Have Branson Bring Round The Shuttle

Sometimes it takes a while for something to really sink in. I've seen the TNG episode, "Manhunt" several times. The episode is packed with great stuff: Dixon Hill, Worf musing about how handsome and noble a sleeping fish species is, and a fantastic bit with Data's "amusing" anecdotes.

This episode also heavily features Deanna's mother, Lwaxana Troi. I admit that sometimes the character can be a little grating but, the longer Lwaxana's around, the better she gets. As a kid, I loved her. She was silly, funny, powerful, smart and... rich. She even had a valet.

Yep. Lwaxana's valet is Lurch. 

As a kid, I didn't get what a valet did. I kind of knew (from 30 Something probably) that there was a guy called a valet who parked rich people's cars. I knew later on (from Sherlock Holmes probably) that sometimes a guy called a valet carried rich people's suitcases. It literally wasn't until I started watching Downton Abbey a couple years ago that I actually understood the traditional role of the valet.

Now, all I can think about is what the Enterprise would be like if it were run like a country estate in Edwardian England. I imagine Data working as Picard's valet, helping him get into his dress uniform and advising him about ship's matters in a totally non-presumptuous way. I imagine Wesley bringing round the shuttle to drop off delegates and Beverly prescribing warm milk with cinnamon for deadly epidemics. It's a world where the future and past have settled comfortably together and Captain Picard makes long and lofty speeches about his ship and his god-given duty to care for it while Riker stands in the background just hoping he'll get to separate the saucer section.

"I'm so sorry. I thought you were a waiter."