered that doctors can be surprisingly talkative."
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: Andrea Guilder
Date Posted: August/09/2026 at 1:44pm
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"Keep the chit-chat minimal, got it." She nodded to Tyzur and turned her attention to Achaea. With the speed and precision of a gunslinger, she drew her tricorder and began scanning. Elevated readings, but they'd have negligible effect on the baseline. Elevated chrontion particle levels... Ah, chronitin. She folded the tricorder and gave the Lt. Cmdr. a small smile, "You're as healthy as a Rigellian ox." She said before stowing away the tricorder.
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/10/2026 at 5:24am
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Raikon was relieved a bit, running on coffee, few hours of sleep and sheer will he was worried that he might have been the one that needed a refit.
"Thank you." he smiled.
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Andrea Guilder
Date Posted: August/10/2026 at 12:18pm
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She turned her attention to Tyzur and, with a beep, sent the bio-data to Achaea’s file. “Doctor, with Achaea’s exam done, I think that’s the last of the intake exams. If you’d like, I can begin scheduling follow-up exams?”
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/11/2026 at 4:20am
“Thank you Nurse Guilder! Please do schedule follow-ups for the crew.”
Tyzur glanced at the readings again.
“Your vitals are within nominal ranges Commander, but you have elevated stimulant levels and show some signs of fatigue. Nurse Guilder, do you think there might be some correlation between fatigue and the elevated chronitin levels?”
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: Andrea Guilder
Date Posted: August/11/2026 at 4:47pm
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"Federation records on El-Aurian biology are sparse, almost as scant as that of Trill Symbionts. You two are the closest the Federation would have on experts in this matter," she said almost apologetically. “But given that homeostasis,” she paused, and she considered her words, “is impaired by fatigue, it wouldn’t surprise me.” She said the following with Achaea in mind: “It’d be like running a warpcore with half the amount of dilithium required for the intermix chamber. It won’t cause a warpcore breach, but it will, eventually, do damage to other systems, EPS, in particular. As for the implications of elevated chronitin levels, I couldn't tell you. Maybe it's related to fatigue, maybe it's analogous to a normal bodily change. In either case, rest would help with both.”
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/12/2026 at 2:53am
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"I get it,i get it." holding his hands up. "Less coffee more sleep" he smiled.
"The last few weeks were a bit hectic for me and the engineering staff. But now we are underway i'm expecting it to be a little calmer for us....unless the warp core drops out or something".
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/12/2026 at 4:14am
Tyzur recogised that point of view.
“I used to have a similar relationship with sleep. My posting on Starbase 327 was... demanding. I thought sleep was a waste of time, all those precious hours I’m never getting back.”
He gave a small, thoughtful smile.
“I suppose I had the wrong perspective. I was treating time as though there were never enough of it, despite being an El-Aurian and having considerably more of it than most species.”
His expression became a little more distant.
“Having centuries ahead of you doesn't necessarily make each moment less precious. If anything, I think it can make us more conscious of time. We don't just accumulate years. We accumulate experiences, relationships... and eventually, losses.”
He glanced back toward Raikon.
“I think that's something our people don't talk about enough. The advantage of a long life is easy to appreciate. The other side of it is rather harder to explain to someone who hasn't lived it.”
Tyzur paused, letting the thought sit for a moment rather than pressing the point.
“So I'm curious, Commander. Is there something you're trying to accomplish with all those hours you're saving?”
His tone remained gentle, almost conversational.
“Or is it simply difficult to stop once you've convinced yourself that there's still something that needs doing?”
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/12/2026 at 9:41am
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"I......" Raikon stopped himself for a min trying to collect his thoughts. He stared up towards the ceiling before answering.
"I like to occupy my mind, trying to look forward because I'm afraid what i would think about if I'd stop.". His face showed no emotion. it was a statement of fact, he knew what he was doing and he accepted it a long time ago.
He's always managed to hide it for this long. Previous Doctors were never this inquisitive but maybe because he's kin that made him open up a little...
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/13/2026 at 4:25am
Tyzur was quiet for a moment, studying Raikon rather than the readings.
“Then perhaps the problem isn't that you don't have enough time. Perhaps you're afraid of what happens when you have it.”
He glanced at the tricorder.
“Your fatigue, stimulant levels, and chronitin readings suggest you've been pushing yourself too hard. I recommend taking the rest of the day off. No engineering, and preferably less coffee.”
His expression softened.
“I won't pry. But you should know you don't have to carry everything alone.”
He gave Raikon a small smile.
“So, when you're not working, what do you do for fun?”
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/14/2026 at 5:08am
“I won't pry. But you should know you don't have to carry everything alone.”
Raikon just gave a small nod. He wasn't willing to go that far yet, not down that rabbit hole. As to taking rest....he wasn't sure there were still bits to do and check.
