Blue (Banshee Squadron episode)

Teaser

A First Contact situation is never easy even under ideal conditions, but while trying to negotiate peaceful relations with a strange new species on the borders of Federation space, Commander Lee Carter must overcome not only cultural differences, but her own intractable foibles.

Story

The USS Eternity is assigned to make first contact with an unusual new race called the Blue. There are some unusual restrictions. Lee Carter volunteers to be the liaison.

One of the restrictions turns out to be a special suit that must be worn whenever in the presence of a Blue, which happens to be invisible to human eyes. Carter balks, but Captain Cross reassures her that to the Blue the clothes are completely opaque.

Dressed in the invisible suit, Carter greets the Blue via holo-transmission, but a Ferengi ship arrives on the scene and attacks, claiming the Blue vessel. Carter fights back her embarrassment and opens a visual channel and distracts the Ferengi DaiMon long enough to program and execute a surprise attack. The Ferengi ship is disabled, and the Blue are impressed.

Notes

• This was another story written in response to a writing exercise suggested on the TrekCreative Writer's Group. The challenge was to write a scene where your character suddenly found herself naked on the bridge. How would she react? The idea was just a mental exercise to get us into our characters' heads a little – to flesh out how they think, what their values are, etc…, but I managed to squeeze an actual short story out of it.