Future Shock

Posted on Aug 22, 2014 @ 12:23pm by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Edited on on Aug 22, 2014 @ 12:23pm

Mission: Absolute Power

"FUTURE SHOCK"

(Continued from "A Day In Venice")

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"The future starts today, not tomorrow."
- Pope John Paul II

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Personal Log, Supplemental - The Board of Inquiry is in an hour's recess. It is a break we could all use, especially given its treatment of the most recent witness...

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Location: Starfleet Headquarters
Stardate: [2.14]0821.0210
Scene: Waiting area outside the courtroom


The day had been going well up until under an hour ago, and Michael Turlogh Kane had been entertaining thoughts that they were going to get away with it - with overcoming the Neo-Essentialists, salvaging the Century, defeating and destroying the Discovery, and hauling the Century back to Earth under cloak. The Board had seemed to accept his testimony regarding the fate of the Discovery, had seemed to accept Kassandra's cleverly blithe know-nothing statements. When Jake had been called, the second of the three supplicants, Kane had entertained idle thoughts of everyone being able to extricate themselves from this situation with a minimum of fuss.

He should have known better, he realised. Whatever Edgerton was thinking, whatever he thought the crew knew, he was determined to extract his pound of flesh. What he couldn't understand was why. Edgerton was risking a lot. He was gambling that, even if the crew knew he was the leader of the Neo-Essentialists, they would be unable to make a public pronouncement of such, and given that, he was prising at their joints like a carpenter with a crowbar.

Kane's heart sank when he saw Jake sitting with his head in his hands on a seat in the waiting area. Kassandra and Russ were with him, doing their best to comfort him, but he looked in shock, and he had every right to be. What Edgerton had done in there was manage to link the Discovery's destruction with one person - the Chief Engineer - and make it look like negligence.

Somewhat tentatively, he approached the little group. As one, they looked up. "How are you feeling, Mister Crichton?" he asked uselessly.

"A little shook up, but I'll be alright," said Jake grimly.

"The hell you will!" said Kass angrily. "That no-good sonofabitch Edgerton is settin' you up ta be the fall guy for the Discovery when we all know it was - " She abruptly stopped, and looked at the floor.

Kane felt the sting of her words. "You're absolutely correct, Captain Thytos. It was my call. I destroyed the Discovery. When the Board reconvenes, I'll take the stand and change my testimony. I'll tell them the truth of what happened in system K-60, about the Century, about Edgerton and the Neo-Essentialists, all of it."

"No!" Jake stood up. "Captain, we can't do that. You'd tear the Board apart, and Edgerton would have nothing to lose by activating every single Neo-Essentialist agent in Starfleet right now. Telling the truth could trigger a civil war!"

"But you can't take the fall, Jake!" said Russ. "It wasn't your fault!"

"Yes I can!" Jake looked at all three of them. "Believe me, I don't want to lose my commission. I'm not doing this because I want to be a hero. I wish there was another way of doing this. But there isn't, is there?"

The collective silence gave him his answer. Kane shook his head slowly, rage bubbling in his heart. He did something he'd never done before - he reached out and put his hands on Jake's shoulders. "Mister Crichton, I swear to you that I will not forget what you have done today, and I will make it right. Somehow, I will make it right."

Jake seemed to understand. He nodded. "Thank you, Captain."

"It is we who must thank you, Commander," said Kane meaningfully.

The four of them took a moment together. There was no doubt about it - there was a bond between them now. They were united in fear, in desperation, in everything.

"No refuge save that which we find in ourselves," murmured Kane.

The doors to the courtroom opened again. The court recorder stood there, looking around for them. "Two minutes," she said.

All eyes turned to Russ. He was the last of them to go into the fire.

"Are you ready, Mister BaShen?" asked Kane.

Russ nodded. "As I'll ever be."

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COPY OF MEMORANDUM SENT THIS STARDATE

To: Ezkar, Admiral, Starfleet Judge Advocate General.

