Note: I own the USS Dionysius and the Yellowstone-class runabout mentioned in this chapter.

A few hours later, the entire senior staff, as well as both of the Admirals, had assembled once again in the briefing room. Commander Sanderson was sitting in the XO's chair in-between Captain Larson and Miral. Everyone else was sitting in their assigned places.

Once everybody had settled in, Larson put his hands together, sat up, and began to enlighten them on what they would be doing next: "Now that we have a complete senior staff- for the moment, at least- I believe that now is an appropriate time to address this ship's first assignment.

He glanced at his Security Chief and cued him "Mr. Halrinso, if you please?"

Halrinso got up and walked to the large monitor on the wall. He activated the terminal and a picture of a Miranda-class starship appeared. He explained to the others "Eleven days ago, the USS Dionysius disappeared in a vastly unexplored region of space. Her crew was conducting a type of deep-space survey. They had been transmitting data on their findings when the Argus Array abruptly lost contact with them. They haven't been heard from since that time. Starfleet Command has given us orders to locate the ship… and discover what's become of her crew."

"What were their last known coordinates?" inquired Commander Sanderson.

"They were behind the borders of the Ferengi Alliance." Halrinso answered. "It was about 23 light years beyond their farthest border. The Ferengi know little about the region of space the Dionysius went missing in, except that they've had it quarantined for centuries."

"Why's that?" asked Ensign Hopkins.

"Ziruto told me about that region when we were on Alpha Centauri." Tom Paris explained. "Apparently, around 300 years ago, a few of their starships ventured into that region in search of new species to conduct business with- more appropriately, ones they could exploit. None of their ships ever returned."

"Has Starfleet Command provided us with any more information about that region of space?" inquired Nobema.

"Nothing except that we must proceed with caution." Halrinso answered.

"Wonderful." said Casey sarcastically. "So we're going in there blind and unaware of the regions of space around us? At the same time, we'll be opening ourselves up to an unknown number- possibly a myriad- of threats. Is that basically what you're telling us?"

"That is a crude but accurate assessment, Mr. Casey." said Dr. Keller.

"Thank you for that, Doctor." said the Flight Controller.

"Look at it this way, Lieutenant." said Wood. "We're facing the unknown. We could end up discovering a new type of anomaly. We may even make first contact on our first assignment."

"Whatever you say, Commander." said Casey, with an unpleasant emphasis on the last word. Larson noticed that Casey and Wood were avoiding direct eye contact with each other. He was unsure what that meant, but decided that he would get down to the bottom of that later.

Looking around at his senior staff, he told them "We'll be rendezvousing with a Ferengi freighter, the Beraalam, when we reach the edge of Ferengi space. They've agreed to provide us with all the data they do have on the region we'll be exploring."

"What will they ask for in return?" inquired Rizux.

"Nothing." Larson answered. A few of the older members of the senior staff were surprised to hear the Captain's answer. He explained to them "They are giving us the information at no charge as a gesture of goodwill. As some of you may know, the Ferengi Alliance owes us many favors for our role in reorganizing their male-dominant society to embrace feminism."

"So now we're using favors as currency with them?" assumed Nobema.

"That's an accurate way of putting it, Ensign." Larson agreed. "We're about two days from the Ferengi Alliance. I want to spend that time preparing this ship to face the unknown. I want all of you to make sure that your departments are seriously putting their effort and determination into their work. But remember: this is a peaceful rescue mission. I do not want you under the impression that we are going into battle."

The senior staff knew what the Captain meant. He dismissed them and everyone returned to their duties.

Later at around 1800 hours, Larson was on Deck 5. He was walking down a corridor when somebody behind him called out "Captain! Captain, do you have a moment?"

He turned and saw Lieutenant Casey running toward him. As Casey stopped in front of him, Larson asked "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

"Well, sir," said Casey, "Mr. Marquez and I were wondering if you would like to see that runabout he told you about."

"You mean the advanced Yellowstone-class one?" Larson assumed.

"Yes, that's the one." Casey replied. "We have it docked in the main shuttlebay. You may have caught a glimpse of it when we first arrived on the Champion."

"Actually, I did not have the time to do so." Larson confessed. "In about an hour, I will be having dinner with my wife and children. But I have plenty of time to see the runabout now, Mr. Casey."

"Very well, sir." said the lieutenant junior grade. "Follow me. I'll lead you to the main hanger."

"Alright." the Captain followed the Flight Controller to the main hanger. Conveniently, it had been on that same deck. The two of them only had to walk through nine corridors to get there.

When they got there, they found Lieutenant Marquez standing at the runabout's entrance. When they approached him, they found that he was conducting an inspection on the exterior of the small ship.

"Does it conform to standards, Lieutenant?" asked Larson, obviously referring to the runabout's structure and systems.

"It does, Captain." Marquez answered.

Then Casey smirked and added in "It is a standard model… plus a few appendages and upgrades Seth and I installed."

"What do you mean?"

