What People Tell the Chief
Posted on Wed Mar 4th, 2026 @ 8:25am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Dex Ravaro
Edited on on Wed Mar 4th, 2026 @ 10:02am
2,032 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 3 - The One Who Got Away
Location: Main Mess Hall - Deck 5 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD002 1730 hrs
The mess hall had quieted.
The earlier rush of shift change had faded into the low, steady murmur of a ship settling into its routine. Conversations drifted between tables in small pockets of sound—quiet laughter here, the scrape of utensils there, the soft thrum of the Artemis’ life support running through the bones of the deck.
Dex Ravaro sat at a corner table with his back to the wall.
Old habit. One he had never bothered to break.
A tray rested in front of him, half-finished. Nothing special—protein, vegetables, a glass of water. He ate slowly, methodically, more out of discipline than hunger. Across the room, a pair of junior officers were quietly arguing over a holodeck simulation score. Someone nearby laughed too loudly at a joke that probably hadn’t been worth the effort.
Dex watched them the way he watched most things aboard the ship.
Quietly. Patiently.
He didn’t stare long enough to draw attention. His gaze simply moved through the room, table to table, face to face, absorbing details the way other people skimmed reports.
Patterns.
Habits.
Tells.
Starships were full of them.
Crew convinced themselves routine meant safety. A fixed duty schedule, familiar corridors, friendly faces in the mess hall. It created the illusion that life aboard a Federation vessel was insulated from the chaos of the wider galaxy.
Dex knew better.
A starship was simply a closed system.
And closed systems were predictable.
He lifted his glass and took a slow sip of water, letting his gaze drift across the room without appearing to focus on anyone in particular.
A lieutenant two tables over was hunched over a PADD, shoulders tight, rereading the same line of text again and again. New transfer, if Dex remembered correctly. Still trying to prove himself.
Across the room, two security crewmen were arguing quietly about a holodeck sparring match. Each insisted the other had cheated.
Neither of them had noticed their voices creeping upward.
Dex filed the observation away.
Routine arguments were useful things. They told you who held grudges, who escalated quickly, who backed down when pressure was applied.
Three tables to the left, a nurse from sickbay nearly dropped her tray while laughing at something a pilot had said. She caught it at the last moment and glanced around, embarrassed, as if the room might judge her for the mistake.
Dex watched the reaction carefully.
'Eager to please.'
'Easy to unsettle.'
He took another sip of water.
At the far end of the room, a pair of engineers were speaking quietly near the replicators. One of them gestured toward the ceiling as he spoke, mimicking the shape of a conduit line with his hands.
Dex didn’t need to hear the conversation to understand the subject.
Engineering was still talking about the sonic shower incident.
Crew deaths had a way of echoing through a ship long after the investigation reports were filed. People lowered their voices when they mentioned the name, as if speaking too loudly might summon the memory back into the room.
Dex’s gaze passed over them without lingering.
'Still unsettled.'
'Good.'
Fear sharpened people.
But not for long.
Soon enough the routine would swallow the event whole, the way it always did. Another entry in the logs. Another cautionary anecdote traded between shifts.
Dex set his glass back down on the table.
Starships were small ecosystems. Everyone had their place in it, even if they didn’t realise what that place was yet.
Most people moved through that system convinced they were invisible.
They weren’t.
Dex always saw them.
The chair opposite him scraped lightly against the deck plating.
Dex looked up.
A broad-shouldered crewman was already lowering himself into the seat across from him, tray balanced in one hand like the decision had been made long before Dex had any opportunity to object.
“Evening, Chief,” the man said easily, setting the tray down. “Mind if I join you?”
Dex recognised him after a moment.
Petty Officer Third Class Daniel Kells. Engineering division.
Competent by reputation.
Talkative by nature.
Dex gave a small shrug and gestured loosely toward the empty seat.
“Free ship.”
Kells grinned as though that were an invitation rather than a neutral statement.
“Appreciate it,” he said, settling in. “Mess hall’s packed tonight. Figured I’d take my chances with the Chief instead.”
Dex watched him for a moment, expression relaxed.
'Confident.'
'Too familiar.'
'The kind that assumes every room belongs to him.'
Kells had already started eating before the silence could stretch long enough to become uncomfortable.
“Crazy day in Engineering,” he said between bites. “You ever get the feeling the ship waits until the worst possible moment to break something?”
Dex leaned back slightly in his chair.
“That’s usually how it works.”
Kells laughed.
“Tell that to Lieutenant Graesyn. I think she’s convinced the warp core’s got a personal vendetta.”
Dex gave a quiet huff of amusement.
Engineering gossip travelled quickly aboard any ship, and it rarely took much encouragement to keep it moving.
'Talkative.'
'Doesn’t know when to stop.'
'Tell me what matters to you tonight.'
Kells wiped his mouth with a napkin and glanced up again, his tone shifting slightly.
“Actually, Chief… since I’ve got you here…”
He hesitated for a moment, deciding how much of the story he wanted to tell.
“Well… it’s my sister,” he said after a moment. “She’s getting married in a few months. Back on Alpha Centauri. Small thing. Family and friends.”
Dex gave a small, understanding nod and leaned back slightly in his chair, letting the conversation settle instead of rushing it along.
“That’s a good reason to want leave,” he said. “Family occasions don’t come around twice.”
'Family leverage.'
