—- Briefing Room ——

A selection of senior staff, along with a few key science officers, sat around the conference table as a mostly blank map of the sector was displayed on the screen at the front of the room. On the left was the planet they were orbiting and on the right was more filled in with Federation space. Everything else was unknown. Blank and undiscovered.

The Captain nodded and began, “So strategic operations and stellar cartography have cooked up this route home with what we saw on the way out here. This is an exploration mission, since we’re already here and it’s a nice change from fighting pirates or being chased by Borg. We’re not steaming back full speed ahead, which will give stellar cartography a chance to map around us, and let us meet anyone of interest. We’re also looking to make sure the Borg didn’t immediately assimilate populated planets that we might have lead it to by accident.”

Gesturing to a junior science officer he said, “Lieutenant Sone if you may.”

”We have little information about the space around us. Starfleet tends to be more methodical than we were in getting here, so we’re well past where we should be. We’ll be traveling back at warp 5, rather than the high warp that got us here. That will save the engines, and also let us see more,” Akane Sone said, nervous as she’d not been to one of these meetings before this. She realized that screwing up here could side track her career. 

“We have already identified several class M planets which we plan to learn more about,” she explained.

”Are first contact missions a priotrity,” asked Security Chief Lieutenant Commander Kan Th’kaotross, the Andorian. He was the USS Seattle’s Second Officer and as was appropriate for his role of Chief of Security nobody wanted to see him mad.

”We will make each decision based on several factors,” Captain Hawthorne said, “We’re alone out here, so we’re not looking to make enemies.“

He nodded at his First Officer, Commander Cruz, who spoke next.

”The plan is pretty straight forward people. But we do have some good news, Starfleet okayed the promotion of Mister Young, or Chief Engineer. For getting us here, one step ahead of the Borg, you’re starting today a Lieutenant Commander,” Cruz said.

Hawthorne handed him a black pip, “Congratulations just don’t break my ship again.”

Young was surprised. He had thought that the near death experience of losing power while in a race with the Borg might have earned him a transfer to a tug boat somewhere near Earth, but to suddenly be promoted was unexpected. He took the pip from the Captain and affixed it on his collar. He sat back down, and sighed as a sign of nerves. At least they were not trying to race back.

“This is not a pleasure cruise but it’s not a work camp either,” Hawthorne said, “Make sure everyone is taking time off, and take time off yourselves. For better or worse, we’re out here without any supervision, so let’s not break everything. But let’s also show them what we can do.”

Cruz nodded, “Pr’Nor, when we get to the bridge set us a course for Starbase 72, warp five.”

With that the crew disbanded, each going to their usual sections. Either a lab, engineering or the bridge. 

—- Holodeck 1 —-

“No,” Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem said.

”No?” asked a rather surprised Assistant Chief Security Officer William Hume as he got up off one knee.

”We’re not… I’m not ready to get married,” Kolem said.

A dove flew by chirping. Hume had set up an entire romantic program for this and had worked with Lieutenant Commander Gaberilla Miller to source real flowers. He felt that he had put in the work, and sure they were young, but then life was short and the Borg had just proven that.

”But why?” Hume asked, he had gotten a ring made as well that he was now holding onto awkwardly.

”We’ve been dating less than a year, and I love you and I know you love me, but we don’t even know if we’re compatible long term,” Kolem said. She felt a flash of anger from Hume, that was not unexpected, he was feeling rejection and she knew that the most important person in his life was right now telling him that she did not want him. 

“You want to break up?” was what Hume heard, which Kolem had not meant.

”No I just want us to take things slow. You haven’t slept in my quarters without us, you know,” she shot him a meaningful look that meant ‘boinking’, “What about when I’m sick? I’m not saying I don’t want you or don’t care for you, I just want to take things slow. I don’t want my life mapped out yet, I want there to be twists and turns yet.”

”But I love you,” Hume said, “And you say you love me.”

Kolem sighed, the half Betazed put her hand on his cheek, “It’s not enough for forever though, not yet.”

She could tell that Hume was still made as he snapped and ended the simulation. He was hurt, and she knew that he would need time to himself. Everyone thought that in 2401 mankind had evolved past all the negative emotions like anger and hurt, but the truth was they still felt them. It still hurt to be told ’no’ and Hume still needed time to himself.

—- Nine Forward, Lounge —-

The lounge on deck nine was generally the busiest on the Seattle. It had been rather quiet as the crew was having shore leave, getting to go down to a beach rather than stay aboard the ship. Now though with the ship back underway it filled up with off duty officers. By now word had filtered through the crew about the USS Seattle’s mission, and planned return to Starbase 72. Everyone was happy to get home, but also excited for a chance to do some exploration. They had been tasked with hunting pirates and terrorists back home, but now they got to do science. 

