[USS Anaheim – Nine Forward]

The Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer sat down at the table and surveyed the other Assistant Chiefs. He had just transferred in while they had been on Starbase 72, but he gathered that he was not the only new face at the table. Some departments still had not put forward an assistant chief, and an other was a orca whale which made fitting into a lounge difficult. Plus orca whales did not like synthahol, apparently.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Winfield sipped his vodka soda, a drink that tasted real but offered none of the effects of the real thing. 

”So this is where you guys talk about us enlisteds behind our backs,” the other new face, from what Winfield gathered, was the newly appointed Assistant Chief Engineering Officer an enlisted woman Chief Petty Officer Vanessa Constable. She was, he saw, quite opinionated.

”We do not know the orientation of your backs,” Doctor Va’Tok said dryly, perhaps missing the point. 

 “Okay, half this crew is new, and half of us weren’t in this position the last mission. This is just a regular get together to dicuss what’s up with our departments. Vent about our Chief, enjoy a drink, and maybe stay sane,” Lieutenant Yi Zhang said trying to keep the peace. Winfield noted he was the most relaxed out of all of them. He seemed like a kind of guy that Winfield would like, easy going and casual. Given Zhang’s status as Assistant Chief Operations Officer those were good qualities to have, given that he was likely constantly being bugged about broken replicators and various things out of place of the Anaheim.

Feeling that he should say something Winfield said, “I’m just here to fly the ship.”

“Clearly you’re not. You’re an Assistant Chief now, you do the actual work while your Chief takes the credit with Starfleet and the Captain,” Constable said. She had great theories on how exactly the rank and bureaucracy worked in Starfleet it was becoming pretty clear.

“Perhaps if you worry less about who gets the credit for something and more on doing the work, you would accomplish more,” Va’Tok said. Winfield winced, already telling that the two were going to butt heads. The Vulcan was not willing to just be quiet and let the woman make her point. Sometimes, Winfield knew, even when you thought you were right it was better to keep quiet.

Zhang seemed equally deflated, sighing as Vanessa Constable looked like she was going to explode. 

Trying to cut off a broader, more wide ranging argument about the differences in world views between the Doctor and the Chief Petty Officer Thomas Winfield spoke up, “So the Anaheim seems like a good posting so far. Comfortable rooms, fairly open to promoting officers to higher ranks.”

“It is an excellent posting for a medical career,” Va’Tok said, “Most of the ship’s previous Chief Medical Officers have advanced to either Captain their own ships, or lead prestigious research teams.”

Zhang seemed less positive shrugging, “It’s a good ship, sure. But you unless you’re a doctor I’ve heard it can get easy to get stuck. Look at the Captain, he’s had three XOs in as many years, and no awards or promotions himself.“

A Junior Grade Lieutenant in Security joined the table with a glass of what looked like orange juice.

”Sorry I’m late, Lieutenant Kolem and I were busy,” he apologized and nodded at Winfield, extending his hand, “William Hume, I’m Assistant Chief of Security. You must be our new flyer.”

Winfield nodded in confirmation, taking the man’s hand, “Yup, Thomas Winfield. We were just comparing notes on the Anaheim.”

Hume sat down, “It’s great.”

”Says the one dating the Counselor,” Zhang joked, providing a new piece of information for Winfield.

Hume sighed, “We’re not dating, exactly.”

“I’d like to be not dating her then,” Zhang joked. Hume kicked him under the table. Zhang grinned mischievously.

”You are not,” Va’Tok pointed out, trust a Vulcan to miss the point of a joke.

”If we’re done objectifying Hume’s girlfriend,” Constable said.

”She’s not,” Hume protested.

“Do we actually have a point to this meeting or can I have an hour of my life back,” Constable finished.

”It’s social, we don’t actually always have a point to it, but it could help us build up bonds and team work,” Zhang explained.

WInfield grinned, “And we get to drink synthahol.“

”Humans function better when they feel included,“ Va’Tok confirmed, “Studies have shown that camaraderie has a positive impact on your emotional well being. If we had an Assistant Chief Counselor they would confirm this.”

