The intel reports about the Blythe’s target system for its exploratory support mission had been pretty sparse. The Romulans had encountered the system in 2369 during a short lived expansion and met a species in a primitive space ship, but the reports were vague. Starfleet also sent a report of a brief recon mission by them that had picked up technological signatures in the atmosphere of 2 different planetary bodies in 2373. The Klingons had records that referred to the system as being showing signs of being influenced  by Vezda or vassals some time prior to about 10400 years ago, and there was a few references to bipedal insectoids that hailed from that system being referenced in a few other Klingons files. Being near the edge of the Shackleton Expanse closest to Romulans space and only about 4 light years from the edge of the shrouds effects, TF Command had assigned the IKS Slivin under the command of an old friend of Tylers as the Blythe’s Escort.

A diplomat, Commander Aruin, an El-Aurian was also assigned to the ship, and its science department was beefed up with some social science specialists specifically for the mission. The vessel was still a few dozen crew short of its authorized full complement, but 270 was still much better the the 140 they had initially began with over 4 months ago. Since the Romulans had already made contact with them, Starfleet felt that the Blythe and Slivin, with the Culver City as follow-on support if needed, could easily handle this ‘second contact’ mission.

When the Blythe arrived at the rendezvous point near Framheim station, the Slivin decloaked and hailed them.

“Bahhh ha, my old friend Fred, son of Robert! I was pleased to see you had risen through the ranks and now command your own vessel instead of a small science team. We are honored to serve as your escort for this mission.” Kerak said. He had noted that the target system for their mission was near the driftwood and coreward edge of the Expanse, near enough to Romulan space for him to potentially do some intel gathering or raiding that masqueraded as peacekeeping(he hasn’t really game theoried the thought too far, but he’d never pass by a chance to spill some green blood if he could get away with it).

They weren’t old friends, barely even acquaintances really. Kerak had served for a few months as the Head of the Klingons security component of a joint Research/Recon mission in the neutral zone between their peoples. Tyler led the science team sent by Starfleet to research a pre-warp civilization that was on the verge of interstellar travel and a nearby blockhole. The Klingons had sent their own ‘science team’ but it was actually more focused on reconning the species to determine their defenses and weaknesses just in case they ever wanted to lay claim to the planet. It was for this reason that Tyler has been sent on this second contact mission. He had experience studying other cultures on a few different assignments throughout his career though he was a Warp Theorist by training. Since the mid 2380s Fred had become more of a generalist science officer as he was often a chief science officer.

Tyler had found Kerak to be a boorish, drunken braggart who had encouraged lax protocols that had almost led to their cover being blown. But still, he was glad that it appeared Kerak held no hard feelings.

“Greetings Captain, it’s an honour to see you again. We’re looking forward to working together. My crew is ready to depart if you are?” Tyler replied.

“Ha! Right to our duties then! We can depart on your order command my friend.” Kerak went and sat at his command chair.

“Uh, Captain, before we get underway we’d uh, be honored if you and some of your gallant crew would like to join us for a meal tonight. Say, 1900h?”

“The Federations famed hospitality has not faded since we last crossed paths I see. Yes Fred, I and some of my staff will accept your offer. We will contact you at 1830h and arrange coordinates at which to drop out of warp and rendezvous”

Tyler brow furrowed for a second before realizing that the Klingons hadn’t cracked the code that allowed ship to ship transporting while at warp. “Oh, there will be no need for that Captain. We can beam you over to the Blythe while remaining at warp. Contact us when you wish to come aboard.”

“Indeed then. We will contact you when we are ready to beam over Captain.” The old Klingon said.

Blythe Sickbay

Pretty lady was busy singing along with her another of her ‘Second Wave’ pop punk songs.

“Its useless, my name has made the list, and I wish, I gave you one last kiss, Please stay, until I’m gone, I’m here hold on, to me, I’m right here waiting….” she then hummed along with the rest of the words to the second verse, and began ‘air drumming’ with her armatures and paddled feet.

“Here’s my favourite part coming up Patron. Let me know how it made you feel…”

A few seconds later the power chords of the final bridge of the song began. It was the same notes and chords the band had played twice before in the song. But for some reason, it was different the third and final time. It was an intangible but fully noticable difference too. The Tamarian Phsyicians Assistant  shuddered after the first few bars, and then began nodding his head to the music. Awkwardly, and off beat, but it was obvious he was digging it.