Marquez grinned and told Larson "Even with the advanced models, there's room for improvement, Captain. Here, we'll show you."

The acting Chief Engineer opened the door and stepped inside. The Captain and Helmsman followed him. The cockpit of the runabout was very spacious. Larson was impressed by its design and how it was covered with improved technology and panels on all the counters.

"Very interesting." Larson commented. "I look forward to having the opportunity to utilize this ship."

"This ship has everything you would need to be out at space for longer than a year." said Casey. "It has comfortable crew quarters, replicators, phasers, torpedoes, and the starcharts of all the space that has been explored."

Larson gave an approving nod. Then he noticed a ladder that went up through the ceiling. There was a hole in the ceiling just above the ladder. He asked to no one in particular "What is this ladder for?"

"That leads up to a hatch, sir." Marquez pointed out. "You can climb up it when the ship is on the ground to get on the roof. It makes repairing the roof on a planet that much easier. In fact, there's an airlock you can seal off at your feet when you're at the top of the ladder. If you don an EV suit, you can even go out on the ship to make repairs while you're still in space."

"Now that is impressive." Larson whistled.

"Here, I'll show you the roof, Captain." Marquez climbed up the ladder to the top of the runabout. Larson followed him close behind. Casey stayed behind to inspect the terminals in the cockpit.

The two men emerged on top and walked around the mostly-flat roof. As Larson surveyed the roof for himself, he noticed two items that had been added on to the deflector dish.

"What are these two devices right here?" asked Larson, gesturing to the apparatuses attached to the deflector array.

"Oh, the one on the right is an absorption unit and the one of the left is an energy converter." Marquez told him.

"I don't recognize them from any of the blueprints, even the ones of the advanced model." Larson told him.

"That's because they aren't part of the model." Marquez enlightened the Captain. "Nick and I installed them ourselves. They're quite handy devices. You see, Captain, they are put to use whenever the ship is under attack. Whenever any spot within ten meters of the deflector is hit by certain types of phaser-fire, the absorption unit takes in the energy. Once the energy has been accumulated, the converter alters the energy to the frequency of the shields and fortifies them."

"So, you're saying that when phaser-fire hits the ship, the shields are strengthened instead of weakened?" said Larson. "And all of that because of these two devices."

"We're hoping to make it that general, sir." said Marquez. "But we still have some more work to do. Right now, these devices only work on phaser-fire set on certain wavebands- such as Cardassian, Romulan, Klingon. However, it is possible to adapt them to new types of phaser-fire. We're also working on a way to increase the range of the devices so that they can absorb the fire from anywhere on the ship. Right now, it only collects the phaser-fire that strikes the roof. If the ship is hit on the side or the bottom, the shields start to deplete."

"Still, it is a very convenient contraption, Mr. Marquez." Larson admired the engineer's work. "I need to speak with Mr. Casey for a moment. You go ahead and conduct your inspection."

"Yes, sir." said Marquez. Larson climbed down the ladder as Marquez inspected the deflector array.

Back inside the runabout, Larson found Casey was now in the cockpit. He was inspecting all of the modifications he had made to the navigations network. Larson came up behind him and watched him while he worked. While Casey worked, he said "Very efficient performance, Mr. Casey."

"Thank you, Captain." said Casey. "Seth and I made what we saw to be the most ideal revisions to even the advanced runabout."

"Mr. Casey, there's something I'd like to talk to you about regarding the last senior staff meeting." Larson said to the helmsman.

"Oh, yeah, about that," said Casey, "I'm sorry for that sarcastic comment about us 'going in blind,' Captain. I can just get very nervous when we explore regions of space we know little about. And when I get nervous, sometimes I say sardonic things."

"Lieutenant, you are free to voice your moods and thoughts during the meetings." Larson assured the pilot. "I am referring to something I have noticed between you and Commander Wood."

"What do you mean, Captain?"

"During the debriefing, both you and he deliberately avoided making eye contact with each other." Larson pointed out. "And aside from that, both of you don't seem to be getting along with each other rather well."

"Oh, it's a personal matter, Captain." Casey told Larson. "However, I don't feel uncomfortable talking about it. I'll tell you about it if you want to hear it."

"Go right ahead, Lieutenant." said Larson.

As Casey worked on the runabout to ensure that everything was in place and functioning properly, he began enlightening the Captain: "Commander Wood and I attended Starfleet Academy at the same time. He was a freshman when I was a junior. However, he and I both graduated at the end of the following term. You see, sir, I do not believe that it was wise for the Federation Council to allow Commander Wood to graduate after just two terms."

"But he more than sufficiently proved that he knew all of the material taught at the Academy by the end of his second term." Larson pointed out. "One could logically assume that the Council saw no reason for him to have to stay behind to learn material he had covered himself."

"That is understandable, sir," Casey agreed, "but I still believe that everyone should undergo the whole four years in order to be in Starfleet."

"That has not always been the case." Larson told the lieutenant. "Just look at Admiral B'Elanna Paris. She dropped out of the Academy after her second year. But after returning home from the Delta Quadrant, she and the rest of the Maquis from Voyager were offered positions in Starfleet."

