The Very Model Of A Modern Starship

Posted on Tue Feb 19th, 2019 @ 6:25pm by Captain Enalia Telvan & Commander Rita Paris

Mission: Recovery Trek
Location: USS Hera, Deck 8, Captain's Quarters
Timeline: 2396

After Dox and Dael departed, Rita Paris turned to the spotted mistress of the USS Hera and asked her point-blank question.

"I read that on other ships in Starfleet they bring entire families. There are daycares. There are kids whose birth certificates read 'USS Excalibur' and coordinates at the time of their birth. Human beings who will never know the planet of the origin of their species if they don't go to Starfleet Academy. So why not us, Captain?" Rita finally got to the point. "Why are we the exception with no rugrats underfoot on your starship?"

"Oh goodness... You would have to ask that... I'm going to need another cup of tea." Pouring another cup of tea, Enalia poured a cup for Rita as well. "It all started when we were going after this ancient Iconian demon known as the Master. We were being thrown into harm's way every other week it seemed and people were dying left and right. I lost a third of my crew on one mission. We just didn't have the firepower or ability to protect ourselves, let alone our families. Hence why those that had kids had to leave them at a boarding school, which Starfleet paid for. A few other ships tried this as well because of their missions being severe long range. I think we're the only ship left in the program though."

"Space is dangerouys, no doubt about it. But so is life in general. How many promising Starfleet careers were nipped in the bud by our trademark 'something awful', sure. But how many of them were cut short in traffic accidents or slipping in the shower or a barfight? I watched a Klingon pull a disruptor on a ensign in a barfight, and by the time Stuart decked him he had turned it up to 'disintegrate'. Life..." Rita rotated her upraised finger about, indicating the universe. "Life is dangerous. Any other reasons? I mean, to be fair, you mentioned maica wanting kids long before you mentioned Mommy Dearest wanting to interfere."

"Honestly, I think you're right. With the last refit and the slight shift in mission role with the Master gone, perhaps we can rejoin the fleet in having families aboard. Then again, this ship is pretty classified." Enalia then let loose a hearty laugh. "Who am I kidding on that one? We just flew over eight hundred refugees straight into a civilian dock. Command even authorized it. We're now as classified as the Enterprise."

"We aren't classified. What we do is classified," Rita clarified. "Also we ourselves, because I am pretty sure the Commodore never actually filed any paperwork and Starfleet still doesn't know that I actually exist just yet. As for kids, what? Every other fleet manages it. I assume kids are relegated to only a few decks of the ship, so we put the nurseries, daycares, schools and playgrounds and all of whatever we need to raise kids on a few decks together, and restrict them from the rest of the ship. So that little Jack Jack doesn't accidentally wander into one of the intel vaults. As these things tend to happen."

"We do have a lot of free space in the saucer for future upgrades... I think we still have around sixteen percent of the ship left vacant. Twenty four if you clear out storage." Enalia sipped at her tea and sighed. "You realize you've volunteered to coordinate this, right?"

"Came with the job, cap'n," Rita waved it off, already having assumed that would be the case. "To answer your question from earlier, no- I am not pregnant. That requires some intervention from more than just biology for an iron-blood and a copper-blood to make a little mudblood. I mean, I certainly do go through the motions. I practice like I'm training for the baby making decathlon, but no. He and I have discussed it, made our plan and we're good, Captain. You've got four years and change- I won't give birth until early 2400, although if I can time their births I will, because being born new year's day at the turn of the century has got to be some powerful mojo."

Realizing how she might sound, Rita smiled nervously. "What, it's a thing..."

The spotted woman shook her head and chuckled softly. "Oh, you are a character. I am so glad you're here, you know that? Okay, so we already have a prenatal and maternity ward in sickbay apparently. We should have a large enough open area of that deck that we can make a nursery. The deck below it has a pair of old cadet classrooms that hasn't been used in a couple years with full range holographics you can use to your advantage. Is that enough to get started?"

"I find no flaw in your argument, ma'am. We'll have to expand crew quarters down there and make family units, but that's not a chore, and we'll add soundproofing. Replicators make quarters self-contained, but I think for the first neighborhood down there we'll shift the corridors and make them a loop, to create an enclosed space with limited access. If you like we can reinforce the bulkheads and add some additional shielding options to the families can button up when there's trouble- keep your conscience a bit more at ease." Rita paused, smiling and nodding, clearly impressed with herself.

"I'm glad I'm here too, lady. I never would have guessed it in a million years, but we make a pretty darn good team, Prinzessin," Rita appropriated the Baroness' nickname for the captain with a naughty smile.

"That we do. We should be able to add sound dampeners as well, like Maica has in her massage parlor." Enalia finished off her cup of tea and set aside her teacup. "That way any crying doesn't annoy the neighbors."


"Definitely. And the kids running around, as kids do. Holographic teachers along with live interactive studies? We should at the very least offer courses in sciences, astrogation, engineering, communications and piloting. If you grow up on a starship you should know a lot about them, and we have some of the foremost experts to teach curriculum with lively guest speakers." Rita stopped to consider that, folding her legs under her on the couch. "I'll have to look into the fleet education guides, but I do like the idea of getting the crew involved with teaching. I think this could be good for them as well in more ways than just having families. It takes a tribe to raise a child, right?"

"That sounds like the start of a good plan. Once we draw up an official request I'll forward it to the Commodore and we can go from there, but I'm sure she'll get it approved. Especially with our decline in deaths and combat." Enalia leaned back in her chair and yawned. "Now is there anything else we need to work on before we can call it a day? Any more last minute emergencies?"

“This is a decline in combat? Whew,” Rita wisecracked, although she wasn’t really joking. “No ma’am… looks like the Starbase personnel will be offloaded at Deep Space 9 for processing, I’m pretty positive Mona and Mnhei’sahe are dating, Doc is nervous about going to Bajor to visit their dying father and Clemens seems to be ready to report back to active duty. Ah, pick out some sort of present for Thex and Taatha, which isn’t tradition but you are the captain, it’s practically expected. And I’ve filed the paperwork to get us clearance and coordination to deliver that changeling to the other side of the wormhole in the gamma Quadrant, which is pretty incredible. I think that’s all we really need to be concerned with at this point, Captain.”

Enalia nodded, moving the teacups back onto the serving tray. "Then I think we're good for the night. That can all wait until the morning. Thank you, Rita."

"Aye, ma'am." Knowing when to take a cue, Rita rose from the couch to see herself out. pausing at the door, she turned. "You know, if we get all of this set up, you actually can start a family, Captain. Just throwing it out there." With that said, Paris made her exit.

Maica came out of the kitchen and helped clean up the impromptu tea party, giving Enalia a loving kiss in the process. "That would be nice, wouldn't it? We would just need to figure out how to have kids."

"You make it sound like that's the easy part," Enalia replied with a mischievous grin.