“She was convinced she knew where she came from…but we couldn’t find any evidence that what she believed had occurred.  We dug deep, and the science teams on site are going even further.  Their latest reports indicate there’s no proof her story is true.”  Lieutenant Sadie Fowler sat across the desk from her captain, Helena Dread.

“You think they came from somewhere else?”  Dread was medically trained, and her mind worked backward from her chief science officer’s position.

Sadie held her words.  The next ones to come out of her mouth were going to test her captain’s belief, as they had already tested hers.  “I don’t think that, particularly, captain.  I think…”

Helena made the connection: “You think they were created. That’s some next-level science, Fowler.”

“I know, and it’s crazy…but we’ve been reviewing the samples we took from Vocast and the remains of her sisters…and some of what we’re seeing with her strands isn’t indicative of an original native to the environment.”  The arched eyebrow of her CO pushed to her explain, “We went deep – pulling apart elements of her structure to see what we could connect to her current environment…and there is plenty – a thousand years of living in one place can nearly erase any evidence of prior habitation.”

“That is a lot of words, Fowler.”

“Too fast, sir?”

Dread ‘harrumphed’ for good measure and rolled her eyes to make the message clear, “You’re lucky I’m a medical doctor and not some Captain Jack off the street.  I can keep up with you just fine, Fowler.  What did you find?”

She handed over a PADD, “Distinct behavior, instinct, and response patterns specific to an environment that is not where she was found.  They’re buried and no longer active – they’ve gone recessive and probably would have been phased out in the next five hundred years.”

Helena scrolled slowly, “This is good science…even great science, Fowler.  How do we make this work to find where she came from?”  There was a tinge of excitement in her voice – discoveries had a habit of lighting her fire.

Fowler answered, “That’s where it will be a challenge.  We’ve already started running the results through astrometrics with the systems we know about, but…there’s a lot and more out here that have yet to be cataloged.”

“So you’re saying while we wait for the computer to analyze and do its thing…we need to do something to see what we can see?”  The science chief nodded vigorously.  “Then it’s a good thing we’re a science ship.  Work with Astrometrics and Stellar Cartography.  What’s Starfleet’s read on this?”

“They’re interested.  The science ship they sent to work with Vocast was ecstatic.”

“You sound as if you wish you could have stayed.”

Sadie shifted uncomfortably in the chair, “I was lucky enough to discover her, captain.  I knew my assignment on the Douglas wouldn’t be focused on long-term survey work.  As much fun as it would be, being in just one place and staring at the same thing for months or more can get lonely.”

Helena was tempted to pry but pulled back.  Fowler’s story was complicated, and her desire for a home and a family ran under the surface.  More and more, it seemed to be reaching out from beneath the science chief’s controlled features.  The CO made a note to have Milton check in on her.  She replied, “I can see that, Lieutenant.  Update me when you find something.”  Fowler stood at attention and departed.  Dread leaned back in her chair in wonder.  Vocast and her sisters were possibly from somewhere else.  Maybe even somewhere close?  The stars never ceased to surprise, she decided.