Nathan Hawthorne Captain’s Log: After a two day delay returning a stranded shuttle to Starbase 72 the new crew of the USS Anaheim is finally under way. While I had been anticipating a shakedown cruise we’ve received commands to travel to Artagus IV a human colony with an outbreak of the old human disease mumps. We are delivering vaccines and administrating them to the population. My Chief Medical Officer Doctor Mueller has assured me that this will take most of two weeks. Artagus IV‘s chief export is potatoes, and the colony is best known for this being the third medical intervention Starfleet has run since it’s founding five years ago. 

For now the crew is getting to know each other…

[USS Anaheim – Forward]

The Ensign looked around. Titled Forward he knew that someone was going to come up with a better name for the ship’s lounge / bar. It had the unique feature that its name was constantly in flux, since given the turnover of the USS Anaheim’s crew it was always being named something different. Something snappy, with a real zing.

”Excuse me that’s mine Ensign,” a voice said as he picked what he had thought was his drink up from the bar. He realized that the drink was green, and that a slender dark eyed woman in a blue science uniform was looking at him amused.

”Lieutenant,” Ensign William Hume said to the Junior Grade Lieutenant watching him as he straightened from his casual slouch. 

“Come on, easy. I’m not pulling rank, just wanted my drink,” Yuhiro Kolem smiled. 

“You’re the ummm… Betazoid,” he said, suddenly unable to control his thoughts.

”Half,” she said.

”Oh thank God,” he said.

”I get that a lot,” she said.

”It’s because humans are disgusting, you wouldn’t want to know what goes on in our heads,” Hume joked.

Kolem smiled, “Well it’s kind of my job as councilor.”

“Our very own Diana Troi,” Hume said handing her her drink.

”I have a calendar I have to reset now. Days since someone mentioned DIana Troi to me,” Kolem said.

”Get that a lot I take it?” 

“The Captain spent an hour with me describing in detail the close working relationship between Admiral Picard and his Chief Councilor yesterday, and how I was going to be so useful,“ she said taking the drink. She gestured to an open table, and Hume picked up his own drink a synthaholic attempt at whisky and followed the Lieutenant (JG) to the table.

“So excited to be here on the USS Disney?” Hume asked.

”USS Disney? What’s that?” the Betazoid asked.

”Umm, like the movies from the twentieth century, and the quote on the plaque. In the American city of Anaheim this guy made cartoon movie like Snow White and the Lion King. Then he built a theme park that he called Disneyland,” Hume said.

”I‘ve seen those. You know I’m from Mars, I grew up human,” she said.

”Ah, so your mom isn’t going to show up and make the Captain super uncomfortable?” Hume joked.

Kolem shook her head, “Probably not. My father was the Betazoid, my mother is from Detroit.”

“So anyway that’s why I call the USS Anaheim the USS Disney,” Hume said, “Well a few of us do.”

”That’s dumb,” she said.

”Hey you took an oath not to call your patients’ ideas dumb,” Hume protested.

”I really didn’t, no. Also you’re not my patient yet,” she said.

”Well then, sure it’s dumb,” Hume said, “but Starfleet is full of dumb ideas. Everyone writes books about Janeway or Archer or Flox, but nobody writes them about the red shirts who spend ten years in the service and get incinerated the first time they go to a planet with the senior crew. We’re all naming things dumb things and trying not to die horribly in space.”

”So why do it then?” she asked.

”Chance to maybe see some action. Didn’t realize this was going to be a doctor ship before I took the assignment. My family loves Starfleet, I do too honestly,” he said, “You?”

”I wanted every Commanding Officer to greet me with the words ‘my own Diana Troi’,” she said teasing him back for the earlier reference to the fleet’s most famous half-Betazoid. She took a drink and made a face, “They really didn’t get Romulan ale right.”

”Never order synthahol Roumlan ale. Stick to human or Andorian drinks, we drink the most so they tend to be better,” Hume shared his advice ”My sister, she’s on Bravo Station, she sent me a bottle of whisky back in my quarters if you wanted something better.”

Kolem smiled, “You know I know that’s a line.”

”A line yes, a lie no,” Hume said.

”Okay, let’s go,” Hume said, ”Umm my bunk is a hallway.”

”Mine isn’t,” she said.