She reviewed the factsheet on the PADD on her way to Transporter Room 1. After five years aboard the Saratoga, preparing for a new assignment was almost like getting ready for a first date; there was nothing quite like the excitement of boarding a new ship, meeting a new crew and pursuing new discoveries across the galaxy.

The original plan was to take a long vacation to recharge batteries, return to Earth and dedicate some time to her private life. Unexpected events, however, dictated she seek her next assignment straight away and what could have been a four-month long relaxing break turned into a two-week intensive preparation session.

The short wait, she found, was enough to change gears and fully focus on the new assignment, the second of her career, but she had decided to spend that time favouring the study of the ship's history and accomplishments so far rather than those of its crew. Other than the Captain and First Officer, who had approved her application in record time, she was still ignorant about who else served aboard the Enterprise.

Starbase 55 wasn't very busy and it was rather early in the morning, so there were no other travellers waiting in the transporter room to be beamed to their destinations.

"Good morning, chief."

"Good morning," he replied, "They're ready for you now."

She nodded in response and took her place on the platform. Soon she felt the familiar tingling sensation of her molecules being split by the beam before the room disappeared into a bright light.

It wasn't possible for her to estimate the exact amount of time it took to find herself aboard the Enterprise, those molecules colliding in rapid fashion to shape her physical being back together.

Once reassembled, she came face to face with two men, one of which she was able to recognise straight away. He was taller than she had imagined and as handsome as his Starfleet file picture showed.

"Commander Riker?" she called, stepping down from the transporter pad, "Lieutenant Maryam Sanger, reporting for duty."

"Welcome aboard, lieutenant," he shook her hand when she approached him.

"Thank you, sir. It's an honour to be here."

Maryam was aware she sounded like an impressionable young ensign by saying such silly words on the first encounter with the First Officer, but couldn't take the words back now. She just hoped he hadn't notice it.

After a quick introduction to Transporter Chief O'Brien, Riker led her out of the room.

"I know this was very short notice. Lieutenant Gomez had to go on maternity leave earlier than expected," he explained as they walked down the hallway, "but I'm glad you could make it. Your record on the Saratoga is impressive, particularly your research on the Tamarian language."

"Thank you, sir. Hopefully, it will be fully integrated in Starfleet translation matrices within two years."

They entered the turbolift at the end of the corridor.

"Deck Five," he said, "As I'm sure you're aware, we were the first to successfully communicate with the Tamarians, so it's very important to us that you continue that research while on the Enterprise."

"I'd be happy to, Commander," Maryam replied, only glancing at him. She seldom felt intimidated by male officers, but it wasn't often she encountered one as attractive as William T. Riker.

The turbolift stopped and she followed him out of it. He led her down the hallway and soon stopped in front of door 1172.

"These will be your quarters. I hope they are to your liking."

Opening the door, Will Riker stepped aside to let her in.

"I will leave you to settle in. Please report to the bridge at 08.00 hours."

"The bridge, sir?" she repeated, confused, before he could leave.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, sir. I thought I'd be stationed in the science division, perhaps in Exobiology-"

"I'm afraid there's been a miscommunication problem. Captain Picard has requested you as Communications Officer, given your credentials as a linguist. That way you'll relieve two officers of that duty and be solely responsible for bridge communications… Unless you feel you're not ready for that assignment."

He raised an eyebrow, letting her know he didn't expect her to refuse.

"No, of course, sir. I am ready. It was just unexpected, that's all."

"I'll see you at 08.00 hours."

With that, Riker left the room.

Maryam dropped her backpack on the sofa before taking a look around. The main room was spacious, complete with a dinning set and a computer area. To the left was the sleeping room and the small bathroom at the back. What little decoration there was, was neutral and open to receiving a personal touch. Overall, these new quarters were an improvement from her living space aboard the Saratoga.

She unpacked the essentials she had brought with her; one learned to travel light after joining Starfleet. Once she had found a new home for each item, she ordered breakfast from the replicator, but was unable to eat most of it. The nervous state she was in prevented her from enjoying the meal, even though she very much needed it. She had never been stationed on the ship's bridge on a permanent basis and now she was required to do so from day one on a ship she knew nobody in. It was hard not to feel apprehensive.

Later, she redid her braid until every single hair adhered to uniform code and, at 7.49, she was more than ready to make her way to the bridge. She didn't want to seem too eager to please, though. After all, she wasn't an ensign on her first assignment anymore; she had solid credentials now and she knew the best way to impress superior officers was to let the work speak for itself.

With one last look in the mirror at the fresh uniform she had put on earlier, Lieutenant Sanger exited her quarters toward the nearest turbolift.

"Bridge."

There were only a few seconds to take in a deep breath, exhale and relax her shoulders before she reached her destination.

The doors then parted to reveal the bridge of the Enterprise. Stepping out of the lift, Maryam felt like she was back at the Academy, on the day of her arrival; she wondered who she should address first.

This insecurity only lasted the nanosecond it took Commander Riker to notice her.

"Lieutenant Sanger," he called, standing up from his seat. Other members of the crew glanced in her direction when she made her way toward the First Officer, but she didn't hold their attention for long.

"Captain," Riker addressed the man who needed no introduction, "this is is Lieutenant Maryam Sanger, our new Communications Officer."

"Ah, yes. Welcome aboard, Lieutenant," was Captain Picard's acknowledgement of her as he stood up as well, "Captain Jedlicka spoke highly of you."

"I hope I can live up to his praise, sir," Maryam replied with a nervous smile.

"This is Deanna Troi, ship's counselor,' he indicated the woman sitting next to Picard. She stood up and smiled. Maryam noticed she had the blackest eyes she had ever seen and was almost certain she was a Betazoid.