As the song ended, Patron told the computer to pause the playlist.

“So, Doctor. I felt a strange sensation…as if I was Gledara on his wedding day after slaying the serpeant of Killok…” he seemed as if he was trying to find a way to describe the sensations in words that the translator could understand.

“You got goosebumps that shot up your spine right?” The CMO asked.

“Yes, that is the phrase, goose bumps. As if pins and needles shot up my spinal column…this is not the first time that your music has produced that sensation, though this was the most…like Persit after being crowned.”

“Excellent, I will note that for my study. Did the music also produce a corresponding sense of hightened intensity or pump you up in a motivational way?” The Blythes CMO was actually writing a case study of physical reactions induced through music across various species and demographics.

“Yes, very motivational. I am ready to…uh…punch a Gorn right on the kisser as you say.” The Tamarian replied. He had gotten to enjoy their back and forths during their shifts together. Sometimes Lady would share her music with Patron, and other times Patron would recite his poetry for her to critique.

“So…why do you suppose that 3rd bridge caused that sensation when the previous two did not.” Patron asked.

“I will sadly have to decline to answer that at this time, as their is a second portion of that part of the study that still needs to be conducted before we can discuss that in specific. But there is a few historical and musical synergies going on there in that song. So, that is that band Blink 182 again.”

“Mmmm, yes, I suspected so due to the unique annunciation of one of the singers.”

“Yeah, oh perfect so you’ve already picked up on the Tom Delonge effect, excellent, that will come in handy for one of the questionnaires later on in the study…so anyway, that is the final song on the album that immediately preceded their second break-up/hiatus. And that was the longer and more serious of the 2 breakups the band went through. They later reunited only after the drummer nearly died in a firey air vehicle crash, and the bassist with the more normal voice contracted a serious form of cancer. Before our human friends knew how to properly treat simple runaway malignant cellular growth.”

“Mmm, I have heard of the humans early attempts at using cell destroying radiation as a form of medical therapy…barbaric yes, but also quite ingenious given their limited knowledge at the time. Like Typina on the cliff edge at dawn…

“Totally…like they started using it to treat cancer only a few decades after making a primitive nuclear weapon and blowing it up when they were only 80% sure that it wouldn’t literally light the whole planets atmosphere on fire…devil may care, seat of the pants science, write or wrong it was ballsy. Literally killing the patient slightly slower then they killed the cancer was equal parts genius and recklessness….so anyway, that song was the last song on the album, the last one written when they were producing it, and the last one they recorded in the studio. AND it was written about them breaking up, since at that point the decision had been made. The one playing the lead guitar, the one who sings off key and pronounces words weird, he was the one leaving the band. And to me, being a rock connesieur and an android, I can hear the subtle changes in how he played it the third time, with more intensity, emotion and…flare so to speak. My hypothesis is that since 2 of the power chords used are universal emotional trigger notes across dozens of musically inclined humanoid species, the emotion of the moment was imbued in the music, like actually tangibly imbued. As he played that riff for what he thought was last time with his bandmates, the emotions themselves are figuratively etched into the music in perpetuity. You and the dozens of others who have reported that same goosebump feeling up the spine, without knowing any of the history or ever hearing the song before  indicates that my hypothesis might be correct.

Married Officers Quarters

Neither Dalton Morris or T’sen were officers. Nor married. But they were engaged and instead of continuing to get reports about them finding random places aboard the have sex, Tyler had made an executive decision and assigned them their own quarters.

The precedent had been set, and before the last big batch of crew had come aboard a few days after leaving Rhontaka, there was even several pair of petty officers and crew that had been colluding to get fake engaged and pretend to have noise see in a few different areas of the ship just to get out of the bottom deckers communal hallway berthing.

“So…since I used all my leave time on my last few surfing vacay’s and now were heading off to thebsome unknown region of the Bets Quadrant…I was thinking. Should we just have the Cap marry us? Then we can do the big party with the families on Vulcan early next year maybe?”

“A prudent suggesting Dalton. Though my family will still insist on us performing the traditional Vulcan wedding practices for official reasons, but we might aswell ‘tie the knot” now as you say.” T’sen said from the bed.