USS Culver City was scheduled to leave Starbase 86 for the Shackleton Expanse in a few hours.  In the meantime, cargo loading was underway, and the final crew rotations and additions were being completed.  At long last, the California-class ship found herself carrying a full crew complement, many of them eager to go and explore this new frontier.

In his ready room, Lieutenant Commander Varyn K’lev stood at a window, absently turning a small object over in his hands.  Eventually he looked down at it: he held a small model of the Culver City, made from a fragment taken from a recently-replaced section the ship’s hull plating and mounted on a base.  The base bore a brass plaque that read, on three lines: “To Chief Petty Officer Robert Bong/With All Our Gratitude For Your Time With Us/The Crew of USS Culver City”.

K’lev sighed heavily.  As eager as he himself was to get underway, there came first one other duty to perform; Chief Bong’s time with the ship had come to an end, and today was his departure day.  He turned, crossing to the desk and placing the small statue carefully into a velvet-lined box, then closed it and carefully wrapped it.  There, he thought to himself, that looks better.

K’lev then asked the computer for Chief Bong’s location.  It replied that he was in his quarters.  He then had the computer open an all-hands ship-wide comm channel that excluded the Chief’s quarters and his combadge.

“All hands report to your assigned positions for the disembarkation ceremony.”  He then grabbed the 2 other crew who were going to be disembarking with the Chief, all bound for new assignments.  They then went and waited outside the Chief’s quarters.  Behind his back, K’lev held the wrapped box.

When Bong walked out with his 2 duffel bag and toolchest that served as his momento collection he was struck to see the Captain and the rest of the senior staff standing there.

When he got out into the corridor he was even more suprised to noticed that it was filled with the entire crew, spaced out a metre apart lining both sides of hallway.

“Not necessary, sir…but thank you.”

K’lev turned to the ship’s bosun and nodded; the bosun then played the familiar disembarkation whistle.  It was usually reserved for diplomats, politicians, and senior officers.  Though he heard it countless times, Bong could count on 1 hand how many times it had been played specifically for his disembarkation.

“All hands, eyes front and attention for Chief Petty Officer Bong!” K’lev called, and the crew stood to attention.

Bong then walked along, acknowledging several of crew with nods as he walked past.  He threw if a few quips at a few of the people he had worked more closely with the last several months.

“Quit burning your forearms on hot relays, Slater.”

“Aye Chief.”

“You need a nap Belding, you work too hard sometimes.”

“Aye aye chief.”

“Say hi to your aunt for me Spanno.  She still owes me that etched Phaser Rifle.”

“She says she’ll bury it with you Chief.”

Bong smiled brightly at that one.  He had gotten to know many of the crew well.  His assignment there had been billed as temporary anyway.  And the last few years since he could retire whenever he wanted Starfleet had decided to keep offering the chief assignments they thought he would be interested in as their way of trying to keep him around and continuing to impart the vast amount of institutional knowledge he had accrued over his long career.