The group quickly made its way through the hallways toward the clinic auditorium for volunteer orientation. Nguyen reflected on Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura's interactions with the clinic's PR representative, Ellen Karras, and between each another. What he saw set off klaxons in his mind, and he decided that it was time to take charge.

Commander Spock normally was not inclined to share more personal details than necessary, and Nguyen's attempt to pry even necessary details out of him had been a trial since Starfleet assigned the commander, along with Kirk, Scott, and McCoy, as his responsibility. News of the commander's sudden interest in a public appearance had intrigued Nguyen, even more so with the Enterprise's young communications officer by his side. Instead of assigning this seemingly mundane task to a department assistant, he had opted to deliver the uniforms they requested himself and remain present throughout the event.

Normally he would not have let the commander talk to Karras or any other outside communications professional before he could assess the situation and set guidelines beforehand, but that would have been futile in this case. Despite his surprise, his tactical instincts took over. He stepped back and purposefully let "Mr. Personality" provide uncensored information to Karras—but only up to a point. Fortunately time constraints had ended the interview before Nguyen would have had to terminate it. He believed that he knew enough about the circumstances to take control.

Age and wisdom were not the only things that put a few strands of gray at his temples. Nguyen had fought several skirmishes on the battlegrounds of political influence and public opinion. Experience told him he would be required to do so again and that he had to wrangle cooperation from the usually reserved Vulcan who, for some reason, had chosen to go maverick on him today.

"Commander," Nguyen said quietly as the group approached the auditorium, "a word please."

He signaled Spock to trail behind with him, hanging behind the group by several meters. Spock joined him wordlessly.

"Before you or the lieutenant provides Ms. Karras or anyone else with any more information, I need to brief you." Nguyen stood his ground as he stared up at impenetrable Vulcan eyes, refusing to be intimidated by Spock's height. "Not one more word. Understand?"

Nguyen did not outrank Spock, but his authority in this area was clear, and Spock knew it. Disputing this order would have been insubordination and illogical. Spock acknowledged Nguyen with a curt nod before the two caught up with the rest of the group.

Uhura's concerned glance backward at them reinforced the picture forming in Nguyen's mind. He continued to integrate these behavioral clues along with the pair's background information and the rumors he had previously dismissed. Yes, he absolutely had to take control and frame this appearance before things got out of hand. Talking points and guidelines were the first order, and Starfleet PR had a basic list of "do's and don'ts" that Nguyen and others in his department customized as needed.

"Ms. Karras, excuse me," he said, approaching her. "Is there a small room or office nearby that the commander, lieutenant, and I can use after orientation? Before the event begins, I need to brief them." He leaned over to her. "Starfleet business," he added more quietly, leaving the implications open to interpretation.

Starfleet, though not entirely a military organization, used military protocols, so the request did not surprise Karras. Maybe there were classified updates, though she suspected that Nguyen's real motivation was to provide his clients with standard last-minute advice. "I am sure I can find something for you, Commander Nguyen."

That done, Nguyen smiled. "Thank you."

The group entered the auditorium. At front at a podium, Janelle, dressed in an orange knee-length skirt, knee-high black boots, and a black sweater with embroidered orange jack o'lanterns along the cuffs and hem, waved to the crowd to get its attention.

"May I have everyone's attention, please," Janelle spoke into the PA system. Amy Grayson and David Swenson stood off to one side. Marco, Janelle's principal camera operator, recorded the entire scene, which later would be edited into a show segment on the Janelle Devereaux Lifestyles holovid program. "Now, we're waiting on a couple more," Janelle continued, "but we need to get started. So, I'd like to begin by saying…oh, here they are!"

Ellen Karras entered first, followed by Nyota, then Spock with Nguyen at the end. Swenson and Amy waved to them. Nyota waved back while Spock bowed his head slightly. Excited murmuring erupted among the crowd, punctuated by a few Omigods.

As Karras found her small group empty places and orientation materials, then settled them in quickly, Nguyen looked around, continuing his assessment. Impressed, he noted that many of the celebrity volunteers were A-listers. Azure Angel, the lead singer from the wildly popular techno-synth band Wild Blister, openly stared. Sitting next to her was Mecaed McNabb, a well-known Celtic harpist, who also could not keep her eyes off the new arrivals. Anchor Rik van der Kamp from the planet-wide Terra Today news program, baseball Hall of Famer Winton Marquez, and tennis champion Suzan Teelen all straightened. Even Hollywood stars Marianna Milanese, Nara Rin, Pak Sung Cho, and Lukas Msembe, usually at the top of the celebrity food chain themselves, were, like the rest of the notables throughout the room, awestruck by the new arrivals.

Reactions from celebrities who Nguyen himself admired prevented him from taking the status of his Enterprise charges for granted. They served to remind him of how great his challenge was in guiding them through this situation—if they would only let him. His duty to Starfleet required that he ensure that they did.

Karras led them to empty places at a table with PADDS at each place, quickly seated them, then left to locate a meeting space for later.

"OK, OK," Janelle's voice broke over the din, prompting everyone to quiet down. "Now that we're all here, let me welcome you and thank you for your generosity today. Many of us who have had family in the hospital or have been patients ourselves know how unsettling that experience can be. And when you're faced with a life-threatening condition, it can be overwhelming day-in and day-out.

"Our event today tries to break that cycle, offers our patients a pleasant diversion, a mental respite from their worries. Even if it's for a short time, we give them a warm memory, a boost that will help sustain them through their next treatment or whatever they are facing as they deal with their illnesses. So, let's make some memories! We'll start on that path by going to our PADDs, scroll to Screen 3…"

Janelle reviewed the event, stepping through the details via PADD and on the giant screen behind her. She outlined how celebrities would be paired with volunteers dressed in whimsical animal costumes, then go from room to room and interact with room-bound patients. She cautioned that some children would be more receptive to visits than others.

"Our volunteers are good judges of their needs and will guide you," she promised. "Be friendly, go with the flow. It's supposed to be fun for the kids. Some of the younger ones will be interested in only the costumed volunteers. The older ones will probably be more interested in the celebrities. It depends on the kids."

Amy handed out assignments pairing volunteers and celebrities before Janelle dismissed everyone for a break. Nyota and Spock were pleased that Janelle had assigned David Swenson to them.

Janelle pointed toward the back of the room. "There is a lunch buffet set up in the back. Be sure to get something to eat, get to know each other, and don't hesitate to ask questions if you're new. Most of us have worked this before and are happy to answer your questions. The event starts in about an hour."

As soon as Janelle had finished her speech, Karras returned, collected Nguyen and his charges, and guided them to a small meeting room a couple doors down from the auditorium's main entrance.

Nyota noticed Nguyen's firm demeanor and guessed that he was going to demand more information from them. Then she looked at Spock, now in full Vulcan mode. Uh-oh…this was not good. She expected nothing less than a battle of wills.