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Stardate 36516,8 (March 1st, 2265)
The Enterprise was still in drydock, and most of the crew had embarked by now. Commander S’Chn T’Gai Spock, the newly-minted First Officer, went on an evening round through the vessel he knew so well by now, inspecting the recent upgrades and making certain of that the Constitution-class starship was shipshape and Bristol fashion (although he himself would not employ that particular antiquated turn of phrase) before it would set out on its five-year mission in two Earth days’ time.
In the spacious and shiny new exobiology lab, the lights were on and he noticed a figure in a blue sciences uniform in a corner, absent-mindedly humming to themselves like Lieutenant Uhura often used to do.
“Lieutenant?”, he inquired, having already identified the intermittent simple golden rank stripes of a lieutenant junior grade on the woman’s sleeves.
The officer looked up and started a little when she saw him. “Sir!” She came closer, recognising him immediately and contemplating him attentively. “You are Commander Spock.”
“Affirmative. And you are… Lieutenant Junior Grade Juárez, correct?” Spock equally recognised her face. As usual, his brain spat out the salient facts from her file: Lieutenant J.G. Teresa Juárez, Human, female, 25 years old, exobiology department, graduated top of her class at Starfleet Academy, spoke a considerable number of languages, transferred from the Potemkin, came highly recommended.
Nodding, she confirmed: “Yes, Sir. I hope it is alright that I am in here before the official start of the mission.” She spoke with a fine British accent, like Lieutenant Noonien-Singh, but in a brighter tone.
“There are no regulations against that”, he assured her. Although she must surely have already been aware of that fact, she looked relieved at his reply, though still slightly nervous. The nervosity was quite common among junior officers who met him for the first time, though, and he always did them – and himself – the favour of ignoring it. Nevertheless, he was curious as to the reason for her presence, so he inquired in a neutral tone: “Why are you here?”
She stared at him for a second or two, then she explained with a fine and abashed smile, gesturing behind her: “Oh, I just couldn’t wait to have a look at the upgraded equipment. Especially the G65 genome scanner and the HS20 nano-microscope. I’m eager to use them to analyse the new species we’ll be discovering.”
Mildly surprised, Spock lifted an eyebrow, but he realised: “Of course. The Potemkin was still equipped with the G60 and the HS19.”
“Exactly”, she said enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up. “On the Constellation, they used the G65 prototype when they uncovered within seconds that the Nraxren virus was bioengineered.”
“That was indeed an impressive feat”, he agreed, sharing her satisfaction at the fact that the Enterprise could now equally benefit from those latest advances in scanning technology. With a glance at the nano-microscope, he ascertained that she was in the process of trying it out. As he had not had a chance himself yet to put it to use, he inquired, joining her in her corner: “May I?”
“Of course”, she replied, stepped aside to allow him access to the microscope and then kept a respectful distance.
He therefore bent forward and first took a look at the magnification on the screen (where he was able to identify a conglomeration of amino acids) and then through the eyepiece. “What is that?”, he asked her a short moment later, not certain what he was looking at.
“Oh, it’s just my hair”, she explained, sounding a little abashed once more and vaguely gesturing at her shiny, dark-brown hair that she was wearing in an elaborate bun at the back of her head.
“I see”, he made and straightened up again. Keratin. “Logical.” After all, hair was the most straightforward piece of biological tissue one had at hand. “The results are indeed most satisfactory”, he remarked contentedly, with an amicable nod at her. “The HS19 did not render the molecular composition with this degree of clarity; the chemical bonds are unmistakably distinguishable.”
“Yes, they are”, she concurred happily.
“Very well, Lieutenant”, he announced and looked at her again, “you may proceed.”
“Thank you, Sir”, she nodded and returned his polite gaze, with her cheeks suddenly flushed and her brown eyes flickering. She looked away.
“Are you well, Lieutenant?”, he thus thought it best to make certain, frowning slightly. Upon assuming the position of First Officer, he had formed the intention to pay more attention to the wants and needs of his crewmates, as he remembered Commander Chin-Riley’s advice well: Connect to your crew. Correctly identifying and classifying the innumerable modes of emotional expression of the various species in Starfleet was still a challenge to him, though, but he did his best. With Humans, of course, he fortunately had by far the most experience.
“Oh, definitely”, Lieutenant Juárez assured him a little hastily and then directed her gaze back at him, this time with a smile of friendly self-assurance. “I am simply excited to go on this mission.”
“I see”, Spock repeated, appreciating her apparent dedication to the mission and to her field of research, and made a mental note to closely observe her progress and performance. This small encounter confirmed the conclusion he had already drawn from her file: that it seemed that she might be an officer with particular potential. “As Humans say, ‘welcome aboard’.”
Her smile widened. She had an agreeable countenance and demeanour. By most Human definitions, she was uncommonly beautiful – he was not oblivious to that circumstance, only indifferent. “Thank you, Sir. As Vulcans say: Peace and long life. I come to serve.”
This was not a reply he had expected – I come to serve was not widely known outside of Vulcan. If he remembered correctly, though, her file had also listed a lengthy stay on Vulcan, as part of a conservation program of rare species. He gave her a small nod, which was at the same time a sign of appreciation and his usual way of indicating that a conversation had concluded. Subsequently, he left the lab, with his mind already occupied with the next items on his long to-do list.
Little did he know that she stared after him, struck, rooted to the spot, because he was by far the most attractive man she had ever seen (even more handsome in real life than in his file), his pale green gaze revealed a quiet and razor-sharp intelligence, his voice was smooth, measured and confident, and his soft serenity was entrancing.
... aaand he was half-Vulcan (appearing mostly Vulcan, though, with just the faintest glimmer of a certain Human vulnerability peeking through). The new second-in-command.
Oh no, Teresa thought, her heart sinking and simultaneously erratically jumping in her chest, it is going to be a long five years.