Scotty flushed, just a little, and hastily took another sip of his drink.

"Oh, ah, she's no' that kind of a friend. I mean, she's a fine lass, but I've not - I -" He paused, swallowed, took a deep breath, and hoped to abandon the subject.

"As for what the hell kind of place this is, best answer I've got is that it's a very strange one indeed," he said, and grinned. "But c'mon, that's what Starfleet's about, right? Exploring new worlds and figuring out how things work? I can't wait to see the report the Captain'll have to write when we get back home."