"Reading up on technical journals, latest improvements to engineering systems. Keeping fit by trail running, gym or hiking" he answered the doctors last question. "The occasional woodworking but the it's not the same on a holodeck as working on real wood"
Turning his head slightly. "So what's keeping you busy then doctor?".
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/14/2026 at 2:13pm
Tyzur gave a small smile at Raikon's question.
"Outside of medicine? I play the Risian lute when I have the time. I also enjoy reading science-fiction novels from different cultures. It's fascinating seeing how different species imagine the future."
He glanced toward Nurse Guilder as she continued with the medical equipment.
"But enough about me. Nurse Guilder, what about you? What do you get up to when you're not working?
He smiled faintly.
"After a while, I've learned it's nice to have something that isn't Starfleet."
His gaze briefly returned to Raikon.
"Especially when Starfleet starts becoming your entire life."
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: Andrea Guilder
Date Posted: August/14/2026 at 9:00pm
Guilder paused mid-entry as her name cut through the noise. A hand slid into a pocket, and her ears turned red.
“Well-um, sir, I think it’s best if I show you.” She retrieved her hand and handed Tyzur a string of beads that made a bracelet. It consisted mostly of jet spheres. However, there was a series of beads that stood out.
The first was the largest and yellow. The second was small and brown. The third was green and bigger than the second. The fourth was blue and only slightly bigger than the third. The fifth was smaller than the fourth and red. The sixth shared the distinction of being the smallest among the colored beads, and they were gray. The seventh was the second largest, with orange bands. The eighth was yellow, though not nearly as large as the seventh, and had a ring encircling it. The ninth was smaller than the eighth; it was pale blue and possessed a ring. The tenth bead was the last colored bead, a second blue bead, smaller than the ninth. The last four beads were gray.
“I make replicas of solar systems I’ve visited. Whenever I can, I try to get minerals native to each planet. Though for these four,” she pointed to four beads, before the last gray four. “That was impossible. This is Sol. The star, the eight planets, and the five dwarf planets in their orbit. This one is sort of a good luck charm.”
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/15/2026 at 4:22pm
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"That's quite a nice sentiment and hobby." Raikon said as he propped himself up on his elbows.
Looking at them both . "What's the verdict Doctor? Did I pass my medical?"
He didn't want to take more of their time then he already had. He'd just have to pickup the El-Arian history with Tyzur off shift.
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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Posted By: Tyzur
Date Posted: August/16/2026 at 4:15pm
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Tyzur glanced over the readings, then nodded.
“Medically speaking, you passed with flying colors. Your vitals are good, your baseline is established, and aside from the fatigue Nurse Guilder identified, I don’t see anything that requires further investigation today.”
He looked toward Guilder.
“And good catch on the chronitin. Given how little Federation medicine knows about El-Aurian physiology, another set of eyes is always useful.”
His attention shifted to the bracelet.
“I have to admit, I didn’t expect that answer when I asked what you do outside Starfleet. It’s rather beautiful. And very El-Aurian, in a way. You preserve places you’ve encountered rather than simply recording them.”
He regarded the bracelet for another moment.
“I’d be interested to hear about some of the worlds you’ve represented. Especially the minerals you chose for them. Objects like that can tell you things a database doesn’t.”
Turning back to Raikon, he smiled.
“Otherwise, you’re officially cleared. Though I’m putting ‘less coffee, more sleep’ in your recommendations.”
He picked up his PADD.
“And if you’re still interested in that history conversation, come find me when you’re off duty. We have centuries to catch up on.”
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Lt. Tyzur, Chief Medical Officer
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Posted By: Andrea Guilder
Date Posted: August/18/2026 at 2:36am
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“Thank you, sir.” She said as she pocketed the bracelet. “Glad to be of help.” She stepped toward the computer and paused. Smiling, “You should see my 40 Eridani replica. I made Vulcan out of a solid piece of Surak’s Tear- atomsite, though you’d be pleased to hear that it’s barely radioactive: 0.1 microsieverts; most of the isotope decayed in the millennia since their Time of the Awakening. I had to go to the Forge for it.” She collected herself, allowing professional decorum to drape back over herself. “If there’s nothing else, sir, I’ll get back to scheduling appointments.”
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Posted By: raikon achaea
Date Posted: August/18/2026 at 5:29am
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“And if you’re still interested in that history conversation, come find me when you’re off duty. We have centuries to catch up on.”
Raikon got up and hopped off the bio bed. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." He made his goodbyes to both the doctor and the nurse and walked out the med bay.
Making his way all the way down to deck 6 he stood infront of his quarters. After a brief moment he walked on to go down to engineering.
"I'll start tomorrow...."
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Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea, Chief Engineer
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