Unexpected Surprise

It had been a surprise, that was for certain.

Dante Winters had many surprises throughout his life.  More often than not, they were unpleasant ones.  He was still trying to decide which this one was.

It came in the form of a hand-delivered PADD.  The nutshell:  He was being offered a Starfleet position.  Not just any position... first officer.  First officer of the Arcadia.

The ship was legendary... among Humanists and alien beings alike.  For several years, it had been the Federation flagship.  Then suddenly... it had vanished into the stars.  No one knew where it had been or how it had disappeared.  No one knew why it suddenly reappeared.  But it was back... and Dante had been asked to become its second-in-command.

His initial reaction was to tell Starfleet that they could take their ship and offer... and place it somewhere of exceptional discomfort.  But a nagging thought kept bothering him.  Why him?  He had no friends in Starfleet that he was aware of.  He doubted that any of his Humanist contacts would have recommended him for the job.  Was it a set-up?  A mistake?  Someone's terrible idea of a joke?  Or even more disturbing... was it a serious offer?

The last few years had been rough ones for the entire galaxy it seemed.  Everyone was as nervous and paranoid as a Ferengi guarding his last bar of gold-pressed latinum.  Very few humans trusted Starfleet.  Sure... everything was supposedly fine now.  That's what they claimed the first time around.

She was impressive... even if she was a Federation ship.