Lt Cdr. Bull (Starfleet Pilot AMA)

If you've ever wondered why there's a three system exclusion zone around Ison, this is apparently why.

At a lecture on how the Age of Galactic Exploration changed earth culture.

Deeply fascinating how some stuff changed slowly, and other stuff suddenly.

Also the accounts of what happened after humanity made contact with the Isonu, who look EXACTLY like "anime" girls, are creepy af.

Hundreds of years of technological advancement. And they still can't make a replicator that can do decent toast.

Every time we get a new head of HR on the Enterprise, Geordi convinces them this is a good idea.

It never is.

They opened up the ability for people to run custom, self-created programs on the Holodeck again on Friday.

Wanna guess how long that lasted?

Riker demanding I take him to a Guardian portal so he can go back in time and age verify.

This is why I told him to get a credit card last time we were on DS9. Post-money society is great until it suddenly isn't.

Half tempted just to run this through the infosec scrubber and forward the whole email chain to Gowron.

Doubt these two would be saying this stuff about the Aeldari to his face.

Now Riker and Geordi are arguing about worst army lists.

This is all only happening because Picard is off on some 'Archeological dig'* for a week. Suspect whatever planet he's on must be a different timezone as normally he still watches his emails.

*Dirty weekend.

Fun fact: Games Workshop are banned from operating on Ferenginar.

bsky.app/profile/xray...

Before some rando pops up in my replies and says something about how this argument proves Star Fleet has gone 'woke'.

Be aware that i know for a FACT Gowron plays Aeldari.

I once saw him help Garak run a painting tutorial session for kids in the Warhammer shop on DS9.

Riker uses a grey undercoat spray. Geordi insists on undercoating in black by brush.

I don't need to know any of this.

Riker and Geordi are now arguing about the correct way to undercoat miniatures.

I'm legit surprised the Captain hasn't replied to this yet and shut the whole convo down.

Riker's used up all the monthly Warhammer credits on the replicators again.

I know this because Geordi has emailed the captain complaining that he can't replicate some Tau he preordered and copied all the senior staff in.

Join Star Fleet! See the galaxy!

Etc.

There's a compulsory 45min e-learning module for bridge crew that we have to redo annually because of this incident.

Wetly

Oh no Gowron found the prosecco

Every year on this day the Captain starts banging on about something called a 'Dreamcast'.

We nod along politely and pretend we know what the hell he's talking about. Some history thing he's obsessed with.

Just realised I didn't do one of these when I joined here. So:

I am Lieutenant Commander Bull, Chief Shuttle Officer on the USS Enterprise (NCC 1701-E). I am half-Caitan on my mother's side.

AMA about serving on a ship in Star Fleet and, unless it breaks regs or security, I will try to answer.

So that's why I'm in Star Fleet.

Because there is no amount of post-scarcity that can quell our desire to better ourselves. To make bold decisions, like my mother. To help people grow, like my father. To reach the stars, like my aunt.

And to make those who love and once loved me proud. /END

And then she hit me with it:

"I promised your mother I'd help you make something of yourself." She hissed. "You were meant to copy me and be a doctor, not do the bit about joining Star Fleet. Stupid organisation full of idiots on ridiculous missions." /17

"What was that for?!" I remember shouting as I got up, as around us there's all these graduates and guests who've apparently just seen a serving star fleet senior officer in full uniform scratching the crap out of an ex-cadet! /16

I found them both after the ceremony, my dad tried to shake my hand. I hugged him. Then I went to hug my aunt and she INSTANTLY leapt on me and started biting my ears (don't worry, it's a Caitian fake fighty "i'm SUPER angry at you" thing). /15

I hadn't even realised she was in the sector. She'd kept the whole thing a secret from me.

Indeed I later learned that she wasn't meant to be in sector at all. The captain of the Ceratos had effectively turned a blind eye to her going AWOL for a week to get back to Earth, via shuttle relay. /14

I remember graduation day. I remember collecting my badges, up on stage, and looking back and seeing my dad proudly sitting in the crowd.

But also there, next to him, my aunt. In FULL dress uniform. I didn't even know she owned one! /13

And so, when I was old enough, I applied for Star Fleet Academy.

The entrance exam was tough. Probably the only time in my life I've been terrified about failing an exam. But I passed - just - and I got in.

Four years later, after a lot of work, I graduated. /12

It was my aunt who practically forced me to focus on my studies, bribing me with my first off-world trip.

Years later she told me that she saw a lot of her sister in me. Smart but bloody-minded.

And it was through her that I came to yearn for the stars. To see what she saw. /11

When I struggled at school, and when I became a teen and struggled even more with my identity, it was her that would be there on holo or message to talk to. Or - frankly - who would occasionally claw me and tell me to sort myself out and listen to my dad. /10

What I know is that almost every summer, she'd spend a week of shore leave with us. And my GOD the food. The STORIES.

She was, and always has been, a devious mog. She would hook me with food and stories of second contact missions, of planets - and also of our culture and history at the same time /9

It turned out my aunt was in Star Fleet. And she was the only one of my mother's family who refused to abide by the family matriarch's banishment of my mother.

She's never told me what personal price she paid for that. I've never asked. Maybe serving in Star Fleet gave her more freedom to act. /8

Every one of those Caitian events or items must have been a vivid reminder of the wife he lost. Seeing me reject that must have been painful. But he persevered, because he knew that one day I'd want to discover more.

Then one day, I got home. There was a Caitian there. Dad said she was my aunt /7