Anzyl sighed in disappointment as he downed another synthetic cocktail, the taste resembling booze but devoid of the effects that could alleviate the sheer boredom he suffered. "Might as well be drinking a juice box," he muttered, setting the glass down and surveying the room's food offerings.
Normally excited about baked pastries and sweets, his face conveyed utter disappointment at the mass-replicated excuses for macarons and cream puffs. "Pretty sure they're all sugar-free, carb-free, calorie-free, and, of course, flavor-free."
Desperation set in as he searched for anything to dull his mind or senses, longing for an escape from what he considered the single most boring event he'd ever been forced to attend—and this was coming from a man who had lived six full lifetimes. Surveying the room, he noticed Neil had left with his new companion, and Keten had excused himself to deal with the emotions stirred up by his storytelling. Anzyl found himself alone, tasked with representing the USS Nexus amidst a sea of fake smiles and trivial conversations.
A fellow bored captain, sensing Anzyl's distress, offered him a metal flask hidden under his jacket. Anzyl's eyes lit up with gratitude. "You, sir, are a savior of men!" he exclaimed, gladly accepting whatever potent liquid the flask contained and pouring it into his glass.
—
Floating above the conference and social hall was the magnificent USS Nexus, pride of the Khitomer Alliance, where some of the crew deemed themselves "Lower Decks" — the Ensigns and entry-level crewmates who are the lifeblood of the gargantuan starship. For these members of Starfleet, there was a long-held tradition among this diverse crew: "Ship Bingo," an extensive list of obscure tasks and dares, specific to their very ship.
From "Use the transporter system to reflavor a stick of gum" to "Sit in the Captain's Chair without anyone noticing" and "Say 'Meow' five times in a department officer's log," Ship Bingo brought all members of the ship together in an unspoken camaraderie.
After completing and marking off the "Don't lose your lunch after finding the 'Zero G point' of the Nexus," two young Ensigns mosey on to the next dare on the extensive list.
"Sign the Scorch," James stated, a young human in a yellow Starfleet uniform, opening the Space Suit locker. The gangway to the outside void just feet away.
Janelle, his Bolian companion, questioned, "Scorch?" as she put on her exo-suit helmet.
"The oldest and never replaced piece of hull on the forward dorsal of the saucer section of the ship. The first hull piece was placed during construction and never replaced, no matter how damaged it is," James explained, putting on his boots.
Moments later, on top of the almost endless horizon of the Nexus saucer section, the two ensigns in spacesuits slowly walked across the metal hull of the gargantuan vessel. They approached a rather beat-up and out-of-place piece of hull. It resembled a high school yearbook of the most popular kid in school, with dozens of signatures, well wishes, and doodles.
"The Scorch," James said in awe. The large panel had definitely seen better days, but it held hundreds of memories tied to it.
"Look at this!" Janelle exclaimed, "'To infinity and beyond - Captain Anzyl Praxas,' written in phaser!" as she read the captain's signature.
"There. I signed the Scorch - O'Reilly," James chuckled, reading the first officer's signature.
"What the..." Janelle read Tey'un's signature, "Oe kolan new tsonta tswayon ikran?"
James burst into laughter, "I would rather be flying an Ikran," he held his gut, laughing. "Well, ready to sign the Scorch?" pulling out a small phaser welder.
Janelle nodded happily and excitedly.
James knelt down on the outer rim of the hull piece, his hands inches from the Scorch. Around the edge of the Scorch, tiny pieces of green light flickered, like someone dusted the edge with green glitter, the limits of the Borg Nanite Regenerative hull ever attempting to fix the Scorch. As James began to sign his name into the Scorch, at his knees, a trail of Borg nanites jabbed him through the exosuit.
"Ow!" James called out in pain, grabbing his knee like he banged it on a table end and losing the phaser blade to the void of space.
"You okay, man?" The other Janelle asked.
James began to shake and convulse in his exo suit, then steadily stood up straight, breathing steadily.
"James?... Are you okay, man?" Janelle asked, a concerned and worried look on her blue-skinned face.
James slowly turned to his friend, his emotionless face pale white with dark gray patches, his blood veins beginning to darken to a metallic black.