Communications Log

Lieutenant Commander R’shara, Chief Communications Officer.

Communications Log, Stardate 78970.291.

The vessel has entered a period that Humans refer to as the holiday season.

This initially created some confusion.

Several officers attempted to explain Christmas traditions.

Their explanations were inconsistent.

In some cases they were contradictory.

This appears to have had no impact on the holiday’s continued survival.

Over the past three weeks I have observed a noticeable increase in non-essential communications traffic.

Family messages.

Personal greetings.

Recorded performances.

Seasonal updates.

Children showing artwork to relatives several sectors away.

Retired officers contacting former shipmates.

Friends exchanging messages that contain little information beyond confirmation that both remain well.

Communications bandwidth utilization has increased considerably.

I approved additional allocations without hesitation.

These transmissions serve an important purpose.

Human cultural records often describe Christmas as a celebration.

I increasingly suspect it functions as a maintenance cycle.

Relationships require attention.

Communities require reinforcement.

Connections weaken when neglected.

Many species have developed traditions that accomplish similar objectives.

The rituals vary.

The outcome remains remarkably consistent.

Every culture appears to invent reasons to gather.

The reasons vary.

The gathering does not.

A schoolteacher on Meridian submitted this month’s educational report yesterday.

The attached artwork depicted USS Kepler orbiting the planet.

The proportions were inaccurate.

The nacelles were significantly undersized.

The drawing has nevertheless been distributed throughout the department.

My staff appears to find it charming.

I have not discouraged this behavior.

The crew continues to organize itself into increasingly stable communities.

Engineering hosted a gift exchange.

Medical organized a shared meal.

Several civilian families have decorated portions of the arboretum.

The children have transformed one section into what appears to be an ongoing construction project involving paper ornaments, recycled packaging materials, and a surprising quantity of adhesive compounds.

No individual claims responsibility.

Everyone appears involved.

This arrangement is apparently acceptable.

Prior to this assignment I rarely spent significant periods away from established Caitian communities.

At the time, I considered this practical.

Familiar cultures require less explanation.

Shared assumptions reduce misunderstanding.

The frontier offers fewer such conveniences.

I am beginning to suspect that may be its value.

This morning I received invitations to four separate holiday gatherings.

One originated from the engineering department.

One from medical.

One from a civilian family residing on Deck Nine.

The fourth came from a communications specialist who has been aboard less than two weeks.

I initially intended to decline all four.

That plan is currently under review.

End Log.