Sunlight filtered down through the clear blue waters to dance and sparkle over the seafloor, making the coral formations and brilliant colors of the aquatic life which called the reef home seem to shimmer like living jewels as the tiny fish darted in and out of the shifting beams of light.
Swimming easily over the ocean floor using only minimal motion with her swim fins, Rachel felt almost as if she were soaring through the warm ocean depths. In this part of the ocean near the coast, the water only reached a depth of 120 to 180 feet, which had resulted in the amazing and beautiful variety of aquatic life who flourished among the coral and sea anemones. Reaching the first live trap along the reef, Rachel found a bright pink and yellow fish with long feather like fins that trailed down along both dorsal and ventral surfaces of its body.
The Mediterranean held an amazing variety of life forms, but only here along the coastal reefs which had developed did anything like the creatures found here flourish. Rachel, along with 24 other members of the science team had spent the last three weeks aboard an oceanic vessel at sea studying the amazing animals who called the reef home.
In the years she'd spent in Starfleet, Rachel couldn't remember ever being so happy with an assignment and knew she could happily spend the next five years right here on this reef just cataloging and studying the creatures who'd evolved here. While she enjoyed her tour aboard the USS Beech, a starship -- even one dedicated to scientific study -- just wasn't the same.
After she'd made the rounds of the trap line, releasing most specimens after taking several scans of them and keeping a few of the more exotic ones for study in the lab's aquarium tanks Rachel began to swim back towards the dark shadow on the surface which, as she rose through the shimmering blue depths took on clarity and definition to become the hull of their research vessel, the Sea Dancer.
Climbing up over the ship's fantail, Rachel unstrapped her oxygen tanks and removed her swim fins then carried her dive gear to the equipment locker where she stowed her dive suit, fins and mask before carrying the now depleted oxygen tank to maintenance to be refilled for use tomorrow.
Carrying the containers holding her specimens, among the four captured fish was the first she'd found that day, its bright pink fins extended out and quivering as if in indignant anger at being captured and placed in a tank for study, Rachel went down the lab with her shoulder length dark auburn hair still damp from showering off the salt water.
Once she'd insured that the new specimens were safely in their temporary homes, Rachel returned to her own quarters onboard intending to take a real shower this time rather than just rinsing off the sea and put on a clean pair of coveralls before it was time to go eat. The message indicator light was flashing on her computer console when she entered her cabin however, at first she ignored the soft green flicker and crossed the main room into her bedroom and stripped off the damp coveralls she was wearing on the way to the bathroom.
Rachel didn't even look at the message until several hours later, in fact she didn't even think about it until just before she was planning to go to bed when memory chimed and she remembered that little blinking light. She'd been so caught up with the plans for their final week of study here that she'd completely forgotten it. Thinking it was likely the data files she'd requested be sent to her regarding the development of coral formations in Earth's oceans, to her complete shock she found instead a priority one message from Starfleet HQ waiting for her.
Entering in the required access codes, Lt. Commander Tyler was all business now as she accessed the message.
Priority One Transmission:
To: Commander Rachel Tyler
Research Lead
Vikrovia VII ExpeditionFrom: Vice-Admiral Thomas McMurrey
Starfleet Operations
Fleet DivisionLt. Commander Tyler,
This message stands as notice that you are hereby transferred from your posting with the scientific research vessel the USS Beech and ordered to report at once to Serenity Base where you will take up your new duties as Biologist and Science Officer assigned there.
You have exactly two days to complete your business aboard the Sea Dancer and the USS Beech. A warp transport vessel will arrive in 48 hours to convey you to Serenity Base. Upon your arrival, you are to report directly to Cmdor Rick Hunter, Serenity Base Commander.
Your posting to Serenity Base is effective immediately.
Vice-Admiral Thomas McMurrey
Starfleet Operations
Fleet Division
Rachel had to read the message four times, and even then she just flat out could NOT believe it!! Furious, she shut down the console with what was very nearly a blow to the control console and then whirled around to look at her cabin. Research notes, holo-images taken of the varied life forms beneath the rolling blue waves as well as books and dive gear lay neatly scattered about.
"Son of a BITCH!!! They can't DO THIS to me!!"
Two Days later, 0900 hours…
Despite spending the better part of the night arguing her orders, trying everything she could think of short of resigning outright to get her orders rescinded Lt. Commander Rachel Tyler stood with her gear packed in bags in the transporter room aboard the USS Beech.
She wasn't happy. At all.
The last thing she wanted to do right then in her life was find herself transferred to a new post. She'd been hoping to be able to remain there on Vikrovia VII for a second month as one of the research team before being rejoining the Beech. This? This just.. just...
There just wasn't any word for the disappointment she was feeling. As it was, all she could think about was that she wasn't going to get the chance to see the egg sacs laid in their aquarium by a pregnant birel shark hatch and that just made her teeth itch it annoyed her so much!
It was all she could do not to cry as she said her goodbyes to the other members of the team then boarded the transport bound for Serenity Base.
Looking at his passenger, Lt. Bryan White saw a woman in her mid-thirties, with dark auburn hair that was streaked with sun-bleached highlights which set off against her tanned skin perfectly. Lt. Commander Tyler's gray eyes were searching his face curiously as she waited for him to answer and so, with a slight smile of embarrassment at having been caught staring at the beautiful woman he found on his transporter pad said "Permission granted Commander Tyler, and welcome. It's a two day trip to the base from here, so just sit back and relax while we handle things."
Lt. Commander Tyler nodded as she stepped off the platform. "Thank you..."
Lt. White shook himself, "I'm sorry... Lt. Bryan White - at your service."
She only smiled faintly at him, entering the transports passenger cabin and setting her gear down in a storage compartment where it was safely stowed for flight and then sat down in an empty seat. Then, with a faint regretful sigh she opened the data files which Vice Admiral McMurry had sent and began to study the data she'd been given regarding Serenity Base.
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