The Chief Petty Officer looked like she wanted to argue, but this time she took the road of least resistance and just shrugged, settling back into the booth that Zhang had procured for their on his initial arrival in the lounge. Though the ship was obviously a step down from the Ross class that he had last served on, the promotion and Assistant Chief position had been a nice change. Granted it sounded like they were not doing the most interesting of work for non-medical personnel but so far Winfield liked his Chief or at least as much as one could after a day with a Vulcan.

Doctor Va’Tok as if reading his mind asked, “How do find serving under Pr’Nor?”

”She’s fine, dunno,” Winfield said, “She knows her stuff. That’s what you want in a Chief right?”

Va’Tok nodded, “That is, she is most logical.“

“Vulcans stick together,” Hume joked.

”You are suggesting a conspiracy of Vulcan officers who support each other?” Va’Tok asked raising an eyebrow.

”Just that Vulcans gonna Vulcan,” Zhang jumped in.

Va’Tok looked confused. Constable looked annoyed, as if explaining old English idioms to Vulcans was a waste of time. There was a brief argument about what ‘Vulcans gonna Vulcan’ meant and nobody was quite satisfied with where they ended up. 

“I would agree with the logic, Vulcans are going to Vulcan,” Va’Tok finally admitted, as if he too had grown bored of the conversation. 

Nothing quite got them focused on anything. The Senior Officers were still drawing up plans for the next mission, which they were enrouté to so they could not work up their own plans for executing the senior team’s plans. Being new to the ship Winfield could see himself becoming friends with some of these fellow officers but they certainly weren’t anywhere near that yet. 

Winfield finished his drink and stood up from the table declaring, “Well I should get going, I’ve got to go over flight plans with my Chief in an hour. We’re transporting you lot down in shuttles, and all these civilians. I’ll be doing sorties in and our of the shuttle dock all day the way its sounding.”

”For a human Doctor Mueller is highly efficient,“ Doctor Va’Tok said, “but I should confirm that plans have not changed due to non-medical interference.”

“That’s a polite way of saying ‘you other dum-dums’” Lieutenant Hume joked.

Constable snorted with her mouth full of drink, causing it to come out her nose. She wiped her face, “That’s my cue too. Come on Winfield I’ll walk with you.”

As the three of them, Doctor Va’Tok, Chief Petty Officer Vanessa Constable, and Thomas Winfield walked down the corridor of the Anaheim Winfield shook his head ruefully, “I’m sure these meetings will get more useful.”

”Perhaps a more strict agenda,” Va’Tok said.

Winfield stopped outside his room, “Well this it me. My room.”

”You got a room, I was promised one after this mission, too many guests on this flight, they said,” Chief Petty Officer Constable, she shook her head as if offended and smiled, “Enjoy.”

“I could drop a few of them out of the shuttle for you tomorrow,” Winfield said.

Va’Tok looked concerned, “I hope that is human humor. Such a fall would be fatal to one hundred percent of our guests.”

Winfield sighed, Vulcans. 

“Yeah it was a joke,” he said.

Va’Tok nodded, “Understood. I have enjoyed these interactions, even without a strict agenda I believe we have achieved some ‘bonding’ as it were today.”

He nodded at pair of Constable and Winfield and walked down the coirrdor and out of sight as it curved to the left. Constable looked at Winfield and shook her head as if exasperated by the tall gangly Vulcan. 

Chief Petty Officer Vanessa Constable looked at Winfleld sympathetically and shook her head, “We’re a good crew. Zhang pretends to be an idiot but isn’t. Hume who knows. Our doctor, well he’s both a Vulcan and a doctor, so that’s two things against him. But don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”

”You’re giving me a pep talk?” Winfield asked.

”Yeah I guess I am. The Anaheim is a good ship, you just focus on keeping us in orbit.”

”Good, that’s all I ask. Oh and go see your Chief. Vulcans like it when you’re early, and you know she’ll be,” Constable said and then went her own way, stopping at a turbolift door to get to another deck. 

Winfield saluted, “Ma’am yes Ma’am.”

Constable laughed, “Keep that up I believe I might actually end up liking you.”

”We can’t have that can we?” Winfield teased.