“So space travel’s in your blood too. Do you see your family often?”

Uhura cleared her throat. “My father… he was lost in deep space in my third year at the Academy.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I understand if you don’t like to talk about it.”

She caught the look in Scott’s eyes, expressing his truer understanding. “No, it’s all right,” she said. “I just feel more defined by my career, my accomplishments in Starfleet. I’ve come to think of my shipmates as my family.”

“Aye, in all my years, I’ve never seen a closer bunch than we became on the Enterprise,” Scott put in, trying to change the subject. “It was a rare blessing that we were able to bring the entire command crew back together for V’Ger and afterward. Ah, now, V’Ger, that was a mighty—”

The intercom interrupted him. “Bridge to Captain Blake.”

Blake tapped her wrist communicator—an older model, but one still in use on second-tier ships like the Asimov. “Blake here. Go ahead, Tarha.”

“We’ve just received a navigational advisory from Deneva traffic control,” came the voice of the communications officer. “We only just received it due to signal interference. Some sort of anomalous energy bursts have been detected in interplanetary space. A series of sporadic, intense EM and gravimetric eruptions causing interference and subspace turbulence. All ships advised to divert around the phenomenon.”

“Does it affect our course?”

“Mister Chung says no, but they match a recent Starfleet advisory pertaining to a newly discovered type of energy anomaly called a vacuum flare. Any vessel that detects one is requested to investigate.”

Uhura exchanged a look with Scott. “That’s the phenomenon Chekov’s been telling us about in his letters. The one the Reliant encountered at Argelius and Altair.”

“Aye,” Scott said. “But they were probing outward along that path, last I heard. Deneva’s practically in the opposite direction.”

“So either this is something different—”

“—or they’ve been chasing a wild goose for weeks now,” Scott finished.

Blake was already on her feet. “Then I suggest we get to the bridge and find out.” Raising her communicator to her mouth, she ordered, “Have Chung set an intercept course.”

“Captain, there are two other Starfleet ships already en route,” Lieutenant Tarha replied. “The T’Viri and the Meitner.”

“Great, then we’ll have multiple readings we can compare.” She smiled wryly. “I know you were looking forward to leave, Tarha, but this shouldn’t take long.”