"It's very nice to meet you, Lieutenant. I hope you will feel at home on the Enterprise," Troi stated in a warm tone. There was something about her, other than words, that made Sanger feel welcomed.

"Thank you, Counselor. I'm sure I will."

Riker indicated the Klingon officer behind the Captain's seat, "This is Lieutenant Worf, our Head of Security."

He then directed her to the front of the bridge.

"And over here is Lieutenant Commander Data, our Second Officer."

Data stood up and extended a hand.

"Pleased to meet you, Lieutenant," he said.

Maryam froze when she looked at him. Of all the places in the galaxy he could be in, he had to be aboard the same starship as her. She had no doubts about what he was and where he had come from, but never had she thought she would see him in person and as a Starfleet officer.

She hid her shock and discomfort well and the hesitation she demonstrated before shaking the hand he offered could be mistaken for shyness. She focused on his chin as a way to avoid his disturbing yellow eyes until the opportunity to turn away arose.

"I'm afraid a proper tour of the ship will have to wait, lieutenant. We will reach Betazed for the Trade Agreements Conference in thirty-six hours and I need you to start preparing for this right away. Mr. Data can show you around later," Will Riker stated, returning to his seat.

"Oh, I don't want to be any trouble, sir-"

"Not at all," Data stated, "It will be my pleasure."

With that, he sat back down and proceeded to ignore her presence.

She went to her station, still feeling unsettled, and pulled up the information on all the participants of the conference. The standard communications officer was a xenolinguist, but when dealing with individuals and cultures on a galactic level, there was a whole background research that needed to be done beyond linguistic knowledge. The right word could achieve great things, but the wrong gesture could destroy years of political alliance.

This work kept Maryam busy all day and the anxiety she had felt previously dissipated by the hour. After all, she had been doing this since leaving the Academy. Studying the culture and protocols of several different peoples was a challenge, one she wished she had more time to prepare for, but the crew of the Enterprise had accomplished much more with less time and tools at their disposal. She had to prove she was up to the task from the first minute; it was difficult to get rid of that eager to excel spirit from her cadet days, even after all these years.

"Well, it seems you're in perfect health, lieutenant," Dr. Crusher stated, with one last look at the tricorder, "I'm sorry to keep you for so long, but you know the protocol."

"I know, doctor. My physical was due soon anyway, so I guess you won't see me for another year," Maryam joked, standing up.

"You should be so lucky," Beverly replied, "If you only knew-"

The door behind them opened to reveal Lieutenant Commander Data.

"Lieutenant, if you are available now, I will take you on a… tour of the ship, as Commander Riker requested."

"We're all done here. You're free to go," the doctor stated, turning her attention to the computer.

Maryam couldn't come up with a good excuse; she only knew she didn't want to be in his company.

"That's alright, sir. I don't want to take up any of your time," she said, walking toward the exit. He didn't move.

"I insist. Every crew member, particularly bridge officers, should get acquainted with the ship as soon as they arrive."

He was going to throw standard procedure at her no matter how polite her objections were, she thought. Despite being an android, he was still her ranking officer and there was little argument she could offer in such an innocuous situation.

"You're right, sir. I apologize," the words came out forced. He didn't seem to notice.

"There is no need to apologize. Please, follow me," Data replied, before he turned around to leave sick bay.

She sighed, telling herself the sooner they went on with it, the sooner it would be over.

Maryam found out that being shown, taught or told anything by Data could take a considerable amount of time. He would go into absolute detail about every single thing on the ship, from the general configuration of the engineering division to the minutia of holodeck technology. She had to suppress a yawn more than once; she would not remember even a third of this information the next day and all she wanted to do was to point out the uselessness of it. Was this normal to him? Had no one ever told him he went on for way too long about things nobody cared about?

She didn't talk much during this time, but he didn't seem bothered by this either. In fact, it was almost like he didn't expect any comments from her. Maybe being a programmed creature didn't leave much room to improvise.

"Most social interactions and recreational activities happen in Ten Forward," he said when they entered the ship's lounge, "It is also the best location on the ship if you wish to observe space."

This was the most interesting thing he had said the whole three hours they had spent together. Right from the doorway one could see the vastness of the galaxy through the wide windows, a beauty comparable to few others in existence.

"The replicator offers a variety of cuisines and beverages," Data continued, breaking her moment of wonderment, "May I suggest-"

"Thank you, commander," Maryam interrupted, "I'm sure you're very busy and I don't want to keep you any longer… I should be heading back to my quarters."

"Of course. I shall see you at the start of Alpha shift. Goodnight, lieutenant," was his very short answer. He then turned around and exited the room.

She doubted he was able to perceive the rudeness she had just displayed, but she couldn't be sure; his abrupt response to her statement made her question the level of his awareness of human interactions.

At 23.00 hours, Data took the captain's chair, as he often did at the start of night shift. The lights were dimmed, and the bridge became quieter, as opposed to the livelier day and swing shifts. Tonight was a regular, uneventful night.

As Operations Officer, he had the opportunity to review the new officer's work on her first day. Even though she seemed to lack the well developed social skills of other bridge officers, the amount and quality of the preparation and research she had done on her first shift was quite impressive; she had redacted and edited all the highlights of the previous three editions of the conference, categorizing them by species, planet and system, with her own notes to aid Captain Picard should he need a quick refresher during the event. There were references to linguistic databases, which Data assumed were for her own use, and reports on the current affairs of each participant planet.

Maryam Sanger was competent; he had no doubt. However, she appeared to be uncomfortable in his presence and he attributed this to her being new on the Enterprise; perhaps he was the first android she had ever encountered and, like Data had witnessed many times before, the concept of an artificial life form serving aboard a starship was confusing to her.

He made a note to attempt a more interactive approach in the future.