It was exciting.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Winfield had been in the shuttle Sound Garden when the Borg had landed to retrieve the transponders. Even though the Borg had not so much as cast a mechanical eye towards them as they had tried to out wait the Cube, it had been a period of tension. So he needed a drink, even a sythalholic one. 

Winfield had just sent his letter to his fathers, and had tried to put on a brave face, but the truth was he was having a bit of a meltdown, things had been scary and unlike the science nerds that had been on his shuttle, he was a pilot and did not handle being helpless very well.

He leaned back so he could see out of the window on the starfields moving past the ship. There was something soothing about them, after a childhood aboard space stations, movement was his way of calming himself.

Movement and women.

He smiled at the blue uniformed Lieutenant Maria Cortez. They had gotten friendly, with his tolerance for her nonsense, and her nonsense. She had openly spoke about the benefits of assimilation by the Borg while they were in a race against the Cube. The stance had not won her many friends aboard the Seattle, and only he seemed to be able to stomach her… Eccentricities.

She slid into a chair at the table across from him and said something he was only half paying attention to. He nodded and returned to his drink. She was cute, but maybe not enough to deal with the crazy. If Starfleet officers could be crazy, she was certainly one.

Just then his friend Lieutenant Junior Grade Hume walked in and joined them, “I asked Kolem to marry me.”

Raising his glass Winfield said, “Congratulations.”

“She said no,” Hume reported.

Winfield could see Cortez trying to suppress a smile. It was an open secret that she had a crush on Hume, and found his relationship with Lieutenant Kolem frustrating.

”Well I’m sure things will work out,” Winfield said.

”Easy for you to say, you didn’t just have the woman you loved most in the world reject you,” Hume said.

”Did she reject you or the idea of marrying you right now?” Winfield said, feeling rather wise for having thought of it. Having two fathers had given him a slightly different view of marriage than the traditional one the Hume seemed attached to.

”What’s the difference?“ Cortez asked rubbing Hume’s hand comfortingly.

”Well in one scenario you broke up and you’re done in the other you just have to be patient,” Winfield said, “And not ask her right after we escape the Borg.”

Hume nodded, clearly not getting it. Winfield sighed, he’d tried his best. He liked Kolem, but she was a senior officer, the Chief Counselor. She could, he figured, take care of herself. Hume was being a dumb dumb, but that was not new for him. As brave and dedicated as he was he clearly had been born into one thing and had grown up believing there was only one way to live. You marry a woman, become Captain and then… have kids to continue on the great Hume dynasty.

”I have to go to bed, so can you walk me back to my room?” Lieutenant Cortez asked Hume.

”No, he just got here, he’s drinking away his sorrows,” Winfield said.

”It would help clear your head,” Cortez said.

”Yeah it would help clear my head,” Hume agreed.

Winfield rolled his eyes, “Buddy I don’t think you broke up with Kolem. You don’t want to do anything stupid. She’s a Betazoid, she’ll know.”

”I‘m not going to do anything stupid, just walking a friend to her quarters,” Hume said.

Winfield sighed as the pair left. He was not about to worry about Hume who’d basically been born enrolled in Starfleet Academy if the guy wouldn’t even take his friend’s advice. Another science officer joined him, Akane Sone.

”Penny for your thoughts,” Sone said, the Stellar Cartographer did not really know Winfield, just that he had been on the away mission that they had thought had all died.

”My friend’s about to do something stupid,” Winfield said.

”What’s that, order the vegan option at a wedding?” Sone joked.

Winfield found himself smiling, “You should like one of my dad’s.”

”It is a dad joke,” Sone agreed.

”Nah, he’s doing to sleep with someone while dating a Betazoid, or half,” Winfield said.

”Ah, that’s who you’re talking about,” Sone said, and shrugged, “You’re friend is an adult, you don’t need to baby him.”

Winfield realized on a ship of less than 95 people rumours and word travelled fast. There was only one Betazoid, or half Betazoid, and Sone clearly knew who she was given that most of the crew were seen by one of two counsellors. 

“I figured you’d be mapping your heart out,” Winfield said.

”Even I need a break, and there’s others in my department,” Sone said.

“To pilots and the women who tell them were to fly,” Winfield mock toasted.

”We’re not all women,” Sone said.

”Neither are we. Pr’Nor,” Winfield pointed out mentioning his stern (but fair) Vulcan head of section.

”Well to pilots and those that guide them,” Sone said doing her own toast.

Winfield nodded, “I’d invite you back to my room, seems to be the move today.”

”We all had a near death experience. Let people act out a bit, we’re a young and hot ship,” Sone said.

”You think I’m hot?” Winfield laughed.

”I think if you invited me back to your room I’d say yes,” Sone said.

Winfield finished his drink. Booze (or fake booze) and women. It was how you got beyond your traumas.