December 7
"Do ya hear that, Captain?"
Kirk stopped as he was crossing under the water turbine, cocking an ear. It didn't really help, but it did make him look thoughtful and attentive to Scotty's quirks. When nothing became immediately apparent, he fixed the engineer with an expectant look. "What exactly am I supposed to be hearing, Mr. Scott?"
Scotty couldn't hide his smile from the captain. "Our lady, sir. The Enterprise is ready to be home. I haven't heard a single ping, ding, or whir out of place since my shift started. She usually saves all of her trouble for me, Captain, but not todae. Todae, she's just as happy as any of us to be goin' home."
Grinning broadly, Kirk clapped Scotty soundly on the shoulder. "This is good news, Mr. Scott." Surveying the inner workings of his ship, Kirk sighed happily. "This is very good news, indeed."