Transcripts

Posted on Mar 15, 2016 @ 8:44pm by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane

Mission: Fortress: Earth

"TRANSCRIPTS"

(Continued from "Audible")

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Location: USS Lowe, en route with the fleet to Sector 001
Stardate: [2.16]0315.2345
Scene: Maximum Security Holding Cells, Deck 30


***USS LOWE, NCC-8669 (designated fleet prison ship)
***SECURITY LOG, CELLS 1A and 2A
*** PRESIDENTIAL PRISONER VISIT
***BEGIN PLAYBACK

*forcefield is deactivated and Sardak steps into the cell of Thoris P'Trell. In the next cell, Ronald Heydrich approaches the forcefield that separates him from Thoris and the President. Sardak lowers the hood of his robe.*

SARDAK: Live long and -

THORIS: Save your breath.

SARDAK: As you wish, Thoris. Mister Heydrich, I acknowledge your presence also. You are both being treated well?

THORIS: Yes.

HEYDRICH: If this forcefield was not here I would try to kill you, Sardak. Spare us your Vulcan pontifications and tell us why you have come.

SARDAK: The fleet is scant days from sector zero-zero-one. Soon, we will be laying siege to Earth and the final battle for the future of the Federation will begin. I came to ask if either of you will help us, even at this late stage, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Admiral Edgerton's reign is at an end. Please, help us to end this conflict with a minimum of -

HEYDRICH: You think this battle is coming to an end?

SARDAK: Yes. Starfleet is united. We vastly outnumber any Neo-Essentialist starships that might be waiting for us. Like the reverse of the situation at Elandipole, the outcome of any military confrontation is certain.

HEYDRICH: Think again, Mister President. You have guns. We have ideas.

THORIS: You should listen to him, Sardak. The Neo-Essentialists will never give up. You'll have to destroy Earth to weed them out. As long as there is a handful of them, they'll remain hiding in plain sight and begin to multiply once again.

SARDAK: It is a question that I have been considering these past few days. Thanks to the efforts of our valiant comrades aboard the Phoenix and Pendragon, we know that the Neo-Essentialists' facade hides a vicious 'humanity first' credo. I ask you, Thoris - why join them? Could you not see what they really were? You would have sold your own people into slavery.

THORIS: I could see it. Edgerton told me as much before Marxx's fleet left Earth. They call it 'The Final Solution to the Alien Question'. They had a secret conference in the Earthrise Hotel on Luna last year. All non-Humans to be returned to their homeworlds. Systematic sterilisation to effect population control. In fifty years, Humans will be the most numerically dominant race in the Federation.

SARDAK: It is monstrous.

THORIS: Yes. But all regimes need native collaborators to smooth their path. That is what I agreed to. Power, safety, comfort. You see, Sardak, the rot you think exists in Humanity's soul goes right down to the core of the Federation. It's a decrepit, ageing empire that has grown bloated on its own largesse. When you overcome a menace like the Kem D'Neel you think you can do anything. All those politicians in the Assembly, puffed up with their own importance, are now all languishing in prison camps, bemoaning their fate. We tear it all down to rebuild anew.

SARDAK: Even Andor?

THORIS: Especially Andor. Two-and-a-half centuries of living in the Federation has dulled the spirit of my people, made us too comfortable. That is what the Federation does - it whitewashes cultures, makes differences irrelevant, uses mealy-mouthed words and peer pressure to make you comply with their homogenous society. We are no longer Andorians. The Federation has neutered us.

HEYDRICH: Humanity First is more than just a slogan, Mister President. It is a philosophy. We of Earth have shored up the Federation since its founding, more so than any other race. Humans made up over three-quarters of all Federation casualties in the Second Dominion War, did you know that? And that war is less than a decade old. No longer will we bear the weight of others on our backs. We will rule them instead. We will rule Vulcan and Andor too. Your people will comply, or they will be eradicated. It's that simple.

SARDAK: I understand, and there many be some truth in what you say. Humans have been driving the Federation forward for so long that they may feel entitled to more than what they have. As the capital world and chief administrators of the Federation, perhaps they have lost sight of anything beyond their own racial imperatives.

THORIS: Then it appears your visit has been in vain, Sardak.

SARDAK: Not entirely. You see, Mister Heydrich, we have ideas of our our own, ideas that do not involve cruelty, oppression, injustice and intolerance. The Federation was founded on the exact opposite of what you espouse. We embrace our differences. We find inspiration in our diversity. We draw strength from our friends, and that is why the Neo-Essentialists can never win. Admiral Edgerton's takeover of the Federation was not a triumph of his ideas, it was a violent coup that was executed at gunpoint, not through the victory of reason. It killed many people, including Humans. He would kill many more Humans to preserve that coup. In the end, Mister Heydrich, Admiral Edgerton cares more about power than the soul of Humanity. Power, not strength.

*Sardak raises his hood, while Heydrich and Thoris fall into defeated silence*

SARDAK: I bid you both good day.

