The entire crew of U.S.S. Enterprise gathered in a rotunda within the Spacedock. Some hugged or shook hands to say goodbye as they left friends behind to move on to new assignments. Others tried to find a new friend in the crowd to ease their transition into being a part of the Enterprise's Crew. The Captain addressed everyone briefly, thanking them for their service. He wished well to those departing and welcomed new crew members aboard. He also took a moment to introduce everyone to their new Science Officer, Dr. Vivian Vida.
Dr. Vida emerged, wearing the Enterprise's uniform. The tailor had to take his time on the garment, and questioned the measurements he first received. Full in the bust, full in the hips and rear, but almost comically smaller in the middle. They'd added some extra length, given that the woman was above average height, but it was only so helpful. If she leaned forward at all, the black under-portion was visible. Because of the fullness in her buttocks, there was a subtle spillage over the black piece of fabric. The dark tights did little to obscure the line where the curve met her leg.
When the officers saw her in the outfit, reactions varied. Kirk grinned, immediately complementing her on the ensemble. McCoy did a double-take, eyes opening wide and eyebrows flying back on his head. He quickly stifled his smile, and began nonchalantly whistling a tune to himself. Upon seeing the reactions of the other men, Spock took a look for himself, and raised an eyebrow.
She took a brief opportunity to detail her project aboard Enterprise, where her lab and clinic would be located aboard the ship, and express appreciation for those willing to join her project. After they boarded the ship, Dr. McCoy was assigned the task of showing her to her new quarters on the life sciences deck; sleeping quarters, an office, a small lab, and a small exam room.
"One thing I'm not entirely clear on, doctor," He began, "Are you here as a physician or a scientist?"
"Both, I suppose. I can pitch in in the med bay when needed, but my focus will be my research." She strolled around her new patient care suite, "Oh, well, there's one other thing the Captain and I had discussed."
"Oh?"
"I'll be taking over your women's health responsibilities. It's more efficient. I don't require a female chaperone to perform exams. Additionally, you won't have to be bothered with issuing contraceptive prescriptions when your time should be spent mending bones and treating space madness."
At first McCoy was surprised, and a bit disappointed to hear that some of his responsibilities were being reallocated, but after hearing which responsibilities were going elsewhere, he relaxed. "That's…helpful. A lot of our female crew planned their health needs around when we'd be at stations. Maybe they'll be more comfortable seeing another woman."
"That was my thought." She extended a handshake, "I look forward to working with you, McCoy."
It took little time for Dr. Vida to settle in, decorating her suite in pink linens and small lanterns. A lab is a lab, but her office was warmer and more inviting than the typical space on a sciences deck. She befriended Nurse Chapel, Lieutenant Uhura, and a couple other female crewmembers. Her meals moved to the officers' dining room.
She spent the first week training her new lab techs. They were familiar with basic lab techniques but required instruction for things like gamete sample storage. They also need background information about population dynamics, which she was happy to share with them through the download of a textbook. She lectured once or twice as an introduction too. Her team had no choice but to attend, and McCoy felt obligated to be there. Spock showed up to those too, genuinely interested in the topic and how it applied to his home planet. He was the only one who managed to ask relevant questions and advance the conversation. She appreciated this and began to eagerly anticipate his presence.
In addition, she started actively trying to cross paths with him, plan her meals at a similar time, and find reasons to go up to the bridge whenever possible. This was, of course, without her realizing that he was doing something similar. Spock found himself looking for reasons to visit the life sciences department. It wasn't necessarily a romantic attraction that was forming, but a scientific curiosity.
The Enterprise had managed to survive another closer encounter with a rival alien vessel. The command bridge, almost numb to such events, were more inconvenienced than anything else. It was easily 21:00 hours before Kirk and Spock made it to the dining room, grumbling about their grumbling stomachs.
When they sat down, Yeoman Rand brought by trays of food for each of them; a roast of some sort with root vegetables. Kirk looked at his plate strangely for a moment, unfamiliar with the coloration of the items. He scraped the top of the dark meat with his fork and found he'd gathered a red powder.
Spock raised an eyebrow at his plate, which very much resembled red spice roast, a dish his mother used to serve on Vulcan.
"Rand, is this paprika? I don't think we've been served this meal before." He puzzled, accustomed to a set schedule of meals.
"I don't know sir."
"Well, it smells heavenly, it just looks a little...new is all."
"You'll have to take that up with your new science officer, sir. Dr. Vida insisted she makee a meal to show her appreciation for the kind welcome." Rand nodded and exited.
"It's called red spice roast." Spock shared as he cut a bite, "It's a Vulcan dish."
Kirk followed suit, impressed. "It's a recipe I think I like. Hey how come you've never offered to cook for me before?" He jested.
Spock was silent for a moment, savoring the nostalgic flavors that reminded him of home. The meat was tender too, and the vegetables cut like butter. "It was well-executed for sure…but I can't help but wonder whether or not it was a calculated decision…" He stared out the window.
"Calculated? I mean sure, you want to say thank you for a new position, so you share a recipe from your culture with your new crew. It makes sense to me." His friend's face didn't change. "Are you suggesting she had an ulterior motive? Maybe she wants a raise already." He chuckled.
As opposed to starting a complicated and deeply private conversation, Spock just shrugged, letting his friend believe whatever amused him.