Jason flopped down onto his couch and kicked his boots off. It had been another hellish day, fourteen-plus hours helping the repair teams work on ships that had managed to limp back from conflicts with the Lost Fleet. He had only learned about the Dominion War in school, now he was living it. He might have only been a science officer but the repair teams needed all the help that they could get.

He stood up and glanced around his quarters, which were still full of boxes and containers from his previous posting. He arrived just a few days after the crisis with the Lost Fleet began and since then hadn’t really had a chance to get anything out or settle in. Given their current situation, he didn’t think that was going to be likely for the time being either.

He opened a box and started poking around at the contents inside before realizing he didn’t have the time or motivation to concentrate on it. Instead, he walked to the bathroom, stripped off his clothes, and jumped in the shower. He switched off the ultrasonics and just stood there under the pulsating water, letting the near-scalding temperature wash away the grime of the day.

Once that was done he got out, redressed in more civilian clothes, and then left his quarters for the promenade. The promenade was vast. It was still taking him a little while to get used to, especially since his last posting was a Miranda class ship. Sure, they had holodecks but nothing like the massive, wide-open spaces that he experienced on Starbase Bravo. 

And there were so many beings there. Not just humans but species from all over the galaxy. If Jason loved one thing, it was meeting new people, exploring new cultures, and opening himself up to learning about it all. It was a trait that often annoyed his rather conservative family to no end. Although, how they could still remain conservative in current times was beyond him. 

He started strolling down the corridor, taking a look at the various shops, eateries, and temples. He stopped at a bar near a bend in the corridor. It looked small and intimate, reminding him of the bars back home in Nebraska. He took a deep breath and stepped inside.