*Sardak turns and leaves them behind, the forcefield fizzing back into place when he leaves. Silence, shameful and ashen, surges softly backward in his wake...*

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Location: FedNews studio, Earth
Scene: Broadcast camera view


*title music plays, interspersed with views of the recent history of the Federation - massed fleets of Neo-Essentialist starships repulsing the Romulan invasion; Admiral Edgerton giving impassioned speeches to thousands of cheering, happy people; Human Neo-Essentialist governors distributing food to laughing alien children... the picture melts and fades in to a softly-lit studio where Dilbert Davis and Richard Edgerton are sitting on comfortable armchairs before a flickering fire. Edgerton is resplendent in his new black suit with a Starfleet communicator over his heart. Around his left bicep is a Neo-Essentialist armband, and his black peaked cap is lying on his lap.*

DILBERT DAVIS: Good evening everyone. Dilbert Davis here with a special broadcast of the newly branded FedNews, the fair and balanced news organisation of the new Federation. Tonight's guest is none other than our great leader, our guide, our light, the man who has saved the Federation - Richard Edgerton.

EDGERTON: Thank you, Dilbert, for those glowing words! I'm not sure how much I deserve them though!

DAVIS: There's no need to be modest, Admiral. Without you, the Federation would have fallen into anarchy two years ago when President Moray and his cabinet were assassinated. We would have been conquered by the Romulans when they invaded the Neutral Zone last year. Your skillful rule has kept us strong through this continuing time of crisis.

EDGERTON: Well, then, it's nice of you to say so. I'm simply trying to serve.

DAVIS: We're under the rule of martial law. The Federation Council legitimately voted to suspend the Federation Charter, and gave you, as the Starfleet Chief of Staff, special powers to see us through the crisis. How are we doing?

EDGERTON: Better, but we're not out of the woods yet. The Romulans have been defeated, as you know, and we are working on Bolarus to help rebuild that world. Our economy is recovering. Once again, the Federation has prevailed. However, our society and way of life is still threatened by subversive elements who cast the shadow of terrorism over us. You may be familiar with the recent bombing of an unarmed medical research facility in the Lavenza system, for example.

DAVIS: An outrageous attack. Do you think these terrorists might be amongst us even now?

EDGERTON: Yes, it's possible. We must be vigilant, and continue to be wary of those who are different. Often, committed terrorist sleeper agents betray themselves through unwary speech - for example, denouncing the government, rejecting the supersedence of the military, following unusual lifestyles or subcultures, or exhibiting deviant behaviours. I would encourage anyone who thinks they may have information on suspected terrorists to contact the authorities immediately.

DAVIS: A wise precaution. Is that why the Aegis Defence Network was launched?

EDGERTON: Yes. The Aegis network is a system of satellites that protect the Earth with a tachyon field that stops unauthorised starships penetrating our atmosphere. It is a fascinating and state-of-the-art computer system that advances Earth's defences into the next century. No Romulan or other enemy starship will be able to hurt any of our citizens now. Unfortunately, there has been some slight disruption to civilian starship traffic during its implementation, but we expect this to be resolved shortly. For now, every child on the Earth can sleep safe and sound under the Aegis planetary shield.

DAVIS: An amazing new technology, and another feather in your cap, Admiral. But this broadcast is not to be wholly about politics, is it?

EDGERTON: No. You have some personal questions for me, I believe?

DAVIS: Only if you are willing to answer...

EDGERTON: Of course, Dilbert! I have nothing to hide.

DAVIS: Well, people know you as the highest-ranking officer in Starfleet. But what of Richard Edgerton the man? Tell us something we don't know about you.

EDGERTON: Oh! You didn't tell me these would be hard questions, Dilbert! Let me see... well, I am turning sixty years old this year. And I'm married. A Human woman who makes me very happy. I'm not going to tell you any more than that, as she is not in the public eye, but suffice it to say that I love her with all my heart and would protect her with my life. I guess I'm an old romantic at heart!

DAVIS: Lucky lady! What about your military career? You've been in Starfleet for over thirty years now, correct?

EDGERTON: Yes. Class of ninety-nine.

DAVIS: And...?

EDGERTON: And what?

DAVIS: You're so modest, Admiral! You graduated summa cum laude from that class, and received your officer's commission as a junior grade Lieutenant instead of an Ensign!

EDGERTON: I suppose I did. I didn't do it for myself, but thank you for mentioning it, Dilbert.

DAVIS: You were a highly-regarded Tactical officer through your career, and you achieved your first command only thirteen years after graduation. Since then, your career has gone to warp speed. People regularly compare you with historical greats like Kirk, Picard, et cetera. Are you comfortable with all that?

EDGERTON: Those comparisons humble me. I am very grateful to anyone who mentions me in the same breath as those great Humans, but I am just trying to protect the Federation and Humanity - the family that I love.

DAVIS: I think no more needs to be said. Admiral Edgerton, thank you so much for your precious time. I'll let you get back to your great work now.

EDGERTON: Thank you, Dilbert.

*camera pans backward from Edgerton's gentle, smiling face, and the anthem of the Federation begins to play. The picture fades to black...*

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NRPG:

propaganda

Noun.

1.
information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
2.
the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.
3.
the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.


Jerome McKee
the Soul of Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Commanding Officer
USS PHOENIX


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

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