- Further to upcoming declaration of Board of Inquiry regarding loss of NCC-12001 USS Discovery, recommend immediate court-martial be convened to bring charges of negligence against Commander Jacob Crichton, former Chief Engineer of same.

Signed: Richard Edgerton, Rear Admiral, Starfleet Chief of Staff.

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Scene: Outside the courtrrom, as before


Kane was preparing to go back inside for Russ's testimony. Kass was still comforting Jake, and Russ had steeled himself for the inevitable and gone inside.

Things were really in a mess now, and Kane couldn't see a way out. Maybe they would have been better off taking the Century and running as far away from Edgerton and Starfleet as they could, never coming back to the Federation. Kane had thought that feigned ignorance would have kept them safe, but he must have made a mistake somewhere, must have given something away, something that Edgerton had seized on. There was no way to be sure of what was going on now - the best thing to do was to roll with the punches and see how it turned out. A chill crept up his spine - what if all three members of the Board were Neo-Essentialists? He looked again across the lobby, empathy welling up within him as he watched Jake and Kass. What was familiar was no longer safe. Enemies were everywhere.

"You look like a man with a lot on his mind, Captain Kane."

Kane turned on his heel. The statement had come from a nearby man dressed in a Starfleet uniform, but with the ominous black collar of the Intelligence division. His rank pips denoted a Lieutenant Commander. The man had boyish features under a modern, stylish brown haircut, and was smiling winningly at him.

Kane was in no mood for pleasantries. "Who the hell are you?" he grated.

The younger man stepped closer. "My name is Drake, Captain Kane. I've got a message for you."

"I'm busy."

"This can't wait. It has to do with your old Century shipmate, Peter Aspinall. It's a message from him, in fact."

Kane froze. That was a name he hadn't heard in ten years. When he had started his Starfleet career, he and Peter had served as junior officers on the Century before their assignments had diverged. Last he had heard, Peter was aboard the Pendragon, but that ship was listed as missing with all hands. How could Peter be contacting him now? "Alright, Mister Drake," he said. "You've got my attention. What's Peter's message?"

Drake was still smiling. "Not here. Public is good, but this is too much. After the Board of Inquiry is concluded, I'll contact you."

Kane snarled at him. "What sort of game do you think you're playing, Drake? If you have something to say, then say it. I know that Peter is listed as missing - how can he be contacting me? And why?"

Drake shook his head. "I said not here. You're not the only one I'm contacting on his behalf - in fact, I'm running late for a rendevous with a certain Andorian brain surgeon-turned-command officer." He smiled to himself before becoming serious again. "Believe me, Captain Kane, this is no game. I know all about Edgerton and the Neo-Essentialists. I also know what really happened to the Discovery. How you destroyed it by your own hand."

Kane was shaken to his core. "Someone told you."

"Yes, Captain," nodded Drake sagely. "You told me. Or more accurately, you will tell me. You'll confess everything to me in about two weeks' time, when we're halfway to Limbo aboard your new Galaxy-class starship."

Kane couldn't speak. He just stood there with his mouth open.

Drake turned to leave, but checked himself. "One more thing, Captain Kane. You can trust Secretary Martine. She's not on Edgerton's side. In fact, she's central to keeping you and your crew safe from him while you're on Earth. I think you should talk to her. I think you should tell her everything. In fact, I know you will."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Kane said in exasperation. He spread his arms wide. "And what makes you think I won't report this meeting to Starfleet Security?"

Drake was already moving away. "Because I can see into the future?" he winked. "I'll be in touch soon, Captain."

He disappeared into the milling crowd of people, leaving an utterly confused man behind.

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NRPG: The plot thickens, like boiling old socks!


Jerome McKee
the Soul of Michael Turlogh Kane
A Captain in Starfleet


"He speaks an infinite deal of nothing!"
- Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", Act 1, Scene 1.117

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