It had been a shorter transfer than expected for Shock, in terms of time. He had expected travelling for 40 hours, but for some reason (he did not care to investigate or ask why), it was only 20 hours. In the middle of his meditation on the shuttle T’Pan, he was disturbed by the pilot announcing that they had arrived at the Athena.

A little surprised – though Shock gave no indication of it – he quickly tidied up his meditation candle and gear, and made himself ready and presentable. He looked out the window, and saw the gigantic ship spanning 45 decks from top to bottom, and 700 metres from front to end.... It was an impressive sight. It was on this ship that he would be the new chief of security – his first department head position.

Within minutes, he beamed on board the Athena, carrying one bag of personal belongings, including portraits of his parents and other significant people in his life, an empty paper diary – in which he practised his penmanship, and wrote his diary in his native language, undisturbed by computers, scanners, and universal translators – some Vulcan-style formalwear that he had inherited from his maternal grandfather, as well as a drawing a Klingon child once made. That Klingon child – a small boy named majQu’ (as transliterated in the signature) – was one that Shock and his colleagues had helped save in an earlier indicident in his previous posting. When his colleagues there had teased Shock if keeping a child’s drawing of thanks was not sentimental and emotional – unbefitting for a Vulcan – Shock had denied such allegations, saying that for Klingons honour was important (and to Vulcans too, but in a different manner), and he would bring dishonour upon the child if he disposed of the drawing. To Shock himself, he knew that the drawing carried significance. It was his only incident with a child – and while he had saved the child along with his parents – it could easily have been a much harder situation – the odds were that the child and parents would all have died from the pressure implosion in their shuttle had Shock and his colleagues been seconds later in their intervention. As such, he remembered that he had been emotional. The welfare of children was important to him, and while he had vowed to himself never to father children himself, he felt as he was a protector of them.

As such, it gave a special resonance to him that on the Athena, there would be families (unlike his previous posting) for whose welfare he would be responsible. It gave extra weight to his duties.

A yeoman, Mr Tallak, a short and cheery-demeanoured Andorian, greeted Shock upon his arrival, apologised that there was no bigger reception for him as he had arrived earlier than scheduled. After pleasantries were exchanged, Mr Tallak offered to show Shock around the main areas of the ship, and help him get settled. Shock had to go see the captain, the xo, a physician, a counsellor, before being declared fit for duty, and then he’d invite his junior officers and other crew for a staff meeting in security where he would introduce himself.

Shock agreed to the offer, and the two began walking around the ship, exchanging some small talk. Shock found value to small interactions, as they would help him understand the people for whose security he’d be responsible for. Shock knew also, from experience, that the first people he met on a ship were the ones with whom he would likely form the strongest attachment.

– Lt Shock (Security Chief)