"True, but that was 2378; three whole decades ago, sir." Casey indicated. "This is 2408. Times change."

"What does that mean?" asked Larson.

"Starfleet regulations are continuously stipulated more and more with each passing year." was the Flight Controller's response.

"And your point is what, Nicholas?" inquired Larson.

Casey was a bit stunned to hear the Captain address him by his first name. Then he specified what he meant: "My point, Captain, is that a person's IQ should not influence how quickly they become qualified for a certain occupation, such as a career in Starfleet."

Larson suddenly smirked and said "Mr. Casey, forgive me for suggesting so, but it seems to me that you are jealous of Commander Wood's achievements."

Casey seemed to turn somewhat pale at that time. When his face returned to its normal hue, he said "No, Captain, not at all. You see, I don't care how quickly Commander Wood and I acquire our ranks. I'm perfectly content with being a lieutenant junior grade."

"Good, I'm glad we got that bit of business cleared up." said Larson. "Now, I want you to accept Commander Wood's role on this ship. I also want you to accept the Federation Council's decision to send him out here after merely two years of being a cadet."

"That may take some time, sir." Casey told Larson. "However, I am sure I can come to accept the Commander Wood and his role on this ship."

"Take all the time you need, Lieutenant." Larson told the pilot. "But you must swear to not let your grudge against Commander Wood interfere with your job performance."

"Of course I won't, sir." Casey promised his commanding officer. "In any event, I can put aside my personal feelings whenever the situation calls for it."

"Every moment on this ship calls for it, Lieutenant." Larson corrected him. "There are several occasions when the Second Officer and the Chief Conn Officer are required to go on away missions together."

"I understand, sir." said Casey. Larson could tell he was not lying.

At that moment, Marquez came back down from the roof. He was about to say something, but as he stepped of the ladder, he noticed that Larson and Casey were in conversation. He asked "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"No, you didn't, Mr. Marquez." replied Larson. "Mr. Casey and I were just finished a discussion."

"I see." said Marquez, briefly looking over at Casey. After glancing at Casey, he turned to Larson and asked him "So, what do you think of the runabout, Captain?"

"Magnificent." said Larson. "What did you say its name was?"

"We didn't, sir." said Marquez. "We've yet to name this ship."

"We thought that the honor should go to you." said Casey. "Sure, the two of us are the ones who upgraded it, but you're the Captain of this ship."

Larson stood thinking for a moment, but could not think of a good name. He told the two officers that he would decide on one later.

An hour later, Larson was in his quarters having lunch with Emily, Sherman, and Helen. They had replicated pork chops and white rice. Dinner was rarely eaten in silence between the four of them, but conversations were always interesting and never monotonous at their table.

"How was work today, Dad?" asked Helen.

"It went well, Helen." answered her father. "Thank you for asking."

"Anything you'd like to elaborate on?" asked Sherman.

"'Elaborate?'" said Emily. "Sherman, when I was your age, I didn't even know that word existed."

Sherman shrugged and said "Helen and I saw it as ideal to expand our vocabulary. You use a lot of complex terms when you're on duty, Dad."

"It would be another reason to join Starfleet, Sherman." Mike pointed out. "You'd know the meaning of practically every word in the English dictionary."

"Right." said Sherman as he downed a spoonful of rice.

"So, you didn't answer his question." said Emily to her husband. "Is there anything you would like to give more details on?"

As Mike chewed on a piece of his pork chop, he said "Well, Commander Sanderson's position on this ship is still something of a controversial matter amongst the crew. Fortunately, most of the senior staff is willing to accept her."

"Who isn't willing?" asked Helen.

"Lieutenant Halrinso and Doctors Rizux and Keller." answered Mike. "But I'm sure they can come to accept her."

"Why would Dr. Keller not be willing to accept her?" asked Emily.

Mike swallowed the bit of pork chop in his mouth and told her "It's in his programming that he should follow all established Starfleet rules and regulations. He's even programmed to feel disappointment and frustration towards people who break the said rules and regulations."

"Fascinating." said Sherman. "It's still quite an interesting concept; a sentient hologram. I know that Starfleet's had them around for nearly forty years, but how could they have created artificial intelligence that is almost consciousness as we know it?"

"I gave up asking that question long ago." said Mike.

"Now that the ship has a full senior staff-" Emily began.

"We do for the moment." Mike interrupted. "Commander Sanderson and Lieutenant Marquez are still deciding if they want to stay onboard."

"Okay." said Emily. "As I was saying, now that the ship has a full senior staff, what will we do next?"

"We've been given orders to head for an area of space beyond the Ferengi Alliance." Mike enlightened his wife and children. "The Starship Dionysius, a research vessel, disappeared there last week. Our orders are to go and find it and the crew."

"A rescue mission?" assumed Sherman.

"Exactly." his father nodded. "I'm holding out high hopes that they're all right. But there's no telling what trouble they could have run into."