The last three days, Vivienne reflected, had been more eventful than the last three years of her life. She had packed her belongings, exchanged (temporary) farewells with her uncle and her friends on the SS Belladonna, and now found herself seated in a compact shuttle destined for the USS Cupertino. Hera, who was confined in a travel crate occupying the seat beside Vivienne, cast a resentful gaze in her direction. The feline clearly didn’t approve of the change of circumstance in the slightest, and her accusatory “meows” did nothing to ease Vivienne’s rising anxiety.Despite the fact that Uncle Leski had assured her that her quarters on the SS Belladonna would remain untouched (save for perhaps some tidying and plant-watering) and that she could return at any time, her farewell had felt like the most meaningful goodbye she had said in a while, and despite his encouragement, there had been sadness in it. 

Joining the Cupertino wasn’t exactly a lifelong dream coming true, but it was an opportunity that felt right to take, and wrong to let pass. Now Vivienne just had to hope that her gut feeling wasn’t betraying her. 

“I’m sorry, mind if I join you?” asked a pleasant voice that pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked up. The voice belonged to a young man, apparently human, dressed in a gold-collared uniform and carrying a large duffle bag. He smiled kindly at Vivienne, who couldn’t take his eyes off him – and not in a good way. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was something distinctly off-putting about his face. Uncanny. “S-sorry, yes, of course,” she stammered as she regained some of her composure, and forced herself to look away. The young man, however, stood and smiled softly, either oblivious to her reaction or perhaps accustomed to it. Viv reached for Hera’s travel crate and placed it between her feet, earning a dismayed hiss from the cat. The man offered an appreciative nod and took a seat.

“You must be Miss Claybrook. I’ve heard about you,” he said, causing Vivienne to blush.

“Good things, I hope?” she inquired hopefully.

He nodded, “Only good things, I promise. Looks like we’re both new to the Cupertino. I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

“I didn’t expect to meet anyone else who is new. Quite a coincidence,” Vivienne commented.

“Not all that coincidental when you consider that this is the shuttle going to the Cupertino,” he grinned, but not in a mocking way. “I’m Tom Thomas,” he added eventually.

“Tom Thomas? Really?” asked Vivienne.

“My parents weren’t particularly creative,” Tom Thomas shrugged. “Just call me Tom. It covers both names. On my last ship, they kept calling me Ensign Tom for as long as I can remember.”

“So you’re transferring to the Cupertino?”He made a non-commital gesture that was neither a yes nor a no. 

“I’m here for Doctor Brennan. Took a break, but now I am back.”“What kind of break?”, Vivienne asked curiously, but pulled back once she sensed discomfort radiating from her new acquaintance. “Medical.”, Tom shrugged, and left it at that. “I’m back because of Brennan. Like I said. I feel more comfortable when I am around her.”

Viv found that… more than just a bit strange, but she was already putting a lot of effort into maintaining a straight face and not staring at the guy, so her confusion didn’t show.

The conversation shifted to Hera, and as the shuttle began its ascent, it petered out.