Wendy Hendricks

Starfleet is a wild ride. You thought you were ready for it. Starfleet has a way of proving people wrong. The USS Visalia,(California-class) your first assignment out of the academy is one of the fleet's workhorses, without the prestige, but not without the craziness because a century earlier... the USS Nashville was a thing. And the USS Nashville brought the gift of country music to first contact with the good folk of Beta Cygni 3... or as they have taken to calling themselves... Swifties. But it's not simple mimicry, the Swifties are proud music loving people that insist country music specifically speaks to their souls... though they aren't above some quality Klingon opera as a change of pace. They value acceptance, emotional openness and quality acoustic guitar. Significant life moments are expected to be handled with song... a fact that your lyrically challenged Chief Engineer is not at all happy about. On making contact with the Swifties you find them agreeable... if perhaps more fond of rhinestones than anticipated, their 'uniform' appears to be eclectic, jeans, flannel, and cowboy hats... though it does have a certain aesthetic appeal. From your spot at the helm you're thoroughly baffled. From Operations Ensign Wendy Hendricks, a friend from the academy has been looking forward to meeting the Swifties for weeks. She's open minded, straight up brilliant, and has an annoying habit of humming a tune at the most random of times. The Swifties sing their greeting, introduce themselves and then say that after initial conversations they're custom is to wait 8 hours before resuming communication. Your captain grumbles as the viewscreen cuts out "Eight hours." The Visalia's Vulcan science officer nods. "It appears to come from one of their cultural touchstones. 9 to 5." Wendy almost jumps up. "What a way to make a living!" Within minutes Wendy is assigned to the away team to meet with the Swifties in person and she's volunteered you to help.