Kells let out a quiet laugh.
“Yeah, that’s what I told her. She didn’t seem convinced Starfleet would see it that way.”
Dex smiled faintly.
“That’s the life we sign up for,” he said. “Schedules, deployments… sometimes the timing never lines up.”
Kells nodded, glancing down at his tray before looking back up again.
“Yeah. Doesn’t make it any easier explaining that to family though.”
Dex studied him for a moment before speaking again.
“Have you talked to Lieutenant Graesyn about it yet?”
Kells shook his head.
“Not directly. I put the leave request in through the system, but that’s about it.”
Dex rested one arm along the back of his chair.
“You’d be surprised how far a direct conversation goes,” he said. “Department heads deal with a lot of requests. Sometimes it helps if they know why something matters.”
Kells considered that before nodding slowly.
“Yeah… I guess that makes sense.”
Dex gave a small shrug.
“If you want, I can mention it next time I cross paths with Graesyn. No promises, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure the request doesn’t get buried in the queue.”
Kells looked genuinely relieved.
“Really? I’d appreciate that, Chief.”
Dex inclined his head.
“That’s part of my job.”
'Now you owe me.'
The tension in Kells’ shoulders eased noticeably.
“Thanks, Senior Chief. Seriously.”
Dex returned the smile easily and lifted his glass again.
“No problem.”
'Useful.'
Kells took another bite of his meal, clearly more relaxed now that the conversation had gone the way he hoped. For a moment it seemed like the subject might drift back into the usual mess hall small talk.
Instead he shook his head slightly and gave a quiet chuckle.
“Honestly though, Engineering’s not even the strangest thing happening on the ship right now.”
Dex lifted an eyebrow mildly.
“Oh?”
Kells leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice the way people did when they were about to share something they thought might pass for interesting gossip.
“You hear about that garden Doctor Canak set up on Deck Five?”
Dex kept his expression neutral.
“Can’t say that I have.”
Kells gestured vaguely with his fork.
“Science and Medical put it together. Some kind of research garden. Not unusual on a ship, I guess. We’ve got hydroponics and xenobotany setups all over the fleet.”
He paused, clearly enjoying the small reveal that followed.
“But this one’s a bit different.”
Dex rested his forearm on the table, giving him his attention.
“How so?”
Kells leaned back slightly.
“Half the room’s medicinal plants, herbs, things used in treatments. The other half’s the opposite. Real toxic stuff. Plants that can cure you or kill you depending how you use them.”
Dex lifted his glass and took a slow sip of water.
'Poisons.'
“They’re calling it the Garden of Death and Healing,” Kells continued. “Dramatic name, but apparently it’s accurate. Science is studying how the compounds interact, trying to recreate old remedies and things like that.”
Dex set the glass back down.
“That sounds… thorough.”
'Interesting.'
Kells nodded.
“Captain Kidd and Commander Tao went to see it earlier. Word’s spreading around the ship now. Couple of the Engineering guys were joking that Security’s going to have to start locking the place down before someone gets curious and touches the wrong leaf.”
Dex’s expression remained thoughtful.
“Probably not a bad idea.”
'A room full of poisons.'
'Catalogued. Controlled.'
'Legitimate.'
Kells laughed again and shook his head.
“Right? Imagine the incident report. ‘Crewman poisoned himself during a botany tour.’”
Dex allowed a small smile.
“Stranger things have happened.”
'Useful.'
Dex glanced briefly toward the mess hall doors before returning his attention to Kells.
“So,” Dex said calmly, “where exactly did you hear this garden was located?”
Kells shrugged.
“Deck Five somewhere. One of the science labs they converted for it.”
Dex nodded slightly.
Kells took another bite before continuing.
“Apparently they’re keeping a pretty tight lid on it too. Doctor Canak, Science staff… senior officers. Not exactly open to casual visitors.”
“That would make sense,” Dex said.
Kells leaned back slightly in his chair.
“Still though, word spreads. Someone always knows someone who’s been in there already.”
Dex allowed himself a faint smile.
“Ships are good at that.”
'Someone always talks.'
Kells laughed.
“Exactly. Couple of the Engineering guys were joking that Security’s going to end up babysitting the place once people realise what’s in it.”
Dex lifted his glass and took a slow sip.
'Access control.'
'Witnesses.'
'Variables.'
The mess hall continued its quiet rhythm around them—voices low, trays shifting across tables, the constant vibration of the ship beneath it all.
Kells wiped his hands on a napkin and looked back at Dex.
“Anyway… thanks again about the leave thing, Chief. I really appreciate it.”
Dex waved it off lightly.
“Talk to Lieutenant Graesyn first. That’s the proper way to handle it.”
“Yeah, I will,” Kells said quickly. “Still helps knowing someone’s got your back.”
Dex smiled easily.
“That’s what the Chief’s here for.”
Kells gave a satisfied nod and returned to his meal, the conversation drifting back into the easy background rhythm of the mess hall.
Around them the ship carried on—voices low, trays shifting across tables, the steady pulse of the Artemis moving through the dark between stars.
Dex lifted his glass and took another slow sip, eyes drifting across the room once more.
'Trust.'
'The most useful tool on this ship.'
A Post By:
Senior Chief Petty Officer Dex Ravaro
Chief of the Boat, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Petty Officer Third Class Daniel Kells
Engineering Support, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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