It didn’t take long to reach the bridge and no one questioned her on the way. Zef was used to what she looked like, but at the beginning of every posting, she tended to turn heads with her unusual coloring. Dressed in the black and teal of science, she stood outside the Ready Room and smoothed, steady hands down the front of her uniform. After a deep, cleansing breath, Zef raised her hand and palmed the chime—alerting the officer inside that he had a visitor.

—Rollo, CNS